《Harry Potter: Arcane Thief (LitRPG)》


 Chapter 1: The Heist

    A skinny boy walked along the busy streets of London, keeping his head low.


    The boy looked to be around 10 years old, and his clothes were a bit shabby. His raven locks hid his bright amber eyes and most of his face.


    *Thump*


    "Hey! watch it, squirt."


    "Sorry..." replied Axel, the boy, to yet another random passerby, making sure to keep his head low.


    He wasn''t behaving so timidly out of fear or nervousness. No, he was just trying to make sure that the random passerby he had just bumped into had nothing to remember him by.


    A smirk rose from the corner of his mouth as he pocketed the loaded wallet of yet another rich target.


    Yes, he was currently picking pockets in the cold streets of London.


    He wasn''t ashamed of it. In fact, he took pride in his skills. After all, he has acquired them after much pain and suffering.


    Though, his only targets are rich people who particularly seem to have this sense of superiority that he wants to smash. It might be unreasonable to some people, but Axel had personal reasons for his hate.


    He doesn''t steal from people who are poor or good natured. He might be a pickpocketer right now, but he still had his own pride and principles.


    These are the only things he can''t give up on.


    Axel has been an orphan for as long as he can remember. Though he didn''t use to be as homeless as he is right now.


    He used to live in an orphanage. It''s not like he didn''t have to struggle there, but at least he used to have a roof over his head and some food to fill his stomach.


    But somehow, these almost magical accidents kept happening around him.


    Whenever he was under emotional distress or in dire need of help, bad things would happen to those who are the cause of said distress.


    This kept on until the one at the receiving end of this ''accident'' was the son of a rich and powerful man.


    So, at the age of 8, he was kicked out of the orphanage, left to fend for himself. He even had to drop out of the school.


    Maybe he could have stayed if he endured the beatings of the older kids quietly without losing control, or maybe the Orphanage keeper could have still kept him if he begged for it or complained to the local authority. But, Axel decided that he had had enough of that place.


    Well, what would an eight year old know¡­ that life as a homeless 8 year old would be much, much worse than a bullied eight year old.


    But Axel didn''t regret it. There''s something inside him that would just rather die than bow down in submission.


    That was about 3 years ago. In the past three years, he has had to go through a lot. And these years have also helped him confirm something about himself.


    He is weird.


    Like, different kind of weird.


    Any other kid would have definitely died after going through what he has gone through in the past three years. And yet, here he is at the age of 11, still clinging on to life like a leech.


    He has also always felt himself to be more mature than his peers, rather, his mind grows very fast, picking up things much quicker than most.


    Axel checked the contents of the wallet he had just picked up.


    "Nice haul," he muttered, the corner of his mouth tilting upwards.


    There was a point when he almost died of starvation. But now, he has amassed enough wealth to last him for quite a while.


    But Axel wasn''t satisfied with just having enough money for food. He knows that he can''t keep living like this forever.


    Pickpocketing and petty thefts are not sustainable and the money is too low for his ambitions. This money is not legal either, neither does it bring any status to him.


    He needs a more permanent fix to his problem, like having an education, a real job or business. But till then, he is going to focus on gathering the money for it.


    ''So... who''s next?'' he thought to himself as his eyes darted in all directions. Pickpocketing is a difficult job. He can''t just start robbing random people and a lot of time and patience are needed for all the other conditions to meet. Though his one redundant quality is that, he only robs rich @ssholes, like the kid who bullied him and his father, who got him expelled.


    Of course, it¡¯s still not ethical and stealing is still stealing, but hey, what else can a kid his age do? Get a job?


    ¡®Ah, is it my lucky day today?¡¯ He asked himself as he found a man who seemed to be begging to be robbed just after a few minutes of strolling.


    It was a tall man with grey eyes, dressed luxuriously in an odd old-fashioned cloak that covered his whole body, walking across with a disgusted expression on his face as he looked around the whole world distastefully. He had a fancy cane in his hand that he didn¡¯t seem to need at all. His ''thou art beneath me'' look instantly signed him up on top of Axel''s steal list.


    Even as Axel began to make his way toward the man, he had to wonder just why the man seemed so disdainful of everything. He decided that he will not be bumping into this guy. The guy seems to be the sort who''d want to beat him up just for having any physical contact with a street urchin. So, he has to apply one of his more subtle approaches.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ''It''s going to be a bit difficult, but it''s not like I can''t run away,'' thought Axel a bit smugly.


    Though he definitely possessed the talent and skills to back up his claims. He has the confidence to outrun any man in this area. He has managed to slip out of the worst of situations.


    Though... all these claims applied only to muggles and he had no way of knowing this at the time.


    The clueless Axel studied the man carefully and pinpointed the location of the man''s possessions. He then purposefully began walking in the way of the incoming man, timing their intersection perfectly at the moment when the alley was the closest to ensure his escape route in case of being caught.


    When he reached right in front of the man, the guy inevitably had to look at the annoying bug in front of him. Just as the amber eyes met grey, Axel''s eyes shifted to glance behind the man and his expression changed dramatically, his steps also stopping.


    The man, who thought himself to be a sharp one, quickly glanced behind, only to find... nothing! Everything seemed to be normal.


    ''Score!'' Axel smirked. 50% work was already done. Lightning quick, his hand snaked into the man''s unusual cloak to find his wallet. Though oddly enough, instead of a wallet, he found a pouch. Some king of leather skin. Given that he had less than a second to do his thing, he didn''t think too much and quickly stuffed the pouch into the bulky jacket he was wearing. Or at least, he tried to...


    Everything had gone very well, and he had even managed to not make any noise even while stealing such a bulky pouch which must have been filled with coins.


    But, as he moved past the man while pocketing the pouch, he felt the pouch in his hand growing extremely hot all of sudden, making him curse inwardly! And... if that wasn''t enough, it somehow also emitted an extremely loud noise, as if to alarm the owner about a thief!


    ''Fuck!'' Cursing at the absurdity of the situation, Axel didn''t waste his time. He chucked the purse to the other side of the street to distract the man and made a beeline for the alley while his brain worked furiously.


    ''He should glance towards his flying purse, and then he would either run after me, or the pouch, or pull out a knife, or even a gun. I should at least have 2 seconds to run in all cases,''


    And that was enough to run into the alley. Once he turned, the man would have to chase to get a clear shot and by then, he would be out of his sight. Thus, Axel should be out fine for now. But suddenly, he felt something was wrong.


    He threw a quick glance behind him ¡ª Only to see the man pointing the stick which he had in his hand at Axel and a beam of purple light already half on its way to hit him.


    Eyes widening, he quickly tried to dodge but it was already too late. He was quick, but he was not THAT quick yet.


    The light hit him on his side, and his whole body instantly went stiff, completely immobile. For some reason, the man hasn''t thrown a second glance towards the pouch, and neither did he have to pull out his weapon from his robe. It was always in his hand! That fancy stick. Thus, the man was able to catch Axel off guard since Axel never knew there was a world of magic he had no knowledge about.


    Axel''s petrified body hit the ground hard, but the man was far from satisfied. He was looking at Axel like he was an ant that had just bitten the man.


    "Filthy mudblood animal¡­ quite daring to try and steal from a pureblood wizard in the middle of the day," he drawled, his voice containing cold fury.


    He flicked his fancy stick and the pouch that had been thrown across the street somehow flew back into the man''s waiting hand.


    Axel was completely out of the loop with what was happening right now. First the alarm, and the hot bag, then that beam of light which came out of that stick which made him completely immobile, and now that mudblood and pureblood wizard thingy.


    He didn''t know what was happening, but from one look at the man''s ruthless face, he knew that if he didn''t escape right now, he was in some serious danger. He knows that look well. If he''s caught, he''d be lucky to escape with a few broken bones.


    ''C''mon! Move! Move!'' He tried, he really did. But try as he might, he couldn''t make his body move at all!


    The next thing he knew, he was somehow lifted off the ground and carried into the alleyway at the man''s wandpoint.


    The man waved his wand a few more times and muttered something and the world around him turned silent. He couldn''t hear the noise coming from the busy street of London, nor anything else, just the man''s footsteps as he came to stand in front of his petrified body.


    He heard the man chuckle darkly at his vain struggles. "You filthy little thing. I was angry at first, but now... I think it was for my own good that you delivered yourself to me. After all, it''s been a while since I tortured someone to my heart''s content," he said and Axel felt the man''s voice tone changing.


    Beforehand, his voice was cold and almost emotionless. But now, it seemed as if a barrier had been lifted off, and now his voice was sounding much scarier. He understood that voice. It''s the voice of someone who enjoys inflicting pain.


    The man squatted down in front of him, making his face visible. His face was set in a disdainful annoyed look before. But now, his mouth was curved into a cruel, sadistic grin and his eyes contained a hint of madness in them. Looking at this guy, Axel renewed his struggle to break free while his mind tried to find some way out of this absurd situation.


    ''If it''s a dream, now would be a great time to wake up,'' he thought as he saw the man pointing the stick at him again.


    "CRUCIO!"


    !!!!


    In his small life, Axel had suffered much physical pain through various means, and his pain tolerance had gotten quite high. Not to brag, but he didn''t think there were many things that would now make him flinch.


    But this thing, whatever it was, not only made him flinch, it made him squirm in utter agony for what felt like forever! He''d never felt pain this intense in all parts of his body at the same time and for such a prolonged duration! He just wanted it to end.


    And, due to the damn paralysis, he couldn''t even scream, nor could he move to stop the man which caused an odd creaking sound from his body when he tried to move it. One of his shoulders seems to be dislocated in his extreme attempt at moving.


    The man, upon seeing Alex glaring at him, raised his eyebrows in surprise. He seemed almost... impressed.


    "I have to admit, you''ve got some fight in you, little rat. I never expected that a little mudblood could stay sane after taking that," he muttered, almost to himself. He had thought that he''ll kill the rat after one crucio since a child wasn''t expected to retain a functioning brain after one, but it seems that he can have a bit more fun with this one.


    "CRUCIO!"


    Axel, who was still recoiling from the first spell, made to dodge it but then, he remembered that he still couldn''t move at all!


    Helpless, he could only grit his teeth and suffer as his bones creaked from the strain. But this time, he tried to distract himself from the pain by thinking of a way out of this situation. Though all he could think of was how it could be this painful and how he would even surrender all his money if this man would just stop this.


    Though after the third Cruciatus, all Axel had in his mind was¡ª


    ''I''ll kill you... I''ll kill you... I''ll kill you!''


    Now, even if the man kindly stopped, took him to the hospital, and gave him a lot of money, Axel still wouldn''t let this guy off!


    By now, the man could no longer take pleasure in the boy''s suffering. He had to admit, he was more than a bit creeped out from the look in his hate-filled amber eyes which seemed to bore a hole through his skull.


    Even trained Aurors would be much worse off than this little guy who was glaring at him like a chained beast waiting to pounce. He even felt a bit intimidated by it.


    ''No! I will not be intimidated by a mere child!'' The man refused to admit it and thus, decided to make this boy beg like he should.


    "You''ll be begging for death after this."


    """"CRUCIO!!!"""" he didn''t hold back this time. He wasn''t the most powerful in the world, but this much is easily enough to incapacitate an adult wizard, most probably for life. It''s called an unforgivable for a reason.


    This time, Axel got hit so bad that he had to dislocate his jaw just so that he could scream out his pain. Blood came from his eyes and nose, and if he hadn''t relieved himself just half an hour ago, then even his bladder would have come loose.


    But... somehow, the fight in his amber-colored eyes had still not waned. It had intensified!


    The reason he didn''t give up, despite wanting to die right now was...


    He didn''t want to give this man the satisfaction of getting what he wanted. Yes sir, this man... has to die.


    He was feeling a variety of emotions right now which contained a healthy amount of fear, panic, and confusion at how this man was able to do this unknown damnable torture.


    But the most prevalent emotion in his head right now was¡ªRage. Yes, he was royally pissed right now, and for a good reason.


    Painful memories of the past flashed past his eyes. Back then, he was weak and helpless against the strong opponents who beat him mercilessly. But he was still not willing to take it lying down. Even he didn''t know why, but he absolutely couldn''t just bow his head and accept it like any other weak orphan in his place should.


    So, he worked hard. He tried to become strong, strong enough so that he does not lose control. Strong enough that he would be the one giving out the beatings.


    Right now, even if he wasn''t strong enough to be invincible, but he was confident enough to at least escape if the enemy is stronger.


    But! Here he is, getting his ass handed to him once again. Only, this time, it was much much much worse.


    So, wasn''t he back to square one? This man was able to deal with Axel with just one beam of light and now he was playing with him.


    Then... wasn''t he still too weak? And, it doesn''t seem that his life is going to be spared when this guy is done with him.


    ''Do I need to depend on that again?'' He thought in exasperation as his dead eyes suddenly focused back sharply on the man.


    Axel once again brought back the power that he hated, the power that had gotten him thrown to the streets.


    A spark lit up in the depths of his bloodshot amber eyes, and soon, it seemed like his eyes were glowing.


    ...

 Chapter 2: The Awakening

    After the latest Cruciatus, the man was now fairly unsettled. He was panting heavily from the use of the full-powered Cruciatus curse, and his eyes seemed to question reality.


    The scene in front of him was... unbelievable. He had expected the child to die, or atleast have his mind completely broken. But instead, the boy somehow seemed to be fully conscious. And, the most disturbing factor¡ª


    ¡®No sign of submission,¡¯ he thought, looking into the boy''s rage-filled eyes that seemed to have no sign of submission, begging or pleading.


    This was the weirdest of all things. When a person is hit by the Cruciatus, their first instinct is to submit. An unbearable longing for the pain to stop. And in such conditions, 99.9% of people would give up and beg pathetically for the caster to grant them mercy which is why it''s the favorite spell of people like him.


    Considering that this boy was a bottom dreg of the society¡ªthe lowest of the low, and his age should be around 10, then the boy can not possibly possess such pride and mental fortitude to be able to hold on till now.


    By now, it was quite clear that the boy was not a muggle. He refused to believe that a muggle child could be this exceptional. But, he couldn''t be a wizard either. Wizard children do develop faster, but none he has seen so far can be this abnormal.


    He decided it was better to just kill this monster and be done with it since he had begun to have a bad feeling when looking at those eyes.


    But at this moment, he noticed that the boy''s reddish-orange eyes suddenly started to glow, making it look like flames were dancing in those amber eyes.


    The man''s eyes widened. Goosebumps rose on his skin and a chill went down his spine. He hastened his casting¡ª


    "AVADA¡ª¡±


    But before the spell could be finished, Axel screamed at the top of his lungs... and a magical shockwave spread out of his body. The man''s wand was blown right out of his hand, interrupting the chant.


    Axel had decided to put up one final struggle, giving it his all to break out of whatever was holding him back. He was hoping for one of those freaky incidents which had gotten him kicked out of the orphanage to happen. It only used to happen when he used to be extremely angry or panicked. And right now, there was no shortage of any of those.


    And sure enough, with a snap, he was somehow able to break free!


    The first thing he did was to kick that weird-ass stick out of the man''s hand. In his opinion, it was some kind of new gun that the rich people had the access to.


    Right now, after four Cruciatus-es, Axel wasn''t in the right state of mind. He had never felt such hatred towards anyone else up until now. His whole body was throbbing with acute pain, his jaw and left shoulder were dislocated, blood was coming out of his nose and his eyes were completely bloodshot.


    Axel had never committed murder in his whole life. But right now, in his half-broken mind, he had only one thought.


    ''KILL!!!''


    "H-How...?"


    The man was completely stunned right now.


    And before he could even bring himself out of the state of shock to think about bringing out the spare wand from his pouch¡ª


    *SHIN* "AAAAAHHHH!"


    He found a knife stabbed right through his crotch. The grown-ass man shrieked like a woman and fell to his knees in pain.


    What had happened was, as soon as Axel had broken free, the first thing he did was to take out his knife with the hand he was able to move and stab it right into the man''s crotch and bring it out, causing blood to start spraying out on the street.


    While the man screamed, Alex also grunted from the pain he felt upon moving his body. He was having difficulty breathing and his heart was throbbing in pain with every beat. He really would have died if he had to suffer from another Cruciatus. Thus, without further ado, he slit the man''s throat and started stabbing the knife repeatedly into the man''s chest.


    From his previous experiences, he knows not to let his opponent fight back, at all. Because his opponents are always physically superior, he can''t have the luxury to play around.


    Axel watched, almost regretfully, as life slowly drained out of the man''s eyes. He would have liked to return at least a bit of the torture that he''d received. But he had to admit, he wasn''t in the condition to even struggle if the man somehow fought back.


    Thus, he could only stab the man''s eye to somewhat satiate his mad fury. It didn''t help much. Heck, he couldn''t even deliver any last taunting words since his jaw was dislocated and his throat sore from screaming his lungs out earlier.


    After he was done, he felt his head spinning and his vision darkening as he fell back down. It seems he was not going to be able to move for quite some time.


    Just as Axel was pondering what to do next, he saw a bright light descending on him, and the next thing he knew, he was hearing a voice inside his head.


    [Congratulations! You have proven yourself worthy. You have been chosen by the entity A.R.]


    Axel blinked his eyes several times upon listening to the robot female voice and seeing the text floating in front of him.


    ''What... the f*ck is that?'' he thought in bewilderment.


    ''Have I really lost it after that torture?''If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He was in a bad enough situation as it is. He''d rather quickly find a solution to his current predicament than focus on these hallucinations.


    Right now, if anyone saw him with a dead body, his life in London along with his dreams was over. So, he has to leave this place QUICK. But... the problem is...


    ''I... I can''t move! Damn! Even lifting my hand hurts like hell! What did that guy do to my body?!''


    *Ding*


    [Your body is in poor condition and your adrenaline rush is over. Thus you are unable to move.


    Your jaw and right shoulder have been dislocated.


    You have been under a prolonged duration of Cruciatus Curse which has caused severe damage to your nervous system.


    Immediate treatment is recommended for survival.


    And you are currently unable to move because your body''s physical and magical strength has been severely depleted]


    "...."


    ''... This ain''t no hallucination.'' Axel concluded after a moment of silence. There''s no way it is. Since he couldn''t understand even half of it, so his imagination couldn''t have made this up. He used to like studying but his circumstances haven''t allowed him to have enough education to know all this medical shit.


    But, he knew enough to understand that he needed medical attention real quick.


    But, no matter if there was some robotic voice in his head that could tell his body''s state. It seems quite useless if it can''t take him out of here.


    ''What else can you do except telling me things? Can you cure me? Can you give me some energy to move?'' Asked Axel to this voice in his mind. He couldn''t speak because his jaw hurt badly every time he tried so he could only try to project his thoughts with his mind.


    Thankfully, the voice responded.


    [No. Not with your current clearance at least. The perks you enjoy will increase in the future.]


    Right now, in this situation, Axel couldn''t care less about the future.


    ''... Then, aren''t you quite useless right now? Aren''t you quite weak? What can I do with just information?''


    [Host, if you have the right information, information can be much more powerful and useful than superficial powers.


    If you follow the system''s instructions, you will eventually be cured. You can also eventually become the strongest.]


    That got Axel''s attention. He was quite excited to hear that he could be the strongest. But... after living in the streets for so long, he had learned one thing: Nothing''s free in this world.


    ''Why are you helping me? What do you want in return?''


    [This world has diverged drastically from the original course. As it is, there would be many wars in different communities. In this Situation, you have been chosen by the Akashic Records to bring back the balance.]


    [Do understand that the laws of the world do not allow the Akashic Records to force their will upon you. Thus, you are free to choose whether to accept it or not. In case you accept, you will be bonded with the system and will be allowed access to the vast knowledge the Akashic Records contain.]


    Axel had to take a pause at that. Damn, this system is like one of those greasy salesmen selling shady products. And at this moment, with his debilitating injuries, he has no other choice.


    "Sigh..."


    ''Alright, what do I have to do?''


    *Ding*


    [Quest Activated: Go to the Saint Mungo''s Hospital.


    Time: 2 hours


    Reward:


    1)Basic knowledge of the Wizarding World.


    2)5% Approval from AR.


    Failure/Delay:


    ->Death due to heart and organ failure.]


    [Instructions: Firstly, take out the dead man''s pouch, and open it.]


    Axel immediately disagreed, ''I''m not touching that thing. My hand''s still burning from the last time I touched it!''


    [Your hand is now covered in the man''s blood. The enchantments would not reject you this time. The host is recommended to take action quickly. The privacy spells placed by the man are going to run out soon.]


    Axel was having difficulty understanding what this system was spouting and he currently had hundreds of questions to ask this system. But... he knew that he neither had the time nor choice to dally.


    With much difficulty, he took out the pouch from the man''s coat, and surprisingly, it didn''t react this time. Opening it, he found himself looking into a space that was at least 50 cubic centimeters filled with coins, which means a lot considering that pouch was quite small and weightless.


    "...."


    Axel was now getting numb to the weird things that have been happening in his life. He''s been having weird episodes of power release which have saved him more than once in difficult situations.


    And just a while back he even received a letter addressed to his name delivered by a freaking owl! He had refused to believe in its contents but after today? Not so much.


    [Quickly search for a blue coloured potion and drink it.]


    Axel quickly found what he was looking for. And at this moment, there was a loud sound of a bubble popping and suddenly, he could hear the noise from the street again. Axel knew that he had run out of time.


    ''If this kills me, I''m going to kill you,'' he muttered unintelligibly before uncorking the vial with trembling hands and downing the contents in one go.


    Immediately, he started feeling light-headed. Then slowly, the constant unbearable pain he was feeling started to abate, making him almost cry tears out of relief. Then, his mind began to buzz with a pleasant sensation and he began to sway on the spot.


    ''Whazaaheck waz that?'' he asked, trying to keep himself sober.


    At that moment, a ding sounded in his head. And his mind got clear once again. But his body was still feeling pleasant.


    [It was called Exquisite Ecstasy, an addictive potion that only the rich wizards can enjoy. It was the only potion available at the moment which could help you move. It numbed the pain in your body, thus enabling you to move. And your mind has been cleared by the system.]


    Axel tried to move his body. It still hurt to move, and the tremors still hadn''t stopped, and he was quite slow, but it was still much better than before.


    ''Manageable,'' he thought before he picked up the man''s fancy stick, which was definitely a very dangerous weapon, and put it inside the pouch.


    Clearing all the traces and wiping the blood off himself, he left the man''s dead body and limped out of the alley while covering his face.


    [Host is recommended to visit the St Mungo''s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. And make haste, the host doesn''t have much time left.]


    ...


    A while later, an 11-year-old boy entered the St. Mungos through the unique entrance and crawled his way to the counter. Unfortunately, the pouch contained only one vial of the potion and the effect had mostly run out by now.


    If that wasn''t enough, there was terrible traffic along the road so he was delayed a lot.


    At the system''s urging, he even had to hide the pouch outside as well. He only brought in a few Galleons with him.


    Looking at the hospital-like environment around him, Axel sighed in relief. He was doubtful at first, and why wouldn''t he be? What kind of hospital can one find if it is said to be hidden under a shabby department store called Purge and Dowse, Ltd?


    *Ding*


    [Quest Completed]


    [Congratulations! You have successfully reached the Hospital. You will now survive, though you will experience some side effects of long term exposure to the Crutiatus.]


    [Reward: Basic knowledge about the Wizarding World.


    6% approval from AR(You were expected to fall unconscious halfway through the journey)]


    Suddenly, his mind was filled with the knowledge of the Wizarding World. But Axel focused more on the side effects.


    ''What the f*ck?! You said I''ll be cured if I follow your instructions!''


    [The system assured you that you will be cured eventually. The Saint Mungo''s doesn''t have the necessary knowledge to cure you.]


    ¡®Alright, so how do I cure myself completely?¡¯


    [You do not have enough Approval rate to unlock this information]


    ''Approval Rate? What even is that?'' He asked as he recalled that it was a reward for the task he completed just now.


    ''I don''t understand! Since Akashic Records have chosen me given and me a system, and you had a way to help, then why the fuck did you not?!''


    [The AR is bound by the World Law and can only provide limited help/intervention. The approval rate, is the indicator of the World''s approval of intervention. Only with a high Approval Rate can you be someone who AR can help without breaking the world laws. It raises your status and makes you an exception to certain world laws.]


    [That being said, you now have 6% approval. That means the help system can provide you has increased. Once you cross 10%, a new system feature will be unlocked.]


    Axel was left speechless at the system''s reply. But right now, he was thoroughly spent. He fell completely flat on the floor. His last action was to toss out a small purse full of Galleons at the reception before he passed out.


    A healer quickly came to check Axel''s condition. The healer gasped as she finished diagnosing the patient.


    "Cruciatus! 5th-degree exposure suspected! Immediate treatment required!" She called out in shock. 5th degree is the highest order of exposure. It means that the exposure is more than enough to be fatal and it''s mostly given to dead bodies.


    The people in the lobby gasped when they heard the healer''s words. Mind you, the hospital has lots of serious cases daily due to various accidents and attacks, but torturing a child with a Cruciatus, and to such an extent... death would have been a mercy.


    Axel was quickly rushed into the emergency room.


    "Call for Healer Andromeda immediately!"


    ¡­.

 Chapter 3: The Changes

    When he woke up, Axel found himself strapped to a bed.


    !!!!!


    Startled, he tried to free himself in a hurry.


    Feeling sore all over his body, the previous events came rushing back to him like a tide. Torture, a wizarding world, and war.


    Was it all just a fantasy...? Was it imaginary...?


    ''Where am I now?''


    [Replying to the host, you do not seem to have fantasized anything.]


    "Dang it!" It looks like the world really isn''t as simple as he had thought. What happened... was indeed all real.


    ''I really almost died... and then killed the guy.''


    Unlike last time, his state of mind was much better right now.


    He realized that he had killed someone and he didn''t feel the slightest bit of guilt doing it. He also realized that someone else in his place would probably be freaking out right now.


    But well, he grew up in a different environment than those pampered good-natured wannabes. Morality doesn''t fill your stomach, nor does it make you invincible.


    ''Also magic... seems to be real,'' he thought, sifting through the new information in his mind. As a reward for completing the quest earlier, he had gotten the basic knowledge of the wizarding world.


    The fact there''s a whole magical world out there somewhat surprised Axel, but not too much. He had already gotten the letter to Hogwarts and even if he didn''t believe in its contents at that time, he had still somewhat accepted the possibility of magic existing due to his repeated unnatural accidents.


    If anything, he was excited. If magic is real, then... can''t he make stealing so much easier?!


    But, first things first.


    Axel scanned his surroundings. He was in a clean room, with some weird-looking gadgets around him some of which were making beeping sounds.


    His belongings were taken away, but he still at least had his cross shaped pendant around his neck that he has had since childhood.


    Examining his body, he realized that his shoulder and jaw were fixed but the same could not be said about his body. When he looked at his hands, he realized that they we''re still trembling.


    Axel clenching them into fists, and found that he could exert little to no strength. Pain shot up from his finger to his shoulders, making him jerk in surprise.


    "That guy... I really killed him too early," he muttered, feeling unreconciled.


    Moving his body still hurts a lot. It seems that as the system predicted, he is not healed yet. And if the system is right, he is going to have to bear the pain for while before he can heal.


    "?"


    At this moment, he heard rapid footsteps which made him tense up.


    "Oh! You really are awake!" she said, looking surprised. She was a beautiful woman, with a somewhat aristocratic bearing, but her eyes conveyed kindness.


    She slowly approached his side, her gaze not leaving him for a second examining him as if she expected him to do something.


    "You don''t need to fear anything," she said slowly, as if talking to a small kid, "You are safe here. Nobody''s going to hurt you,"


    Looking at the woman with raised eyebrows, Axel replied,


    "Well, I wouldn''t have been worried in the first place if I wasn''t strapped to a bed like this," he said calmly, gesturing at his restraints.


    "...."


    There was a pause where the woman''s eyes widened. Then,


    "H-How...?" She questioned, looking at him in disbelief. It was assumed that the patient must have gone insane or brain dead after that much damage.


    Axel was feeling a bit impatient now,


    "Hey lady, can you please undo the restraints? And why am I strapped up in the first place?" He asked looking calm, though inwardly, his heartbeat sped up.


    ''Did they figure out I killed a man?!''


    The woman recovered quickly as she explained, "You have been tortured by the unforgivable curse, it is expected that you will not be... in the right state of mind after such a prolonged exposure." she explained.


    "Huh, is that so?"


    Axel shrugged, "Well, as you can see, I''m completely sane right now. There''s no problem with my head whatsoever. Is that so surprising?"


    The woman nodded looking at him with pity, "It really is surprising. Especially considering your age. It''s not like there''s no other case of people staying sane after Cruciatus Exposure. But, they''re were all adults, very powerful, and skilled in mind arts. You, on the other hand, are too young. Your body and mind aren''t developed enough. So the damage and pain your body and mind would suffer would be that much more crippling. If only you had been a few years older, at least you wouldn''t have suffered such physical harm..."Stolen novel; please report.


    The woman seemed to be ready to go into full-on geek mode, so Axel shook his restraints a little to get her attention.


    "Oh right. I suppose we won''t be needing the safety restraints anymore," saying so, she waved her wand and Axel was suddenly free.


    "...Thank you," he said politely, though he was still on guard.


    The woman didn''t fail to notice how he had flinched when she had pointed her wand at him. Compassion and sorrow filled her eyes and she put her wand far away as she could before she sat at a chair by his bedside and gave him a gentle smile.


    "You really don''t need to worry. I''m Andromeda Tonks, a Master Healer. What''s your name?"


    "Axel."


    She waited for him to elaborate, but Axel couldn''t say ''thief'' as his profession, so he stayed silent.


    "Um... Axel, you can contact your family or guardian now, so that they can visit you. You''ve been here for two days, so they must be worried."


    "I... don''t need to contact anyone," he said, his tone a bit rigid.


    Andromeda paused, a bit confused. "Why? Surely they must want to know you''re fine?"


    Axel rolled is eyes. "There really is no need!"


    Andromeda''s brows furrowed. "This is not right, young man. You have just gone through a horrible ordeal. You have to call someone, who can accompany you through this. Have you run away from home?"


    Axel realized that he realized that there''s no avoiding it. "Lady, I''m an orphan and there''s no one who gives a shit whether I live or die. Can you just let me stay alone?"


    Andromeda''s lips parted but no words came out.


    "I... please forgive me. I was insensitive. Can you tell me how this happened? Who did this to you?"


    Axel shook his head, "I can''t tell you anything," he said instantly. It wouldn''t have been a problem if the person in question wasn''t dead right now.


    Andromeda was quite stumped. She a lot of scars on the boy''s body from various injuries. And he had been tortured by Cruciatus at level that no one before have gone through and survive. And now he had no one to take of him after going through all this.


    She decided she''s going to help him.


    Andromeda put a hand on his shoulder, "Axel, you can tell me. They won''t be able to hurt you again. I''m willing to help you... My sister is Bellatrix Black. You might have heard of her...


    "Uh... I don''t know?"


    "She''s the minister of magic."


    Axel''s eyes widened at that news.


    ''Minister of Magic?!''


    Through the basic knowledge he got from the system, he knew what that meant.


    "Your sister is the Minister of Magic?" He repeated in surprise.


    Andromeda beamed proudly, "Yes, and the best one yet too! Magical Britain has made rapid progress in the last 10 years under her leadership. It has jumped from 30th place to 5th place in the world''s most Magically advanced countries in just a decade," she said. She really looked like an elder sister bragging about the achievements of her little sister.


    "Is your sister a good person? How strong is she?" He asked, thinking about what the system had said, about the Wizarding World being in danger of wars.


    Andromeda shook her head, "Bella... she appears strict and merciless. But she has a kind heart. And she''s powerful... power, skills, brains: she has them all," said Andromeda fondly.


    Axel grew confused, ''Oi system, is this woman lying? If not, then why the hell is a war going to happen in the future?''


    [She''s not lying. Bellatrix Black is a good leader. But, she is a streak of madness in her. She was supposed to have gone insane and locked up in prison, but someone saved her.  The problem is that the fate of Voldemort, the main threat, who was supposed to powerless, has also changed. Once he returns, he is going to be much more powerful than he was supposed, thus breaking the balance.]


    Andromeda suddenly realized that Axel had very expertly diverted the topic and she still hadn''t gotten her answers. Feeling embarrassed, she came back to the main concern,


    "So, as I was saying, you can tell me everything. I can help. We can sign the healer-patient contract. I''ll keep it all a secret."


    ''Just leave me alone, ma''am.'' Axel was now feeling uncomfortable from this lady''s kind intentions.


    ''What the heck does she want from me?'' he wondered.


    Nevertheless, Axel shook his head,


    "It''s not a big deal. Someone was just feeling bored and wanted some amusement. I just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. They didn''t let me see their face."


    Andromeda frowned. She wondered why this boy sounds so dismissive when such a big episode happened to him.


    ''Does he not realize?!''


    "It IS a big deal," she said, getting frustrated. "You had to bear an unimaginable amount of pain! You could have gone insane! Your entire Nervous system is in shambles! Even with the improvement in healing practices, the side effects might not be completely cured for life! Do you not understand?!"


    Axel laughed sardonically, feeling a bit angry.


    "Of course I understand! And Of course, I care! But, I know... that it is useless to complain! Cause no one else would care enough! Even if they care, it''s because they want something from me.


    This is not the first time I''ve ended up with the short hand of the stick! I was not strong enough, and that''s it. I''ll be ready for it the next time." he ranted. By the end of it, he was feeling quite calm.


    Yes, there''s nothing to complain about. He''s already killed the bastard. He can''t resurrect him, just to kill him again, can he?


    Wait, can he?


    ''System?''


    [No.]


    ''Tsk~ Spoilsport.''


    "Now, can you please tell me when I can leave?" He asked the stunned woman.


    "...."


    And Andromeda was positively despondent looking at the boy. He must have suffered a lot to have this kind of outlook on life. He needs some positivity in life.


    "You are eleven, yes?" She asked suddenly, surprising Axel.


    "...What¡ª my age? Um, yes I''m eleven," he said, wondering what this woman was up to now.


    "Then, I suppose you are going to Hogwarts, yes?"


    "Hogwarts? I did get the letter," he mentioned, actually interested in this topic. The basic knowledge from system also contained information about Hogwarts. A school where he can learn magic.


    "Why do you sound unsure? Of course you have to go! It is the best institute of learning for wizards. As an orphan, if you study diligently, you can turn your life around!"


    Axel thought about it. A place where he can learn magic doesn''t sound bad.


    ''System, can I really learn magic there?''


    [Affirmative. In recent years, after some changes, Hogwarts is shaping up to be one of the best institutes for magic. Even students from different countries are coming to attend it.]


    ''Can I delay it?''


    [No, you won''t be eligible next year.]


    Axel thought about it and made a decision.


    "I will attend it," he answered Andromeda.


    The woman beamed. "That''s great! Have you done your shopping yet? The term starts in two days, right?"


    Axel shook his head. He suddenly remembered that he was supposed to meet up with a member of staff tomorrow at his address(An Alley) to go shopping. It was written in the letter that the school would pay for all the necessities.


    "I have to meet a staff member tomorrow to do the shopping," he told her.


    Andromeda denied it instantly, "Don''t go with them. They''ll only buy you cheap stuff. I''ll write to Professor Mcgonagall to let me take you shopping!" She decided. The main aim was to keep an eye on the boy.


    She has to observe if he''s physically and mentally stable for allowing him to leave.


    Does she have the money and authority to do so? Bitch, she''s a member of the Black family (reinstated by Bella) and a master Healer. In here, whatever she says, goes.


    Axel on the other hand, still had question marks on his head.


    ''What the hell does she want?''

 Chapter 4: The New Diagon Alley

    Axel felt like things had suddenly taken a strange turn.


    Out of nowhere, he was going to Hogwarts and his shopping guide was being changed from Hogwarts staff to this Healer whom he had known for a few minutes.


    "Ma''am, though I appreciate the offer, I can manage the shopping on my own."


    Andromeda shook her head. "Nonsense. I am not letting you go anywhere without my supervision. Even though you seem to have no mental problems so far, I cannot clear you without proper observation. I would have kept you in bed for weeks, if you didn''t have to go to Hogwarts in three days," she said as went to the cabinet that was filled with potions and medicines.


    While Andromeda was picking out potions for him, Axel finally gathered up the strength to get up.


    "Motherfu--" He yelled out in pain, but gritted his teeth and continued.


    Andromeda turned out and found Axel standing up straight, his legs, arms, and fingers shaking.


    She gasped. "What in the Merlin''s name do you think you''re doing?!"


    Andromeda rushed over and supported his body in concern. "You aren''t supposed to move yet. You aren''t even suppose to be able to move yet! You are in a pain paralysis!"


    "Pain paralysis?"


    "It means moving will induce so much pain that your body simply won''t allow you to move!" Andromeda had a somewhat bewilered look on her face. "How did you even stand up and not faint from pain?" She asked, settling him back on the bed.


    "Well, it just a little painful, but not to the point that I can''t move." Axel shrugged nonchalantly, flexing his fingers. There was painful, but compared to how bad it bad when he under the man''s spell, this is nothing.


    Andromeda looked at Axel in astonishment. "I... think I am beginning to understand how you survived."


    After getting him to drink a bunch of horrifying potions, casting some spells, and fiddling with the gadgets connected to him, the busy Master Healer left to see her next patient.


    Seeing her being no nice and caring, Axel felt a bit uncomfortable, always feeling like she might want something out of it. He now realized that he was weak to kindness, having never encountered it before.


    Axel shook his head, focusing to better things.


    ''Hey system, quickly teach me how to do magic! I need to be strong!'' He was beginning to find this robotic female voice cute. Though even if he didn''t show it, he took the system''s advice seriously.


    [Host is advised to recover more before practicing magic. Also, beginners need a wand for practicing and the wand you possess is currently lying in the pouch which you hid outside so you can''t cast any spells.]


    Well, that was disappointing.


    "Then, how the heck am I supposed to train?" He muttered but then heard a familiar ding sound.


    *Ding*


    [You have received the best Occlumency knowledge from the system.]


    *Ding*


    [Quest Activated: Learn Mind Arts


    Mind Arts is a term given to Mental or Spiritual Magic. It is as important as any other powerful magic, if not more.


    You can start with Occlumency.


    Occlumency:


    A branch of Mind arts that deals with defending and organizing the mind, as well as controlling the emotions.


    Rewards:


    1)Beginner Stage Occlumency: Potion Recipe to cure the side effects of Cruciatus + 5% Approval


    2)Intermediate Stage Occlumency: New Mind Art unlocked- Legilimency + ???


    3)Advanced Stage Occlumency: Another Mind Art unlocked + ???


    4)Master Stage Occlumency: Spiritual Arts unlocked + ???]


    "S-System, am I not seeing things?" Asked Axel shakily. Occlumency sounds amazing and he can''t wait to know about the other Mind Arts as well.


    As someone who''s always relied primarily on his mind, dexterity, and agility, Axel couldn''t be more excited right now.


    To top it all off, he can actually cure himself if he masters the first stage of Occlumency using the potion recipe.


    [Host has a talent for mind magic. That''s why the system is investing in it. You have to return the investment one day.]


    Axel sighed.


    ''Alright sys, I''ll do the tasks. But... if they are too unreasonable or suicide missions, then there''s nothing I can do,'' he warned.


    The System didn''t reply back. There was no need to.


    Filled with anticipation, Alex accessed the knowledge of Occlumency which was stored in his head.


    The first stage or the Beginner Stage meant building up shields around the mind. Even though it''s just the beginner stage, many wizards can''t even reach it due to their lack of talent, dedication, and most importantly, the lack of the right approach.


    Occlumency is an obscure art, to begin with. Even those who do have the knowledge haven''t reached past the intermediate stages due to improper and incomplete approaches. The knowledge given by the system is top-notch and complete.


    [Host is advised to primarily focus on organizing your mind and mastering your emotions. The existence of shields in your mind will cause suspicion should anyone intrude into your mind. An 11-year-old orphan isn''t supposed to possess the knowledge and skills to practice Occlumency. The host is advised to find someone to teach it to you to explain the existence of shields should anyone check your mind.]


    Axel could understand that the system''s words did have some truth to them. He''d experienced that kind of situation before when he was wearing a gold ring and some nosy idiots started demanding how a homeless kid could have them. But,


    ''Then, wouldn''t my mind be defenseless without shields?''


    [Host''s mind is protected by the system. The system will conceal all the sensitive memories that have the potential to cause trouble including all the memories about the system.]


    "...." Isn''t that cheating?


    "Well, that works," Axel commented as he began practicing Occlumency according to systems instructions.


    ***


    That day, after her shift ended, Andromeda asked for the results of Axel''s in-depth health checkup. With the report in hand, she went to Grimmauld Place.


    After her husband got captured by the death eaters in the last war, she moved here with Bella. Sirius and Marlene had moved to a villa that their family-owned along with their son and goddaughter Rose Potter.


    Right now, the house was empty except for Creature, the house elf. Nymphadora was off to her Auror training and Bella comes late.


    She sat at the dining table as the House-elf Kreature prepared dinner and looked through Axel''s report.


    The preliminary check-up was only focused on damage dealt due to the Cruciatus. But the in-depth check-up report in her hands could reveal a lot more. Especially if you''re a Master Healer.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    She held the report in her hand. She knew that it was a bit wrong to check up on it since this was private information, but...


    ''There''s a chance that I can find a way...''


    Looking through the report, she grimaced. Her suspicions were indeed confirmed, though it was much worse than she''d expected.


    The report reveals traces of multiple injuries, in almost all parts of the body. There was also signs of malnutrition and improper diet. Andromeda was kind of horrified.


    ''Even if he''s an orphan, just what kind of life has he lived to have so many injuries?''


    Andromeda continued to look through the report. His hands have cuts and calluses. He must be using a knife often. Obviously not for cooking. His leg muscles are trained to the peak. Even quidditch players don''t go this far since they only need to fly on brooms. He''s had to run a lot.


    Now came the truly harrowing details...


    The duration of Cruciatus was estimated to be... 10 minutes.


    "10 MINUTES!" Andromeda was shocked.


    The assailant must be one powerful lunatic. Who does that to a child?! And how did Axel take it?! Poor child..


    Reading further, she found that his vocal cords were badly damaged, his jaw and shoulder were dislocated.


    Understanding the implications, Andromeda''s eyes reddened. He was most likely paralyzed. He wasn''t even allowed to move, to defend, or kill himself to stop the torture.


    His body contains traces of the drug Exquisite Ecstasy. Damn it, what sick games was this torturer playing?!


    While she was looking through the report. The fireplace blazed green and her sister Bella walked out, looking all prim and proper as always.


    Minister Bellatrix Black was, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful women in Britain. She resembled Andromeda somewhat. But unlike Andromeda, Bellatrix has curly hair black instead of light brown and she puts a lot of effort into grooming herself and maintaining her youthfulness. She was wearing a pencil skirt, a white shirt, and a blazer. Yeah, the fashion in the Wizarding World has changed in the last decade.


    "You came back early," Andromeda commented, wiping her tears.


    "Hmm, I ran away after it got too hectic. Kreature, bring my din¡ªWhat''s up with you, Andi? And what are those papers in your hands? " She asked suddenly, noticing that Andromeda seemed to be out of it.


    "It''s just a health report of one of my patients,"


    Bellatrix quirked her eyebrows.


    "Hmm... you don''t do work-related things after your shift. You can''t suddenly become an angel and start trying to help random people. So... spill. What is this about?"


    "...."


    Andromeda thought of arguing with her sister for a moment but then sighed, ''You can''t hide things from Bella.''


    "He was put through 5th-degree Cruciatus torture."


    Bellatrix stopped eating her salad. Her attention was piqued, "Well, can he be sane again or is he a lost cause?"


    Andromeda shook her head, "Neither."


    Upon Bella''s questioning look, Andromeda explained, "He didn''t go insane. His mental state seems perfectly fine,"


    There was a pause. Then Bellatrix scoffed, "...No way,"


    "I know right? But it''s true!"


    Bellatrix realized that Andromeda was not kidding, "Who is it? Is it someone I know? How did he do it?! Show me the report." she said, peeking at the report.


    Andromeda shook head, "You know I can''t share the details. It''s confidential,"


    Bellatrix rolled her eyes, "Oh come on! Who follows the rules nowadays? And I''m your sister! I can help you!"


    Andromeda still didn''t budge, "I''m sure my patient would not appreciate it," She regretted telling her about this.


    "Spoilsport," Bella pouted but then straightened up.


    "You leave me no choice then. As the Minister of Magic, I hereby pass a new decree that one Andromeda Tonks n¨¦ Black has to share everything with me," she announced imperiously.


    Andromeda looked at her sister incredulously for a few seconds. No one would believe the childish woman in front of her is the Legendary Minister who''s changed the magical Britain in the last decade.


    Andromeda sighed, "You always have your way..."


    ***


    The next day, Axel was feeling much better compared to yesterday, though the situation still wasn''t too positive. Even walking normally was a struggle.


    According to the system, walking won''t cause any further damage but every movement would cause explosive pain and that''s why he''s unable to walk properly.


    Axel looked at his trembling hands which once used to be incredibly stable and sighed. It''s clear that he can''t steal anything with this troll-like dexterity.


    Oh, he knows what trolls are. The basic knowledge contained knowledge on some magical creatures as well. Though he still has trouble believing it all.


    He wore his old clothes that had been cleaned and put near his bed.


    While he was walking around, trying to get used to the pain, he heard a surprised exclamation from the door.


    "Axel! Why did you get out of bed?!" Andromeda came hurrying in and sat him back on the bed.


    "Moving would be extremely painful right now without the Pain Killing Potion. Didn''t I tell you not to move?" She exclaimed, handing him the said potion along with a bunch of other potions.


    Axel blinked, "It''s not that bad," he said in confusion, thinking why she is overreacting. He has been through much worse.


    Andromeda then realized that she wasn''t talking to a child but someone who was able to retain perfect sanity after multiple Cruciatuses. So, she stopped fussing.


    Axel downed the contents of the disgusting vials before they both left for the Diagon Alley.


    They were going to use the floo network but Axel insisted on using Apparition since he was curious.


    *Snap!*


    It was an instant regret as he had to struggle to contain the potions inside his stomach.


    Andromeda put a finger on her chin examining him from head to toe, "So, first we have to get you some clothes and a haircut."


    Axel instantly shot it down. "No need. They''re not on the list."


    "No way! You aren''t going to Hogwarts looking like that. You have to make a good impression and make new friends," she declared as she dragged him to the entrance of the Diagon Alley.


    ''Friends?'' Axel murmured. Having friends seems like a chore. He''s always been a downright loner. He''s a firm believer of Lonerism.


    They walked a few paces and came to the forefront of a tall building with the name "The Diagon Alley." The store had lots of customers in different clothing coming and going.


    Apparently, the building was a cosplay store but also the entrance to Diagon Alley. Muggle repellent charms and safety measures were there to ensure the secrecy, including a few obliviators.


    "That''s the entrance," said Andromeda, pointing at a conspicuous brick wall at the end of the store. Sure enough, Axel saw many people going through it.


    Andromeda explained that a decade ago, this used to be nothing more than a dingy alley with the brick wall as the entrance.


    "Come on, you''re going to love it!" Somehow Andromeda seemed more excited than Axel. She was like a geek who''s having her friend forcefully read the Harry Potter series.


    Looking at the brick wall, Axel was really doubting reality.


    [System, is it really safe? I won''t get stuck, would I?]


    If the system could sigh, it probably would have.


    [No host, don''t be a pussy.]


    ''I''m not!''


    Without any hesitation whatsoever, Axel stepped through the wall in anger and an exclamation of wonder escaped from his mouth as soon as he saw everything.


    "Woah..."


    Diagon Alley turned out to be a wonderful place. There were colorful buildings with all kinds of physically impossible structures all around with different magical gimmicks to attract the attention of the customers.


    Andromeda, who had put on a veil that covered half of her face, looked at Axel who was looking all around with eyes and mouth wide and smiled proudly.


    "This place used to be as shabby as a flea market a decade ago," she commented. "Those in power didn''t want it to change."


    Axel was confused, "Why?"


    "Because they had the monopoly over specific things. They didn''t want to lose it. Moreover, the ones who were coming up with much better versions of every product compared to the wizards were mostly from the muggle-borns or half-bloods. How could they accept it?


    "The bastards even passed a law banning the use of things related to muggle, thus dooming us to further mediocrity, while the other magical communities made progress using muggle knowledge."


    This time, Axel, who knew who muggle-borns and Half-bloods were and thanks to the basic knowledge from the system, still couldn''t understand everything.


    "So, how did you guys do it then? Make it like this." He asked, gesturing to the tall and colorful buildings around them.


    Andromeda was glad to see that Axel was curious. She explained,


    "After the war, with the Wizarding Britain in shambles and foreign communities eyeing us to pick up the loot, our main goal was to take away the power from unreasonable idiots and distribute it properly. Bella didn''t spare any tricks whether it''s immoral or shrewd or just pure reasoning. She used every tactic." She said while they walked.


    "I can''t tell you everything since we don''t have the time, but one thing she did was to invest in some projects of muggle-born geniuses which she found potential in, provided them her backing, and voila, they became instant hits! And Bella just sat back and collected her money.


    The Purebloods were like, ''Eh? You can do that too?!''


    After that, they were scrambling to invest in their own muggle-born entrepreneurs. This was just one of the moves she played, and the easiest one.


    Once there were products to spend money on, the coffers of these stingy Purebloods started opening. Britain was one of the richest to begin with, with the old families hoarding huge piles of gold in their accounts.


    Once they brought it out, some did make it big while some lost it all. Overall, the economy took a huge leap and paved the way for the formation of what you see today,"


    While Andromeda explained, Axel listened with great interest and even asked questions, surprising her. She had not expected him to understand this and even take interest in it.


    Axel has always wanted to make it big, so of course, he''s interested. He''s a bit amazed to know how backward the Magical Britain a decade ago must have been...


    ''To not even know how entrepreneurship works... These people must be cavemen. I wish I was born a bit early...'' he thought wistfully. That time must have been a golden opportunity and he''s sure that many smart ones spotted it and took advantage of it.


    But explaining up to here, Andromeda stopped since they had already reached the clothing shop. Axel looked at the shop''s name which was written in moving letters.


    MADAME MALKIN''s


    ~since 1852


    Magical, Comfortable, and Stylish.


    Andromeda explained,


    "This shop is currently the best for clothing. It''s one of the very few shops that''s managed to stay on top even after the great economic revolution. Their enchantments have been developed through generations for over a century so new bloods couldn''t compare themselves to that. The old faction was of course going to prefer her over the new. And the woman who inherited the store has always had an eye for clothing. So as soon as she saw the muggle things being adapted, she copied muggle designs even before the newbloods could without hesitation. Later, she even shamelessly copied the new enchantment ideas of the new bloods!"


    ''Well, so not all Purebloods are stuck-up idiots,'' thought Axel as he looked at the brands inside the store.


    "''Nikey, Raza, Tommy Middlefinger, Louis Vuittoni, Chanell...''"


    "...." he was speechless.


    These are all muggle brands copied with a few letter changed.


    The f*ck...


    This woman...


    Axel made a note to not go into the clothing business. He was already intimidated by this woman''s boldness.


    "Come on," said Andromeda, snapping him out of it. "Let''s get you a total makeover. You''ll be making new friends very soon so we have to make a good impression." She said mysteriously.

 Chapter 5: Meeting the Black Family

    Like all women, Andromeda also seemed to have been possess with a strange excitement when shopping. So, despite Axel''s fear that the shop might be too expensive, she dragged him in and began choosing clothes for him.


    "Change into this," she said, holding up a set of fashionable clothes for boys. The style was quite similar to muggle world.


    "It looks expensive," said Axel, looking at the price tag. "I can''t afford it." Though there was still more money in Cyrus''s bag, but he couldn''t just take it out, could he? With him being an orphan, Andromeda can easily find out it''s stolen money.


    He wants to enter the Wizarding World with a clean slate.


    "Nonsense! I''m buying you everything."


    "Why would you do that?" Axel had thought that the only reason Andromeda was here was to keep him under observation. He didn''t know she was going to pay for everything as well.


    "Because I want to! I''m doing this because I really appreciate you Axel. What you have gone through and survived..." her eyes dimmed. "Many aren''t as capable as you to survive it. So, you deserve it. And besides, my sister has given me enough money to last several lifetimes. I''m old and I really don''t have anything to spend it on."


    Andromeda smiled. "And besides, I''ve cancelled the free the supplies that the Hogwarts staff was supposed to buy you. So, I really have to buy to everything now."


    "..."


    Usually, Axel would have rejected the woman. But her consideration of his self esteem when explaining the reason really made it so that it would be rude if he rejected her now.  Axel sighed, "Just buy cheaper things then."


    Axel took and clothes and went to the changing room. When he came out, Andromeda''s eyes lit up. "You look so much better now."


    ''Of course it would be better,'' thought Axel. His previous clothes were stolen, and two sizes larger, no to mention how old and faded they were. Now he was wearing a branded jeans and t-shirt.


    Andromeda also handed him a pair of shoes which also seemed to have few enchantments. Seeing him, Andromeda was excited like a girl dressing her dolls. "


    "We''ll pick the rest of the clothes and supplies later. For now, let''s just get you a hair cut first. I can barely see you face."


    In order to be incognito, Axel has long and wavy hair that cover most of his face. But it seems that Andromeda really hates them.


    As they walked out of the clothing store, a newspaper paddler happened to pass him by and Axel saw the front page had the picture of the man he killed.


    !!!!


    Axel''s heartbeat accelerated. He wanted to buy the newspaper and read it, but¡ªhe was walking with the Minister''s sister a Master Healer with a lot of experience. She might be able to see through him. Thus, he just kept walking.


    Andromeda looked at Axel''s long hair that looked like a bird''s nest and covered most of his face. It was obvious that he''d never cared one bit about how he looked.


    "Your hair really is in dire need of some care, young man."


    She took Axel to a luxury hair salon.


    "Walking is not good for you. You wait in here after you''re done. I''ll get everything and come back," she advised.


    As Axel sat on the comfortable seat, the stylist applied various types of solutions to his hair and face, making him exasperated. But the more annoyed one of the two was the stylist himself.


    "Have you never taken care of your hair before?! So much dandruff! I''m just happy you washed up thoroughly before coming. I can just imagine what state you were in previously.


    And, what''s with this terrifying haircut?! It looks like someone just randomly cut it with a goddam knife!" The man droned on and on, while Andromeda left in order to buy everything.


    Listening to the man rant, Axel was a bit speechless. Because...


    "Well, you aren''t wrong," muttered Axel. He used to just cut his hair with the knife whenever his vision was being compromised. Though he''d keep the rest of the hair to hide most of his face. Somehow, even with that, he didn''t use to look bad.


    It was the man''s turn to be speechless. While working on his hair, he realized that Axel didn''t know anything about haircare at all. So he generously taught Axel the basics. The man somehow convinced the always apathetic Axel to even agree to have a few more treatments.


    That''s how barbers are, no matter which world. They have a way of talking.


    Soon the haircut was done and permanent setting spray was applied to his newly styled hair, making it so that even after blowing wind through them, they''ll settle back down to the set style.


    After Axel was done, he didn''t wait as Andromeda had advised. Instead, he asked around and went to the cheaper shops to buy second hand supplies to cover everything on the list. Then, he put everything into Cyrus''s pouch and hid it in his jacket.


    It''s not that he didn''t appreciate Andromeda''s generosity. It''s just that... after having lived for so long on the streets, he knows that kindness without condition is as rare as unicorns.


    It has already happened multiple times that he has been fooled by older people trying to ''help'' him.


    ''But still, this time...'' thinking of kind and gentle lady, Axel did feel some warmth in his cold heart.


    When Andromeda returned, she couldn''t find Axel anywhere in the large salon.


    While she was looking around, a striking boy came to stand in front of her.


    His black hair, which was now styled in a way that made it look like they were messy but still looked stunning also, they also had amber-colored streaks running through them, matching his eyes.


    As it turned out, the messy hair were hiding an extremely handsome face. But, now that his face was visible, his scars were also visible. He had one vertically passing over his left eye while the other over his right cheek. But the scars only seemed to enhance his looks. His bright amber eyes were still droopy but there was a hint of amusement in them.


    "Mrs. Tonks, you already forgot me?" He asked, making her come out of her surprise.


    "No way," Andromeda murmured. "You actually look like this?" She wondered out aloud. This little guy is just full of surprises.


    Axel shrugged.


    "Well, I wouldn''t know. Even I only properly looked at myself today." He informed her.


    He''d never bothered before, except for making sure his face was covered. Many times, his head would be covered with a beanie, thus completing his disguise. It was all so that even if someone catches him stealing and he escapes with his high agility, no one would have anything to remember him by once he changes his hairstyle.


    Overall, he''d say that his disguise was 100% practical and functional, considering that even he found himself looking at a stranger when looking himself in the mirror right now.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    As they made their way out, Andromeda took out her mirror-like object and began talking.


    "Sirius, where are you?"


    Axel then heard a man''s voice from the mirror.


    "We''ve already been here for a while ago, Andi. We''re at the New Cauldron right now for lunch. Are you coming?"


    "Yeah, we''re on our way," said Andromeda, pocketing the crystal.


    Axel was surprised, "Are you leaving?"


    Andromeda shook her head, "No, ''we'' are leaving. With that injury, you''re going to have problems at Hogwarts. So I thought I''d introduce you to someone in your year. My cousin Sirius was also coming for Rose''s shopping."


    "What? No! There''s no need! No! I can manage on my own!" Axel instantly denied it. He would never agree to it!


    ¡­ a few moments later ...


    "How did I even agree to this?!" Muttered Axel as he walked towards the New Cauldron with a smiling Andromeda.


    [Host, it seems that you didn''t want to disappoint her and make her efforts go in vain.] helpfully Informed system.


    ''Didn''t ask you!''


    While walking, Andromeda turned to him.


    "Axel, don''t forget. You''re my friend''s son. She died in war and I only found you when you came as a patient."


    "Yeah, but why is this necessary?"


    "It''s so that ''she'' knows I''ll be angry if ''she'' bullies you,"


    "...What the¡ª?" Axel barely stopped himself from saying his favorite word. Who the hell was this woman talking about?


    Andromeda elaborated.


    "Well, Rose is a... little bit mischievous. But don''t worry! She''s a good girl. She''ll definitely help you out."


    "I don''t need any help."


    Axel looked at his hands which wouldn''t stop trembling. He wasn''t even sure he would be able to write with this. He quietly put them in his jacket pockets to hide the abnormality.


    He''d be unable to do magic properly for a while as well. Thus, in such conditions, he''s sure to face lots of problems there.


    Yeah, not needing help is a lie. But really, its better to just deal with the hardships on your own than take help from others and regret it.


    They reached the New Cauldron which was located the way they had come from.


    "This is not the best place for food around here right now, but a decade ago, this used to be the only pub around here. So we prefer this one due to the memories," said Andromeda, looking at the renovated pub with nostalgia. "It used to be called Leaky Cauldron."


    They entered with the jingle of a small old bell that was hung on a new door. As the bar, a old man stood in a profession bartender outfit, serving drinks. "Hey Tom." Andromeda called out.


    Tom put down the bottle and greeted Andromeda enthusiastically. "They''re in private room no. 2."


    "He''s the owner of this pub, but he still likes to serve the drinks on his own," Andromeda told him as they went to the private room.


    Standing in front of the door, Andromeda smiled encouragingly at Axel''s whose face was stiff. "You don''t need to be scared. Everyone in there is very good."


    At this moment, someone opened the door for them,


    "Oh, hi Andi, I''m so glad you could make it," said the person with a meaningful smile.


    Only, the person who opened the door wasn''t Sirius like Andromeda expected. It was Bellatrix.


    "Bella! What are you doing here?" Asked Andromeda in surprise. Her eyes contained a hint of a warning.


    Andromeda regretted telling Bella about Axel. She should have expected this to happen. After all, Bella only cares about family.


    Actually, Andromeda wanted to ask for Axel''s permission to read his mind or at least tell her something about how he was able to resist. It would have helped a lot in her research of curing her husband.


    Yes, in the war, Ted was captured by the death eaters and tortured. She and the rest of the Order Members had arrived to save him, but they were too late. Excluding the breaks, the total duration he was under Cruciatus was 9 minutes.


    Andromeda has never been the same ever since. She pursued a carrier as a healer specialized in both mind and body and she became a master Healer. But, she never found any solution. She''d honestly given up and moved on by now. She only went to check on Axel to out of compassion for another mind ruined.


    But, when Axel turned out to be fine, her hope was reignited. If Axel can, then maybe Ted too...?


    She wanted to know how Axel''s mind was able to resist the Cruciatus and how she can help Ted regain his sanity with it.


    But still, after knowing about Axel''s situation and after spending time with him, she decided against it, feeling guilty. For his mental health, Axel needs to keep his mind as far away from those evens as possible. At least for now.


    Everything she bought for Axel was supposed to be the compensation for letting her examine his memory, but when Axel asked why she was buying him things, what she said was also the truth. She really admired Axel and wanted to help him.


    So, she really is very undecided and confused.


    But now, Bellatrix has appeared in this meeting while knowing Axel is going to be here, making Andromeda thing she might have other motives. Bellatrix is ruthless when it comes to family. For family, whatever needs to be done, she does without hesitation.


    Looking at the stunned Andromeda and Axel, Bellatrix smiled.


    "It is rare that the family reunites. How could I not come? A pity Dora couldn''t make it. Now, don''t just stand there. Hurry in! Before someone recognizes me." She exclaimed, ushering them in.


    Axel right now was quite surprised. The minister of magic! He recognized the woman instantly. After all, the whole Diagon Alley had her posters praising her. Heck, there was even a statue!


    So, of course, he was obviously a bit intimidated when the ravishing beauty closely scrutinized him.


    They went in and Axel saw the rest of the occupants in the room. It was a family of four.


    A black-haired man, with a neatly trimmed beard and a mustache. That must be Sirius Black. And the gentle-looking brown-haired woman must be his wife, Marlene.


    And their son and god-daughter and, Jamie and Rose.


    Jamie was a cute chubby boy about 8 years old. And their god-daughter, Rose Potter Black was a pretty little thing, with red hair and green eyes, and attractive noble features, she''s said to have inherited the best of both of her parents.Though the only flaw in her flawless appearance was a lightning bolt shaped scar on her forehead, hidden behind her bangs.


    All of them were currently looking at Axel with great interest. After all, he was quite the oddball here. Axel has never had so many people staring at him at the same time when he wasn''t running away.


    Andromeda swiftly did the introductions,


    "Everyone, this is Axel. He''s the son of my friend who died in the war. I found him when he came to the Hospital, critically injured. He''s starting Hogwarts this year."


    "Axel, this is my sister Bella. Be wary of her, she bites." Though Andromeda said that playfully, Axel was actually scared of her intense gaze.


    Bella grinned at Axel, showing her somewhat sharp canines.


    "And this, is my dog of a cousin Sirius. He used to be quite rabid back in the days," she said, pointing at Sirius.


    Sirius laughed as he ignored his sister''s remarks and instead focused on Axel, "I like your hairstyle, kid. It seems to have a touch of Paul. And those scars are absolutely badass!"


    Paul was the name of hairstylist who did Axel''s hair.


    Andromeda cut him off, "¡ªAnd the one who''s tamed the wild dog, Marlene. She only has to cry a little and Sirius would do anything."


    "I-I don''t cry that often!" Protested Marlene, looking embarrassed that her sister-in-law had that impression of her.


    Sirius instantly took her side, "Of course, dear. You know how Andi likes to joke around. She was just kidding. Would Bella actually bite the kid? Wait¡ªI can''t guarantee that. But also called me called me a dog¡ªdamn, my point is¡ªyou don''t cry¡­ that often."


    Listening to Sirius only made Marlene teary-eyed.


    Everyone was grinning watching their antics. Even Axel was mildly amused.


    This was the infamous Black family in private. They seemed to enjoy themselves and didn''t seem to find Axel''s presence awkward or bothering. This made Axel relax a bit.


    "This bundle of cuteness is Jamie. He gets pampered by everyone in here," Jamie hid behind his elder sister and peeked at Axel.


    "And finally, this young lady, is your soon-to-be classmate Rose. She''s our resident hooligan. Her partner in crime is usually Sirius Black."


    Andromeda turned to the grumpy looking red-haired girl. "Rose, Axel still hasn''t healed from his injuries so help him out for me, ok?"


    Rose nodded her head, looking unwilling, "Okayy, can we quickly eat now? I want to get my wand! I''ve used my mom''s for long enough."


    They all sat down and Axel was not happy to find Bellatrix sitting right in front of him. She''d stare at him from time to time.


    "You look familiar for some reason. Have I seen you somewhere before?" She asked curiously.


    Axel shook his head, "Not possible. I''ve never been to the wizarding world before and I''ve had a drastic change in appearance in the last few hours..." he said as he trailed off.


    Bellatrix shrugged, "Well, never mind."


    The food finally arrived and everyone dug in. Though Axel was still staring at the food.


    "Kid, are your hands stuck in your pockets? Why aren''t you eating?" Asked Sirius jokingly. Everyone only then did everyone notice that Axel''s hand never left his jacket pockets.


    Somehow, even Andromeda hadn''t noticed. She recalled that somehow, Axel''s hands were always in his pockets. And whenever he used them, she was always somehow wasn''t paying attention or distracted.


    Axel turned to Sirius, "I actually AM eating," He said, and sure enough, his plate was messy and half filled with food and there was some food in his mouth as well.


    Everyone blinked their eyes in confusion. None of them had seen him eat at all, they only saw him looking around. Bellatrix''s eyes widened as she realized.


    "No way¡­" she muttered and Sirius and Andromeda also caught up, each looking baffled.


    ''The boy was only moving when no one was looking!''


    Andromeda was the most dumbfounded of them all. She had gone shopping with him, had him try clothes and walked with him, but never noticed!


    He''d somehow managed to blindside everyone present while being the center of attention.


    Though apparently, not everyone.


    "I saw it," said Rose, looking at Axel with narrowed eyes.


    "Your hands¡­ they''re weird. Something''s wrong with them, right?"


    ''Damn... have I got rusty after torture?''


    Axel looked at her for a moment, then sighed. He''d been trying to hide it because it look weak and pathetic as fuck and utterly disgraceful. A master thief with trembling, clumsy hands...what a joke!


    But, now that the cat was out of the bag, there was no way to hide it while they''ll specifically focus on his hands.


    He brought his hands out of his pockets.

 Chapter 6: Enlightenment

    Axel decided to take his hands out, since¡ªone: there was no point in hiding if everyone already knew, two: He really liked the food.


    It''s easily the best food he''s ever been able to taste.


    He gripped the knife and fork and copied others'' movements to eat. He''d copied the technique perfectly, but it was a pity that his hands were trembling and his fingers were moving in random directions, as if not listening to his commands.


    Thus, his movements were quite slow and clumsy.


    Even though his nerves could be healed, they were a jumbled mess right now. The magic starts developing only after 11 so his was not strong enough to protect this body.


    Everyone was shocked to see the bizarre spectacle.


    Even Sirius''s expression became solemn. He was pretty sure that this was not normal and something was wrong with the boy''s hands, "What happened to your hands? Have they always been like that?"


    Axel hesitated. He couldn''t just tell anyone that he''d been put under 5th-degree Cruciatus, could he? Most people tend to lose their sanity after that and he didn''t want anyone to judge whether he was sane or not.


    It''s like how if a man and a woman stayed in the same room for a night, most people would think they''ve had sex even if the concerned parties adamantly deny it with sound reasoning.


    He glanced at Andromeda and she gave a look that its his choice to whether to reveal it or not.


    Axel flexed his hands, "Uh¡­ they were fine in the past. But they''re kinda crippled now." He answered vaguely.


    Sirius''s eyes widened and Marlene gasped. Though Axel noticed that Bellatrix didn''t seem the least bit surprised.


    "Tell me, Axel. How did this happen?" She asked calmly, looking him dead in the eye.


    Axel hesitated. What should he do? This is the Minister of Magic. He can''t reveal anything. It has to be noticed that he killed a man and that was big shot in the Wizarding World. He has to make sure not to reveal anything that''d link him to the recently killed man.


    Thankfully, Andromeda intervened.


    "Bella. No."


    The minister of magic pouted, "Always so self-righteous," she muttered but left the topic at that.


    Andromeda then turned to everyone, "He was attacked by some evil wizard. It''s not incurable. There are still things that can fix him. Let''s just all enjoy ourselves and not make him remind him of it again and again by asking questions, alright?"


    Her words got approval from everyone. It seemed that even if the younger sister was the minister, the household power rested with the elder sister.


    Sirius changed the topic, "Have you made arrangements at Hogwarts? Is it safe for Rose?"


    Bellatrix shook her head, "I''m not sure. Dumbledore is not allowing Aurors for just one person. But he''s guaranteeing Rose''s safety."


    That got Axel confused.


    ''Why are they talking about her safety? Is Hogwarts dangerous or what?''


    Seeing Axel''s confusion, Andromeda explained quietly to him, "Rose''s situation is a bit special. When she was a child, she survived the killing curse and somehow vanquished the most evil wizard of the time."


    "?" Axel looked at Rose again. This girl? Vanquished a Dark Lord?


    Andromeda continued to explain to him, "At that time, she became a celebrity and her parents had passed away. Thus, Sirius, as her Godfather, was supposed to take her in. But he was unfairly sentenced to Azkaban and Rose was sent to her abusive Aunt."


    "At that time, I was still disowned and couldn''t do anything for Sirius. It was only after Bellatrix came back did she first inherited the house black, became the Minister of Magic, and then free Sirius who immediately brought back Rose."


    "After that, there were further attempts at Sirius''s life which thankfully failed. Thus, it is incredibly clear that someone is out there wanting to make Rose''s life miserable. Most likely people from the dark faction."


    After knowing all this, Axel looked at Rose in a new light. He had thought that she was just a pampered girl. But she turned out to have somehow destroyed a Dark lord.


    Since the atmosphere had lightened up, the dinner went smoothly after that. And thankfully, no one questioned how Axel got hurt, making Axel even more grateful to Andromeda. The black family was super considerate and accommodating. And Axel got to see what a family looks like and how happy they all were.


    ...Though the best thing was still food, since he could also taste it instead of just being able to look.


    He really liked the drink called butterbeer and drank a little bit too much of it. So before the dessert came, Axel went to the washroom.


    "!!!!"


    While leaving, he was surprised to find Bellatrix right outside.


    "What''s up, minister?" He asked, noticing that she must be waiting for him. Why else would she stand in front of a men''s bathroom?


    "Cyrus Greengrass," she replied.


    Axel frowned, getting a bad feeling. He noticed that he couldn''t hear any sound other than their breathing and that''s when he realized.


    ''Fuck! It''s that spell again!''


    It was the same spell that the man used to block sound! This can''t be good.


    "What is it?" He asked cautiously, preparing to make a run for it.


    "Cyrus Greengrass." She repeated. "The name of the man you killed. Thought you should at least know that," she said in a sweet voice that terrified Axel.


    This woman seemed completely different from the one he''d seen laughing and playing around like a kid just a while ago.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," he said, trying to sound calm even though he was panicking right now.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    The woman laughed, "Oh come on, Axel. You don''t need to lie to me. We both know you did it. In fact, if I, the minister wanted, it would have been your crime even if you didn''t do it."


    ''Darn!''


    Axel had to agree to that. Bellatrix made a lot of changes¡­ but she didn''t bother changing the Pureblood supremacy advantage. After all¡­ as a Black, she currently stood to gain the most from that. And most Pureblood houses had already pledged loyalty to her. If she wanted to make his life difficult, she could do it very easily.


    Axel gritted his teeth, "What do you want?" He asked. It was clear that she wanted something from him. Otherwise, they won''t be having this conversation right now.


    She raised her eyebrows, "Straight to the point, huh? I like it. Well, what I need is very simple actually. And it causes you no harm. The only reason I didn''t simply get it from you was that I wanted to do this without breaking any law and reading people''s minds without their permission is illegal."


    "You wanna read my mind? Why would you want to do that?! I have nothing! You''re the minister of magic! You can gain nothing from this!" Said Axel, finding this situation extremely annoying.


    Bellatrix shook her head, "You actually do have something that I want. You see, Andi''s husband was tortured to insanity about 10 years ago and she''s been trying to find a solution for this whole time. Now, you were tortured as badly as him, but here you are¡­ somehow totally sane."


    "So?" Axel asked, finding it pretty absurd.


    "So I just need to look at the memories to see how you did it. Andi''s already checked your whole brain so biology has nothing to do with the reason."


    Axel glared at her. Of course, he was unwilling. Why would he not? His mind was his own.


    "Andromeda wouldn''t have agreed to let you do this," He said, trying to threaten her using her big sister with the ''I''ll tell on you'' tactic.


    At this, Bellatrix actually laughed, sounding genuinely amused.


    "I see. She did a very good job in manipulating you."


    Axel paused,


    "What... are you talking about?"


    "It''s funny really. How she''s created a perfect image of herself in your mind so quickly. Let me enlighten you, you gullible kid, Andromeda is a Black! She''s no kind woman!


    "!!!"


    Axel had already caught on to what Bellatrix was implying and it was what he''d thought of this possibility a lot of times. But, when it was turning out to be true. He was extremely unwilling to accept the reality.


    But Bellatrix didn''t stop. She mercilessly tore apart the last of Axel''s small hope.


    "You think she did all this out of kindness? Wrong! Wake up, kid! Who are you to her?! A nobody!


    Do you know how many have died for the sake of finding a cure for her husband?! How long has she known you for?! A day and a half. You tell me kid, who''s she gonna choose between her husband she''s known for decades or you?"


    "She''s kind? My perfect pureblood arse! She did all this because she thought it was the easier method! Just throw some money and some kindness to a homeless kid and he''ll give you anything you want and still thank you afterward. But looking at you, I can tell. You wouldn''t have agreed, would you? So, for the sake of my sister, I''ll do this and then we go our separate ways. Now, do you agree or do I need to force you?"


    In the beginning, Axel''s face was showing a lot of emotions. Regret, sadness, unwillingness, anger, etc. But right now, his face showed no emotions. He seemed completely calm.


    After a pause,


    "....I agree," he said with no emotion.


    [Congratulations, you have learned to control your emotions using Occlumency. The speed of progress is unprecedented in the history of the magical world.]


    "But let me tell you in advance, you won''t find anything you that''ll help your sister." He warned her in advance.


    Bellatrix was surprised to see his calm reaction.


    "What''s the matter? You aren''t angry at me?"


    Axel laughed, "Oh I AM angry at you,"


    Angry? That was an understatement. He wanted to Torture this woman with the Cruciatus. He wanted this proud and powerful woman to kneel before him and kiss his feet, begging for mercy for this verbal slaughter. But, it''s not possible for now.


    But¡­ whatever she said¡­ everything is true as well. That''s why...


    "I''m angry at you, but I''m also grateful," he smiled self mockingly.


    "I was getting too hopeful and positive about this world. You reminded me once again that I should never trust anyone and learn to be satisfied with loneliness."


    ''System, can you block all the important memories from her?''


    [Of course, Axel.]


    Looking at the boy who seemed to have given up on the world despite having done nothing wrong, Bellatrix was now regretting doing what she did.


    ''Did I go too far?''


    Looks like her sadistic tendencies still haven''t completely gone. But thinking that the boy was someone totally unrelated to her, she squashed down her guilt. She was doing this for her sister. Thus, without much thought, she plunged into his mind.


    She found the boy''s memory of the incident right in front of her. She saw how Axel very easily stole the pouch of the dignified Lord Greengrasses pouch from right under his nose.


    But of course, it was the pouch of a pureblood Lord. The boy was lucky to keep his hand intact. Then, she watched how Syrus, whom she thought was NOT a death eater, but a very powerful wizard proceed to torture the boy in the most deatheater-ish way.


    Damn, she never knew that calm and collected man could be like this. It seems like she has to stop his daughter''s association with Rose.


    She went in deeper to observe how Axel''s mind had functioned at that moment to prevent him from losing his sanity.


    "!!!"


    She was expecting to find some magical phenomenon or something. At least a semblance of Occlumency that was protecting his mind, but all she saw was pride, anger, killing intent, a strong will never give up, and...not an ounce of submission.


    "???"


    There was no sign of any abnormal magical phenomenon other than his weak magic trying to protect him as much as possible, which was a normal response.


    ''How is this possible?!'' She thought as she saw his unyielding eyes in the memory. It was already 8 minutes into torture with no breaks but there was no sign of submission. Even Syrus was looking scared now.


    Axel''s throat seemed completely mutilated from roaring like a beast. As her gaze went to his throat, she caught sight of something shining there.


    ??!!!


    Upon taking a closer look, she broke the connection due to how shocked she was.


    It was a simple pendant with a distinctive cross symbol.


    ''No way¡­ how come he has it?!''


    ''Did he steal it?! And¡­ is this really the same one?'' For all she knew, that cross could have been mass-produced and this boy just happened to have one.


    But¡­ when she opened her eyes and looked at him again, she realized why she found him familiar. The resemblance was slight, but it was there. Now that she thought about this, everything seemed to fit. This boy was definitely related to ''that man''.


    While Bellatrix was shaken up, Axel was very clear-minded.


    "Are you done? I bet you didn''t find anything that''ll help your sister, did you?" He asked, his face showing no emotions. But his eyes were icy cold and his voice also contained a cold fury.


    "...." Bellatrix suddenly realized that she''d completely forgotten her real goal.


    "Now if you''ll excuse me¡­" he said as he began to leave.


    "Wait!" She tried to stop him. She wanted to confirm his connection with that man.


    Upon being asked to stop, even Axel''s newly gained Occlumency was having a difficult time maintaining his reasoning. He can''t stand this woman any longer. He turned back sharply and the glare he sent her way made the Minister of Magic flinch. It contained a hint of madness in it.


    Bellatrix recoiled upon facing this familiar hostile attitude that seemed to match that man''s. But, it was always reserved for the enemies.


    "I won''t wait any longer, minister. There''s a limit to my patience. If you push too far, I''m ready to die trying to kill you! The deal was to let you see the memory, and we go our separate ways. From now on you and I are strangers."


    Bellatrix paled as she heard him repeat her own words. She recalled the hurtful words she''d just said to him and suddenly felt nauseous.


    Tristan Hunt, the man who had saved her from the fate of being a death eater''s trophy wife. The man who''d changed her way of thinking. After a decade of feeling indebted to him, the first chance she got at repaying him, and she blew it like this. He must be rolling in his grave right now for what she just did.


    ''Oh, Merlin¡­ what have I done?!''


    Axel didn''t stop, "Also, make sure to show the memory to your sister. Tell her that her husband was just a pussy who''s suffered no hardships if he couldn''t even take that much torture. She should stop hurting innocent people for such a weakling and find herself a real man," with those words, he left, while she stood there as if someone had petrified her.


    ***


    After getting out of the New Cauldron, Axel went to the deserted alley where he had hid his second hand stuff. Well, he was right when he bought these, wasn''t he?


    He recalled all the things that Andromeda and done for him, all the times she had smiled kindly, all the times she showed compassion for his injuries. He recalled the homely environment of the Black and how welcoming they were.


    It seems it was all just for Ted Tonks.


    Why would he even think otherwise? He''s just a nobody. He can look at their happiness, but he can only look.


    Shaking his head, he went to get himself the last item. A wand. This time, he was able to relax better. Because he was alone.

 Chapter 7: Trying Out Magic

    Axel was currently in a room he had rented in the Diagon Alley, having completed his shopping.


    Although he was still angry with the Black Sisters, but he quickly put it behind him.


    What''s the point of being angry now? It''s not like he can do anything about with his weak strength and pathetic status. He has to remember the priorities.


    Axel took out the wand he''d bought from Olivander, supposedly the best wandmaker. From what he heard from Andromeda, no newcomers could compete with him. His wands are simply much superior.


    But...the wand he bought was¡­ an embarrassment, to say the least. It was Beechwood, 12 inches, and Cherub hair as its core.


    [Host, this wand is best suited to you in your current state. The system fails to understand why you are not happy with the wand.] Said the system''s robotic female voice.


    Axel looked at the wand that was humming excitedly in his hands and sighed.


    According to the creepy old wandmaker, the true match for a beech wood wand would be, if young, wise beyond his or her years, and if full-grown, rich in understanding and experience. When properly matched, the beech wand was capable of a subtlety and artistry not seen in any other woods.


    Thus, there was no problem with the wood. In fact, it was the best for him since he''ll lack control over his magic until his nervous system gets better.


    The length 12 inches might be considered too long for a wank, but it was ideal as a wand. So no problem here as well.


    The true problem lies in the core: Cherub''s hair.


    It''s said to only bond with... a male wizard with a high face value. That is, a handsome wizard. It''s said to have a feminine nature and will fall in love with its owner.


    The strength of the bond will represent the degree of power it can exhibit. Thus, he has to treat it well or it''ll not perform well. It ain''t no Sakura who''d love a scumbag just because of his face value.


    How was it good for the current him? Well, all the truly powerful wand cores which were available at the Olivander all require a certain level of magical strength, control, and talent to submit to the wizard.


    And with his shitty body, there was no chance any of them would bond with him.


    Heck, he''d have been lucky to even bond with a wand with a kneazle whisker core. And those are one of the weakest.


    Thus, having a wand that''ll submit to him and can even potentially provide him more power than a dragon heartstring one if the conditions meet, is truly a blessing. Combine it with the control and finesse gained from the beech wood, and he truly has the ideal wand for the current him. But¡­


    ''Why does it feel like I''m using a honey trap to get power like those whores on the street?''


    [Host need not worry. This wand is temporary. With the system''s help, you can eventually get a wand that can rival even the Elder wand.]


    ''Whatever." Sighing, he began looking through the material, not knowing that the "Elder Wand" that system just mentioned was the most powerful wand in the world. Otherwise, he''d have had a much less lukewarm reaction


    Axel read the magic theory and practiced the very first spell, following the instructions to a T.


    He closed the lights, and raised the wand to his chest level. He looked at the wand tip, visualizing it lighting up. He focused his intent, want to see the light.


    He flicked the wand in an upward motion, as if lighting a switch.


    "Lumos," he uttered clearly.


    Axel didn''t feel the magic move deep inside him. But...


    "No result..."


    ''System, did I do anything wrong?''


    [You did everything perfectly. And with your natural talent and smooth magic pathways, you''d have been successful in your first attempt. But due to your injuries, the magic is not able to flow through mana pathways. You''d need more effort, and more powerful magic to force the magic.]


    "What the hell? Is it really going to be so weak?"


    [No need to be discouraged. If you keep practicing, mana passages will adapt and you will be also reach other people''s level. And if you manage to learn casting magic in this state, when your injuries heal, the improvement will be explosive.]


    Axel was enlightened. "So, it''s like jumping with weights. If I train myself to adapt, when I take the weights off, I will be able to jump much higher.


    [Affirmative]


    With that confirmation, Axel no longer wasted his time. In front of doing magic, he had also long stopped paying attention to what happened in the New Cauldron.


    ...


    One and a half days later:


    With a school bag on his shoulder, Axel walked through the wall barrier to enter the platform 9 ?.


    ''Damn system, this is just like the one in Diagon Alley,'' muttered Axel as he found himself on a crowded platform hidden from the world. There was a train with a scarlet engine that was releasing steam. The scenery was quite beautiful.


    Though the loud noise produced by its engine was quite grating on his nerves.


    Everything felt quite surreal. He was actually going to school again. A magic school at that.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ''I wonder what its like...''


    At the station, along with a massive crowd, Axel also noticed that there were many reporters and cameramen as well. It seems that they were here for the girl who lived who''s mostly been kept isolated from the press under the protection of the Black Family.


    Axel ignored everything in favor of finding himself an empty compartment before they all get filled up.


    He chose to settle in an empty compartment at the back of the train, thinking that there were fewer chances of him being bothered there. After all, he had things to do.


    In the past two days, he had managed to read a lot about magic from the books in his curriculum. Since he was in the Diagon Alley, he also browsed to book store further and bought a few more books that could be useful.


    With all of this, he also had to keep practicing Occlumency so that he can get rid of this fucking disability. The parts of beginner Occlumency which are left that can''t be mastered through talent like he mastered controlling his emotions. They can only be mastered through dedicated practice.


    Basically, he hadn''t wasted time at all. And now would not be an exception. He took out his wand.


    Performing the wand motion perfectly, he chanted,


    "Lumos."


    The wand tip lit up, producing a very dim light. And, it seemed like a bulb with a high degree of voltage fluctuations. The intensity of light was changing ever so often.


    This was already much better than his first try, which had no response at all. And he''s been practicing this non-stop ever since.


    The degree of concentration he''s putting into this spell would be enough to baffle anyone. Needless to say, with his natural talent, control and concentration, he could have easily mastered any first-year spell had his body not been so badly messed up.


    Seeing his progress, Axel was somewhat proud. He wasn''t born good at his thieving skills as well. He''d slowly learned them, mastered and polished them to perfection, step by step through a lot of hard work. Since this shit is so difficult, he can proclaim that no one in his shoes could have made more progress.


    But at this moment, the door of his compartment was rudely opened disturbing his concentration.


    The intruder was a bushy-haired girl who looked to be the same age as him. She was dragging a suitcase with wheels behind her.


    "Oh, you''re practicing the Lumos spell? I''ve learned it too!" She said excitedly, inviting herself in.


    "?" Annoyed, he wanted to snap at her, but hearing that she''d learned the spell got him curious.


    What would others his age be like without any disabilities holding them back?


    "Alright, show me," he demanded.


    The girl was all too happy to oblige. She produced her wand and did an exaggerated wand motion.


    "Lumos."


    Instantly, a bright light came out of her wand, lighting up the entire compartment, causing Axle to squint a little due to its sheer brightness.


    "...." He was speechless.


    ''To think I was proud of my pathetic achievements¡­.'' Axel was feeling a slap to all his hard work.


    The girl happily canceled the spell and looked at Axel, expecting admiration and praise.


    But Axel simply picked up his bag and left, closing the door on his way out.


    "???"


    "...Why is it always like this?" Hermione Granger muttered as she stomped her foot in frustration.


    Axel had run away in embarrassment. He had expected her to be better, but not that better.


    If it was just the because of her technique and practice, then Axel could have accepted it, but no! It was because of the fact that they weren''t better than his! And she didn''t even have to put in half of his concentration, and the difference was still so fucking huge.


    ''System, why did you choose me? I''ll need a lot of time and effort to do things that girl can easily do. And there must be so many other better options as well!''


    [The Akashic Records did not look at the short-term gains while looking for a suitable candidate. Here are the reasons why you were chosen:


    1)Superior Talent in Mind Arts:


    All of your physical and magical stats can be increased one way or the other. But for the mental training, the system can, at most, give you the right methods. You can only rely on yourself after that.


    Furthermore, this is can be much more advantageous than you can imagine. You will get to see very soon.


    2)Right mindset:


    Power given to a person who does not know how to wield it will only lead to failure or a win with major losses. If given to an evil person, he will misuse it. If given to a kind person, he will hesitate to even use it. You currently have the right mindset and will hopefully use it properly in the future.


    3) Right Ideology:


    That girl you just mentioned would have used the power to free up the house elves which would have resulted in their deaths. Then she would have sped up the process of arrival of war by offending all the Purebloods.


    4) Lineage:


    (Information unavailable)]


    ''Wait the fuck up. Lineage?!''


    [Information unavailable at your current level.]


    ''Hey, wait.''


    [Information unavailable at your current level.]


    ''Ok, I get it, I get it¡­ No need for more.'' Axel dropped the matter. He didn''t care much about his lineage.


    ''Anyways, what''s this Akashic Records you keep mentioning?''


    [Akashic Records have all the past, present, and future of everything in the Multiverse recorded in them.


    It tries to maintain the flows to the worlds as written in the records. If there''s a major deviation that results in destruction, it can intervene through a champion, like you.


    Thus, you have been chosen by them to help change the world. I am part of their consciousness, provided to guide you along the way and help you obtain power. Should you fail, another candidate will be selected, I...will be terminated.]


    "Fuck." Axel stopped in his tracks when he heard the last part. But just as he stopped, someone bumped into him from behind.


    Alarmed, he quickly glanced behind him, only to find¡­ nothing?


    *Shing*


    He took out his knife and began twirling it in his hands, ready to attack at the first sign of anything odd.


    That scared whoever it was.


    He heard a frantic voice "Wait! wait! Wait! It''s me! Rose! We met the day before yesterday, you remember?"


    Axel''s anger instantly ignited remembering that day.


    "Why were you following me? What do you want now?"


    "I have business with you. But we can''t talk here," with that, he felt a hand dragging him away.


    He shook her hand off, "I''m not going,"


    Rose huffed in annoyance, "Fine. I''ll just go to the press which is waiting for me out there and tell them that you''re bothering me. You''ll have a great time at Hogwarts then,"


    "...."


    Axel knew how to choose his fights. This girl really had too much power at her disposal and it would be too much trouble if she really decides to use it against him.


    But¡­ she''s going to regret threatening him. As the most vindictive person in the world, he''ll make sure she regrets threatening him.


    He grabbed her invisible hand from over the cloak.


    "So, where are we going?" He asked casually as he began to scheme how to make her pay in the future.


    Rose was speechless at this quick change of attitude. She looked down at the hand that was grabbing hers over the cloak and noticed the familiar shaking and twitching.


    She''d almost forgotten that he was disabled for life. She calmed down her annoyance at him due to that and took him to her compartment, locked it, and drew the blinds.


    Removing the cloak, she rounded up on him, only to see him looking at the rest of the occupants of her compartment, his hands back in his pockets.


    Axel didn''t know why he expected her to take him somewhere private.


    He certainly didn''t like being in the same compartment as four strangers and the girl who lived. But, he still entered since he can easily take out these four kids in such close range before they can even touch their wands.


    One was a boy and the other three were girls.


    Seeing Axel so vigilant, Rose did a proper intro.


    "You don''t need to worry. They''re all my friends."


    "This is Susan Bones," she said, gesturing towards a ginger-haired girl with light skin.


    "Neville Longbottom," pointing towards a round-faced chubby kid with blond hair.


    "Hannah Abbot," a nervous-looking blond girl with pigtails.


    "And Daphne Greengrass., she said, pointing at a girl with straight blond hair and grey eyes.


    ''Whut?''


    Axel paused as soon as he heard the last name. Bellatrix''s words rang inside his mind.


    //Cyrus Greengrass, the name of the man you killed//


    Greengrass...


    ''Damn, I should''ve just stayed with that bushy-haired girl.''

 Chapter 8: Mission

    Potter, Black, Bones, Longbottom, Abbott, and Greengrass. According to the basic knowledge he''s gotten from the system, these are all part of the Sacred Twenty-eight.


    Rose turned out to have quite a ''powerful'' friend circle, huh? Though it kinda makes sense, since Rose might be politically the second most powerful witch, right after Bellatrix.


    And after knowing that having a good relationship with her means having a good relationship with Minister Black as well, they''d try any method to get acquainted with her. The easiest being¡ª to let their children become childhood friends with her.


    But, Axel had gotten into a complicated situation now. He was in the same compartment as six of the Sacred Twenty-eight Familys'' members.


    And if that wasn''t enough, he looked at the girl whose surname was Greengrass.


    She certainly had the same gray eyes. He can never forget those eyes. And there was a slight resemblance in the facial features as well.


    So, it was safe to assume that this girl was related to that man, most likely her father. Now, the question is, what to do with this girl? Her father or uncle had tortured him into a cripple. So there is a lot of unvented hate inside him. But, he was also feeling a bit guilty that he''d killed her father.


    Just as Rose was done introducing everyone to him, he received a quest.


    [Quest Activated]


    [You are heading down the path of a loner. It would not have been a problem under ordinary circumstances. But, your foes aren''t entities that you can handle alone.


    You''ll need allies and you''ll need to have communication skills and charisma befitting of a leader.


    Mission:


    Make friends, make allies, and make a good impression with the wizarding world.


    Rewards:


    ?Making a good impression on the people in this compartment:


    ->+1% Approval


    ->Information on your Enemy


    ?Rewards on every successive steps you take towards building a reputation for yourself such that people willingly follow you one day.


    ->+Approval rates


    -> Other rewards]


    [Do you accept the mission?]


    [Y/N]


    After telling him the name of everyone present, Rose pushed Axel into a seat and folded her hands.


    "Why the hell did you leave yesterday?" She asked, as if he''d committed some capital crime.


    Axel raised his eyebrows, "Why are you even asking me that?" He asked, confused as to why his leaving would affect anything. He was more focused on the quest right now.


    The reward was quite tempting. He really wanted to know just what calamity can bring so much destruction that AR would have to go to such lengths to save it.


    But, the problem was:


    ''Oi system, how am I supposed to make friends?! I''ve never had one my entire life! And how am I supposed to make a good impression? And also, what if I accept and can''t complete it? Can I refuse?''


    [The knowledge in your head given by the system also has common knowledge and etiquette of the wizarding world. That''s how you knew how to eat with a knife and fork. Just try, you won''t even realize that you''re using them. Though you of course, have the option to deny since the system can''t force you to do anything. And there is no penalty on refusing or failing. System is not that kind of system.]


    ''Well, I''ll accept then,'' Axel saw no reason to deny it. He just accept it since at most, he''ll only fail.


    Realizing that she was not being taken seriously, Rose brushed her hair back in annoyance.


    "You''re asking why? You left without saying anything! And then Aunt Bella came, handed Aunt Andromeda a vial, said something to her, and left as well! Do you have any idea how sad and heartbroken Aunt Andromeda looked? She had even started yelling at Aunt Bella!"


    Axel scoffed. ''That woman must be sad that her husband can''t be cured,'' he thought. What else could it be?


    "Look, I don''t know what you''re talking about. I was just busy and had to leave. You should ask Minister Black why she left and what she said to Mrs. Tonks to make her sad. I should have nothing to do with it," he answered, feigning ignorance.


    It seems like this girl here doesn''t know that he was called for the dinner only because they wanted to get a memory from him. Once they''d gotten the memory, of course, he wouldn''t go back to be kicked out.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Bellatrix had clearly spelled out just how unwanted he was.


    But he didn''t tell any of this to Rose. That dinner with the Blacks was his Black history.


    There he was, enjoying himself, feeling happy and hopeful, and even having thoughts like how good it is to hang out with these people.


    And there those two sisters were, watching him with amusement, knowing exactly how he was feeling and still doing it just because one wanted to find a clue to cure her husband while the other just wanted to keep her sister happy.


    After leaving that place, he was feeling hurt a lot, but more than that, he was feeling ashamed. He was proud of everything he''d done in his life, even the murder. But this moment¡­ This moment was something he didn''t want to share with anyone.


    Rose was not at all satisfied with his reply. She wanted to refute, but at this moment, Susan interjected, "Rose, who''s this? You still haven''t introduced him to us!"  This guy looked too cool with those scars and hairstyle! She wanted to be friends with him.


    "Yes, who is he?" Asked Neville as well. For some reason, the thought of this intimidating boy being friends with Rose made him uncomfortable.


    Rose realized that even though she had introduced everyone to him, she had forgotten to introduce him to others.


    But, she didn''t know much about him, to begin with.


    Axel sighed. If not for the mission, he''d have left this place right now.


    "The name''s Axel. Nice to meet you," he said, nodding at everyone.


    Susan was instantly excited as she held out her hand, "Hi, I''m Susan Bones. Rose never mentioned she had such a cool friend."


    Axel looked at the hand she offered. If he didn''t shake it, would he be making a bad impression?


    Looking at Axel''s hesitation, Rose couldn''t help but speak out.


    "Um...Susan, his hands¡­"


    But Axel took out his tremoring hand and shook hands with her briefly.


    He couldn''t hide it at Hogwarts anyway. He''ll have to write, flip pages, cast spells, and eat in public.


    As soon as their hands touched, Susan felt his hand twitching abnormally as if vibrating.


    "hm?"


    She looked down at him his hand in confusion. She looked at her hand and then at Axel''s.


    "What''s wrong with your hand?" She asked in concern and panic.


    "It''s weird," Neville commented, looking repulsed.


    Rose was glad that someone else could also see his hands'' abnormality, but she didn''t like Neville''s attitude. It''s not Axel''s fault, is it?


    "Aunt Andromeda said someone cursed him with dark spells. She''s the one who treated him," she informed Susan. This made Susan and Hannah gasp but Daphne narrowed her eyes.


    At this moment, someone else spoke up as he heard a quiet but clear voice.


    "You were tortured, weren''t you?"


    Axel was surprised to see Daphne looking at him with empathy like she could understand what he had suffered.


    ''She can tell¡­'' he realized.


    Though he couldn''t quite say whether it was because she''d gone through something similar or because she''d witnessed or done something similar to a poor victim like him.


    Axel just shrugged, neither affirming nor denying.


    "It''s just temporary. I''ll find a way to heal myself," he said with certainty.


    Rose really felt bad for when she saw him saying those words with such conviction.


    That day, after Axel had left, Andromeda had pulled her aside and clearly explained Axel''s circumstances. He won''t be able to cast magic. And even moving his hand, or his body would be painful every time.


    That''s why she''d all but ordered Rose to thoroughly take care of Axel at Hogwarts and not let him get bullied. That''s the main reason why Rose had pulled him in here with her friends.


    Rose had asked how long it would take for him to get healed. At that time, Andromeda had just shaken her head in regret.


    There was no cure. His nerves were incurably damaged. But right now, she didn''t refute his claim. She didn''t want to squash his hopes.


    Susan was angry for Axel. "Did your parents not complain to the DMLE? My Aunt would definitely send the culprit to Azkaban."


    Axel laughed. This girl was quite innocent. He liked it.


    "Uh¡­ Susan. His parents..." Rose trailed off.


    Susan was an orphan too. So she could understand how insensitive she was when she had just assumed his parents are alive and mentioned them.


    "I... I''m so sorry, Axel. But I can understand. Rose and I are orphans too," she said in understanding.


    Axel just nodded. Though he was quite sure they could understand nothing. They grew up in a luxurious environment, never having to sleep feeling hungry as hell with their body aching all over from the beatings received and worrying about how to get food the next day.


    Since they were talking about parents, everyone went back to their previous conversation about Daphne''s dad before Rose had left to bring Axel. They had only just met and couldn''t even get a chance to console their friend about her father''s death yet.


    The compartment turned silent, as no one had anything else to say to Axel.


    "Daphne, you still haven''t told us. How''s your mom and sister doing? Are they still very sad?" Asked Hannah to Daphne.


    Hannah was quite shy or intimidated facing Axel, a stranger with scars and a cold attitude. But it seems that she can actually speak normally with her friends.


    To everyone''s surprise, Daphne''s answer was¡ª


    "Said? Merlin No!"


    She smile and everyone except Axel''s mouths fell open again. Daphne was usually quite cold and reserved. But unexpectedly, at this time, she smiled!


    "I could never tell this to you guys before," she began, still smiling genuinely. "My dad was actually the biggest scumbag in the world! He had forbidden us to talk bad about him. He used to check our minds regularly and punish us if we ever stepped out of line."


    "...."


    Everyone except Axel was speechless. They had never thought that the always stoic man they had seen before was that kind of person.


    "Oh, Daph¡­ is that true?! We never knew!!" Rose quickly got up and hugged Daphne, Susan and Hannah also began fussing over her.


    Though Axel was smiling, just like Daphne. It felt as if a burden had been lifted off his shoulders. Even though he had felt no guilt towards the man, he had felt bad for the man''s family. What if his children have to live a life similar to his? But now it seems he was worried for nothing.


    Soon, they had stopped bothering him with questions so Axel took out his wand and charms book to start practicing again.


    Rose raised her delicate eyebrow, "What are you doing?" She asked curiously.


    Axel''s mouth twitched.


    "What does it look like? I''m practicing magic, of course."


    She frowned, "Didn''t Aunt Andromeda say that you won''t be able to do that unless your injuries are healed?"


    Everyone was surprised. He can''t do magic?! Even though they felt bad for Axel, their first foremost thought was: ''Thank Merlin it''s not me!'' If any of them ended up not being able to do magic, they''ll definitely cry all the time.


    Listening to Rose, Axel nodded thoughtfully as if he just remembered.


    "Well, she did say that. But, that can''t stop me from giving it my all." He said simply as if stating facts.


    In the next moment, he flicked his wand, "Lumos," His wand tip lit up, producing a flickering light, surprising Rose. It was nothing impressive, really. Not in front of the children who had already seen all kinds of magic and had even started learning with their parent''s wands.


    But this magic was being cast by someone who was supposed to be similar to a squib for the rest of his life. And it''s already better than many other first years.


    Everyone looked at the glowing wand tip held in Axel''s trembling hand. That light seemed to represent him, fighting to stay bright despite all the attempts to extinguish him.


    Looking at Axel, who was clearly struggling to keep up the spell, with the flickering light illuminating his serious and concentrating face, for the first time, Rose felt that... he was not so annoying after all?


    But she refused to admit he was cool!

 Chapter 9: The Threat

    While Axel practiced his magic, the system gave him a surprise.


    *Ding*


    [Mission Completed


    ?Making a good impression on the people in this compartment:


    Rewards:


    ->+1% Approval (Total 7%)


    ->Information on your Enemy.


    Information will be transferred whenever you give your approval.]


    Axel paused.


    ''What the f*ck?''


    He was still thinking about how to start on his mission. Until now, he had just tried to tolerate their presence a little and answered some of their questions while trying not to be rude. And they were already impressed?


    ''I mean, what the actual fuck?''


    Is making a good impression so easy these days? He was a cripple for god''s sake! He had totally expected to be called a cripple, squib, mudblood and whatnot.


    ''Why, system?''


    [The children in this compartment have good characters. Not everyone will be like them.]


    ''So, that''s it.'' Axel went back to practicing, no longer paying attention to the other occupants.


    He knows that he''s incredibly weak right now. He is no longer as dexterous as he used to be. It seems that he''s still quite fast but there''s no accuracy in his movements.


    Overall, he''ll get his ass handed to him in a real fight, magical or muggle.


    The only thing he has going for him is his mind. As something that was supposed to take the most damage, it is ironically the best weapon he has on him.


    But his mind can''t help too much if he has no attack power. That''s why he has to learn magic as soon as possible.


    "Lumos," he mumbled.


    He was whispering the spell incantation in a hushed tone and there was enough lighting in the room that the weak light produced by his wand didn''t disturb anyone.


    After an hour, the Lumos charm had improved a lot. He just couldn''t get used to the sharp pain that shoots up from his chest to his arm and the headache was a bitch.


    And the rate of improvement had slowed down a lot. So he just switched to Levitation, which was even more difficult and painful.


    "Axel?¡­ Axel!"


    An hour later, he heard someone calling his name, pulling him out of his zone. By now, he had managed to light the wand tip a little bit brighter.


    "Hm? What?" He looked up to see the others looking at him with concerned or uncomfortable gazes.


    "Your... condition doesn''t look good. You should stop for now," said Rose, her green eyes containing genuine worry.


    Feeling something wet, Axel touched his nose and his finger came red. The veins around his eyes and forehead were bulging out a little.


    ''How''s my situation, sys?''


    [Axel, after suffering from numerous injuries over the years, your body has developed a self-healing mechanism.


    While is it extremely painful, the intense practice that you are doing is actually beneficial, as it is gradually stimulating your nerves to start functioning the way you intend them to.


    As long as you eat well, there''s no long-term harm being done, only improvement.


    That being said, the system did not calculate that you''d be willing to use this method.]


    Axel scoffed. It''s not like he was willingly doing this. But he knows his luck. If he''d lazed around like others, he''d have been dead multiple times by now. Thus, he''s learned to stop complaining and just do whatever''s needed, even if he doesn''t like doing it.


    Looking at everyone''s uncomfortable faces, Axel calmly took out his handkerchief, wiped the blood off his nose, and stood up.


    "I''m fine. Excuse me, I''ll take a break. I need to go see a friend since I came here without informing her."


    Rose couldn''t even react before he had picked up his bag and left. He knew that for these pampered kids, keeping on practicing even after this would put him into the category of a lunatic.


    The mission he had gotten from the system was already completed anyway, so there was no need to stay.


    ''As expected, I just don''t fit anywhere,'' he mused. It was the same in the muggle world, and it was the same here.


    While he was sitting there, each of their conversations made him think how childish they were. It made him realize that he just can''t stay with these kids without despising them. Maybe there was some envy too.


    Though that Greengrass girl was the only exception, since she seemed to be much more mature. Though she didn''t talk much the whole way, just looking out of the window uninterested or observing his progress from time to time.


    While searching for an empty compartment, he passed by the compartment which he''d left due to that bushy-haired girl. It was now filled with students a bit older than him.


    The bushy-haired girl could be seen talking animatedly with a girl who looked about two years older. The appearance of the girl was a bit attention-grabbing.


    This girl had violet eyes, and a beautiful heart-shaped face with attractive features, framed by light purple hair.


    ''Even the rude bushy girl found friends, huh?'' Axel remarked mentally as he continued searching. An empty compartment in this train is really hard to find. Especially considering the fact that many teenage couples are meeting each other after holidays, so they all need some... alone time.


    Axel opened what looked like a storeroom, only to see two people eating each other''s mouths.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    "Damn! They''re everywhere!" He exclaimed, shutting the door.


    He did eventually find an empty compartment since this magical train was quite big. Sitting there, turning the blinds and locking the door this time, he asked the system.


    ''System, I want to access the reward I got from the mission.''


    He had still not accessed his mission reward about the threat to this world.


    [Ok. Here it is¡­]


    *Ding*


    Information suddenly entered his mind, causing him to wince due to the uncomfortable sensation.


    He carefully browsed through it and soon, a peculiar smile came to his lips.


    ''Well¡­ I''m fucked, aren''t I?''


    He had expected it to be difficult¡­ But this is Hell Mode.


    ''What in the hell is this World of Nether?'' he asked.


    [World of Nether, or simply NetherWorld is separate dimension connected to this world. As the name suggests, it is a dark domain. Its inhabitants are all creatures with an affinity to dark magic whether they are intelligent species or not.


    An example of the inhabitants of that world is Dementors. Dementors are not creatures of this world. They are one of the few species that have the ability to travel between the two connected dimensions.]


    Axel slumped in his seat.


    ''And this Voldemort bloke¡­ After he almost died, his wraith form somehow ended up there?''


    From the basic knowledge, he already knew that this Voldy dude was super powerful and even almost won the war.


    [Affirmative. Voldemort already had a high affinity with dark magic. He could even communicate with Dementors and fly using darkness.


    He thrives in darkness. Once he was there, he found ways to restore his power back to his former level and even surpass it. During the last decade, he''s conquered a majority of the NetherWorld and his forces increase every day.]


    ''So¡­If he suddenly decides to attack, how am I supposed to defeat the guy?''


    [Host need not worry. While he''s been trying to find a way back into this world, he has only had minor breakthroughs. He has found ways to influence this world but he still can''t directly enter.]


    Axel snorted derisively.


    ''And that fills me with so much joy¡­'' he replied, his thought dripping with sarcasm. He still has to fight an army + Voldemort.


    If the guy is going to conquer or destroy the world, Axel will have to do something anyway, with or without system.


    There''s no doubt. He. Is. Fucked.


    ¡­


    Fortunately, no one disturbed him for the rest of the train ride, allowing him to practice his magic and Occlumency in peace.


    When they reached the destination, he changed into his uniform. It was mostly similar to the muggle schools in Britain, except instead of a blazer, you wear an open black buttoned robe and a hat(optional).


    Coming out of the train, he started walking along the crowd to wherever they were going.


    "Firs'' years! Firs'' years over here!"


    Up ahead, he said a giant of a man waving his hand in the air.


    ''Damn, this guy could easily snap any kid in two.''


    In Axel''s pugilistic view, size mattered a lot. He felt like this guy was quite tough. Going there, he found Rose, Neville, Susan, Daphne, Hannah, and the bucktooth girl as well.


    Seeing him, Rose waved, "How are you now? If you''re not feeling well, there''s a hospital wing here."


    Axel shook his head, feeling exasperated.


    "I''m alright. Thanks for asking."


    He gave himself a mental thumbs up for leaving her compartment since his training had resulted in soaking his whole handkerchief in blood.


    After sitting in the self-driving boats, Axel got his first look at the castle. Under the moonlight, the view of the magnificent castle above the hillock, linked with the back of the Lake, looked breathtaking.


    ''I''m going to be living in a freakin'' castle?!'' He thought in amazement. He has been homeless for three years. So the thought of living in a huge castle seemed quite novel to him.


    Reaching the bank, they walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.


    "Everyone here?" The giant asked, looking at everyone. There were quite a lot of students.


    According to the system, after the economic bloom in Britain, many magical families migrated here. Plus, Bellatrix forcefully passed many laws which improved Hogwarts even more like restarting dueling, alchemy, and some other subjects. So now, many foreign families send their kids to Hogwarts for their magical education.


    The man raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.


    The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. This lady seemed one of those no-nonsense, always serious kind.


    "The firs'' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.


    "Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."


    She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was big enough to drive cars through them. Speaking of cars, Axel had seen many strange and enchanted ones in Diagon Alley.


    The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.


    They followed Professor McGonagall into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.


    "Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room.


    "The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule-breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours.


    "The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."


    She said, glancing at a red-haired kid who had a smudge under his nose before she left.


    This kid had been eyeing Rose for quite a while. His eyes were constantly alternating between her eyes and her scar.


    As soon as the stern-looking Professor had left, this guy had walked right up to Rose who was standing with Axel and others. He hadn''t wiped his face even after Mcgonagall''s warning since he was too busy staring at Rose.


    "Hey, you must be Rose Potter! The-Girl-who-lived!" His loud words caused everyone''s attention to be focused on Rose, making her frown.


    Rose shifted on her feet uncomfortably, her hand flicking her hair back to hide the scar.


    "What is it?" She asked, annoyed.


    The boy seemed over-excited to be talking to the famous girl of the legends. His eyes went wide and his mouth gaped at her.


    "Wow! You really are her!"


    Though it seemed he didn''t know what to say next, so he just went¡ª"How was it? Do you remember how you got this from You-know-who?" He asked, pointing at her scar.


    ???


    Rose seemed quite taken aback to answer. But Susan blew up.


    "You!... You insensitive prick! Why would you want to make her remember something like that?!"


    Her parents were murdered that night. According to Susan, anyone should have enough decency to know not to ask her this.


    All the other kids who wanted to talk with the-girl who-lived glared at the idiot. They''d missed their chance. At this moment, a Blond arrogant-looking kid came up to them while laughing.


    "Oh look at your face, Potter. Gonna cry? You miss mommy and daddy?"


    Rose, not looking the least bit bothered, just smirked as she gave the boy a middle finger.


    "Shut up, daddy''s princess. We all know you''re the one who''s going to cry into your pillow tonight. After all, you''re missing your daddy after not getting head pats for a whole day, right?"


    With that, Rose pulled their group away from the two odd kids.


    "That guy is Draco Malfoy...We don''t get along. And his mom doesn''t get along with my aunts," she explained to Axel, looking a bit embarrassed as she had forgotten to keep her pure image for a moment.


    Axel looked at her differently.


    "Uh...Sure."


    He once again made a mental note not to get in conflict with her. From what he''s seen up until now, she''s a vicious one. She even knows how to use her immense fame and reputation to ruin someone since she''d threatened him with that on the train.


    "Surprised?" Susan noticed his face and smiled. They were walking at the back of the group, so the others couldn''t hear them amidst the chatter.  "Her father and uncle were serious bullies back in the days. My Aunt says she was a marauder''s child and raise by a marauder too. You can''t expect her to have no fangs¡­. or prongs. You''d better watch out."


    Ahead of them, the rest of the group was talking about which house they were going to be sorted into.


    Rose and Neville wanted Gryffindor like their parents. Susan wanted Hufflepuff like her Aunt and Parents. Hannah also wanted Hufflepuff since she wanted to be with Susan. Daphne wanted Ravenclaw since her mom was a Ravenclaw and her A-hole dad had wanted her to be Slytherin.


    Only Axel was left so they all turned to him.


    "Ravenclaw," he said decisively.


    He had it all figured out. From the basic knowledge he''d got from the system, only two houses get a whole room to themselves: Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Of course, he can''t go to Slytherin because of its bad reputation and his status of being an orphan with no distinguished background. So the only one left is Ravenclaw.


    Daphne smiled and Rose looked a bit disappointed. She could have helped him much more easily if he was in Gryffindor.

 Chapter 10: Savage Sorting Hat

    When they reached the Anti-chamber, a stern-looking old lady was waiting for them. She introduced herself as Minerva McGonagall, the deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts.


    It turned out to be the biggest hall he''d ever seen. The four long tables seemed to stretch for miles. The upper area of the hall was filled with thousands of floating candles.


    In the last decade, Magical Britain had adapted the magical equivalent of a bulb and tube light from other magical countries since those Purebloods having the monopoly over enchanted candles could no longer suppress them. So, he had seen crystal balls everywhere instead of candles and torches. But, the Great Hall was still lit only with candles and nothing else.


    And Axel could understand why. The huge number of candles are able to provide more than enough lumination and the scenery looks simply marvelous.


    As they were talking, Axel was a bit surprised to see a group of pearly white apparitions float out of the wall, scaring many muggle-borns.


    But since he had the general knowledge from the system, he knew that ghosts exist in the Wizarding world. Heck, he could have sworn he had seen one sometime in the past.


    Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool, she put a pointed wizard''s hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty.


    And for some reason, the hat began singing.


    "It''s horrendous," muttered Axel.


    Even though he had the general knowledge of the system and understood that sorting would be done through the hat, he still found all this stuff quite absurd.


    Why was that hat allowed into students'' minds? As they say, don''t trust something if you don''t know where it keeps its mind.


    While the hat was singing, Susan was trying to comfort a nervous Hannah.


    "Don''t worry, it''s just a sorting," she was saying.


    "But¡­ but what if I get sorted into Slytherin?" She asked back in worry.


    Rose shook her head, "Sirius said you can choose whichever house you want. The sorting hat listens," she said confidently.


    Axel had also gotten the same information from the system''s basic knowledge. That''s why he was quite relaxed as he looked around the hall in curiosity while trying to ignore the song.


    After the hat was done, McGonagall announced the start of sorting.


    "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Finnigan Seamus!"


    A Sandy-haired guy walked out, looking excited, and put on the Hat.


    "GRYFFINDOR!" Came the hat''s voice moments later, causing the Gryffindor table to burst into cheers.


    "Axel, when is your birthday?" Rose asked Axel out of the blue as Mcgonagall continued to call out names.


    "... Why do you ask?" He asked back in bewilderment.


    "The sorting is done either alphabetically or Chronologically. This time, it looks like it''ll be done Chronologically. So if your birthday comes early, you''ll be sorted first."


    "Oh," Axel nodded in understanding. But¡­ he really had no idea when his birthday was and neither did he ever felt the need to know.


    Thankfully, Neville''s name was called at that moment, causing the subject to be dropped.


    Axel watched as the students got sorted one after another. Rose, Neville, Susan, Hannah, and Daphne all got sorted into the Houses they wanted.


    And soon, it was his turn.


    "HUNT, AXEL!"


    Axel paused. He came to know two things today. His birthday comes quite late in the year, and his surname is Hunt.


    ''Axel Hunt. Well, it''s at least better than Longbottom,'' he thought dryly as he made his way to the stool. With Longbottom, he could come up with at least 5 burns right off bat.


    As he sat, McGonagall put the hideous hat on top of his head. The system had assured him that the Hat can''t reveal his memories to anyone.


    As for hiding his memories, it could at least hide the murder, torture, and system''s existence. Anything more would be suspicious. But Axel was not worried. The rest was stealing from assholes and defending himself in fights. There shouldn''t be any trouble.


    He heard the Hat''s voice in his head.


    ''Hm¡­ so what do we have here?''


    ''Put me in Ravenclaw,'' he thought right away.


    The hat ignored his words as it looked through his recent memories.


    The sorting hat works on a clear-cut algorithm. It usually doesn''t spend much time looking through a student''s head. Especially if the student has no potential and no background.


    Here''s what it saw as it took a cursory look in Axel''s mind.


    ''Hm¡­ you''re already stealing and injuring people at such a young age.


    No family background...


    Oh? And you can''t even move properly and do magic...?


    WHAT?! My singing and my song were ''Horrendous''?! I spent a whole year preparing for that! The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Hmm...I know where you belong¡­''


    ''Wait¡ª''


    But the Hat had already made its decision.


    "SLYTHERIN!" Came his loud voice.


    Axel was stunned. Did he just get sorted into Slytherin?


    ''My background¡ª'' he tried protesting.


    ''Yes, I usually do not put orphans with no family background in Slytherin. But perhaps, staying there would help you learn to appreciate my songs better. I hope you have a pleasant stay at Slytherin. Now move along, little fella. My time is only for polite or talented wizards.''


    "Next."


    And Professor McGonagall lifted the hat from his head at that moment, revealing his baffled face.


    Axel numbly got down from the stool and started to walk towards the Slytherin table. As he walked, a green snake insignia appeared on his cloak and his tie changed to green color, marking him forever a Slytherin.


    He turned back to look towards the Ravenclaw table, where he was supposed to get sorted, and saw Daphne. She was sitting with the bushy-haired girl and the purple-haired statuesque girl he had seen on the train.


    Then he looked at the Hufflepuff table, where Susan and Hannah were sitting together.


    Finally, he looked towards Rose, who was sitting with Neville. She was looking at him with a questioning look while Neville was looking at him like he had caught the plague.


    The Sorting Hat... had fucked him over.


    He looked towards the hateful hat and saw an imaginary pair of Black Sunglasses on its eyes and a cigar in its mouth. Being able to sort any student according to its will and no one even questioning it, it was certainly living the thug life.


    Axel went to the table and sat with the rest of the first-year Slytherins.


    ''What the fuck system?! The basic information in my head said I had a choice!''


    [People usually do have a choice, Axel. But it''s not absolute. The basic information didn''t contain the fact that the hat has an ego of its own and has authority over the final decision. Though things would have still worked out how you wanted, but you were just too unlucky that the Sorting Hat saw the worst combination of memories it could have in the basic sweep of your mind.]


    Axel sighed, ''Bad luck, huh? Why am I not surprised?''  If the goddess of luck existed, he might be her husband''s mistress''s child. (Jon Snow)


    ''What memories did it see?'' he asked the system, though he already had an idea.


    [It saw you not able to cast the basic magic after many tries, the fact that you are a cripple now, and you having no family background. This caused its interest to lessen since you would be a bottom dreg in any house and won''t have any major impact on the world. Therefore, it didn''t dig too deeply and only saw a few glimpses.]


    [In one memory, you were beating people up but it didn''t see that they were the primary offenders and deserved the beatings.]


    [In one memory, you were stealing something though it didn''t see that the person you were stealing from was a rich asshole.]


    [In one memory, it saw you getting annoyed by its song but it doesn''t know that you have a condition called Misophonia, which is a mental disorder triggered by certain annoying sounds. It''s usually caused by trauma.]


    [In one memory¡ª]


    ''Woah, woah, back the fuck up...'' he thought, interrupting the system.


    ''I have something like that? So other people were actually enjoying that thing?!''


    [No, not everyone. But no one was as annoyed as you and many also enjoyed it.]


    While he was conversing with the system, someone called out to him from the side.


    "Your name is Axel, right?"


    Axel turned to see that it was one of the girls who were sorted into Slytherin.


    The girl smiled at him.


    "Hi! My name is Pansy Parkinson. I''m a pureblood direct descendent of the Parkinson Family. Nice to meet you."


    "Likewise," he replied shortly.


    He could tell that he was supposed to tell his blood status as well but he didn''t know it either.


    Thankfully, the blond kid from earlier had attracted the attention of the girl, making Axel grateful.


    At this moment, the last of the students had been sorted and an old man at the high table had stood up. Axel guessed he must be the famous Albus Dumbledore.


    He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.


    "Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!


    "Thank you!"


    To Axel''s delight, the plates and goblets in front of him were now filled with huge amounts of food.


    ''Putting aside magic, I''d have come just for the food,'' he thought as he took his hands out of his robe pockets. Hiding them would be impossible anyways if he''s going to attend classes and eat here daily.


    "Why are your hands shaking and twitching like that?" And sure enough, someone asked him the expected question soon. He found that it was another girl. She was sorted right after him so he remembered her name. Tracy Davis.


    Axel shrugged. "It''s an injury. It''ll be healed soon," He said evasively. But Tracy''s words had attracted others'' attention.


    "What kind of injury was it?" Asked another boy in curiosity. Axel didn''t know his name but he was tall for his age with a thin frame.


    Draco Malfoy, who was sitting on the other side of the Pansy girl and had been hogging most of the limelight, was annoyed by this. Though he did find the idea of gaining attention by pretending to be injured somewhat appealing. He''ll try it in the future.


    He sneered, "Why are you getting fooled, Nott? He''s obviously lying. What kind of injury makes your hands like that?"


    Axel mentally sighed. How can he explain to these kids that when Cruciatus is cast on the body, as the region with most nerves on his body and the area which his magic didn''t seem necessary enough to protect, the nerves of his hands and fingertips were the most badly damaged?


    His shin, knee, and elbow being the other unimportant regions with a high number of nerves, were also constantly hurting. It was a miracle he was behaving normally right now and not crying and moaning like other people in his position would. And then someone has the audacity to say that he''s faking his injuries to get attention?


    Axel gave this blondy a deep look. This guy is now on the list.


    But for now, he just focused on eating. Anyone with half a brain can tell he''s not pretending. Only an idiot would think he''s pretending. And he does not view these idiots as significant enough to explain himself.


    Pansy Parkinson turned to the blondy, "Draco, why did you have to say that? He can''t be pretending, can he? Look how difficult it is to eat food."


    This made blondy idiot even more annoyed but Axel had already reached his quota of social interactions for today. He ignored everyone for the rest of the meal.


    The Pureblood first year were still talking.


    "So, are the rumors true? The famous Mafia Princess is studying here?"


    "Yeah, I heard she''s a genius,"


    "Is that her?"


    "Yeah, I think that''s her. No one has the same appearance."


    "The Mafia Prodigy. I heard she could already cast wandlessly when she was 5."


    "Rumor has it that the products the Valentino Family is selling were invented by her."


    "But why would she come to Hogwarts? I don''t think she needs classes."


    Hearing their conversation got even Axel curious. He followed their gazes to see who they were talking about. It was the same purple-haired girl he''d seen talking with Hermione and Daphne.


    From what he gathered from their conversation, her name is Martina Valentino and she''s from the most powerful magical family of Italy and also a genius.


    ''Oi system, why didn''t you choose her?'' Asked Axel curiously.


    [Axel, there''s no information on her in the Records of this world. Further information on her is locked.]


    ''... The heck?''


    Axel couldn''t understand the meaning of the system''s words.


    There were no records of the girl in this world? And further information was locked?


    ''What the hell does that mean?'' he asked.


    [It means that the system can''t give you any information on her at the moment. The system, like Akashic Records, is bound by the laws of the world. Thus, many things can not be given to you unless you have the required approval rate or unless one of us pays a penalty or completes a task of equivalent difficulty.]


    Axel nodded slowly,


    ''Is that why you can''t provide the information on ways to cure me?''


    [Affirmative.]


    Axel gave the purple-haired girl another look. Who the hell was she that this world doesn''t even have records on her and the information on her is locked?


    Well, whatever. Not his business. Delicious free food is the priority right now. Hmm¡­ can he take some back to his room?

 Chapter 11: The Slytherin Dorms

    After the feast, Dumbledore stood up once again.


    "Now that you have been fed and watered, I have a few start-of-term announcements to make.


    "The staff remains the same except for the Defense Against Dark Arts. It will be taken by Professor Dolores Umbridge, who''s shown remarkable mastery of the subject in her interview. Let us all welcome her."


    Axel saw that it was a woman in pink whose looks matched fairly well with a toad''s. The students seemed to have never heard of her, so they just gave her a polite applause, to which the woman gave a sickly sweet smile that made Axel cringe.


    "And¡ª"


    "Hem-hem..."


    Dumbledore was going to make further announcements, but he stopped since Dolores Umbridge had stood up for some reason after clearing her throat.


    "Pardon me, headmaster. But I''d like to say a few words to the children on this occasion," she said in a high-pitched voice that grated on Axel''s nerves.


    "Of course, of course... You''re most welcome, Professor Umbridge," said Dumbledore magnanimously.


    "Hello, my children. As the headmaster said, I''m going to be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher from this year. But, that is not my main aim of coming here," she said and paused for the dramatic effect.


    "I''m here, to teach you things that''ll change your life and can change the world. I want to find capable children who are willing to be enlightened. So, let us all get along, heeehe," she said and let out a high-pitched fake laugh in the end before sitting down. There was a lukewarm applause for her, since most students didn''t seem to share her passion.


    Though among the students, someone was much more reactive than everyone. It was Martina Valentino. She was looking at Umbridge with a frown, as if she was surprised and disgusted by her presence.


    After the applause, Dumbledore went on,


    "Thank you, Professor Umbridge, for your kind words. Now, I have an important announcement to make, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor is a prohibited area. Students are not allowed to enter, unless they want to die a painful death."


    That got Axel''s attention. He was now feeling somewhat curious about what was inside. The old man shouldn''t have left it like a cliffhanger.


    Dumbledore made a few more announcements before it was time for the feast to end.


    "And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" He said enthusiastically and Axel, who was rather tired and sleepy, suddenly jerked his head up.


    ''What-did-he-say??'' He thought, hoping it was not another song from the hat.


    But alas, it turned out to be something worse.


    "Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore. "And off we go!"


    And the school bellowed:


    "HOGWARTS, HOGWARTS, HOGGY WARTY HOGWARTS,


    TEACH US SOMETHING PLEASE,


    ¡­


    ¡­


    This thing made sorting hat''s loud and annoying sound tame in comparison. It seems he''ll have to keep a set of earplugs during his stay here.


    ''Damn it, a warning would have been helpful,'' he thought as he pulled his hands off his ears which he''d covered in annoyance.


    Now that the feast was finally over, the first year Slytherins followed their prefect into the dungeons where the Slytherin dorms were located.


    While the other firsties had no idea where they were going, Axel made sure to memorize all the paths carefully. They all stopped in front of a bare stretch of stone wall in the dungeons of Hogwarts Castle.


    "This is the Entrance to the Slytherin common room," said the Prefect. "You need a password to enter¡ª Preservation."


    When he said the word, the wall parted with a low rumbling to show the Slytherin Common Room.


    The common room was a dungeon-like room with greenish lamps and chairs. This dungeon extended part way under the lake, giving the light in the room a green tinge. The common room had lots of low-backed black and dark green button-tufted, leather sofas, skulls, and dark wood cupboards.


    The walls were decorated with tapestries that featured wizards wearing Slytherin robes. Even though it had quite a grand atmosphere, Axel felt quite out of place here.


    Currently, the huge common room was dimly lit with the many crystal balls levitating in mid-air. And it was filled with students.


    A tall blond-haired boy stepped out of the crowd. He had the head boy badge on his chest, indicating his position.


    Performing a noble courtesy, he addressed everyone,


    "Welcome and welcome back, everyone. To those who don''t know me, I am Alaric Malcolm, the head boy of Hogwarts," he said, his voice having a slight Russian accent.


    "Most of you already know, but just for the information, I''m a Pureblood from the Malcolm Family, an influential family with deep roots in Russia. We branched out to Britain seven years ago."


    He then swept his gazes over the first years.


    "Before everyone goes to their dorms, I need to make some things clear, especially with our new members," he said as he relaxed back into an armchair.


    "One," he said, raising his finger, "As everyone must have heard from many sources, anything that happens in Slytherin, stays in Slytherin. We will always present a strong and united front."


    "Second, Slytherin House has been winning the house cup for the past 7 years, and I intend to continue that. So, you all would do well to gain points, and if not then at least try not to lose them. Professor Snape will handle the rest," he said, adding the last part with a slight smirk.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Third, and the most important one," he said, sitting up straight. "As everyone is already aware, Britain has observed many changes in the past years," he said, taking out a mirror-like object that Andromeda also had used to emphasize the point.


    "While some changes are welcome¡­ some are not. The mudbloods, who now call themselves ''Newbloods,'' have now started thinking themselves equal to us Purebloods. They are demanding equal rights! The audacity!"


    Many sneered at that, agreeing wholeheartedly with Alaric. "No," he said, shaking his head.


    "The Malcolm family came to Britain thinking of it as a land of opportunities and old heritage. But it''s turning into a festering ground of mudbloods.


    "So, everyone should do well to not lose to mudbloods and... remind them of their place from time to time."


    Many people began voicing their agreement on the last one, some sporting cruel smiles like the bulky-looking crooked teeth dude standing behind Malcolm like a bodyguard.


    Axel on the other hand was worried about his blood status. What the hell is he supposed to do here? It seems like there''s no muggle-born in here.


    Malcolm raised his hand to silence everyone,


    "So, now that we''re done with the basics, let''s get an intro of our new members. The name, Blood Status, and your family background. Just like how I introduced myself in the beginning.


    "Make sure not to lie since whatever you say can be confirmed easily. And, it would be better if you didn''t hide your background since your background will decide your treatment and standing in the House."


    ''Noooo!''


    Hearing the words Axel felt a sinking feeling all of a sudden. He had planned to remain lowkey and not reveal his family background to anyone. Even Andromeda, Rose, and the others didn''t know that he grew up in the muggle world and was most probably a muggle-born.


    When Andromeda had asked him, he had just said that he didn''t want to call anyone he knew and that he didn''t have parents.


    They just thought that his parents were dead. But like Rose and Susan, he had been raised by a wizarding family. How else would he have the knowledge to come to the Saint Mungo''s by himself along with the other basic knowledge if he was raised by muggles?


    But¡­ what was he supposed to do now that everyone has to reveal their blood status and family background?


    He was a guy who didn''t even know his full name until an hour ago. And now he''s supposed to tell his family background and blood status?


    He sighed in exasperation.


    Actually, Axel''s plan wasn''t too bad. Usually, the first-year Slytherins don''t have to introduce themselves. But this year, the first year Slytherins have at least 5-6 prominent Pureblood Family Heirs that everyone knows about. And many other influential Pureblood Families from other countries or magical communities have also migrated to Britain or just sent their children to Hogwarts.


    Thus, Alaric Malcolm just wants to build connections with these kids so that they''ll be helpful to him in the future. Axel just happened to be unlucky enough to suffer from the collateral damage.


    "System, can I lie about my family? Will they find out?"


    [It''s not recommended, Axel. The mirror in his hand is a device with which he can access information about most of the Pureblood families.]


    Axel was surprised.


    ''Really? What the heck is that device? Everyone seems to have it," He asked curiously. Even Rose and the others each had one and they had spent most of the time of their train ride together playing something with it and he''d seen it being sold in many shops.


    [It''s called a Magi-Mirror. It is a device that has been complexly enchanted to perform a multitude of tasks. The wizards have made their own version of the Internet which they call the Magi-hive. Anyone can search the information you provide through the Magi-hive using that device. It''s a technology from Atlantis, the most advanced Magical Country.]


    Axel shook his head. He shouldn''t get side-tracked. Currently, the main question is¡ªwhat the fuck is he supposed to do right now?


    Upon being asked for an introduction, the arrogant blondy from earlier pompously strutted forward.


    "I am Draco Malfoy. I''m a pureblood with direct relation with the Black family. And the Malfoy family is a rich and influential Pureblood family," he announced proudly.


    While some were impressed, Axel only felt disdain at how these people were being all proud and arrogant at having something they never had to work for.


    After listening to the very unreasonable words the Malcolm guy said and observing the attitude of these people, a deep sense of disdain and contempt had developed in his mind.


    He doesn''t want to be a part of this house.


    While the others were introducing themselves, he quietly slipped out of the first years and mixed in among the other Slytherins. With the skills he''d picked up, this much was easy to him, even when he was a cripple.


    There were about 50 students that were sorted into Slytherin this year. No one paid attention when he didn''t introduce himself.


    After the introductions were over, and when the first years were being taken to their dorms, Axel joined the others, though he still made sure to keep his presence low.


    Unfortunately, someone did actually see him.


    "Hey, Axel! Where did you vanish during the introductions?" Came a girl''s annoying voice.


    Pausing in his steps, he ground his teeth to suppress the urge to punch whoever had asked that.


    It turned out to be the Pansy girl. And when she had asked that, several people also heard it.


    Unfortunately, that Malfoy boy had also heard it.


    "Yeah, you didn''t introduce yourself," he exclaimed. "Why did you not do it? Are you a half-blood? A Weasley? Don''t tell me you''re a mudblood?"


    Draco Malfoy didn''t really care whether he was Weasley or a mud-blood. He was just jealous that Axel''s appearance and temperament were much more attention-grabbing than his.


    Axel frowned. He''d not said a word to this guy up to now. But the guy was repeatedly attacking him for no apparent reason at all.


    Axel was habitually about to beat this guy up before he realized he was no longer in the muggle world. And even in the muggle world, the consequences he faced for such actions were severe, being kicked out of school and orphanage.


    So, he knows he can''t act. At least no yet.


    He looked at Malfoy in disdain. "If I had no background I wouldn''t have been involved with Rose Potter''s group."


    When Axel said this, many of the first years remembers his standing behind Rose when she confronted Draco at the gateway. Each person in the group of the girl-who-lived has a pureblood background. Longbottom, Bones, Abbot, Greengrass, and Potter Black. That''s a line-up that even the Pure-bloods here drool over.


    Of course, Axel couldn''t care less, but he had say it in order to get out of this situation.


    Axel didn''t pay attention to any of them as he moved on. This time, no one tried to stop him. Since it was Rose who brought Draco and Pansy''s aggro on him, it has to her who brings him out it.


    Axel walked into the dormitory area.


    In Slytherin, everyone had a room for themselves and when they were sorted, their luggage had been transported to their rooms by the House-elves.


    Axel walked along the doors and quickly found a door with his name written on it.


    He examined his room. It was a big room, mostly decorated in green and silver. There was a soft bed, a study table, a wardrobe, and some other miscellaneous furniture. He found his bag lying on the bed.


    It was the first time he was going to have a room of his own. He hadn''t slept on a bed for three years and the one at the orphanage was a bunk bed with springs sticking out of the mattress. Not a soft and comfortable one like this one.


    Too bad he was never going to be able to sleep on it.


    Yeah, when he was in the common room, he had already decided that he was not going to stay in this place. The people here were all bigoted idiots and every second he stays here, he''s going to be in more danger.


    He''s already made one enemy in just a few hours. And he''s not sure how many he''ll make if he stays any longer. Currently, he''s not in the right condition to fight¡­ in any way. Be it physically, magically, or in terms of background.


    It''s just fortunate that he at least has his wits about him. Otherwise, he''d have just decided to stay here and then humiliatingly gotten kicked out one day after being bullied one-sidedly.


    Why not leave on his own terms instead of leaving after suffering the inevitable suffering that was waiting for him here?


    The only regret was¡­


    "I thought I''d at least get to sleep in the bed for one day before I left," he lamented while looking at the very inviting bed.


    But with the blondy''s and Pantsy''s help, there''s no guarantee that someone among these arrogant people won''t come to disturb him at night. Due to magic, locks are useless.


    If anyone comes, he''s not confident he can defend himself without killing or maiming anyone. And that''ll just bring more trouble and enemies.


    He is not going to let anyone bully him.


    Thus, after an hour of wait, giving a last glance at the room, he left the Slytherin dorms for good with his backpack sling over his shoulders.

 Chapter 12: The Encounter

    Martina Valentino, the beautiful girl with purple hair and violet soul-stealing eyes, walked through the halls of Hogwarts under a disillusionment charm.


    In her previous life, she was a genius, but also, a shut-in geek with no social life to speak of. At the time when the worst pandemic struck her world in 2030, it made the previous one look quite tame in comparison. Scientists were unable to find any cure.


    Through some luck and a lot of hard work, she was somehow able to make a vaccine that could save millions of lives.


    But, the capitalists of her country prohibited her from revealing the formula to anyone. Money and power were somehow the priority for them. With hundreds of thousands of people dying all over the world, she had argued with them to prioritize the lives of the people first.


    It was too late when she realized she shouldn''t have done that. She found out that she was going to be silenced. She was already under strict monitoring, to begin with. There was no escape. They had made these plans from the moment she had revealed her research to them.


    The last thing she did was leak the formula all over the internet. She couldn''t even confirm whether she succeeded or not before she died.


    The next thing she knew, she met a god who said her actions had saved millions and she was given a wish.


    Of course, she chose reincarnation in the Harry Potter world.


    The god had said some warnings like the world would be different and dangerous or to choose another wish etc. But she hadn''t paid any attention to that. She had just wanted to do magic and experience Hogwarts life.


    Only after being reincarnated did she realize what God had meant by "different". This world was different for sure.


    So different that there was no Harry Potter in this world.


    No, seriously: WTF?!


    After overcoming her surprise, she realized that her starting conditions were excellent and she even had a few ''cheats'' or ''golden fingers'' characteristic to reincarnators.


    Thus, she decided to live her life to the fullest with magic. She was reborn in a very wealthy and loving family which mattered a lot to someone like her who was an orphan previously.


    After rebirth, she finally got a chance to enjoy her childhood and also got to experiment with magic. She made a few things for her family business too so that they stop focusing so much on their more... violent businesses.


    Her school was, of course, going to be Hogwarts. Where else would she choose? She wanted to meet all the characters.


    Her favorite character was Hermione since she could relate to her a lot. And she was heavily disappointed when the brilliant girl ended up with Ron in the seventh part.


    Today, in her third year at Hogwarts, she finally did meet Hermione, along with many other characters, but as expected, many things are different. Like, what the Hell is that Umbitch doing here?! And Dumbledore said she was actually competent?! Did that bitch learn magic in this world or Does she have a Voldemort sticking to her body?


    ''For heaven''s sake, where is Voldemort''s wraith in the first place?! Quirell is still teaching muggle studies with no turban and a head full of healthy hair!'' She thought in exasperation.


    Currently, she was once again walking through the corridors of Hogwarts after curfew, doing her routine exploring.


    She was in half the mood to go to the third-floor corridor since clearing an obstacle course sounded quite fun. It was built for children anyways. She also wanted to pet Fluffy, if he was still the first obstacle in this world.


    While walking under her invisibility, she almost got a jump scare when someone suddenly walked by her.


    ''What in the¡ª?''


    She quickly turned around to investigate. She could barely make out the silhouette of a boy walking through the shadows. He had a hood on, covering his hair, and his face was covered too.


    He was just walking with a slight limp in each step and without any hiding spell cast on him and yet, she found herself losing sight of him from time to time.


    "???"


    Martina couldn''t understand whether her eyes were playing tricks on her or the boy had some kind of magic cast on himself.


    She turned around and decided to follow him since she had nothing to do anyway. She currently had one invisibility and one Silencing Charm on her so she just casually walked while following him to see what this first year was up to.


    Just as they reached the corner, she saw him suddenly disappear.


    "??!!"


    In the next moment, she heard sounds of footsteps as a Hufflepuff prefect soon emerged from the corner.


    When the prefect had walked far away, she saw something beside the Suit of Armor move and his silhouette once again became visible, Martina also saw his amber-colored eyes which seemed to glow in the dark.Stolen novel; please report.


    ''He was using his cloak as a camouflage!'' She realized. And it was so well executed that he disappeared right before her eyes!


    ''Hey! Wasn''t that a ninja technique?!'' She murmured to herself.


    Are all eleven years old like this these days? As she followed him, she saw him suddenly pause for a moment, making her wonder if someone was coming again. But then, he broke into a run!


    ''What the hell?!'' She thought as she quickly gave chase.


    It looked like he was struggling quite a lot as there was a limp in each of his steps, but he didn''t stop and took a turn to another corridor, disappearing from her sight.


    Half running, she followed him in a hurry and turned took the turn¡ª


    "Aaah!"


    And tripped when something suddenly got caught in her legs.


    By the time she got up, he was gone.


    ****


    Axel breathed a sigh of relief as he finally got rid of his follower. He wasn''t actually sure if anyone was following him, but since the system said, he had believed it and got rid of them as soon as he got the chance.


    He didn''t do anything more since that''d get him into trouble and he also didn''t know who the other party was. It could''ve been just an innocent student under an invisibility cloak.


    [That was brilliant, Axel. You get 1% approval for that. Total=8%]


    Axel frowned,


    ''Was it someone dangerous?''


    [That is unclear at the moment. Unlike AR, the System''s knowledge is limited to people of this world. It doesn''t have permission to access that person''s information. That person is under the jurisdiction of another entity.]


    Axel realized who his follower was after connecting the dots. There was only one student who had such a description.


    ''It was that purple-haired girl, right? So, she''s under the jurisdiction of another entity, right? Hm¡­ so that''s why you didn''t choose her.''


    [Affirmative. The Akashic Records cannot taken her presence into consideration in any of the future events. She''s a variable that can either be an ally or another enemy to be eliminated, hence the warning]


    Axel nodded, but then paused since he had another doubt.


    ''Wait, but didn''t you say that the Akashic Records is an entity that has the records of the past, present, and future of the worlds? Then why does it not already know how things will turn out?'' He asked in confusion.


    [That is only the case for normal circumstances. Sometimes, variables emerge who can go against fate. At that time, one change leads to thousands of changes, completely changing everyone''s destiny. The future is now unclear.]


    ''Alright, I got it. Akashic Records is just playing a gamble,'' thought Axel as he walked along the winding corridors of Hogwarts. He continued doing what he was doing earlier, finding a place to stay. He obviously couldn''t sleep in the Slytherin Dorms.


    While walking alone along the dark corridors, it suddenly occurred to him that nothing seemed to have changed yet. He was still as homeless as he was 3 years ago when he was kicked out of the orphanage.


    ''At least I left by choice this time,'' was his only consolation to keep his fragile pride and dignity intact.


    ***


    The next day, Axel woke up in an abandoned class that was in a desolate section of Hogwarts.


    He was tired last night so he decided to postpone trying to find an ideal location. Thus, he just cleared a place in this abandoned classroom, locked the door, set some bells on it, and crashed here after taking out his sleeping bag from his backpack.


    The backpack he had was, of course, enchanted with a space extension charm and a permanent feather-light charm. He had bought it in the Diagon Alley since he couldn''t just keep using Cyrus''s pouch, the murder evidence, could he?


    While buying this, he enthusiastic muggle-born shopkeeper had explained to him that a decade ago, most people used to use heavy metal trunks with an almost negligent feather-light charm on them, explaining just how backward the Wizarding World used to be before Bellatrix.


    But after the economic evolution, half-bloods and muggleborns were able to buy or rent land in the Diagon Alley. And trunks with new designs, better enchantments, and cheap costs were allowed to be sold without having their shops stormed or banned under some silly law.


    Now thing about this, didn''t the system say that Bellatrix had changed her fate? Meaning she was one of the variables in this world. And sure enough, she had managed to change so much in just a decade through butterfly effects.


    And Axel was quite grateful for that. Otherwise, he''d have been lugging a heavy trunk instead of this light and handy backpack with his aching body. He can even take this to his classes.


    It was a bit expensive, but as far as he could see, it was money (that was not his) well spent.


    Walking out of the classroom, he went to a boys'' bathroom, took a shower, and then went to the great hall for breakfast. It was already quite late and all the tables were filled with students. Axel sat at the furthest corner of the Slytherin table, where no one was sitting.


    While he was eating, a prefect came and placed a piece of paper in front of him. He had several sets of papers in his hands.


    "It''s the first-year timetable," he said before leaving.


    Axel picked up the piece of paper and looked through it. Along with his timetable, it also contained a basic description of other subjects taught at Hogwarts.


    "Transfiguration, Charms, Flying, DADA, Herbology, History of Magic, Astronomy."


    These were the compulsory subjects. Additionally, there were a lot of other subjects you could take as well. They could be taken as an elective by him, while some had an age restriction due to their advanced level.


    "Dueling, Alchemy, Enchanting, Ancient Runes, MagiZoology, Arithmancy, Music, Politics, MagicalScience, Healing, etc."


    Axel sighed as he looked at the list of optional subjects which seemed to go on forever. Enchanting, Healing, and Alchemy, which all seemed interesting, weren''t available to him this year. Thankfully, dueling was a subject available for all years.


    ''Hey system, how come there are so many subjects here?'' He asked in surprise.


    [A decade ago, there used to be fewer subjects. It has undergone a lot of changes after that.]


    ''Really? Can you explain in more detail?'' Asked Axel curiously.


    [Due to the wars and inbreeding, there weren''t enough students to attend other subjects and the school couldn''t afford more teachers as well. Thus, many subjects were removed.


    However, now that the student population of Hogwarts has surged exponentially due to many magical families of all blood statuses migrating or sending their children out of their country to study here, and the funding from the ministry has increased. Hogwarts is slowly returning to its former glory and even surpassing it in some areas.]


    ''...Well, I''ll be damned, this has changed as well.'' thought Axel as a certain crazy woman popped into his head. No matter how much he hated her, he had to admit that she was one hell of a minister. She''s changed everything in just one decade.


    That kinda makes it worse. He wouldn''t have been bothered at all if an incompetent and dumb person thought so low of him. But it makes his motivation burn brighter. He didn''t want to kill her or anything, but he wanted her to thorough regret saying those words to him for the rest of her life.


    ''Just you wait, you bitch.''

 Chapter 13: She is Faint of Heart

    Bellatrix Black was lying in an empty room in a miserable state. Her usually beautiful and picture perfect face looked pale and haggard. Her clothes were disheveled, which was never before seen in always prim, proper and beautiful Minister of Magic.


    She numbly looked at the report that had been sent to her Magi-Mirror. It was just the names and houses of all the students sorted this year.


    Axel Hunt: Slytherin


    He''s in Slytherin, with no family background, with a crippled body, and unable to do magic.


    If even she was this harsh to him for no reason at all. Understandably, he''ll be suffering a lot during his stay there.


    *CRACK*


    The device fell from her hand, causing its screen to crack, but she didn''t pay it any mind.


    Hunt. Axel Hunt. Tristan Hunt. Could she deny the truth any longer? The pendant, the uncanny resemblance, and now the same surname.


    3 life debts.


    That, plus being able to escape her fate of being a trophy wife of a death eater, and learning so many things that today that she''s able to be the most powerful woman in Britain and probably the most powerful woman in the world. That''s exactly how much she owed him.


    That was all 15 years ago. After helping her through her situation, he had to leave since there were people chasing after him.


    Left alone and not wanting to go to Britain where her parents had sold her to death eaters, Bellatrix toured the whole world for years after that. With her changed perspective thanks to that man, everything felt different to her. She was able to see the world without prejudice.


    When she finally returned to Britain after years, she found out that everything had changed.


    Andi, who was banished from the family after running away from home and marrying a muggle-born, was having a tough time raising her daughter and paying for her deranged husband''s treatment.


    Meanwhile, Siri was in jail, accused of being a mass murderer and a supporter of Voldemort. And every other Black was dead. Except for Cissy who''d not bother to care for anyone. She disappointed her the most.


    Bellatrix, who had changed by then due to the man who used to say ''family comes first,'' decided to fight for her remaining family. She became Lady Black, reinstated Andromeda as a Black Family member, and invited her to live with her once again.


    After that, she became the Minister of Magic and got Sirius a trial. With her life settled, she got to the reason behind her running for the Minister of magic.


    To find Tristan Hunt and also help him out. The people who were after him were quite the mysterious bunch.


    Tristan used to be a part of them at one point until one day, he realized their true goals and ran away with something.


    After searching for him with all the resources, imagine her surprise when she found out that Tristan was already dead! That had felt like the end of the world for her.


    At that time, she spent a lot of time in bereavement. And at this time, her family supported her a lot. She grieved until one day, she realized that even if he was dead, there were things she could do for him.


    His idealistic views, his wishes, and his brilliance could still be retained in this world through her. And most importantly, she could still take revenge on the people who were after him.


    After that day, almost a decade has passed and she settled her actions during this time according to a priority list.


    Tristan >>>>>>>>Family > Making the country powerful enough to find out about Tristan''s mysterious enemies and destroy them > Making the world a better place since Tristan wanted it so.


    If anyone messes with this priority, she''ll not hesitate to destroy that person.


    Now, Axel had something that her family wanted. That''s second on her list. Thus, she dealt with the situation without caring about hurting the feelings of an insignificant nobody.


    That was until she saw the pendant! It looked exactly the same as Tristan! From that point on, until now, she had been in denial. She kept thinking that he must be someone else.


    Cause if he wasn''t, the meaning of her actions was too horrible to think about.


    The words she had said to him kept ringing in her mind. Such horrible words¡­ They shouldn''t be said to another human being, let alone to the son of the person to whom she owed her everything, and more.


    But she can''t deny it anymore. She has to accept that he is indeed the son of Tristan Hunt.


    That Tristan, who used to say family comes first and tell her that she should love hers.


    His son has had to live on the streets, unloved and struggling for food.


    That Tristan, who was an honest and honorable man. Someone who even managed to change the evil her into someone a little better.


    His son has had to learn stealing from people.


    That Tristan, who couldn''t even watch a stranger suffering.


    His son has had multiple injuries growing up, got tortured by the unforgivable Cruciatus curse, and is now crippled for life.


    That Tristan, who helped her so much for her without asking for anything in return. Who always made sure not to be too harsh even while scolding her.


    She said such harsh words to his child that they shouldn''t even be said to enemies.


    While the poor boy had always struggled hard for wealth, she had called him poor. While he had tried to be someone powerful, she had called him an insignificant nobody. While the boy trusted someone for the first time, she had broken that trust in pieces. While the boy had happiness and hope in his life for the first time, she had thoroughly crushed them without mercy.


    She picked up her wand.


    With all the things accepted, there was only one thing in her mind right now. And that is:


    A bitch like her deserves to be punished.


    ****


    -AXEL-


    At the breakfast table, Axel folded his timetable and pocketed it. He had Transfiguration the first thing today. While he was eating, the Owl posts had arrived, dropping a few newspapers and a few letters. Most only had parcels.


    After Magi-Mirror technology was introduced into Britain, most people who can afford it would read the news and communicate with people through it.


    Though, there was no parcel system developed in Britain yet. So people were still dependent on owls for that one. Or rather, the Ministery didn''t allow that technology into Britain yet, or the hundreds of thousands of owls hatched and trained through a lot of resources would suddenly be useless. Some developed magical countries had better alternatives.


    At this moment, a huge pitch-black owl carrying a parcel swooped into the Great Hall, attracting a lot of attention. Most of the people recognized the owl in an instant.


    This breed of owls was only used by the Black family. And since it was from the Black family, they assumed it was for Rose, who has been adopted by the Blacks. But to everyone''s surprise, the owl landed in front of Axel.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Axel looked at the owl in front of him with a frown. After coming out of the Leaky Cauldron, he had canceled the custom order of his clothes from Madam Malkin''s. So he shouldn''t be getting any parcels right now.


    He checked the details written on it and found that it was indeed addressed to his name. Is there any other Axel hunt here?


    ''The sender¡­ Andromeda Tonk?''


    Axel''s good mood instantly soured. Why can''t this woman just leave him alone?


    Opening it, he found a letter and an expensive-looking wallet inside.


    "Dear Axel,


    I did the rest of the shopping for you. I would have sent it earlier with Rose but your custom clothes weren''t ready at that time. Did you cancel it? They had later called me to confirm and I denied it.


    Also, congratulations on your sorting to Slytherin! Though I am not really sure about your family background. You never told me. And why was Hogwarts staff coming to help you with your shopping? Is there really no one to take care of you?


    Anyways, I saw the memory. I never knew Cyrus Greengrass was such a sick and deranged person! You have the strongest will I have ever seen in my ten years as a mind healer. I am glad the man is dead.


    I was so furious when I found out that my sister has got your memories! I don''t know exactly how my sister got them, but I''d like to ask for your forgiveness for whatever she did. Bella has never been a polite person, nor a patient one.


    She did say you gave it voluntarily, but then I don''t know why you left. Can you tell me exactly what happened? Bella hasn''t come home ever since. A lot of problems are cropping up after her sudden and unexplained disappearance. She isn''t replying to any of the calls. The Aurors are going to start investigating very soon.


    Anxiously waiting for your reply!


    Andromeda"


    ****


    Axel crumpled the piece of parchment in anger. These people just wouldn''t let him off! If that bitch Minister wasn''t found soon, the Aurors would start investigating! And as the last person who was alone with her, he''d likely be the first person to be suspected.


    Even if they consider the fact he was just a crippled child, they''d at least question him, and probably take his memories as well.


    He doesn''t know how it works in the Magical world, but does know that police do know how to make people talk. And those methods are not pleasant. He''s had first-hand treatment. Those people were merciless even to a child.


    Axel opened the Black leather wallet to realize that it was a lot bigger from the inside. Bigger than the space in his backpack.


    It had all the equipment, books, and other things on the shopping list and more. Axel didn''t even give them a second glance before closing the wallet and putting it in his backpack.


    The way he saw it, these things were just a hoax. The main reason was that she was just worried about her dear sister. As Bellatrix had said, this much was just chump change to their coffers.


    When he looked up, he was surprised to see most of the students looking at him for some reason. Even some professors.


    ''Well, I''m fucked, aren''t I?'' He realized. The last thing he wanted was attention. Attention would lead to curiosity and curiosity would lead to people investigating his background and history.


    If this was still not enough attention, the girl who lived herself came to stand behind him along with Neville. She could recognize that owl from a mile away. Its name was Ater.


    "What was it?" She asked Axel as the owl flew over to settle on her shoulder.


    "Why are you here?" Axel asked her instead.


    She showed her timetable.


    "We have Transfiguration together. I was wondering if you''d like to come along."


    He was about to deny it but when he looked at the curious students, he sighed. They had heard her invitation already. He couldn''t deny it. This wasn''t a question since he wasn''t given a choice.


    "Lead the way," he said, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.


    "So¡­" began Rose as they exited the Great Hall. "You still haven''t answered what Ater came to deliver."


    Axel shrugged, "Just some shopping items. Your Aunt Andromeda was asking if I knew where your Aunt Bella was."


    "So? Do you know anything?" Asked Rose, almost too quickly.


    Axel sighed inwardly. He already knew that she already knew. She''s not too good at acting.


    Axel looked at her like she was an idiot.


    "I don''t know,"


    Rose looked at him dubiously.


    "Really? Are you sure? She didn''t look fine after she came back."


    Axel stopped walking for a second. He could see a noticeable change in her attitude from yesterday. Until Sorting, her tone was friendly and gentle. But right after he was sorted into Slytherin, she has been looking at him differently. And her tone has also changed noticeably.


    He never expected anything more from her, to begin with. He returned the favor in kind.


    "Miss Potter, is there any way for me affect her to the point of making her disappear. Need I remind you I''m eleven?" He asked coldly before leaving the two behind.


    Neville snorted,


    "See? He''s already showing his Slytherin colors, isn''t he? I told you yesterday. Most Slytherins are evil. Gran and Dad and Uncle Sirius also say the same thing."


    Rose shook her head with a guilty look,


    "But he did have a point. Why did I even bother asking?" She was just worried for her aunt. The private forces were already moving, trying to locate her.


    After all the previous attacks on the Minister in the past decade, they were also not wrong for worrying.


    ¡­


    Axel didn''t go to the classroom first. Instead, he asked a student for directions to the owlery.


    There was a problem he needed to fix before doing anything else. Otherwise, he''ll have Aurors coming to Hogwarts for questioning very soon.


    He had thought he''d settle it after classes, but after Rose had confronted him, he realized that it is better to do it as soon as possible.


    He went into an empty broom closet and took out his wand.


    When he touched the wand, It gave a hum of vibration along with a spark.


    "Well, someone looks eager," he muttered. He was also eager to learn magic, but he had to do this first.


    Closing his eyes, and touching the tip to his head, he brought a silvery thread out of his head and stored it in a plastic water bottle.


    The method to do this was included in the beginner Occlumency package and he was able to do it since it did not need magical skills but mind skills.


    "Damn, that actually worked," he muttered in slight disbelief. He was used to failing at magic by now.


    [Host, you are quite talented, actually. Have some patience. You''ll excel eventually.]


    ''Like I don''t know that,'' he thought while getting out. He was just worried that with his luck, he''ll be dead long before that happens.


    The shining silvery thread was the memory of his entire meeting with Bellatrix. Though it excluded the part of what exactly she saw in his memories. He excluded it since this could now be shown to the authorities in case Bellatrix really went missing and they wouldn''t know that he had an encounter with Cyrus Greengrass, a man who had been recently murdered.


    And, this memory would most likely also stop Andromeda from continuing her fake act of caring after knowing that her sister had already exposed her.


    He would have liked to add a note as well, but as expected, he can''t write anything comprehensible with his fingers so unsteady. He could only tear a slip containing Andromeda''s signature and stick it to the bottle.


    When he finally stepped into the Owlery while panting due to exertion, he stopped dead in his tracks.


    ?!


    There was a girl standing in front of the open space of the Owlery, looking at the scenery while gently stroking the plumage of an owl that was resting on her shoulder.


    He wouldn''t have bothered if it was any other girl, but it was the same girl who was following him last night.


    ....


    Martina didn''t feel like attending the class right now, so she just skipped it. She had long realized that she can do a lot of things that others won''t be allowed to do. That included skipping classes as well.


    Though some teachers do tend to have her learn something challenging while they teach the other students. Sadly, potions wasn''t one of them.


    So she came to meet Rowlet, her dear owl. She had named her after the cute Pokemon Rowlet since the two looked quite similar.


    At this moment, Rowlet suddenly turned her head 180¡ã to look behind them. Turning around as well, she saw that it was a boy who was looking at her with surprise.


    Just as she was about to ignore him, she saw that his eyes looked familiar. As the boy turned around to find an owl, his figure overlapped with the person who had tripped her last night. Any other person wouldn''t have made the connection but she was a genius with monstrous intellect.


    ''So, it was this little guy here who did that, huh?'' She thought with a frown as she recalled how disgraceful it was when she fell flat on the floor while running. Even her skirt had ridden up, showing the forbidden scenery! It was fortunate she was invisible at that moment, or she''d have straight up used her powers then and there.


    "Hey, you!" She called out to him, making him stop.


    Axel cursed under his breath when she called out to him.


    ''System, should I make a run for it?''


    [Calm down, Axel. There''s a 0.02% chance of you being able to run. System would recommend talking things out peacefully. The magical fluctuations coming from her are insanely high.]


    ''Damn. Talk about being unlucky,'' thought Axel as he slowly turned around to face her.


    He didn''t know what he was expecting, but he certainly didn''t expect her to just keep staring at him.


    [Host, she''s currently reading your mind.]


    Axel jumped in surprise.


    ''What?! But I didn''t even keep the eye-contact for more than a second! And how come I didn''t feel a thing.''


    [She''s at a surprisingly high level of Legilimency. She doesn''t need eye contact and you can''t detect it at your level.]


    Axel panicked,


    ''So what do I do now?!''


    [Don''t worry. It seems like she wouldn''t last long.]


    And sure enough, Axel saw her suddenly jerk back with a gasp.


    ''System, What happened? Did you block her?''


    [No, blocking her would have led to more trouble as you are not supposed to be able to block her. System simply concealed all the information about itself along with other sensitive information and threw out some of your bad memories to test her out. She didn''t last long. It seems that she is faint of heart.]


    *Gasp*


    Martina gasped as she retracted her Legilimancy probe. She just couldn''t watch it anymore!


    Like most reincarnators she had no qualms about casually entering people''s minds. She had just wanted to check what kind of person he was and how he knew someone was following him yesterday... and if he had gotten lucky and caught a glimpse by chance, but who would have thought that things will backfire on her again and she''ll be traumatized just by watching an eleven year old''s memories!


    How can someone live properly after experiencing all that?! Scratch that, how can someone be alive after suffering through all those beatings?!


    At this moment, she heard him call her, bringing her out of her state of shock. "Excuse me, did you have any business with me?... No?"


    He didn''t wait for her reply and just went along on to find an owl to put the small transparent bottle in his hand into the owl''s pouch. As soon as he was done, Axel made a beeline for the exit before the stunned girl could do anything.

 Chapter 14: An Angel?

    Axel walked into a large classroom that had at least 100 students at the moment. He had barely made it in time.


    There was a Black tabby cat on the table, staring at all the students with its yellow eyes.


    Axel went straight to the last table to sit and took out his transfiguration textbook along with his wand.


    "Woah!"


    "Blimey!"


    "Professor?!"


    The tabby cat turned out to be Professor Mcgonagall which kinda impressed Axel. He wondered what animal he''ll turn into, his excitement, however quickly died down. He''d been called a street rat too many times. He''s terrified that it''ll turn into reality.


    Mcgonagall ignored the surprised reaction of the students as she began the classes.


    "Welcome to your very first class of Transfiguration."


    "Transfiguration is a very systematic, exact magical discipline, working best for the scientifically-inclined mind, and as such, it is deemed very hard work. Especially compared to Charms, which affords a much larger margin for personal creativity. Also when transfiguring, it is important to make firm and decisive wand movements. Do not wiggle or twirl your wand unnecessarily, or the Transfiguration will certainly be unsuccessful."


    Axel instantly started to dislike the subject just by the description. But then, Mcgonagall, as if knowing what the students were thinking, pointed her wand at the desk which instantly turned into a pig.


    "Though, with experience and practice, you can do things with transfiguration that can help in infinite ways," she said, turning the desk into a few more things before turning it back into a chair.


    The students grew excited upon seeing the magic so she gave out a warning.


    "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."


    Mcgonagall had the students write a lot of complicated notes, none of which Axel could write with his crippled hand.


    There were a number of factors a wizard had to take into account when carrying out Transfiguration spells. The intended transformation (t) was directly influenced by body weight (a), viciousness (v), wand power (w), concentration (c), and a fifth unknown variable (Z),


    Only after she was done explaining did she allow the students to turn their matchsticks into needles.


    Axel frowned.


    ''System, was Mcgonagall also considering these theories and this complicated formula during her transfiguration?''


    That was instant magic, with no precise wand waving, chanting, or calculation.


    [No, Axel. After a large amount of practice, you can gain enough control over your magic that it simply listens to your will and executes it. Most of these formulae and theories will be useless by then.]


    Axel frowned as he tried the spell following everything instructed by McGonagall. With his trembling hand, he couldn''t even performthe wand movement correctly.


    Not a single change happened to the matchstick.


    When he looked at Rose''s table, he saw that she had already changed hers into a silver pointed needle. Though he saw that most of the students were in a similar situation as him. Only those who had practiced with a wand before were able to do it.


    Axel shook his head.


    ''Nope, this won''t do,'' he thought. Just like in charms, wand movements are a no go for him.


    "Professor?" he called out, raising his hand.


    Mcgonagall, who was praising Rose, turned towards him.


    "Yes, Mr. Hunt?"


    Oh, so she did remember his name. Her Occlumency must be impressive. There were so many students.


    "Can I get more matchsticks?"


    "Yes, how many do you want?"


    "Ah¡­ about a hundred will do, ma''am,"


    "..?.."


    That got a few raised eyebrows, a few turned heads, and some snickers.


    Mcgonagall frowned, but she did humor the boy.


    "You are only allowed to use one at a time." She said, before sending out a box of matches to his desk.


    She remembers his name because the Master Healer Andromeda Black had personally sent a letter to her, requesting her to take care of Axel since he had recently suffered debilitating injuries which have rendered him unable to use magic and write his homework. McGonagall has also passed on the message to other teachers.


    Thus, just now when he made the weird request, she just let the boy have the matches if that''s what he wanted before turning her attention back to the other students.


    Axel, not knowing all this, thanked her before getting to work. This time, he skipped all the complicated stuff and straight up ordered the matchstick to turn into a needle while chanting the spell, putting in all the magic he could muster.


    There was no change, but Axel could still feel the magic going into his wand.


    One second... two seconds...


    After a few seconds passed, Axel shielded his face.


    *Puff*


    And he was right in doing so. The matchstick broke into pieces due to excessive magic. But he noticed that there were traces of silver in the splinters.


    Wand movements are there for directing and controlling the flow of your magic. Without them and with no practice, the magic is splashing colors on a canvas instead of painting with a brush.


    ''Alright, less output,'' thought Axel as he ignored the intense pain that was caused by using magic.


    This time, the match didn''t break into pieces right away, but the shape got disfigured and it still broke in the end.


    With every attempt, he''ll take observations and make changes to his magic. He was not blindly wasting matchsticks. He was getting better results with each broken stick.


    After about 20 tries, Axel was in a much worse condition. And his head was throbbing. But! He also had a somewhat passable silver needle in his hands. Meanwhile, the others who had never tried it were still struggling to make any changes using Mcgonagall''s complicated method.


    [Very good, Axel. Transfiguration is supposed to be very difficult compared to charms. You managed to bring results using a practical approach that complements your extreme mental talent.


    +1% approval. Total: 9%. A new system feature will be unlocked when you reach 10%]Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Axel didn''t pay much attention to the system. He''d be happy to accept whatever help comes from the system but he doesn''t want to be too dependent on it. The new feature might be good, but isn''t it useless right now?


    He decided to perfect this spell. He could feel his control over the magic getting stronger. He should practice on these matchsticks as much as possible since he''d not have many test subjects while practicing with a live animal or a larger item.


    When it was approaching time to end the classes, McGonagall glanced at the boy on the last bench once again.


    She was surprised to see a bunch of silver Needles lying on his desk, along with a number of splinters. He was clutching a handkerchief to his nose with one hand while practicing the spell with the other.


    She frowned. Something was not right. When she walked closer and observed closely, her shock intensified by several folds.


    The first thing she noticed was, that his condition wasn''t good at all! Bloodshot eyes, with traces of blood on the handkerchief, and veins on his trembling hands and forehead were popping out.


    The second thing that surprised her was, that the boy wasn''t making any wand movements while performing the spell. He was only chanting the incantation. And the matchstick was slowly turning into a silver needle!


    "Mr. Hunt, stop it this instant!" She ordered.


    Axel stopped for a moment to look up.


    "Yes Professor?" He asked in confusion.


    McGonagall''s lips formed a hard line as she sternly looked at him.


    "I was under the impression that you are suffering from debilitating injuries and are unable to perform magic until treated?"


    Axel frowned.


    ''What the heck? How did she know?!''


    He shook his head.


    "I don''t remember mentioning this to anyone, Professor. I am injured, yes. But I can still learn magic. It''s just a bit harder for me," he answered, trying to downplay it.


    "...A bit harder?" Repeated Mconagall, giving him a once over. She pulled off his handkerchief which was covered in blood from the other side.


    "Clearly, it''s more than a ''bit harder'' for you, Mr. Hunt. No more magic for the rest of the class."


    Axel considered explaining to this woman that he was in fact fine. But decided against it. He knew her kind. She''ll ignore him like a girl ignoring her ex.


    Putting on a reluctant expression, he agreed. "Yes, Professor. I won''t..."


    ''¡ªlet you catch me,'' he added in his mind in a deadpan. Like hell anyone can stop him from learning magic. With his skills, it''s just a minor inconvenience.


    But he''ll have to get formal proof from the healer here stating that there was no harm.


    Seeing the obedient boy, McGonagall''s eyes softened.


    "That being said. You put in a tremendous amount of effort and managed to learn the spell while a certified master Healer said it will be impossible for you to cast magic. 10 point to Slytherin," she said, and Axel could have sworn he saw reluctance in her expression.


    Anyone a few years older would have been shocked silly witnessing this event. McGonagall, awarding 10 points straight to a Slytherin?


    Now that''s something you don''t get to see often.


    Axel nodded and thanked her. But in actuality, he couldn''t care less about some silly house points. Especially for Slytherin. He''d rather Slytherin come last in the House Cup.


    On the other hand, Draco Malfoy, who was still unsuccessful in turning his matchstick into a needle gritted his teeth while glaring at Axel.


    Axel spent the rest of the class practicing as well. Of course, McGonagall didn''t catch any abnormalities this time.


    Flitwick''s class turned out to be much better since he could practice freely there after taking a back seat while hiding from the diminutive professor. Susan had invited him to sit with her but he had refused since she was sitting in the front. Plus, Hannah didn''t seem too eager to sit him.


    Defense Against the Dark Arts though¡­


    Axel had arrived early and claimed his back seat. What he didn''t expect was someone to actually come and sit beside him.


    ???


    Axel looked at Daphne in surprise. He had noticed that most of the students from other houses would avoid a Slytherin. Even Rose and Susan''s treatment of him had subtly changed. So, he wasn''t expecting her of all people to come and sit beside him.


    "Don''t look so surprised. I was planning on getting some sleep so I came here. My friends refused to sit in the back seat so they are in the front," she said, pointing at a few Ravenclaw girls.


    The meaning of her words was clear: I''m not a loner like you.


    "I need you to inform me if that woman comes here or looks our way."


    Axel raised his eyebrows.


    "You''re not going to try learning?"


    Daphne shook her head.


    "I have already covered the first-year syllabus. My dear father made sure of that," she said, injecting the word father with a lot of venom.


    The corner of Axel''s mouth tugged upward. "Your father must have been a great Asshole," he said with a smirk. After all, he had first-hand experience. It felt good to curse someone''s father right to their face without worrying about the consequences.


    Daphne''s mouth opened in surprise upon hearing the crass word, but she realized that it was indeed an apt description of that man. She nodded.


    "Yes¡­ he indeed¡­ an... a-asshole," she said, saying the word for the first time. It felt¡­ liberating. That man had forbidden her from doing anything unladylike.


    Axel smiled for real this time. She sounded so innocent saying the word for the first time. It was like he was corrupting an innocent little child.


    "You seem be using that word for the first time. Did you father also not allow this?" He probed. If possible, he wanted to know about Cyrus. Maybe it was for closure. After all, he can''t remain indifferent after the series of events.


    "Of course not," Daphne shook her head, feeling a bit embarrassed at being seen through. She felt the need to


    Daphne continued, the subject of her father''s death being a really refreshing subject.


    "You d


    "When I realized that he was dead, I smiled a real smile for the first time in a long time! Same with mum. Really, the person who killed him must be an angel..."


    ''Hm?....Hahahahaha!''


    Axel almost laughed out loud.


    "Yeah¡­ I am sure. He must have been chosen by the god," he said, nodding in amusement.


    While it was Daphne''s first time using a bad word, it was Axel''s first time having an enjoyable conversation with someone.


    But, as interesting as their conversation was, it had to be cut short since a toad-like woman in pink had made her way behind the front desk.


    "Well, good afternoon!" she said when finally the whole class had settled down.


    A few people mumbled "Good afternoon," in reply.


    "Tut, tut," said Professor Umbridge. "That won''t do, now, will it? I should like you, please, to reply ''Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge.'' One more time, please. Good afternoon, class!"


    "Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," they chanted back at her.


    "There, now," said Professor Umbridge sweetly. "That wasn''t too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please."


    The first thing the woman did after entering was this?


    The first years weren''t all too sensible and polite. One of the Slytherins asked the question in everyone''s mind.


    "We won''t be using the wand?" Asked Draco Malfoy in dissatisfaction.


    Umbridge gave him her characteristic creepy smile,


    "What is your name, dear?"


    Malfoy puffed out his chest.


    "I''m Draco Malfoy. Pureblood heir to the Malfoy family," he said arrogantly.


    Umbridge smiled in approval.


    "Oh, a Pureblood, very good. You see, Draco, magic should only be taught to people who are worthy. Now, do you think everyone here is worthy?"


    Malfoy''s gaze swept over to some of the mudbloods he knew.


    "No," he said with a sneer. "Only¡ª


    "Very good!" Said Umbridge, cutting him off, "You see Draco, I have a lot of magic I can teach," she said, levitating the book in front of her with just a finger.


    "But, it''ll only be taught to the worthy! Meanwhile, in the class, we''ll be covering all the basic syllabus that you all will need to pass the exams," she said sweetly.


    Axel''s mood sank. He was somehow sure that he would not be among the so-called ''worthy'' people.


    [Host, you should stay wary of this woman. She has dark magical power hidden in her. It was undetectable until she used her magic just now. She can''t conceal it very well while using her magic.]


    Damn¡­ this woman¡­ he knew something was wrong with her from the very beginning. Her eyes give him the same chills he got from Daphne''s Dear Dark Daddy.


    [You have good instincts. They''ll help you live longer.]


    ''No shit, system.''


    Daphne frowned, no longer looking in the mood to sleep.


    "I don''t like this woman," she stated flatly.


    "You see it too?" Asked Axel.


    Daphne shrugged. "I don''t know what you see, but those eyes..." she paused, looking at Umbridge. "Something about them reminds of my father."


    Axel nodded in agreement. "She''s bad news. I wouldn''t recommend sleeping," he warned. It was none of his business really, but sitting beside her, he didn''t want to be implicated.


    Daphne said nothing but she obviously was no longer going to sleep. She wanted to say something but Umbridge tutted everyone into silence as she began teaching everyone from the textbook.


    Axel realized that he wasn''t going to learn anything in that class. So, he started practicing transfiguration under his desk. With his carefulness, he couldn''t be caught. No one else tried said anything to tick off Umbridge and the class went smoothly.


    After this, it was dinner time but Axel didn''t directly go to the great hall. Instead, he first went to the library.


    He was already feeling lethargic from all the exertion but it''s not the first time he''s feeling like shit.


    He can count on his fingers how many times in the last three years he was feeling completely fine with no injuries, no hunger, not freezing with cold, not feeling feverish, etc.


    Thus, he''s learned to stop complaining and just do it. While panting, he soldiered on to climb the stairs and walk the long corridors before finding the library.


    ''Oi, system. Recommend me some books on offensive magic and other useful magic which are good enough that I can actually learn,'' he ordered. If this thing can''t even help him this much, he''s straight up rejecting the whole saving the world thing.


    Thankfully, the system didn''t turn out to be completely useless for once, and recommended to him some books which he had to dig out and pluck out from all kinds of places in the library.


    He realized that these smartass students had hidden the good and rare books at places where no one else would find them and these books had been hidden for god knows how long.


    Anyways, why is he borrowing the books?


    It''s because after attending these classes, he has realized that even with his crippled body, he is already getting ahead of what Mcgonagall and Flitwick are teaching the students.


    Which is nothing to be impressed about, considering the strength of his enemies.


    In fact, it''s quite funny and worrying how he is fretting about school bullies while he has to fight an army of creatures from another dimension along with the most powerful Darklord.


    Thus, he''s going to have to learn magic on his own, ahead of everyone else. He needs to gain strength quickly.

 Chapter 15: Not Weak Anymore

    Axel brought the books recommended by the system to the librarian for borrowing. Upon seeing the titles, the lady looked at him in pleasant surprise.


    She let him borrow the books and even thanked him for finding them.


    "Some of them have been hidden for centuries! I wouldn''t mind even if you borrow these for a year now!"


    Of course, Axel had to answer how he found them, to which he simply replied he just tried to look for the best place where he could hide them.


    With the books in his bag, Axel made his way back to the great hall for dinner. He took a seat alone at the furthest corner of the table, near the Professor''s table.


    He decided to check out the books he''d borrowed. While he was eating peacefully while reading one of the books, someone annoyingly disturbed him.


    "Hey, Hunt! I heard you were a cripple?" Asked Malfoy, purposefully making his voice loud so that others could hear it too.


    Axel mentally let out a sigh. This guy¡­ is starting to get on his nerves. Just a disclaimer, but those who get on his nerves don''t usually end well.


    Axel simply nodded.


    "Yeah blondie, must have sucked right? Even a cripple is better than you at magic," he said, one hand holding a goblet while his face made a lopsided mocking expression.


    //Meme Leonardo De Caprio//


    There were some sniggers and catcalls from those who heard. That should have shut him up. Sadly, this guy was denser than Axel gave him credit for.


    "Oh, you think you''re better? How laughable!" He said, pulling his wand out, suddenly getting all serious. Axel hates this kind of people, who dare to makes jokes on other but can''t handle the retaliation.


    "Better? Yeah, I think I am. At least I read the rules before coming here and haven''t embarrassed my house in public,'' he said before glancing at the teacher''s table, where some of the teachers had their eyes on them.


    He had expected his Head of House professor Snape to take action, but the bastard just stared at them like he didn''t intend to do anything.


    ''Git,'' thought Axel. He had seen the same guy taking action against several Gryffindors this morning for the smallest of things.


    No matter, someone could match him in his pettiness, apparently.


    "Mr. Malfoy, it is against the rules to point your wand at a fellow student. 5 points from Slytherin," said McGonagall from her seat. Axel was sitting in the corner, being the closest to the teachers for a reason after all.


    Malfoy''s face was worth watching at that moment. And upon losing points, even the other Slytherins glared at him. Pureblood or not, that was entirely his fault. He was like a Gryffindor while the other boy acted like a Slytherin should.


    Malfoy''s face turned purple as he glared at Axel angrily. "You just meet me in the Dueling class, Hunt. I''ll show who''s better then," he said before leaving.


    ''Dueling class, huh?'' Axel had almost forgotten about it. It was tomorrow and it was held together for all the houses of the same year.


    He glanced at the Professor who was going to teach them Dueling.


    It was a tall and athletic beautiful woman with blond hair and hazel eyes.


    Her name was Alice Longbottom, an ex-Auror and a famous duelist. Neville Longbottom doesn''t act so confident at Hogwarts for no reason. His mum teaches dueling at Hogwarts.


    Axel would have looked forward to the dueling class, if he had a good background and a healthy body. But in his current state¡­ It''s going to be difficult. But, he still has to go. He knows nothing about magical combat and the fights from now on are going to heavily involve magic.


    That night, the first thing he did after going to the Slytherin dorms was to change his door plate with another door plate containing a different name. This one was stuck to a room that was not occupied by anyone. After that, he put his own door plate in his bag and left the dorms for good.


    Though he could technically stay in another dorm as well, but it''s not worth it staying at this place longer. The people here are very punchable and his crippled hands have been itching for a while. Malfoy''s already after him and retaliating openly will attract attention and curiosity to his background.


    Now that he has no room to his name in this huge dorm, no one would find out that he never stayed in his room. There are so many rooms and they''d never even find his name. This is in case someone like Malfoy tried to ambush him at night, only to find that he was not in his room. Then they can complain that he''s been breaking the curfew.


    Now, he won''t bother showing up here at all. There''s so many students that even he can''t tell whether any of them are coming to the dorm every night or not.


    With things sorted out, he had officially left the Slytherin dorms. Somehow, he felt much more comfortable now. Maybe he''s used to being homeless now. Now he can stay wherever he wants in this castle.


    Right now, even though he was dead tired, he decided to practice some magic and Occlumency first. Being tired is no excuse. If you can do it without suffering any consequences, then you''re just being lazy. It also helps that he has a genuine drive to learn magic.


    While navigating between his classes today, he had also been scouting for locations to practice magic and sleep.


    He had come across a huge room with hundreds of training dummies, targets, and other dueling equipment. It was the place where the dueling classes are usually held.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    But of course, he''s not going there right now. He is not the only one who would want to practice magic at night. Thus, he''s sure there''d definitely be someone else there, or at least the prefects would go there to check if anyone was there.


    During the day, he had casually stolen a few dummies and targets from there after confirming with the system that there was no risk. Now they''ll come to his use.


    He went back to the classroom that was his bedroom yesterday, locked the door, and set up the dummies and targets.


    By now, he''d only learned three spells.


    1)Lumos


    2) Levitation


    3) Transfiguration of a matchstick into a needle.


    "¡­. Quite useless, if I do say so myself," he muttered.


    He took out the books he''d borrowed from the library.


    *Gulp*


    Flipping through the pages of some of the best books of Hogwarts library, he gulped upon seeing so many types of spells. These included the spells in Hogwarts normal curriculum as well along with the other spells. And the difficulty varied from the first year to the seventh year and some even above that.


    "Alright, let''s start slow," he muttered. He was sure he can''t learn any of them with his disabilities. Heck, even his Lumos light is quite weak and fluctuating.


    Thus, he has to do something about this. There has to be a way.


    That''s his primary goal. His other immediate goal is to learn some spells that can be used even in his crippled state.


    For that, he examined his current state.


    His hands, specifically, his fingers had suffered major damage and he had little to no control over them.


    But his legs, even though they hurt all the time, and he can''t make rapid movements, his legs are still fine. That is, he still hasn''t lost the incredible balance and grace of a master thief.


    ''Hm¡­ it can be used,'' he thought as all sorts of fighting scenarios flashed through his mind.


    ''Alright, system, can you tell me which spells I can cast with my current condition and are useful to me?''


    [With 9% approval, affirmative. It is possible if you ask.]


    The system recommended to him a few spells which he could practice.


    ''Ah¡­ system, are you sure I can do all these?'' Asked Chris, checking the difficulty level of some of the spells. There was one even above seventh-year difficulty.


    [Affirmative. As previously mentioned, you have an extreme mental talent, Axel. Not even those above seventh year are able to take a Cruciatus curse without suffering mental damage.]


    [A spell requires both magical and mental contribution to complete. The spells recommended by the system need about 90% mental contribution and only 10% Magical.]


    "Great,"


    He looked at the spells. Some of them are going to take a long time to practice. It''s better to just learn the easiest ones first in order to at least have some modicum of safety. So that he won''t be helpless in case someone attacks him.


    The very first spell:


    A Smoke producing spell.


    Yep, as an experienced thief, he knows the fundamental requirements of becoming strong. Step 1: Learn how to distract and run¡­ so that you survive long enough to make the tables turn.


    "Efficio Fumus."


    //Create Smoke//


    It was supposed to produce a continuous stream of smoke that''s quite thick. But when he muttered the incantation without wand movement, his wand produced a few fumes as if coughing them out.


    But Axel actually smiled. This was already much better than most of his attempts to use other spells. And this spell doesn''t need any direction so the wand movements are redundant.


    After reading the theory a few more times, and getting a perfect image for the fumes he wanted, he cast the spell with much more focus and much more force.


    This time, he was able to produce the smoke, and even if the power was somewhat lower, it''d still get the job done. He cast it a few more times, getting better each time.


    "Alright!" He said before flipping the pages.


    Before he tried another spell from the list, he had to test one thing:


    Can he even hit the target?


    To find that out, he tried out the red sparks spell. It''s just a spell that sends out a beam of light at the target. No attack power. Uses very little magic power.


    "Vermilious!" He chanted, aiming at the target.


    "...Damn," he muttered after looking at the results, his voice filled with bitterness. He had completely missed the mark. Looking at his trembling hands which once used to be able to even throw knives with accuracy, he sighed. For now, he can''t learn any shooting beam type of spells like stupify or expelliarmus with this shitty aim.


    But, not all hope was lost. There were still spells that he could perform.


    The smoothening spell or the polishing spell. It temporarily makes the object very smooth by layering the spell magic on top of the object. The spell effect can be stacked.


    "Lubricous nitorem."


    Once again, no need for direction. This is another spell he can use very well. This is going to be a very useful. He quickly learned this and its countercharm as well.


    Now, for the next and probably the last spell today: Electric Zap.


    He really really really liked this one.


    It was one of the more unique spells in the book. You just chant the spell repeatedly. After every chant, the charge keeps accumulating on your wand. The amount of charge you can accumulate depends on your mental strength.


    He thoroughly read the theory. One benefit of these books was that the theory and explanation was quite precise and practical. After building up his intent a for while, he gave it a try.


    "Electrica Impulsa," he muttered, and was rewarded with a small shark travel up his wand.


    He grinned. Putting more power, he tried again. In his second try, the spark a much more power than the previous one. When he tried a thrid and a fourth time, even with his low magical power, enough charged had gathered into his wand that he could see some blue light gathering at the wand tip.


    After four charges, Axel was feeling a bit of a burden holding on. He let of his concentration and the spell dissipated into sharks.


    "This really is quite interesting..." he muttered.


    He decided to focus on practicing this spell. Axel spent several minutes getting the right visualisation, even going so far as he shock himself a little. Then, he started gathering charging, using the spell again and again in order to see his mind''s limits.


    *Crackle* *Crackle*


    *CRACKLE*


    "THIS... IS... AMAZING!" he exclaimed over the loud crackling noise, looking at his wand crackling with an incredible amount of power accumulated on it. He was in a tremendous amount of pain right now. It was almost similar to Cruciatus.


    And it was because using magic hurts even when he used to use a little bit of magic. Right now, he''d used up all of his magic and was holding it all together with his mental power.


    The number of times an average wizard could stack up the charge with this was 3 times before it blows in their face because they can''t control it.


    ''How¡­ much... have I already loaded...system?'' He asked the system while the whole room was lit with a dazzling blue glow.


    [Axel, you''ve chanted the spell for exactly 34 times by now. It is recommended that you don''t go any further.]


    Axel was already feeling light-headed. Looks like this was the extent of his magic...for now. Point: his ''magic'' power. He still had some mental power to spare.


    ''Hey system! How do I cancel it?!'' He asked.


    [There''s no way you can release it here without blowing things up. You need to release it out of the window.]


    ''What?! This thing can be released as well? I thought this wasn''t a ranged attack and I have to touch my wand to them in order attack?'' He asked.


    [Yes, but the amount of magical power you''ve put in it has made ranged attacks to be possible.]


    ''Alright,'' Axel didn''t delay any longer. ''How do I do this?''


    A moment later, a bright blue bolt of lightning flew up into the clouds, leaving a loud sound of thunderclap after it.


    Axel stood there, swaying back and forth, as he struggled to keep standing. This... the system was right. Mental power can be huge boon. He''s isn''t actually as weak as he thought.


    A beautiful but malicious woman''s image came to his mind.


    "Bitch¡­ who said I''m weak?" He muttered before he feel to the floor, already asleep/unconscious.

 Chapter 16: A Challenge

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    *Hoot* *HootHoot*


    Andromeda looked up as an owl and entered through the kitchen window, after it successfully passed the wards.


    Seeing that it was wearing the Hogwarts insignia, she curiously stood up to see what it had brought. Her correspondence with McGonagall was easily done through the Magi-mirror. So she didn''t know what it could have been.


    ''Is Axel''s reply here?'' Thinking this, her actions hastened. Her sister still hadn''t come back. Though there was indeed a message from her through the Magi-mirror.


    It said: I''m alive. Don''t bother me.


    But, can a single text make her stop worrying? NO! This in fact confirmed that something was indeed wrong. Quickly checking the leather pouch tied to the owl, Andromeda frowned. It was a small transparent water bottle with a silvery mist floating inside.


    "A memory?" She saw that there was a slip of paper with her name stuck on it, and the other one had Axel''s name on it. Both were in her handwriting.


    Axel sent her a memory?


    This reminded her of the last memory she''d seen. It was of Axel being tortured by Cyrus Greengrass of all people.


    <div>


    Andromeda shuddered even now as she recalled it. She had cried for a whole day after seeing that.


    A boy as young as 11 years old, having to go through THAT? Her husband was left a crying and begging mess after that torture, and an 11-year-old, whose magic isn''t even strong enough to protect him and whose body isn''t even strong enough to withstand it, had to go through it.


    And surprisingly, unlike her husband, that boy is so strong that he was still fighting till the last minute. Even now, she couldn''t tell how. After going through all that, when he woke up after two days and after releasing that he''d been crippled for life, all he did was nod his head calmly as if that''s what he''d expected.


    It was so absurd that she suspected whether this was an adult sitting in a child''s body.


    At that time, realizing that the boy must have suffered a lot to have matured this early, she had felt a strong desire to protect this boy and let him have a happy life. It was because she thought that even if she couldn''t cure her husband, at least this child could still be saved.


    Thus, she tried to help him, and tried making him feel happiness by taking him out to Diagon Alley. She had even introduced him to her family, in hopes that he''ll have a good time. And in hopes that he could get along with Rose, someone his age.


    And it did seem to have worked. She had seen the boy start to genuinely enjoy himself and smile more. But, after that, he''d gone to the washroom and Bella had gone out saying she had an urgent call on her Magi-mirror.And boy did she regret believing her sister and letting her go.


    When Bella returned with the memory, Andromeda had instantly lost her temper at her. But Bella didn''t seem to hear her as she just replied that it was consented before she disapparated off to Merlin''s knows where. Axel had also left without saying anything.


    Now, he''s sent another memory. What could it be? Did he know what happened to Bella? Andromeda brought out one of their pensieves to check it out.


    It was a small pensieve, imported from a developed magical country. It had a lot of advanced features like enhanced quality and sound amplification.


    She quickly poured the misty liquid-like memory into the pensieve and peered into it.


    Instantly, the world around her changed and she found herself in the Leaky Cauldron, in front of the men''s bathroom.She saw Axel exiting the bathroom and Bellatrix standing right in front of him, waiting.


    ''This¡­ is this Axel''s memory? How did he extract it?'' She thought but her thoughts were paused when she heard Bella say:


    "Cyrus Greengrass... the name of the man you killed. Thought you should know."


    ??!!


    Andromeda got a huge shock hearing those words. Cyrus Greengrass, the man who''d tortured Axel in the memory Bella had given her earlier. That man was indeed killed by Axel...


    ''So, he even had to kill someone while so young. Life is so unfair sometimes!'' she thought but her thoughts paused again when she witnessed Bella blackmailing Axel for the memory.


    "Andromeda wouldn''t agree to this," she heard Axel say, trying to look calm.


    "Yes, I don''t agree!" Andromeda exclaimed. She didn''t like where this was going.


    But Bellatrix actually laughed, sounding genuinely amused.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "I see. She did a very good job in manipulating you."


    "No, I didn''t! Not this time!" Shouted Andromeda. No one but Bella had known that she wasn''t actually as kind-hearted as she pretended to be. But not this time!


    Yes, in the beginning, she had just thought that she''ll peer into his mind to see the memories, but after seeing him and getting to know him and his circumstances, she had decided against it.


    This person had experienced what her husband had experienced and had even survived it. He deserved her respect and recognition for that. And after seeing him experiencing various basic joys of life for the first time, she even rejected the idea of peering through his mind even with his consent.


    Because every time he had asked why she was doing all that for him, it had dug painfully at her conscience. She couldn''t bear to break the trust that had been gained after seeing so much reluctance in those eyes.


    Thus, ultimately, she had genuinely decided not to ask him about the memories. Sadly, the scene she was witnessing made her fears come true.


    Hearing Bellatrix''s words, Axel paused.


    "What... are you talking about?"


    Andromeda could hear the edge in his voice and see the last bit of hope in those cold eyes.


    "It''s funny really. How she''s created a perfect image of herself in your mind so quickly. Let me enlighten you, you gullible kid: Andromeda is a Black! She''s no kind woman!"


    "No," she whispered as she saw the last bit of hope die out from his eyes, his hurt emotions clearly visible on his face at this moment. The first time Andromeda got to see his true emotion turned out to be like this.


    Bella was right. She was no kind woman when it comes to the well-being of her husband and daughter. But¡­ not this time. Or was it? She herself didn''t know anymore.


    But Bellatrix wasn''t done yet. Andromeda knew that once Bella decides to do something, she''ll finish it without care. She just wants to get the memory. She wouldn''t care about Axel. And though her fears came true, Bella turned out to be much more brutal than she had thought.


    You think she did all this out of kindness? Wrong! Wake up, kid! Who are you to her?! A nobody!


    Do you know how many have died for the sake of finding a cure for her husband?! How long has she known you for?! A day and a half. You tell me, kid, who''s she gonna choose between her husband she''s known for decades or you?


    She''s kind? My perfect pureblood arse! She did all this because she thought it was the easier method! Just throw some money and some kindness to a homeless kid and he''ll give you anything you want and still thank you afterward. But looking at you, I can tell. You wouldn''t have agreed, would you? So, for the sake of my sister, I''ll do this and then we go our separate ways. Now, do you agree or do I need to force you?


    Tears came out of Andromeda''s eyes when she heard her sister''s words. She saw how Axel''s expressions changed with each sentence, as they were cutting deep into him, scarring him forever as his pain turned into apathy.


    He actually agreed to Bellatrix''s oh-so polite ''request'' and even thanked her.


    "I was getting too hopeful and positive about this world," he said self mockingly. "You reminded me once again that I should never trust anyone."


    It broke her heart to hear him say that. She knew that he had changed...almost irreversibly.nShe could almost see the walls building up around him once again, shutting out everyone. This time, stronger than ever.


    Then the scene in the memory changed to the time right after Bella had exited his mind. No one, not even Axel would notice anything about her, but Andromeda could.


    She looked¡­ shaken¡­ almost as if denying reality.


    ''What happened?'' Thought Andromeda.


    She saw Bellatrix trying to stop him and then recoiling back when Axel glared at her. He refused to stay even a moment more and his final words... got ingrained in Andromeda''s mind.


    "Also, make sure to show the memory to your sister. Tell her that her husband was just a pussy who''s suffered no hardships if he couldn''t even take that much torture. She should stop hurting innocent people for such a weakling and find herself a real man," with those words, he left, while Bella stood there as if someone had petrified her.


    The memory had ended, but Andromeda just stood there, too stunned to even speak.


    Why was Bella looking so panicked after seeing his memory?


    What did she see?


    Was it the reason for her disappearance?


    Are her efforts really so useless?


    And... was Ted...NO!


    The memory Axel thought would clarify everything had instead left Andromeda much more distressed and disconcerted than before, and his last words had left a lot to think about for her.


    ***


    Early in the morning, Axel went to the Dueling Arena for the Dueling class.


    He was surprised to see that most of the first years had picked dueling even though it was an extracurricular subject. That was clearly indicating its importance.


    Alice Longbottom, the Professor AKA Neville''s mom, was standing in the middle, of one of the dueling circuits. She was wearing a pair of jeans, a dueling robe, and a T-shirt underneath saying "Super Mom".


    "Good Morning, sweety bun! How was your first night in the dormitory? Did you sleep well?" She asked Neville right in front of everyone.


    "...Mum!" Embarrassment was understandably written all over Neville''s beet-red face and for once, Axel was grateful he didn''t have parents.


    Professor Alice just laughed, finding her son''s reaction cute. "Alright class, gather around," she said, clapping her hands together.


    "So," she began. "Dueling. We all know what it is, but let''s just recall it once again. Would anyone venture to explain?"


    There were several people who raised their hands but Professor Alice chose a bushy-haired girl who seem much more eager.


    "Yes, Miss?"


    "Hermione Granger, ma''am," said the girl before she instantly began speaking.


    "Dueling. In Wizarding Britain, it used to be a formal practice in wizarding culture in which two or more wizards or witches engaged in combat under the condition that only magical means could be used.


    But, after Britain reconnected with the International Committee of Dueling in the past decade, the rules have changed since many Magical Communities depend heavily on body movements like the Greek warriors or the Japanese Ninjutsu users.


    Now, the combatants face each other and bow, as a sign of respect, before they placed themselves in an accepted combative position and, at the count of three, attempt to disarm, stun, injure, defeat, or kill each other in order to force submission, through either physical and magical means." She finished.


    In wonder, Professor Alice clapped for her.


    "You have a very detailed knowledge, Miss Hermione. Does anyone else have anything to add?"


    "Nothing? Then let''s move on to demonstrations. Any volunteers?"


    Apparently, that was enough wait for someone.


    "Me, Professor!" shouted Draco Malfoy, before stepping up into the dueling circuit.


    Turning around to face everyone, he loudly yelled.


    "I challenge Axel Hunt to a Duel!"


    ***


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 Chapter 17: A Thorough Crushing

    "I challenge Axel Hunt to a duel!"


    ''What is this idiot doing?'' Though Draco has already warned Axel that he was do something, Axel had at least expected him to be a bit sneaky or malicious about it, meaning he''d be Slythrin.


    But this... This is just childish.


    Before Professor Alice or Axel could say anything, the hundreds of first years who were piled around them started making a ruckus, cheering or hooting.


    You have to say, wizards are a drama-loving bunch. These kids didn''t know who the heck Axel Hunt was, but they knew they were in for some drama when a duel was mentioned.


    Professor Longbottom was a bit surprised when Draco chose the opponent on his own. But then she thought, isn''t this what I wanted to do anyways? And its under my supervision. So, she just looked for the opponent who was now being pushed towards the stage with an enquiring gaze.


    Seeing that the ball was in his court, Axel pondered what to do. It wasn''t like he was particularly angry, just annoyed. Who would bother losing their temper against an annoying bug bugging them?


    But¡­ that''s not to say that they won''t take satisfaction in crushing that bug.


    He looked around at the naive kids cheering for Draco, as if they''d get to see a duel similar to how they''d seen on their Magi-mirrors.


    He mentally shook his head. He wasn''t in a good condition, he can''t deny that. He can''t do magic properly, he can''t deny that. He isn''t fast or dexterous anymore, he can''t deny that.


    But¡­ even without any of this, he''d never be in a bad enough condition that bugs like Draco could start to think they have a chance against him.


    ''System, can his family get me expelled or punished I beat him up?''


    [Negative. His family does have some weight, but they can''t affect you. In fact, after you meeting with Bellatrix, you can do anything you want in Britain.]


    ''Alright. Axel was done thinking everything through.


    There weren''t any consequences major enough to stop him from letting out some steam. Cracking his neck from side to side, he stepped forward. He has a lot of anger still pent up even after having killed Cyrus.


    "I accept," he announced in a voice that wasn''t loud, yet it reached every ear through the noise of the crowd.


    "Woah!"


    "Yeahhh!"


    "Fight!"


    ...


    The peanut gallery was fully enjoying the free show.


    Professor Alice, thinking that it was all fun and games didn''t stop the two.


    "Alright, a dueling challenge on the very first day, what a great way to start! Come up, you two," she said, not knowing that the intentions of the participants were quite dark. First years won''t be able to do much anyway.


    Under everyone''s encouragement, Axel stepped into the ring, facing off against Malfoy.


    He still had his hands in his robe pockets while he stood relaxedly in the ring. His presence alone exuded a pressure that''ll make a skilled fighter know that he was not an easy opponent. Professor Alice also couldn''t help giving him one more glance, wondering if she was imagining things.


    "Alright, no lethal spells. And I''ll be stopping the duel before anyone could get seriously hurt," she announced before stepping out of the ring.


    "Now, bow before standing on the two opposite spots,"


    Standing right in front of Axel, Draco did an imperceptible bow.


    "Scared, cripple?" He asked with a smirk.


    Axel nodded, "About one thing," he admitted before he looked at the Professor.


    "Professor, what if I accidentally seriously injure him?" He asked, making Draco grit his teeth.


    Professor Alice had heard this question too many times. Too many students hesitate to even cast spells at each other these days. Even her Nevi has similar problems.


    "Don''t worry, dear. You are under my supervision, so I''ll stop before anything serious happens. Besides, injuries are common in dueling. If your spell is non-lethal and non-violent, then you won''t get into trouble," she answered as if she already had this answer memorized.


    What she didn''t know was that Axel had asked this question on purpose, so that he won''t be blamed later.


    They both took distance from each other and took the spots that had been marked on each side of the circuit.


    "Wands ready!" Announced Professor Alice. Draco leveled his wand against Axel while Axel was still standing with his hands in his open robe''s pockets.


    The next thing Professor Alice was supposed to do was say- ''Start''. But she paused when Axel didn''t draw out his wand.


    Though apparently, this was enough of an announcement for Draco since he already brandished his wand, yelling out his first spell even before the match officially started.


    "Furnunculus!" (A jinx that causes a serious breakout of acid boils or pimples)


    A sickly green beam was shot at Axel, but everyone was surprised to see that while the spell beam approached him, Axel¡­ didn''t move at all!


    The spell beam whizzed past him, passing over the heads of the observers below before hitting the opposite wall.


    Throughout the event, Axel didn''t even flinch.


    Everyone thought that Axel hadn''t moved at all and Draco had just missed, except Professor Alice and Draco Malfoy himself. If you look at his feet, you''d realize that he wasn''t standing on the original spot that was marked in the ring. He was standing just a bit to the left.


    "Hey, look! He''s not standing on the marked spot!"


    Many among the students also only noticed it now as they began pointing it out to others.


    Malfoy glared at Axel.


    "Lucky fluke," he muttered before launching another spell.


    "Inflatus!" (Inflates the target.)


    This time, many people saw it. Even before Draco''s spell was cast, they saw him languidly stepping to the side.


    Once again, the spell flew past him, missing him by a narrow margin.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ??!!


    "What?!"


    "He moved even before the spell was cast!"


    That was indeed the case. Axel was moving even before the spell was cast.


    It might seem simple, but it was not. The opponent isn''t blind. He can change his aim at the last second as well if he sees you moving.


    This time, when casting the spell, at the last moment, Draco suddenly slowed down his cast. It was expected that like all the times, Axel would move to the side this time as well. But, contrary to his expectations, Axel just stood there unmoving, as if he didn''t intend to move in the first place.


    Draco thought that since his movements were so obvious, Axel must have easily noticed it when he slowed down his cast.


    ''So, you''ll only move when you''re certain that I''ll cast, huh?'' he thought as he had another idea.


    This time, he didn''t stop casting the spell. In fact, he cast it very quickly. But this time, he purposefully aimed a bit to the right.


    Now, when he moves, there''ll be a 50% chance of the spell hitting him. But, contrary to his expectations, Axel didn''t move at all!


    He just stood there, letting the spell miss him yet again.


    Meanwhile, the peanut gallery was enjoying the show. Axel noticed that many of them were holding up their Magi mirrors, and the lights were flashing out of them. He didn''t have a clue what the fuck they were doing.


    Professor Alice had dropped her playful attitude and was now looking at the duel with some interest.


    Everyone was thinking only one thing: Was it just a coincidence?


    Axel shook his head.


    "You don''t get it, do you?'' He asked Draco as he stepped forward.


    "Flippendo!"


    This time, Axel had once again moved to the side before the spell was cast. His movements weren''t fast or hurried. He seemed to have just randomly stepped to the side while walking.


    "Densaugeo!" (Cases Grotesquely elongated teeth)


    He once again moved and the spell missed.


    "Flipendo!"


    He had just leaned to the side.


    Spell after spell was fired from Malfoy''s wand and Axel was dodging them all even before they were fired. All the while, he was calmly walking toward Draco with his hands still in his pockets.


    "Pro... Professor! He''s cheating! Expelliarmus!" Draco could only think of this reason. Axel has to be cheating! His movements are extremely slow and he''s moving in the right direction every time! It''s almost as if he can see the future!


    "This is not cheating, you dumbass." Axel was exasperated. "I can just... see."


    Professor Alice, who could understand the situation more clearly, was so amazed she couldn''t even blink her eyes.


    "He is not cheating, Draco. He''s is reading you."


    Reading the opponent. It''s something that only experienced dueling usually try.


    If you have a good observation, you can predict the path of all of the spells based on your opponents movements. From the direction their eyes are looking, to the direction their wand is point, to the twitch of their every muscle. And moving out of the way at the moment when the opponent can''t change the direction anymore.


    That''s what Axel was doing right now. Even though Draco was someone very easy to read, unlike trained wizards, but even then, it is something very difficult to pull off, since the mind needs to think very fast before making a decision and executing it.


    Draco now seemed to be on the verge of trying to beat Axel the muggle way. Seeing him furious, Axel was only more annoyed, at the fact that he was such a weak opponent. Even if Axel can read Draco, there are many ways he can make things difficult for Axel.


    After all, Axel is still a cripple. Even if he can see it he can''t move fast enough to act on everything. And there''s a limit to what he can read based on Draco''s movements, meaning there''s room for deception. But the guy is giving in to anger and panic rather than thinking of a solution.


    And this is only making it easier to dodge Draco''s spells.


    "What? You''re only this much?" Asked Axel, not even out of breath, in contrast with Draco''s red and panting face. "Know your place, you bug," said Axel in disgust.


    He might be crippled and might not have much magical capability. But,


    ''I''m still someone who has spent years fighting and struggling.''


    He was still the guy who''d honed his talent and skills for years in situations that decided his survival. Some of his them might have been disabled after that incident, but he still had some things that were far more rare and valuable.


    Some of them were: His sharp eye-sight that could read his target''s every movement, his sharp mind that could predict all the possibilities and movements in a beat, and his insane reaction speed that enables him to act in an instant, as if he was moving out of pure instincts.


    Thus, as someone so much superior than this bug, his patience had finally waned after this bug''s repeated attempts to annoy him.


    *CHEERS*


    The peanut gallery went insane when they saw the unreal scene happening in front of them. It almost looked like Axel could see the future. The flashes of their Magi-mirrors intensified.


    Draco couldn''t do anything and Axel was soon standing right in front of him.


    "Are you done?" He asked.


    Axel''s one hand finally came out and it snatched Draco''s wand right out of his hands.


    He noticed that Draco''s wand seemed to pulse in his hand, connecting with him. It wasn''t as strong as his wand, he could feel the wand eager to draw his magic.


    "Hey, give it back! You filthy little¡ª" Axel ignored him as he focused on the wand.


    [Loyalty by conquest.] Said system helpfully.


    ''Interesting,'' he thought.


    "Electrica inpulsa," he murmured.


    *Crackle* *Crackle*


    Axel grinned. It wasn''t as powerful as his wand, but the spell did work.


    Draco Malfoy was infuriated when his wand was snatched right out of his hand. It was almost similar to having your girlfriend stolen from you.


    "GIVE IT BACK!" He yelled as he tried to seize it back.


    *Zap*


    But instead, he got lightly electrocuted as soon as his hand touched his wands.


    "OUCH!"


    Axel nodded in satisfaction. This guy, he was already on his shit list from their very first interaction. He has always had a problem with this kind of person due to past reasons.


    The reason he was kicked out of the orphanage in the first place was because he had dared to defend himself against a rich second generation like this guy. Now, if this guy had any sign of human intelligence, he''d have learnt his lesson after knowing his skills and won''t mess with him anymore.


    Well, apparently not.


    "You¡ª!" Jerking his hand back in pain, Draco''s anger reached its peak, "You filthy mudblood! Give my wand back to me! My father¡ª"


    "SHUT UP," ordered Axel in annoyance. Yep, they were the same. Do they think they can do anything just because they were lucky enough to be among the privileged?


    "Electrica Impulsa,"


    *CRACKLE* *Crackle*


    Well, they didn''t know that he was the same guy who didn''t submit even when he was tortured inhumanely for 10 minutes straight.


    But Draco didn''t care. All he could see was his wand in the hands of this guy. Having never been punished his whole life, he simply didn''t fear Axel.


    He tried to clutch Axel''s throat as he yelled at the top of his lungs.


    "You Filthy Mudblood! My father would¡ª" he screeched but stopped was when his own wand was shoved inside his mouth! Notice: It was Charged with two Electrica Impulsa spells.


    "What?!"


    *Gasp*


    "Damn,"


    "Woahh!"


    There was a mixed reaction from the crowd.


    It was so out of the blue that even Professor Alice didn''t expect it. She was just going to announce the end of the match. She wasn''t worried about anyone getting injured since all the spell could do was zap people. How was she to know that Axel would shove it in Draco''s mouth?!


    "Aaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!"


    A strangled sound of a pig being slaughtered came out from Draco as his whole body shuddered as if having a seizure.


    Magic suddenly surrounded both of them and separated them, taking the wand out of Draco''s mouth, courtesy of professor Alice, but the damage had been done.


    Axel dusted his hands off while looking at Malfoy who was lying pathetically on the ground, and there was a wet patch forming between his legs.


    "That should keep your mouth shut for a while," he murmured. His only regret was, that he should have charged it a few times more before plunging it in. Since his magic was too weak, the damage this boy suffered can''t be called an injury.


    But he knew it was the best he could do considering the fact that Professor Alice would have stopped them as soon as it got even remotely dangerous.


    "Um¡­ professor, would I get into trouble for this?"


    Professor Alice, who had diagnosed Draco and found that this drama queen hadn''t actually suffered any serious injury, gave Axel a helpless look.


    "There''s nothing serious. He''s just shocked. So, you won fair and square,"


    At this moment, someone clapped. And,


    Soon, the whole class was cheering for Axel.


    Axel looked at everyone in puzzlement.


    ''What the heck is with these people? Why are they making so much noise?''


    Though at that moment, he was distracted by a system notification flashing in front of his eyes.


    [Quest Progression: Make friends, make allies, and make a good impression with the wizarding world.


    ?Rewards on every successive step you take towards building a reputation for yourself such that people willingly follow you one day.


    ->You''ve made a very deep impression on the people by showing your capabilities.


    Rewards:


    ->+3% Approval. Total 12%


    ->Advice on how you can increase your magical output and learn other spells.]


    Though apparently, the system wasn''t done yet.


    *DING*


    [Congratulations! You have successfully reached the first milestone of the approval rate, thus enabling the Akashic Records to provide you with much more substantial help.]


    [New Feature unlocked.]


    [Congratulations! You have unlocked the Class Feature.]


    [You have unlocked your first Class, Arcane Thief.]


    [You will be given techniques, magical spells, and missions to master this class and ascend to the next.]


    With such a massive input of information in his head, Axel didn''t know what to do. It was so much information that he decided to look through it after he''s dealt with the current situation.


    Even though his actions might seem impulsive, as if he didn''t care about the consequences, but he had done everything after careful calculations.

 Chapter 18: The Arcane Thief

    After sending Draco to the Hospital wing, Professor Alice gave Axel a deep look.


    "Axel Hunt, right?"


    Axel nodded, wondering whether he was in trouble after all.


    Though, contrary to his expectation, Professor Alice had an impressed look as she actually smiled at him.


    "The way you predicted the spell trajectories while moving in such a calm and composed manner when spells are being thrown at you¡­ it was truly impressive. I don''t think even a professional duelist could have done it better. You have a tremendous talent for this. Take 10 points for Slytherin for an excellent demonstration of skills."


    It was the first time a student had received so much praise from Professor Longbottom. But Axel just sighed upon unwittingly gaining more points for the Slytherin.


    After that, Professor Alice took the safer approach for the rest of the class as she taught them some basic stuff about dueling.


    While she taught, Axel just blended himself among the students to hide from all kinds of gazes that were being thrown his way and to check out his rewards.


    Even though his actions might seem impulsive, as if he didn''t care about the consequences, he had actually done everything after careful calculations.


    No one except the headmaster really has the power to expel him from here. Apparently, there used to be an option to have a seat in the board of governors by paying money. But now, money is the last thing Hogwarts needs. This he has known from the basic knowledge.


    And from what he''s seen, the Malfoy family isn''t really much of a big shot since it hasn''t even got its own seat in the Wizengamot.


    So, there shouldn''t be any drastic actions. Now, the only other problem is¡­


    ''This attention,'' he thought, looking at many who were trying to find him among the crowd. Especially Rose Potter. She was the one who start the applause for him.


    ''Now, it''s safe to assume that all this attention might cause some problems. But¡­''


    His eyes went to the system interface in front of him. A massive 3% increase in the approval rate and a suggestion on how he can increase his magic power output.


    Both of these rewards were so huge that he couldn''t understand what exceptional work he did to deserve this. What could the impression of a few first years matter?


    But, whatever it was, he figured that it was totally worth it if he''s got such insane benefits.


    The approval rate of each percent increases after he performs several impressive deeds or missions. After the first time when it got a massive 6% boost, it has only increased by one each time. But this time, he got 3% directly.


    As for the way to increase his magic power output, he realized which path he has to focus on to do that as the system directly gave the information into his brain.


    The main point is¡­ the connection with his wand. Right now, with so much nerve damage in his hands and body, his magic can''t find the right pathways to flow out of his body into his wand. It causes pain when it can''t escape, even if it doesn''t affect the body directly.


    So, now imagine if the wand practically sucks out the magic. Now even if it couldn''t find the way on its own, most of it can still be sucked out through various pathways.


    And that can be done by strengthening the connection with his wand. There''s another benefit to this as well. The Cherub Hair core wand would amplify his magic based on the strength of his connection with it. So, there are two-way benefits in strengthening his bond with it.


    "Though the question is¡­ how to do it?" The system didn''t specify that.


    Something to think about later. Now, for the final reward. The new feature. Honestly, Axel had never played any RPGs so he had no knowledge of how this class system works.


    ''System, give me more info.''


    [You will have to activate the Class feature for that. Do you accept the Class: Arcane Thief?You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Y/N]


    "Then... yes, I accept the class," said Axel decisively.


    *Ding*


    [Class Accepted]


    [You are now an Arcane Thief.]


    [Now you can access the information you asked for.


    Arcane Thief: A special Class achievable only by those with exceptional skills and talent in thieving and possessing magic.


    There is nothing a Master Arcane Thief can''t steal.


    The fields of Specialisation include:


    -Stealth Magic


    -Wards


    -Traps


    -Enchantment


    -Pickpocketing


    -Knife/Short-Sword Welding


    Minor Accomplishments in some other skills. Chance for major accomplishment in other fields through special missions or through special conditions.


    The method to learn these skills of these fields will be unlocked successively when you master the beginning skills and with missions. You might also get special missions for special skills. The methods will be imprinted directly into your mind.]


    ''... Well, I want to laugh right now,'' thought Axel as he tried to suppress the wicked grin that was fighting its way into his face.


    This was every Thief''s wet dream! His hands had been itching after his last try at thieving which had landed him in a hospital and he had given up on stealing anything until he had enough skills to pull it off which would take years.


    Now, it seems that he won''t have to wait that long after all.


    ¡­.


    It was lunchtime and Axel was making his way towards the Great Hall. But, he realized that there was a problem.


    ''Why is everyone looking at me?''


    First years, he can understand, but the rest? No sir. He should totally be a background character for others.


    He saw a group of students huddled together, watching something on their Magi-mirrors.


    "Damn, can this guy see the future or read mind or something?"


    "He''s just a first year, apparently,"


    When one of them saw Axel passing by he pointed at him.


    "Hey look! It''s him! The guy in the RM!"


    The others also looked at him and got surprised. This group was apparently more daring.


    "Hey, can you take a picture with us?" He asked, showing his magi mirror.


    "Why?" Asked Axel. He was genuinely confused.


    That made them somewhat confused. "Well, why not? You''re RM has gone viral on the Hogwarts Forum! You''re famous now. We have to be the first ones to share our pictures with you!"


    ''....Whut?''


    Axel bailed out from there after making an excuse.


    ''System, what the fuck is going on?!''


    [Host, the video of your fight, or the Recorded Memory (RM) as they call it, has been posted on the Magi-hive in Hogwarts Forum. It is currently being shared among various platforms, meaning that it is going ''viral''. This has increased your reputation and thus helped you gain the system rewards.]


    "...."


    "Fuck."


    "Damn it."


    "Shit.".


    "Hell."


    It made sense now. Only now he understood why he got such an outrageous reward of 3% approval for something so trivial as performing well in front of the first years.


    Right now, Axel hoped that the Wizarding world was just as backward as it was 10 years ago.


    ¡­


    For the rest of the day, Rose was left replaying the fight of Axel again and again.


    He did such a great job of teaching that arrogant ponce a lesson!


    But unlike others, she was fully aware of his disabilities. He shouldn''t be able to do magic. And his body was also not in a good state as far as she was aware.


    But still, he had managed to win the duel in such a domineering fashion. She noticed that he never made any rapid movements, because he simply couldn''t. And he could actually do magic! The last time she had seen, he could barely cast a Lumos while struggling.


    At that time, his determination to improve despite his disabilities had deeply moved her, and today he''s progressed so fast!


    When he had won and Draco finally got what he deserved, she was so impressed that she had started to applaud. She would have wanted to praise him in person, but¡­ it seems that she can''t do that anymore. He''s a Slytherin after all.


    Even though her two Aunts were Slytherins, Sirius had still never stopped on passionate hate for Slytherins. Especially the ''greasy git''. ''Those two might be the rare exceptions, or they just got their head right afterward,'' he''d say for her two Aunts.


    Thus, it was understandable that Rose had gotten quite a lot of prejudiced opinions about the Slytherins.


    Thus, when Axel had gotten sorted into Slytherin, she had been quite disappointed that he actually turned out to be a Slytherin. She had begun wondering If Axel was an evil person or not. Plus, Neville and Susan hadn''t heard better things from their home as well.


    And when she heard that her Aunt Bella was missing and Axel was the last person she had talked to, it was like her fears had come true.


    Thus, she had questioned him about what had happened.


    Though she had felt bad when Axel''s eyes towards her had turned cold. She wasn''t sure what was right anymore!


    Yesterday night, Aunt Andromeda had called her to ask about Axel, asking whether she was properly taking care of him or not. She had told Rose that Aunt Bella''s reply did come and she said not to worry. Rose was quite ashamed and regretful while her Aunt repeatedly stressed to take care of Axel.


    She thought she''ll try talking to him today, but that guy didn''t even acknowledge her presence today even when she tried to catch his eye several times! It was like they were... strangers.


    Rose was feeling quite vexed for some reason. No one had ever ignored her.


    "Ouch! Why did you hit me!" Protested Neville.


    Rose blinked. She realized she had accidentally hit Neville.


    "Why are you in the way?" She asked rudely before getting up.


    "Where are you going?" He asked.


    "Just to prank some Slytherins," she replied as she flicked her red hair off her face. Axel was strictly out of bounds. She''ll have to prank other Slytherins.


    Neville sighed.


    ''She''s back again,'' he thought in apprehension.


    This was Rose Potter''s real nature. The one she hides behind her perfect well-groomed persona.

 Chapter 19: Unlocking Skills

    "Fucking Magi-mirrors," Axel cursed under his breath as he walked towards the great hall after avoiding yet another group of curious students who were asking for a picture. This was not in his calculations.


    Most of the students seemed to have already seen his fight and now many would inevitably try to research his background and shit. Many would even want to know if he''s a pureblood or not.His footsteps paused in front of the Great Hall. What was more important? The food, or the peace?


    Rumble*


    His stomach gave him the answer.


    "Food it is," he muttered before thinking how to go in. Right now, it would be for the best if he didn''t appear in front of anyone.


    It seems like he''ll have to use his skills. But they haven''t been working well after his injuries. So there''s still a chance that he''ll be noticed.


    Taking deep breaths, he dipped his head low and diminished his presence as he looked around in all directions.


    ''Score!'' he thought as he saw an opportunity.


    He began walking in the opposite direction to the great hall while keeping his head low. This time, very few people even noticed him and even they didn''t give him a second glance.


    He didn''t know how he does this. He''s just practiced a lot and he started getting better after his various experiences.


    In the next few steps, when he passed by a group of students heading towards the Great Hall he suddenly disappeared from sight since he didn''t emerge from the other side of the group he was passing by.


    He had blended into the group.


    After a few minutes, Axel soon emerged out of a group of students heading out of the great hall with a pile of food stacked in his backpack. He had stored a lot for emergencies like this one.


    He sighed. He was noticed several times just now. He wasn''t sure if he''d be able to do it again with his body''s condition being so bad. And also,


    "Damn, I didn''t even perform any rapid movements. But why was my body hurting so much?" He muttered.


    He couldn''t understand why. Usually, it''s not that bad. Only sometimes.


    At this moment, a System notification came, alerting him.


    [Congratulations. You have unlocked the Stealth Skill: ''Blend'':


    Allows you to Blend in your surroundings using your body movements, accessories, and Magic.


    Current proficiency: 8%


    Information on how to gain further mastery will be transferred to your head.]


    [Congratulations. You have unlocked the Stealth Skill: ''Presence Reduction''


    Allows you to reduce your presence using your body movements and magic.


    Current proficiency: 12%


    Information on how to gain further mastery will be transferred to your head.]


    [Congratulations. You have unlocked the Thief skill: Daring mind.


    A thief needs to be daring enough to attempt the theft. Allows you to calmly analyze your situation and make quick decisions not based on fear but logic.


    Not a proficiency-based skill.]


    "..." Axel was left disoriented for a few moments when information was poured into his head.


    "System, what the fuck?" He uttered, politely asking for an explanation.


    [The new Class feature provides you the information to train physical, Magical, and mental skills related to that Class. Your class is Arcane Thief.


    When you sneaked into the Great Hall, you used these skills just now, meaning that you already possess some mastery in them. So they were unlocked. The reason you were feeling pain was that you were using magic and using magic naturally causes you pain.]


    ''How can that be?'' thought Axel. ''I wasn''t using magic! It was just my usual zone.''


    The zone, as Axel calls it, is a state in which he is able to pull off difficult thefts with ease.


    "Wait a moment¡­fuck," but then he suddenly realized.


    "There''s no way, right?"


    Has he been using Magic all this time? Now that he thought about it, it actually made sense.


    [You have unknowingly incorporated magic in your skills after repeated training, and practice over the years along with your talent. This is one of the reasons why you are as good as you are and were able to get a Special Class like Arcane Thief.


    It is a high-tier class, even above advanced classes. It can not be randomly gained by anyone. Especially not as their starting class in their crippled state.]You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Axel slowly nodded in understanding. So that''s why it hurts so much when he sneaks around late at night these days. It used to be so easy...


    Axel couldn''t wait for the day his body is healed. When that time comes, he''ll stop worrying about low-level people like bigoted Purebloods. That will be the day he''ll start his domination. The real threats would only be strong wizards and Voldemort and his minions.


    Going into an empty classroom, he ate his food in peace while he accessed the information that had been poured into his head.


    There were step-by-step instructions to train the skills he had unlocked, much like how the information on Occlumency was poured into his head. But when he was getting immersed in it, the bell rang, signaling the end of the Lunch.


    "Sigh,"


    Axel decided to do this after his classes were over. With his food problem solved he only had to deal with his classmates who were easy enough to deal with.


    Today, they had Herbology, History of Magic, Potion, and Astronomy.


    The Herbology was with the Hufflepuffs. The Greenhouses of Hogwarts were huge. It was Axel''s first time seeing magical Flora. And of so many different varieties!


    He listened attentively when their squat Professor with gray hair and muddy clothes Pamona Sprout told them about the magical properties of some of the Plants to catch their attention. But he quickly lost interest when she had them do it practically since he couldn''t do anything with his hands.


    "Need help?" Asked someone from the side.


    Axel glanced over to see Susan standing beside him, Hannah right behind her.


    "No," said Axel simply as he focused back on his work.


    Susan pouted,


    "Well, it does seem like you do," she said, looking pointedly at his handy work. The magical plant looked as crippled as his hands.


    "Why do you want to help me?" He asked. He didn''t know why Susan would approach him while leaving her large group of friends.


    Susan was honest.


    "I¡­ I sort of feel bad that I thought you were a bad person when you were sorted into Slytherin."


    Axel didn''t stop his work, not the least bit affected.


    "And what makes you think I''m not a bad person?" He asked, with all the bad person vibes coming out of him.


    Susan shook her head.


    "Uh¡­ I don''t know? Because you were so cool today at the Dueling? Because you shoved that snob''s wand right into his face?"


    Axel nodded in understanding. He had understood that he can''t understand this girl. But, he really liked her honesty.


    "I appreciate your honesty. Would you prefer my honest reply or a dishonest one?"


    Susan smiled,


    "The honest reply!" She chose instantly.


    Axel stopped his work for a second and gave her his full attention as he looked at her.


    "I don''t have any problem with you, but I''d prefer it if you left me alone,"


    Susan''s confident smile slowly disappeared upon listening to his reply.


    "Oh¡­ okay¡­ then see you around," she said, trying to hide the sting that reply gave her.


    She really wanted to ask why he didn''t want to be friends with her or how could he not want to be friends with her, but¡­ she was now somewhat scared of his honest reply.


    Axel simply shook his head. He had nothing in common with that girl. And she was so superficial. It suddenly didn''t matter if he was a bad person if he could duel well.


    They had nothing in common and she was a bit too immature. Though it''s not her fault since she''s only acting her age. Very few 11 year olds would be mature enough that Axel would tolerate them.


    ¡­


    The next class was the History of Magic with Ravenclaws.


    "So, you''ve already studied this one as well?" Asked Axel with some annoyance as he glanced beside him. There was a girl who was setting up soft pluffy cushion on the desk, making preparations to sleep.


    Daphne nodded her head with a sigh.


    "Sadly yes. That asshole made sure that I knew my Pureblood history. About how we fought Goblins and stuff."


    She has decided to use that name for her father. And the fun part is, no one is going to stop her anymore. She had once again chosen to sit in the last seat.


    Daphne shook her head as she looked at him curiously.


    "But forget about that. Tell me, how were you so good at the duel today? Who taught you?"


    ''The Streets,'' thought Axel. But he couldn''t answer her with that, could he? Anyways, he had already started to pick up some of the skills even before he left the orphanage since his life at the Orphanage wasn''t good either.


    Axel just shook his head mysteriously.


    "It''s a secret," he said.


    Daphne frowned. She knew her stuff. The things Axel was doing, even her Dueling tutor couldn''t do that. Daphne has always wanted to be powerful. Thus, she wanted to also learn how to do that.


    But, the thing is, she doesn''t know how to ask him to teach her. In her whole life, Daphne hasn''t asked for anything so she doesn''t know how to.


    But then, she remembered something. Her sister Astoria had always had a way of getting whatever she wanted and she always succeeded. Thus, even though it felt quite embarrassing, Daphne decided to try her sister''s method.


    "Hey, Axel,"


    She pouted her lips as she blinked her eyes cutely.


    "Will you teach me?" She asked.


    Axel raised his eyebrows.


    "Do you even need to ask? Of course. I won''t," he replied in kind, wondering why she would even think he''ll agree.


    "..." Daphne was left speechless for a moment before her face flushed red in embarrassment.


    ''Astoria! You hateful brat!''


    To her relief, the professor came at this moment, preventing her from finding a hole to hide in. For History of Magic, the professor was a middle-aged man with Long hair, a beard, and a huge mustache.


    "My name is Jakub Gorski. And I am your History of Magic Professor. I am a traveler and explorer who has decided to take a rest after a serious injury," he introduced himself in a deep and rugged voice.


    "Now, before me, this subject was taught by the ghost of a Professor, who only taught about things that were centuries old and most of them pretty useless. Also, most of it was based only on Britain," he said in a somewhat condescending tone while shaking his Head.


    "No. We won''t be doing that. We''d be studying only the History from which we can actually learn something. And we won''t be sticking to Britain."


    He spread his hands wide.


    "I have traveled the world. I have visited numerous magical communities from the most primitive to the most developed. I have even visited many muggle places which had a connection to wizards. And let me assure you, this world is a wondrous place! Thus, along with some of Magical Britain''s history, you will be studying the History of other places as well."


    "Of course, another reason would be that, since there are so many foreign students among you that it doesn''t make sense to force them to learn Britain''s boring history."


    Che*


    Daphne clicked her tongue from beside him.


    "I shouldn''t have sat in the last seat," she murmured in disappointment, her previous embarrassment forgotten. "This is something I haven''t ever been taught,"


    Axel had to admit, this teacher was a bit different. But it was also a pity that he can''t pay too much attention, since he has much more important stuff to learn than History.


    Like Occlumency.


    As much as he''d like it, he can''t just focus only on Occlumency. He really needs power right now and Occlumency is going to take time. The first stage, as system put it, isn''t really that simple. For most of the Wizards who have practiced Occlumency, that is the final stage for them and it takes them at least a decade to reach it for average wizards. That''s why everyone isn''t rushing to learn Occlumency. Even with his talent, he can''t master it instantly.


    And that can be fatal if he doesn''t improve on other aspects during that time. His luck has always been shitty and life keeps throwing obstacles at him from time to time. If he''s only focuses on Occlumency, he''ll be weak as hell in this condition to face those obstacles.


    So, now has several things on his plate at once. First, he has to learn Occlumency, then he has to unlock and learn his Arcane Thief Skills, and finally, he also has to increase his magical output by the method he received from the system

 Chapter 20: Some people stay As*holes

    "So, let''s start with the important history of Britain, shall we?" Said Professor Jakub Gorski, rubbing his hands together.


    "In this lesson, we''ll mainly be focusing on the important events that have happened in Britain along with their consequences. In my class, there''s no need for learning precise dates since I think those are the single most boring and useless thing that we can learn from History. Also, do remember to take notes."


    At the mention of notes, there was a hustling noise since there were many first years who hadn''t bothered taking out their notebooks.


    Daphne glanced at Axel''s hands when Professor Gorski mentioned taking notes.


    "Can you write with that?" She asked as she took out her notebook and fountain pen.


    Axel looked at her as if questioning why she was questioning the obvious.


    "No."


    Daphne couldn''t understand the situation.


    "Then¡­ how are you supposed to take notes¡­ and do homework...and write exams?" It would have occurred to her in the last class if Umbridge had actually taught them something worth writing.


    Axel actually didn''t know it himself until yesterday. He didn''t know anything about Hogwarts. And he didn''t know why he had assumed that a magical school wouldn''t stress on having you write stuff and just let you learn magic through wands.


    Thankfully, there was a solution.


    "Professor Mcgonagall has allowed me to use Self-writing pens. She said I''ll get them soon." He had a signed slip from Mcgonagall to explain his situation.


    Daphne was surprised to hear that. "They''re banned for other students, aren''t they?"


    These days, self-writing pens were so advanced and convenient that they had become a norm in the Wizarding World. But it was banned at Hogwarts since students wouldn''t have practice in spelling and writing.


    Daphne sighed.


    "How luc¡ª" she was about to say ''lucky'' but she stopped herself. Having his hands in that condition... he''s probably the last person to be called lucky.


    After everyone was ready, Professor Gorski began his lecture.


    "Magical Britain is believed to be the origin of witchcraft and wizardry for many wizarding communities. Its History can be divided into four parts: Origin, Early, Middle, and Recent. Let''s begin with a brief description of each, shall we?"


    "The Origin age, we are directly going to skip. There are barely any factual records of that time and there''s nothing concrete in Britain''s Libraries. It doesn''t come under studying History, it comes under Researching History. Have you ever wondered how wizards came into being? Where do wizards get their powers from? It''s about that. Obviously not for the first years.


    "Now, the real stuff in Britain started with Merlin, and that is also the beginning of the Early Stage. No one is really sure about his origins, or how he gained his power despite there being multiple stories. But, it has been widely accepted that Merlin was the most powerful Sorcerer and the origin of most of the witchcraft and wizardry we have now.


    He had several apprentices at the time, each of whom he taught different fields of magic and even trusted some of them with his deeper secrets, like how he gained his power.


    These apprentices then branched out to many places, spreading what they had been taught and researching their own magic as well. This was how a lot of different magical communities were formed in different countries with Britain being the most powerful and progressive.


    One of these apprentices, the one with whom Merlin had shared the secret to his powers, actually turned on him. Her name was Morgan Le Fay, more popularly known as Morgana. We''ll study in detail about it later.


    Also, the founders of Hogwarts were also in this age," He took a pause here, seeing that many were struggling to keep up.


    Axel was fascinated. He wondered where Merlin got his powers from.


    [The information is currently locked at your level.]


    ''Damn.''


    Must be a hell of information to be locked even after 13% approval.


    Professor Gorski continued, "This was the most important stage so even while giving a brief description, I had to say so much. Now, the third stage is the Medieval Stage. This lasted the longest. It was after the powerful figures of the Early stage had either disappeared or died.


    This is the stage of degradation. Many families started to hoard their magic, and conflicts continued to grow between them, causing the loss of a lot of valuable Magical Knowledge. A great many Dark Lords emerged as well. During this age, Britain didn''t make any significant improvement in magic and instead went backward.


    Then comes the period that historians called the Recent age. It''s called such because it started just about a decade ago.


    Yes, Britain was in its Medieval age until a decade ago. It''s after the demise of the most recent Dark Lord. This is a period of rapid progression. Britain already had the foundation and funds befitting of the Origin of many countries'' witchcraft and wizardry.


    Under the phenomenal leadership of Minister Bellatrix Black, it is rapidly gaining back its lost status and reforming to be a powerful and prosperous magical country with at a rate never seen in any other magical country or community," finished Gorski.


    "So, this was a brief description of the History of Magical Britain. Now we''ll go into detail starting from the Early age¡­" And so, the History class went on.


    After History, they had Potions with Gryffindors.


    "Why exactly are you here?" Axel asked Rose who was standing beside him in front of his potion-making counter. It would be a lie to say that he wasn''t annoyed with her presence.


    Though, if anything, Rose seemed even more annoyed at being by his side than he. She looked at her Magi-mirror in grievance. It had several messages from Aunt Andromeda all but ordering her to take good care of Axel and babysit him. She even threatened to send a howler if she didn''t.


    "It''s not like I want to be here. I simply don''t have a choice," she said in a peeved tone.


    She looked at Axel with narrowed eyes.


    "What exactly did you do to Aunt Andromeda? She''s been awfully concerned with your well-being."


    Axel frowned. must be that woman who asked her to sit here.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    He had mixed opinions about this woman. Her actions don''t make sense and they''re contradictory if he takes Bellatrix''s words into consideration.


    Her letter to Mcgonagall did help him in the end since he now had her signed note stating his injuries and she did get him to have a good time and now she''s asking Rose to take care of him. Axel didn''t know if she wanted something else from him.


    ''But, does it really matter?'' He thought to himself. He realized that he couldn''t really bring himself to care. Whether it was some kind of compensation due to the memory extraction or whether she wanted something else from him, he didn''t really care anymore. The situation is, he has to partner up with Rose for this class. It can''t be that bad, can it? Does he really need to struggle so much to reject it?


    Rose was even more annoyed when her question was ignored.


    "So? Did you do anything to her? She''s even threatening to send a howler if I didn''t help you,"


    At that moment, a man strode in, with his cloak billowing behind him in style. The first thing he did was a roll call.


    When Rose''s turn came--


    "Rose Potter?"


    "Present, sir."


    Snape looked up from his sheet at Rose. Even though his face was expressionless, Axel could tell that something was different from his experience in reading people.


    Snape''s eyes then fell on him for a second before going back to the parchment. When his turn came Snape had looked up at him again, and Axel didn''t know why, but he had a bad feeling.


    After Roll call, the man swept his gaze around at the class.


    "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word.


    "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don''t expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of¡­"


    Axel glossed over the rest. The man seemed to be exaggerating quite a bit. He''ll have to see if this man can really teach them to brew glory and stopper death.


    But suddenly,


    "Hunt! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"


    ''...What the fuck?''


    Of course, Axel didn''t know. Potions aren''t going to help him when he''s in a fight. And, with his condition, can he even brew potions? Thus, he hadn''t bothered even touching the book.


    "I don''t know, professor," he said simply. He didn''t think it was a big deal. He could bet even half the students didn''t know anything based on what he''s seen from his previous classes.


    But Snape''s lips curled into a slight sneer.


    "Tut, tut, you should be more qualified before trying to leech off someone''s fame," he said, glancing at the person beside him.


    For a moment, the Slytherins and Gryffindors seemed to unite as many of them had problems with The Girl Who Lived and the adopted daughter of the most powerful pureblood family partnering up with him. Many of them snickered, sneered, or smirked at Snape''s comment.


    Though Axel was surprised. He didn''t know so many people minded. He was just minding his own business. It seems he had underestimated her fame. If he knew, he''d have kicked Rose out ages ago.


    Axel had to check the snake insignia on his chest to confirm he was Slythrin. He was surprised why Snape would target a Slytherin. From what he had heard and observed, he was a discriminatory bastard who always favors Slytherins.


    "Let''s try again, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"


    Axel had had enough. It was clear that this bastard was targeting him.


    ''Tell me, System.''


    Rose was a bit worried. Sirius had warned her repeatedly about ''the greasy git''. That he might be a pedophile and necrophile, whatever those things meant. He had also told her that the man had a severe obsession with her mother and that she should be careful of him all the time.


    But still, she hadn''t expected things to turn out like this. Obviously, Axel was mostly being targeted because of her.


    When Snape had asked the second question, she was going to help Axel by whispering the answer to him, but¡ª


    "A Bezoar is found in the stomach of a goat. It''s a very potent antidote that can save you from most poisons," said Axel, surprising her.


    Snape sneered.


    "Well, a lucky question. Then tell me, Hunt, what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"


    Not a second after he had asked the question, Axel''s bored voice came again.


    "They''re the same plants. There''s yet another name for this plant as well. It''s Aconite."


    Snape seemed to not give up.


    "What color of fumes are released when a boil potion is made successfully?"


    "Pink. The potion in question is an effective remedy against pustules, hives, boils, and many other scrofulous conditions."


    Snape was still not satisfied.


    "What is the Wiggenweld Potion?"


    Rose frowned. This was not even a first-year question! Even she didn''t know the answer.


    But Axel didn''t even bat an eye as he answered.


    "It''s a healing potion with the power to cure injuries. It is also the antidote to the Sleeping Draught and¡­. the Draught of Living Death, which, by the way, is actually the answer to your very first question, Professor."


    That managed to shut him up and slap those who had laughed. Snape looked at him for several seconds before looking at the rest of the class.


    "Well, why aren''t you all writing that down?!"


    Axel had managed to answer all the questions.


    Rose was impressed and confused at the same time.


    "Why didn''t you answer the first question earlier?"


    Axel shrugged.


    "I was trying to keep a low profile. Not everyone has a powerful background to fall upon like you." Of course, he couldn''t say he was cheating, taking advantage of his high approval rate to get the answers from the system.


    "..." She was a bit speechless. Low profile? He was probably the most high-profile first year right now after her. Though looking back, he did try his best. He never sought any fame. But he''d be bullied more if just he let bullies like Snape and Malfoy walk all over him. So, when there was no other choice but to stand out, he stood out in a way no one would dare to mess with him again if they were not idiots.


    When thinking about it, she could understand why. Slytherin is infested with Purebloods like Malfoy. So he understand why he would want to keep a low profile.


    Axel raised his index finger.


    "Also, let me make clear, I am NOT sitting with you in the next class. No matter what. I was an idiot to even think this could work out fine, am I clear?"


    By now, even Rose knew better than to mess with this guy. She was so overwhelmed by his rythym that she found herself nodding obediently. If anyone who knew her saw this, they''d have their jaws dropped so low that you''ll have to dig them out.


    Snape had them brew a potion for the rest of the class. Axel and Rose''s potion was progressing just fine since Axel was doing almost nothing.


    But of course, someone had to have a problem.


    "Hunt, why aren''t you doing anything?"


    Axel produced two pieces of paper from his pocket. One was his condition report he had got from Saint Mungo signed by Andromeda which mentioned his current body''s condition and another was Mcgonagall''s signed note on the state that he be given some liberties on things which he can''t do.


    Axel had thought that this should shut him up since everyone was always just too surprised to know just how bad his body actually was. But apparently, not Snape.


    Axel knew that the man WAS indeed surprised to know about the details his condition. But, he didn''t seem to show the same empathy as the other teachers.


    "Well, I don''t see the problem here," he said after a pause.


    ''Huh?'' This made both Axel and Rose surprised.


    "Pardon?"


    Snape sneered, "I said, I don''t see the problem here. Having injuries doesn''t give you the excuse to not try. If you''re afraid of bringing your partner down, then don''t pair up in the first place," he said clearly.


    ''Well, wouldn''t be a problem if doesn''t fucking hurt every time I try, you bastard,'' thought Axel. He knew this bastard knew it was painful and yet he was making him do this.


    ''Fine, if this is how you wanna play it,'' thought Axel as he picked up his things and left Rose''s table.


    It was good that this bastard knew how bad and irreparable his condition was. He''ll get a nasty surprise when he one day finds out just how much Axel can do even with this condition and an even nastier one when Axel eventually heals himself and becomes more powerful than a wizard and a better potioneer than this guy.


    ''Another grudge...''


    ¡­


    The potions class wasn''t too difficult in the end since he didn''t do anything that''ll be difficult with his condition. Axel will simply get a bad grade. But since when was that a problem?


    Funnily enough, the greasy bat had stopped targeting him after he had left Rose''s table. This made him hate her more. Damn it, if only he had known that she was the problem. He''ll make sure this won''t happen again.


    But with the classes over for the day, he can now focus on better things.


    Like increasing his power output and exploring the new system feature.


    ''Alright, system, explain how I should level up this Arcane Thief class and unlock better skills,'' he said to the system after he had retreated to his hideout that night.


    First things first. Like last time with the spell practicing, he once again focused on escape first. Arcane Thief might not sound powerful, but¡­ as a thief, Axel can see its huge potential. Alongside ensuring his safety, it can be very powerful in combat. In fact, an unusually skilled thief by profession already, he''d be able to use these skills to their fullest potential.


    Like how he did at that time with Valentino girl.


    Despite all her so-called talent and genius, hadn''t Axel caught her off guard at that time without any power? If she was a certified enemy, she might have been dead right then and there.


    Also, he had almost given up on thieving after his last attempt. But now, with the skills of the Arcane Thief Class... the Purebloods wouldn''t know what hit them.

 Chapter 21: Grinding Skills

    ''Alright, system, explain how I should level up this Arcane Thief class and unlock better skills,'' Axel asked the system. All this class system was quite and confusing to him.


    Thankfully, the system''s response was clear and quite detailed.


    [When you unlock a skill, a certain amount of information on how to enhance it becomes accessible to you. Further information will become accessible as you enhance the skill using the existing methods.


    For example, when you unlocked your skill ''Presence Reduction,'' you have unlocked the basic information to enhance it. Once you progress, further information will be unlocked.


    As for unlocking the skills, there are several ways to do it.


    1) Unlocking the skills that you already have. For this, you just need to use that skill and you will unlock a limited amount of information on how to further enhance it. This is how you unlocked your Presence Reduction and Blending.


    2) Unlocking the skill by learning it from other sources. For example, if you learn invisibility from other sources, you will unlock the Arcane Thief Invisibility.


    3) Skills can also be unlocked by performing specific actions related to that class. For example, for your Arcane Thief Class, the main action you will have to do is steal, along with some other actions. The more you steal, the more skills you unlock. The more difficult the task is, the better skills and better information you will unlock.


    The Class will progress the more skills you master. Thus enabling you to unlock a new class.]


    Axel''s eyes glazed over as he processed the words.


    "The more I steal¡­ the more I progress?" He murmured. Was this a dream? It''s like you''re getting sponsored to do what you love to do and get better at it along the way.


    Right now, he had four options:


    1)Train in the skills he had unlocked.


    2)Try unlocking the Skills he already had by using them.


    3)Try stealing some things to unlock


    4)Try unlocking the skills by learning them from other sources.


    After his last experience, and with his body''s current condition, he doesn''t really want to risk getting caught once again. So, the third option is out. As for unlocking the Skills he already had, he doesn''t know what skills he already possesses. So it will be like blindly shooting a target.


    Learning from outer sources to unlock and then start making progress¡­ it''ll be taking too much time.


    So, it''ll be best to just learn what he has already unlocked for now. He already has a lot on his plate as it is.


    Axel sat down and accessed the information he had on the skills he had unlocked.


    Since this was the basic information, there were physical and mental exercises that''ll help him along with tips and tricks in both the skills. There were body movements and maneuvers which he hadn''t thought of himself as well. There was even a diet plan he had to follow which included magical ingredients he didn''t know about.


    Aside from the practical part, Axel was already feeling like he had progressed just by reading the basic tips, tricks, and techniques.


    "Hot damn..." Axel was overwhelmed. This information was gold. That was just a figure of speech since this is much more precious than any amount of gold. Especially for a thief.


    ''System? This is not even all the information? Then what am I getting after I progress?'' He asked the system. He couldn''t imagine what else could be better.


    [There are potion recipes, rituals, breathing exercises, etc, to be unlocked that''ll help prepare your body to channel much better and more potent magic so that you can be prepared for the advanced aspects of many skills. Then you will unlock the advanced techniques. You have a long way to go.]


    ''Woah¡­''


    Axel didn''t understand everything, but he understood one thing clearly: This is going to be awesome!


    "Let''s get started then."


    He began with the skill ''Blend'': To blend in the surrounding.


    He first performed some of the basic exercises, the ones he could perform with his physical condition. He then began to practice the movements that were described following the images in his mind.


    It was quite painful and he couldn''t focus well.


    [Congratulations. You have unlocked the Skill: Pain Tolerance.


    A true thief can be silently near all the pain in order to not get caught and complete his theft. Increases the tolerance to pain.


    Current progress: 57%]


    "...?"


    Axel looked at the 57% bar on the interface in wonder. It was so much higher than his other skills. That''s right, pain had been his constant companion throughout most of his life. Heck, he had even taken on the most torturous spell without losing. Then why is he getting put off with his current pain?


    "Damn laziness," he muttered. Axel realized that he was just being lazy and not taking this training seriously. Is it not important enough? Well, of course, it is. It can save his life at a critical moment.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    So this time, he just gritted his teeth and made his body move.


    This time, he could focus much better. Soon, he fell into a trance which he calls the Zone.


    It was a mysterious experience. Closing his eyes and following the movements in the images, his originally crude and practical movements seemed to gain much more grace and finesse in real-time.


    [Progress: 8% -> 13%]


    But he soon had to stop since it looked like his body had had enough.


    He decided to try out a mental exercise that was common in both ''Blend'' and ''Presence Reduction'' skills. He sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes.


    He closed his eyes and made his breathing even. Words floated in his mind as his mind started to calm and he followed them.


    "Remain motionless, reduce to zero the amount of unnecessary extra effort."


    "Free of everything that hinders or oppresses you. Let go of all of your worries and burden."


    "Completely relax mind and body. Slightly open your arms laterally, turning our palms slightly upwards."


    "Direct the head in a straight and natural frontal-upward direction so as not to restrict the flow of breathing."


    "Sense the surroundings. To Blend in, you must be aware of your surroundings first."


    "Make sure to¡­.


    ¡­


    The instructions continued, and Axel followed all the steps. As he progressed, he started to feel a slight pain in his body, meaning that his magic was indeed moving, albeit in small amounts.


    After he was done, the results were quite good.


    [Progress in Blending: 13%-21%]


    [Progress in Presence Reduction: 12%-17%]


    ''This is good,'' thought Axel. This exercise was common in both the skills and it was also quite relaxing along with being very effective. Stealing food from great hall wouldn''t be a problem anymore.


    By now, he was quite spent and his eyelids felt quite heavy. But, he still had one thing left to try.


    He took out his wand and looked at it for a while.


    ''System, how strong is my current bond with my wand?'' he asked.


    [Currently, it''s quite weak.]


    ''Huh?'' Axel''s droopy eyes opened up upon hearing that.


    ''The bond is very weak? Why?''


    [Good looks can only take you so far, Axel. You have treated your wand poorly until now.]


    "What the heck?" Axel would accept that he hadn''t really gone out of his way to treat it better, but he didn''t think that he had treated it poorly.


    ''Can you explain?''


    [When was the last time you polished it?]


    "...You need to do that?"


    He hadn''t polished it at all.


    [Yes. You need to treat it like a person. Preferably, like a girl. Other wands don''t need such treatment, but Cherub wands are quite sensitive and have a womanly heart. It would be advisable to polish/groom it daily. Aside from this, there are several other reasons.]


    [You have never praised it for its work. The time when you charged the electric zap spell to your limit, you were not the only one who was struggling. These are some of the reasons.]


    "..."


    ''Am I a scumbag?''


    His actions did seem quite scummy.


    "Well, I''ll try to do better," he muttered. Thanking it and treating it like a woman seemed too much for his sanity at the moment, but Axel made sure to polish it before sleeping that night.


    ¡­.


    Late at night, the front door of a house slowly opened and a woman slowly stepped in. The woman''s beautiful face was expressionless and her posture was straight. Nothing would have seemed wrong with her if not for her gaunt face and her pale skin.


    She slowly made her way up the stairs to her room, not making any sound. Just when she had opened the door to her room she heard a voice from behind.


    "So¡­ you finally decided to show up?" Asked the voice. There was something peculiar about this voice. It wasn''t loud and it didn''t contain much emotion. Yet, it had this terrifying quality to it and it that made the pale woman flinch.


    "A-Andi? You''re awake? Why are you up at this time of night?" Asked the pale woman. Her previously expressionless face had changed into a bright and cheerful one. But her voice sounded a bit hoarse.


    Andromeda wasn''t fooled by her sister''s fake smile.


    "I am awake because I have been waiting for my sister who suddenly disappeared out of nowhere. Do you think I can sleep?" She asked, still trying to keep calm and sure enough, her eyes were bloodshot and the dark circles also indicated her lack of sleep.


    If she could have felt worse, Bella did. Which was an achievement considering how bad she was already feeling.


    "Andi, I¡­ I¡ª" she began, her visage not looking that of a genus minister but of a little girl being scolded.


    "Don''t Andi me this time, Bella! There is a limit to how absurd actions your actions can be?! You are running a country and you have a family who was worried sick that you might have been kidnapped or worse! What was so important that you couldn''t even properly inform anyone?! Just tell me, was it something so urgent that you couldn''t inform us, yes or no?" She demanded, her voice containing more disappointment than anger.


    "..."


    Bellatrix opened her mouth to speak, but no she couldn''t respond.


    She simply hadn''t bothered to care about anything else.


    Andromeda shook her head in disappointment.


    "And don''t even get me started on how you are enjoying... torturing children these days!" She raged.


    This made Bellatrix flinch. A crack appeared in her mask.


    "Do you have ANY idea how much damage your actions have caused Axel?!"


    The Occlumency shields Bellatrix had been using went down and her cheerful persona broke down like a sand castle.


    But Andromeda was just getting started.


    "It was already a miracle that boy had been sane after the things he had been through.


    He had already built walls around himself so high that he didn''t trust anyone! He has never even talked to anyone properly and never had any real joy in his life. Neither did he ever have someone who''d care if he was tortured to death!


    ''Because no one would care enough!'' that''s what he had answered when I had asked why he was emotionless even after being tortured. Did he not have feelings? He did! But he didn''t express them because no one cared!"


    Andromeda paused as she breathed in deeply, trying to calm down. She was never the one to lose her composure. But this time, she had. She was explaining all this to explain why she minded it so much if Bellatrix targeted Axel.


    Calming herself, she continued in a lower voice. She was so disappointed that she couldn''t even bring herself to be angry. She was just¡­ so disappointed¡­ so regretful...


    "And to such a boy, you¡­ said those words! For WHAT?! Your amusement? You could have easily taken the memories without saying those hurtful words, whether they were true or not," she said, her voice lowering further during the last part.


    She herself didn''t know how much of Bellatrix''s words were false anymore. But by now, she at least knew that she cared. In such a short time, while helping the boy gain happiness, she had come to care about him.


    It was quite surprising, considering the fact that there was no end to the pitiful patients she had treated professionally in her 10 year career. The conditions were unique and the boy had a way of drawing people in. Even without intending for it or even while consciously avoiding it.


    "H-How¡­?" Tried Bellatrix. She didn''t know how Andromeda knew this.


    "You want to know how I know this? It''s because the boy sent me the memory. He had to! He was the last person you were with and then you disappear without a word! The Aurors were going to take action! He might have been scared!"


    She looked at Bellatrix who had totally lost composure at this point.


    "Well?" She asked, looking for a response.


    Sniff*


    Sniff* *Sniff*


    Though whatever response she was expecting, she certainly wasn''t expecting this reaction. She hadn''t seen Bella cry ever since the time she found out about her savior''s death.


    Like a dam that had broken, Bellatrix broke down in sobs as she hugged Andromeda.


    Sob* "Andi¡­" *Sob* "I screwed up, Andi. I screwed up so bad¡ª"*sob*


    "?!"


    Andromeda was so surprised that she even forgot her anger and disappointment for a moment. All she could do was slowly hug her back as her weary mind finally eased after having her sister back.


    "We''ll¡­ we''ll figure it out. We''ll make it up to him, Bella. I''ll make sure that we do."

 Chapter 22: Flying and Undercurrents

    It was Thursday and Axel was beginning to think that the hype of his duel had finally died down.


    [Progress in ''Blend'': 21%-26%]


    [Progress in ''Presence Reduction'': 17%-22%]


    Along with that, he had made some more progress in his skills yesterday after training the given methods, though no new skill was unlocked yet.


    As for increasing his power output, he did polish his cherub wand regularly. Yesterday, he had muttered a ''good job'' to it after he had finally successfully pulled off the Levitation charm and was rewarded with a thrum of magic running upon its length. So, it seems that it was going loads better than his previous situation.


    With the help of the information, Axel had learned more about the proper use of his skills. He was soaking in that valuable knowledge like a sponge.


    Which is why, today, he found himself sitting on the Slytherin table along with the rest of the students.


    He sat there, with a serene expression, as minute amounts of his magic slowly flowed through his body, blending him with his surroundings, and reducing his presence.


    ''It''s actually working,'' thought Axel as he ate his food in silence, making his movements blending in with the other students, no making any move that''ll be attention-grabbing.


    It''s not as difficult as it seems. He just has to make others think he is just another student, just eating his breakfast. He had covered his eye-catching hair with the Hogwarts hat which many students wear regularly. Along with a little help of his magic, anyone looking his way would just glance right over him.


    Though, there was a problem. The progress had slowed down as those exercises weren''t giving the same results.


    To get new information, he''ll first have to complete what he already has. And that can''t be done unless he changes his diet.


    The things he was supposed to take, like eating ingredients of some magical plants and even things like hippogriff milk, how was he supposed to get them?


    ''System, any idea?'' He decided to ask the system. With 13% approval, it wasn''t as useless anymore and Axel would get the information he wanted most of the time, like the time when Snape asked him questions.


    But, he doesn''t want to get overly dependent on it, so he usually tries to handle any problem by himself first.


    [You can order ingredients using BigOwl.]


    ''And where the fuck am I supposed to find this big owl?''


    [BigOwl is Magical Britain''s biggest shopping platform. You can order almost anything and get it delivered to you in the shortest time.]


    ''Oh¡­'' Axel got it now. He wasn''t dumb. He had seen other students getting various things delivered as well.


    Though¡­


    ''How do I order it? Do I write a letter?''


    [You can do that, or you can simply order it through your Magi-mirror. It''ll take less time.]


    ''...The fucking Magi-mirror again?'' Axel sighed. He did indeed have a Magi-Mirror. It came with the things Andromeda had given him. Though he had still not used any of them.


    But with the number of events being connected to it, it seems that he has no choice but to use it. While he pondered the conversation of some older Slytherins caught his attention.


    "So, you also got an invitation, right? Have you thought about attending?"


    "Do you even need to ask? Of course I am. Did you see the spells she performed?"


    "Yeah, they were so Powerful! Do you think we can also do the same?"


    "Well, that''s what she said, didn''t she? She said she also used to be just a mediocre witch, right?"


    "Yeah, the only problem is all the restrictions and secrecy,"


    "Well, but it does make sense, doesn''t it? Nothing comes for free after all."


    Axel was interested because they were talking about joining something that can increase their powers. But, as soon as he heard the word ''restrictions'' his interest lessened a lot. Besides, he wasn''t even invited, what''s even the use of thinking about it?


    Axel simply picked up his bag and left. He had flying lessons today and he was getting late.


    He honestly still couldn''t even properly get over the fact that wizards can actually fly. He had never thought that he''d be able to fly. And now he actually had a chance.


    If only his body wasn''t in such a bad condition, he''d have been pretty excited about it.


    To find places to stay and to escape while he was being chased, Axel had picked up traveling through rooftops after much practice. He could have climbed over almost any building. That''s why he was so confident in his escape after entering an Alley.


    When jumping through the roofs and seeing the ground below, used to give him the illusion that he was flying. So of course, he found the prospect of actually flying quite appealing.


    It was just that with his current condition, he isn''t sure how well he''ll do.


    Walking alone, he made his way towards the Quidditch pitch.


    ''Hmm?''


    Just as he stepped into the field, he felt his foot sinking in.


    Frowning, he tried pressing his foot further only to find the ground quite soft and bouncy.


    "The heck is this?" He muttered. Up ahead, he saw that the other students were also moving forward half-bouncing half-walking.


    "The whole ground has been enchanted with Cushioning magic to prevent injuries and death. Can you believe they used to play without this just a decade ago?" said a voice from behind him.


    "No," Axel didn''t even glance behind as he began walking/hobbling forward on the bouncy ground.


    Rose frowned. She didn''t like being ignored. Though she could understand it since she was the reason why he was treated like that in the Potions class.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    She had even protested at that time when Snape had forced Axel to make Potions, but it had only resulted in point loss for Gryffindor and more trouble for Axel. So, she had given up after the first try after noticing Axel''s warning glare and realizing that she was only making it worse.


    ''Though this, it''s different!''


    "Hey!" She yelled, catching up to him.


    "You might not know this, but I''m the best flier at Hogwarts. And you''re rejecting my offer for help," she said in annoyance.


    Rose didn''t know why, but now, Aunt Bella had also joined Aunt Andi in pestering her about Axel.


    Has he been taking his food regularly? Are the teachers going easy on him after Andromeda''s notification? Does he have friends? Is there any girl getting too close to him lately?


    Things like that.


    And, her threats were also real. "If you ever tried to bully him, I''m banning Quidditch from Britain."


    This one had really left her terrified.


    Now, Rose was dying to know what had Axel done to achieve this in so little time. Though she was already sure interrogation wouldn''t work on this guy. She had tried and look how good that turned out. He has even stopped acknowledging her presence.


    Axel glanced at her with a raised eyebrow,


    "You''re good at Flying?'''' He asked.


    Rose''s face lit up.


    ''See? I knew he''d stop ignoring me after hearing that.''


    She nodded with pride. "Yep, I''ve been flying on brooms since I was very young. Sirius even gifted me a real broomstick when I was four!"


    "Well, good for you," he said in a deadpan before moving on.


    "...?"


    When she heard Axel''s reply, Rose''s face turned red in anger, somewhat matching her hair. She was expecting him to be at least a little bit impressed with that.


    ''Does he not believe me?'' She thought in anger.


    There was a limit to how much she could take. Stomping her foot in anger, she left with a huff. After she had left, the bored look in Axel''s eyes vanished as he looked in her direction with a calculating look. It seems his guess was right.


    "She''s all bark," he muttered. He had been testing her out for a while now and it seems that his assumptions were right. She will not do anything to him. She hadn''t shown any real intent to take action against him.


    That''s why he''s been rude to her recently. Otherwise, he''d have continued to remain polite until the day he took his revenge.


    He went over to the middle of the pitch where students were gathering up. Unfortunately, it would seem that Malfoy had managed to get out of the Hospital wing by now and was currently glaring at Axel.


    "I bet he can''t fly with his crippled body," Axel heard him say clearly enough that many others heard it as well.


    He sighed. Would it kill this guy to use his brain? Why can''t he comprehend that antagonizing him will get him nowhere? Just how spoiled is he to not know any fear?


    ''It seems like I''ll need to have a word with his mother.''


    Axel simply ignored the guy and went to stand in front of a broom. Soon, their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, gray hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.


    "Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."


    Axel looked at his broom. It looked to be in a fairly good condition. It also had two attachments to put your feet on. On its tail, the words Nimbus 3000 were written.


    "A Nimbus 3000? It''s been a while since I last saw one," Axel heard one of the students say.


    "Yeah, brings back nostalgia, doesn''t it?" Another student said.


    "Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say ''Up!''"


    "UP!" everyone shouted.


    "UP!" Axel also tried with all his effort.


    SNAP*


    ''Fuck!'' Axel winced in pain when his injured hand was slapped hard with the handle of the broom.


    The sound was loud enough for even the rest of the students to hear.


    ''Damn it, why?!'' Axel questioned when he noticed that he seemed to be the only one whose broom hit his hand so hard.


    [Axel, the command didn''t need magic to activate. It only needed intent and authority.]


    ''Oh.''


    Axel didn''t know that. He had thought it was yet another spell and had put in the usual effort he puts into his command.


    ''But still, isn''t it a bit too fast?''


    [If an average person is putting in 50% intent in their spell, you are putting around 500% intent to extract your magic. If only comparing the intent as in this case, then you have become much superior to others due to your superior talent and practice.]


    ''Ah, got it,''


    "Are you alright kid?" He heard Madam Hooch ask him. She was looking at him peculiarly, as if she also found this occurrence strange.


    Axel nodded.


    "Good. Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle ¡ª three ¡ª two ¡ª one¡ª *PTWEEEE*


    Axel mounted his broom. He noticed that it had Cushioning charms on it as well so that it''s comfortable to sit without busting your balls. On the whistle, he kicked off the ground hard, as hard as his feet could carry him.


    He had read the instructions from the system already since it was so basic information. He slightly raised the handle¡­ or atleast, he tried to. His crippled hands were shaking non-stop, completely disrupting his flying.


    The broom was radically changing directions as well since his hands weren''t steady at all! Yet, he was somehow able to keep balance without crashing down like anyone in his position would.


    At this moment, a system notification sounded as well, further distracting was also aware of Malfoy''s jeering laughter.


    "Alright, fuck it,"


    At this moment, Axel simply decided to fuck all instructions and simply let go of his hands.


    Even though the rest of his body isn''t in a good condition, it''s good enough that it doesn''t randomly twitch and shakes. It moves in the direction he wants it to apparently, that was more than enough for him.


    !


    Those who had seen him had thought that he won''t be able to stay on the broom a moment longer. But, as soon as he let go of his hands, his broom suddenly stop moving in mid-air, as if someone had paused the video.


    ''Well¡­''


    With his broom now levitating steadily, Axel looked at the broom in slight surprise. He tried steering it left and right using just his legs and found himself flying wherever he wanted with just a slight shift in his legs.


    ''Ah¡­ was this supposed to be that easy?'' He asked himself as he finally looked around at others.


    It was a mess. Many were lying on the ground, many were flying around here and there with no control, and many weren''t even able to stay in their brooms without falling.


    ''Well, apparently not.''


    Sitting completely at ease while watching Madame Hooch whistling her lungs off, trying to get the students to listen, Axel finally looked at the notification which had come just now.


    [Congratulations. You have unlocked a new skill: Arcane Acrobatics.


    A thief must have nimble and dextrous movements. Helps you increase your balance, maneuverability, and nimbleness and adds grace and finesse to your movements.


    Current progress: 3% (Original 10%)]


    ''Well, what does this progress mean?''


    [You had gained 10% mastery in this skill with your years of training. But, due to your injuries, your performance has decreased. You can''t do rapid physical movements, but your balance, grace, experience, and practice are still there and you have high maneuverability and balance while flying a broom without using your hands.]


    ''Hmm¡­ well, it''s better than nothing,'' he decided after some pondering.


    Down on the ground, Rose sighed in relief when she saw Axel stabilizing in the air. She was stuck here helping out Neville who had fallen from his broom.


    She could have saved him, of course, but she was too focused on Axel who looked ready to fall at any moment.


    She had already been worried this would happen since Axel''s hands were too unsteady. But the guy had thoroughly rejected. When his broom became uncontrollable, Rose saw what was most likely the end of the world for her: Quidditch being banned from Britain.


    Thankfully and surprisingly, as soon as he took his hands off the handle and controlled the broom with the rest of his body, everything seemed to have changed 180.


    That guy had managed to fly the broom even with his hands like that, meanwhile¡­


    "H-Hey Rose! Please help me out! I-I think I''m stuck!"


    Meanwhile, Neville had still not gotten over his fear of heights.


    Dolores Umbridge stepped into her office after passing through several wards. She hadn''t learned them herself. She was just granted the ability.


    Once inside, she opened her cardigan and pull out a locket hanging in front her of the neck.


    She opened the locket which was empty inside.


    "My Lord, I have confirmed. The stone was indeed transferred here," she said to the locket with her eyes closed.


    At first, there was no response. But soon, an obscured face slowly appeared on the surface of the open locket. The only thing that was clearly visible was the frightening red eyes.


    A hint of a smile seem to appear on the face.


    "Good," came a raspy voice, though it had a smoothness to it at the same time to contrast it. It sounded terrifying yet charismatic at the same time.


    "But focus on the other task more. We''ll need as many people as we can get," it said.


    Umbridge bowed her head,


    "Things have been progressing smoothly, my Lord. I am propagating it as much as I can here."


    "Good, perform your tasks successfully and you shall be rewarded."


    Umbridge knelt down on the ground in glee, "Thankyou My lord! I shall not disappoint you!"


    "Is that all you have to report?"


    Umbridge hesitated,


    "My Lord, about the girl¡­"


    The voice paused for a few seconds.


    "Leave the girl alone for now¡­ I have plans for her."


    Umbridge bowed.


    "Yes my lord."

 Chapter 23: Surprise Meet

    That day, after classes and dinner, Axel sat in the empty classroom which had turned into his makeshift bedroom by now. Except, of course, for the fact that there was no bed here.


    But you won''t find Axel complaining. This place was dry, warm, relatively clean, and wasn''t infested with bugs and rodents ¡ªWhich is already quite nice for someone who''s experienced the street life of London.


    He looked at the information about the new Skill he had acquired.


    [Arcane Acrobatics.


    A thief must have nimble and dexterous movements. Helps you increase your balance, maneuverability, and nimbleness and adds grace and finesse to your movements.


    Current progress: 3% (Original 8%)]


    In the information, there were quite a lot of physical exercises along with the basics of free-running and parkour. And even though it was such a pity that he couldn''t do most of them at the moment, but he was still quite excited to give them all a try when he eventually gets healed.


    And of course, there was one more thing again: Diet.


    Sigh*


    Axel felt his heart bleed at the thought of buying these things. Though he did notice that most of the ingredients were common in the three skills.


    ''System, is the diet really that important? Can you explain how those things can help?'' He asked.


    [Affirmative. The special balanced diet, consisting of various magical ingredients and supplements, is a very vital part of the training. They will help you improve your body in various ways.


    Along with providing the necessary nutrition required to perform these taxing exercises, it''ll condition your body to be stronger and flexible enough to perform the higher-level techniques that you''re going to unlock.


    Lastly, it''ll gradually increase the magical conductivity of your body, thus allowing you easier access to magic so that you can use it in the skills.]


    Axel clicked his tongue. ''Looks like I have to do it, huh? So, what are the Prices of the Ingredients?''


    Instantly, the system gave out of list of ingredients, along with their prices. The ones not included can be obtained through the Greenhouse.


    "Damn it, is this robbery?!" He couldn''t exclaiming in dismay. It was going to take a good chunk out of what he had stolen from the man.


    [Things in the list like Dragon meat jerky, Dragon liver, Gurdyroot, Root of arnica, Silverweed, Star grass, Galanthus Nivalis, etc. aren''t supposed to be cheap, Axel. But it''ll give your body a solid foundation along with many benefits. It''ll also help in making your injuries less severe.]


    "Sigh...I''m going to be poor again."


    He to spend the money and get the ingredients. But in order to buy them, he needs a Magi-Mirror as well.


    Axel sighed. Too many things are related to the Magi-mirror here. It seems that he has no choice but to get one too. His problems don''t end there. Cyrus''s pouch had money, yes. But was there enough to cover the cost of Magi-mirror and system''s ingredients?


    Of course not. Which idiot would keep that much cash in pouch? Speaking of which even Cyrus also had a Magi-mirror. But at that time, which his injured and drugged state, he had just thought it was an ordinary mirror and left in the pocket. It was a good thing he did though, since it might have been tracked.


    ''What to do?'' Axel wondered, trying to think of ways to get money.


    There are some really great targets here that he''d like to steal from in House Slytherin, but he hasn''t yet reach a state in which he can successfully pull it off, so stealing is out of question.


    But stealing is not the only thing he has learnt so far. He still has other specialties. He only has to figure out how to capitalize on them.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    While still thinking of this issue, he snuck out of the Castle. Where was he going? To get the ingredients that can be found in the Greenhouse. Axel crossed the grounds and reached the place where the Greenhouses were built.


    The Greenhouses are actually huge, having been rebuilt in the past decade. They now contain precious flora in high quantities, valuable enough to supplement a large chunk of the Castle''s finances.


    But according to the system, he has to go the Greenhouse at the back, the abandoned Greenhouse, since it''s unguarded.


    Entering through gap between the broken down door, Axel looked around. Even though it was quite dark, he could still somehow see quite well. And now that he knows that most of his previous skills were him unconsciously doing magic, he can now tell that he is actually using a skill in order to see, since there is a slight flow of magic towards his eyes.


    It''s just that this skill hasn''t unlocked yet for some reason. According to the system, this skill is a bit more higher level and needs him to practice more and figure out more things in order to unlock.


    ''Hm hmmm hm hmmmm...''


    ???


    While Axel was still thinking about his skill, he heard a faint humming, coming from the back of the Greenhouse, making him go alert. Axel was a bit unsettled. But he couldn''t be blamed. You can''t say Ghosts aren''t real since Ghost are actually real in the Wizarding world, you can''t say it can''t be anything dangerous since there are dangerous creatures of all types in the Wizarding World.


    So, getting a unsettled was natural. But that didn''t stop him from activating of his stealth skills and investigating the source of the voice. He was expecting a lot of things, each more absurd than the other, but he wasn''t expecting what he actually found. He was so surprised that he stood there for several seconds.


    ''Daphne?!''


    Yes, sitting among the plants in the soil was Daphne, a glow orb illuminating her surroundings. She was relaxedly humming a tune while caring for various type of plants. In turn, the plants were also moving in sync with her humming, as if enjoying it. The scene seemed to be straight out of a muggle fairy tale, having such harmony and peace that it made him not know what to do.


    It seems that Daphne''s rebelliousness is gradually increasing. It was definitely past curfew right now, around 10 pm, and here she is sitting in a Greenhouse like there were no classes tomorrow.


    While humming, Daphne turned her attention to the plants behind her, and Axel was still a bit absentminded, so he didn''t realize. And that''s when she inevitably saw him, or rather, a cloaked figure standing behind her like a statue.


    A piercing shriek resounded throughout the Greenhouse. No surprise there. Anyone would be taken by surprise by this surprise-entry.


    "Keep it low, damn it!" Axel had to quickly step forward and clamp the girl''s mouth shutting. "It''s me."


    Daphne stopped struggling when she saw Axel. As Axel removed her hand, she touched her lips, still feeling the shaking of his hands which didn''t have much force behind them.


    Realizing that she was still wearing her pink pajamas with cartoon prints that were a matching pair with Astoria''s, she blushed a bit, quickly putting on her cloak that she had discarded earlier. She also picked up the Invisibility of her father, which she had used to sneak here.


    "What are you doing here?" She asked, looking up at him.


    "I could ask you the same," said Axel, looking pointedly at her muddy hands.


    "I..." Daphne hesitated for a moment, as if wondering how to explain. "I came here to relax."


    "Relax...?" Axel raised his eyebrows. "Here in this dark and gloomy place? Can''t you relax in your room?"


    Daphne sighed. It seems that in order to not look like a psycho, she has to explain. "Due to our Family Business, my house has several Greenhouses. Me and my sister grew up playing among plant since childhood."


    She would usually not talk about something this personal, but she had to in order to explain her odd behaviour. Besides, in the past few days, they had talked so much about her father and her personal life that Axel was no longer a stranger.


    "You''re missing home," Axel realized.


    "I... yes, I''m missing home," Daphne shrugged. "Sitting here, I feel relax and at home," she said, patting the soil in the ground. "Now, tell me why you''re here," she demanded, feeling like she was going to bury him here if didn''t after making her share so much.


    Axel shrugged. "Just wonderin'' around."


    "Alright, alright, I''ll say," he said, when he noticed her taking out her wand. "Geez, you can be like Rose sometimes."


    He responds to respect with respect. So it seems he also needs to tell her. "I''m just here to pick up some ingredients that would help with my... condition."


    "Your... condition." Daphne''s gaze went to Axel''s hand. "If you don''t mind me asking, what is actually happened to you?"


    Axel has always changed the subject whenever his condition comes up, making her also take the hint and not ask. But right now, she couldn''t help it. She can see that it was not as casual as it seems, since Axel still sometimes reveals hints of pain on his face.


    Axel''s relaxed face hardened. "Just don''t ask," he said, turning towards the plants as he began looking for the ingredients.


    "I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have asked," said Daphne, getting up and patting off the dust. Though she was polite, but she still felt that it was bit unfair. He was so smooth that talking that she had told almost too much about her father and her personal life. But she knows almost nothing about him. Let alone his past, she didn''t even know how he could duel so well despite his condition.


    She has searched for Hunt Surname everywhere on the magi-mirror but there was no result.


    ''I''m not giving up.''


    Daphne decided she is going to find out more, if only to be even with him. There''s also this damn feeling of wanting to know something and then being denied, leading to wanting to know it even more.


    "Hey, let me help you find the Ingredients. I know all the plants here."


    ....

 Chapter 24: Time Skip

    ¡°It¡¯s quite long and thick. I¡¯ve never seen one like this.¡±


    ¡°What next?¡±


    ¡°Next, I¡¯m going to shake it. When it leaks the sap, I¡¯m going to collect it.¡±


    ¡°Do it gently!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s coming!¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ this juice is actually quite delicious. I love it.¡±


    After curfew, in the abandoned Greenhouse, Axel and Daphne were on the ground¡­. collecting the ingredients that Axel needed for his diet.


    While picking up the magical herbs, Daphne also highlighted a few features about them as well as the correct ways to harvest them, which would help Axel find them in the future.


    The whole time, she no longer asked him personal questions. The whole time, Axel was at a bit of a loss.


    She hadn¡¯t asked much, just the most obvious question about how he got injured. In return, she had shared almost too much.


    And yet, he had to reject her, since the information was related to murder. Axel could tell that she was angry, and yet, she was helping him pick the ingredients while giving instructions so meticulously.


    But, Axel thought about the Black sisters and hardened his resolve.


    Daphne seems to be completely fine, but so was Andromeda, and the Orphanage keeper.


    He looked at Daphne, who looked so innocent, so weak, and so kind. She was Cyrus¡¯s daughter, yes, but she seems to be the exact opposite. Can she really be bad?


    ¡®It¡¯s just better to keep a distance. After all, I can¡¯t know for sure. Definitely not so fast.¡¯ He decided.


    But still, for some reason, right now, picking up ingredients with her, he felt peculiar. It was a feeling he had hardly felt for a long time.


    How to say it, less burdensome? Less bored? He couldn¡¯t quite tell. But, he wanted to find out. When she was herself, talking without restraint, Daphne had a way of making you feel that way.


    ¡­


    The next day, they had History of Magic Ravenclaw. Usually, the Ravenclaws always come late for the classes but this time, it was the Slytherins who were delayed, courtesy of McGonagall who punished all the class for the mischief of a few Slytherins.


    ¡°Hey, Hunt.¡±


    While walking towards Professor Gorski¡¯s class, Axel almost lashed out when someone put a hand around his shoulder.


    The person who did it was even more surprising. It was Arnold Smith, another Pureblood Slytherin. Arnorld is from a Wealthy American Family which has recently shifted to Britain.


    Axel knows because the guy is quite popular, having the holy trinity of looks, background and academic excellence, making discussions about him quite common on the Slytherin table in his absence.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Asked Axel, trying not to sound annoyed at having extra weight on his shoulders. Maybe this type of close is common in Americans and he is not trying to get a beating.


    ¡°I have seen, you seem to know Daphne Greengrass quite well?¡± He asked with a smile.


    ¡°Not too well. We are acquainted,¡± he said, not knowing where this was going.


    ¡°Really? I¡¯ve never seen her smile so often though. You aren¡¯t trying to pursue her, are you?¡±


    Axel shrugged off his hand, but the boy once again put it on his shoulder. The difference in their height and body weight made Axel curse the malnourished phase of his life. Axel was not short for his age, but Arnold was taller.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± he answered, rolling his eyes. ¡°Why are you asking all this?¡±


    Arnold scratched his head sheepishly. ¡°Well, I really like her. I¡¯ve liked her since I first saw her at a ball. Do you think you could introduce us?¡±


    ¡°Fuck off. Do you think I¡¯m a pimp?¡±


    The hand was shrugged off again, and this time, Axel didn¡¯t let him get close again.


    Axel really didn¡¯t expect Arnold to ask him this of all things. The boy¡¯s intentions would have been obvious, if they were older. But they were 11! And even though wizarding children mature faster, he still thought that the guy must have a screw loose.


    ¡°I knew you were lying when you said you were just ¡®acquainted¡¯.¡± Arnold snorted as he finally stopped smiling. ¡°Listen to my advice and stay away from her. Have you looked at yourself? Which part of you deserves her friendship?¡± With that, he stormed off.


    Axel was left walking alone, confused by the series of events. But then, things became clear. Who even wants her friendship? Isn''t she the one who came to sit with him every time?


    Though, Axel won¡¯t say he disliked the company, and he wouldn¡¯t reject her from sitting with him just because of a jealous idiot¡¯s warning.


    ¡®Would it even come to that though?¡¯


    Thinking of yesterday night, Axel wondered if Daphne would even want to sit him anymore. He had been so rude to her, not even sharing back one percent of what she shared with him.


    He had yet to explore that strange feeling he felt when hanging out with her, but it doesn¡¯t seem like he will get the chance to.


    Due to his slow walking speed, he was among the last to reach the class, and when he got and looked towards his seat, his jaw hardened.


    Arnold Smith had put his bag on his desk, chatting with Daphne while standing over.


    Daphne shook her head and pointed at the empty seat beside her, saying something. Axel couldn¡¯t hear her due to the distance, but it seemed like she was inviting Arnold to sit, since Arnold went behind the desk and started to sit, a smile on his face.


    Seeing this, Axel didn¡¯t know why, but his steps stopped. When he thought of Daphne talking relaxedly with Arnold, telling him everything about herself, his brows furrowed involuntarily.


    ¡®Which part of you deserves her friendship?¡¯


    The words echoed in his mind. It¡¯s true. Arnold can be better in all aspects needed for friendship. And Axel doesn¡¯t even intend to be friends with her. Then, isn¡¯t this how it naturally should be?


    *Thump


    The sound woke him up. Axel looked back and realized that Daphne had thrown Arnold¡¯s bag to the ground, attracting a lot of attention.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you the seat is occupied?¡± She asked, fixing Arnold with a cold gaze. She glanced at the front and caught sight of Axel. The cold look was gone instantly. ¡°Why are you so late? Come sit already,¡± she said, patting the seat.


    Axel stood there for several more seconds, before mechanically walking over and sitting down. There was no way. If he rejected Daphne after all this attention, even he would feel second-hand embarrassment for her.


    ¡°How do you save a seat for me everyday?¡± She asked as he put his bag on the desk. ¡°I¡¯ve had to reject three guys so far who wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer.¡±


    Axel glances at her, askance at her delusion. ¡°¡­Do you think anyone else would want to sit with me?¡±


    Usually, Slytherins always arrive first. And no one really wants to sit with Axel, which he appreciates very much, leaving the seat empty. He just couldn¡¯t understand why Daphne doesn¡¯t understand this.


    ¡°Why would they not?¡± Daphne looked even more confused than him. ¡°You are fun to hang out with. Well, let¡¯s not mention the guys, the girls in my dorm have been talking about you since your duel. It¡¯s quite annoying to be honest.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Axel sighed as he recalled that. Apparently, in the duel, he had shown off some things that are supposed to be difficult for others, making him popular due to the algal recorded memory. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have done it.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Daphne looked at him quietly. ¡°You don¡¯t like attention, do you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°There are reasons. But even without them, the most basic one is that I don¡¯t like dealing with people.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    Axel gave her a look. ¡°You seem to have a lot of questions today?¡±


    Daphne turned her head, looking innocent. ¡°Almost got him talking,¡± she muttered in a low voice, clicking her tongue.


    But still, she was satisfied since she got him to talk more than one word answers on something personal.


    ¡°I have a genuine question though,¡± she began, turning to him again.


    ¡°Were the questions till now fake?¡±


    ¡°No, but this one I¡¯m asking with real concern. Do you need more ingredients? I mean the ones that can¡¯t be found in the Greenhouse.¡±


    ¡°I do. But I should be able to get them from the Bigowl. Why do you ask?¡±


    Daphne shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t buy from there. The prices are heavily inflated, to be honest. At least the plant-based ingredients, I can get you any of them for free.¡±


    ??


    There it was again, being helping without making any demands. Axel closed his mouth in a line. ¡°No need. I can pay.¡±


    Daphne still looked unconvinced. ¡°Are you sure? I mean, the ingredients we picked yesterday weren¡¯t cheap. Were your parents rich or something?¡±


    Daphne was one of the few people who knew Axel was an orphan, since it was revealed in the train. So, she understands that it might be difficult for Axel to pay for his own treatment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make my own money,¡± said Axel stubbornly.


    It¡¯s not something innocent people will understand, but there¡¯s a difference between stealing from those who deserve it and taking things as charity. Axel doesn¡¯t dislike the former, but he hates the latter.


    Things don¡¯t exist as black and white. The black color has many shades. The shade you choose determines your future and the kind of person will be. Axel can accept being a thief, but not a beggar.


    ¡°Okay, but how are you going to make money? You are a student.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ I¡¯m figuring it out.¡±


    Daphne sighed.


    ¡°Why are you worrying so much? I still have enough to buy the ingredients for a few months. ¡±


    ¡­


    Time Skip_


    HALLOWEEN


    Two Months had passed since the start of the new term and Hogwarts had settled into its usual schedule, except for some crazy things from time to time.


    This year, there were a few noteworthy students at Hogwarts.


    First of all, there was the Girl Who Lived who had surprisingly managed to get into the Gryffindor House Quidditch team in her first year.


    And then there was the Mafia Prodigy, who''s attending her third year at Hogwarts. She is usually staying locked up in her room doing some kind of Magical experiment or she''ll sometimes visit the Dueling Arena where there are always students dueling and a healthy amount of audience watching. She had an undefeated record in the Arena.


    Aside from these two, there were several others like Alaric Malcolm: the head boy, the Weasley Twins, who are very famous for their prank videos, and some other students with high Status from other magical communities.


    But interestingly enough, there was one student who had become unintentionally notable for being very¡­ un-notable.


    Yes, Axel hunt had initially become famous after his video of a duel that had gone viral which showed his extreme dodging skills, giving the illusion that he could see the future. But when the curious students had tried to find out more about him, they were surprised to find¡­ nothing!


    They couldn''t find any information on him. And except for his classes, he is rarely seen outside. The only people he''s ever been seen associating with are Rose Potter and her friends.


    Another reason for his fame was, apparently, some young witches seemed to have taken a liking to him after seeing the duel. Axel''s face value is not low, considering that he was chosen by the Cherub feather core war. But he still hadn''t expected this.


    And right now, the person in question, being quite unaware and uncaring of all this, was on his way to attending his Defense Against the Dark Arts classes.


    [Progress in ''Blend'': 26%-39.9%]


    [Progress in ''Presence Reduction'': 22%-35.4%]


    [Progress in ''Arcane Acrobatics: 5%-14%]


    [Progress in Pain Tolerance: 57%-60%]


    In the past two months, Axel had definitely made good progress in his skills considering the fact that the rate of improvement slows down the further you improve. He had even unlocked some new skills as well and unlocked some further information about on the existing ones.


    Though, the progress he was really happy about was with his body and wand.


    At first, he had only ordered the diet supplements in small amounts since he couldn''t bring himself to fully trust in the system.


    Only after getting checked up at the hospital wing before and after consuming the diet and confirming that there were no side effects did he fully commit to spending his money.


    And after two months of various exercises, practicing various techniques, and completely emptying his pockets, the results were now starting to show.


    His originally skinny body now looked in a much better shape. But, the real improvement was inner improvement. The training of the Arcane Thief Class wasn''t focused on gaining a bulky or muscular physique. It was focused on getting him the fastest, most flexible body with more inner strength than superficial bulk.


    Now, even if his movements weren''t as fast as before he was injured, he was still much better than his previous completely crippled self and his technique was better than ever before.


    Though, there still wasn''t much noticeable improvement in his hands'' condition.


    As for his other improvement, it was with his wand.


    After two months of caring and coaxing this girlish wand, his bond was now strong enough that his magic was almost as powerful as an average first year. This was already quite an improvement for Axel whose Lumos used to be the weakest in the class and always fluctuating.


    His Occlumency was also going swimmingly well, but even if he''s a genius, he can''t be expected to achieve in months what others have spent years, decades, and even their lives he was close.


    He walked into the DADA class, ignoring anyone who was looking at him, and went straight to the last seat.


    Since DADA was with Raven, Daphne was, as always, sitting with him in the last seat.


    "So, the phantom boy has once again decided to grace us with his presence, huh?" She asked, teasing him with the name that was being used for him these days.


    Axel rolled his eyes in exasperation as he took his seat beside her.


    ¡°Don''t make me cringe. I have told you already that I am usually there. It''s just that people are too blind to notice me," said Axel truthfully.


    With his current skills, none of the students can see him as long as he doesn''t want them to. Though he does purposefully show himself in the Slytherin dorms in front of some small groups of students now and then, so that they know that he''s staying in the dorms.


    Daphne rolled her eyes at him as well.


    "Yeah, I totally believe you," it might not look like it, but she was also being serious. She''d sometimes forget he was sitting right beside her until she sees him again.


    In the past two months, Axel and Daphne had gotten used to sitting together in their common classes. Though since Daphne had many other friends as well, she''d sometimes sit with them.


    Even after two months, Axel had still refused to acknowledge her as a friend.


    "We''re not friends. We''re just acquaintances who are on friendly terms," he''d say to whoever who ask.


    Axel was quite clear that people''s minds were quite complicated and can change anytime. This girl calls the other girls from Ravenclaw her friends but she''s always bitching about them to him behind their backs.


    Is this friendship? Then no thanks, he doesn''t need it.


    Sitting there, Daphne went back to read her book while Axel took out his wand to practice.


    Thrum*


    "Yeah, good morning," he murmured to the wand. By now, he was quite clear on the fact that what he was doing wasn''t crazy at all. This thing was almost alive. Even that creepy old man at the wand shop had said that wands have a mind of their own.


    Daphne gave him a peculiar look from the side. At first, she had thought he had something wrong with his head but she had seen his wand acting like a person in person. So now, all she could think was it might be nice to have a wand like that too.


    ''Treats it better than he treats me,'' she thought with some resentment. She had already given up trying to figure him out by now. She couldn''t understand a thing.


    She had almost given up on getting him to open up about himself. She just sits with him because she can just observe him if she''s bored. Talking to him is interesting, he''s always training, and it''s quite a novel experience seeing him making progress with each day.


    "You know, seeing you try so hard every day makes me feel like a lazy piece of shit," she said casually.


    Yep, this was another effect of Axel¡¯s company. Daphne had become fluent in using bad language. This was just her small way of showing a middle finger to her dear father who might be observing from hell. To hell with his perfect pureblood lady bullshit.


    Hearing her words, Axel turned to look at her with a bored expression.


    "I fail to see how this is any of my concern."


    ¡°...¡±


    With her cheeks heating up in embarrassment, Daphne silently wrote down this line as well among the many others.


    This polite way of cursing was also something she wished to learn.


    Soon Umbridge had arrived, making her presence known with her annoying "hem* *hem*


    Once again, there was nothing interesting in her class. She only let the students read the chapters in her class and ask her if they have any doubts.


    ''This lazy toad.''


    Axel somewhat hated her, but he still made sure to steer clear of her. His instincts always warned him against her.


    Especially considering how some of the students who had protested had gotten detentions. Axel never saw them dare to even let out a peep from the next class.


    He practiced covertly with his presence hidden while Daphne read her book.


    "Those who have attended the extra classes. Congratulations on your improvement. And those with invitations who haven''t yet attended, please do reconsider after looking at the improvement of those who have attended."


    Umbridge even called for a demonstration, with a dummy ready.


    "Mr. Malfoy, would you kindly show how much you''ve improved in the last two months?


    Malfoy, who came out looking quite pompous, nodded with a smirk. He cast a look at Axel before looking back at the dummy.


    "Expulso!"


    BAM*


    The Dummy hit got thrown back with such force that it hit the wall behind.


    The whole class was astonished after seeing this.


    "I think I''ll reconsider going after this. If even that idiot can improve, then it might be worth the restrictions," said Daphne in shock.


    Daphne was the only one among Rose''s group who had gotten the invitation. Only the dark Pureblood families had gotten one.


    Axel shook her head immediately, his expression quite severe.


    "Don''t go. It''s not worth it," he said, his eyes actually looking at the system notification on the system interface in front of him that was blinking red.


    [Dark Magic detected.]


    ''What is this woman doing?!''

 Chapter 25: Trouble Comes without Knocking

    Axel looked at the scene with a slight shock in his eyes. This was just too absurd! This mad woman taught students dark magic?! How?! Why did no one stop it?!


    ''System, do they know they''re learning dark magic? Do I tell everyone?!'' Axel asked the system urgently.


    [You can try doing that. However, it is not recommended. The people in this world don''t even know what exactly dark magic is anymore. People will only see it as a normal spell and your words will not be believed by most people and your enemies will be alerted.]


    Axel couldn''t properly understand what the system was saying.


    ''What exactly IS dark magic though?'' he wondered. ''How is it harmful?'' From what he had gotten from the general knowledge, dark magic was banned in Britain by the ministry.


    [Dark magic is the magic from the Nether Dimension. It can be much more destructive than the ordinary magic that the wizards use. Currently, very few spells known to wizardkind actually make use ofDark Magic, like Fiendfire.


    Most of the spells that have been labeled dark don''t make use of dark magic at all. They are called Dark just because they are brutal. Hence, wizards don''t actually have any real knowledge of dark magic.


    Dark Magic is harmful because those who don''t have an affinity with it can be negatively affected after using it.]


    *sigh*


    Axel lightly banged his forehead on the desk.


    "What an ordeal¡­" he muttered exasperatedly.


    Daphne, who was sitting beside him thought that the reason behind Axel''s odd behavior might be that his enemy had gained strength too fast.


    "Don''t worry," she said, "I''m sure you can still beat him."


    Axel raised his head to look at her in bewilderment.


    "I''m not worried about that. I''m worried that the methods she''s using to improve them might be harmful, but¡­ never mind," he said while sighing.


    It''s none of his goddamn business if they harm themselves, he decided.


    If you look at it from his point of view, there''s nothing much he can do about it without putting himself in danger.


    If he openly claims that they are using dark magic, he''ll be in trouble with that creepy woman. As for informing the authorities? As if they''re better people! The minister of magic herself is a woman who enjoyed forcefully getting information out of him, searching his mind. He''s never trying his luck with another person in power.


    As for informing someone anonymously, in a magical world, there''s no way to do it anonymously, considering the fact that his murder was somehow discovered by the minister.


    ''It''s better to just let the world burn...rather than foolishly putting myself in danger. I''ll only think about it when I have the power to do something about it,'' he decided.


    ''You''re not going to give me mission for it, are you?'' He asked the system.


    [The system doesn''t intend for the host to die foolishly. Of course, you will get hefty rewards if you do stop them from propagating dark magic.]


    ''No thanks, I''ll pass,'' thought Axel without hesitation. With his bad luck, he already gets into enough trouble already. He doesn''t want to go out of his way to court it.


    ¡­


    Later that day, after classes, Axel was doing his exercise and training in the abandoned classroom.


    It was evening now and it seems that there was supposed to be a feast or something in the great hall for Halloween but Axel rarely went to the great hall these days. It was simply a waste of time and effort.


    The diet along with the food he frequently brings from the Great Hall is more than enough to fill his stomach. Why waste the extra time and effort of walking to the Great Hall?


    *Huff* *Huff* *Huff* Panting from extreme exertion, he flopped down on the mattress.


    This classroom was no longer that dingy unwelcoming place it used to be.


    With the castle being so huge, no one really comes into this part of the castle since there''s nothing important here except for some creepy-looking abandoned classes. Especially after the sun is down since they hadn''t bothered installing lights here. If they aren''t used to the dark like him, they''ll be creeped out just from the vibes of this place.


    So, now that he was sure that this place seemed secure enough, he had invested some effort in making it a more convenient place to stay during his past few months.


    He hadn''t bothered bringing a whole bed, but he did bring a mattress from the Slytherin dorms. Aside from that, there were a few light balls (the magical equivalent of light bulbs) since he couldn''t forever depend on the moonlight coming from the window and his wand light. Oh, and he had also personally cleaned everything while also learning the lowest cleaning charm.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    After taking a breather, he started taking various supplements since the best time to eat was after training.


    Even though some of them tasted horrendous, he still ate them without complaint.


    This was bought after spending an obscene amount of money and would give him power. He''ll be damned if he complains.


    "Let''s see", he muttered as he checked the skills. These were not all, but are some of the new ones in this list as well.


    [''Blend'': 39.9%]


    [''Presence Reduction'': 35.9%]


    [''Arcane Acrobatics: 15%]


    [Pain Tolerance: 60%]


    [Wand Aim: 5%]


    [Knife throwing: 4%]


    [Knife Wielding: 5%]


    [Silent Steps: 40%]


    [Trap designing: 5%]


    Most of the new skills he had gained were pretty minor ones. They didn''t have much-complicated stuff about them yet.


    Silent Steps was easy enough to get since his legs were working just fine as long as the movements weren''t fast or strenuous and he had a good mastery of the skill already.


    Knife Throwing and Wielding, he already had a crude but practical knowledge and minor mastery, so it had unlocked when he had tried using his knife. But, his proficiency at the moment was 0% due to his disabled handle. He has raised it with a lot of difficulties. ''Wand Aim'' also had a similar case.


    Now, even with his hands always trembling and moving differently than how he intends them to, he is predicting how much his aim would randomly deviate and then making adjustments. Helluva chore, but anything to make it work. Especially since things aren''t looking up now...


    The past two months had been smooth enough, but he had several blocks in his way now. He realized that the skill progress was more difficult to increase the more he raised the percentage.


    And if that wasn''t enough, he took out the man''s pouch to check the money.


    *Jingle*


    "Sigh¡­ it''s too low."


    The money was almost all spent after spending so much on his diet.


    In the beginning, he had thought that money would not be a problem since he already needed to perform theft for unlocking new skills. But¡­things aren''t as easy as they seem.


    First of all, with his hands as they are, he can''t make use of all that dexterity he had. So, picking anyone''s pockets was simply not an option.


    But¡­ that is not the only way to steal, is it?


    Axel sighed as he laid down on the mattress, putting aside all the ingredients.


    Crippled hands weren''t exactly the real problem here and he knew it.


    The real problem was, that he just couldn''t bring himself to actually steal after his last attempt had gone horribly wrong and he had to suffer such consequences.


    Even if it was supposed to benefit him by unlocking his skills, even if he liked stealing from the rich, and even if he really needed the money... he just couldn''t. For two months, he had tried. He really did, but¡­there was this resistance, this hesitation that he had developed towards stealing anything that he always found himself finding some excuse not to do it.


    He recalled Andromeda''s words.


    //It would be quite weird if you are completely fine after going through that experience. There has to be some kind of impact it would have brought on you//


    Axel hadn''t thought there was anything wrong with him, but it would seem that the torture might have left behind one small trauma after all.


    It wouldn''t have been a big deal at all to most people. After all, they are better off not stealing at all. It would instead be counted as a plus point. But for him whose future is based on stealing after getting the Arcane Thief class? It''s quite a big problem.


    Axel shook his head.


    "Might as well focus on training," he muttered as he began doing his mental training. He''ll get over it. He''ll make himself get over it.


    By the time it came to the turn of his occlumency, he was already feeling quite spent. In Occlumency, he focused on organizing his memories.


    Without properly organizing them, your memories are a jumbled mess. You can''t recall the right memory without connecting it with other memories. And some memories are stuck so far back that you can''t even recall them. You have to pull such memories back into your mind, which is easier said than done.


    That''s why occlumency takes time. Many occlumen don''t bother doing this their whole life since they know the correct way and think this stage is useless. But Axel has no choice but to do so since it is included in the beginner stage Occlumenecy, thus not giving him the choice to skip it like other people.


    Due to the frustration, Axel had trained so much that he fell asleep while he was still sorting his forgotten memories out of exhaustion.


    Axel had the weirdest dream. He felt quite weak for some reason, and his vision was quite blurry. He seemed to be hanging in the air, held by something.


    "Do we really need to do this?" He heard a woman''s voice. It had a sad and resigned tone to it.


    "I have no choice. They had found two keys in the location. I could only steal one and they can''t be allowed to use the second. So, ''I'' need to do this. But you just won''t let me do it alone," said a man''s deep voice. It sounded quite helpless.


    "Come on, Tristan. You know you can''t do this without me! Besides, we''re coming back! We have to," said the woman, and Axel felt himself getting squeezed. He realized that he was in the woman''s embrace.


    It was quite a¡­ peculiar experience. He felt so comfortable that he fell asleep.


    *ring*


    When he woke up, he could only make out the blurry silhouettes of two people looking down on him.


    *ring**ring*


    "We''ll be back very soon, Axel. Stay strong until then," he heard them speak.


    *ring* *BOOM*


    Axel jerked awake from his dream. He was in such a deep sleep that he didn''t even wake up after the bells he had set up to alert him started ringing, meaning that someone was here!


    As soon as he opened his eyes he saw red words flashing on the system interface. He then heard the system''s voice,


    [It''s a Mountain Troll, Axel. You need to survive.]


    "The FUCK?" Axel questioned, grabbing his wand and knife in each hand. He couldn''t understand the situation. A mountain troll¡­here? Furthermore, he was still a bit disoriented from the dream he''d just had.


    *BOOM*


    *BLAST*


    But his doubts were instantly cleared as the huge doors were blasted open from their hinges and a giant creature came rushing in.


    System''s words had been clear enough. It was a mountain troll alright.


    ''RUN!''


    Axel was already in his stealth so he wasn''t much worried. His first thought was to escape quickly.


    Just as he was about to execute this brilliant plan, his mind analyzed the situation clearly and gave him the bad news. Why would a mountain troll suddenly come into this part of the castle? And even if it did, why only target this door? It was at this moment that he saw the Trolls mouth dripping with saliva as it stared Hungrily at the supplements he ordered.


    That''s right! The smell of these magical ingredients! That''s why it''s here!


    ''Oh¡­nonononono. NO! You muthefuckah, you don''t even think about touching that!''


    It was the precious ingredients he had ordered after spending all his money. He can''t just let this thing eat it!

 Chapter 26: Axel vs Troll

    Waking up to the sight of a freakin'' mountain troll barging into your room isn''t an experience Axel would recommend to others.


    It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite gray, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet.


    And worst of all, the smell coming from it was downright revolting.


    It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.


    Though Axel was also one mad dude. He ignored all this when he saw the Trolls mouth dripping with saliva as it stared Hungrily at the supplements he ordered.


    "Oh¡­nonononono. NO! You muthefuckah, don''t you even think about touching that!"


    It was the precious ingredients he had ordered after spending all his money! And, he''ll be damned if he lets a troll eat it.


    Axel quickly grabbed a bunch of strings that were lying beside him and pulled them all in one go.


    Immediately, a shower of white, red, and green powdered substances fell on the creature from above and a bunch of nails also fell on the troll''s path.


    These were just some traps Axel had designed for the intruders. As a paranoid person, he wouldn''t stay here without assurance.


    So, he had tried setting up some traps and did some research on the subject as well. To his surprise, he had even gotten the Arcane Theif Skill: Trap Designing.


    The powdered substances were what he had got from his Herbology class. Unlike others, he had paid attention in that class from day one since he had realized its potential.


    Of the substances, one was supposed to cause intense itching, one would make a person disoriented and nauseous, and one was simply a very powerful chilly powder, intended for eyes,


    Unfortunately, due to having some common sense, he had designed the traps taking human intruders into consideration. The powdered substances were hanging just above the door so that the intruder doesn''t have much time to protect himself. But, Troll''s body was even taller than the huge door frame and it had already entered while Axel was still disoriented from his dream.


    So, the powders fell on its shoulder, and the chilly powder didn''t reach its eyes. As for the powder that was supposed to cause disorientation and nausea, and the itching powder... they did seem to have a little effect on the troll''s thick skin, but not to the degree it should.


    Axel didn''t even have the time to think much before lunging for his food and starting stuffing it all in his backpack. But, by doing this, Axel had exposed himself since his skills didn''t grant him actual invisibility. And sure enough, seeing the very mouth-watering food for which it had come all the way to this part of the castle disappearing right in front of its eyes, being stolen by a small creature, the Troll, who was distracted due to the itching, grew enraged!


    It let out a mighty roar as it charged ferociously at Axel while ignoring all the puny nails that pinched its feet.


    "Fuckfuckfuck!" Seeing the traps he had designed meticulously failing one after another, Axel cursed under his breath while trying to make his crippled hands work fast. When he gets out of this situation alive¨C correction¨C ''if'' he gets out of this situation alive, the first thing he''s doing is to learn a spell that can quickly collect his things and put them in his bag!


    boom* *boom* *boom*


    The troll got closer with each step while Axel collected the ingredients worth hundreds of galleons.


    Damn it! He should have always been in a ready-to-flee state! It seems he had gotten careless after two months of safety. Even the traps were set up in the beginning when he was still careful. But after two months, his paranoid nature had calmed down a lot, and it seems that was a mistake.


    It was only seconds before the troll was onto Axel, and was bringing his club down on Axel who couldn''t make quick movements due to his body.


    While the club was being brought down on him, Axel looked up at it without flinching while raising his wand¨C and pointing it at himself.


    "Flipendo!"


    With almost all the ingredients safely stuffed in the bag that was clutched in his hand, Axel''s body was knocked sideways due to his own spell, out of the way from the incoming huge club.


    BOOM*


    The club descended with great momentum and landed with huge impact, destroying the floor and raising dust everywhere.


    "Cough--Cough.. Damn..."


    Axel slowly stood up and dusted off his clothes as he coughed due to dust. He looked at the little amount of ingredients left on the ground that he couldn''t pick up as he swung his backpack over his shoulders.


    They were totally ruined.


    For a moment, both Axel and the troll just looked at the ruined ingredients mixed up with a pile of dust and debris on the floor. Then, as if in sync, both turned their gazes on each other.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "...You¨Cstupid¨Canimal!"


    ROAR*


    Then, both instantly blamed each other for it.


    At first, Axel had thought that he''d just run away but now¨C


    "You''ve made this personal, you bastard," he muttered as he took out another wand from his bag, now standing with one wand in each hand. One, his own, and one he got from Cyrus Greengrass


    Right now, while an average person in his place might be freaking out, Axel was thinking something else.


    ''This guy doesn''t look like much,'' was what he was thinking as he checked out the key information he had from the system.


    From what he can tell after looking through the information and from what he had seen this guy do so far, it seems like it wouldn''t be as difficult as he thought.


    He''s big? So were all the others whom Axel had faced. When it comes to a fight, bigger is not always better.


    Fast? Not much.


    Magic resistant? We''ll see.


    With a loud roar, the Troll charged at him once again. And this time, he shot several spells, none of which hit the troll. They all landed on the ground between them.


    SLICK* *THUD*


    And the troll, who was charging at Axel, fell forward on his face with a resounding thud.


    "Haha! Taste that, you bastard!"


    The spell Axel had used was one of the first spells he had learned. It was ''Lubricous Nitorem'', the spell that temporarily makes any surface very smooth and slick by covering it up with magic.


    Axel had fired several of them one after another, so that all the ground in front of them would be slippery in case he missed the spot due to his bad aim.


    Even after the troll had fallen, Axel didn''t stop chanting. Spell after spell landed on the ground all around the troll as he circled it, stacking up the effect and making it even more slippery so that the Troll slipped every time it tried to stand. Axel also emptied his stack of chilly powder, itching power, and the green poisonous powder that causes disorientation.


    "Electrica Impulsa...Electrica Impulsa...Electrica Impulsa¡­"


    Meanwhile, the wand in his other hand was starting to light up slowly with each alternate spell.


    Though at this moment, the Troll let out a loud, desperate cry. It pulled back its large club, about to throw it at Axel.


    It was such a move that Axel¡ª


    ¡ªwanted to yawn.


    ''So predictable,''


    BUT...


    BOOM*


    SPLAT*


    But...before the poor troll could even throw it and before Axel could apply his countermeasure, a bright purple beam of light came and blew the troll''s head off!


    "What...What the fuck?" Axel turned his head to look at the kill stealer.


    A While Earlier:


    Martina Valentino sat in the great hall, attending her third Halloween party here.


    In the past two years, nothing had gone wrong on this day, making her quite used to the quiet.


    But, this was the year when the plot officially starts and events start happening every year.


    Or so it was supposed to be...


    But this world is so freaking A.U. that she wants to kick the creator''s balls.


    A Harry Potter World with no Harry in it. And if that wasn''t enough, many other things have also changed, and many new things which were never mentioned in those small seven books are also in this world.


    So, now she doesn''t know what the heck she''s supposed to do today. From what she knew, a Troll was released into the castle last time so that Quirrell could steal the Philosopher''s Stone, and Hermione was almost killed (due to Ron)


    But in this world, Quirrell is still peacefully sitting in his seat and Hermione is sitting right beside her on the Ravenclaw table and Umbridge is also here. So. now she was left sitting here, doing absolutely nothing with her nerves feeling all jittery.


    "Hmm?"


    Though at this moment, her familiar Rowlet contacted her through their bond! She had asked her to keep an eye out for any signs of abnormal activities today.


    Just as Martina stood up, the door to the great hall was also opened and the Head Boy, Alaric Malcolm rushed in.


    "THERE''S A TROLL! IN THE DUNGEON!"


    Martina didn''t even listen to Alaric''s words before she ducked down the table, turned herself invisible, and left the great hall while everyone was still panicking. With such a big and diverse student population, there were many students who were currently out of Great Hall. Martina would feel guilty if she let innocent students die for no reason.


    She rushed to the Location that her familiar had told her of. This was one of the more remote and desolate parts of the Castle.


    Even Martina doesn''t like to come here at night since she finds it a bit scary. She was already scared of ghosts and other things in her previous life, and in this life, they all actually exist so she usually tries to steer clear of such places.


    Though, there was one benefit.


    ''No one''s at risk here,'' she thought with a sigh of relief.


    She couldn''t imagine any students wandering around here at this time of night.


    boom*... *roar*


    Though¡­ just at this moment, she heard a distant noise, making her frown. This must be the troll. But¡­ Why would a troll make noise? Unless¡­


    Once again, Martina was rushing forward, right in the direction where the sound came from.


    Boom* *Boom*


    As she got closer, the noise grew louder, the smell grew worse and,


    "Lubricous Nitrorem!" She heard another voice as well.


    She found a destroyed door, peering through which she came across the scene of a Troll charging at a boy!


    Martina had her wand out in a second, ready to blast the troll off, but before she could do that, she saw the Troll falling face-first to the ground.


    After that, it seemed that the boy had everything under control for a while as he kept changing positions, throwing out spells and some powders at the troll from all directions."


    ''What?!'' As the boy moved around the troll, she finally got to see his face, and she recognized it instantly!


    ''Axel Hunt!'' She recalled his name due to his viral video.


    This is the same guy who had made her fall that night and the same guy whose memories she had seen the next day. And what horrible memories! Martina has tears in her eyes every time she remembers them.


    She has wanted to meet this guy again ever since, to talk to him and try to help him out in some way. But, she hasn''t seen him much ever since.


    And, she also hesitates to approach him. She doesn''t even know what she''s supposed to say once she did talk to him.


    ''Hey, I looked into your mind without your permission and now I want to help you out in some way,'' yeah, her awkward otaku shut-in nature doesn''t seem to have improved even after reincarnation.


    ROAR*


    She was brought out of her thoughts when the troll suddenly let out a deafening cry as it prepared to throw its weapon.


    Panicked, Martina didn''t even think twice before she unleashed one of her full-powered attacks on the Troll, causing its head to be blown up into pieces.


    ''What?!'' Even Martina herself was surprised. She had read the trolls were magic resistant so she had put in some extra power.


    But she quickly turned her attention to the more pressing topic.


    "Are you ok? Are you hurt?" She asked Axel urgently while approaching him quickly.


    He was up against a damn troll! He might have been in need of medical attention.


    The boy looked at her with an unreadable expression.


    "I''m fine," he said as his gaze went lower, towards her legs.


    Martina, who was still approaching realized a moment too late why he was glancing at the floor as her foot suddenly slipped due to stepping on an extremely slippery surface and she found herself falling back.


    Thump*


    The floor she had stepped on was quite slippery and she fell back on her butt with her skirt riding up and her spread open in M shape.


    "..."


    "..."


    All Martina could think at the moment was:


    ''Again?! Are you kidding me?!''


    What Axel was thinking:


    ''Hm...She seems to like purple a lot.''

 Chapter 27: No rest

    As Axel turned around to look at the kill stealer, he was surprised to find Martina Valentino standing in the doorway with her wand raised. Judging by the power of the spell, he was expecting some professor or something. Certainly not a student who''s barely two years older than him.


    "Are you alright?! Are you hurt?!"


    Before Axel could even think of what action to take, she was already advancing toward him. He was quite intimidated by her graceful and noble bearing as she walked toward him with no sign of fear or hesitation.


    Overtaken by her momentum, Axel considered running away from this powerhouse who had casually blown away a Troll''s head just moments ago. At least this time, his chances of successfully running away were much better than last time.


    Just as he was pondering this, he saw her stepping on the area of the ground that was affected by his Lubricous Nitorem spell and... fall to the ground on her posterior.


    "..."


    "..."


    Axel looked at the girl who had fallen in front of him in an embarrassing position.


    All of her mighty image had been effectively shattered into pieces with this.


    Now he was rather worried that she might blame him for it. After all, that spell beam was no joke. It blew the magic-resistant troll''s head apart.


    During the past two months, Axel had researched this girl who seemed to be special enough to have her information restricted on the system. And the results seemed to be in his favor.


    Despite her family''s infamous reputation, and having more than a 100 times the money and influence than the Malfoy family, she hasn''t shown any sign of negative behavior at school, nor has she shown hostility towards him. And Axel wanted to keep it that way. He knows how to differentiate between someone like Draco Malfoy and her. So, as he looked at her lying on the floor, he was at a loss whether to just run away, help her up, or just keep standing here and enjoy the view presented to him.


    Though he wasn''t given much time to think as Martina quickly got up and coughed awkwardly. Her cheeks had a red dusting on them, showing her embarrassment.


    "Ahem, pardon my ungainliness... that was rather inelegant of me," she said in a tone that seemed much more mature than her age and Axel could guess she was using Occlumency.


    "But right now, we need to get out of here. The professors would be coming here at any time and it would be troublesome to explain how one first year and a third year fought a troll and destroyed its skull. Are you injured somewhere? Can you walk?"


    ''Wait a minute... The professors are coming?!'' Axel skipped the rest of her words.


    He only now realized that having a Troll in the school seemed to be a bigger problem than he had thought. Indeed, having that thing enter a classroom full of students might turn the classroom into a meat grinder. So, it does make sense for the staff to take action.


    But, if they find his things here, they''ll know that he''d been staying out of the dormitory and breaking curfew for all this while¡­ And in that case, he''s sure to get punished.


    "Uh...I can''t leave right away. I need to collect my things," said Axel as he rushed off and began filling up the rest of his belongings into his bag. If the teachers found his things here, they might think these things belong to the person who head-shotted the Troll.


    ?


    Martina looked at Axel filling up his bag with things in confusion. She couldn''t understand why he''d have so many things in here.


    "What things? Hurry up! We need to leave!" She said as her attention shifted to the things he was packing. Books, uniform, a toothbrush, a mattress, a pillow, clothes, etc. She frowned. Why would he have these things here?


    ''Wait. Don''t tell me¡­'' There was only one conclusion she could reach.


    "You¡­ have you been actually living here?" She asked in disbelief as she looked around at the destroyed room.


    "Yeah,"


    Axel just shrugged. It was so obvious that he couldn''t even deny it. Though he couldn''t understand how the hell here and why the heck she is being so nosy. Wasn''t the Mafia Prodigy supposed to be an aloof and unapproachable existence at Hogwarts?


    Of Course, he didn''t know that behind her imperial persona, Martina was just a recluse with very low social skills to speak of.


    Hearing his answer, Martina was appalled.


    "Seriously? How can someone stay here? How can you even fall asleep in this place?"


    This is one of the very few corners of the castle that isn''t lit at all at night since no one really comes here or passes through here. Even she has only ever dared wander in the lighted areas at night. So, she couldn''t comprehend how someone could sleep peacefully at night here while there was no living person in the vicinity.


    Axel gave her an annoyed look,


    "I had been sleeping here well enough until a Troll decided to rudely disturb me tonight,"


    "..." Martina looked at the destroyed doors as the picture became clear to her. That¡­ isn''t that even more terrifying? Imagine sleeping alone in a creepy place and an ugly Troll suddenly breaks your door open and charges at you¡­ Martina was sure that her scream would have woken up the entire castle.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "But...why would you stay here? Why not just stay in the Slytherin Dorms?" She asked, though she could guess the answer.


    Axel shrugged, "Didn''t like the residents," he said shortly.


    Martina surmised that her assumptions might not be too far off. His case reminded her of the case of another one of her favorite characters, Luna Lovegood, who had been alone for her beginning years. This is why, she wanted to help.


    This boy has been sleeping alone in this gloomy part of the castle. And if that wasn''t enough, even that place isn''t available to him anymore. She would have told him about the room of requirements but she''d seen Umbridge going there once so that place can''t be safe anymore.


    "If you really need a different place I could talk to¨C"


    "No need," said Axel who had checked the notifications by now. Sometimes, the rewards of the system are based on his needs. And that was the case this time as well.


    [You managed to survive against a troll. Congratulations.


    -2% approval.


    -Information on a secret room]


    ''Good work, system,'' he praised. He''s realized the power of information many times over by now.


    When Axel was done cleaning up all the cases of his presence in this place, with some magical help from Martina, he looked at the room with a complicated expression. This had been a nice place for the past two months.


    But, it seems like he wouldn''t even be given the time to reminisce as Martina''s owl hooted and they heard rushed footsteps coming from the way they had come.


    ! x2


    Both Axel and Martina got startled by that. Both didn''t want to be found here. Axel''s reasons were clear and Martina''s reasons were¡­a little complicated.


    She didn''t want everyone to know that she had so much power since she had read too many scenarios in her previous life that could go wrong. Heck, she didn''t even know if this was a good Dumbledore or a dark and manipulative Dumbledore world. Thus, she only wanted to be a genius within the bounds of reasoning, not someone who could blow off a troll''s head with one spell.


    Thus, when they heard the footsteps, both of them hurried off in the opposite direction of the footsteps.


    "Search the whole area!" They heard Professor Longbottom''s voice. That was it for Axel. He took out a broom he had ''borrowed'' from the broomshed and started to fly since his legs couldn''t quite run yet. When he eventually stopped, he was surprised to find Martina right behind him.


    "Why did you follow me?" He asked her, trying not to show his annoyance. She had tried to read his mind without permission. So he obviously didn''t have any favorable impression of her.


    He had planned to find the place which was in the system''s information after ditching this girl. But surprisingly during all those different paths he took during his flight, she had still managed to follow him. Axel wondered how she followed him. She didn''t have any broom in her hands.


    Martina frowned,


    "I just panicked and followed you. Is that a problem?"


    When the professors came, she panicked and started running on foot along with Axel, but then she saw him calmly moving, while glancing back, almost phasing in and out of her view like last time, and then he took out his broom. Suddenly, she remembered that she can also fly, making her curse her muggle-mindedness. After that, she just followed him wherever he went since he seemed so calm and composed, as if he knew what he was doing.


    Axel shook his head,


    "Not a problem. Now, why don''t we go our separate ways?"


    shiver*


    It was getting quite cold. Axel wanted to quickly find the new place system recommended and sleep but he couldn''t go in her presence. In the first place, where the fuck were they right now? Axel had no idea. He had just flown randomly wherever. He took out his wand and lit it up, only making their immediate surroundings visible.


    Martina also shivered. She shook her head,


    "No. I can''t leave you here alone; It''s Halloween, I can''t just let you find another place to crash. It''s not safe," she said as she looked around to identify where they were.


    Axel stopped walking as he looked at her.


    "Correct me if I''m wrong, but we''re just strangers. I don''t understand why you are going so far to help me out. Is there something you want from me?" He asked clearly. He wasn''t feeling good right now, so he was having difficulty having this girl barely two years older than him being all nosy and bossy on him.


    "I¡­"


    Martina grew dazed as she realized that her actions did really seem abnormal, especially considering the usual persona that she usually uses to avoid people. But, she can''t just tell him that she had seen his memories without his permission, could she?


    hoot* hoothooot*


    At this moment, Rowlet, who was on perched her shoulder suddenly started hooting urgently, making her confused,


    "What is it?" she asked.


    Martina was exasperated at first; they had just escaped from one danger, and there was another danger approaching already? Though the urgency and fear she felt from their bond told her that the situation was not to be taken lightly.


    Wrapping her arms around herself due to the cold, she turned to Axel.


    "Axel¡­ where e-exactly are we? She asked as she lit up her wand, and was surprised to find that her breath was misty due to the cold. There were no lights here and she was getting very cold and desolate vibes from this place. Unknowingly, she had moved closer to Axel for some warmth.


    Axel shrugged.


    "No idea. We might be somewhere around the second or the third floor," he answered with a frown as he realized something. He was feeling cold because he wasn''t wearing the enchanted clothes. But¡­ Martina should be wearing the enchanted ones, right? Similar to the ones Andromeda had bought him.


    Martina paused.


    "Wait, d-did you say we might be on the t-third floor?"


    !


    At this moment, the red system alerts from earlier suddenly popped up again, making him startled.


    [Axel, you need to run. Now.]


    "What the Fuck?"


    [It''s Dementors. The system is not able to protect you from soul attacks.]


    Axel realized that the system was not playing around right now. But, before he could do much, he heard a rattling breath, coming from somewhere above him.


    ?!


    An intense chill went down his spine as he quickly moved his wand upward, making more of the area above them visible.


    And what he saw made him catch his breath in his throat.


    Two towering figures, wrapped in dirty and tattered black, hooded cloaks were swooping down towards him.


    "AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" From right beside him, Axel heard a piercing scream coming from Martina but he couldn''t pay it any attention since the creatures'' target was not Martina, but him. She didn''t even have to be so scared since she can just run while these creatures are busy with him.


    Axel was suddenly feeling very cold. The cold seemed to pierce his clothes, penetrate his skin and go right through his very heart.


    Suddenly, images were flashing in front of him, images of being tortured, being beaten. It was as if he was reliving his worst. Though the images cleared as he heard the ding from the system, giving him some clarity.


    His other wand slipped into his hand from his sleeve.


    "Electrica¡­ Impulsa¡­" What the fuck? Why was he feeling so hopeless? Why does struggling seem so futile? "Electrica Impulsa¡­"


    Why is he even living anyway? What''s the purpose of his life? Who would even care if he died?


    ¡­..


    But then, a voice from inside his mind spoke up


    ''Fuck I''m living for myself, damn it! I don''t give a fuck whether anybody cares or not!''


    Yes! He was living for himself. Is that too insignificant for others? What was his goal? Well, it was to be the Greatest Of All Time and give a giant middle finger to everything that had tried to bring him down.


    So, even if he has to die, he has to at least give a memorable middle finger to his attackers.


    "ELECTRICA IMPULSA!"


    Crackle* *Crackle*


    Axel''s dazed eyes snapped back into focus as two glowing blue rods were impaled into the two Dementors who were looming over him.


    "E-Expecto Patronum!"


    He dimly heard a voice beside him but his consciousness was already phasing out as he fell to the ground.


    The gloomy feeling was gone and all he was feeling was... weak. So weak and pathetic...

 Chapter 28: Sleeping With Martina

    ''This must be a dream¡­ Just a nightmare.''


    That was what she was thinking as she lay collapsed on her knees right after she first saw the dementors.


    "Electrica¡­Impulsa¡­"


    She had found them scary even when she had seen them in the movies. But, seeing one in real life, and in such a theatrical fashion as she had looked up while already feeling panicked from the atmosphere, and seen those scary rotten creatures swooping down on Axel¡­It was just too much.


    "electrica impulsa¡­"


    She had reincarnated in this world and had been treated like a princess by everyone, always being protected and cared for. She had never suffered any hardship here, making her forget the darker aspects of this world.


    She had forgotten that this world wasn''t just sunshine and daisies but a dark world where terrible dangers were waiting to surface. She was dimly aware that she had to do something, but she was in a state of shock. Just the rebound of the dementors'' attack on Axel had left her frozen in fear.


    "ELECTRICA IMPULSA!!!"


    !!! At that moment, she heard Axel''s loud voice which snapped her back into reality. She saw his amber eyes blazing with fire as he stabbed the two dementors with wands that were crackling with blue magic.


    Martina came to her senses with a start as she witnessed this scene. There he was, an 11-year-old boy fighting desperately against the dementors while they were clearly attacking him with all they had. And here she was, frozen in fear and denying reality despite being a reincarnator and a so-called genius. This was the first time Martina Valentino realized the massive difference between the two of them.


    ''I can''t just cower in fear! Not after the countless hours I''ve spent practising magic!'' She thought, raising her wand.


    She recalled all the good memories she had made in this world after living as an orphan in her previous life. Her father and older brother, who were feared by everyone but were very sweet-tempered and overprotective of her. And she recalled her mother who would always try to be strict but would cave into her every demand.


    "Expecto Patronum!"


    With the powerful memories, she chanted incantation for the Patronus charm, and her patronus, a big bright owl burst out from her wand and drove away the already writhing dementors.


    Right after that, she saw Axel lying unconscious on the ground with his two wands fallen by his side.


    "Nonononono. Please be fine, please be fine¡­" she muttered as she tried shaking him but he was out like a light. Martina didn''t know if he was in danger or not, but she did know that if anything happened to him, she was going to blame herself forever.


    ''So much for a genius,'' she thought self-mockingly. When it actually came down to it, she couldn''t even deal with two Dementors in time.


    She didn''t even know what would have happened if the Dementors had targeted her first. Would she still have had the clarity and concentration left to cast the Patronus? Or would her tasty reincarnated soul be the Dementors'' meal?


    ¡­


    "How is it?" Martina asked anxiously to Madam Pomfrey who was critically diagnosing Axel with all kinds of machines. She had ended up turning both of them invisible and flying them both to the Hospital wing.


    The medi-witch raised her eyebrows in surprise after her examination was complete.


    "This boy just keeps surprising me. He has managed to change a lot in just two months," she muttered as she checked some past records of Axel she had in a bundle.


    Martina frowned,


    "What does that mean? Is he not okay?"


    Madam Pomfrey looked at Martina like she was talking absurdly,


    "Okay? With his body''s condition, he''s not "okay" by any stretch of the word. But if you''re asking if he''ll gain consciousness soon then yes, he will. There''s no harm done right now. He''s just really exhausted. Poor boy, he''s been pushing himself a lot. But I''m talking about his previous injuries," she muttered as she prepared a syringe and gave him a shot through his arm.


    With Madam Pomfrey''s cryptic answer, Martina was now more curious than relieved. She did already have her doubts about his physique already from various indicators.


    Frowning, Martina couldn''t help but ask her what was wrong with Axel''s body in the past, to which the Healer just shook her head,


    "That''s confidential, dear. You can only ask him if you want to know," She said before she began noting down further details in his file.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ''But¡­ I really want to know¡­'' she thought with a sigh.


    She had seen him being beaten and injured in the memories she''d seen and even when she''d first seen him when he was sneaking out in the dark, his movements seemed to indicate that he was having difficulty moving. She had also seen his hands shaking a lot as well.


    What was wrong with him? And why was he still not cured? Does he need help?


    Her gaze lingered on the folder in Madam Pomfrey''s hands.


    ''No, that''s wrong,'' she thought as she shook her head. She shouldn''t look into it without his permission. It looks like she would have to wait for him to wake up to find out.


    She looked at Axel''s sleeping face. Right now, it didn''t have the constant frown and the annoyed expression it always has. Without it, his face looked quite handsome.


    Martina wondered how long it''ll take for him to wake up. It was only 10 o''clock right now. She can afford to wait for a few hours.


    Though while waiting for him to wake up as she browsed through her Magi-mirror, Martina, after being tired from the incident, found herself falling asleep.


    ¡­


    Axel woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling. He didn''t feel like moving at all. His brows furrowed as he recalled last night''s events. First the troll then the Dementors. Man, this school is really hardcore. To think he had heard it being called the safest place in Britain after Gringotts¡­


    He examined his surroundings. He was in the hospital wing.


    Just as he sat up, his gaze went to his side and he almost jumped out of the bed.


    "What the¡ª?!"


    Right beside his bed, sitting in a chair with her head propped on the side of the bed, a girl was sleeping peacefully. Her long purple hair was spread all over the bed and her sleeping face looked much younger than her usual face, when she looks far older than her age.


    Axel realized that she must be the one who brought him here, but¡­ why is she sleeping here?!


    With the disturbance caused by his reaction, the girl''s eyebrows creased before she slowly opened her eyes.


    Martina opened her eyes to see Axel glaring down at her.


    "Aaaahhh¡ª" she almost screamed out aloud before she clamped her mouth shut.


    Last night, she had waited for him to wake up while browsing through the Hogwarts forums for the discussion on Troll. She had wanted to ask about his body''s condition and help him out if she could. After all, with her family''s resources, even phoenix tears could be arranged if they tried hard enough. But, she''d accidentally fallen asleep it seems.


    Axel frowned, does he look that scary? Well, he was hoping he does.


    "Did you bring me here last night?" He asked.


    Martina quickly raised her head from the bed as she tried to compose herself, schooling her features and tossing her hair back. Though the drool at the corner of her mouth didn''t help at all.


    "Um¡­ yes. Pardon my crude conduct, I fell asleep while waiting for you to wake up," she said after clearing her throat.


    Axel shrugged,


    "Well, thanks for saving me. I''m awake, so can you tell me what you want now," He said to her. It was clear she wanted something since she decided to wait but he couldn''t imagine having anything that the Mafia Prodigy might want.


    Martina shook her head.


    "No, I don''t want anything. I just¡ª"


    But she paused when both of them heard voices approaching from outside the partition screen.


    "D''you reckon they might still be here?"


    "Well, the photo was quite recent. I think we''re the first ones to come here, so there''s a chance."


    "Well, I''m quite scared, to be honest. You two can go ahead and check. I don''t want anything to do when the Valentino Family is involved."


    "Oh... no..."


    Martina''s eyes slowly widened as she comprehended their words.


    As she had fallen asleep without intending to, she had not even been able to set up wards around the place. On the off chance that someone peeked through the blinds, they would have been able to see her. And, it seems like that had turned out to be the case.


    ''Damn it!''


    In her panic, she didn''t even bother using her wand and simply put up the wards wandlessly, making it so that no one would be able to find this area so as to block those idiots.


    She quickly took out her Magi-mirror and opened the Hogwarts forums.


    "Shitshitshit!" she muttered as she found that the forums all blowing up with discussion. And the reason was just one damn photo, posted anonymously by someone.


    *Ring* *Ring*


    As if to make the situation worse, her Magi-mirror began ringing as she found her brother calling already and more calls and messages were starting to pop up with every second.


    On the other hand, Axel had also heard those kids. And after two months of adapting, he had some idea what they could be talking about. He found his bag beside his bed. He fished out his Magi-mirror and quickly checked the forums as well.


    !!!!


    When he saw his photo with the beloved princess of the most dangerous Mafia family sleeping right beside him, he saw his life flash before his eyes.


    "F."


    Yep, he was dead. He was truly dead now¡­.


    He wondered if it might have been better if he had been left with the Dementors.


    After checking to make sure all his belongings including his wands were with him, he simply got up as pain enveloped his body, indicating that his skills were activated.


    Martina quickly answered the call of her brother.


    "Fratello¡ª" she began but was cut off as both her father''s and brother''s faces popped into view cramped together.


    "Where are you right now?!"


    "Are you alright?!"


    "Who is he?! I just need the name!"


    "He''s only a friend right?... Right?!"


    Martina didn''t even have the chance to speak at all. Though it seemed that the Magi-mirror was suddenly snatched out of her brother and father''s hands and her mother''s stern face popped into view.


    "Martina, what¡­were you thinking, sleeping unprotected at a place like that? Have I taught you nothing upto now?" Even though she didn''t show it, Martina could tell that her mother was truly irate right now.


    Martina pouted,


    "Mum, I know it''s my fault but we don''t have time for that. I just need you to quickly get that picture deleted from everywhere,"


    "Your father already has his men doing that. But the matter won''t end here. I need to know¡­ who was this boy and how did you end up in that situation?" Asked her mother, her tone leaving no room for evasion this time.


    "He is¨C" Martina looked up from her mirror, only to find that Axel was nowhere to be seen. When did he leave? She still had not been able to know about his condition.


    "Mum, don''t put any of this on him. He was unconscious at the time. I was just waiting for him to wake up since I had business with him," she said quickly. For goodness sake, his life had been miserable enough from what she had seen in the memories. She didn''t want her family making him go through more difficulties because of her fault.


    "Martina Valentino¡ª" began her mother, ready to launch into a big lecture, but Martina just cut off the call before that.


    She sighed as she looked up at the ceiling. Her family had taken it well enough, considering the fact that her father and brother weren''t already on their way to kill Axel. But¡­ how would the rest of the school react to this?

 Chapter 29: Special Reward

    Axel walked through the corridors of Hogwarts while feeling like murdering someone. As he had feared, the picture had spread everywhere already.


    The effort he put in the last two months into putting a low profile had all gone to shit as now even the previous RM (Recorded Memory) of his Duel was once again being shared, to inform everyone who exactly was the ''lucky bastard'' who had the Mafia Prodigy sleeping at his bedside.


    ''First the Troll, then Dementors, and now this... yep, I think I officially hate Halloween now,'' he thought irately.


    It was quite absurd that his biggest problem until yesterday was just money. Money that he could steal but wasn''t stealing for¡­ no real reason at all. After one encounter with the Dementor, he could no longer give a fuck about getting caught or some shitty trauma.


    He realized that after two months of living a better life, he had begun to think that he had a choice. Hell no, he didn''t. He doesn''t even know what would have happened if that girl hadn''t been there. He would have been grateful if she had not gotten him into so much trouble. That''s why he had just left without listening to whatever she had to say.


    After sitting on the Slytherin table for breakfast under his stealth skills, he finally checked the system notifications of yesterday. When the Dementors had attacked, he didn''t have the leisure to see what mission he had been given.


    [Congratulations. You survived an encounter with Dementors.


    -Special skill: Minor Light attribute


    -1% approval rate. Total = 14%]


    Axel looked at the system interface in a stupor. Light attribute? Holy shit that sounds good! And it''s apparently a special skill. He recalled that he could unlock special skills in special cases or by doing special missions. Now, the only question is¡­ what exactly is this?


    He tapped the Minor Light attribute of the system interface to get more information on it.


    [Minor Light attribute: Light attribute Magic is the magic summoned from the #$*# #!$. This skill gives you the ability to imbue a minor amount of Light Magic into your spells.]


    Axel was pleasantly surprised, but also a bit confused.


    ''System, what is the meaning of those symbols? Also, I thought all the magic wizards usually did was light magic. Is that not it?'' He asked.


    [Axel, those symbols mean that the information is locked. And as explained previously, most wizards of these times do not have any accurate knowledge of Light and Dark Magic.


    They mostly term the dangerous spells which use the normal magic to be Dark magic and all the other spells as Light Magic, which is, of course, an absolutely wrong conjecture.


    The real Dark magic is spells that use the magic summoned from the Nether World. An example would be Fiendfire. And the real Light magic is spells that use the magic summoned from #$*# #!$. An Example would be the Patronus charm. The Light Magic and Dark Magic are natural counter to each other.]


    ''...Damn¡­ now we''re talking!''


    After comprehending the meaning of those words, Axel wanted to shout out in joy.


    It''s about the goddamn time he got something like this. There''s apparently a very powerful Darklord trying to take over this world, and that Darklord and his minions are quite adept at Dark magic. So, having something like Light Attribute magic, which can counter creatures like the Dementors is a necessity and is going to be quite handy.


    Axel grinned. It was certainly a ''Special Skill'' alright. His mood felt much ''lighter'' now. He didn''t even particularly mind all the attention and troubles the photo with that girl had brought him anymore.


    Feeling much better, he left for his first class which was with the Gryffindors.


    A few moments later. . .


    "..."


    Well, maybe he had spoken too soon about not minding the troubles of that photo.


    He certainly did mind it if a crowd of students are gathering up in front of his Potions class to wait for his arrival.


    Sigh*


    He can''t just enter the class in stealth since he needs to show his face to the Professor for attendance. And when he does that, it would be absolutely certain that he can turn himself invisible through magic since these idiots don''t know that there are ways one can avoid being noticed without using Invisibility or magic. There are already rumors that he can cast the disillusionment charm and he doesn''t want them to believe it.


    Thus, with all the exasperation in the world, he turned off all the skills and started to walk toward his classroom. It''s not comfortable and it might be annoying, so he usually avoids trouble, but when it comes down to it, he''ll not cower away. So what if there was a photo of him with some girl? Heck, so what if he even slept with that girl? If anyone has a problem they can kiss his ass.


    It wasn''t long before someone spotted him approaching the class.


    "Hey! He''s here!"


    "Really? Where?"


    "There he is!"


    "Yeah, that''s him alright."


    The crowd of students started approaching him but Axel didn''t stop walking.


    "Hey, what exactly happened?"


    "Yeah, how did you end up in that situation?"


    "Do you actually know her?"


    "Hey, I''m just warning you. Stay away from her or I''ll¡ª"


    All kinds of people were mixed in the crowd. Some were just there to gossip, some were jealous gits while some were there just to enjoy the show, recording everything on their Magi-mirrors.


    Axel didn''t stop walking at all. He got mixed up into the crowd and emerged from the other side while everyone was trying to find him inside the crowd.


    "Hey, where''d he go?!"


    "Do you see him?"


    "Damn it, why are there so many people here?!"


    ''Losers,''


    Quite unimpressed, Axel left those losers behind as he entered the class with his hands still in his pockets. Even inside, he could feel many gazes fixed on him. Not paying them any attention, he went straight to the last bench which all but belonged to him now in all his classes.


    Once he settled his equipments, of course, he was still not going to be left alone.


    "Hey, Axel,"The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Hi Axel,"


    Two girls came to his table. It wasn''t the first time they were bothering him in these two months, so he knew their names. Parvati and Lavender. Gryffindor''s gossip girls.


    "We saw your photo! Holy Morgana, you two looked cute together."


    "Yeah, how do you two know each other?"


    "None of your damn business. Now scram."


    "?!" x2


    It wasn''t Axel who said that. It was Rose Potter, the Girl-Who-Lived. Parvati and Lavender both looked fairly terrified as they scurried away quietly.


    Axel was almost impressed. In the past two months, Rose had built up a reputation for herself as the Girl-Who-Must-Not-be-messed-with. Those who had messed with her were all always met with a vicious revenge. Except only for Axel himself. He couldn''t understand just why, but she never did do anything against him despite all of her threats.


    "What do you want?" Asked Axel rudely. Since she doesn''t do anything, he is just going to treat her like anyone else.


    Rose gritted her teeth. Oh how satisfying it would be if she could just prank the living hell out of this guy, but she valued her life more. This guy has Aunt Bella obsessed over him for some reason.


    "I''m not here because I want something. I''m just here to let you know that I know your secret," she said imperiously.


    That made him pause.


    "What secret?" he asked, his wand slowly sliding in his hand.


    Rose shook her head, as she looked at her Magi-mirror. Aunt Bella seemed to have gone berserk today after seeing his photo. Rose now has several orders she has to follow, demanded urgently by the Minister of Magic.


    "If you want to know, first answer these questions. How did you end up in the Hospital wing and what is your relationship with Martina Valentino? And also, it would be better if you ''stay away from vixens like her'' since her family''s reputation is quite bad. hmm¡­ that''s it," she said as she finished reading what Aunt Bella had written.


    Axel looked at her for several seconds. Then just scoffed,


    "I think I''ll pass. You can go tell my secret to everyone."


    Rose grew angry.


    "Huh? You think I''m bluffing? I know that you know some weird magic that lets you capture any woman. And what''s with that face? You''re probably wondering how I know, right? Well, it''s not too difficult to guess after looking at the series of events," she said triumphantly, feeling smug when Axel''s eyebrows went up his hairline when she exposed his secret.


    First Aunt Andromeda, then Aunt Bella, and now Martina Valentino. Heck, even she sometimes finds herself under that spell as well but since she''s the Girl-Who-Lived, she''s most likely immune to it.


    Axel nodded slowly,


    "Yeah¡­ get lost."


    "...What?" The smug expression on her face vanished as she wondered if she had heard him wrong.


    "I said¡­ ''get¡ªlost'' do you get it now? You can go and expose my secret everywhere. Blimey, I can''t even bring myself to be bothered," he said exasperatedly. Seriously, what''s with this girl''s brain? He was an idiot to think she knew one of his real secrets.


    Rose stomped her foot in frustration. Oh Merlin, if only she could do whatever she wanted with him¡­ she would have made him regret every single time he''s insulted her.


    Too bad she can''t do anything with a somewhat psychotic Minister of Magic protecting him like her love child. With a huff, Rose stalked off while wondering how she was supposed to answer Aunt Bella now.


    She thought for a while. Well, isn''t it obvious? If Axel isn''t giving her the information, then she just has to invent it herself, right?


    Let''s see, why Axel was in the Hospital wing? Let''s just attribute it to the Troll. He was out wandering and got done in by the Troll, seems legit, huh?


    What''s the relationship between her and Martina? Let''s see. Both are having a romantic relationship and Axel is getting help from her. Yeah, that''s good. Axel is seducing women to get benefits.


    There! It''s done! Isn''t she simply a genius? Rose simply sent the made-up answers to her Aunt, not knowing what results it would bring.


    She then quickly began setting up the equipments for the potions class. Snape is no longer kind to her and instead treats her badly in the classes now. But that has been the case for every Gryffindor, isn''t it? Oh well, she knew enough to get by.


    ¡­


    Axel walked out of Potions class with another Troll (T) grade to his name. But as he already mentioned, he couldn''t care less about this shit. What would he even do with full grades? Get attention? No thank you, he was already struggling with what attention he , grades are only useful to those who are going to apply for some job. And Axel wanted to be someone who hires, not someone who gets hired.


    As he walked along the corridors, his footsteps slowed down as he noticed a difference. He was expecting the students to flood him again, but funnily enough, none were coming.


    Shrugging to himself, he went to attend his next class, going almost unhindered save for a few stragglers.


    It was History class, and despite it being a much more interesting class, that couldn''t prevent him from taking the last seat.


    Daphne was sitting there while reading some book. When he came, she didn''t even glance up at him.


    "What''s up with you? What book is it?" Asked Axel as he sat down. She wouldn''t usually ignore him like this, so he thought that the book must be really interesting.


    Daphne didn''t even look at him,


    "Oh¡­ I''m trying not to bother you, so that your ''girlfriend'' doesn''t come after me," she said, turning the book, since it was upside down.


    Axel grew puzzled at her absurd words,


    "The fuck are you talking about?" There was no need for a language filter when talking to her.


    Daphne sighed,


    "I forgot that your Magi-mirror is just a showpiece. For fuck''s sake, do try to use it sometimes. Your girlfriend has made a declaration."


    Axel frowned as he took out his Magi-mirror to check the forums.


    "Oh¡­ hell," he muttered as he saw the changes. The photo had been deleted from the forum and now there was another post pinned to the top, posted by Martina Valentino herself.


    "Anyone bothering Axel Hunt will have to answer to me."


    Axel''s mouth twitched. What''s the problem with this girl? It seems that he can forget about having a peaceful life at Hogwarts.


    Daphne finally looked at him to see his reaction.


    "You sure work fast, Mr. Charming. You managed to land the Mafia Princess in just two months."


    Axel looked at her in annoyance.


    "What''s up with you? Why are you being so bitchy?"


    Daphne looked back into her book.


    "You are such a liar. You deny even being friends with me and would even make that bimbo your girlfriend because her family is more powerful. I didn''t know you were so superficial."


    Axel rolled his eyes,


    "Have you ever seen me talking to her?"


    Daphne paused,


    "...No,"


    "Have you ever seen her talking to me?"


    "Uh...No?"


    "Have you ever heard me even mentioning her?"


    "..."


    "Then the fuck are you assuming she''s my girlfriend? Jeez! You''re being so annoying. That''s why I don''t make friends. It''s more trouble than it''s worth."


    Daphne''s brain started to work normally again after she calmed down. She realized that the photo had Axel unconscious or sleeping so it''s not like he was willingly having the Valentino girl sleeping next to her. And as for the post that Martina posted, he didn''t even know about it.


    And now that she thought about it, she couldn''t even imagine Axel making her a girlfriend for superficial things.


    ''It all seems... one-sided?'' She realized. And now she was feeling stupid. She had just gotten wrapped up in her friends'' discussion. Really, why does she even bother listening to those immature girls?!


    In the first place, she sits here in the last seat instead of the first only because she finds those of her age too immature and annoying. And sitting here is quite peaceful and refreshing as they both usually do their own thing and don''t annoy each other. But she had done it, she had annoyed him over silly nonsense.


    Though another reason for her unreasonable behavior would be the inferiority she felt when compared to Martina Valentino. The girl is a Legend in the Ravenclaw house. Everyone all but worships her due to her genius.


    But genius or not, would that matter to Axel? Fuck no. And if he was materialistic, he''d have just gone for Rose, who has the whole Black Family with her. She had just blindly listened to the gossip.


    "Um¡­ I''m sorry, I was being an idiot," she said meekly.


    Axel rolled his eyes,


    "As long as you know," he said simply. He''ll sit somewhere else if she continues her nonsense. Now he has to think of what consequences that new post would bring.


    At this moment, Professor Gorski, their History Professor entered the class, looking quite worse for wear. His eyes had dark circles, and his posture was quite languid, contrasting his usual energetic appearance.


    Yawn*


    "Excuse my unrefined appearance, I have had a tough night due to my injuries flaring up. I won''t be teaching you anything today so you can quietly do whatever you want for the period today," he said, making many students disappointed along while also making some happy.


    Axel just shrugged. He had a never-ending list of tasks, so it was alright for him, though Daphne was not happy.


    "I have nothing to do!" She complained.


    Axel put his notebook in front of her.


    "You can just do my Homework if you''re so free."


    Daphne wouldn''t have done it and she knew that Axel was also just joking, but¡­ this time, she accepted the notebook and took out her pen.


    "I''ll do it," she said, making Axel surprised.


    "Just as a payback for saying those things," she said.


    Axel shrugged. She didn''t owe him anything really but, who is he to decline a gift horse in the mouth?


    ""You have Failed.""came a creepy rasping voice from a Locket.


    Umbridge knelt down.


    "Forgive me, my lord."


    The voice grew colder,


    ""Even after arranging two Dementors and a helper for you, you still have failed in the task, does this deserve forgiveness?""


    Umbridge bowed lower,


    "T-There was an interruption, my lord. I-I think it was Dumbledore. All the other professors except myself and our helper were after the Troll!"


    That made the voice even angrier,


    ""Dumbledore! It''s Dumbledore again¡­. It seems that we have no choice but to execute the task in Dumbledore''s absence¡­ Leave the stone, for now, focus more on the other task. It''s going to be much more important in my plans.""


    Umbridge nodded dutifully,


    "Yes my lord. That task has been going swimmingly. No one seems to suspect a thing."


    "But... my Lord. About the new helper..."


    ""Don''t question his loyalty. I gave him an offer he simply can not refuse,"" the voice said with a hint of amusement.

 Chapter 30: The Panty Thief?

    Bellatrix Black sat in her office with her Magi-mirror his hands. Different screens were flashing around her like computers, all displaying different reports and data. But, there was something common in all the information showing on these devices right now: They were all somehow related to Axel.


    Some were playing recorded memories of him while some were pictures of him. And the one on the biggest screen was of him lying in a hospital bed with a certain girl sleeping on his bedside.


    Today was bound to be a hectic day for Bellatrix. Apparently, a troll had somehow managed to get into Hogwarts. Now, this wouldn''t have been a big deal if the news didn''t get out, but with the existence of the Magi-mirrors, almost all of the Britain and many other parts of the world knew about it.


    It has to be noted that children of various affluent magical families from all over the world have sent their kids to Hogwarts due to its great education and reputation. And now, a troll has been suddenly set loose in the school. So of course, those parents from affluent families would demand an explanation.


    And whose fault it was?


    That fucker Dumbledore! First, he won''t let the ministry help with the security of Hogwarts and now he expects her to take the blame? Fuck no! With the help of mass media, she has made sure that everyone knows exactly who is at fault. That old fossil still hasn''t fully grasped the use of modern magic tech yet.


    But, she had been so busy dealing with it all for the whole night and the morning that she completely missed Axel''s newest photo.


    This is the first time she saw his sleeping face, and the boy looks so cute and innocent without that annoyed and bored look on his face. If only he didn''t have that girl sleeping beside him, the scene would be perfect.


    That girl, is the princess of the most notorious mafia family in Italy and probably the whole world. For centuries, that family has been involved with all kinds of criminal activities, managing to stay in power by doing all kinds of illegal activities. So, it would be quite understandable if she didn''t want Axel to associate himself with the princess of such a dangerous family.


    For the past two months, she''s been trying to search for a way to cure his body and she also informed all the teachers to pay special attention to him and not let him suffer. She had even almost gotten Severus Snape fired.


    She had wanted to do more but Axel wouldn''t appreciate help from someone he hates with a passion.


    So, she''ll help him from the shadows. Without letting him know it was her who helped her.


    Like right now. She picked up her Magi-mirror and made a voice-only call.


    Ring-Ring* *Ring-Ring* *Rin¡ª*


    "Yes?" The call was answered quickly.


    "Bellatrix Black, Britain''s Minister of Magic. I have business with your Boss," said Bellatrix in a cold voice.


    There was a pause as the other side checked her caller Id once again.


    "This is very sudden, but I''ll inform the Godfather. Could you please wait on the line?"


    "Make it quick,"


    After a few moments, someone else''s voice came from the speaker.


    "Well, it''s certainly a surprise, Minister. I believe this is our second time talking to each other."


    The voice belonged to Martina''s father. But this time, it had quite a sleazy and dangerous edge to it that wasn''t present when he was goofily talking to his daughter.


    "Mr. Alessandro, I had some urgent business with you," said Bellatrix, coming straight to the point.


    "Blunt as always, I see. Well, I''m listening,"


    A Blunt and honest approach worked much better with people like Alessandro. So Bellatrix didn''t bother beating around the bush.


    "I need you not to take any action against one Axel Hunt. He''s under my protection," she said in a dead serious tone.


    That made the other party go silent for several seconds.


    "That¡­ is a rather exorbitant demand. But¡­ it can be done¡­ on one condition,"


    Bellatrix was surprised. She hadn''t thought that the man would give up so easily on making a move against Axel after the incident. Though how could she know that he had already promised his daughter not to hurt Axel? So any requests he was making were for free at this point.


    Bellatrix drummed her fingers against the desk,


    "Speak,"


    "I don''t really need much, just give me all the information on the boy,"


    Bellatrix instantly denied it,


    "Then let me make myself clear: It wasn''t a request, Alessandro. It was a declaration. You harm Axel, you''ll have a war. Am I clear?"


    Alessandro chuckled.


    "Oooh, that''s quite an overkill, for an orphan crippled child. It seems my information was indeed incomplete. How curious¡­. Well, as long as he stays away from my daughter," saying so, he cut the call.


    Bellatrix sighed,


    "If anything happens to Axel, war would be the least of your concern," she muttered.


    Ding*


    A notification rang on her personal MM (Magi-mirror) and she quickly opened it when she noticed who sent it.


    She had been trying to find out how and why Axel is involved with this girl and why he was in the bloody Hospital wing! And, it would seem that her wait was finally over as she received a reply from Rose.


    "... What?!"


    Axel was injured by the Troll?! And, he seduced Martina for benefits?!


    The things in her office started shaking due to her magic flaring up.


    "No!"


    She had been wrong once again! She had thought that she could simply help him from the shadows until she finds the cure and properly apologizes to him.


    Because she couldn''t bring herself to face him, or even dare to contact him after what she had done. She knew from the look in his eyes and that voice filled with cold fury that he wouldn''t forgive her.


    We''re nothing but strangers'' Were his words.


    She didn''t think she could handle his rejection again. That''s why, she had been trying to make her apology substantial and sincere enough that something might change.


    But, she didn''t anticipate that Axel wouldn''t settle for a crippled life and would start trying to seduce that girl to get her help in fixing his body.


    And now that her passiveness had caused these events, what should she do? It''s almost two months and she''s nowhere near finding a way to heal him than before. It would seem that she can''t stay passive forever.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    And as for the troll? She hadn''t given the matter much though, but now that Axel had been hurt¡­ Dumbledore is going to get hell.


    After dinner, Axel had followed the directions he had gotten from the system to claim his rewards. The directions for a place to stay at Hogwarts.


    And the room found was awesome. Well, it was actually several Victorian-style luxurious quarters connected by one common room, plus a big bathroom. It was made for Noble guests and VIP guests whose location had been long forgotten but everyone at Hogwarts, if the system''s information was to be believed.


    Which is why he was currently in a luxury suite with a fucking king-sized bed.


    On a normal day, Axel would have loved to simply test out that oh-so inviting large bed, but not after today. In the last 24 hours, he''s almost died two times and if that wasn''t enough, a fucking Mafia family is soon going to have its revenge against him for something that wasn''t his fault.


    "There''s no time for hesitation¡­ there''s no room for laziness¡­ and there''s no easy way to choose," he muttered as he looked himself in the mirror. He was currently decked in an all-black outfit. These were the custom-made clothes that had been ordered by Andromeda.


    During the past two months, he might have started to have a much better life when he was studying magic along with so many others. And that had somehow given him the illusion that he was one of them. That he could also afford to have a happy and carefree life¡­ just like others.


    And Bloody hell, was he wrong! He had forgotten that life would sometimes give him these moments, when everything seems to be going alright, giving him hopes, letting him lower his guard¡­ And then it would suddenly throw a curveball at him, like a sucker punch to the guts, leaving him suffering the aftermaths.


    That''s why, he''s no longer going to hesitate now. What''s the point of hesitation when he could suddenly die the next day? Getting into trouble while trying to do something is more preferable than just being a passive pussy AND still getting into trouble anyway.


    The thought of Dementors almost taking his life came to him once again. And as he thought about it, he could no longer feel that rejection towards his craft that he had developed after the torture.


    If Stealing has brought his downfall, then Stealing is the thing that has brought him so far in the first place. He''d have starved a long time ago without it.


    Axel closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he loosened up his muscles with some stretching,


    "Alright system, I think I''m ready now. Tell me everything you can about how to progress my Arcane Thief Class," he said decisively.


    [1% approval rate for overcoming your trauma.


    Since you are ready, you can now be able to see the Steal Points. Every skill needs a certain amount of Steal Points to unlock. These Steal points can be gathered by doing several small thefts, or a low amount of major thefts.


    Stealing would also progress your Class and give more guidance and information on how to steal and what precautions to take when stealing in a magical world.]


    "Oh, so that''s how it works¡­" he muttered. So he just has to steal and accumulate Steal Points or S.P.. Then he''ll get the skills and also get more information on how exactly to steal in the Magical World.


    But, he still couldn''t understand several things.


    "But, can you show me the information on the skills and the amount of SP they''ll require for me to get them? And if the thefts I''ve committed during the past years can be converted into SP or not,"


    [Currently, you can not choose the skills you unlock. It''s set on the systematic progression right now. You''ll need to increase the approval rate to open the Skill Shop where you can spend your SP to buy whatever Skill available. But for now, the next skill you can unlock has already been set and will be unlocked when you collect the necessary SP for it.]


    "Damn¡­ what skill is it? And how many SPs do I need to unlock it?"


    [Ward Breaking: 1000 SP]


    [Ward Breaking: It is one of the most important skills for being an Arcane Thief. It is considered too difficult and advanced in the Wizarding World, but not if you''re training through the method given by the system.]


    "Hell yeah!"


    Axel almost began to jump in joy. He knew he couldn''t do much without this one, with most Slytherins actually putting up at least the basic protection at their individual doors.


    But this field needs quite advanced prerequisites to even begin to perform the basics. It was a pleasant surprise to know that he could start learning it so quickly using the system''s cheat knowledge.


    With a newfound enthusiasm, Axel walked out of the secret space and moved toward his very first hunting ground.


    : The Hufflepuff Dorms.


    Yep, he couldn''t just waltz into the Slytherin Dorms and steal their stuff, could he? Even though a Slytherin is more likely to be richer and net him much more money and SP, but many Slytherins are also likely to have at least some kind of setup to prevent intruders, right?


    And he doesn''t know shit about those precautions with the magic coming into the equation.


    The best way would be to slowly level his Class so that the information on how to steal is available in his mind.


    The priority is not to get quick and easy gains, but to ''learn''. The art of stealing needs patience, practice, and perseverance. With magic being real and his body being in a shitty condition, he''s going to once again start from level one.


    And Hufflepuff dorms would be the best place for that. Those loyal badgers wouldn''t have much precautions against each other since no such incidents happens there. That''s why he''s starting from there.


    And of course, he''s not going to steal anything noticeable. He just wants to level up his class, not to make innocents suffer.


    After making up his decision to start from Hufflepuff today, he had taken some time to follow a few Hufflepuffs back to their dorms, so he knew how to get in.


    Before entering, his custom enchanted outfit morphed into a simple set of dark yellow pyjamas with a sleeping hat covering his head. This will help him blend in. His face had a mask on it since some students do get them from the Hospital wing when they have magical flu or something.


    Now, he was just another Hufflepuff breaking curfew even if someone saw through his powerful Stealth Skills.


    "Here goes nothing," he muttered as he proceeded towards the Entrance.


    The entrance to the Hufflepuff Dorms was concealed behind a stack of barrels. In order to reveal the entrance, no password was required. Instead, one had to tap the barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row, in a rhythm.


    Since he couldn''t tap it in rhythm properly due to his hand, he would have to do it using his leg.


    [Be careful, Axel. If you don''t do it the right way, you''ll be doused in vinegar and barred access.]


    "Well¡­ that''s kinda dumb, but whatever," what if someone tapped wrong by mistake?


    Tap* *TapTap* *Tap*...


    He managed to hit the barrel rightly and sighed in relief when the lid swung open, exposing a passageway. Not wasting more time, he went in.


    In the dim lighting, he saw the common room, which turned out to be a huge, round, earthy, low-ceilinged, and warm place, with kinda welcoming vibes.


    There were lots of yellow hangings, burnished copper, overstuffed sofas and armchairs upholstered in yellow and black, and small circular windows that provided a vista of rippling grass and dandelions. There was also a large, honey-colored, wooden mantelpiece with carvings of badgers on it, located underneath a portrait of a beautiful witch who must be Helga Hufflepuff.


    Since it was the middle of the night, the common room was empty, with everyone sleeping.


    ''System, can you tell me the number of Steal points I''ll get for each item?'' Asked Axel.


    [Affirmative, Here''s the catalog of some things you can steal and their equivalent SPs per piece.


    The Currency conversion:


    Knuts: 5 SP


    Silver: 10 SP


    Gold: 25 SP


    Platinum: 50 SP


    The price of items can be different based on different qualities and who they belong to. But here''s the general price.


    Quill: 0.2


    Notebook: 0.4


    Shoes: 3


    Broomstick: Nimbus=20, Cleansweep=10..


    ¡­.


    And the list went on. It was so long that Axel hadn''t even heard of several things.


    "What in the world¡­?"


    And¡­ there were several weird things as well.


    Used Panties: 10 SP


    ''What the fuck system? 10 SP?! Why the hell is it such a useless thing has so much SP?''


    [Axel, those things have a market of their own. If you sell to the correct buyer, you can gain a lot of profit. The points can even go upto 1000 SP or higher depending on the identity of the person you stole it from since it would have a large value to certain people.]


    "..."


    For the life of him, Axel could not comprehend what kind of sick bastards would pay for things like that. So what was he supposed to do now? Steal women''s underwear? Axel Hunt, the panties Thief. Yeah, how glorious...


    But from this, he learned another lesson: Different things would have different values to different things. Even useless things could get him SP and the list of things he could steal was so large that he didn''t even bother reading the whole of it.


    ''Well, it seems I have my work cut out for me,'' he thought as he realized just how much he''ll have to steal to unlock various skills.


    He can''t just steal a lot of galleons from one rich Hufflepuff and be done with it since¡ª


    1)He doesn''t steal from those who weren''t rich assholes.


    2)If he went for a big hand, everyone will be alerted of a thief and will get more precautions, thus making things difficult for him in the long run.


    Thus, he''s only going to use the Daily Life tactic for now. It''s a very effective way of stealing, in which you only go for things whose absence would be gone unnoticed and whose absence wouldn''t be missed much by the owner. In this way, they''ll just think that they either dropped or forgot it somewhere or it is just misplaced and later, they''ll simply forget about it.


    This way, he won''t be harming anyone since they''ll barely be bothered and he can continue to steal for the upcoming years without students and authorities taking action while also making progress.


    As he began sneaking into the dorms, he began to feel a familiar feeling of thrill and anxiousness. It''s not like he hadn''t tried stealing in the past two months. Old habits die hard. Heck, he''d even taken a broom from the broom shed.


    But, every time he tried, he just couldn''t focus at all and his hands would start shaking much worse and the pain in his body would intensify. He would find himself just delaying it or making excuses.


    But right now, he could no longer feel those things. And instead, a familiar excitement once again began bubbling inside him. He had forgotten just how much he liked this profession. It gives him a thrill that makes him feel more...alive¡­ more special¡­ more powerful.


    A feeling of concentration enveloped him as he found himself entering his most focused state.


    These past months, despite living in such a fantastic and magical environment, he had always felt that something was missing. And he realized what exactly it was.


    "It starts here,"


    Several things had happened, and he had lost his way. But, the real journey of the Arcane Thief¡­ starts now.

 Chapter 31: Letter

    <div>


    After the Troll incident, Hogwarts experienced several changes. For example, a few Aurors of the minister''s choice were instated along with other security measures. And alarm systems were installed, so that the others can be informed if such a thing happens again and prevent a troll from going on a Killing spree.


    But it wasn''t actually that big of a deal. Hogwarts is relatively safe compared to other magical schools.


    And the student who was in the middle of all of it, Axel Hunt, was having his own share of complications.


    "What the fuck? Is this woman crazy or something?" He thought as he looked at the Letter from the Minister of Magic herself.


    After the recent events, he had expected many things, but never did he expect this¡­ Like, it doesn''t make sense at all.


    "Dear Axel,


    I know that I''m probably your most hated person in the world, and I know that almost anything I do to remedy that might only make you resent me more, but¡­ I just wanted you to know¡­ that I have really regretted what I did to you that day.


    I know that nothing I can do to remedy that but, there are certain things that can be remedied. I have been trying to search for a way to heal you. There isn''t much I have found yet, but¡­ there is still a good chance that I might find something. Meanwhile, there are other things I have sent so that you don''t have to¡­ associate with someone to get something. I know I can''t take back what I said, but I''m trying to make up for it.


    Please consider joining us for the Christmas holidays. I''d like to tell you some things about your father.


    Waiting for your Response


    Best Wishes


    Bellatrix Black."


    Rip*


    The only thing this letter managed to do was rip open the weak band-aid he had managed to put over the wound he could only remember as the Blackest day of his life.


    "Bullshit," he muttered as he crumpled the letter and threw it in the corner of his bag along with the small purse she had sent him without even checking its contents.


    He already has felt so much reluctance and repugnance just by using what Andromeda had sent him. And that woman could be considered a saint if compared to BBWWBB, Biggest-Bitch-World-Wide Bellatrix Black. So, he didn''t even consider using it. He was a thief with principles.


    And what was she implying anything when he said he didn''t have to associate himself with¡­? She is only sending this after seeing his picture with a rich girl sleeping next to his bed. What could be the implications? That he''s some gigolo? He is not!


    And what would it make him if he accepted any help from the woman who has metaphorically stripped him naked and taken his dignity as a person just for her amusement? Accepting her help would definitely make him someone much worse than a gigolo.


    And she knows about his father? Well, this is somewhat new.


    Axel recalled the dream he''d seen on Halloween eve.


    Right after seeing that dream, he had been attacked by the Troll right after he woke up and then saw a girl blow it''s head off, right after which the teachers came and he ran and got attacked by Dementors, and woke up to find himself in trouble due to a photo. So, he couldn''t be blamed if he forgot most of the dream and couldn''t recall it.


    The only thing he could recall... was a man and a woman, who were definitely his parents, leaving him with the caretaker of the orphanage.


    So... he also couldn''t be blamed if he didn''t want to know about his parents.


    He just wanted to have nothing to do with this woman until the day he makes her kneel in front of him as he does things to her that are a lot worse than things she''d done to him. Thus, for now, he went out of his way and instead of just a few words, wrote her a ''polite'' and ''detailed'' response that''ll hopefully keep her out of his goddamn life until that time.


    [That... is quite brutal, Axel.]


    Axel shrugged,


    ''I wouldn''t know. But... I do feel better after writing it,'' he thought that to the system. He had ranted everything in the letter.


    ¡­


    After that, almost everything had gone back to normal, except some people still had some problems.


    "What are we going to do about him?" Asked a fourth-year student in a somewhat heated tone. He had blond hair, styled in a fauxhawk, and handsome features.


    "Don''t be an idiot, Damien. He''s under that girl''s protection now," said Alaric Malcolm, the head boy. He also had blond hair, but his hair was combed back neatly.


    "But brother! You know¡­ and everyone knows that I''ve liked her for three years! And I didn''t even get to talk to her properly all this time. And now some brat comes and gets so close to her?! We cannot let this pass!"


    "Get over it, Damien. If we can''t have the connection with that family through you, then at least don''t make them our enemies! Are we clear?" Asked Alaric seriously.


    Damien''s hands clenched into fists but he still nodded,


    "I''ll be careful."


    "You''d better. You''re not a child anymore, so you should start using your head now," saying that, Alaric walked away.


    And Damien, who was about to show more frustration suddenly stopped as he...used his head.


    They just couldn''t offend the Valentino Family, right? But what if no one knows who did it?


    Now, the question was¡­ when to do this. He''ll have to wait for the right opportunity.


    Time Skip: One month.


    "Position, Aim, Fire!"


    """FLIPENDO!""""


    "Position, Aim, Fire!"


    """FLIPENDO!""""


    "Position, Aim, Fire!"


    """FLIPENDO!""""


    It was early morning and Dueling class for first years was going on in the Arena with numerous Training Dummies Lined up and students practicing on each of them in groups.


    "Position, Aim, Fire!"


    """FLIPPENDO!""""


    On every firing command of Professor Alice, the students, standing a fair distance away from the dummies would chant the spell and try to hit the Training Dummies in the small circle drawn on the center of their chest.


    This wasn''t the first time this drill was taking place and very few students were able to properly hit the target from such a distance.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "Don''t exaggerate the wand movements! It''ll only deviate from your aim. Keep your hand, shoulder, and wrist firm or the kickback will shift the trajectory and in such a long distance, it''ll be enough to miss the target," said Professor Alice as she repeatedly tapped her wand on her palm, looking stern.


    "Hey Hannah, you''re doing it wrong, you''re supposed to keep your hand extended out completely, elevated up to the eye level for better aim," said Hermione Granger, who was in the same group as Rose''s friends. Well, the loner girl had made new friends in the past few months.


    Hannah, who had been trying her best and was a bit happy with her progress, immediately got deflated at that.


    "Hey, it''s not necessarily wrong. And she''s doing just fine, alright?" Spoke Susan, Hannah''s knight in shining armor.


    "Rose, you have to beat the evil Slytherins in the match today, alright?" Said Neville as he fired a spell and missed.


    "Shut up, Neville. Not all Slytherins are evil," said Daphne who was also in the same group.


    During these months, Daphne had become better friends with Hermione rather than the other Ravenclaws and due to that, Hermione had gotten on friendly terms with the rest of the Golden Quintet.


    Today, they were practicing their aim and Professor Alice had divided the students into groups of seven due to the limited number of training dummies. And since all the houses were here, these six friends had gotten into the same group.


    Daphne looked around the huge arena, searching for other groups and Rose was also secretly doing the same.


    ''Where the fuck is he?'' (curious)


    ''Now where did that guy go?'' (annoyed)


    And at this moment, the guy in question finally showed up at the door with dark circles beneath his eyes and his long hair looking disheveled.


    Due to his nightly activities, which included sneaking into people''s bedrooms, along with his endless training, he had been unable to get much sleep at night and was dead tired due to the exercises. And this goddamn Dueling class is being held in the early morning, even before the normal class start.


    "You''re late, Mr. Hunt. We''re training in groups of seven. You can join little Nevi''s¡ª I mean Mr. Longbottom''s group. It has a vacancy,"


    In Neville''s group, Rose gave Neville a questioning look.


    "I thought your mum said all Slytherins were evil?" She asked sarcastically. If she had taught him so, then why would she send a Slytherin to his group? Personally, she still couldn''t decide whether Axel Hunt was a good guy or the evilest of them all.


    Neville looked away,


    "Well, my Gran, dad, and Uncle think to say it all the time. Mum should also think the same, right?" He said in puzzlement.


    When Professor Alice recommended him to join Neville''s group, Axel, who was just searching for a group, paused in his steps as he looked towards Neville''s group.


    ''... Is this hell?'' He thought when he saw the people in the group. Except for Daphne, he was on bad terms with everyone else in that group.


    Professor Alice didn''t seem to have plans of continuing before he joined the group. This woman had treated him fairly until now, so he didn''t want to just openly defy her suggestion in front of hundreds of students.


    And most importantly, he couldn''t even find other groups with vacancies in such a short time.


    Thus, with a sigh, he decided to just join the group he was assigned.


    "You look like a mess," commented Daphne as soon as Axel came beside her.


    "Yeah, good morning to you too." He muttered with a yawn as he took out his wand.


    Hum*


    His wand hummed as it shot out small pink sparks to greet him. Axel just squeezed it a little bit in return. As for his greetings to the wand, Daphne wasn''t someone who''d mind, but he didn''t fancy talking to a wand in front of others.


    Taking a deep breath, his eyes focused and his slouching posture straightened.


    Taking a stance, he fired his shot at the Dummy.


    Dang*


    And the spell hit near the center circle.


    "... Hey, how''d you do that?" Asked Rose as she looked at Axel''s constantly shaking hand which loosely held the wand. There was no way anyone would be able to be accurate with that kind of hand. She wondered if it was a lucky shot. They were standing quite the distance away from the dummy.


    "Yeah, you used to suck bad at this," commented Daphne. This wasn''t the first time this activity had been organized. The last time she had seen him shoot, he was pathetically bad at this. His spells were so weak that they wouldn''t even form properly sometimes and his aim would always be a mile off.


    Axel shrugged,


    "I practiced," he said dismissively.


    His aim was shit due to his injuries and his power output was so weak that spell-beam-type spells were inaccessible to him. Even in his duel with Draco, he had only used one spell and that spell was also something he had to charge two times to give some damage.


    But due to his hard work and the information and the knowledge he had gotten from the system, he had improved a lot in the past three months.


    With the diet of magical ingredients and exercises, his body is much more attuned to magic, making it easier for it to be channeled even through his damaged nerves and the bond with his wand was stronger than ever. Due to this, his power output was now strong enough that he could use the beam-type spells.


    As for his aim, his body did heal a little bit during this time and¡ª


    [Wand Aim: 8%]


    He had made progress in this skill. It wasn''t much of a complex skill either. His mastery would be quite high if he wasn''t crippled.


    Axel''s short answer didn''t satisfy anyone, especially as they looked at the trembling hand.


    "Come on Rose, it was just a lucky shot. It''s not possible to be accurate in that condition," said Neville.


    Axel just ignored everyone as he shot out a few more spells, almost all of them hitting the Dummy.


    "How are you doing this? You aren''t doing the wand movement and also, the Professor said we can''t hit the target without keeping our hands steady," questioned Hermione who couldn''t take it anymore.


    She was quite jealous that he was under the protection of her idol, Martina Valentino. Hermione had thought that she''d be the only one to receive Martina''s attention but after Halloween, things had changed.


    Sigh*


    Seeing that they weren''t practicing and only disturbing him, he decided to satisfy their curiosity and be done with it.


    "It''s not a big deal. I''m just holding my wand straight up and have it pointing at the Dummy¡ª" he said, holding out his wand and aiming at the Dummy''s midpoint.


    "Now, if my hand doesn''t shake, the spell will directly hit the bullseye. But, since it''s shaking so much, it''ll definitely deviate in some direction which will totally mess up my aim.


    So, I just need to anticipate which direction it''ll shift and move my hand in the other direction to some degree to cancel it. Now, the only problem is that, my hand doesn''t really respond well to whatever I want it to do, so before even shifting my hand, I also have to calculate how much deviation will be caused due to my hand not responding exactly as I want it to be and move my hand after taking these two factors into consideration.


    Now, if everything is correct, I should be able to hit the bullseye, but as you can see, I still need a lot of practice.


    That clear enough for you?"


    "..." 6


    The whole group went speechless at that. Some because they didn''t understand everything and some because they understood everything he had said.


    "Just¡­ how would it be if he was completely healed?" Asked Hannah, looking a bit terrified. Hearing that, everyone had goosebumps looking at Axel firing away at the target.


    Axel just shook his head. He hadn''t even included how he also has to take the kickback/recoil caused by the spell into consideration. With his weak wrist and fingers, it''s already a struggle to keep the wand in hand and not drop it.


    But, he has to say, it''s not that bad. He wouldn''t have been this good at certain things if he''d been completely healed. For example, he''d never have worked on his aim and power output since it wouldn''t have been a problem.


    Yes, he''d have been a much much better magician, duelist, and fighter than he is right now, but he wouldn''t have had many things that he had enhanced now.


    And now when he''s healed, he''ll have all the things he''s supposed to have AND the things he''s gained due to this urgency of improvement due to his weaknesses.


    ''Though, I''d still rather avoid being a cripple if given a chance,'' He lamented. After all, three months was such a small time. He may have improved faster than anyone, but all things considered, he''s still quite weak in a fight. That''s why,


    "Flipendo!"


    He began training seriously.


    Though, the same couldn''t be said for the rest. The students of all four Houses were quite distracted today. Because, today noon, it was Gryffindor V/s Slytherin, the start of Quidditch Season. And also, the meeting day.


    Normally, it wouldn''t have been this much of a big deal, but several factors have led to increasing the hype by a lot.


    First of all, the Girl-Who-Lived is going to be participating in this match, getting selected in her very first year.


    Then there was a different reason as well. A bigger reason. Apparently, the conflicts between the Slytherins and other houses have been slowly escalating for some reason, making Slytherin quite hated by the other four houses. And now, most of the Hogwarts population wanted to see Slytherins getting their ass beaten.


    As they practiced Daphne turned to Axel.


    "Would you like to come and see the match with us?" She asked.


    Axel looked at her absurdly,


    "You''re going? Didn''t you find it quite ''meaningless''?" He asked.


    Daphne shrugged,


    "Have to cheer for my girl Rose. At least tell me you''re coming so that I won''t have to suffer alone."


    Axel shook his head.


    "Not coming," he answered. Sure he was a bit interested in Quidditch, but he didn''t want to waste his time.


    Daphne sighed. She didn''t try to persuade him otherwise since, for Axel, no means no. Unless...


    "I had hoped that it wouldn''t come to this, but it seems I have no choice. I''m calling in my favor for doing a majority of your homework for the past month. It''s your choice now,"


    Axel looked at her in annoyance,


    "Seriously? This is how you waste that favor?"


    "Hey! I think it''s worth it."


    Homework wasn''t that big of a deal since they both had the same homework, only different times of submission. And she didn''t even have to write his homework since he was allowed Self-writing pens.


    "..."


    On the other hand, Rose listened to the banter between the two speechlessly. Axel could actually willingly talk that much? AND... is that a hint of a smile she''s seeing tugging at the corner of his mouth?


    Susan was much more vocal about it.


    "Hey! How come you''re such good friends with her but not with me? This is unfair!"


    Axel and Daphne rolled their eyes,


    ""We''re not friends.""


    <div>

 Chapter 32: A Reunion

    <div>


    In the past decade, the Wizarding Britain and Hogwarts have experienced changes in various fields. One of these fields also happened to be Quidditch.


    The popularity of the sport is at an all-time high. And with the huge population at Hogwarts, the Quidditch field needed some changes. The stands are nowhere to be seen as there is a stadium all around the pitch now, to accommodate all the audience.


    And today was a special day. Because today was Gryffindor V/s Slytherin and the start of the season. So even the bigger stadium was bound to be packed.


    After breakfast, Rose and her friends made their way to the Quidditch stadium. And of course, since Axel had already given his word, he had to join them for it. Hermione had chosen not to come though.


    (I have so much to study!)


    "Hey Susan, is your Aunt Coming?" Asked Daphne as they walked.


    A question mark popped up on Axel''s head. He didn''t know why Susan''s Aunt would be coming.


    Susan nodded excitedly.


    "Yep, she is! Though, not for the match of course. She''s just coming to see me. I don''t even know if she''ll be able to stay for the whole match. What about you, Rose?" She asked Rose who was walking ahead of all of them.


    ''What the heck?'' Axel didn''t like where this was going. Not one bit.


    Rose, who was decked out in her Quidditch attire, nodded excitedly.


    "I know for a fact that Sirius is definitely coming. He''s such a Quidditch fanatic. Little Jamie would also be coming since he misses his big sister a lot. I don''t know about the rest,"


    "Hey, what are they talking about?" Axel asked Daphne in a low voice.


    Daphne looked at him in puzzlement.


    "What are ''you'' talking about?"


    "I mean, how are their relatives coming to Hogwarts? He whispered.


    Daphne blinked,


    "Wait, you didn''t know? Today is also the Meeting Day. Outsiders are allowed entry into the Quidditch stadium on matches. That''s always half of the reason why everybody''s been waiting for this day," she said, looking surprised that he didn''t know that.


    With such a large stadium, anyone was welcome on the match days. Parents, Quidditch fanatics, and even the selectors of league teams looking to sign up promising players.


    "Really, how can you not know any of this?" she muttered in exasperation. It was even brought up in the announcements by Dumbledore.


    Axel just shrugged.


    "Well, at least that explains why you''re dragging me half an hour early.


    He rarely goes to the Great Hall these days and the only person he ever talks to is Daphne. So it wasn''t a big deal if he didn''t know.


    "My dad is busy. But my gran is coming. And of course, I met my mother only this morning,'' offered Neville.


    "What about you, Daph? Are Astoria and Mrs. Greengrass coming?" Asked Rose.


    Daphne checked her Magi-mirror once again,


    "Hm? No¡­ no they can''t make it today, they''re out of Britain," she said a bit anxiously.


    "What? What do you mean out of Britain?" AskedSusan.


    Axel didn''t pay attention to the rest of the conversation as he was too distracted in understanding the implications of the information he had received.


    They reached the stadium where there was a long stream of people entering the stadium. The scene around here was quite heartwarming as many parents were coming here from Hogsmeade and reuniting with their children after a long time.


    As they reached the entrance, Axel saw everyone taking out tickets.


    "Wait, did we have to buy tickets?" He asked.


    Daphne waved the two tickets in her hands,


    "Don''t worry. I already bought two for us days ago," she said proudly.


    Axel looked at her in bafflement,


    "But¡­ you only asked me today,"


    Daphne tilted her head,


    "So...?"


    "Hey! Isn''t that Potter?"


    "Yeah, that''s her!"


    Axel couldn''t continue the conversation since they had to quickly go in as Rose''s Gryffindor Quidditch attire was too eye-catching among the crowd.


    "So, where are our seats?" Asked Axel after seeing that they were not separating from the rest. He had thought that in such a huge stadium, they would be able to sit away from the rest since everyone would be going to see their relatives.


    "The VIP box, of course. It''s the best place to see the match," said Daphne, making Axel pause his footsteps.


    "Hey, why don''t we sit somewhere else? I don''t want to sit there," said Axel. VIP box is going to have all kinds of people.


    "No!" (Rose)


    "Why?" (Daphne)


    Axel and Daphne both looked at Rose who had an unexpected outburst.


    Upon being stared at by the two, Rose looked away,


    "I mean, it''s none of my business," she muttered.


    Daphne then looked at Axel funnily,


    "All seats of this stadium have already been booked. And why do you want to sit somewhere else?" She asked, but she then remembered his habit of avoiding people.


    "Or are you saying you don''t have the balls?" She asked, quoting his words.


    ''... May be I should tone down with profanities. She learns fast,'' he thought. His words were now being used on himself now.


    That pissed Axel off. He wasn''t scared, he just wanted to avoid the Black family. But now that he thought about it after putting away his dislike, going there also has its advantages.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "You know what? Let''s go," he said as he began walking once again.


    ¡­


    The VIP box turned out to be...quite VIP-ish. The whole place was air-conditioned, with a big balcony overlooking the stadium and lots of screens inside. The people inside seemed all rich and high class.


    And the Black family was also among these people.


    "When is big sister coming?" Asked a cute chubby boy with black hair.


    "She''ll be here any minute, Jamie. Just wait patiently," said Marlene in a gentle tone.


    "Still can''t believe it''s already her first match. James will be proud," said Sirius proudly.


    "And what about Lily?" Asked Andromeda in amusement.


    Sirius barked out a laugh,


    "Oh, Lily would definitely Jinx the shit out of me. I tell you, that women would go to scary lengths to protect Rose," he muttered as he sipped the drink in his hand.


    Andromeda shook her head,


    "Well, you shouldn''t have egged her on so much in the first place," said Andromeda as she looked at the door yet again.


    She was also waiting to meet Rose but, there was another person who took priority.


    Axel hunt.


    She was filled with regret about the whole series of events that have happened concerning him.


    First of all, the boy was the son of Bellatrix''s benefactor and lifesaver. But he has had to live an orphan and miserable life until eleven. But, the boy somehow managed to get by despite the hardships.


    And after that, he suffered from the worst torture possible and had to survive by Killing his adversary. Going through this, at the age of eleven, he''d have to be an enigma if he came out sane. But the fact is, he somehow managed to pull it off.


    But he had to pay the price. It made him crippled for life. Still, the boy didn''t show weakness. He didn''t break. He didn''t lose the fight in him.


    But...it doesn''t end here, because a certain thoughtless woman had to get some information out of him about how he managed to pull it off. But, without even trying to, the boy managed to make her realize just how wrong her actions were and change her mind.


    But unfortunately, even that wasn''t enough. Because that thoughtless woman had a mad sister who thought it would be fun to torture this boy further.


    She managed to break him¡­ for a few seconds. But against all odds, the boy managed to build himself up once again, stronger than ever.


    This should be it, right? There should be nothing more, right? Sadly no.


    Andromeda sighed.


    Her idiot sister, in her desperate moment, had sent out a letter to the boy who hates her with passion. What''s worse, the words might have made him more enraged than calm his anger down.


    And she was right. Because the reply he had sent in response to that Letter¡­ had managed to cut through Bella like a knife through butter.


    Andromeda shuddered as she recalled the contents of the Letter.


    "Minister Black,


    I will have to respectfully decline your help. And there are several reasons due to which I''ve come to this decision.


    First of all, I was, but a gullible kid who was very easy to manipulate. But¡­ you have enlightened me, minister.I am not that kid who would take anything for granted.


    Like Andromeda, you are a Black. And thus, you are no kind woman.


    You have slapped me awake to the reality of the world, Minister. That is why, I know that you can''t be doing this out of the kindness of your heart.


    How long have I known you for? Enoughto understand that you are as trustworthy as my parents. And my parents left me at the orphanage with a man who kicked me out. Trustworthy indeed. It would certainly explain why you know my dad. And from the bottom of my heart, I want to know nothing more about the man, or you. I am simply unworthy.


    As you said, what am I to you? Just a nobody. A cripple with nothing to his name. But, thanks to you, I am at least no longer naive and gullible. ''Throw some money and some kindness to a homeless kid and he''ll give you anything you want and still thank you afterward'' ¡ª these are the words of a great person which have taught me a lot. Thus, I would simply like you to tell me what it is that you want from me.


    And needless to say, I don''t want any help from you. You see, I may have nothing materialistic to my name, minister, but I have something else I value more: My Principles. I am very happy as I am and I would sooner die than accept help from a person as great as you. So I say from the bottom of my heart, that leaving me alone would be the greatest help you can provide me.


    That will be all.


    Forever grateful to you


    Axel"


    Bellatrix was broken after reading the letter. Turns out, they were right in only providing him help from the shadows. After reading this, Bellatrix had simply decided not to bother Axel anymore. Or rather, she couldn''t. She was too ashamed to even face him. And too scared to receive any more hatred from him.


    ''I want to kill myself,'' that''s what she had said to Andromeda. It had taken a lot of persuasion to stop her from doing that. Andromeda was just glad she was there when Bella had received the letter. Needless to say, Bella hasn''t come today, and instead sent her to see Axel. She''ll just have to do by watching Andromeda''s memories of today in the highest quality pensieve.


    So, Andromeda had decided to take it upon herself to see that boy. She had asked Rose to bring him and Rose had reassured her that he''ll be there.


    She was still unsure about what exactly she was going to do and frankly, she was also probably too scared to do anything. But she at least had to see him. Because her fears had come true and it was worse than she had expected. Axel Hunt hadn''t forgotten and he hadn''t forgiven. Not one bit.


    "Oh! There she is!" Exclaimed Sirius, bringing her out of her thoughts as he began rushing in one direction.


    "Big sis!" Exclaimed Jamie, the miniature version of the man as he too rushed out.


    Andromeda followed their line of sight to Rose and her friends coming over.


    "Sirius! Jamie!" Rose quickly ran up to the two and hugged them.


    Andromeda smiled when she saw Rose. The girl seemed to have grown up a lot in the past three months. She was a bit taller and the baby fat on her face had gone, maybe due to the Quidditch, making her look more beautiful rather than cute.


    Marlene and Andromeda also hugged her.


    "Rose, where is Axel?" Asked Andromeda as she hugged her.


    Rose''s smiling face became annoyed.


    "Why do you want to see him? Well, he''s right there," she said, pointing towards Daphne as she became busy chatting up with Sirius and Jamie.


    "Where?" Muttered Andromeda as she looked in the pointed direction. She could only see Daphne. But then, she saw Daphne tapping someone beside her as she pointed out somewhere while saying something.


    And with a start, Andromeda realized that it was Axel!


    Sweet Merlin! What''s wrong with her! He had been standing right there and she didn''t even see him!


    "!"


    Andromeda was quite surprised when she saw him. It was definitely him, she could tell, but he had changed a lot!


    The originally short and skinny boy was nowhere to be seen. He had grown a lot taller than he originally was. Almost too much for just 3 months. His emaciated frame had turned into a fit one, almost too fit for just 3 months. His face was much brighter now and his skin much healthier, as opposed to his originally pale and sickly look.


    And that wasn''t the only thing that had changed. His aura seemed to have changed. Just standing there relaxedly, he somehow seemed to give her a similar feeling as those of the special forces hit wizards. But it must be her imagination.


    Now that she was finally seeing him, Andromeda just stood there frozen, unable to move. She was too apprehensive to approach.


    After three months at Hogwarts, he almost seemed¡­ok? He was just standing there, with his hands in his pockets, exchanging words with Daphne and even having a hint of a somewhat amused smile at the corner of his mouth. Although he still had that somewhat annoyed expression on his face but no one could tell that this boy had been tortured and had to kill a man just three months ago. This made her even more hesitant to approach him and remind him of the past.


    She saw as the rest of Rose''s and friends went to their own families and Axel and Daphne went to their own seats.


    He had totally ignored her presence and yet, she could only keep observing his every action.


    As soon as he had sat down, she saw him taking out his wand and... smile while looking at it. A genuine smile. Something she hadn''t seen him doing at all.


    ''What a pity,'' she thought as she saw his trembling hand and recalled his condition. With nerve damage like that, even doing the smallest bit of magic would make a grown man cry and the magic would be incredibly weak.


    She saw him take out a handkerchief and wave his wand over it. And to her surprise, the handkerchief started to change!


    ''Transfiguration? At that level?! How is this possible?!'' He shouldn''t be able to do this!


    He was practicing magic! Andromeda almost rushed over and stopped him. Because, doing magic in his condition was nothing but torture!


    "Andi? Hey Andi!" Just at this moment, she felt Sirius tugging at her, making her snap out of her shock.


    "Yeah? What is it?" She asked, trying not to show her emotions.


    Sirius pointed in the direction of the entrance.


    "Look who''s here," he said with a disgusted expression.


    Andromeda followed his direction, only to have a frown on her face as soon as she saw the person.


    It was a beautiful woman with Blonde hair and features similar to Andromeda and Bellatrix.


    "Cissy," whispered Andromeda.


    "Traitor," uttered Sirius.


    The joyful atmosphere they''d going around them vanished as they saw her. Narcissa Malfoy Black was the Black history of Black family. It would ruin both Andromeda''s and Bellatrix''s mood whenever Narcissa is mentioned.


    Not because of the things she did, but because SHE was the one who did those things. Her change had disappointed the sisters a lot.


    "Mother,"


    Upon seeing Narcissa, a boy came forward in a hurry. He tried to hug her but Narcissa stopped in his tracks.


    "Draco," said looking down on him, "I''ve heard of your deeds in these past months,"


    Draco looked puzzled,


    "Uh¡­ I''m sorry, mother. I wouldn''t do those things now," he said uncertainly.


    Slap*


    "That is not the problem, boy. If you challenge someone to a duel, make sure you win next time. Don''t embarrass me next time," she said strictly.


    That''s what Andromeda was talking about. The Narcissa of the past would never do that. Their dear sister had changed. She''d become, a bitch.


    <div>

 Chapter 33: Meeting the Valentinos

    "Cissy," whispered Andromeda.


    "Traitor," uttered Sirius.


    The joyful atmosphere they had going around them vanished as they saw her. Narcissa Malfoy Black was the Black history of the Black family. It would ruin both Andromeda''s and Bellatrix''s moods whenever Narcissa is mentioned.


    Not because of the things she did, but because SHE was the one who did those things. Her change had disappointed the sisters a lot.


    "Mother,"


    Upon seeing Narcissa, a boy came forward in a hurry. He tried to hug her but Narcissa stopped in his tracks.


    "Draco," said Narcissa while looking down on him, "I''ve heard of your deeds in these past months,"


    Draco looked puzzled,"Uh¡­ I''m sorry, mother. I wouldn''t do those things now," he said uncertainlySlap*"That is not the problem, boy. If you challenge someone to a duel, make sure that you win. Don''t embarrass me next time," she said strictly.


    That''s what Andromeda was talking about. The Narcissa of the past would never do that. Their dear sister had changed. She''d become, a bitch. And for the life of them, they couldn''t tell why.


    As Axel entered the VIP box, he surveyed the surroundings. There were professors, some students of Hogwarts with their parents, and of course, the Black family. But when he saw Andromeda, he had to use Occlumency to keep calm. He just decided to ignore the presence of Blacks.


    "So, it''s just us now since my family couldn''t make it," muttered Daphne as she saw others meeting up with their family,


    "What about you?" She asked tentatively though she already knew the answer since he didn''t even know about the whole thing minutes ago. She just wanted to know more about his situation.


    "No one''s coming," he said evasively, "Bloody hell, this place seems like a paradise," he said, changing the topic as he looked around.


    Daphne once again didn''t push it, "Isn''t it? There''s popcorn, drinks, and even the best view! And you were telling me to go to the normal seats," she said with a pout.


    That was the thing with Daphne. She wouldn''t annoy him with details. Why? Because they weren''t friends. So he didn''t need to tell her.


    They went to their seats and Axel began practicing magic while chatting with Daphne. He still didn''t want to waste his time.


    "So¡­ what the fuck IS Quidditch?" Asked Axel as he performed the spell for the umpteenth time.


    Daphne raised her eyebrows, "You don''t know anything about Quidditch? How?"


    "I just...don''t," He said exasperatedly. He had given up on even trying to explain. Now he just lets people make up his story by themselves.


    "Now, are you going to tell me or not?"


    Daphne narrowed her eyes at him, "So, you do have an interest, huh?"


    Axel rolled his eyes."I do not. Never did. But don''t know if I ever will," he replied.


    The thing is, he never had time for these things. He always had better things to do. But now that he''s stuck here for the time being, he might as well know what the fuck is going on.


    Daphne shrugged, "Well, I don''t particularly like the thing either, but I do know a little bit since I do not live in a cave. So, there are seven players in each¡ª" she began to explain everything in detail.


    "¡ª game lasts for 90 minutes and the team that scores higher wins. Any questions?"


    Axel nodded slowly, "Yeah, so these seekers¡­ you said they get 50 points every time they catch the snitch in the 90 minutes. While scoring with a quaffle only gets you 10. Why is that?"


    "Because apparently, the snitch is very small and fast. So, it''s very difficult to spot, let alone catch. But, if you think it''s unfair, then you''ve got another thing coming. Because just a few years ago, catching the snitch would have ended the match and given the seeker''s team a massive 150 points,"


    "Really?" Axel snorted. "If the seekers decide the match then why are other players even playing? That sounds bullshit."


    Daphne nodded avidly,"It is, isn''t it? It''s like the game was made by a seeker or someone who wants the seeker to be the main character. I like it much better now,"


    Axel fixed her with a scrutinizing gaze, "So, you have an interest, don''t you?"


    Daphne paused, "I-I don''t! Absolutely not!"


    Axel tilted his head. "Okay¡­ if you say so¡­?" He offered, not knowing why she''d insist on it. "Anyways, can''t believe it used to be an international sport even before the rules were changed."


    Daphne nodded, once again failing to hide her enthusiasm. "Yeah, it used to be an international sport, but not that popular. But after these changes were proposed by the new Chairman of IQA, the popularity of the sport exploded even more! Now quidditch has become full of opportunities."


    Axel didn''t understand properly. "What does that mean?"


    "It means that, if you''re a good player, you can get a Quidditch scholarship. And look at those guys." she said, pointing towards a few men and women in suits but wearing scarfs of different colors around their necks.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "They''re selectors. If you''re a good player, those guys will recruit you to their team and you can make crazy money and get famous if you play well. Isn''t that exciting?" She enthused.


    Axel looked down at his trembling hands.


    "Yeah, very exciting," he muttered in sarcasm. It was so exciting that his hands couldn''t stop trembling due to the excitement.


    At this moment, they saw Rose jump off from the balcony as she mounted her broomstick and flew down to the Gryffindor locker room.


    Axel and Daphne looked at each other, "Gryffindor," they muttered.


    The time for the start of the match was near and Axel was beginning to think that maybe sitting here wasn''t as bad as it seemed. But,


    "Excuse me, this is an announcement¡­ the first-year student Axel Hunt is required in the VVIP box. Thank you,"


    "... The hell is going on?"Muttered Axel.


    Daphne looked at him,


    "Well, you tell me," she muttered as eyes began gathering on him.


    ''Damn it,'' he thought as he realized that he can''t even use his skills now with so many people watching.


    "I think you should go," said Daphne.


    Axel thought about it. Since the other party can make the announcement to the whole stadium and stay in the VVIP room, it''s quite obvious that they''ll find him anyway even if he doesn''t go. And right now he has the advantage. Everyone is his alibi in case something happens.


    "Hey, I need you to do this," he said as he gave Daphne a few instructions before he went off.


    ''Better get this over with now,'' he thought with a sigh.


    ¡­


    Today was the first Quidditch match, along with the visitation day. Today, outsiders get to come to Hogwarts and families have a chance to reunite. So of course, the Valentino family was also coming.


    "I still think you guys shouldn''t have come. You guys are busy and I think I handle myself here," said Martina in exasperation.


    "Come on, Tina. You know I can''t live long without my Martini. I had to come," said Alessandro Valentino. The Godfather of the Italian Magical Mafia.


    He was a middle-aged man with a Handsome face with purple hair, blue eyes, and a scar on his forehead. Usually, he''d intimidate the hell out of anyone, but right now, he was just a doting father.


    Martina shrugged, "No, I didn''t mean it like that. But someone should have stayed behind, right? To look after the whole business?" Usually, Martina''s mother would stay back while her dad and brother would visit.


    Martina''s mother, Francesca sighed. "Well, I had to come this time, dear. Your dad and brother are going to need some babysitting this time, to make sure that they don''t go overboard," she said exasperatedly.


    Francesca was a beautiful woman with auburn hair, violet eyes, and a calm and collected temperament. She has always tried to be strict with Martina.


    Martina frowned. "Not go overboard¡­? Mom, what exactly are they up to?" She asked apprehensively.


    Martina''s brother, Enzo raised his hands. "Oh, dear sister. Why are you looking at us like that? We just need to run some tests, ok? We need to see for ourselves," he said mischievously.


    Enzo had his mother''s auburn hair and his dad''s blue eyes. His ears and eyebrow had piercings. He was handsome, but in a crooked sort of way. He was currently 20, much older than his dear little sister who was only 14.


    The apprehensiveness increased when she saw that look on his face. It meant trouble.


    "Enzo, dad, can you at least tell me first?"


    A miracle happened. Alessandro actually denied his daughter''s request.


    "I''m sorry, Tina. Some things just need to be done. It can''t be helped," he said as he checked his Magi-mirror.


    "Oh, it''s already done," he muttered as he stood up, and Enzo stood up along with him.


    "Good thing we blocked outside sound for now. You ready Enzo?"


    Enzo nodded as he took out his wand and knife,


    "Oh I am. But I''m not for the beatings we''ll receive from our little powerhouse later,"


    "Damn right, son. But we do what we gotta do, right? We''ve to make sure he''s not a pussy who''s only after the benefits,"


    Knock* *knock*


    At this moment, the door was knocked and both the father and son fixed their sight on the door.


    "I''ll get it, dad. We don''t need to use a Fiendfire to burn a tiny candle, do we?" He said as he went to get the door.


    He readied his wand and knife and opened the door with the start.


    "You piece of¡ª" he began as his wand began to conjure binding ropes, but¡ª


    Shing* *Swipe* *thump*


    The sound of knife slashing was heard and in the instant, they all saw Enzo on his knees, with a knife on his jugular and a wand pointed at them, held by trembling hands.


    Blazing amber eyes peered cautiously from behind Enzo''s head, showing irritation due to the sudden attack.


    "The Professors, the headmaster, and the media know I''m here. So I thought you''d be wise enough not to harm me. But if you insist, I''m taking down this guy with me, along with as many of you as I can," he said calmly.


    "Talking to those behind me as well. Just try," he uttered, making the guards behind him also stopped dead in their tracks.


    "Axel?!" Martina was too surprised to react, but then her eyes glowed in fury as she understood what her dear father and brother had been up to.


    """Put your wands down! All of you!""" She said, turning to the guards and her father.


    Everyone dropped their wands except Axel. For a second, silence ensued. But then¡ª


    Pfft*


    Someone snorted. And then,


    "Hahahahahah hahaha!" Enzo began laughing like he''d seen the most amusing situation in the world.


    Alessandro also join him in the laughter, "Damn son, you got your ass kicked real bad,"


    "..."


    Martina and Francesca looked at the two like they were a lost cause.


    Axel glared at Martina.


    "You said your family won''t cause trouble?" he asked irately.


    Martina tried to approach him. "Axel, trust me, I didn''t know they were going to do any of this!" She said as she glared at her family.


    An absurd laugh escaped his mouth. "Could''ve fooled me. What am I supposed to do now?"


    He had a knife to the throat of the son of the Godfather.


    The situation seemed quite volatile since even a small movement can end up hurting Enzo. At this moment, Francesca, who had been here to babysit, spoke up calmly,


    "My daughter is telling the truth, Mr. Hunt. These two idiots tend to go a bit overboard when it comes to Martina," she said as she brought out a pensive and showed him what happened a moment before his arrival.


    "It was a test boy. We wanted to see if you''re worthy of associating with my daughter," said Alessandro excitedly after the memory played out.


    "Yeah man, it was just a prank," said Enzo as he laughed, "Though you played the reverse card,"


    Axel shook his head absurdly. He was finding the whole situation crazy.


    "And why, pray tell, would you assume I would even want to associate with your daughter?" he asked.


    This time, both Alessandro and Enzo had the expression that they found his words absurd,


    "What are you talking about? How can someone not want to be close with Tina?"


    "Yeah, she is perfect. Who would not want her?" agreed Enzo.


    ''Oh God... just kill me...''


    Martina groaned in mortification. They''ve gone and done it. How would she ever face Axel now?


    In response to the two, Axel shrugged,


    "Well, I don''t. She is the one who''s been bothering me. So just tell her to stop if you don''t want her associating with me. Just don''t bother me next time," with that, he was off.


    "..."


    Everyone else stood there as they saw Axel disappear from their view.


    There was a silence and everyone was too stunned to speak.


    "Well, he''s a badass," declared Enzo, breaking the silence.


    "And he has awesome scars," added Alessandro as he caressed the scar on his forehead.


    "I see why you would like him, Martina," said Francesca as she sighed.


    Purple magic exploded out of Martina.


    "I''ve told you...I-IT''S NOT LIKE THAT!"she yelled with a face that had gone beet red.


    <hr>

 Chapter 34: Daphnes Problem

    When Axel finally returned, the game was going full on and the noise was everywhere.


    "So, what was it about?" Asked Daphne, not looking away from the game.


    Axel scoffed,


    "Just a waste of time really," he said exasperatedly.


    "But¡­" a smirk came to his face as he recalled the red face of the thoroughly embarrassed Martina. "It was also worth it,"


    Martina Valentino. To everyone else at Hogwarts, she was this genius beauty who was perfect in every aspect. She would always give out this elegant and unapproachable feeling, as if she was above everyone else without even trying.


    At least that''s what everyone thinks and that''s what she wants everyone to think. In fact, she even had him fooled! He was terrified of the girl who even the system wanted him to be careful of.


    That was until he easily tripped her and ran away. He thought it might be a fluke, but the next day, she couldn''t even handle his memories and got scared. Though, it was still alright. Her image was still mighty in his impression.


    But, on Halloween, she ended up tripping due to a minor lubrication charm and falling in an embarrassing position with her underwear exposed to him.


    Then when the Dementors came, she screamed so loud that even he got scared due to her reaction. She was no help despite being perfectly capable of handling the Dementors. And today, it turned out that she was just a little girl who is doted on by her family.


    So, it was quite amusing to slowly unmask the girl whom everyone thought of as a high, mighty, and aloof existence.


    "It was a waste of time, but also worth it? How''s that possible?" How is that possible, asked Daphne, offering him popcorn.


    "Go, Rose!" She called as Rose passed by them.


    Axel shook his head,


    "Never mind, what about the game?" He asked as he too looked at the field.


    Daphne frowned in distaste,


    "It''s not looking good. The Slytherins are playing very Slytherin way, those bastards!" She exclaimed, but then she realized something, "No offense," Axel was also a Slytherin after all.


    Axel wanted to laugh,


    "None taken. But what exactly is happening? Your friends were saying that Gryffindor has better players," he asked, recalling the conversation of Rose, Susan, and Neville from earlier.


    Daphne sighed,


    "It''s all because of that guy," she said, pointing at a Slytherin flying by the goal hoops.


    Axel narrowed his eyes,


    "Alaric Malcolm, the Head Boy. What about him?" He asked, though he already somewhat knew what this was about.


    "That guy has trained the team to play very Slytherin. All the strategies are borderline dirty and he''s leading them quite well too. He might not be as good a Keeper as Woods, but he''s a better strategist," she explained.


    Axel looked at the scoreboard to find Slytherin leading by 30 points.


    "So, it looks like Gryffindor will lose, huh?"


    "Not yet," said Daphne while munching her popcorns, "If Rose catches the snitch we can get the lead,"


    ''We? Did she forget she''s talking to a Slytherin?'' He wondered as he gave her a peculiar look.


    She noticed his glance and misunderstood,


    "Hmm? You want some?" She asked, once again offering him Popcorn.


    Axel looked at the popcorn dripping with butter and sighed,


    "No thanks," he denied once again. He was now completely following the system''s diet, not eating anything else.


    "So, if the snitch can get the victory then why isn''t Rose going after it?" He asked.


    Daphne laughed,


    "If only it was that easy. The snitch is crazy difficult to find," she said with certainty.


    Axel knitted his eyebrows. It couldn''t have been that difficult, could it?


    "What does it look like?" He asked.


    "Wow, you haven''t seen it? Small, golden ball with silver wings attached to it that flap like a dragonfly..." she began describing.


    "It''s quite shiny and it would sometimes hover in the same place while other times, it would¡ª"


    "Does it look like that? Near the Hoops?" Asked Axel, pointing at a Golden ball with flapping wings, hovering near the goal hoops.


    Daphne was unimpressed.


    "Yeah, not falling for that one. At least point somewhere nearer so that it would seem plausible," she said in a deadpan. The place where he pointed out was too far to spot a tiny ball hovering in the sky.


    "I wasn''t joking but, never mind," Axel shrugged. He couldn''t bring himself to give a damn.


    Daphne looked at him for a moment then sighed.


    "... Alright, I''ll bite," she muttered before she put the omni-occulars to her eyes.


    "?! That''s¡­ the Snitch! I see it! That''s the Snitch! And¡­ oh no¡­ it moved away," she quickly turned to him in astonishment.


    "How''d you find it?! Scratch that, how did you even see it from such a distance?"


    Axel smirk,


    "Because it was golden and shiny," he answered. It was one of the reasons. He was a goddamn thief, of course, his eyes would catch sight of gold like a hawk sighting its prey. After years of experience, his brain was programmed to naturally spot gold first.


    And the other reason was,


    [Arcane Eyes: Progress 10%]


    [An Arcane Thief''s eyes need to be special. To search treasure, to detect traps, to see through the enchantments, to see in the dark, and so on¡­ eyes are as important a tool for a thief as any and more]This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Yep, a new skill. In the beginning, he had attributed it to be just another common skill, but it was not. That''s why it took so long to unlock. Axel was looking forward to abusing this skill after his proficiency increases.


    Daphne gave him a deep look,


    "You would have made a fantastic seeker if you were more...dexterous," she muttered before she checked her Magi-mirror yet again. She''d been doing this since the morning.


    ''Dextrous?'' Axel shook his head ruefully at the irony. He probably used to be the most dextrous person you can find in the whole of Britain. And here she is, talking about dexterity.


    "OH! Looks like the Gryffindor Seeker, Rose Potter has found the Snitch! She''s flying full throttle! Is this a feint? Or is she really onto something?! And the Slytherin seeker Terence is on the chase! Rose makes a dive¡ª AND SHE''S GOT IT! I CAN''T BELIEVE IT! 30 MINUTES INTO THE MATCH, AND SHE''S CAPTURED THE SNITCH! THE GRY¡­"


    The commentator and the crowd were going mad and even Axel nodded in acknowledgment at the nice catch. But, with the absence of the expected cheering from beside him, he turned his head to look at Daphne.


    "What''s up?" He asked in confusion. Daphne was looking at her Magi-mirror and a curtain of her blond hair was obscuring her face. But he could see that her hands were gripping the Magi-mirror very tightly with her fingers digging into it.


    Sniff* "Nothing," Daphne shook her head as she wiped her eyes. Her face was pale and she did not seem happy at all.


    "Hey, you can enjoy the match. I remembered I had something urgent to do," she said as she stood up and started to leave.


    "What the heck?" Murmured Axel. Is she seriously going to ditch him like this after dragging him into this place?


    Axel also stood up. The deal was to accompany her for the day. What the hell is he going to do wasting time here? And, was she actually crying? That seemed quite impossible. She''s the type to make others cry. Thus he decided to follow her.


    But before he could leave, he found someone standing in his way, blocking his path.


    "Axel¡­"


    Axel clenched his weak hands into fists.


    "Mrs. Tonks, excuse me," he said as he began to walk by her.


    "No, please wait! I need to talk to you!" she said with a bit of desperation in her voice, putting up her hands in front of her in a stopping gesture.


    She had only been able to gather her courage to approach him now. And she didn''t want him to brush her off without even hearing her out.


    Axel looked past her to see Daphne disappearing from his view.


    "Look, I really don''t have the time right now. And I don''t think I can do anything else for you. You''ve already taken the memories and my body reports. Just give up or find someone else to experiment on, please," saying so, he quickly went past her, leaving Andromeda too stunned to do anything.


    ...


    He found Daphne sitting under a huge tree just a little bit into the forbidden forest. It wasn''t far from the stadium. As he had expected, something was indeed wrong since she was actually crying. Daphne wasn''t really the type of girl who''d cry.


    Sitting under the tree, with her knees tucked to her chest, she cried silently with streams of tears falling down her cheeks. Her nose was red and the soft sound of sobs would faintly echo in the clearing as she cried freely.


    "..."


    Axel didn''t know what to do. He couldn''t even remember the last time he had cried like that. Probably never. Because he never actually cared so much about anything that he''d cry over it so badly. He always thought of how to make things better instead of hopelessly crying like this.


    He couldn''t help but wonder if he was wrong to come here and witness her in such a private moment.


    But then he thought,


    ''Fuck it,''


    She shouldn''t be crying so pathetically no matter what the case. Whatever her problem is, she should either be able to do something about it, or she can''t do anything about it. Either way, crying seems quite meaningless, right?


    At least that''s what he thought.


    Thus, no longer hiding his presence, he freely walked into the clearing.


    "So, this is the important thing you forgot to do, huh?"


    "?!"


    Daphne seemed to almost jump out of her skin when she saw him.


    "What the fuck, Axel?! What are you doing here?!" She asked, quickly wiping her tears.


    Axel stood there with his hands in his pockets,


    "Well, I wasn''t going to just stay in there with the rich assholes. The deal was to accompany you, so here I am," he said with a shrug.


    "Now, are you going to tell me why you are crying?" He asked.


    Daphne quickly dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief,


    "Who said I was crying?! It''s just that¡­ something got in my eyes¡­" she said very truthfully.


    Axel nodded in understanding,


    "You do realize that you''re not fooling anyone, right? But I''ll buy it if you insist."


    "Anyways, if you want to talk about it, I still have to accompany you for about one and a half hours for the favor. And if you don''t, I''m walking away," he said as he started to leave.


    Daphne looked lost for a moment. But then, she sat back down under the tree.


    "It''s about Astoria," she said quietly.


    Axel turned around and came to sit beside her,


    "What about her? I thought she and your mother were out of country today?"


    Daphne nodded,


    "It''s for Astoria. She¡­" Daphne choked a sob, "She isn''t expected to live a long life. She has a blood malediction," she said as tears once again began to pool in her eyes.


    Axel nodded in understanding,


    "So, I take it your mother took her out for treatment?"


    Daphne nodded,


    "The asshole didn''t want to spend money on her. Now that he''s dead, my mother has been taking my sister to other magically advanced civilizations. Today, she went to to Atlantis, the most developed magical civilization,"


    Axel recalled what Professor Gorski had said about Atlantis. The civilization had reached its peak between 1,000,000 and 900,000 years ago but most of it was destroyed due to internal warfare. It decided to relocate underwater around 9000 years ago. So, it''s still much older than Britain''s Magical Civilization which only started with Merlin.


    "But¡­ isn''t it closed to the outside world?"


    Daphne nodded,


    "Yes, that''s the problem. All the other communities either rejected or couldn''t cure her. And Atlantis, the last hope, didn''t work out as well. Now my sister can''t be saved," she said hopelessly.


    Axel listened attentively to her problem. Then,


    "hahahaha...," he began to chuckle lightly in response. He couldn''t help it since it was funny.


    "..?..." Daphne looked at him, completely discombobulated.


    "Sorry¡­ hah¡­ sorry, I couldn''t help it¡ªHey wait!" before he could even finish speaking, Daphne had gotten up, about to leave. So he grabbed her hand to stop her.


    But Daphne wasn''t listening. She was feeling very furious, betrayed, and dumb right now, due to his reaction. She shook his weak crippled hand off with ease but his other hand took its place in stopping her.


    "Wait!"


    "No!"


    "You won''t be able to do magic!" He yelled.


    That stopped her,


    "...What?" She asked in confusion.


    Axel let go of her hand,


    "You won''t be able to do magic ¡ª That''s...


    That''s what they said to me 3 months ago when I woke up in Saint Mungo''s," he said, looking up at her.


    Daphne once again sat down beside him. Axel had always avoided this topic and was only bringing it up today. So, she wasn''t going to miss it now.


    "What happened?"


    Axel shook his head,


    "Can''t tell you exactly how it happened, but most of the nerves in my body were fried off. And the Master healer said I won''t be able to do magic normally again and my hands and body might not ever heal," he said, looking at his trembling hands.


    Daphne didn''t interrupt him as she listened with more attention than she ever paid to anything else.


    "I was unconscious the first two or three days as they healed whatever they could. On the third day, I woke up to find that I had lost most of the control over my hands and every movement of my body was painful,"


    Daphne looked at him differently. Axel had told everyone with certainty that his injuries were minor and temporary and it''ll heal. She never expected that they were permanent.


    "I only moved using the pain-relieving potion for the first two days. And I ran out of it on the fourth day. When I first tried magic, even the Lumos charm didn''t work for hours. But I refused to accept any of the words the Healer said. And when it finally worked, it was so weak that you''d hardly see even in the dark. And it was so painful that I passed out," he said, smiling at the recollection.


    Turning to face her, he said,


    "So, take it from someone who''s already defied what others say, and don''t lose hope. It''s your sister''s life, not theirs. They won''t try their absolute best no matter what you offer them. So, don''t give up until you''ve tried everything. It''s not over until it''s over."


    Daphne''s eyes slowly widened as she heard his words. They hit her like a bludger to the stomach and made her wake up to reality.


    That''s right. Why did she lose hope just because the others said so? She still hasn''t done anything yet. The future had infinite possibilities and she can''t lose hope just because someone else said it.


    Now that she thought back to it, her worries did indeed seem laughable when compared to what Axel has gone through. And he never gave up. She couldn''t even imagine him sitting under a tree and crying helplessly. He''d rather do something about it instead.


    She turned to look at him deeply,


    "You''re right. I''m so sorry for displaying such a pathetic side," she said in mortification.


    "But¡­ Why did you help me?" She asked suddenly, realizing that there could only be one answer, right? Because... they were friends!


    Axel nodded his head,


    "Well, I need to submit two homeworks tomorrow which you still haven''t done, and I didn''t want tears on my notebook. So¡ªhey! What the¡ª why are you attacking me?!"


    They began messing around as Daphne tried to assault him while he defended and laughed. But, all of a sudden, his eyes widened and he made both of them roll over.


    Not even a second later, a spell hit right where he was present a moment ago.

 Chapter 35: Danger

    BOOM*


    Axel and Daphne rolled over as a spell hit right where he was present just moments ago. The impact was so huge that they got thrown off a bit just by the shockwave.


    [Dark Magic Detected!]


    And that was the cherry on top.


    More spells came at them and Axel took Daphne to hide behind a tree.


    "You bastards, you want a fight? You fucking got it," muttered Axel furiously as he took out both of his wands, one of which was wrapped in leather.


    But Daphne, on the other hand, took out her Magi-mirror and tapped it a few times, and pointed it out where the attacks came from.


    "I''m Broadcasting this live on my channel and Axel is calling Martina! And a professor! COME AT US!"


    "..."


    Axel stood there dumbly with one of the wands flashing blue and while the other hummed in his hand in demand for some action as he comprehended what Daphne had just done.


    He didn''t know whether to praise her quick thinking or smack her head.


    On one hand, she had made a brilliant move as displaying this live would get the attackers in a whole lot of trouble. Especially if they actually fired spells now. Plus, him calling Martina would sound quite legit and threatening as she had personally warned everyone to lay off him.


    But on the other hand, this is giving the chance for the attackers to escape and he doesn''t even know who they are. And also, he doesn''t even have Martina''s ,


    "Hello, Martina! I''m being attacked! Fly to the forbidden forest! I''ll send out a red spark to show our position!"


    But, in the end, he still decided to go with Daphne''s approach. Because right now, he was at a complete disadvantage.


    There were more than one opponent and one of them knew fucking Silent Casting:meaning very skilled, they could use dark Muthafuckin magic: very dangerous. He didn''t even know their numbers, their level of skill, how powerful the dark magic was and how it worked, their identity, etc.


    Plus, he also had Daphne as a baggage if it came down to a fight. He can''t fight in his style since these guys would simply target her as soon as he disappears or evades too much.


    With such massive odds stacked up against him, he decided to go with Daphne''s approach and fired red sparks into the sky. He also fired a sticking charm at Daphne''s hand, sticking her Magi-mirror to her hand, in case the attackers summoned the Magi-mirror out of her hands. He wasn''t sure if it was enchanted with an anti summoning or not.


    With everything done, he waited as he heard hushed voices arguing before they began to fade away.


    Daphne giggled quietly,


    "They ran away!" she whispered, feeling accomplished.


    A vein popped on Axel''s forehead,


    "Not until I know who they are," he muttered before he started to fade from view as he activated his skills.


    It''s their wishful thinking if they thought they could attack him with no consequences.


    "Stay here. I''ll be back. Keep recording on in case they''re idiotic enough to still come," he ordered Daphne before leaving.


    "Wait¡ª" But before she could stop him, he was already off.


    Axel quickly caught up to his supposed attackers.


    "We could have still attacked, you know?" Said a boy to his accomplices as he took off his mask. He looked at least above the fifth year.


    "Idiot, they''ve already called for help and sent out red sparks. Students are wandering around here with their families. People are bound to come and investigate. If we''re caught, there''ll be hell to pay," said another guy with blonde hair. He was younger than the other two but he seemed the leader here.


    Axel knew this guy. He had seen him at the Slytherin table.


    "But Damien, why are you even trying to attack him after Valentino''s warning? Don''t tell it''s that stupid jealousy?" Asked the third guy who was walking with them.


    Damien pointed his finger at him,


    "It''s none of your business, Faux. I gave you one task: hit silently and run. And you managed to fail spectacularly at it! Don''t expect any payment now,"


    Faux looked outraged,


    "It wasn''t my fault! I tell you mate, that kid is abnormal, he is. I even used the power of the circle!"


    Damien shook his head,


    "Don''t make¡ª" but he paused since the sound of approaching footsteps alerted them.


    "Shhhh¡ª someone is coming! Turn around and start walking the way we came!" He ordered in a whisper as they began retracing their steps.


    Axel, who was standing on a tree branch, observed everything.


    People were coming. That''s the reason why these guys didn''t continue their attack on Axel. Though ironically, this was also why Axel didn''t attack them just now.


    Besides, even if he did ambush them and win right now, then what? He can''t kill them at the moment since he''ll get caught and letting him leave after beating them would reveal his cards to them.


    They''d know that:


    1)He knows it was them who attacked.


    2)They''ll know that he was actually skilled enough to beat all three of them together.


    3)He isn''t going to take Martina''s help. So the biggest deterrent preventing them from attacking him won''t exist.


    Thus, attacking them right now is just making things more difficult for himself.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Soon, Two wizards in Auror robes came into view and they easily spotted Damien and company who were walking ahead.


    "Hey, you three! We saw red sparks in the sky. Do you guys know anything about it?"


    The three shook their heads, and Malcolm stepped forward,


    "No, we were also going to investigate just that, actually," said Damien smoothly, indicating the way they were going.


    "...What a Slytherin move," he muttered as he witnessed the Aurors ordering Malcolm and his goons to go out of the forest, which was exactly what they wanted.


    This guy wasn''t dumb. He waited for the perfect opportunity to ambush him and has the ability to think on his feet and improvise. Earlier, he made the decision to retreat quickly instead of continuing to attack, avoiding the chance of Martina ever discovering who the attacker was.


    Though, leaving was also his biggest mistake.


    Because now, Axel is the hunter. And they will be his prey.


    "You picked a fight with the wrong person, rich guy," he muttered as he once again faded from view.


    As the most vindictive person here, he wasn''t going to let this go unpunished.


    Just like them, he can also bide his time and strike at the perfect opportunities. And just like them, he wouldn''t let them know who attacked them.


    But unlike them, he won''t fail miserably at both tasks like they did.


    ¡­.


    While making while way back to Daphne, Axel checked the system notifications.


    [You managed to handle the unexpected situation.


    ? 2% Approval


    ? Method to Remove the trace from your wand. ]


    Axel returned to Daphne making her way in his direction, still recording and looking scared.


    "Why the hell did you not stay there?!" He asked her irately as he emerged from behind a tree.


    "Aaahh¡ª!" Daphne jumped and he quickly had to put a hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming. But then he got a punch to his stomach.


    "Why the hell did you go after them?! They are so dangerous!"


    Axel glared at her,


    "Because, I am more dangerous. Now shut up and follow me. We have to leave,"


    "..." Daphne found herself obediently shutting up and following him.


    When he claimed to be more dangerous with those amber eyes deadly serious, she somehow believed him.


    "Was the recording really live?" He asked, wondering if it would be troublesome.


    Daphne shook her head,


    "No, it was just being sent to my mother. I couldn''t do more due to panic and urgency," she said sheepishly.


    "That''s good," Axel sighed in relief,


    "You handled the situation quite well," he said after a pause. It was a genuine praise. She might not be too strong magically. But she was able to use her brain and come up with a way out when the odds seemed to be stacked against them.


    Step*


    Daphne stopped walking as her eyes widened.


    ''He¡­. actually praised me?''


    An indescribable feeling filled up her chest as she realized what had happened. After three months of knowing each other, this was the first time he had actually praised her.


    That''s exactly what made it so much more rewarding now.


    Axel turned around to glare at her,


    "Why did you stop? We have to leave quickly," he said in annoyance.


    "Yes!"


    A dazzling smile of pure joy came to her face which had been crying bitterly just a while earlier as she followed him once again with a spring in her steps and lots of motivation for the future.


    "Mum! Don''t be sad. Please be happy?" Said a small cute girl with brown hair and big and adorable grey eyes.


    The woman who was her mother wiped the stray tear that had escaped her eyes as she smiled,


    "I''m not sad, Tory. It''s going to be okay. I''ll find another way," she said reassuringly.


    Astoria Greengrass shook her little head,


    "I don''t mind. I just want to see sister. Can you call her?" she asked with a pout.


    The woman, Evelyn Greengrass nodded and was about to call her eldest daughter, but her Magi-mirror rang at this moment, indicating a call from Daphne.


    "Oh, look she called us herself," she said as she accepted the call.


    But instead of seeing her daughter''s face, she saw a shaky view of a forest with spells being fired towards them.


    "!"


    "Give me a minute, Tory,"


    Evelyn quickly stood up and walked away from Astoria.


    "Daphne?! Daphne! What''s happening?!" She asked urgently, but got no response.


    "You bastards, you want a fight? You fucking got it," came the voice of a boy from the device.


    "I''m Broadcasting this live on my channel and Axel is calling Martina! And a professor! COME AT US!" Said Daphne.


    "!"


    Evelyn quickly understood the situation and could do nothing but watch the scenes unfold. Fortunately, after some time, it looked like the attackers had gone away.


    And then, a handsome boy''s visage came into her view, holding a wand in each hand.


    "They ran away!" Came Daphne''s triumphant voice.


    "No. Not until I know who they are," said the boy before he started to fade from view.


    "Wait!" Called out Daphne as she swore under her breath. But then she seemed to recall something and quickly turned the mirror in her direction.


    "Hi mum, as you can see, I''m a bit busy so I''ve disabled the incoming sound. I can''t hear whatever you''re saying. I''ll talk to you later, okay?" She said as she quickly began to chase. Fortunately, both of them were safe in the end and the call got canceled.


    But Evelyn, just stood there with her with her heart pounding very hard. It wasn''t because of her daughter being in danger since she already knew Daphne would be able to handle it. It was because of something else.


    Just now in the call, she had noticed something quite shocking.


    ''It can''t be, right?'' she wondered as she replayed the video. And her suspicions were correct. It was indeed the very same.


    ''How did he get it?!''


    She needed answers... She needed to know everything.


    Time passed, and soon, Christmas was coming. One morning, Hogwarts woke up to find itself buried in several feet of snow. And on such a snowy day, a boy could be seen running laps around the frozen lake.


    This boy was obviously Axel Hunt. His body was now functioning enough that he could actually run. Though making explosive movements would still send jolts of pain throughout his body.


    During this time, his main focus had been Occlumency, but he already knew that only focusing on Occlumency with his shitty lucky was pure idiocy and impatient behaviour.


    In his short time here, he had been challenged to a duel, attacked by a troll, followed, by Dementors, followed by some idiots and almost by a dangerous Mafia family. He had to be prepared.


    Thus, there was one secret weapon he had developed during this time. It was his Trump card. Something that uses all of his skills and talents.


    Aside from that, there were also some other major changes during this time.


    After arriving at a secluded spot, he took out a dagger and began practicing his Knife-Wielding skill.


    "¨¢sphx¨¤z¨¹s R?rtzkh?f." He muttered in between his strikes. Most of times, nothing would happen. But if you looked carefully, some of the knife strikes would leave behind thin trails of glowing blue light.


    Frankly, he didn''t know what the fuck he was saying. The words he was chanting was a new feature.


    [Approval rate: 20%]


    [New feature unlocked]


    [Arcane Scribe: You are now able to access the Arcane Language.]


    Progress: 1.2%]


    When the feature had unlocked a few days ago, the pain he had felt in his head was nothing to scoff at. It was as if head was being split open.


    After reaching a threshold, many of his skills had stopped progressing.


    But after this upgrade, his skills started to show incantations and the progress percentage started to increase once again. It means that he would have never mastered those skills without increasing his approval rate and unlocking this feature.


    He imitated the swiping, slashing, and stabbing motions of the dagger as the Images in his head played. But, he couldn''t do one important thing: Switching the blade between his hands.


    He wasn''t actually gripping the dagger since he couldn''t do that properly in the first place. It was just stuck to his palm with a sticking charm. So he wasn''t able to change hands to increase the variations of attacks.


    After he was done, he lay down on the frozen ground in exhaustion. The Christmas holidays are starting today. And he has decided to spend them outside Hogwarts.


    He had unlocked some potion recepies which are going to help him train, but he couldn''t make the potions himself due to obvious reasons and the ingredients aren''t cheap. So he''s going to go out and figure something out.


    Aside from this, he had three letters, inviting him for Christmas. One from the Black Family, one from the Greengrass family, and unbelievably, one from Valentino Family.


    The latter letter came as a surprise to him, to say the least. After he had threatened them with a knife to their successor''s throat, an invitation for Christmas was the last thing he was expecting in that Letter.


    Of course, he politely declined the invitations of Blacks and Valentinos saying that he had prior arrangements. But for Greengrass, it was troublesome.


    Daphne had once again cashed in her homework favor.


    That is why, he had agreed to have the Christmas Dinner with the Greengrass family. But that''s just one day.


    He had other unfinished business to attend to in London. Something he thought he''d need a long time to accomplish but was possible after the crazy changes he had gone through this year.


    ''Unfinished business indeed,'' he thought as he traced the scars on his face. He''s no longer as weak as he used to be.


    "Worthless street rat, huh? Let''s see who''s the rat now," He muttered as his eyes began to glow. He had waited ''s time for some retribution.

 Chapter 36: Revenge and New magic

    "Worthless street rat, huh?" He muttered as his eyes began to glow. He had waited enough.


    Lying in the snow, Axel recalled what happened in the past¡­.


    "Get out of here, squirt. How''d you even get in?" said a burly guard as he threw an eight-year-old Axel out of a bar.


    Laying down on the ground, little Axel sighed. It had been a few days since he had to leave the orphanage and he had been wandering to all kinds of places in order to get some kind of employment to get money. He had gotten so desperate that he even tried entering this high-class bar.


    On his way back, the burly guard bumped into a man as he passed by.


    "Pardon," said the man, tipping his hat to the guard as he came to stand in front of Axel.


    "Kid, how''d you get in?" Asked the man, looking down at Axel.


    "Who are you? What d''you want?" Still lying on the ground, Axel turned his head to look up at the man. The man was wearing a pin-stripped suit, a hat on his bald head, and had a cigar in his mouth. Also, his face was full of scars.


    "I''m Scars. Johnny Scars. I asked, how did you get into the bar? The security of this bar is quite strict," he muttered, looking at Axel with interest.


    "Sneaked passed the guards," Axel muttered with a sigh. He had to wait for a long time to pull it off. But it turned out to be a useless endeavor.


    The man raised an eyebrow,


    "You snuck passed them? How?"


    Axel''s stomach rumbled,


    "By minding my own business," he said as he got up to leave.


    The man smiled as he took out a 20-pound note from his wallet.


    "As a matter of fact, I am. Tell me how you entered," he stated, waving the note.


    Axel shrugged,


    "Wasn''t that difficult. I just had to wait. The black security guard had gone to the toilet. The blond one was looking at the woman on the counter and the burly one was busy with another person," he explained.


    The man slowly smiled.


    "Knew it wasn''t a fluke. You have talent, kid. Why don''t you work for me?"


    Axel shook his head,


    "I think I''ll pass,"


    The man tilted his head,


    "I don''t understand. Why would a rat like yourself reject me?"


    Axel glared at the man for looking down on him.


    "Because, you''re no good. I saw you taking the wallet of that burly guard just now. You also have a bulge in your suit that looks like a gun. So, I think I''ll pass. I''m not that desperate yet." Saying so, Axel dusted off his clothes and walked away. Something about this man didn''t seem right to him.


    Seeing Axel depart, a wicked grin came to the man''s face, stretching the scars on his face.


    "Looks like I''ve found a new toy, huh?"


    ¡­


    Axel gave up finding employment and found himself going back to the orphanage instead. It''s the only place he''s known for his whole childhood. Axel didn''t even know exactly why he was kicked out.


    He snuck in through the first-floor window that he knew will be open since they''d never think someone can climb that high. It was night so all the kids had gone to bed and Axel felt a sting when he saw that his bed was now occupied by someone else.


    Shaking his head, he went to the kitchen to find something to eat. But to his bad luck, the caretaker and the cook were sitting there, drinking alcohol.


    "Damn it," he muttered. It looks like he''ll have to wait for them to leave first.


    But these guys kept talking and talking. Axel was about to fall asleep when their conversation caught his ear.


    "So, you finally kicked that freak out, huh?" Asked the cook. His words were a bit slurred and his face was flushed due to being drunk.


    The caretaker laughed, "Damn right I did. He beat up some rich guy''s kid in the school and the rich guy asked for his expulsion. So they canceled his scholarship."


    Axel''s eyes widened after listening to their conversation. So, the reason he was kicked out was that rich bully? Axel hadn''t done that much. He had only defended himself.


    The cook smiled, "That''s good. Now the school won''t question us when he''s kicked outta here. But, what if he goes to the authorities?"


    The caretaker laughed, "That doesn''t matter. The kid''s parents left him with no paperwork. Legally, he doesn''t even exist. It''ll be no trouble," he said, taking a swig from the bottle.


    The cook tilted his head, "Then, why''d you take him in the first place? It could have caused trouble."


    The caretaker scoffed, "They were offering good money and I thought they''ll come back. So I didn''t really mind. But who''d have thought they were making a fool outta'' me! They were just trying to get rid of ''im. The freak has demonic powers! Beats up other kids! I had to take one to the hospital last week! I tell ya, Jake, I''ve had enough of ''im. Good riddance!"


    "?!"


    The caretaker''s words were like a hammer to the brain. This man had taken care of him since his childhood. And now he''s discovering that the man wanted to kick him out all this while.


    Unable to bear staying there any longer, Axel just ran away from the place. His parents had left him, and the caretaker, who used to be kind enough, had also gotten rid of him. Is he really so undesirable?


    He wiped his eyes.


    Well then, fuck it. If no one really cares about him, then why should he care about anyone else?


    He had been trying to make an honest living but now he really didn''t want to.


    ¡­


    "Axel? Oi! Are you dead?"


    Axel snapped out of his past memory as he heard a voice disturbing his rest. That day was the beginning of everything. Things would have been very different if only he had found help or at least if someone had given him employment.


    But of course, he''d found three enemies instead. First was, of course, the caretaker. Axel had looted all the money from the caretaker''s personal locker the very next day.


    Then there was the rich bully. He still had a score to settle with that family for getting him kicked out.


    The third was someone whom Axel had already forgotten by the next day. But the man hadn''t forgotten Axel. Johnny Scars. He was a total nutjob and Axel should have known better than to talk to that guy instead of running away right then and there.


    "Oi! I''m talking to you! Are you listening?"


    Axel finally turned his eyes towards the annoying person who was disturbing him. It was Rose standing there with her broom in her hand.


    "Can''t you take the hint? I''m trying to ignore you," said Axel as he got up. It wasn''t a surprise that she found him. This junky can be seen flying around on her broom whenever she has free time.


    Rose stomped her foot,


    "Arrgh! Why the hell were you lying on the ground like that? I thought you were dead!"


    Axel scoffed,


    "No, you didn''t. Tell me why you''re here," he said as he began walking towards the castle.


    "So frustrating! Aunt Andromeda wants to talk to you!" She said with a huff, "She''s been asking about you the whole year and I''m tired of being the middleman!"


    "Just politely ask her to leave me alone," he rejected as he continued walking.


    Rose had had it now, "What the hell is your problem?! She took you shopping, bought you so many things, even invited you to dinner with us! How can you be so ungrateful?!"


    "!"


    For a moment, Axel paused in his steps and Rose''s knees lost strength as she fell down.


    Axel partially turned his head, showing one eye which seemed to contain blazing embers in it.


    "Don''t speak when you don''t know anything," he said in a voice colder than the snow around them.


    "And also, if you''re feeling jealous and insecure about someone else getting more attention, don''t try to take it out on me," he added. Her words had stung. So he must sting back.


    In the beginning, the two of them were just fine. But slowly, over the months, he had noticed how her hostility kept increasing slowly. That''s why he said those words.


    "!"


    And from the way her eyes widened, Axel could tell that he had hit a nerve. Inwardly nodding in at a job well done, he left Rose kneeling on the ground as he already began to forget the incident.


    ¡­


    Axel sat alone in an empty compartment as he sharpened his dagger and knives. He was preparing for war.


    On the seat in front of him, he had above 20 knives, some swords, and a few shields. The knives were kitchenware or stolen from those who kept them. Swords and Shields were taken from Armors.


    There''s a reason why he didn''t take revenge upto now. That guy isn''t just a nobody. He''s a dangerous gangster with a whole fucking gang. And Axel has beef with them all. Thus, he can''t be lax with his preparation.


    As he was sharpening each and every piece of equipment, suddenly, the numerous locking spells he had placed on the door vanished and the door slid open!


    "Stupi¡ª" Axel had his wand pointed at the door to stun whoever it was, but he paused mid-chant as he realized who it was.


    He knew better than to attack this person.


    A shield appeared around Martina even as Axel lowered his wand. And he keenly realized that her hands were wandless.


    Yep, he knew better than to attack her.


    After her family''s ambush at the Quidditch match, she had come to apologize for their nuisance and over the past few months, they had become kinda acquainted.


    "What''s the matter?" He asked, trying to play it casual.


    But of course, if you have a bunch of sharp weapons lying on your opposite seat, it''s difficult to not look sus as fuck.


    Seeing her looking wide-eyed at him, Axel sighed,


    "Close the door, will you? I''ll be suspended if anyone sees this," he said, indicating the mess.


    Martina came in and locked the door with a complex charm.


    "Um¡­ what are you doing?" She asked, looking at him weirdly.


    "... Well¡­ first tell me why you''re here," He demanded.


    Martina sat beside him since the other seat was completely full of weapons. Being from a Mafia family, weapons were a norm to her. Thus, she adapted quickly.


    "I came to give you this," she said, taking out a small box.


    Axel made no motion to accept it,


    "What is it?"


    "It could be called a gift. My parents were going to give it to you personally. But since you aren''t coming, they orde¡ªasked me to give it to you," she said as she opened the box and Axel''s eyes widened.


    "...Damn," he muttered. It was a beautiful obsidian black dagger. From just one look, he could say it was enchanted. Or rather, he had been enchanted by it.


    "A knife is a sign of friendship in a Mafia family. You are now a friend of Valentinos," she said with a smile.


    Axel knew what it was supposed to mean. He just couldn''t understand one thing:


    "Why?" He asked.


    How could him pulling out a knife on their son lead to this?


    Martina shook her head,


    "You managed to somehow impress them. And¡­" she paused.


    "And?"


    She looked away with a roll of her eyes,


    "And they think they know me better than I do," she said exasperatedly.


    Axel didn''t know what that was supposed to mean, but he did accept the knife. Rejecting it usually means enmity and he wants to avoid that.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "Thanks," he said truthfully as he examined the blade. Though he was hesitant to touch it.


    "It''s not cursed," said Martina in exasperation as she picked it up and held it out to him, handle first.


    Axel hesitantly reached out and took it,


    "Wow¡­" was all he could say as he held it. It was well balanced and just fitted right into his hand.


    "It''s good, right? It has a lot of enchantments. It won''t need maintenance, can conduct magic, and, it even can cut right through spells!"


    That surprised him. He looked at the knife,


    "Well, I''d have given an equally good knife in return but as you can see, I don''t have it," he said, gesturing at his collection.


    Martina looked at his collection and picked up a knife. It was the best one, but also the most used and battered one.


    "Well, this one seems nice,"


    Axel shrugged, "It does the job," he muttered.


    ''Well, it has been used to stab through a man''s testicles, eyes, heart, and lungs... a job well done,'' he thought inwardly.


    Martina finally decided to address the elephant in the room,


    "So," she said, gesturing towards the weapons, "I was wondering if you''ll explain this now¡­"


    Axel sighed. He knew it was coming.


    "Well, I''m sharpening them all," he said evasively as he picked up his whetstone and once again got to work. He couldn''t just say he was preparing for a gang war, could he?


    "With a whetstone? Why aren''t you using magic?"


    "¡­" he didn''t know you could do that.


    ¡­


    The train arrived at the station and everyone met with their families. Walking through them, Axel couldn''t help but look at the happy expressions of the people.


    He neither felt envious nor sad to see them. Feeling sad or envious would mean that he''s dissatisfied with his current life. But he''s not. He''s well on his way to becoming the strongest in the world. And that''s all he wants for now.


    Though he did feel envious about how most of their bodies are completely fine while he has been having it tough. But oh well, his Occlumency is proceeding steadily since that''s the thing he focuses the most on. He''ll get the cure soon enough.


    Getting out of the station, he hired a cab and got in.


    "Where to, sonny?" Asked the driver cheerfully as the radio played an old song.


    "Peckham," answered Axel.


    The radio got turned off along with the driver''s cheerful mood.


    "Not going, get out,"


    Peckham is a district of southeast London, it had a population of over 300,000. Drugs, knives, guns, and murders were probably just a few things that Peckham has to offer. Almost every part of it is full of thug dealers or new bloods that are soon-to-be killers.


    Axel sighed,"Take me as close as you can," he muttered as he showed him the money. "The closer the better,"


    As he got out of the taxi, he activated his stealth and his clothes began changing. His outfit changed into a black hoodie, black jeans, and black boots. His face got covered with a black mask too. The two wands in his hands had leather wrapped around them so that no one recognises them.


    ''System, has the trace been really removed from my wand?'' he asked to had gotten that as a system reward when he''d been attacked in the woods.


    ''Affirmative,''


    Well, good enough. It makes things much more convenient. He arrived in front of a large villa that had graffiti painted on most of its walls.


    "A rat, huh?"he muttered as his wand slowly rose up to point at the door. He had made his decision. This time, he''s not going to enter as a rat.


    But as a fucking Gangster.


    "Bombarda,"


    BOOM*


    Thus, with a wicked glint in his eyes, he blew up the gates of the villa.


    As he blew up the gates, all Axel could think was the memories he had been suppressing all this time¡­.


    "Hold him down for me¡­" said a man with lots of scars on his face.


    "What the fuck is wrong with you? Let me go!" Protested a nine-year-old Axel.


    But, instead of freedom, he got a punch to his face that broke his tooth from one of the men holding him down.


    "Stop struggling you little fucker! My balls are still aching from the kick you gave me earlier!"


    "You had it coming! What did I ever do to you?!" Replied Axel hotly.


    "You''ve been stealing in our area without paying us protection money! Now take your punishment!"


    "Bullshit!"


    Little Axel wanted to cry from the unfairness. This wasn''t even their turf! They''ve been following him for no reason and now they''re here with THIS guy!


    The guy who was their leader was none other than Johnny Scars, the scary scarred guy who''d creeped him out.


    Scars chuckled as he casually squatted down as he looked at the struggling Axel.


    "It is indeed bullshit, little rat. The real reason is that arrogance of yours that has made you reject coming under me multiple times," he said, taking out his knife.


    Axel looked at the knife in horror. This guy is a lunatic! That''s exactly why he wasn''t joining this guy. Like hell he''d work under anyone, let alone a lunatic like him.


    "Why do you keep bothering me?! There are so many willing people in the world!"


    Johnny shook his head in disappointment,


    "You don''t get it, kid. You don''t get it!" He said, twirling the knife and pointing it at Axel.


    "I saw potential in you, kid. No one else saw it, but I did! And I could have taken you to great heights if you had come under my wing. But now that you''ve rejected me, I have to show you exactly what you are without me," he said, bringing the knife closer to his face.


    "No! At least give me a fair fight, you bastard!"


    Axel''s heart was racing and he was sweating profusely. Yep, this guy is a total lunatic. He struggled with all his might as he saw the knife slowly descend. And not for the first time, he realized how weak he was.


    And Johnny seemed to enjoy seeing him squirm as he slowly ran the flat of the blade along his cheek.


    "Get this in your little head: The world is unfair, you cheeky fucker. You are nothing but a rat right now and I''m the hunter. I''m the one with the power so I can do whatever I want. You want fairness? Bullshit," he spat, before turning the blade in his hand.


    And Axel''s screams began.


    *Flashback end*


    Axel snapped out of his memory as the gates he had blasted with bombarda fell to the ground. And it made him all the more determined in what he was doing.


    With his skills, he could have ended this as easily as breathing using his stealth skills. But that wouldn''t have given him much satisfaction.


    The bastard had tried to ''carved'' into him the fact that he''d always be a fucking rat without following him. And now he''s here to shove those words in the bastard''s face.


    But of course he''s not going to be completely reckless about it. His height was currently almost 6 feet due to the potion he had drunk. It was only temporary, but it''ll do the job. Adding to his outfit, he can be assured that no one will know it''s him.


    The explosion practically announced his presence to the whole villa and that was exactly what Axel wanted. Sounds of cursing, yelling of men and the screams of a few women started to come from inside the villa and there was even a gunshot, indicating the fact that they were armed. There were at least 20 armed men in there, ready to welcome him. But Axel didn''t back down in the slightest.


    Guns might scare other wizards, but not him. He''s not just an ordinary wizard. Even the Arcane Thief can''t simply define who he is.


    Aside from being a wizard and the Arcane Thief, he is also the person with an insane amount of mental talent.


    In the past, he wasn''t able to fully utilize it due to his lack of magical ability, but that was no longer the case now.


    The spells that require extreme mental power, and the spells which can display incredible might based on your mental prowess. Those were his domain. And after the attack from Damien Malcolm, he had made sure to utilize his talent to its fullest potential.


    "Expulso!"


    "Expulso!"


    "Expulso!"


    As he walked along the driveway, he shot down those who tried to peek through the windows, breaking the glasses in the process.


    While doing so, he also took out a bundle of weapons containing shields, swords, and knives which were all wrapped up.


    The door opened and he pushed whoever it was back with another Expulso.


    "Let''s keep it indoors, shall we?" He said to no one in particular as he walked into the Villa and closed the doors behind him.


    As soon as he was in, he dropped the bunch of weapons he had been carrying to the floor.


    "Man, that was heavy," he muttered as he took out his other wand.


    "Hey! Who the fuck do you think you are?!" Shouted someone even as more and more of the gang started to come into the large hall of the villa.


    The number of guns pointing at Axel kept increasing. But he didn''t flinch as he kept waiting.


    Axel wasn''t scared of the guns. He was wearing the custom-made enchanted clothes he got from selling his memories. They should be able to take a bullet or two.


    After a proper number of guns were pointed at Axel and all the gang members were present, only then did the boss strut in with a cigar in his mouth and a gun in another.


    "Gentleman, what a rude way to enter someone''s home. I assume you are prepared for compensation?" He asked calmly.


    Axel''s grip on his wands tightened when he saw the bastard. After almost three years, he still looked the same, horrible scars all over the face and an air of superiority.


    His Cherub core wand responded to his anger as it emitted dark red sparks. And Axel chuckled darkly,


    "I''m indeed here for compensation, you bastard," saying so, he pointed his wand at the stack of weapons lying on his feet.


    "Oppugno Totalis!" He muttered after gathering all of his focus.


    At once, all the weapons started to shake. After which they began to rise individually, making all the men present startled.


    Johnny Scars had a bad premonition after seeing that unusual sight and hearing that voice.


    "Put him down!" He ordered.


    At once, gunshots began to be fired at Axel from various directions, making the situation chaotic.


    "Too late," said Axel as the rectangle shields he had stolen from Hogwarts assembled in front of him with a wave of his wand.


    Oppugno is a common spell that is used by many wizards to make animate or inanimate objects move to perform a specific action. It needs a lot of mental power.


    Oppugno Totalis, on the other hand, grants total control over multiple objects. The amount of objects you can control depends on your mental talent and unlike a simple oppugno, different objects can be controlled to perform different actions. But it''s like trying to write different things with different hands. Few can really pull that off perfectly.


    Though Axel was a different case altogether.


    He stood there as the shields assembled themselves in front of him, blocking all the bullets. The veins around his temple became visible due to the strain. But he wasn''t done yet.


    [Arcane Eyes]


    Peering through the gaps of shields, his eyes glowed as he controlled the knife and daggers to shoot out in different directions at once, stabbing into different victims with pinpoint precision. Though, his current limit was two at a time if coupled with the shields that were hovering around him.


    This method was great because the projectiles were being controlled by his mind, not by his unsteady hands. So the process was much faster and more precise.


    "Bullets aren''t working! Stop shooting and rush in!" Ordered Scars after seeing more and more men falling very rapidly.


    The hail of bullets stopped and men were now able to close the distance, thinking they could take him out in close range.


    But of course, they couldn''t have been more wrong. The closer they are, the worse their situation. Anyone who approached close enough was taken down either by a knife or a spell from the other wand in his hand.


    Soon, dozens of men were taken down and Axel saw Scars slowly slipping out of the room.


    "Nope, not a chance," he declared as he took down the last few stragglers unhurriedly. He stepped on one of the shields and controlled it to fly after the bastard while the rest of the shields were still assembled around him.


    Seeing no escape, Scars turned around to face Axel.


    "Hey man, why don''t we talk this out? You already destroyed my whole fucking gang. I can give you whatever you want, yeah?"


    Looking at the man, Axel really felt disgusted. These types of people will pretend to be all high and mighty and do whatever they want when they''re in a position of power. But as soon as you take that away from them, they''re nothing!


    Axel shook his head.


    "You don''t get it, Scars. You don''t get it," he said, throwing the words that he still remembered quite well to this day.


    "Expelliarmus," he muttered, making the gun shoot out of his grasp. Does this guy not realize how obvious his intentions are? He was going to shoot just after making Axel think he won and let his guard down.


    He pocketed the wand and let the shields drop.


    "Now we''re talking," he said, taking off his mask.


    Scar''s eyes widened.


    "You?!"


    Axel grinned.


    "Surprise, surprise, motherfucker."


    "How is this possible¡ª" he began, but Axel cut him off.


    "¡ªthat I''m no longer a rat? Don''t tell me you''re surprised," he said, shaking his head.


    "You always knew this day would come, didn''t you? You saw it on the very first day," he said, making the man speechless.


    Axel had seen it in his eyes. The reason why this man came after him from day one,


    "You were envious, weren''t you?" He asked, making the man flinch.


    Yep, this guy only wanted to make himself feel better by crushing him when he was still growing.


    Scars laughed forcefully,


    "But you''re still a rat, aren''t you? Relying on these parlor tricks? Why won''t you face me straight on, man to man?"


    Axel shook his head,


    "You don''t need to try so hard. There''s a reason why you''re still completely unharmed," he said, putting his wands on the floor.


    "Catch it," he said as he lightly threw out a knife to the man.


    Hope returned to Scar''s face as his eyes followed the knife sailing through the air, ready to catch it. This kid is an idiot. There''s no way anyone can beat him, Johnny Scars in a knife fight. He''s going to¡ª


    *Shin*


    Johnny''s thoughts were cut off as he felt an excruciating pain below his abdomen. He looked down to see another knife stabbed into his pelvis, right through his little brother, cleanly severing it from his body.


    The knife he was going to catch bumped uselessly on his head and he fell to the floor in pure agony.


    "Arrrrrrrrrrgghhh!!!"


    "You...! Why¡ª"


    "Why didn''t I give you a chance? Is that what you want to ask? Haha! How naive are you, Johnny? You wanted a fair fight? That''s quite rich coming from you," Axel laughed in pure amusement, as if he hadn''t just severed a man''s penis.


    The reason why Axel had left him unharmed up to now... It was because he wanted to give him hope. And then take it away once again.


    "You gang up on a nine-year-old and torture him for no reason. And now you want a fair fight?!" Axel was laughing so hard that he was having difficulty breathing.


    "You really are one hell of a hypocrite, man. Oh sorry I forgot, you are no longer a man!" He exclaimed, pointing to the bloody mess that could identify him as a man.


    Scars couldn''t believe this situation and his consciousness was hazy due to the pain.


    "No! This isn''t happening¡­ you can''t do this¡­please... stop!" he was desperately hoping that it was a dream.


    Axel grinned.


    "What? You want me to stop? Why would I stop? I am now the hunter and you are the rat. I''m the one with power so... I can do whatever I want," he said, using the same words that were used on himself as he took out his knife from the man''s pelvis.


    And the screams of Johnny Scars began.


    ***


    After he was done, sitting covered in blood, Axel put his mask back and went down and freed all the men from paralysis and poured some healing potion into their wounds. He was precise enough that none were able to run away and yet none were dead.


    Though one of the men had all of his teeth broken for some reason but no one was complaining. (the guy who''d broken Axel''s tooth three years ago.)


    "Listen y''all. Your boss is gone for good. I''m your new boss. Anyone got any problems with that?" He asked as he stood in front of the assembled men.


    "No boss!" They all yelled in fear.


    None of the men even thought of rebelling. Everyone had heard the screams of their old boss. They didn''t know much about this new guy. But they knew one thing: he''s even more of a madman than their boss. And if anyone tried resisting, they were dead.


    Axel nodded,


    "Good. Now get me every valuable thing and all the money Scars had. I''ll let you divide 5% among yourselves if no one tries to hide anything. You know what would happen if you tried to be smart. Go!" He barked and the men ran with utmost loyalty.


    A while later, Axel stood speechless as he looked at all the things that Scars ''owned''.


    "Let them hoes go away," he said directly indicating the two tied-up half-naked women. The men complied as they cut off their ropes.


    He threw the women a bundle of cash each.


    "Go and try to make an honest living or whatever," he said, shooing them away.


    The women thanked him profusely before scurrying away.


    Axel looked around at the rest of the men,


    "The rest of you. You''re not allowed to keep unwilling women. Stop all illegal activities for now and lay low. Try other means of earning which do not include breaking the law. You''re allowed to stay here and wait for my orders. Got it?"


    "Yes, boss!"


    "Good. Hey, you! Yeah, you in the back. You are the temporary leader in my absence," he said, pointing at a guy in the back. This dude had tried reasoning with Scars when he was torturing Axel.


    "Arrange a phone with your number saved on it."


    "Ah¡­. Y-Yes boss!" The guy saluted and got to work while the others looked at him enviously like Christmas had come a day early for the guy. ,(tomorrow was Christmas.)


    With everything done, Axel finally looked at the mountain of cash, drugs, and other valuables gathered up in front of him.


    This is going to be a long day.


    ***


    "What is it?" Asked Axel as he picked the call on his magi mirror.


    Daphne''s face came into view,


    "When are you coming? And what''s your address? We''ll come and pick you up," she said excitedly.


    Axel sighed. He is homeless, what address is he supposed to tell her?


    "I''m coming. You don''t need to pick me up. I''ll use the floo network."


    Daphne nodded,


    "Ok, just remember the custom code of our house. Greengrass Manor."


    "Yeah I know. I''m hanging up," he muttered, about to cut the call.


    "Wait!"


    "What is it?"


    "Um... Do you have nothing to say to me?" She asked a bit nervously.


    Axel didn''t understand what she was saying and he was already half an hour late. So he said,


    "Hey, I''m already coming there. Why are you wasting time talking through this?" He asked.


    "Yeah right. See you soon!" She said as she hung up.


    Axel shook his head as he pocketed the Magi-mirror. What a waste of time, as if she hadn''t already told him ten times. He was really regretting giving her his contact info.


    "Sigh¡­ the things I have to do to escape homework," he muttered. But what could he do? He was a busy man.


    He looked at the custom-made set of clothes from Madam Malkin''s. They were self-cleaning but he had still washed them since a lot of blood had splashed onto him when dealing with Scars so he had washed them for his own satisfaction.


    He had given up rejecting these clothes now since they were bloody convenient and had decided to just send out the money to Andromeda when he has an abundance of it. The same was the case for the Magi-mirror.


    He fiddled with the small dial on the inside and set it to another setting. Instantly, the clothes changed into jeans, t-shirt, and a denim jacket.


    Looking at his outfit, he just shrugged. ''This should do, right?'' He thought as he snuck out of the room in Scars''s Villa using Stealth. He had been staying here since yesterday. He''d rather not stay homeless in this cold weather like the previous times in favour of staying in this warm room.


    Though he had kept the windows which were covered in thick snow sealed shut and completely missed the bunch of presents lying on the window stool. And one of them had a name "Daphne Greengrass" written on it.


    After getting out, he took a cab to the Diagon Alley and went to the public floo. It''s like the men''s public toilet. Except there''s a fireplace instead of the urinals and it''s unisex.


    There was a stream of people coming and going from the place. He paid the entry fee and got in. It was Axel''s first time using the flow network so he observed carefully as a person called out an address code and stepped into the green fire. Soon after his departure, a small amount of gray powder automatically dropped into the fire from the enchanted container above and the green fire started blazing again as another person stepped into the fire.


    "Is it that simple?" He muttered as he did the same and stepped out of the Greengrass manor gracefully.


    "Hi! Are you my sister''s boyfriend?" Asked someone as soon as he found his bearings.

 Chapter 37: Greengrass Manor

    "Hi! Are you my sister''s boyfriend?" Axel heard someone ask as soon as he got his bearings.


    He turned around to see a cute little girl in a princess dress looking at him curiously. She had brown hair and gray eyes.


    Axel knitted his eyebrows,


    "No. Why would you ask that?"


    "Tory! Don''t start speaking nonsense once again!" Came Daphne''s voice from afar, sounding unnaturally shrill as she hurried down the stairs while holding her dress. She was wearing a green strapless dress that came down to her ankles.


    "I''m sorry if she said anything inappropriate. She likes to create trouble," said Daphne while glaring at Astoria who stuck out her tongue.


    "Daphie told us a lot about you," said Astoria as if she was telling a secret.


    "Ah¡­ ok, I''ll bite, what did she say?"


    "She¡ª" began Astoria, but Daphne put a hand on Astoria''s mouth to stop her from saying more.


    "I''m saying it again: don''t believe a word she says," said Daphne in warning.


    Axel shrugged,


    "... Whatever." It''s not like it matters.


    Daphne sighed in relief as she finally smiled,


    "So¡­ welcome to my home! You look really great in that outfit! I''ve only ever seen you in uniform or training clothes," she said, giving him a once over.


    Axel just nodded but then he saw Daphne looking at him expectantly, making him confused,


    "Um¡­ you look great too...?" Is that what she wanted to hear? Judging by her smile, that seems to be the case. Though in his honest opinion, her dress was making him feel uncomfortable in his casual clothes. Axel didn''t know that ''nothing fancy'' meant this fancy. Daphne had said it was just a family dinner.


    "Daphne?"


    At this moment, an elegant woman walked from inside. The woman was beautiful, with brown hair, and soft features, but looking into her blue eyes, Axel could see that she had suffered various vicissitudes in her life.


    The woman seemed to study Axel minutely, and her gaze lingered on his hands. For a moment, Axel saw her occlumency mask crack to show some emotions, but it might be his imagination as she smiled politely at him.


    "You must be Axel. I''m Daphne''s mother Evelyn Greengrass. I''ve been dying to meet you,"


    Axel looked at the woman who was that bastard''s ex-wife. Daphne had told him that she had celebrated all night when the man had died. So, instead of resentment, he rather had a good impression of her.


    "Thanks for having me for dinner," he replied politely. Though he actually wanted to say, ''You shouldn''t have invited me.'' But since he''s here, he''d rather be done with this dinner quickly without coming out as an asshole.


    It''s just that he wouldn''t be in this situation in the first place if he hadn''t been dumping all his work to Daphne for the better part of the semester.


    Mrs. Greengrass smiled,


    "The dinner will be ready soon. Daphne, you can show him around or play in the meantime," she said, leaving them to their devices.


    Axel gave Daphne a look,


    "You said dinner was ready half an hour earlier," he said in irritation.


    Daphne looked away trying not to show how pleased she was with herself,


    "Oh, did I? I don''t remember. Come, I''ll show you around," she said, walking ahead.


    Astoria walk beside him,


    "She lied," she whispered helpfully.


    Axel shrugged as he followed.


    At least it''s a good thing that he came half an hour late.


    As expected from the man who kept that much amount of money as chump change in his pouch, the manor looked quite extravagant and well furnished.


    "That''s the Christmas tree," she said, pointing at the huge tree decorated with various magical gimmicks.


    "This is our first time decorating one by ourselves. Usually, the ass¡ª I mean, that man wouldn''t allow us. He''ll get it done perfectly and then host a Ball or have us attend one," she explained.


    "You were going to say ''that'' word again right?" Asked Astoria while giggling. "You''ve been using a lot of bad words after coming back,"


    Daphne slapped her forehead and then glared at Axel as if it was his fault...to which Axel only gave her a clueless look.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    She then brought him outside,


    "Now, let me show you the reason why we''re called Greengrass," she said, pointing at the vast expanse outside their gates.


    "We run plantations and greenhouses of Potion ingredients. We supply plant-related potion materials to various sellers like BigOwl. Aside from that, we also run Potion shops,"


    So, BigOwl, the company he has been ordering his diet ingredients from, got its plant-related potion ingredients from the Greengrass.


    "...This is huge," muttered Axel, looking at the vast expanse.


    Daphne nodded,


    "That''s what everyone says," she said proudly as if he was praising her dick.


    "Tory! Don''t go outside! It''s not safe outside the wards!" She said as she followed Astoria, leaving Axel to look at the view.


    Axel had some idea about her family business, but he hadn''t expected it to be this massive. The plantations seemed to stretch for miles and there were multiple greenhouses with workers working.


    But her words reminded him of something else as well. Revenge wasn''t the only reason he had gone out of Hogwarts this Christmas. He had various other things to handle as well.


    And one of them was that, some potion recipes for the training of his Arcane Thief class had been unlocked for a while now. But he couldn''t make them himself due to his low dexterity. So, this was something he was supposed to figure out during this time.


    At this moment, Daphne''s magi mirror beeped, bringing him out of his thoughts.


    "The Dinner''s ready, shall we go?" She asked.


    They made their way to the dining room where they all sat at the end of one long table.


    Mrs. Greengrass smiled as she looked at her family,


    "Usually, we''re always either Hosting Balls or attending one. But this year, we didn''t do anything," explained Mrs. Greengrass.


    Axel wanted to ask, ''then why invite me?'' but he didn''t as he looked at all the food piled up on the table.


    Turkey, Cranberry sauce, Brussels sprouts, Stuffing, Gravy, Roast potatoes, Braised red cabbage, Roast carrots, and the list went on and on.


    Looking at the tempting meal, he sighed.


    "Well, this looks delicious. But I must follow my diet," he said, taking out his lunchbox. After almost half a year, he had now totally started to follow the diet.


    "?" X3


    Everyone at the dinner table was surprised and confused.


    Axel looked at everyone,


    "Ah¡­ I''m sorry. I''ve been on a strict diet since I''ve been trying to recover from my¡­ injuries," he said opening up the lunchbox.


    Daphne had warned her family about his injuries, but not about this.


    Evelyn looked at Daphne,


    "Daphne, why didn''t you tell us he''s been following a special diet? I would have arranged it for him," she said in a chiding tone.


    Daphne looked like she had been slapped,


    "I¡­ I didn''t know. He...never sits at the Great hall. I haven''t ever seen what he''s eating," she said in realization.


    Everyone looked at what Axel was eating.


    "What is that?" Asked Evelyn as she looked at the bizarre lunch from beside him.


    Axel shrugged,


    "Some moonseeds, boiled dragon meat, boiled Occamy eggs, boiled wiggentree roots, fluxweed, etcetera, why do you ask?" He asked as he began to eat.


    Evelyn was shocked.


    "Those are some expensive ingredients¡­" she commented.


    Daphne picked some up and tasted,


    "Bleh¡ª" she spat it out on her plate.


    "Have you really been eating that the whole time?" She asked in shock.


    "No, it''s different ingredients every day. It''s a weekly schedule," he informed.


    "But¡­" began Evelyn, "that''s not really food, is it? There''s no flavoring, and it''s not even cooked," she said, looking at the food.


    "Well, it''s boiled..." he defended.


    But Evelyn was unimpressed.


    "As I said, it''s uncooked,"


    Axel couldn''t understand the thinking of these rich people. Is it not good enough that he''s getting food? Furthermore, it''s edible, not harmful but beneficial, and it''s bloody expensive. Why does the taste matter so much?


    Evelyn clapped her hands, calling an Elf. She pointed at his plate,


    "Tolly, Make a nice dish out of this using healthy cooking methods," she said, pointing at his dinner.


    "Yes mistress," the elf left and his plate vanished.


    "...That wasn''t necessary," said Axel helplessly.


    Evelyn shook her head,


    "There''s no way you are eating such bland food on Christmas Eve," she said firmly.


    Daphne gave him a look that he couldn''t quite decipher.


    "Is that why you''ve always rejected every time I''ve offered you snacks? You can''t eat anything else?" She asked, recalling all the times she''d eaten snacks during class while he rejected them. Even that time at the VIP box, he didn''t eat any popcorn.


    "Well, it''s not like I can''t, but I shouldn''t, if I want the most benefits. Why do you ask?" He asked.


    "... Nothing,"


    She now felt really bad. It''s not that he didn''t want to eat them. He just couldn''t eat them in hopes of a recovery that might never come. And all that while, she ate those delicious things right in front of him.


    Along with feeling sorry, she once again felt the familiar disappointment. Axel knows everything about her and yet he hasn''t let her know much about him at all. Maybe only she is the one who wants to be friends. He still hasn''t said anything about the gift she had sent him this Christmas after all.


    It made her recall the time when she had prepared a Christmas present for her dad with so much effort and yet, he hadn''t even bothered acknowledging it.


    ''No! Let''s not think about it! Axel and the asshole are world''s apart!'' she said to herself as she looked at him enjoying his food. May be just didn''t like the gift.


    Astoria looked at Axel in a new light. Right now, she wasn''t smiling like she always does and wasn''t as talkative.


    Axel''s dinner came soon and he was surprised to taste it.


    "It''s delicious," he muttered, his eyes closing involuntarily for tasting good food after so long,"


    Click*


    A clicking sound came from his side, followed by a giggle, making him infuriated,


    "You are going to delete that," he muttered.


    "No!"


    "I''m not kidding, delete that!"


    "Over my dead body!"


    Overall, the dinner went rather well and Axel felt that perhaps it wasn''t such a waste of time coming here. But after dinner just as he was about to leave, something unexpected came up.


    "Axel, I need to talk to you about something, could you please spare me a minute?" Asked Evelyn, making him pause.


    Axel shrugged,


    "Alright,"


    "Daphne, Astoria, could you two please leave the room? I need to talk to Axel about something,"


    "What is it, mom?" Asked Daphne in puzzlement.


    Evelyn shook her head with a serious look,


    "Go,"


    "I...Ok, I''m waiting outside,"


    Since her mom rarely used this look, Daphne didn''t protest anymore as she left while dragging Astoria.


    "What is it?" Asked Axel.


    Evelyn picked up her Magi-mirror and showed him a picture. It was of Axel standing in the woods. Just when he was about to ask why she was showing him this, Evelyn zoomed in to one of his hands, and Axel''s eyes slowly widened a little but he controlled it.


    He still feigned ignorance.


    "...That''s my hand,"


    "What is it holding?"


    "... A wand covered in leather. Why do you ask?" he answered. But at this point, he knew she knew. But the question was¡ªHow? To avoid this situation, he had wrapped up the wand in leather.


    "Could you please tell me where you got it from?" She asked desperately.


    "..."


    Axel paused. He couldn''t just say,


    ''I got it after I won allegiance by killing your husband,'' as the system had informed him.


    Or could he?

 Chapter 38: A Misunderstanding

    "Could you please tell me where you got this from?"


    "..."


    Axel paused. He couldn''t just say,


    ''I got it after I won its allegiance by killing your husband,'' as the system had informed him.


    Or could he?


    ''No, let''s not risk it,'' he thought. Accepting would be equal to admitting a crime. This woman may not resent him for her husband''s death, but if he accepts, she will always have the power to get him a death sentence whenever she wants.


    "I picked it up from the road," he said finally. It was technically true.


    Evelyn shook her head in disappointment,


    "How did she recognize the wand?¡ªthat''s probably what you''re wondering right now, aren''t you?" She asked him with a sad smile.


    Axel didn''t say anything, but his silence was a loud agreement.


    "When you have the same wand pointed at you multiple times, you just know¡­ no matter if most of it is covered in leather," she said in melancholy, and Axel could see that her Occlumency was slowly going away, showing her real emotions.


    Axel looked away from those eyes,


    "I''m sorry for what happened to you in the past. But I really can''t help you with anything¡­"


    Evelyn shook her head.


    "I''m not asking for any help. I''m just asking you to hear me out. Then I''ll say what I want from you," she said earnestly.


    Axel sighed,


    "Go on," he might as well hear her out.


    Evelyn looked at her wine glass as she slowly swirled it.


    "You know, deep down, I''ve always wished for his death. But there was nothing I could do. I was already bound by contract, and bewitchment charms.¡­ I had given up hope a long time ago," she said, a hollow look coming to her face as she remembered the past.


    She then looked back at Axel as light returned to her face.


    "But then one day, he was suddenly gone, finally leaving us for good, and I was finally free, as all the magic binding me failed when the person with whom it was keyed to disappeared. And that was the happiest day of my life! You cannot imagine how much it meant to me and how much gratitude I felt towards the person who had finally rid the world of that scum... I tried finding who it was, but I couldn''t¡­. And then, I saw the wand in your hand," she said as a smile came to her face. She stood up from her seat, surprising Axel.


    She had wondered how he got it and if he knew anything about the one who had killed her husband. And most of all, how was he able to use that wand? She felt extremely curious about the boy, especially since he was someone whom her daughter had befriended.


    "I needed answers. So I tried to find everything about you," she said, walking around the table to stand on Axel''s side.


    Axel listened to everything she was saying and he was still on guard.


    "You checked my background? What did you find?" He asked, feeling uncomfortable since she was standing too close.


    Evelyn smiled as she recalled her research, her Occlumency slipping further.


    "Do you want to know what I found?" She asked.


    She already knew that Axel was injured. Finding out more about his injuries led her to know a shocking fact! Someone named Axel had been admitted to Saint Mungo''s on the same date as her husband. Though the rest of the records about him had been mysteriously removed.


    She also came to know from Daphne that Axel often keeps a knife around with him and is quite powerful. What a coincidence that Cyrus had been killed by a knife. And she also found out from Olivander that the only reason her husband''s wand would serve another is when he has been bested by someone.


    Knowing all this, she was smart enough to connect the dots and come to a conclusion.


    Her Occlumency shields dropped completely as she finally stopped resisting her emotions altogether.


    "?!" Axel was prepared for some questions, but Evelyn did something completely unexpected.


    "I found that: You''re the benefactor I''ve been looking for," she said as she gracefully knelt on the ground.


    Axel stood up in absolute surprise,


    "What the¡ª What the hell are you doing?!" He asked hastily, his voice coming out loud after being completely bamboozled.Stolen story; please report.


    Evelyn had a serious look on her face,


    "I''m expressing my gratitude. Bowing is too small a gesture to express the magnitude of my gratitude," she said earnestly.


    Axel shook her head,


    "Whatever it is, get up! Just don''t kneel like that!" He shouted uncomfortably as he tried to lift her up.


    Click* *Creak*


    At this moment, the door behind Axel opened and Daphne''s voice came.


    "Mom, what''s all the noise ab¡ª" her words stopped abruptly in her throat as she saw the scene in front of her. What she saw was the back of Axel, who was gripping a kneeling Evelyn with both of his hands, whose face appeared to be quite close to Axel''s legs.


    "!"


    As soon as the door opened, Axel turned his head and Evelyn peeked from the side of Axel''s leg to see a wide-eyed Daphne giving them a last glance before running off.


    "D-Daphne?! Sweety, I-It''s not what it looks like! I swear!" Exclaimed Evelyn as she rushed to explain.


    Meanwhile, Axel looked up at the ceiling blankly.


    "... What the fuck just happened?" He muttered as he questioned reality.


    He recalled similar scenes when he''d sometimes walk into some Alley to see some woman kneeling in front of a man, moving her head back and forth. Did it really look like ''that''? What a bad timing she had.


    His life always manages to surprise him by taking the strangest of turns.


    He wondered whether everything was his fault. Was it his fault that he tried to rob a mad wizard? Was it his fault that he was rude to a hat? Was it his fault that he had precious ingredients lying around in his room since he never thought a Troll might be wandering in the castle? The list seems to go on and on and he was too lazy to complete it.


    Now he only had one thought in his head:


    ''Will she still do my homework?''


    Yep. So much happened, and this was what he was most concerned about.


    "Why was mum kneeling?" Asked a voice, and Axel looked down to see Astoria looking up at him with curiosity.


    "..."


    As he thought about how to explain it to the girl, he realized something else.


    How would Evelyn explain this to Daphne? She''ll say, I was just kneeling in front of him. Why? To express my gratitude. What kind of gratitude? He killed your dad.


    Boom. It''s game over for him once someone picks that off Daphne''s unprotected mind. And he can''t have that. Hogwarts is not a safe place. He already knows three people who use Legilimency freely. Dumbledore, Martina, and Snape.


    He turned to Astoria.


    "Where did your mom and Daphne go?!"


    Axel rushed to Evelyn to prevent her from speaking anything about him murdering a pureblood Lord.


    And it would seem that he had barely made it in time as he found the mother and daughter standing facing each other.


    "How could you?!" Asked a furious Daphne and Axel saw that Evelyn didn''t seem to be thinking smartly right now.


    ''She''s definitely going to tell her!'' He realized.


    "Sweety, it''s not what you think. I was just¡ª"


    "Your mom was just helping me with something," he said as he rushed to stand between the two.


    "..." For a moment, all of them stood in silence in which he signal Evelyn not to speak about it.


    But then Daphne shook her head.


    "Oh, what was she helping you with?"


    "Well..." Axel paused.


    Axel had managed to rushed here in haste, but he still hadn''t thought of an alternative explanation.


    Daphne shook her head in disappointment.


    "I need to go..."


    "Wait. I swear she wasn''t for doing what you think she was doing¡ª" began Axel. Daphne became even surer that something was up.


    "No you wait! First you didn''t even so much as thanked me for the gift I put so much effort into, and now this?!" She shouted as she left with tears in her eyes. Right now, she wasn''t thinking straight.


    The image of her mother kneeling in front of her father came into her head once again. That was the real reason. Not some weird bullshit like her mother giving a blowjob. She''s not foolish enough to misunderstand it. In some ways, Axel is just like her father. Like how apathetic he is.


    "Wait...What gift?"


    Axel couldn''t even ask her what gift she was talking about before she had left. But... this time, he could at least warn Evelyn.


    "Don''t tell her about the murder thingy," he whispered, fairly nonplussed with the whole ordeal.


    Evelyn looked at him in confusion before her eyes widened as she slapped her forehead.


    "Right! Of course, You could be in trouble!" She muttered in realization.


    After that, Evelyn temporarily gave up on Daphne and decided to focus on finding ways to help the benefactor who was looking troubled.


    "Don''t worry, it''s just a misunderstanding. She''ll come around," she told Axel to reassuringly to Axel.


    "Let''s first talk about your problems, shall we?"


    "Tory, will you go look after your sister?" She asked Astoria.


    "Okay!"


    Astoria looked at the two of them before nodding and starting to leave. Though before she did, she turned around.


    "Am I getting a new daddy?" She asked innocently.


    "No!"


    Shouted Axel immediately while Evelyn began laughing,


    "There''ll be no more daddies here now, sweetheart,"


    ...


    A while later, Axel was on his way back to his temporary gangster residence in Lambeth, still thinking about the series of events.


    After that, Evelyn had managed to persuade him to let her help with the ingredients for his Potions and diet after repeated insistence. Though that was it for now. He wasn''t going to give her the potion recipes to make them for him despite the fact that he could have a constant supply of those right from the next day if he does. The recipes are precious, and he can''t risk them being stolen. He needs to think more about this.


    As he walked along the snow covered streets, his ears picked up a conversation.


    "Hey! Looks like that kid is loaded, eh Benji?"


    "Yeah man, looks like it''s a merry Christmas for us,"


    Axel snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the voices from his surroundings. The taxi driver had dropped him off earlier than the destination due to the dangers of this neighborhood. And he realized that he had been walking in this dangerous place with expensive clothes on his back. This was just asking for trouble.


    The disdain he felt towards these people made him ashamed as he realized that Cyrus must have also felt similar disdain when he saw Axel.


    "Hey, where did he go?!"


    "What the fuck?! He was right there!"


    Axel just walked by the gang without doing anything. He wanted to avoid any similarities between him and Cyrus and he couldn''t be bothered with these pitiful people right now. He wanted to think more about what happened today.


    He went into the room in Johnny Scars'' villa that he had been staying in and laid down on the bed. As he recalled the events, Daphne''s words came to mind.


    "First you didn''t even so much as thank me for the gift I put so much effort into, and now this?!"


    "What the fuck was she talking about?"


    Frowning, he looked at the window to see it completely covered with snow. He got up and opened the window that was completely covered in snow and voila, he found a pile of things wrapped in different types of wrappings lying on the snow-covered window stool.


    "Are these¡­ Christmas gifts?" He muttered in disbelief. He had never received a Christmas before this year.


    This day was getting more and more bizarre. There were actually people who''d bother sending him gifts.


    So, he did get Daphne''s gift, huh? But what about the other gifts lying here?


    ....

 Chapter 39: Gifts and Acceptance

    Gathering up everything, Axel sat at a table as he looked at the pile of gifts in front of him.


    This was quite a foreign experience, receiving gifts. Since he''d never received one before, of course, it never crossed his mind to buy gifts as well. So right now, he was quite confused as to what he was supposed to do.


    Is it ok to just accept them? Should he have sent them gifts as well? What if he doesn''t want to send them gifts? What was he supposed to give them in return? What would be considered an ideal gift? If he got a great gift or an expensive gift, does his gift also have to be equally expensive or good, even when he is struggling with time and money?


    Seriously, why even exchange presents? It makes life so much more complicated!


    Sighing, he began opening the gifts at random. The first one happened to be from one Susan Bones. She had given him an expensive-looking box of Chocolates. Axel would have tried one if he wasn''t on a strict diet. The most he can do is thank her for her gift.


    The next one he picked turned out to be from,


    "Rose?" He frowned. Rose would be the last person to send him a Christmas present. They had sort of a verbal confrontation just before the Christmas holidays. Axel decided not to open it for now.


    The next few were from unknown senders, meaning he had never heard these people''s names and most of them were girls. He didn''t open them in case his Slytherin attackers might have sent him some kind of dangerous present. Then there were presents from Andromeda and Bellatrix as well. He didn''t open them as well.


    Axel finally looked at the present he was avoiding.


    ~From Daphne Greengrass


    Yep, this was the one. He unwrapped it and open the box to find a big stack of notebooks inside. Other than that, there were a bunch of potions as well.


    Axel picked up the note that was on the top.


    "Dear Axel,


    Merry Christmas! I couldn''t really find the gift I was looking for. So, I had to think of something else.


    Did you know that the teachers give the same homework every year? These notebooks contain the homework for the rest of the term and some of the second-term homework! And...this is without any favors or strings attached! How''s that?


    It took me a lot of time to do this, but I don''t mind since it''s for the time you helped me out in the woods.


    Now, you might be wondering why I am giving you all the homework in advance if I could have just done it over the rest of the term. That''s because I am going to ask you something:


    Can we be friends?


    Honestly, I''m tired of pretending we''re just acquaintances while in actuality, you might be my best friend at Hogwarts.


    So, I gave you the Homework already so that I know if you say yes, it''s not because of that.


    I had always thought that only I wanted to be friends while you didn''t give a damn. But I''ve begun to think my assumption was wrong. Otherwise, why did you even agree to my annoying demands? (You had the option to reject). Why did you cheer me up when I was crying hopelessly? (Your lame excuse can''t be considered a plausible reason). Why did you also protect me from the spells when the danger suddenly came instead of only saving yourself? (I never asked you this one.)


    It''s because we''re friends, Axel and it''s because you care. And I want you to accept that. I''ll wait for your reply.


    Best Wishes


    Daphne


    P.S.: My mom also wanted to gift you something as well so I suggested the Power Nap Potion. It revitalizes you properly even if you sleep a little. I''m tired of seeing you yawning every day with bags under your eyes. You''re not going to start sleeping more no matter how much I tell you, so you might as well take these. No side effects... Tastes like shit though... Not that I''ve ever tasted shit... I''m going to stop speaking now, it''s gotten so lengthy...Self-writing quill has grown on me while doing your Homework.


    ...


    Axel put the letter down and laid down on the bed. He was supposed to read all this before going there. He recalled when he had gone to her house, Daphne had been looking expectantly at him and he couldn''t figure out why. Well, guess the real reason was this.


    Until a few minutes ago, he had been feeling bad because he thought that he''ll have to do his own homework due to Daphne being angry with him. But now that he already had the Homework, how come he''s still not feeling better?


    "Whatever," he muttered as he quickly got up. He might as well train. Right now, there are three things he''s been focusing more on.


    Ward Breaking, Arcane Eyes, and Occlumency.


    Ward Breaking was the skill he had gained after getting the required SP (Stealing Points). And to say it was amazing would be an understatement. He quickly needs to master it.


    It not only has ways to detect a ward, but also ways on how to trespass it without tripping it. That''s what a Thief''s main goal is, and it''s usually a very difficult feat to achieve. He had discovered that the System''s information was usually much more advanced, to-the-point, and practical than what the Wizarding World had to offer.


    He had casually looked through the ward Breaking of the Wizarding World and realized that doing those things using their method of ward breaking included a fair amount of things he knew nothing about. So, there''s no way he could have learned Ward Breaking at this stage without the system''s information.


    To put it in simple words, if you want to solve a math problem, the Wizarding World''s method will include lots of complicated equations and difficult calculations to solve it, but the system''s method would let you solve it with one simple equation by Training you to formulate that unique equation.


    But, he can''t practice ward breaking right now since there are no wards present here.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Arcane Eyes should be a better alternative to practice. It''s an amazing skill that trains his eyes. Using this skill, his eyes can see things that are impossible to be seen. Its potential is huge, though it''s equally difficult to level.


    But, it has stopped progressing since he needs a potion to make progress in this. He needs to fix that problem soon.


    This once again made him think back to the conversation he had with Evelyn. He had revealed to her that he had been given a diet and some recipes by an expert and he''d been unable to get the potions since he couldn''t divulge the recipes to anyone else.


    Evelyn had volunteered to make the potions herself and even sign a contract to prevent her from using them or divulging their recipes to anyone. But he didn''t feel comfortable making her sign a contract for even trying to help him.


    So she had suggested one of the potioneers who worked for the Greengrass Potions store.


    "Having secret recipes isn''t that uncommon," she had told him. Even the Greengrass family has more than a few secret recipes that they''ve been using the potioneers to them produce by using contracts to keep them secret.


    "System, will you be able to check and modify the clauses of the contract?" He asked.


    [Affirmative. That''s doable.]


    Then, it was decided. He''ll contact Evelyn and hire a potioneer. He''ll use someone old who wouldn''t have much ambition and won''t try to find out what the potions he was making might be for.


    So, the potion''s issue will be solved within the week but he can''t practice the Arcane Eyes. The only thing on his priority list is now Occlumency. Who is he kidding? There are a lot of things he can practice but he''s only going to Focus on Occlumency because...


    [Occlumency First stage


    Progress: 85%]


    Every time he sees that thing, he can''t help but put all of his training efforts into Occlumency. He''s so close! Just a few more days and he''ll unlock the recipe that can heal him!


    Almost all of his memories are now organized and he only needs the shields now. Memory organization is usually the most difficult task in Occlumency''s first stage and talent can''t help you much here since it''s a time-consuming task. Most of the other Occlumens either skip this process or do it improperly so they don''t know the benefits.


    But after doing it himself and using the system''s methods at that, Axel definitely knows the benefits. Most of our memories are a jumbled mess that keep moving here and there in our mind, always making our mind a chaotic mess that is already focusing on many things at once.


    But, after he organized his memories, they are no longer overlapping with each other, nor are they moving around. This has made it possible for his mind to put more of its focus on other things. Now he''s able to use more of his mind than in previous times and that is the reason why he was able to go so far with the Oppugno Totalis Spell without much practice aside from his mental talent.


    Though some memories are still unclear and his memories aren''t yet organized into a structure yet, so he can still surpass his current limits of the Oppugno Spell. But that''ll only happen when he trains the Second Stage of Occlumency so it''s none of his concern for now. What concerns him the most right now is:


    "System, how long do you think the shields will take?"


    [With your talent, they should be done by the end of the Christmas Holidays.]


    "That''s it?!" He asked in surprise.


    He had passed the most difficult phase of Occlumency and he was now very close to reaching his goal. After he was injured, the urge to focus solely on Occlumency had been overwhelming, but he resisted.


    Because if he hadn''t, sure he would have been able to achieve the first stage a little sooner, but he wouldn''t have become so proficient in his stealth skills that he was able to evade being seen every day and hence evade all the troubles that came along with it. When no one sees you, they tend to forget about you.


    Aside from this, he wouldn''t have been able to deal with a troll and wouldn''t have been good at magic and his movements would have been still slow and stiff as before. So, when any trouble came, he wouldn''t have been able to fight, nor evade, nor hide.


    But now, after training, he has mastered some things he wouldn''t have with a fit body and he was even going to get the recipe soon!


    Axel''s trembling hands started trembling even more. Though this time, it was due to excitement and anticipation.


    ...


    As the two-week break of Christmas ended, the unwilling students returned to Hogwarts riding the train on the new year.


    For Britain, this year was supposed to be similar to any other year of the past decade: Progressive. And it was. But... there was one cause for concern emerging after so many years of peace.


    The crime rates this year had increased and lots of wizards were reported to have used powerful magic they shouldn''t normally be able to wield. But of course, on a broad scale, it was being ignored or gone unnoticed by the lower levels of Ministery, not even reaching the upper echelons.


    Gradually, a Change was coming. And up to now, only one person had noticed it and tried to make his voice known. And the name of that person was Xenophillius Lovegood, the editor, and director of Quibbler. But of course, his voice had gone unheard, ignored and mocked by those who read his conspiracy theories.


    People were too busy with their own life''s issues to pay attention to such absurd possibilities. It was the same with Axel, who alighted the train at Hogsmeade station with bloodshot eyes as he made his way to the carriages along with the other students.


    He had failed.


    [Progress: 98%]


    He couldn''t do it by the end of the Christmas Holidays like the system had estimated despite putting in more time in it than the system had anticipated he would. He had even foregone his revenges on other people and small Gangs who had given him a hard time during the previous years including the family of the young master boy who''d gotten him kicked out from the muggle school. All in favor of making his shields.


    Then why?


    ''System, why was I not able to do something that I should have been able to do a few days early?'' He asked the system after giving up thinking about it.


    [The reason is that your mental state is not in perfect order.]


    Axel frowned,


    "Why?"


    [You already know the reason.]


    Axel cursed as he kicked a stone on his way. Of course, he knew. He just refused to accept it. It was Daphne.


    As far as he knew, she didn''t befriend him to gain something and had tried her utmost to be his friend. He, on the other hand, had refused to accept it since he thought it was too much of a bother.


    Only after she had stopped being his friend and after not talking to her for a week did he realize that whether he believed it or not, he had come to value the one friendship he had secured in his lifetime. And he didn''t want it to change. So yes, he finally accepted the fact that they were friends. Though the key word here is "were".


    It wouldn''t have bothered him at all if she was the one at fault or if he was the one at fault. He''d have embraced the change as a part of life and moved on without thinking much. What bothered him was the fact that no one was at fault here and it was all just a stupid misunderstanding that was difficult to clear.


    Axel kicked yet another stone as he walked and he stopped walking when he saw the stone stop near the hoof of a creature. His gaze climbed up to see a bizarre winged horse-like creature standing there, attached to a carriage.


    "Cute," he muttered.


    ''System, tell me.'' he ordered.


    [That is a Thestral. They are a species that originated from NetherWorld. They can only be seen by those who have seen death.]


    "You''d be the only person who''d call it cute," said a voice from behind him.


    ?


    Axel turned around to see Martina standing there. Axel was still happy about the knife she had given him as a Christmas gift so he tolerated being seen with her in public without showing his annoyance.


    "Why am I not surprised that you can see them?" She muttered, looking at him empathetically. She had seen of his bad memories and witnessing death wouldn''t seem too far-fetched considering his circumstances.


    "I do find them cute. And why am I not surprised that YOU can see them too?" He countered, referring to her family''s reputation.


    Martina winced at the jab. She hadn''t actually witnessed any death here. Her father and brother were extreme in their overprotectiveness. But she had witnessed her own death, along with many of her patient''s death in her previous life so...


    Axel just remembered that he had some business with Martina.


    "Hey, I have¡ª" he began but paused when he saw Daphne pass by them, not even giving him a glance. A vein popped up on Axel''s forehead.


    This was more annoying than he had thought. It was even affecting his training.


    "Alright, you won," he muttered finally as he made up his mind. He had had it now. He was going to clear this misunderstanding. She won. They were officially friends now.


    He shelved his business with Martina later and as he went after Daphne.

 Chapter 40: A Friend and A Recipe

    Daphne sighed as she sat in the compartment of the train back to Hogwarts. This was probably the worst Christmas and New year she had ever had. And THAT is saying something, considering who her dad was. And that was all because of one person: Axel Hunt.


    Daphne had never been an ordinary girl. Being raised by her father, along with her mental maturity had made it such that she couldn''t quite connect with any of the children her age. The thing is, if she really bared even some of her thoughts to those kids, they''ll probably start thinking she''s some sort of Dark lady in making.


    The only exception was Axel.


    He was a big mystery to her. But from the very first time she had seen him, she could see at least some similarities between the two of them: Both didn''t have a good childhood and both had to mature early.


    In his company, she could be herself. Thus, over the months, she had come to really enjoy their friendship. But, being in his company could also be soooo frustrating sometimes!


    She didn''t know much about him and couldn''t understand his actions. And, the problem was, he wouldn''t even tell her anything! Every time she''d ask something, he''ll either evade the topic or give a perfunctory response with a stop-being-nosy look.


    He wouldn''t tell her who raised him, he wouldn''t tell her how he got his scars, he wouldn''t tell her much about how he got his body in such bad condition, he wouldn''t tell her how he was so abnormally skilled at some things, and he wouldn''t tell her why he''s been working himself half to death every day and pushing himself so hard. Heck, she couldn''t even tell why he seems to hate Rose''s family so much!


    It''s always felt like she''s the only one who actually gives a fuck. That he doesn''t care at all whether she''s there or not. Especially since he wouldn''t acknowledge her as his friend. And it was beginning to remind her of someone else.


    There was one other person who had always treated her coldly no matter what she did, and no matter how hard she tried. The only things he seemed to care about were money, power, and politics. This person was, of course, her father. She had tried her best to gain his acknowledgment until she was no longer naive and finally began to see the man for who he really was. After that, she had given up as she realized the fact that he''ll never care about her. And she was right, he never changed.


    But she had thought that Axel was different. Especially after that time in the woods. He had even shared a little about his past with her that time.


    That had given her hope. That yes, Axel will not always be the same. That he''ll come around if she put in enough effort. And she found an opportunity through Christmas, preparing his gift after putting a lot of thought into it. And, she was hopeful and excited about the outcome.


    She had anticipated how he would respond. A Christmas gift in return would be asking too much from someone like him and she knew that there were low chances that he''ll accept being friends, but she had at least thought that even if he didn''t accept friendship, he''ll at least be moved and there will be some change.


    But much to her dismay, he didn''t even acknowledge it, let alone thank her or be moved. She had waited for him to say something about it throughout the day, or even at dinner, but he didn''t.


    And yet, she kept telling herself that there must be a reason. That no matter how much this seemed like something her father would do, he wasn''t like that man and there must be a reason why he didn''t respond.


    Maybe he never got it? No way, she had gotten the notification on her Magic-mirror saying that it had been successfully delivered.


    Then maybe he didn''t see it? No way, who doesn''t check presents on Christmas?


    Then there must be some other reason, right? She hadn''t given up hope.


    But then after dinner, when she saw her mother kneeling on the floor with her eyes moist with unshed tears, an image of her mother kneeling before her father had popped into Daphne''s mind. The reason she got angry wasn''t because she had misunderstood the situation. She knew her mother wouldn''t do anything inappropriate. The real reason was, Axel reminded her once again of her father at that time and she had lost it.


    She was extremely out of her mind and got further unhinged when he refused to explain properly. No longer able to bear it, she had run away after saying what was bothering her, not able to face him any longer.


    And, she had been miserable ever since. And that was the reason why on this return trip to Hogwarts, she kept silent while her friends were excitedly discussing their Christmas. Currently, the topic had shifted to what gifts they had given each other.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "I gave my Aunt a set of Odwill Candles that help with concentration. They are really popular these days and I had to order them one month early. She loved them! As for others, I gave Hannah an enchanted bunny, Neville: a Squill plant, Rose: some of the newest prank items on Zonkos, Daphne: a best seller called: "Magical Me" and Axel a box of HisHey''s Chocolates."


    They would have talked about the gifts but one thing was peculiar,


    "You gave a present to Axel?" Asked Hannah.


    Susan nodded,


    "Yeah, what''s wrong with that?"


    Neville shook his head,


    "Why would anyone give a present to him? He''s always so rude and he rarely even talks," he said as if he couldn''t understand it.


    Susan shrugged,


    "Well, a lot of people would disagree with you on that, I''m sure. Especially girls. He even has more than one few fans at Hogwarts,"


    Rose began to snigger,


    "Well, I also gave him a gift," she said with a grin, "As long as he opens it, he''ll keep laughing at odd times for twenty-four hours,"


    "Why would you do that?! That doesn''t seem right," said Hannah.


    Rose looked away with a pout,


    "I was so pissed that I couldn''t help it. Besides, you have to admit, it''s quite funny to imagine him laughing," she said as a smirk came to her face with just a thought of it.


    Susan giggled as she found it a bit intriguing as well. She looked at Daphne,


    "Oh right, you had invited him for Christmas, right? Did he come? Was he laughing?"


    Daphne shook her head,


    "He was the same," she said helplessly. But then she began to think. If he was alright, does that mean he didn''t open the gifts?


    No¡­ let''s not once again get her hopes up. The only conclusion is, it''s better to stay away from Axel Hunt. It''ll only hurt her since there''s no way he''s going to change. There''s no way he''ll ever agree to become friends with her. He most likely wasn''t even bothered a little bit after all this while she''s been agonizing over it all the time.


    *Screeeeech*


    The train reached Hogsmeade and Daphne disembarked along with her friends. She was a bit apprehensive about facing Axel after that incident, but she thought that it shouldn''t be a problem for now since he rarely shows himself.


    Though¡­ it would seem that today was her unlucky day. Because... the guy was standing right in front of her.


    "!!!!" Daphne wanted to hide. She wanted to take a different route. And apparently, she wasn''t the only one.


    "Hey, it''s Axel! Hide me and don''t stop!" She said, gripping Daphne''s shoulders and hiding behind her as they walked.


    Susan laughed out aloud,


    "This is a first. Rose Potter scared after pranking someone," she said in amusement.


    "Ouch!"


    Rose pinched Susan on her bum.


    "Not funny Suz. Stop looking at him and walk in front of me." She ordered, hiding behind both Susan and Daphne.


    Having no choice, Daphne had to walk in his direction unwillingly. She saw that he was actually talking to Martina and there was even a slight smile on his face!


    That made her angry. Here she is, all bothered after having fought with someone who was probably her best friend, and there he is, chatting with the most popular girl in Hogwarts, not looking bothered at all!


    Feeling angry and stupid, she walked past him while ignoring him. Just when she thought she had crossed the hurdle, a voice called out from behind,


    "Hey, Daphne!"


    "Can you give me a minute?"


    It wasn''t a question. At least it didn''t feel like one. Because she found out she somehow didn''t have a choice.


    ¡­


    Axel and Daphne took a carriage together with just the two of them. Axel decided to clear the misunderstanding right away. He was tired of it.


    "Listen, about that time in the dining room¡ª" he began, but Daphne cut him off with a shake of her head.


    "That''s not the reason why I was upset," said Daphne quietly.


    When she spoke, Axel sighed in relief. At least she was willing to talk. It could have been worse, right? But he got confused by her words.


    "Really? Are you really sure what I''m talking about?" He asked.


    Daphne nodded,


    "My mother is not someone who''d do... those sorts of things," she said while looking away.


    Axel tilted his head. If that is not the reason, then why else would she cry?


    Oh right, the gift.


    "And your gift. I only found it after I left your house," he explained. This should do, right?


    Daphne gritted her teeth,


    "Liar,"


    "That wasn''t a lie,"


    Daphne looked at him incredulously, facing him for the first time.


    "How is that possible? How did you not find it?"


    Axel furrowed his brows.


    "How is it not possible? My windows were closed all day and I only checked later,"


    Daphne pointed a finger at him with a face that was saying¡ª''At least find a better excuse''.


    "There you go. Who doesn''t check their mailboxes and check the windows on Christmas morning for presents?" She asked him mockingly.


    Axel''s fist clenched. Her question was valid, but it still pissed him off.


    "Only those who haven''t gotten a Christmas present before in their whole fucking life," he said rigidly.


    That was true. The first Christmas present he got was the knife from Martina, who had given it to him a day before the holidays started.


    Daphne, who had just thought that she had exposed his lie, went blank after hearing his response.


    "Never¡­ got a present?" She muttered insensibly before she looked back at him in shock.


    "Yeah. Is it so hard to believe? It''s not that rare. Why are you so surprised?"


    "This is the problem," she said, glaring at him with teary eyes.


    "I don''t know anything about you!" She complained in a muffled voice.


    "And now I feel horrible,"


    Axel heaved an exasperated breath. What''s the deal with her? If everything is already clear then why is he still not forgiven?


    "Look, I called you here to clear the misunderstanding and reply to your question in that letter. You had finally convinced me of being friends, but¡ª" he began saying but paused when he saw her head snap back in his direction so fast that it startled him.


    "What¡­ what did you say? You were actually going..." she asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.


    Axel rolled his eyes,


    "Yeah. But you are now making me reconsider my decision by being so annoying and confusing. Jeez, the misunderstanding is cleared why the hell are you still¡ª"


    "We...We''re friends?" She asked, interrupting.


    A vein popped on Axel''s forehead,


    "Yeah, you can say so¡ª"


    "!!!!"


    He couldn''t finish his sentence before Daphne had hugged him tightly, surprising him a ton.


    "Um...Friends hug, right?" She asked, her voice out muffled due to his uniform.


    *Grit*


    Axel gritted his teeth.


    "Yeah. But¡ª"


    "Also, I want to know everything about you,"


    "Daphne?" Asked, pulling her off.


    "Yeah?" She asked, smiling like a goof.


    "Don''t push it,"


    "As you wish, my friend,"


    ***


    That night, Axel frowned in concentration as he solidified the last of his shields. He was almost done!


    [99.5%¡­ 99.6%¡­. 99.7%¡­.]


    The progress bar was flowing steadily. Looks like his mind was working well now. In fact, it was working better than ever. Looks like he had made the right decision, even if Daphne is a little more annoying now.


    [99.8%.... 99.9%....]


    Yes! Almost there! This is it! The final moment!


    [100%]


    [Congratulations. You have achieved the first stage of Occlumency.


    Beginner stage Occlumency: Reached.


    Rewards:


    ->Potion recipe to cure the side effects of your injury


    ->+5% approval. Total 25%]


    "Let''s fucking go!" Axel shouted in a rare moment of joy as he checked the interface to show the recipe.


    ........

 Chapter 41: Special Quest

    [Potion Recipe to Cure the your injuries¡ª


    Name: Sanitatem Potion


    Effects: Can heal anything if one is not dead along with other benefits.


    Ingredients:


    Elixir of Life


    Phoenix Tears


    Dragon Heart


    Essence of Dittany


    Essence of Murtlap


    ...


    Axel looked at the list of ingredients with a bit of puzzlement. There were around 20 different ingredients and he hadn''t heard about many of them. The ones on the bottom were simple enough. But Phoenix Tears? Dragon Heart? How is he going to get these things?


    Okay, he''ll still manage somehow. But¡­Elixir of Life? He''s never heard of it. And if it''s at the top of the list, it must be something rare, huh?


    ''System, the fuck is Elixir of Life? And how do I get it?'' He asked excitedly. As soon as he gets the ingredients, he''ll have either his contracted potioneer or Evelyn make it for him and boom! He''ll be ready to take on anyone!


    But instead of an answer, the system first gave him something else.


    Ding*


    [Special Quest Activated]


    [Get the Elixir of Life:


    Elixir of Life, also known as the Elixir of Immortality, is a substance that can extend a person''s life indefinitely as long as they keep consuming it regularly. It can only be created through a Philosopher''s Stone. You need to get the Elixir of Life in order to complete the recipe.


    Rewards:


    ?Elixir of Life


    ?3% approval


    ?Special Skill


    ?Further Information of Nether Dimension]


    "..."


    But¡­ the system wasn''t even done yet. The notifications hadn''t stopped yet.


    [Total Approval Rate: 25%


    Congratulations. You have gained enough Approval Rate to unlock the Shop feature. The skills you can gain from your SP are no longer random.]


    ''The shop feature?! Yeah!'' Axel cheered. But then he frowned.


    "...Hey! Don''t try to distract me with this shop feature!" Yelled Axel after pushing down his excitement. The shop feature was good, but the information about Elixir of Life had already ruined his mood. It can only be produced by a Philosopher''s Stone and that thing can literally grant you immortality. How is he supposed to get it?


    "System, how can this be so difficult? Phoenix Tears? Elixir of Life? Isn''t this overkill? Are you trying to make things difficult for me?! I think even when used individually, they''d be able to heal me," he protested. He just had a simple injury, damn it. Why does this have to be so difficult?!


    [Negative. The system isn''t trying to make it difficult. The solution is completely reasonable. Your nerves have been terribly damaged by massive amounts of dark magic from the Cruciatus Curse. There are some other methods that can cure you but this is the most viable option. The procedure of the recipe is not complicated and no complicated magics or rituals need to be performed.]


    [And you are wrong. the ingredients can''t heal you individually. Phoenix Tears aren''t all-powerful, especially against excessive dark magic and if they could really heal everything there''d be no permanently disabled people in the wizarding world. Elixir of Life can extend your life, but it can''t heal you. Granted that there are other ways to heal you, but this is the most convenient one for you in the current circumstances.]


    Axel laughed sardonically.


    "Convenient? You call this CONVENIENT?! Look at the ingredients, damn it! How am I supposed to get them?!"


    Phoenix Tears? He''d seen this being sold on Auctions on BigOwl. Ain''t no way he had that kind of money. And let''s not even mention the Philosopher''s Stone. Gold and Immortality. Are you fucking kidding? How is he supposed to get that thing?!


    The system, however, was unfazed by his outburst.


    [It is indeed the most convenient method. You already have most of the ingredients. And Dumbledore currently has the possession of Philosopher''s Stone so you can obtain the Elixir of Life as well.]


    "..."


    Axel had the longest pause before he blinked his eyes.


    "Back up for a moment, Miss Robotic voice. Could you fucking explain?" He asked, still trying to process that.


    He already had most of the ingredients?! What was the system saying? There were only two ingredients that actually matched with the diet he had but currently, he didn''t even have those. So what did the system mean he had most of it? And that jolly old man had currently had the fucking Philosopher''s Stone?!


    And so, the system explained.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    [Check the contents of your bag once again.]


    "What?"


    A few moments later¡­


    Axel sat on the floor with a variety of things spread out all around him. His eyes were empty and his appearance looked quite lifeless.


    He already knew that the most powerful woman in Britain had sent him gifts. On two occasions. Once with the apology letter and once for Christmas. Of course, he hadn''t even bothered opening those extended-space pouches. But, he had no idea that they would all turn out to be¡­ like this. And even Andromeda had sent what she could. So...


    Right now, around him were piles of coins, a lot of Potions related to healing and health, and various ingredients and supplements as well. Somewhere in that pile, there was also a small vial of phoenix Tears.


    Suffice it to say, he was damn near scared to death right now. If they are willing to give him this much, there''s only one thing they could want out of this: His Life. Or more correctly, something that''ll be equivalent to giving up his life.


    Why else would they bother?


    Of course, he isn''t going to use any of this.


    ''This is useless. I ain''t using these,'' he declared.


    [Then you can ask Evelyn. In hopes of curing Astoria, she has collected a wide variety of healing materials. None of which actually worked.]


    "Hmm¡­" Axel thought about it. That was more doable. He can return the favor later. Making a decision, Axel crossed the ingredients from the list. Now, the only problem will be¡­ the Elixir of Life.


    "System, you still haven''t told me about the Elixir of Life. How do I get it?"


    It is a given that something as important as the Philosopher''s Stone has to be kept under maximum security. How is he supposed to get it? And, where should he look? Under Dumbledore''s bed? In his locker? Or does he keep it with himself all the time?


    [It is hidden in the third-floor corridor. You need to figure out the rest by yourself.]


    "Damn¡­"


    Axel''s eyes widened. That was more than enough information for him!


    Why didn''t he think of that?! It all made sense now. Why else all that fanfare? The man had even put the Dementors on guard, as he witnessed and experienced first-hand.


    Now that he had a clear direction in his mind, a feeling of excitement began cursing through him.


    Philosopher''s Stone¡­ Immortality¡­ Infinite Gold¡­Getting healed¡­


    All these things can be possible.


    A fire lit up in the depths of his eyes. There''s no time to waste. He needs to get to work as soon as possible.


    He stood up even as his mind began to think up everything he''ll need to do in order to get the Stone.


    First of all, he''ll have to go past the Dementors. Then it is also expected that there''ll be some wards he''ll have to pass by, so his Ward breaking has to be top class. And last but not the least, his stealth skills need to be as high as possible.


    He looked at the stealth Skills.


    [Presence Reduction:


    progress: 50%]


    [Blend:


    progress: 50%]


    These two skills were the skills he already had. At 50%, he''s already the master of stealth now. They had stopped progressing since he''d need Potions to progress further. And now that he had contracted a potioneer through Evelyn, that problem has been solved. He''ll now make that percentage higher just in case.


    Then he looked at the Ward Breaking.


    [Progress: 20%]


    This won''t do. He quickly needs to increase this one.


    Next, he looked at his defense against Dementors.


    [Special Skill:


    Light Infusion


    Progress: 17%]


    He had practiced this one as well, due to his fear of Dementors and not wanting to feel that weak and helpless again, but it would still need some work.


    And last but probably the most important,


    [Arcane Eyes: 15%]


    He''s going to need this one as well. The most important thing would be to SEE. This skills is a special skill. And it has huge potential. Since he now he the Potion, he can level this one as well.n


    But¡­ this doesn''t seem enough, does it? He''s against someone as good as Dumbledore. Ain''t no way he could succeed with just this much, right? He''ll need to use all of his cards.


    ''System, open the Shop feature,'' he ordered. He decided to check out the new feature of the system. Upto now, he has unlocked four features.


    1)Class Feature: Upon choosing a class, he gets to master all the skills and knowledge entailed under it.


    2)Stealing System Feature: The more he steals, the more SP and knowledge he''d gain. Once the SP has reached a certain amount, he''ll get a skill.


    3)Shop: Yet to find out.


    Upon giving the order to open the Shop Feature, a list of skills along with their SP price appeared in front of him along with the description of the Shop.


    Shop Feature¡ª


    Buy the available things like skills, Rituals, Information, etc. in exchange for SP. Currently, only skills can be bought from the shop.


    Skill list:


    Your SP can now be used to buy the skill you want and you can afford. There is no end to the skills available, so the skills displayed will only be a fraction of those. You can either choose from these, or search a skill of your preference by giving its description.


    Axel looked at the list available in front of him.


    Knife Strike: 100 SP


    Dash: 2000 SP


    Dodge: 5000 SP


    Camouflage: 2000 SP


    ¡­


    The list went on and on but he couldn''t really find the satisfying ones here all seemed mediocre. It looks like he''ll have to describe the skills he wants in order to get them.


    But that wouldn''t be a problem, would it? After all, the second feature had helped him a lot.


    Stealing System Feature: The more he steals, the more SP and knowledge he''d gain.


    He had gotten two things from the second feature. SP and Knowledge. And between those two, the more valuable one isn''t the SP. It''s knowledge.


    There are some things about stealing that he wouldn''t have known without a lot of experience and research that he could just get into his head easily.


    For example, he wouldn''t have known that there are ways he can be tracked through his blood, DNA, or even fingerprints.


    He also didn''t know that he had been leaving behind so many clues and traces that a skilled detective would have caught at least some of them.


    That''s the kind of Knowledge System gives.


    And due to all that knowledge, he knows exactly what he needs.


    And he''ll damn well make sure he has it. Because this time, the one he''s stealing from is Albus Dumbledore. The person who reportedly has the highest amount of Magical Power among the people he has encountered until now. The man who is called the greatest wizard of the century.


    Thus began Axel''s preparations for his biggest Heist until now. And there were a lot of things he needed to do.


    And the thing on his list was: to get more SP.


    After he had unlocked his ward breaking, the next skill he was supposed to get was: [Arcane Runes]. And it was fucking expensive: ( 20,000 SP ). The deal didn''t seem worth it to Axel, considering the fact that he can''t even draw runes. So, he hadn''t worked hard enough to reach that objective.


    Thus, he had around 9k SP on him at the moment, most of which was spent on buying a skill he''d need for his heist.


    [Traceless thief]


    [A true thief never leaves any traces behind. This skill is going to help you in hiding everything that can give away your identity.]


    Yep, he had needed something like this for a long time. And he wasn''t much surprised that a skill like this already existed. After all, it''s the most crucial part of being a magical thief.


    But, after buying the skill, he was in a dire need of SP to buy more skills that were going to be necessary for the heist. And he needed it quickly, since he also has to learn and practice those skills as well after buying them.


    So, to get the SP as quickly as possible, he went for the desperate measures: The Slytherin Dorms... and the Girls'' side of the dorms. Up until now, he hadn''t tried Slytherin or Ravenclaw dorms and any girls'' dorms yet due to obvious reasons, but now was not the time to be hesitating.


    Slytherin dorms have the most number of rich students so the SP he gains will be higher, even though the risk is high. And most of them are assholes anyways, so he can even take something precious from some of them without remorse.


    The girls'' dorms, well the things stolen from there gave much more SP but he still had put his dignity first in the past and not gone there. But, now is not the time for that. There''s a chance for him to heal, to get rid of all this pain and everyday struggle. and the lengths he''s willing to go to get rid of this miserable status... will surprise anyone.

 Chapter 42: First Attempt

    One month passed by while he trained only and did some side thieving on the nights. And things were going pretty well as he had made various preparations and plans by now.


    He was a bit hopeful that he''d be able to get this thing over soon and heal himself. So, he decided to give it a trial run. To just go ahead and scout out what exactly he was dealing with here. Who knows? Maybe he was already ready and didn''t need to make more preparations...


    With such hopes, he went to the third-floor corridor after elaborate preparations. But, it soon became very clear to him that things weren''t going to go as he had envisioned.


    After a month of training after getting all the Potions, with his upgraded Skills and newly bought skills, Axel thought he was ready.


    He went to the third-floor corridor expecting Dementors. But to his surprise, there were none.


    Relieved by the unexpected boon, he had continued down the corridor, step by step as he used his skill.


    [Ward Breaking]


    He used his skill to check out if there were any wards. And to his surprise, there really were none!


    But, as he went closer to the door, he started to feel like not going further anymore. What would he even do? Isn''t it dangerous? Let''s not do this...


    ''WAIT!''


    Axel quickly snapped out of it.


    "The fuck...?! Why didn''t my skill detect that?" he muttered. Whatever that was, it would have worked on anyone else, but since Axel was on a whole different level in terms of mental strength, it couldn''t affect him.


    ''System, I already dodged that one, can you at least tell me what it is now?'' He asked.


    The system wasn''t supposed to help him in his Missions. Otherwise, the rewards and approval rate he was supposed to get wouldn''t be allowed by the world laws since he didn''t earn them.


    [You have successfully resisted it, so the system can inform you about it. It was a cleverly hidden repellent ward. It will try to repel all those who try to approach the door save for a few individuals.]


    Axel frowned. If so, then why couldn''t his skill detect it? Well, considering that he had made around 30% progress in Ward Breaking, it can be assumed that Dumbledore has a much higher mastery over the subject than that.


    "Well, just to be sure..." he muttered as he closed his eyes for a moment.


    [Arcane Eyes]


    "¨¤rt?r?rt¨´s," he muttered. When he raised his head once again, his irises were glowing and so were the veins on his face that were close to the eyes.


    Looking ahead, at first, he saw no other ward other than the Repellent Ward, but...if he looked carefully, there was a very thin line of magic hidden ahead!


    "Fuck," he muttered as he canceled the skill and clutched at his head. This was the new ability he had gotten from his [Arcane Eyes]. It lets him see the magic for a brief moment. From the pain he was experiencing, it was clear that he was NOT ready to use that skill yet. But, it has given him enough info for now.


    "This... is confusing," he muttered as he rested on his knees, gasping for breath.


    The man could have laid the whole place with different kinds of traps, but instead, there are only two. He already knows what one is for, Repelling. Then what about the other? He can''t even detect it, so how''d he check what it was for? And, bypassing it would be even more difficult.


    Axel sighed. It seems like he currently doesn''t have the skills to deal with this. He was far too overconfident, thinking that since he had reached the 25% of the Ward Breaking, he was a fucking boss.


    But turns out, Albus Dumbledore isn''t only an expert in Transfiguration, alchemy, and dueling, he is also quite an expert in Wards if he can outmatch 25% of the system''s Ward Breaking.


    Thus, there was no way Axel could do this theft without a lot of practice in the Warding Breaking skill. With his current level, it''s gonna take a while for him to be able to deal with the wards considering that this was just the beginning of the corridor. There could be anything in there.


    "Fuck you, Dumbledore," he muttered as he began to leave, but before leaving, he suddenly turned around as he got an idea. He took out a paper from his pouch, made an airplane, and let it fly toward the second ward. The paper belonged to someone he didn''t mind using as a scapegoat.


    Then, he turned on his Arcane Eyes once again and observed the process.


    As the airplane flew past the second ward, the ward got triggered as the thin line of magic snapped. But still, the airplane was unharmed. And as Axel saw the magic moving, he realized what the second ward was for.


    "Fuck..." he muttered as he began to run. He now knew what both wards were for.


    One is a repellent ward. It''s so powerful that very few might be able to resist it if they aren''t on the list of people who are exempted by the caster.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    The other one is a few steps ahead. And Axel can''t detect this one either, or rather, it''s even more cleverly hidden. What was its function? It''s some sort of alarm or notification ward!


    As soon as he passes by this one, it means that he has resisted the repellent ward enough to reach that point. And anyone able to do that isn''t just some curious student, but the real deal, and the old man will be informed.


    It was simple but brilliant. What is a best protection for the Philosopher''s Stone than Albus Fucking Dumbledore himself? And the thing is, the second one was hidden even more carefully, so Dumbledore could even amuse himself watching the trespasser''s attempt to go further and stop him whenever he wants.


    He had failed.


    "Calm down...calm down," muttered Axel as he returned back to his hideout after his failure. His fist clenched as he faced the reality: He might not be able to steal it within this year.


    How could he, when the difference in skill was so overwhelming? And what else was he expecting anyway? It''s the Philosopher''s Stone, something that can grant the owner immortality and Infinite gold. There''s no way it could have been protected by obstacles that a person with only one year of magical training could pass, right?


    But, he had the system. If only he can take his time... he can really do it.


    Accepting the reality, Axel lay down on the floor, letting the disappointment settle. It''s going to take time, but at least he now knows exactly what he''s up against. And, he has time. Plus, the rewards are going to be huge. So, his situation isn''t that bad, right? It could have been worse.


    ¡­


    It became worse. Fucking Flag!


    It was just after a few days after his first attempt. He had been in the library, minding his own business when,


    "Psst¡­Psst Psst."


    "What is it?" He asked, turning his head towards Daphne who was trying to attract his attention.


    "Shhh...keep it down," she said in a harsh whisper that probably attracted more attention than his voice did.


    Axel''s eye twitched,


    "The fuck you want?" He asked in a lower voice.


    Daphne came closer as she whispered into his ear.


    "I have a very shocking news!"


    Axel looked unimpressed,


    "What is it?"


    "Promise you won''t tell anyone," she whispered.


    Axel just stared at her at her like she was an idiot.


    "Yeah right, like I usually gossip with a lot of people," he muttered.


    Daphne pouted but still didn''t back down,


    "There''s still Martina..." she said grudgingly. There were indeed very few people Axel would even give the time of day in these busy days.


    Axel shook his head. This was taking too much time.


    "I don''t want to hear it," he said as he went back to his work.


    Daphne slumped,


    "Fine... it was about the third-floor corridor..." she said in lamentation. She was looking forward to seeing his reaction to the shocking piece of news, but it was no use now. Because she knew that once Axel has lost interest, there''s no chance he''ll liste¡ª


    "I promise," came Axel''s voice, surprising Daphne as a sudden pressure descended on her, making it a bit difficult to breathe properly.


    Daphne turned her head to see Axel looking at her intensely.


    "? What?" she asked.


    "I said, I promise to not tell anyone. Now tell me this secret already," he said seriously.


    "Oh-Okay," said Daphne, a bit flustered as she sang like a bird under the pressure.


    "Apparently, the third-floor corridor has the Philosopher''s Stone, guarded by a three-headed dog. And... someone''s trying to steal it," she said, and was rewarded by the sight of Axel''s eyes widening as his mouth fell open.


    It had to be noted that for someone else, it might be a normal expression, but in Axel''s case, it was an equivalent of an ordinary person shrieking in horror and passing out.


    Snap*


    giggle*


    Axel didn''t even pay attention to Daphne snapping his picture as he processed that information.


    "Daphne," he said to her, his eyes still unfocused as his mind raced. He needed more information.


    "Yeah?" Asked Daphne, looking at the picture she had taken.


    "Would you come to the broom closet with me?" He asked. There were too many people who could hear their conversation here in this quiet place. They needed to go somewhere private since the information was too sensitive.


    "!" Daphne almost had a heart attack hearing those words.


    ¡­


    ¡ªInside a broom closet ¡ª


    "So, only Rose, Neville, Hermione, Susan, Hannah and you know about this? Are you sure?" He asked, standing with his wand lit up with Lumos.


    Daphne nodded, still not quite believing that she was currently in a b-broom closet. She certainly didn''t expect her first time to be like this.


    But Axel was too focused to pay her any heed.


    "How did you guys find out?" He asked.


    "Hm?" It took a moment for Daphne to come to her senses,


    "Oh, Rose, Hermione, and Neville found out about most of it. They just asked me about the Philosopher''s Stone," said Daphne as she then explained how Rose found out about it.


    Apparently, the three of them stumbled into the third-floor corridor and then went into the room at the end which had a three-headed dog on the other side, guarding a trapdoor. It started from there.


    But Axel was frowning the whole time. ''How were they not stopped by the repellent ward?'' He wondered. They shouldn''t have been able to go with their mental power. Maybe the Repellent Ward was only installed later when the alarm was being tripped repeatedly by bumbling and curious students.


    So, they most likely also tripped the alarm, meaning that there''s a high chance that Dumbledore knows about this. But, more importantly, someone was trying to steal it?


    "How do you know someone''s trying to steal it?" He asked.


    Daphne sighed,


    "It''s someone between that Umbitch and Greasy Git. But there''s a chance that it could be anyone else," she said, showing her disgust at both Umbridge and Snape.


    Both were thoroughly hated individuals.


    She then explained the whole situation about how Rose and friends came to know about it. Apparently, it all started with Halloween, which was actually a diversion.


    By the end of her explaination, Axel clenched his fists. Things just couldn''t go as he expected them to go. Time, the only thing he thought he possessed, had been taken away from him as now he had to steal the stone before this competitor of his stole it first or made the situation even more difficult.


    It''s decided. He''s going to go for it this year. There''s no time to prepare. He''s just going to wait for the right opportunity.


    ...


    Umbridge looked at the huge stacks of parchments in her office. A small student with a bloody hand quietly added another page to the pile as he looked at her with pleading eyes.


    Umbridge smiled. "You can leave for the day, dear." she said, offering the boy a healing Potion so that he doesn''t need to go to Pomfrey. That would raise too many questions.


    Umbridge relaxed in her chair as she looked crossed the name of another mudblood from her list. Throughout the year, she had been enacting justice by punishing the mudbloods. Though she had had to be discreet about it on her Lord''s orders, it was satisfying nonetheless. he


    Looking at the list of names in her hands, she found that there was only one student left, though she hadn''t been able confirm his bloodstatus yet.


    ''What to do, what to do?''


    Oh well, looks like she''ll have to make him sleep in the class. Once he''s given a detention, she can figure out the rest later

 Chapter 43: Confrontation

    Days went by as Axel trained, planned, plotted, and brainstormed.


    In one of the rooms in the Noble suite he had been staying in, the walls were covered with sheets of messily drawn diagrams, plans, and charts, all connected by lines. Most were of the third-floor corridor, but many were also different Houses dorms.


    This was his planning room, the place where he plans all his thefts.


    Why do all this? Well, these are here to help him visualize. Hogwarts is his battlefield. And it''s best to know every nook and cranny of it. Things don''t always go according to his plans so it''s best to be prepared and have all the escape routes, obstacles, and props memorized.


    In his one hand, he had a Hand gripper which he was continuously compressing and relaxing, training his weak-ass grip strength. While he held a coffee in the other hand as he looked over at the plans.


    These days, he has been just too busy. So busy that he''s been neglecting sleep. Right now, he was feeling so tired that he felt like passing out.


    "I should sleep now," he murmured, putting down everything. He really couldn''t skip it anymore. He can feel it. He really needs to sleep or his body wouldn''t be able to take it.


    But just as he lay down on the floor, a clock sounded, signifying that it was time for class.


    "The fuck? It''s morning already?" He muttered with a frown. The time flew so quickly. It seems like he''ll have to sleep in the classes today instead of training. As Axel stood up, he felt a bit dizzy for a moment. Shaking his head he ate his breakfast and went for classes.


    The first class turned out to be of DADA which is held with the Ravenclaws.


    "Wake me up if Umbitch comes," he told Daphne as he slept with his head resting on his hand. His elbows were propped up on the table and his eyes were obscured by his hair. It truly looked like he was just reading the book on the table and he would have easily gotten away with it as well. But, for some reason, after some time, his hands gave away as his head fell down on the table with an audible "thunk". And, despite being the lightest of sleepers, he didn''t wake up even after that,


    "!"


    Axel woke up to someone violently shoving him like crazy.


    "The fuc¡ª" he yelled out in surprise¡­ before he became aware of the situation he was in when he saw a toad staring at him. Correction, it was a toad-like woman staring at him with a creepy smile.


    "Detention, Mr. Hunt. I expect you to be in my office, Friday at 5 pm sharp. No excuses," she said cheerfully, as if she was really anticipating it.


    Meanwhile, all Axel could think was...


    ''Am I having a nightmare?''


    ...


    After class, Axel cursed repeatedly due to the predicament he found himself in. Usually, he''s a very light sleeper and he should have woken up just by the distinct sound of Umbridge''s heel''s sound approaching, let alone his head falling on the desk like that. But earlier, he didn''t even wake up after Daphne tried shoving him multiple times.


    There was only one conclusion: He had passed out.


    Seriously, of all the times his body had failed him, did it have to happen in that creepy bitch''s class?! Damn it, he usually would never even sleep in her class, to begin with. But today he straight up passed out, damn it. And that has earned him detention now, meaning more time waste.


    "What the hell was wrong with you?! I shook the fuck out of you but you didn''t wake up until the bitch was standing right in front of us! I was scared out of my mind!" Exclaimed Daphne as soon as Umbridge had left.


    Axel grimaced. It''s not like he enjoyed waking up to the face of Umbitch staring down at him. For some reason, a troll seemed to be a much better alternative. And this is coming from someone who''s had the misfortune to actually experience both the cases.


    "I might have been¡­a bit tired," he replied evasively.


    Daphne gasped, looking horrified.


    "It must be really bad if you''re actually admitting to it," she muttered to herself then looked at him seriously, "What the hell has been going on with you lately?! Can you please tell me?!" she asked in genuine distress.


    Axel sighed. How could he tell her the truth? If he ever successfully stole the stone, Daphne and her friends would be the first of the people whose minds Dumbledore would check considering their open involvement in the matter. So, telling her anything related to that would be asking for trouble.


    He yawned while rubbing his eyes tiredly,


    "Well, I can''t tell you exactly what is going on, but I can tell you that I''m very close to healing myself. So, taking rest is very low on my priority list," he said, revealing as much truth as he could.


    Daphne''s eyes widened,


    "Really?! You''re actually going to be healed?!" She asked overjoyed. It could be seen that she understood just how big of a news this was.


    Axel shrugged,


    "Well, I wouldn''t say I''m sure, but there''s hope," he said dismissively.


    Daphne nodded in understanding,


    "Well, then I can certainly understand why you are trying so hard, even I would do the same. But," she sighed, "I might sound like my mum but you need rest as well. Take sick leave and go rest, please?" she said imploringly.


    "...Fine."


    Axel didn''t say anything more. But instead of going to his next class, he decided to go and rest.


    ''So¡­ that''s what moms usually say, huh? How naggy,'' he thought as he saw Daphne leave. He would never accept that he was a bit envious.


    "Um... e-excuse me?"


    Just as he was about to leave as well, someone''s voice caused him to stop. Axel turned around to see a short boy looking at him nervously.


    "What is it?" He asked the mousy boy. Axel remembered seeing him in the classes. This guy is just as much unsocial as Axel, though for different reasons.


    The boy shifted uncomfortably,


    "I just¡­ I just came to warn you about the detention from Professor U-Umbridge. It can be¡­ It can be tough," he said, rubbing the back of his hand.


    Axel tilted his head,


    "Oh? What did she do?" He asked. It wouldn''t hurt to know before how he was going to be wasting time for his idiocy.


    The boy tried to speak, but words seemed to have stuck in his throat. Looking panicked, the jittery boy fled away, leaving Axel with question marks on his head.


    "...What was that about?" Muttered Axel. Shrugging, he went on his way. He wasn''t particularly worried about the detentions.


    ¡­


    Today was Friday and Axel was currently on his way to Umbitch''s office. It was time for Axel to serve his first-ever detention at Hogwarts.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    That is not to say that he was a good student, or that he didn''t do anything wrong yet. It only meant that he was just that good at not getting caught.


    And this time would not have been any different. But he wasn''t in the right condition that day, both physically and mentally, thus getting falling unconscious. It wouldn''t have been an issue had he not passed out instead of going into his alert-sleep mode as he had planned.


    He would admit that it was a mistake to not rest properly despite being in a desperate situation. But the thing was, he really didn''t know it could lead to such consequences since he''d always thought himself above ''normal'' people who sleep on time. He was only 12, so he was allowed some 8th-grade syndrome.


    Besides, no one was there to tell him that not resting could lead to such disastrous consequences. So, he can only learn these lessons on his own and not make the same mistakes again.


    ''Here it is,'' Thought Axel as he looked at the office in front of him.


    ~Doloris Umbridge.


    Professor D.A.D.A.


    Knock* *knock*


    As he knocked on the door,


    "Come in," came a sugary voice. Axel entered cautiously, looking around. Though looking around only caused him to cringe at the sight.


    The surfaces had all been draped in lacy covers and cloths. There were several vases full of dried flowers, each residing on its own doily, and on one of the walls was a collection of ornamental plates, each decorated with a large Technicolored kitten wearing a different bow around its neck. These were so foul that Axel had to make an effort to not look disgusted. And on one end of the room, there were piles of papers stacked up together neatly.


    "Good evening, Mr. Hunt," spoke Umbridge, causing Axel to look back at her.


    "Evening," replied Axel expressionlessly, inwardly thinking if it would be a good idea to ask her to make it quick. Can he just bribe her to let him leave quickly?


    Umbridge smiled,


    "You know, Mr. Hunt, I''ve been rather keen to talk to you," she said, making Axel have a bad feeling about this detention.


    "I don''t understand why, Professor," said Axel, not giving out anything.


    Umbridge relaxedly mixed a few spoonfuls of sugar in her tea.


    "You see Mr. Hunt, you''re the only person I don''t know the blood status of. So, I''ve been waiting for you to slip up and give me the chance to give you detention. And now, I want to know whether you are a Half-blood or a Pureblood," she said, taking a sip of her tea.


    Axel frowned,


    "Why is that important, Professor?" He asked, but he could tell just by how she said the word ''muggleborn'' that he was in trouble.


    Umbridge tilted her head, still smiling,


    "How is that important?" She repeated the question to emphasize her bafflement.


    "It is of paramount importance, Mr. Hunt. I only give harsh detentions to muggleborns. Though sometimes Half-bloods with lowly backgrounds also have the fortune of experiencing it. Purebloods'' blood...is much too precious to be spilled for a mere detention,"


    "!...?"


    ''Harsh punishment? Blood?'' Axel had goosebumps hearing that. He was already beginning to plan what actions he should take if things went south.


    "Well, I''m actually a pureblood," he said simply.


    "My family is quite secretive, so I''ve kept my background a secret. But they''re very powerful," he lied without batting an eye. Anything to get this creepy woman off his back.


    Umbridge did react for a moment as she put a hand on her chest. Though after that the smile came back on her face with full force, giving off a sinister vibe as she looked at him.


    "You lied? Hehe¡­Tut-tut, that can only mean one thing, right dear?" She asked, looking as though her favorite moment had come.


    "!"


    ''How did she know?!'' Axel couldn''t understand.


    "Professor, what I said was the truth! How can you accuse me of lying?!" He asked heatedly, still not giving up the act.


    But Umbridge seemed to just ignore him,


    "Whatever you say, Mr. Hunt. Your punishment is to write lines. Now sit over there and start writing," she said jubilantly as she fished out a few pieces of parchment and a quill from her desk drawer.


    "Uh¡­ professor, I can''t really write. My hands don''t work very well," he said, showing her his trembling hands.


    The toad''s smile widened,


    "Then that''s even better, isn''t it? After all, this IS supposed to be a punishment, right?" She asked with her unusually wide smile.


    Axel sighed. He was now having difficulty keeping up his polite facade any longer. His hands were very sensitive ever since the torture incident, and doing anything with them hurts like a bitch.


    "Punishment for what? Sleeping in a class where you weren''t even teaching anything? I already know everything about first-year Defense Against the Dark Arts," he said, his politeness slipping away.


    Seriously, what the fuck was wrong with this woman?! He was just minding his own business, sleeping peacefully, and she comes and gives him detention. Ok, he didn''t mind and even came to the detention on time as any polite person should. But she gives him such a difficult punishment for just sleeping in the class?!


    "...Tut-tut. That''s no way to talk to your teacher, Mr. Hunt. Your detention has been extended by two days. Now, do your lines," she said, still maintaining that damned smile.


    "You B¡ª" Axel was about to call her exactly what she was being right now. Increasing the duration while he is struggling to even sleep in his busy schedule?!


    [Occlumency]


    But, he stopped himself using Occlumency as he breathed in deeply. Okay¡­ to force him to use Occlumency, this woman had some real skill in getting under people''s skin.


    ''It''s just lines, right? Let''s just get this over with,'' he thought.


    "What am I supposed to write?" He asked, picking up the parchment and quill and sitting down.


    "Hm¡­ let''s see. How about, "I must know my place" ?" She asked pleasantly, "It would certainly help you in your future."


    Grit* *Grit*


    [Occlumency]


    His Occlumency worked overtime as he gritted his teeth. This annoying bitch¡­


    "How long do I have to write them for?"


    Umbridge looked at him and smiled.


    "As I long as take to stick,"


    ''Occlumency... Occlumency¡­'' he thought as he tried Occlumency once again. He was incredibly pissed. And if it had not been for Occlumency, he would have given this woman a piece of his mind by now. How can someone be this annoying?!


    In fact, he actually had no problem writing lines as punishment. If it had been Mcgonagall, Flitwick, or any other professor who had given him this punishment, he wouldn''t have minded so much.


    Because those professors actually teach something in their class and he was wrong to sleep during it. But this bitch¡­ she doesn''t teach anything in the class. Just passes time. And he had seen many other students who were Purebloods sleeping peacefully in her class on multiple occasions. So why only him?! Not to mention she''s so infuriating! ''I must know my place?!'' Seriously? Does he need to remind this bitch of HER place?


    Alright, it was decided.


    ''Bitch, you are officially on the shit-list now,'' thought Axel as he picked up the pen with much difficulty. This was so humiliating.


    "Don''t forget to write your name on the column first. We don''t want to get the papers mixed up, do we?" She said, pointing at the long piles of paper at the far end of the room.


    And Axel realized what those piles of papers actually were: Other students'' detentions.


    ''Whatever,'' he thought as he made to write his name.


    [Axel, don''t write your name on it.] Came the system''s prompt in red.


    Axel frowned,


    "Why?" He asked.


    [Every paper is a binding contract that says you won''t knowingly or unknowingly reveal any information on what happened in this office along with some other clauses.]


    ''The fuck?!'' Axel actually knew how to check whether a paper is a contract or not. You just have to cut a corner and if even a small amount of light is generated, it would be a contract.


    To his horror, he found out that it was true. Cursing himself for not checking, Axel decided not to write his name completely and only wrote Axe Hut. His handwriting was so messy that no one other than him would be able to tell the difference anyway.


    After this, he began to write the line he had been given as quickly as possible. But¡­.as soon as he was finished with one line¡ª


    "!" The Quill dropped out of his hand as a huge amount of pain exploded from the back of his hand. As explained, his hands were so sensitive that even doing normal work with them hurt. Whenever he moves them the damaged nerves still corrupted with dark magic still get stimulated and reproduce the pain from Cruciatus based on the amount of movement and strain his hand has been put under.


    Now imagine it being stabbed into by a sharp but insufficiently sharp object and then the object is dragged along all those overly damaged nerves filled with the residual dark magic of the Cruciatus.


    ''WHAT THE FUCK?!'' he thought as he tried not to yell out feeling a pain that reminded him of that day.


    ''What is this thing?!''


    [The quill in your hand is called Blood Quill. It is an object of torture that is a type of quill that does not require ink, as it writes with the blood of the person using it. What the user writes will be carved onto the back of his or her hand, and the blood from the words sliced into the hand will be magically siphoned and be used as ink on the parchment.]


    "This Bitch¡­" he muttered as he looked at the piles of papers stacked against the wall. He also recalled how that mousy boy had tried to warn him of something while he was rubbing the back of his hand. He then looked at the smiling appearance of the Bitch and realized.


    ''The bitch has been torturing Children for her entertainment¡­''


    With red-hot rage bubbling inside him, Axel looked down at the words inscribed in the back of his hand¡ª"I must know my place,"


    They were etched into his skin in a very messy, barely recognizable writing. Looking at them increased his anger further as he felt something rising inside him:


    Killing intent!


    One similarly powerful compared to the one he felt for the man who had tortured him with Cruciatus.


    This bitch... she is going to die. It has been decided.


    But ironically, those words were also the ones to bring some rationality to his mind.


    "I must know my place,"


    ...That''s right, he must know his place.


    He was a student with no background. Everyone knows that he is currently the only other person in her office. Once he kills or even assaults a Professor, he was doomed to be expelled from the school. Which would mean he wouldn''t be able to steal the stone and heal himself.


    Slowly, the desire to kill and take revenge was overpowered by the desire to be healed. To not ruin the plans he had already formed. With everything thought through, Axel finally looked at Umbridge.


    Shatter*


    Umbridge flinched as her teacup fell out of her hand which had suddenly gone weak just by looking into those glowing pair of amber eyes.


    Axel promised the woman her death with his eyes. Whether it is a year later or a hundred. If she dies by his hands... he''ll make sure it is painful.


    Then, he left without saying a word and Umbridge, who had peed herself in fear, couldn''t say or do anything to stop him.


    Though even as he left, he couldn''t help but wonder...


    ''How the hell did she know I was lying earlier?''

 Chapter 44: The Final Day

    Ever since that night, Umbridge LOATHED Axel with a passion and she wasn''t as afraid to show it as she was the night she pissed herself.


    Maybe because she refused to believe that her life was actually in danger for a moment that night and it wasn''t a coincidence that she ended up pissing herself.


    And how would she know better? After all, she was but a toad living in a well. In her world, a mudblood kid can''t possibly be dangerous to her, right?


    Thus, she tried to pick on Axel at every opportunity she got. She even tried to give him another detension though Axel never came and there was nothing she could do about it.


    What could she do? Deduct points? Not from her beloved Slytherin House. And if she brings attention to her detentions by complaining to other teachers or something, many questions will be raised and her detention techniques and torture would be exposed. So basically, she could do nothing except for only annoying Axel further.


    And Axel didn''t do anything either. Basically, he could complain to the Headmaster about it, but then when the bitch actually dies, everyone will know that he had a motive. Besides, what would he even accomplish by telling everyone? It would only mess up with his plans.


    He had already planned for every scenario of stealing the stone. And currently, there''s one plan that he thinks has the most chances of him getting the stone.


    24th June. It''s the day when the exams end. But, it also has another significance. Dumbledore''s going to attend an ICW meeting on this day and it''s going to be the best day of stealing the stone.


    Not because Dumbledore, whose power intimidates Axel will not be present that day, but because that is the best day for the other thief to make their move as well. Axel figured it would be best to let others do the work for him and then pick up the rewards afterwards.


    If they fail, it would at least make him aware of what not to do. Up until now, this is the only plan that has the least chances of failing.


    Of course there''s the thing of directly asking the old man for some Elixer of Life, but Axel is done trusting adults in power. If the old man refused, from then on, Axel would be a prime suspect if the stone is ever stolen. Him being healed would also mean the same thing. Certainly not a viable option.


    Thus, Axel waited. He waited until that day to come. The last day of the exams.


    On the morning of 24th, Axel woke up after an 8 hour sleep. He figured a better state of mind and body would help him more now than any meager preparations and training.


    After getting ready he went to take his last two exams of the first year: Dueling and History.


    Of course, he''d made no preparations, like any of his other exams. But he''d done very well in all of them anyway. The written portion, he had done pretty well since his memory wasn''t bad and the system had helped in some questions. Though it was a different matter that he had to sit in isolation and use Self writing Quills due to his hands.


    As for the practicals, he''d aced everything except Potions. But! He''d actually managed a P(Poor), which was actually above D (dreadful) and T(Troll) due to his practice over the year. Not to brag, but there are very few things he wouldn''t be able to do if given a few more years, even with a crippled body.


    More than once, he''s witnessed people taking comfort in the fact that he was a cripple.


    Because... they''re too afraid to imagine what he''d be like in his perfect condition.


    And frankly, even Axel could no longer imagine what it would be like... to not have any pain for once and just do things without this massive handicap.


    And the closer he''s getting close to finding that out, the more impatient he''s becoming.


    With the intention to quickly get it over with, he went to the Dueling Arena.


    "Axel Hunt," called out Mrs. Longbottom. The test would be taken a few students at a time and it would seem that he was among the first group.


    The Dueling Exam was just an exam which would last a few minutes at most in which the students display some physical and dueling skills, show some spells, and hit some targets.


    "You''ve worked very hard, Axel," after his test, he got a rare praise from Professor Alice who gave him a pat on the back as he left. She put his score on a big screen which had the names of all the first years written on it.


    Needless to say, he''d aced the fuck out of it. Even in the target practice, in which he used to be the weakest in the whole class, he''d managed to perform decently.


    In fact, after everyone had taken the test, his overall average turned out to be the highest in the class, meaning he was the best duelist in the whole first year.


    "It''s Hunt!"


    "Blimey! He used to be worse than me..."


    "Yeah! I saw him in the beginning! He couldn''t even hit a single target."


    "..."


    Meanwhile, Axel realized that he might have screwed up a little.


    ''Fuck... did I not gold back enough?!'' he thought as he felt the attention of the crowd focusing on him.


    Of course he was going to draw attention. Those whom he had outperformed also had students like Rose Potter, who''d gotten special training since childhood.


    But of course, none of them even came close to the amount of hard work he''d put in. And none of them had a system. So, it shouldn''t be a surprise. Just the crazy expensive diet along with potions and those exercises had ensured that he''d be superior to any first year by a huge margin. He just felt uncomfortable with the attention.


    Axel sighed.


    ''But, at least... it prevented one problem,'' he thought, looking at Draco Malfoy who was currently glaring at Axel. This coward wants to challenge Axel again. But, it looks like he''s afraid of losing. Maybe... he''s felt it by now.


    That despite all the dark magic he learns, he''ll never beat Axel. The distance between them will only increase with time.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    "I''ll get you next year, Hunt!" He heard Malfoy calling out. And Axel felt so disdainful that he didn''t even bother thinking about it, let alone reacting.


    After the Dueling Exams, Axel had History exam next. As he was leaving with everyone else, someone called out to him.


    "Hey! Axel!"


    Axel turned around to find that it was Susan who''d called him out, and the rest of the party was also there including Rose, Hermione, Daphne, Hannah and Neville.


    ...


    Rose''s grip on her wand tightened as she looked at the scoreboard.


    Somehow, she was actually second. Not first. In Dueling.


    Being raised as a Black and the girl who lived, she was used to the fact that she was superior to others in many aspects.


    She''d gotten a special early education in all subjects. And Dueling had always been one of her stronger suits. Her talent in Dueling was comparable to her talent in flying. So, she was already used to the fact that she''ll be the best.


    But somehow, someone had managed to beat her and take the first place. And it wasn''t just anybody.


    ''That guy...''


    Rose grinded her teeth. Did it have to be Axel Hunt?! Rose could still recall the first time they''d met. He was a skinny boy, barely able to eat with his injured hands, and his movements were incredibly sluggish.


    When Andromeda had told her that his condition wouldn''t improve and he most likely won''t be able to do magic properly, she''d felt pity for him.


    She''d even witnessed with her own eyes how even doing a Lumos, which she had learnt easily quite early in her life, was so difficult for him.


    Yet, here they are... After just a year, that weak and skinny boy whom she used to bully was nowhere to be seen. Now there''s an intimidating tall guy who''s emanating a dominating presence by just standing there, with a predator''s grace.


    "Why?!" She asked Susan as the students finished giving their tests.


    "Is it really necessary?"


    "Yeah, we shouldn''t invite him," agreed Neville.


    Susan gave Rose an ''Are-you-dumb?'' look.


    "Of course it''s necessary! How many reasons do you need? No one believes in our story and we need as much help as we can get. Besides, he''s even better than you, he''ll be a ton of help," she reasoned.


    Rose sighed. She already knew that. But taking help from Axel? She didn''t want to do that! Especially after what he''d said...


    She recalled the words he had said to her before Christmas¡ª


    ''if you''re feeling jealous and insecure about someone else getting more attention, don''t try to take it out on me!''¡ªThose were his words. And they infuriated her so much! Not because they were rude and insulting. But because¡­ there was indeed some truth to them.


    Having most of her life spent under their care, Rose had come to see the Black family as her own family. But¡­ there was always the insecurity that she wasn''t related to them by Blood. She was an outsider. And then Axel came along, another outsider, but he was suddenly being treated more like a family than her! Thus, she can''t be blamed for having resentment, especially since it looks so unnatural, as if he''d put a spell on them.


    What''s even more infuriating is how he doesn''t even seem to value the care and concern he''s getting from them.


    "We should ask him," said Hermione, "What do you think, Daphne?"


    She asked Daphne, who knew Axel the best.


    Daphne didn''t say anything. She didn''t want Axel to be dragged into this but she also didn''t want to hide it from him.


    As the class was over, all of them went to Axel together and Rose and Neville, who were both opposed to telling him, could only follow.


    ...


    "So... you''re saying the thief will go for the stone tonight?"


    Axel looked at the Golden group with a poker face as they stood in a secluded area. Behind his poker face, he was a bit annoyed.


    Susan nodded eagerly,


    "Yeah. And we''re going to stop whoever it is from stealing the stone!"


    "..."


    ''What?''


    the sense bafflement experienced by Axel was so intense that his poker face broke.


    "You guys... are going to stop whoever it is... on your own?" He asked, trying to put it straight.


    ''So... is that how the normal children my age think?'' He wondered.


    The place is designed by Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the time. And according to them, the person they are trying to stop is at least a Professor Level. So...what exactly gives them the confidence that they won''t be killed due to traps, wards or the mysterious attacker within a few minutes of entering?


    The group nodded, confirming his absurd words.


    "And we need your help!" Said Susan. "We need you to help us stop the thief and prevent the Philosopher''s Stone from falling into wrong hands,"


    Axel found it ironic that they were asking the thief to stop the theft from happening.


    "Why don''t you guys inform any authorities? One of you has a mother who''s a professor here, one of you has an aunt who''s the head of DMLE, and one of you has aunt who''s the Minister of magic?" He asked.


    The group looked at each other helplessly.


    "We tried. None of them would believe us!" Said Neville in frustration.


    Axel nodded. To be honest, they did sound quite nuts.


    Looking at all of them hopefully looking at him, Axel sighed,


    "Look. If you guys think that you can actually take on the thief and get past the security, then you''re wrong. You''d have to be very lucky for that to happen and any of you can die any time. So, I''d advise you to just sleep tight and let the stone get stolen or whatever. As for you..." he said, turning to Daphne.


    "I expected you to be smarter than this. Why are you going along with their childish delusions?"


    Unable to meet his eyes, Daphne looked away, ashamed.


    "I... I''m sorry," she muttered.


    Axel shook his head.


    "You aren''t going, understand?" He asked strictly.


    "...Ok,"


    Daphne could only nod under the pressure she felt.


    Inwardly, Axel sighed. He can''t have her go. If only the entrance had such subtle yet powerful wards, there''s no telling what might be inside.


    So, Axel didn''t care much about others going. But he certainly can''t let Daphne go. Others would even be welcome diversions, but since they weren''t exactly bad, he had tried warning them. It was upto their own brain and luck from here.


    Hermione had a lot to say about that,


    "Excuse me! How can you dictate her life like that?! She can make her own choices, who are you to make them for her?"


    "Mind your own business, Ginger,"


    Axel just ignored her as he began walking once again. He had an exam to take.


    Though just as he was leaving, he heard Rose speak up for the first time.


    "So... you''re not going to help? You''re going to let that thief steal the Philosopher''s Stone just like that?"


    Axel turned to glance at Rose.


    "Well, I missed the part where that was any of my business," he said with a shrug as he walked away, leaving them all staring with different thoughts in their minds.


    ...


    History exam was quite easy for Axel. He didn''t even have to use the system since he''d paid active attention in the classes.


    Axel looked at the questions.


    "Why do you think the Early Age was the most prosperous age in the Britain''s Magical History? What led to the Medieval age?"


    "What do you know about the Magical Civilization of Egypt? What did the Egyptian Wizards learn from the Pyramids?"


    "Why is Atlantis considered the oldest magical civilization? What led to its downfall?"


    "What is ninjutsu? What do you know about the Ninja Wars in the Japanese Magical Civilization?"


    ...


    Yep. If the questions were like these, he didn''t have any problem answering. Who''d want to remember the boring and useless Goblin Revulsion/ Revolution and other dumb things?


    Professor Gorski always taught interesting and useful things. It was the only class in which he didn''t train or do anything else during the period and only focused on the class.


    "Mr. Hunt?"


    Just as Axel was about to leave after submitting his exam to Gorski, the professor stopped him.


    "Yes, Professor?"


    The exams of the rest of the students had already been submitted and Axel was the last one whose answersheet had been collected.


    Professor Gorski indicated the pile of sheets that was gathered around him.


    "Would you help me take this to my office?"


    "Sure," Axel shrugged as he nodded.


    "You know, Mr Hunt, you have been quite a mystery at Hogwarts. Even among the Professors," said Gorski as they walked.


    "And why''s that, Professor?"


    Gorski chuckled,


    "Surely must be aware of the reasons yourself, Mr. Hunt. Professors talk, a lot. And your name has been brought up multiple times...The student with condition. Your hardwork, your rate of improvement, your tenacity are highly praised among the Professors,"


    Axel sighed, wondering if he should have showed an average performance.


    "And of course, what makes you so mysterious is, even after attracting so much attention, no one quite knows your background."


    "..." That had been a mystery to Axel as well, but whatever.


    While talking, they had already reached his office. As Axel put down the books on the table, Professor Gorski looked him in the eyes as he asked.


    "Mr. Hunt. Just out of curiosity, could you tell me your father''s name?" He asked surprising him. But... what surprised him more was the Legilimancy probe he felt right after.

 Chapter 45: The Philophers Stone

    <div>


    "Mr. Hunt. Just out of curiosity, could you tell me your father''s name?" He asked, surprising him. But... What surprised him more was the Legilimency probe he felt right after.


    "!"


    Axel tried not to show how surprised he was. This time, he was really caught off guard since from what he could observe, Gorski didn''t seem to have ill-intensions just a moment earlier. Plus, Legilimancy¡­ is rare. Very rare.


    But, he wasn''t really worried. The system will always prevent any sensitive information from leaking.


    Axel casually broke eye contact, thus breaking the connection, as he answered the question,


    "I never knew my father, Professor. But I believe he was a muggle named Ethan Hunt," replied Axel, making up a random name. It would be an impossible mission for Gorski to get anything out of this.


    "Oh¡­ is that so?" Uttered Gorski as he looked at Axel pensively. "Well, your face looked familiar. And you have the same surname as a man I knew in the past, so I asked,"


    Axel shrugged,


    "Not a problem. May I leave now, Professor?"


    Gorski still seemed to be in deep thought,


    "Yes, of course¡­. Thanks for your help, Mr. Hunt. I hope you enjoy your Holidays."


    "Likewise, Sir," replied Axel as he started to leave, still on guard.


    "Oh, and Mr. Hunt?"


    Axel paused.


    "Do be careful. Your name and appearance might attract the... wrong sort of attention¡­" said Gorski, sounding ominous for some reason.


    ¡­.


    "What the fuck was that about?!" Exclaimed Axel as soon as he was out.


    "System, what did he want to know?!"


    [Basically, Jakub Gorski wanted to know if you are related to Tristan Hunt or not. Your appearance and surname would suggest you are.]


    Axel''s brows furrowed,


    "Why would he want to ask that?" He asked.


    [Gorski is a member of a mysterious organization. Your dad stole something very important from them and escaped. Gorski wanted to know if he passed it on to you.]


    Axel shook his head ruefully.


    "How the fuck would I have anything that valuable? They left with me nothi¡ª" he paused as his hand went to his neck.


    ''It can''t be, right?'' He thought as a blurry scene of the cross-shaped pendant being placed around his neck came to surface in his mind. It was the only thing they had left him.


    [Yes, that is precisely the object your dad stole.]


    Axel clenched his fist around the pendant,


    "So¡­ that''s why Gorski told me to be careful," he muttered. They''ll come for him as soon as they discover the clues relating him to Tristan.


    Axel took out the pendant and stored it in his pouch.


    "So, what the fuck is this thing? Why is it so important?" He asked finally.


    [Information Restricted.]


    "The fuck? Why?!"


    [That object is the key to fighting Voldemort and the key to obtaining powers. It''s the most important piece that you can use against Voldemort. That is why direct information is restricted. It would be too big an interference to directly tell you its use. If this level of interference was allowed, then the Akashic Records would not have to go through the trouble of slowly helping you become strong on your own.]


    Axel sighed. It is never easy with the system.


    "So what the fuck am I supposed to do?"


    [Special Quest Activated:


    Go after the members of the Mysterious Organization and extract the information on using the key.


    Rewards: ?]


    "..." He was left with hundreds of thoughts.


    Another special mission?! But damn, it does make sense. If the system can''t tell him then the only other people who can will have to be the ones who had it in the first place.


    So¡­ those were the people who killed his so-called parents, huh? He is supposed to go after them, if he wants to know the powers of this key. And...even if he doesn''t go after them, they are going to come after him anyway as soon as they notice the obvious clues.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Whatever the case, there''s one thing that''s absolutely clear now. He HAS to get Healed as soon as possible.


    ...


    At night, Axel opened his eyes as soon as he felt the disturbance. He was currently on the third-floor corridor, waiting for the right opportunity.


    He had assessed Dumbledore''s skill level and his final decision was¡­ stealing the stone from Dumbledore would be too difficult and tricky with only one year of learning magic.


    That''s why he has a different plan.


    This other person, whoever it is, clearly has much more preparation, experience, and resources than him. So, Axel has decided to hitch a ride, so to speak.


    And right now, it seems that the person is here.


    ''Well, let''s go fishing,'' he thought as got ready. With the SP he had gained from his stealing spree from Slytherin Dorms and girls'' dorms, he had bought some more important skills aside from the Traceless Thief.


    [True Invisibility: Gives the ability to be invisible. You can also make anything with your physical contact Invisible. You can also cast it on others with their consent.]


    [Soundless: Nullifies Sound. You can even chant spells soundlessly. You can also cast it on others with their consent.]


    [Erase Scent: Once mastered, not even the best of predators can detect your scent.]


    These skills could also be performed using the normal spells given in books, but not to the extent he could do with the system''s method. Plus, they weren''t that expensive. And they were faster to learn using the system''s method. So, Axel would say that it was a good bargain.


    As waited, the outline of the person became clearer as they became visible to Axel.


    "So, it IS you!" he muttered, still under [Soundless] and other stealth skills, his grip on his wand tightening as he saw who the thief was.


    It was Umbitch.


    Axel had high suspicions from the start that it was her. That was one of the reasons why he didn''t take revenge on her yet. If he killed her, then who would steal the stone for him?


    Today, Umbitch was wrapped in a heavy Dark Cloak and to his surprise, she was actually Floating!


    He watched in surprise as the flying bitch suddenly sped up as she flew right past the Notification and Alarm wards that Dumbledore had installed.


    "Fuck!" Exclaimed Axel in irritation as he realized what she was doing.


    He had expected her to subtly avoid or disarm the Notification ward, but the bitch bulldozed right past it.


    It would seem that even she didn''t have a solution to that ward. She either didn''t detect it or just didn''t care. Umbridge was going to speed-run the entire thing so that she can escape before Dumbledore arrives.


    "Wait for me, you Bitch!" Yelled Axel as he followed on his broom, the Valentino knife in one hand while his wand in the other.


    Umbridge seemed to have gone beast mode Tonight as Axel saw her power through the obstacles and traps.


    The door at the far end was blasted open and a Three-Headed Dog was killed with three bursts of green lights as Umbridge yelled out the spell continuously.


    She then proceeded to roughly navigate through all the obstacles, making things very easy for Axel, who only had to follow.


    "Damn, is it going to be so easy?" He muttered as he saw her take down two trolls one after another. He had already gotten past a lot of obstacles without having to do anything. Umbridge was doing great but¡­something didn''t add up.


    "These obstacles¡­" he muttered. Why does it feel like they''ve been designed for kids? They certainly weren''t what he was expecting after looking at the level of wards placed at the entrance. Axel felt like he could get past them on his own easily.


    The next room had a piece of paper and some potions and the room was surrounded by Black flames. He thought that Umbridge would check out the paper and potions. But, to his surprise, she didn''t even glance at those things as her cloak wrapped around her completely and she plunged directly through the fire.


    "No!" Axel didn''t have the time to think much. His ride is leaving him stranded here.


    [Arcane Eyes]


    Having no choice, he activated his Arcane Eyes to look around the room. This fire couldn''t burn endlessly without any source. And sure enough, he found the fuel buried in the ground.


    Axel cut off the source and the fire suddenly vanished.


    "...It really is child''s play," he muttered as he rushed into the next chamber.


    ''Thank god she''s still here,'' he thought as he found Umbridge standing in front of a Mirror. To his surprise, she wasn''t rushing through this one.


    ''Is this it?'' He thought. It would seem that this was the place where the stone was hidden.


    ""It''s inside¡­"" he heard an eerie voice say. And Axel got goosebumps on his arms. He saw a dark silhouette emerging from Umbridge''s chest.


    Umbridge went down to her knees,


    "My lord, what shall I do?"


    ""Foolish woman! It''s your job to figure it out! If I could be corporeal then the Stone would have long been in my possession!"" Said the voice in anger.


    "Y-Yes my lord!" Umbridge bowed, right after which she began trying out different methods to try and get the stone out of the mirror.


    A few minutes passed as Umbridge tried out everything and Axel was getting impatient.


    ""Dumbledore! I knew that old man wouldn''t make it so easy!"" Axel heard the silhouette rage as time started to pass.


    ""We''re taking the mirror with us,"" he said, making Axel move. It seems that this was his cue to take action.


    Axel relaxedly raised his wand to point it right at Umbridge. Though, before he could do anything, he heard rushed footsteps from behind.


    "Umbridge! Stop!"


    Axel, the Silhouette, and Umbridge all turned their heads in unison at the unwelcome intrusion.


    "SON OF A¡ª!" Axel cursed out loud when he saw who the new guests were.


    One of them was Rose Potter.


    But, there wasn''t much of a problem with her presence. He had already warned her earlier. After that, if she still had a death wish, she was free to come. But...


    ''What the fuck are YOU doing here?!'' He almost yelled as he looked at Daphne who was also present beside Rose.


    It would seem that the others really had taken his advice and given up on the stone except for Rose Potter, who had rushed in anyway. But¡­ what is Daphne doing here despite agreeing to not go?!


    It had to be noted that these two were NOTHING, in front of Umbridge. They stood no chance and Umbridge won''t show them any mercy.


    Axel punched the air in frustration. He couldn''t understand why she would do this. Daphne is usually a smart and logical girl who would disdain to do these Gryffindor-ish acts. She wouldn''t do anything so suicidal.


    Unless¡ª


    Axel''s eyes widened as he realized. Yes! That''s it! How could he have been so blind to not see it?! Daphne is usually smart and logical, unless it''s about her sister!


    The Philosopher''s Stone! Its Elixir can grant the drinker Immortality!


    Astoria is dying and all methods to save her have failed¡­ except this one! And when Daphne heard about this news, she must have thought of getting it for her sister! She usually wouldn''t have been so impulsive, but it was probably her only shot!


    Axel recalled how excited she had been when she first told him about the Stone! She seemed much happier that day now that he thought about it. But he had been too busy and self-absorbed to notice that. On the other hand, she was the one worrying about him and now she was in danger because he hadn''t noticed it.


    ""Hahahahahaah¡­"" A dark chuckle was heard as a face became visible in the dark Silhouette.


    ""Rose Potter¡­ daughter of that mudblood¡­ we finally meet,""


    <div>

 Chapter 46: The Revelation

    "Rose Potter... the daughter of that Mudblood... we finally meet..." said the voice.


    Rose and Daphne, who were only expecting Umbridge or Snape, were understandably taken aback upon coming across a ghost-like creepy existence.


    "What the fuck are you?" Asked Daphne and Rose also wanted to know the same.


    "YOU!"


    Umbridge pointed her wand at Daphne and Daphne''s legs gave away as she fell to her knee.


    "Foolish girl! You don''t know who you''re talking to!" She yelled with a deranged expression. You have to thank Daphne''s lucky stars for being a Pureblood or she''d have eaten a crucio by now.


    "You are in the presence of the most powerful Dark Lord of all time, Lord Voldemort! Show some respect!"


    "?!" X3


    Axel paused in his actions as he looked back at the snake-faced existence in shock after listening to Umbridge. This is Voldemort?! How?! Wasn''t that guy supposed to be in the Netherworld?


    ''System?''


    [He is indeed Lord Voldemort. As explained, he has his means of influencing the world.]


    ''Fuck...'' Axel cursed. As if this wasn''t difficult enough.


    Rose also shook her head in denial,


    "Voldemort is dead! I vanquished him a decade ago!" She declared, examining the ghost-like existence in front of her. How could he be Voldemort?


    Voldemort cackled, looking amused.


    "Don''t be delusional, girl. Lord Voldemort is very much alive! And you had no hand in anything that happened a decade ago, it was all ''that woman''s'' doing! Oh, how I wish I could torture her!" He said, spitting out the last part with venom in his voice.


    Rose couldn''t understand what was happening,


    "W-What the hell¡ª" she began, but Daphne had heard enough.


    "Expelliarmus!" She yelled, pointing her wand at Umbridge. She was here for the stone and she was going to get it.


    Axel, who was tinkering with the mirror, trying to get the stone out cursed under his breath. Can this girl not court death for a moment and let him steal in peace?


    The spell did hit Umbridge, but it hit her cloak and fizzled out, having no effect. Following her lead, Rose also tried to fire her spells, but to no avail.


    "Hehe, that was cute, dear," said Umbridge, after which, she pointed her wand at the girls.


    "Tenebris Ligare!" Two dark ropes got conjured as they snaked towards Rose and Daphne. The girls tried to avoid, even tried firing spells at it but it was all in vain as they soon got tied up.


    She then proceeded to fire two disarming spells at them, making their wands fly out of their reach.


    "That should do for now," she said before turning her attention to the mirror.


    She came to stand in front of it and tried moving it in order to store it, but it wouldn''t budge. Axel didn''t do anything since he had already tried storing it to no avail.


    "Of course, it couldn''t have been that easy," she murmured, "What shall I do, master?"


    ""Try using the Potter girl,"" came Voldemort''s voice, ""It will show her something different.""


    Umbridge did as she was told and Rose, who was still bound by the ropes, found herself being hauled to face the mirror when Umbridge pointed her wand at her.


    "Look into the Mirror!" Umbridge ordered as she all but shoved Rose''s face in front of the mirror.


    Rose looked into the mirror and her eyes widened just a fraction, letting Axel deduce that it actually worked.


    "What do you see?!" Demanded Umbridge, not quite sure if Rose got anything.


    But Axel already could tell by noticing Rose''s minute reactions that something was up.


    [Arcane Eyes]


    Having no choice, he once again used Arcane Eyes and suffered the headache. But... It was worth it! Just as he''d expected, there it was! A Glowing mass of energy, bright enough to make him close his due to glare, just lying in the pocket of her robes.


    But even after getting the stone, Rose feigned ignorance,


    "I¡­ I see that I''m the Quidditch Captain¡­ I have the Philosopher''s Stone in my hand¡­ there''s a certain annoying boy prostrating in front of me, acknowledging my superiority¡­"


    ""Lies! She''s lying! Lord Voldemort knows...he always knows..."" Exclaimed the ghost-like apparition and Axel''s eyes widened as he realized how this Umbitch knew he was lying when he told her he was a Pureblood.


    Umbridge waved her wand and Rose''s head got banged onto the mirror,


    "Tell me now! Or you''ll be in for a world of pain, girl!" She yelled, pointing her wand at her.


    Rose shook her head, remaining stubborn through the pain.


    "Tell me now, Rose. And I can consider giving you and your mother an easy death," said Voldemort in a sinister tone. He didn''t seem much bothered at Rose''s futile resistance.


    Rose paused in her struggles as she comprehended Voldemort''s words.


    ''Didn''t he already kill her mother?''


    "What... did you mean by that?!" She asked.


    Axel, on the other hand, couldn''t care less about these things. His eyes were focused on the pocket of Rose''s robes, where the most valuable treasure was hidden.


    He looked down at his hand which wasn''t stable at all. Nowhere near good enough to be able to take the stone while Rose is still on guard.


    Voldemort chuckled at Rose''s cluelessness.


    ""You don''t know anything, do you? You''re not as bright as your mother, Rose Potter,"" he said in amusement.


    While Voldemort was amusing himself, Axel had already made up his decision. Even with these crippled hands, it''s not that difficult for him to get the stone.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "Electrica Impulsa!" x5


    He charged his Electrical Zap five times in very quick succession, generating a massive amount of charge begging to be unleashed.


    Right after which, he stuck it into Umbridge, right into the exposed area around her neck.


    "!"


    Overwhelmed with agony, Umbridge screams like a dying pig, distracting not only Rose, but everyone else in the room as well. Though she wasn''t the only one who screamed. The cloak which was wrapped around her also somehow produced a sound as it left her body and escaped.


    "This was for the torture, you bitch!" Muttered Axel even though no one could hear him through [Soundless] as he quickly extracted the stone from Rose''s pocket while she was distracted.


    The stone, after being in physical contact with him, got cloaked in the invisibility magic through [True Invisibility] and Axel quickly pocketed it still not quite believing he had actually gotten the stone.


    ''Finally, I can be healed¡­I can be healed... I can be healed...'' he thought repeatedly in disbelief.


    "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" On the other hand, Voldemort grew enraged at Rose, thinking it was her who did this while playing dumb. Not wasting any more time, he plunged straight into Rose''s head, trying to burrow into her mind to find out the location of the stone.


    "Rose!" Screamed Daphne who was still bound and Axel also thought that Rose Potter was done for, but¡­


    SNAP*


    "What?!" Came Voldemort''s shocked voice.


    As soon as Voldemort tried to touch Rose, her eyes went pitch black as a vortex of dark magic began swirling around her. And then,


    BOOM*


    An explosion happened with Rose at the center while Axel got thrown off as he defended the stone with his life.


    Black lightning crackled as a deep cut appeared in space, which sucked Voldemort straight into it.


    Umbridge, who had Voldemort''s Locket around her neck also started to get dragged into the crack.


    "No, you don''t, bitch!" Exclaimed Axel who made to stop her. One little shock was not nearly enough to satisfy his revenge.


    "Aaah!" But at this moment, a scream sounded, making him turn immediately before he knew who the screamer was. He saw that the cloak which had been wrapped around Umbridge had now its tentacles out as it captured Daphne.


    It didn''t even take a second for Axel''s mind to deduce what was more important: Killing Umbridge, of course.


    There''s no telling whether that bitch would be dead or alive after going through that hole and there''s no telling how many she''ll torture if she''s alive. While Daphne could be saved even a few seconds later, right?


    But¡­ even before he had made his decision, his body was already moving towards Daphne.


    Daphne, who was already bound, was trying to back away but the creature already had its tentacles wrapped around her.


    Axel already knew the creature could absorb normal spells and he didn''t trust his aim enough to not accidentally hit Daphne. Thus, he got in close range and began cutting it with the Valentino knife, making blue streaks of light with it as he cut through the tentacles.


    But¡­ the knife strikes he delivered using the system''s magic skill, went right through it, giving no damage at all!


    "Expecto Patronum!" A familiar voice came from behind him and Axel saw a huge Owl, swooping down, helping him tear off the cloak-like creature using its talons.


    Though, unlike Axel''s knife, the creature seemed to be affected by the Patronus.


    ''That''s it! Light magic!'' He realized.


    Znnnnn*


    His knife got ignited with intense golden light which soon cut through the creature with an audible sizzle.


    "!"


    The creature shrieked in terrible pain as it quickly let go of Daphne and tried to run.


    "Not you too!" Muttered Axel as he did a series of slashes, all leaving burning golden trails on the dark cloak of the creature. By the time Axel was done with it, the creature had already dissipated.


    Done with his business, Axel looked around the room, this time with Arcane Eyes. The crack was gone, and so were Voldemort and Umbridge. But that''s not what he was looking for. Other than himself, Rose, and Daphne, there were not one, but two other presences in the chamber. And Axel could tell who exactly they were.


    Not wasting any time, with the Philosopher''s Stone still in his possession, he left the room after making sure Daphne was okay.


    ¡­


    As soon as he had returned to the safety of his room, the quest window popped up.


    [Special Quest Completed!]


    [Get the Elixir of Life:


    Elixir of Life, also known as the Elixir of Immortality, is a substance that can extend a person''s life indefinitely as long as they keep consuming it regularly. It can only be created through a Philosopher''s Stone. You need to get the Elixir of Life in order to complete the recipe.


    Rewards:


    ?Elixir of Life


    ?3% approval


    ?Special Skill: Light Armor


    ?Further Information of Nether Dimension]


    Axel frowned as new information got installed in his head. He didn''t have time for this. Ignoring the critical information, he first took out all the potion tools and ingredients from his pouch with the urgency of a drug addict.


    After giving it some thought, he had decided to make the Potions by himself instead of taking someone''s help. The materials were too precious and too much was at stake that he wasn''t willing to trust anyone.


    "System, How do I extract the Immortal Elixir?" He demanded.


    [You just have to melt the stone. It would be more than enough for making the Potion before it''s finished.]


    Axel frowned,


    "Melt it? Finished? I don''t understand... Shouldn''t I have like, an unlimited amount?"


    [It would have been unlimited if the stone was real. The one in your hand is just a copy made up of the Elixir of Life.]


    The system unceremoniously dropped a bomb on him.


    "...?..."


    "What the fuck?! This is not real?! Then where the fuck is the real stone?! I thought the mission was complete?!" He fired rapidly.


    [The real Stone is hidden under a Fidelius Charm somewhere so its location can''t be disclosed. As for the mission, you only needed the Elixir of Life whose location system was disclosed to you and you have obtained it in sufficient quantity. Hence the mission is completed.]


    "..."


    Axel sat down in shock as he realized that system was indeed right. He was supposed to get the Elixir of Life and the System also gave the location of the Elixir of Life. It was his stupid ass that assumed that he''d only get the Elixer of Life directly from the Philosopher''s Stone instead of finding the already extracted Elixer of Life.


    But, wouldn''t that mean the Stone was Fake all along?! No wonder the defenses were so lame.


    Looking at it from another perspective, it''s probably a good thing that it''s fake though. After all, who knows what kind of traps that old man would set if he got serious?


    Axel sighed.


    So¡­ his plans of being the richest man in the world will have to be postponed. Big deal. BUT! He''s still going to be healed! And that''s what matters the most!


    He''ll become a rich immortal some other day. It''s not like the Philosopher''s Stone is going to be destroyed. Just like how no one was stupid enough to put the real stone under such low security, no one would be stupid enough to destroy it, right?


    Not really minding the small setback, Axel focused on the more pressing matter first. Yes, he was going to make the potion on his own, but he''s not stupid enough to make it using his clumsy-as-fuck hands.


    He has other methods to do that.


    "Oppugno Totalis," he murmured just like he had practiced a hundred times using fake ingredients, the potion and tools began to move on their own under Axel''s practiced control.


    As he''s already claimed, if given enough time, there''s nothing he can''t do even when crippled.


    That''s why he going to be healed and he DESERVES it!


    ¡­


    After taking Miss Potter and Miss Greengrass to the Hospital wing, Albus Dumbledore sat in his office as he pondered on tonight''s events.


    "Extraordinary¡­ indeed extraordinary," he murmured in amazement.


    Lily Potter has truly outdone herself this time.


    "To think she actually succeeded in anchoring the protection magic to the Dark Realm¡­"


    But¡­ that means his suspicions had been correct and his fears have come true. Tom was truly sucked into the NetherWorld, and with Tom''s affinity, it can only be called adding oil to the already blazing flames.


    That would mean that he''ll now come after Rose with everything he''s got. Because¡­ After the loss of keys, Rose will be his only way back into this world world.


    Unlike any other, Dumbledore could understand what happened today quite clearly. Because he knew what had happened a decade ago on that Halloween night.


    Lily had been researching the Dark Dimension, also called the Nether dimension at the time. When Voldemort came for Rose as they had expected, Lily was prepared.


    She made a Ritual, granting Rose protection against Voldemort.


    When Dumbledore had rushed there and did find Lily''s body in the wreckage, he had assumed that she sacrificed herself to power the Ritual.


    But no... After further research, he had found that wasn''t the case. To power the Ritual, she had used the energy from the Nether Dimension! And when Voldemort attacked Rose, he was caught totally off-guard as the Dark energy lashed back at him, almost destroying him. A rift opened and he got pulled in, transferred to the Dark Dimension.


    But...he didn''t go alone. Lily was somehow dragged in as well. Leaving Rose with a scar on her forehead where the Killing curse had hit.


    "Genius... Pure genius," praised Dumbledore.


    Putting the matter aside, Miss Valentino is yet another witch who has managed to surprise his old bones.


    "To save Miss Greengrass by performing a Patronus and then killing a Lethifold, an amortal creature¡­ all at the age of 14..."


    Dumbledore sighed as he popped a lemon drop in his mouth.


    Yes, new generations indeed surpass the old. First Lily and now Miss Valentino.


    He just hoped Lily was doing fine in the Dark Dimension. . .


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Next Chapter Title: HEALED!

 Chapter 47: Healed!!!

    As soon as Martina entered her room, she fell into her bed, her head still playing the series of events that she''d just witnessed.


    ''It''s a mess,'' she concluded with all her genius. Her head was currently a mess with her thoughts going haywire. Too much had happened, all within a few minutes, and even when she thought she was ready, she realized that she was still terribly unprepared.


    With so many changes, she was a bit hopeful that nothing bad would happen this year. And she had also decided to not get involved. After all, she had already tried playing the hero in her previous life and that had gotten her killed.


    Thus, she had just spent the year not meddling and minding her own business. But... as it turned out, her inner self just couldn''t find peace doing nothing even after knowing that something was going to happen.


    That''s why, she found herself going towards the third-floor corridor anyway. If something was going to happen, it would be tonight. And as she had expected, things did happen. The only thing she didn''t expect was, how different things will be.


    As soon as she opened the door, she found Fluffy''s dead body lying on the floor.


    That was just the beginning though.


    The rest of the traps were destroyed as well and instead of Quirellmort, there was the most hated character in the last chamber, with a Horcrux of Voldemort around her neck and two tied-up girls.


    She couldn''t make sense of what was happening. Especially why there was Voldemort''s Horcrux here instead of his wraith.


    After that, she heard Voldemort say some confusing lines. Why would he say he''d grant Lily Potter an easy death? Is she not already dead?


    Ignoring all that, she was about to help out Rose but at that moment, to her surprise, there was a bright flash of Electricity and Umbridge fell to the floor.


    That flash of light gave Martina a strong feeling of Deja Vu for some reason.


    She realized that there might actually be someone else present in the room as well under Disillusionment.


    "But, why did that light seem so familiar...?"


    In her bedroom, Martina sighed as she sat up on her bed, giving up on trying to sleep. The surprises of the night didn''t end there.


    The biggest and nastiest surprise was when she saw a real Lethifold in person, an XXXXX creature.


    Upto now, very few people have actually managed to escape alive from a Lethifold and they''re so rare that very few people even know about them, let alone seeing one.


    Martina shivered recalling the appearance of the creature.


    Lethifolds are worst than Dementors. They eat their victims and are practically indestructible.


    And upon actually seeing one, she was extremely horrified even as she cast the Patronus. Because... unlike Dementors, a Patronus can''t really do much against a Lethifold.


    And as she''d expected, the Patronus wasn''t enough to deter it from eating its prey.


    But...just as she was about to lose hope, golden lines appeared out of thin air, as if someone was slashing at it and the Lethifold actually took damage! The Lethifold let go of Daphne and Martina was already rejoicing. But...as if the invisible person had a Vendetta against the creature, it wasn''t allowed to flee as hundreds of thousands of slashes were piled up on every part of its being... to the point that even Martina felt a bit sorry for the creature.


    In her bedroom, Martina dug out a book on dark creatures from her bag to research what exactly was that magic. The inner geek inside her was going crazy.


    After this, she will also have to research what exactly had happened with Rose when Voldemort attacked her. What was that turbulence and the crack in the space? This is going way off canon.


    Jeez! So much has happened, there''s no way anyone would be able to calm down after having so many surprises back to back, right?


    This was going to be a long night for Martina.


    ...


    Meanwhile, unaffected and unconcerned by the night''s events, Axel was currently in his most focused state as he strictly followed the steps of the recipe to make his Potion.


    Everything he''d done after knowing about the recipe was for this moment. And it''ll be worth a suicide if he failed NOW, after he''d overcome so many obstacles. Thus, whatever happened tonight would be the last thing he''d have on his mind right now.


    He continued making the Potion as he guided the tools using his magic, paying attention to every detail.


    Yeah, if he actually wants to, he can be quite good at Potion making. It needed loads of practice and time, but... he just couldn''t trust anyone but himself to make this recipe.


    Looking at it from a different perspective, he could have still gotten an Outstanding in the practical exam of Potions, but he''d have had to reveal his ability of controlling multiple objects at the same time. And, did he care enough to do that just for a better grade? Hell no.


    It took around two days for him to make the Potion. During this time, at times when he had nothing to do but wait, he''d also check out the information in his head that he got from the system.


    The information on the Nether World.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Contrary to his expectations, turns out that the NetherWorld isn''t just some lawless land filled with savage animals. In fact, it''s quite similar to Earth in some ways.


    Like Earth had Humans as its ruling intelligent species, the NetherWorld has a Race called the Dark Elves who rule the world.


    Or at least, they used to¡­


    After Voldemort appeared, the man somehow found a way to fix himself, and then, his rise to power began. He recruited creatures from all the races, corrupted dark Elves, and managed to build himself an army that began conquering everything.


    When it looked like the Dark Elves were going to lose, the Queen of Dark Elves, Icitra Giedendros gathered all the remaining Dark Elves who were still loyal to her and went into hiding.


    That''s all he got from the system. But, he can''t understand one thing: Why would the system give him all this information?


    Though he didn''t spend too much time thinking about it since he mostly focused on making the Potion.


    ¡­


    "So¡­ this is it, huh?" Axel murmured as he held a Potion Vial containing a dense Silver liquid.


    He''d done it. After so much hard work and waiting, it was finally time.


    And now that he was on the verge of being healed, he was beginning to have some last-minute thoughts that hadn''t occurred to him until now.


    "System¡­ if this is a very powerful healing potion, will it heal my scars as well?" He asked with uncertainty.


    His whole body, unsurprisingly, was filled with a number of scars of all kinds that he''d gotten through various injuries throughout the years.


    [No, the area of the scars are considered healed. There''s nothing to heal there. If you want to remove the scars, then just cut open those areas. This time they''ll heal cleanly.]


    Axel sighed,


    "No thanks, I think I''ll just keep the scars,"


    Contrary to what one might expect, he didn''t actually want to lose them. They are a necessary reminder of what happens to the weak. They remind him of the times when he got them and what led to him getting them. They remind him of his mistakes. And if possible, he wanted to keep it that way.


    Do they look bad? Maybe, maybe not. But does he give a fuck? Hell no.


    Axel clenched and unclenched his fist several times, jumped up and down lightly on his toe, and performed several different light exercises in succession.


    "Yup, I hate this," he muttered as he uncorked the bottle. Now that he had the cure ready in his hand, he could freely admit just how unbearable being this weak and crippled had been to him. And frankly, he wasn''t willing to stay like this a moment longer.


    Before taking the Potion, he first took a painkiller potion, then he took out his knife and peeled off the skin of the back of his hand with difficulty, erasing the scar he got from Umbridge. This one, he didn''t want to keep.


    "This had better work now," he muttered as he downed the contents of the bottle in one go.


    "Cough! Guh!...Cough!" He started coughing immediately and saw heat coming out of his mouth. The potion was so strong that it left a burning sensation as it went down his throat. Soon after, he fell unconscious.


    Ding*


    When he finally did wake up, Axel felt as if he was in a dream.


    ?!


    Why does it feel like he''s in heaven? How can he feel so relaxed?


    And the most surprising thing was¡­ there was no pain. And this made him realize that he''d been in pain for a whole year.


    [Pain Tolerance: 87%]


    Pain Tolerance doesn''t lessen his pain. No, not at all. It''s only an indicator of how much pain he can tolerate¡­ endure, without letting it affect his mental state or body functioning.


    And his pain tolerance had gotten so high that he''d gotten used to enduring all that pain without letting it affect his daily life.


    But¡­ Now that there was no pain, he felt quite surreal. He felt so light that he could fly.


    Axel decided to focus on the most important thing now.


    He slowly, ever so slowly, with all the hope and apprehension, looked down at his hands. They were covered in black ash, but this time¡­ they weren''t trembling.


    They Weren''t Trembling And They Didn''t Hurt! Not At All!


    He finally clenched and unclenched his fist and his eyes in satisfaction as he realized just how effortless doing that felt, unlike before, when he had to struggle to even make it move!


    He didn''t even dare to pinch himself to confirm if this was a dream. If this was a dream, please let him stay a while longer before letting him wake up to the cruel reality.


    "I''m healed¡­" he murmured, wiping away the moisture from his eyes.


    "I''m actually healed!" He exclaimed jumping up, but¡­ he jumped so high he almost reached the ceiling!


    [Arcane Acrobatics:


    Progress: 19% - 45%]


    "The hell?" He murmured even as a bunch of new information began to pour into his head.


    Looks like his body really was messed up badly, huh?


    He took out a knife and began twirling it in his hand like he used to. Right after which, he casually threw it as it got buried to the hilt in the Target Dummy''s skull.


    Ding*


    Ding*


    Ding*


    [Knife Throwing:


    Progress¡­]


    Knife-Wielding:


    Progress:...]


    [Special Skill Unlocked.


    Magic Hands


    Progress: 3%]


    Axel ignored all the notifications. Right now, he was having just too much fun welcoming a precious part of himself that he thought he''d lost forever.


    He took out his wand which greeted him with multicolored sparks in celebration and it hummed excitedly. Even as he did that, notifications kept coming to him of various skills increasing their proficiency.


    "Okay, let''s see," he muttered as he pointed his wand at the dummy placed at the far end of the room.


    "Expulso," he chanted, thinking of starting small, but¡ª


    BAAM* *Booom*


    The spell hit the dummy so hard that it was blasted straight into the wall, causing cracks to appear in the wall.


    Humm*


    His wand hummed excitedly upon amplifying so much magic at once.


    ding*


    ding*


    More system notifications came.


    "Hah¡­ hahahah¡­ Hahahahaha¡­. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"


    And, for the first time in a long long while, Axel laughed freely as he felt himself breaking free from the invisible shackles that were holding him back.


    Just like this, the year at Hogwarts had passed with lots of events happening.


    Mysteriously enough, a certain Damien Malcolm found out that all of his possession had disappeared without a trace. While he was going mad with rage, the poor boy didn''t know that this was just a teaser of what was actually about to come.


    Also, rumors about how Rose Potter and Daphne Greengrass had had a confrontation with Voldemort and how they had managed to stop his return were spread throughout the school.


    Rose, who had recovered just after a day, managed to get Gryffindor the Quidditch Cup right after, and thus the house cup.


    Meanwhile, Daphne who was more injured of the two, had to stay a while longer in the Hospital wing. But lots of people also visited her as well and gave her gifts and treats since was also a hero who survived an encounter with Voldemort''s Lethifold.


    But, despite all the attention, Daphne didn''t feel happy at all. Because,


    1:She''d absolutely failed in getting the stone.


    2:The stone was now destroyed, as confirmed by Dumbledore, leaving no hope for Astoria and Axel to be healed. Her sister''s lifespan wouldn''t be extended and any chance she thought that it might help Axel with his condition had also got away.


    3:Axel, the person she wanted to see the most hadn''t even bothered visiting her during these days.


    Furthermore, she didn''t even see him on the train. But apparently, enough people had seen him to conclude that he wasn''t actually missing, just not willing to meet her.


    Daphne was sad throughout the summer as owls failed to Deliver letters to him and his Magi-mirror was switched off.


    She''d almost lost hope of their friendship, when mid-summer, out of nowhere, an anonymous package arrived, addressed to her name.


    It read¡ª


    "Here are the first clear words I''m writing with my own hands in a long while. Thanks for being my hands until now."


    Inside was... a bottle containing a few drops of Silver Liquid with the label: For Astoria.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    END OF VOL. 1


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    VOL. 2: The Rise

 Chapter 48: A Small Favor

    "Look, I''m telling you it''s him! I''m SURE it''s him!" Said Daphne impatiently.


    Evelyn sighed in exasperation,


    "And how you know that sweety? It''s unsigned, and you haven''t even seen his writing. Besides, I''ve tried examining it and the only conclusion I can reach is that it''s too powerful and can be harmful," she said rationally.


    With Cyrus''s death, the number of hungry eyes on their family had increased. So, this wouldn''t be the first time anyone tried to pull shady tricks on them. Besides, the Potion they''d received was rather... unique. Evelyn hadn''t ever seen it in her life. They couldn''t just blindly let Astoria try it as it might further aggravate her condition, or worse.


    While the two of them were arguing, they didn''t even see when Astoria had come skipping into the room to ask her sister to play.


    Astoria rolled her eyes when she saw her mother and sister arguing. There''s nothing new in that. She thinks it''s their way of showing their love to each other.


    ''What is that?''


    Her eyes caught sight of a very small vial of potion containing a shimmering silver liquid sitting at the table in the corner.


    ''So pretty!''


    Looking at the potion, she saw her name written on it.


    ''So, it''s this pretty potion today,'' she thought.


    Astoria has forgotten the number of times she''s tried new potions and procedures that were arranged to cure her. So, this wasn''t anything new to her. Quite habitually, she uncorked the bottle and drank it down with one gulp.


    "Coughcough! Cough!" As soon as she drank the potion, Astoria coughed violently as the vial slipped out of her hands and fell to the floor.


    While arguing Daphne and Evelyn were alarmed to see Astoria coughing and the empty potion vial.


    "Astoria!"


    "Tory!"


    By the time they reached her, Astoria was already unconscious.


    Daphne began panicking,


    "NononononNO! Tory!"


    Evelyn quickly diagnosed Astoria.


    "Call the Healer! Now!"


    Daphne tried not to panic as she quickly fished out her Magi-mirror and call the Healer.


    At this moment, they heard a screeching sound from Astoria''s chest, alarming both the ladies further.


    !


    In the next moment, dark fumes began to rise out of Astoria, as if being forcefully expelled.


    The screeching slowly died down as the effects of the potion subsided, leaving Astoria covered in ashes.


    "Tory? Tory!" Called out Daphne as she tried shaking the unconscious Astoria.


    ...


    A few minutes later Evelyn and Daphne waited anxiously as the healer, Mrs. Catlleberg diagnosed Astoria.


    The old witch with thick glasses gasped as soon as she began running her diagnosis.


    "What in the world..." she muttered, looking shocked.


    Her surprise only seemed to intensify as the seconds passed and she ran different tests.


    "How is it?! Is she fine? What happened to her?" Asked Evelyn anxiously while Daphne sobbed uncontrollably.


    Mrs. Catlleberg stood up quicker than her old age should allow her.


    "What in the world did you give her, Evelyn?!"


    Evelyn shook her head,


    "I have no idea. How is her condition?!" she asked urgently.


    But the healer seemed equally anxious.


    "You don''t know?!" She repeated outrageously, "This thing managed to cure the incurable blood Malediction of the Greengrass family! How can you not know?!"


    Daphne''s teary eyes widened and Evelyn gasped.


    "C-Cured?"


    "What... did you say?"


    Both the ladies were couldn''t believe what they heard.


    Mrs. Catlleberg realized that her duty ought to come first, no matter how groundbreaking this could be for the medical history.


    She patted the sleeping Astoria.


    "This little Missy here, is completely healed. Her blood and organs are as good as new and the curse is nowhere to be found!" She revealed.


    ""


    Daphne''s brain stopped working for a moment as she tried to make sure she didn''t hear it wrong. Her mom was in a similar state.


    All these years, all those times they''d cried when Astoria would smile through her pain. All that time they''d try to be happy while knowing that she wouldn''t live long...


    All that... can actually go away now?


    Evelyn tightly gripped the hands of the old lady.


    "Is...Is that true?! Mrs. Catlleberg, this matter¡ª" she began, but her old healer cut her off.


    "Merlin''s beard Evelyn, Of course it''s true! I know how important this is so I''m not cruel enough to lie about it. Not only your daughter is cured, but she''s bursting with vitality! Whatever you gave her must have cost you every single penny you have, if you paid a fair price," said the old witch reassuringly.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    But no matter how much they wanted to believe it, the mother and daughter pair were still having a hard time coming to terms with it. Especially since they didn''t even know what exactly they gave her.


    "Hm..."


    Though at this moment, the sleeping Astoria moaned a little as she slowly open her eyes and looked around.


    Astoria blinked repeatedly.


    "Mum... sister..." she said, her cute face scrunching up in confusion.


    "There is... no pain. How? Am I dreaming?"


    Before she could speak more, Astoria was hugged from both sides by Daphne and Evelyn whose happiness knew no bounds.


    "You''re healed, Tory! Healed! There''ll be no pain anymore... It''s gone!" said Daphne softly.


    ''Thanks to him,'' she added in her mind as the silhouette of a person came to her mind.


    She couldn''t wait to see him.


    Meanwhile, Mrs. Catlleberg sighed. This doesn''t seem the right time to ask about the potion.


    - a Month later-


    BOOOM*


    A loud explosion rang out as a number of men wearing skull masks chased a person in a dark hoodie, jeans, and sneakers.


    If this person didn''t have a mask on his face, one would be able to see that his expression was quite relaxed despite the odds being stacked against him.


    "Kill Him!"


    "How did he get here?!"


    "Don''t let him get away!"


    "Looks like it''s the wrong address," muttered Axel as he saw multiple spells heading his way.


    -Pause-


    It seems like a bit of context is needed here.


    How did he end up in this situation?


    Good question. The answer will be a bit long.


    After getting healed, there was no limit to the things Axel could achieve in his life. The only thing that was going to be a problem was Voldemort. And the best way to handle Voldemort is supposed to be with the help of the pendant around his neck.


    So, this whole summer, he''d been trying to find the mysterious organization that had killed his parents so that he could get the information on this pendant. But much to his disappointment, he couldn''t find anything. Nothing. He''d tried everything, every source. He even found out that the ministry had also been trying and failing to locate this organization for years.


    So, when he saw several sus looking individuals wearing cloaks and masks entering and exiting this place, he''d gotten a bit hopeful. After being healed, his confidence was on a different level so he got in gangster style. But, they turned out to be a different secret organization!


    Which is how, he found himself in the current situation where a number of spells were headed his way.


    -Resume-


    Under the onslaught, Axel remained calm as he smoothly activated his skills.


    [Arcane Footwork]


    [Arcane Eyes]


    Whisps of blue light started to swirl around his legs and his eyes under his mask started to glow.


    Under his glowing eyes, the spells seemed to slow down as he weaved his body through the volley of curses of all kinds at an incredible speed.


    "What the f¡ª"


    "How is he so fast?!"


    "No way!"


    The men were understandably surprised when the person they all attacked together person had miraculously survived the attacks. But they were in for more surprises.


    "My turn," muttered Axel as he pointed his wand at the ground in front of the men.


    [Erase Trace]


    "Bombarda!"


    Magic shot out of his wand with such a rush that the spell was shot like a bullet.


    KABOOOM!


    The result was a loud explosion, the shockwaves of which swept him back a few feet. Cold sweat ran down his back as he looked at the damage.


    "...Damn it. I still forget that I''m already healed," he mumbled to himself as he felt the huge drain in his magic.


    During the time he was crippled, he had to exert an insane amount of effort just to cast weak magic. And during that time, he''d also done other things to increase his output.


    If an ordinary person has to exert x effort to cast a spell, then he''d have to exert 100x effort to cast the same spell. And reaching that 100x amount would be considered impossible, if the caster wasn''t a freak like him. That''s why he was told he wouldn''t be able to cast magic when he got those injuries. And now that he''s healed, it''s like the limiters on his magic have been removed.


    And the result is the destruction spread out in front of him.


    Looking at the chaos he''d created, Axel shrugged his shoulders.


    "That''s what you get for trying to kill me."


    Snap*


    Just as he was about to leave the place, a snap sounded as a person appeared at the far end of the room. Axel paused as he looked at the new figure. This person''s skull mask was golden unlike the silver masks of the other members. And, he also gave off different vibes than the few men who were chasing him just now.


    "A boss, huh?" Muttered Axel as he saw the other members relaxing as if their saviour had arrived. Just as Axel was wondering if this guy would know anything about the other organization,


    [Axel, run.]


    Out of nowhere, a red alert came from the system.


    ?!


    That managed to surprise the hell out of Axel. The last time the system had given him a warning against a potential enemy, it was against Martina. And say what you will about her dorkiness, but she was one hell of a dangerous witch if she could casually blow off a magic-resistant troll''s head. Axel hadn''t thought that this group would actually turn out to have such a member.


    The person studied the situation as the coward members all hid behind him while reporting the situation. The man nodded as he fixed his gaze on Axel.


    "You... You can die now," he declared calmly his voice coming distorted through the mask as he raised his wand.


    !


    "Fuck."


    Suddenly, goosebumps rose on Axel''s skin and he took the system''s warning seriously.


    [Light Armor]


    He activated his newly learned skill just in time to be surrounded by Darkness which had emerged from the ground.


    ''This cheater!'' Thought Axel in outrage as he saw the layer of flimsy golden light was going to be destroyed. The skill proficiency was too low!


    Activating all his stealth skills, he disappeared from the area, already appearing several meters away. He looked back, only to see that the area he was standing was covered in darkness.


    "Fuck indeed," he muttered as he fled the hell out of there. It''s not worth it to stay.


    ...


    Later that day, Axel sighed as he walked through the streets of London, quite far away from the crazy place he''d been in.


    "What the fuck was that place?" he asked as he grabbed a newspaper to check the news.


    [That was one of the places where the wizard are being taught the ability to Wield and control dark magic.]


    Axel paused,


    "What the hell? Isn''t that bad?"


    [It is and it is not. But you can''t do much about it with your current power.] Informed the system.


    "Darn," Axel couldn''t deny the system''s words. That golden mask guy was fucking scary.


    "Looks like I got a bit ahead of myself," he mumbled, flipping through the newspaper in his hands.


    After getting healed, he''d gotten a bit reckless with the way he handled things. After all, what''s the use of being so powerful if he still has to sneak around? But the encounter with the man told him that he still had a long way to go.


    Anyways, the summer break is almost over and he couldn''t find anything about the organization in the end. And now there are only two options left for him: Plan B and C, both of which, he''d rather avoid.


    "What a waste,"


    It seems like he has wasted his whole summer on a useless endeavor when he could have spent more time training his magic or Legilimancy.


    ''Well, not a complete waste, at least,'' he relented, looking at an article in the newspaper he had been flipping through.


    It featured a case where a wealthy family of three was robbed clean of all of its possessions in one night, including everything they had in their bank accounts.


    "Spoiling your son to the point of making an orphan boy homeless just to satisfy your kid''s vanity..." he muttered, shaking his head. Axel wouldn''t argue whether they were morally correct or not. But... since the orphan kid they chose to antagonize was him... let''s just say this is not the first time they''re going to be robbed.


    He dumped the newspaper after checking the date on it. The holidays were almost over. It''s time he returned to Hogwarts.


    ...


    Lily Potter waved her wand around in a particular area while chanting different spells.


    "Lily, I don''t see how you can find anything here. Why don''t we just leave?" Asked Icitra, the chocolate-skinned dark elf queen.


    Lily didn''t reply to her. Instead, she fell to her knees looking to be in shock.


    Icitra quickly rushed to her side.


    "Hey! What''s wrong?!"


    Lily slowly shook her head in regret.


    "This is bad..." she muttered, her breathing quickening as she lost her calm.


    "What is it?" Asked Icitra.


    "It''s my daughter. He somehow managed to reach her and that re-created the phenomenon that happened 12 years ago," she explained.


    Icitra sighed, once again not understanding the situation clearly.


    "Lily, you need to realize that everything may not be as obvious to others as they are to you,"


    Lily looked far into the distance her grip on her wand tightened.


    "It means that he now knows that he can use my daughter to open the portal to mid-world," she clarified, making up her decision. The situation has gotten more urgent. So, she''ll have to take drastic actions.


    Light and Dark. Both types of magics exist on mid-world. If the darkness comes from the Netherworld, the light comes from another. Voldemort wants to conquer all the three worlds. So, the other world can''t be allowed to stay out of the conflict forever.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    A.N.: The other worlds wouldn''t come in the pictures until later. The main focus would still be on exploring the wizarding world with snippets of information on the other two worlds.


    Next chapter: Axel meets Daph

 Chapter 49: Meeting Daphne

    With the start of the next term approaching, Axel had to go to the Diagon alley to buy some necessities.


    Last time, after he had left the shopping with Andromeda halfway after meeting Bellatrix, he was just a weak cripple with no support. Thus, he had simply bought lower quality and second-hand stuff, even skipping some things at the time to save as much as possible.


    That day was definitely his black history. The two sisters were both quite the bitches.


    Andromeda was trying to use him as a test subject. Axel wasn''t particularly angry at her, but he definitely didn''t want anything to do with her.


    As for Bellatrix, that psycho bitch first had fun showing him the brutal reality, and then she also forcefully got the memories out of him. He''s going to have that bitch grovel at his feet while begging for forgiveness.


    That''s why, this summer, he had returned all the things he had received from the sisters. Accepting those things would mean he''s forgiven them.


    Since he was already using the space-extended purse and the clothes, he had sent the money for it instead. They were fucking expensive but since Damien Malcolm had been robbed clean at the end of the year, Axel was able to pay for them.


    Anyways, now that he was loaded, healed, and able to make money through many ways, he was going to get himself some better things.


    The first thing he did was to go to Gringotts.


    Axel looked at the white building in front of him. With the development of the Diagon Alley, the Goblins had to keep up in order to not be left behind. And, maybe because they had a complex about their heights, but Gringotts was still the tallest building in the Diagon Alley.


    A set of white stairs led up to a set of burnished bronze doors which were flanked by a goblin in a uniform of scarlet and gold.


    As he entered, a few words caught his eyes.


    "Thief, you have been warned, beware


    Of finding more than treasure there."


    Axel smirked when he read the warning.


    ''Is that a challenge? Well, you''re on,'' he thought with a smirk. He had heard a lot about Gringotts'' treasures and security which had gotten him quite curious. So, for future reference, he activated his [Arcane Eyes].


    ''Damn¡­''


    He thought, looking at the magic around the place. The goblins sure knew their Warding. Anyways, he was just checking so that it might come in handy in the future. Deactivating the skill, he walked up to the teller.


    "Yes?" Asked the teller, looking up from his work.


    "I need to do some conversions."


    "Currency conversion can be done there," said the teller, directing him to a different Goblin.


    "What kind of conversion do you need?"


    "Bronze and Silver coins to Gold and Platinum ones," informed Axel.


    The Goblin grunted, not even looking up from his work,


    "Put the knuts and sickles in here," he said, indicating a trolley.


    Looking at the trolley Axel shook his head.


    "I think I''ll need more trolleys for that..."


    ...


    In the end, the amount of sickles and knuts he''d collected turned out to be quite shocking. That''s why he got them converted in the first place. After everything was counted, he found that he had around 6000 Galleon worth of coins which is quite a lot, but not too much of his ingredients expenses are taken into account.


    "Still better than being broke," he muttered with a shrug. With his skills, he could have gotten a lot more than that. But he only swiped little to negligent amounts from the students so that they don''t even notice that there was a thief.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    To be honest, money is not really the problem now. The Slytherins were a bunch of fat cows waiting to be butchered. He could butcher them when he really needs money. The problem is not having any legitimate and legal and stable source of income to use as a cover and it''s quite clear to a lot of people that he doesn''t have any family. So there''s no way to explain how he''s getting the money without coming to the conclusion that he''s Martina''s or some other rich girl''s toyboy.


    But oh well, it was not a big deal. He was sure he''ll figure something out.


    Now that he was properly loaded, Axel Axel went to the same hair salon he''d visited the previous time. After a year, he obviously needed a haircut, especially since he now has much better ways of hiding his face.


    "Sorry sir, but you need a reservation to enter this place,"


    The Hairstylist, Paul was his name, didn''t recognize Axel at first. But then his eyes widened as he rubbed his eyes, looking at Axel in disbelief.


    "Merlin''s Goatee! Axel?! Look at you, young man!" He exclaimed.


    Axel was surprised the guy actually remembered his name. Following his words, Axel looked at himself.


    Well, all he can say is that he''s glad that the clothes he had were self-lengthening. A year ago, he was just a short and skinny kid, who hadn''t gotten proper nutrition and body care for years. But due to the diet, exercises, potions, and whatnot, he was now quite tall for a 12-year-old, with lean compact muscles that were hidden behind his baggy outfit.


    Paul left the client he was attending to his worker as he approached Axel rather aggressively,


    "Just what did you do?! Merlin''s hair, look at those muscles!" he exclaimed, thumping Axel on his shoulders.


    And then he finally checked Axel''s hair. "Wait...What the fuck?!... How the fuck?!" He exclaimed, running his hands through Axel''s hair, confusing him.


    "What''s wrong?" Asked Axel, furrowing his brows.


    Paul shook his head, still looking like he couldn''t believe what he was seeing. He took Axel to a seat as he began to cut his hair.


    "Mate, I won''t even mention the body. Just tell me, how the hell did you suddenly get such perfect hair? It''s like¡­ they''ve been nourished with the most expensive material and all the damage has been removed!" He exclaimed, his eyes not leaving his hair.


    ?


    Did he change so much?


    Axel looked into the mirror as he actually looked at himself objectively. Compared to his previous self from one year ago, he did look like a different person. Aside from all those ingredients, exercises, and potions, there could be another reason as well.


    Axel recalled after taking the Healing Potion, he had changed further.


    ''System? Is there an explanation?''


    [Affirmative. Healing is not the only benefit of the potion. Since you took it in a larger quantity than necessary, it also nourished your body and cleansed the impurities. Also, your lifespan has been increased to approximately 400 years. And Astoria got her lost lifespan back with the amount she consumed.]


    ?


    That managed to shock him properly. To make sure that he Healed properly, Axel had taken a generous amount of it, only saving a little for Astoria.


    Now Axel was feeling quite perplexed. He''d just gotten a few centuries'' worth more time in this world. He wasn''t quite sure what to feel about that. Currently, he was really loving his life. But he didn''t know how he''d feel after that long.


    ''Whatever, I''ll figure it out when the time comes,'' he decided. Currently, his only problem seems to be the fact that his appearance might attract more attention. But that''s not a big deal, is it?


    ...


    After the haircut, Axel went on a shopping spree as he quickly bought all the things he needed for the next year along with ordering some new clothes.


    In the end, the only thing that was left were books. But...


    ''The fuck is happening here?''


    The bookstore had a freaking huge line in front of it, with hundreds of women jostling around, trying to get in.


    Apparently, Axel wasn''t the only one who found this situation odd since he could he hear other people talking about it as well.


    "Did you hear about the students exchange program this year?"


    "Yeah, I wonder what school it''ll be."


    "What''s all the fuss about in this store?"


    "Seriously mate, do you live in a cave? Gilderoy Lockhart is signing the copies of his new book."


    "Lockhart? That pansy guy who''s famous on Magi-hive?"


    "Yep, that''s him. He''s got a crazy huge fan following on Hooter and Magebook,"


    "Whatever, most of them are witches anyway."


    That''s all Axel could hear before he had moved on due to his serious lack of disinterest.


    [Presence Reduction]


    [True invisibility]


    With his skills activated, he casually cut the line and entered the bookstore.


    Outside seemed quite peaceful compared to the situation inside though. Witches and photographers were jostling each other to get a better view of Lockhart while two men were fighting on the side as Fred and Gorge Weasley cheered from the side.


    Yep, a mess.


    Axel had to shake his head at the situation. It doesn''t seem like he can civilly get his books any time soon.


    So, he decided to simply steal the books he needed. He was just about to leave when another commotion attracted his attention.


    "Ladies and Gentleman! may I present you, Rose Potter!" said a man with wavy blond hair who must be Gilderoy Lockhart, forcefully dragging a very annoyed Rose Potter to the front of the cameras.


    A smirk appeared on Axel''s face,


    "Well, this could be interesting."


    "When young Rose here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, she only wanted to buy my autobiography¡ª"


    Crack*


    And just as Axel had expected, in the next moment, a knee was delivered to Lockhart''s balls, viciously, making the man collapse to the floor in a moaning heap.


    "OHHHHHHHH!"


    And thus, the place became even more of a mess. Everyone was clicking pictures and recording while the fangirls rushed to help Lockhart.


    "What a creep," Rose muttered before storming off, making the crowd part way for her.


    Looking at the scene, Axel nodded to himself.


    "...That''s Rose alright," he muttered, getting out of the bookstore as he went to finish the rest of his shopping.


    He could already guess tomorrow''s headlines: The Girl-Who-Lived breaks Lockhart''s snitches. Fangirls expressing concern about the functioning of Lockhart''s Broomstick.


    Though thinking about it, Rose can''t really be faulted for her actions. After all, only a spineless or clueless person would let someone like Lockhart leech on your fame like that.


    ...

 Chapter 50: Like Father, Like Son

    One day ago--


    It was a fine Sunday morning and both the sisters were discussing some new program that was being organized this year.


    "Do you think it''ll work? The schools are too different in their culture and magical arts." Asked Andromeda.


    Bellatrix shrugged, "Well, it had better work. The support of Hit-wizards of that country can be of great help."


    Andromeda looked at her sister for a moment. "But...why would we need support? Bella, what are you not telling me?"


    Bellatrix looked at her sister innocently but didn''t say anything. After all, going against Atlantis, the most powerful magical country, isn''t a small matter at all. While she was still debating whether to tell her not, an owl post arrived, addressed to the two sisters.


    Andromeda looked at the package that they''d just received.


    "It''s from Axel!"


    Bellatrix, who was completely disinterested moments ago, was suddenly beside Andromeda, already opening up the package.


    "What did he send us?!" Exclaimed Bella, looking quite excited. Andromeda hadn''t seen her this happy in a long while.


    With child-like enthusiasm, Bella opened the box, only to find that the box was a space extension charm and it was filled to with all the things they''d ever given to him.


    The smile immediately vanished from her face as she looked back at Andromeda.


    "He... sent everything back?"


    ....


    Back to Present


    Not far away from the barrier between the stations, two women stood on platform 9 and 3/4 under disillusionment, awaiting the arrival of a particular individual.


    One of them was Bellatrix Black, the minister of magic, who currently had a gaunt face as she waited for Axel. Magic power would burst out of her from time to time, almost blowing their cover.


    After knowing that Axel hadn''t used a single one of the precious herbs potions and medicines she''d sent with meticulous instructions of Andromeda on their use, Bellatrix could no longer stop herself from interfering.


    Upto now, while they couldn''t find a proper cure, she and Andromeda had sent many things that could have at least helped him with his pain and alleviate the trembling enough to a certain extent.


    So, it could be imagined how devastated she had been to find that he''d been suffering from a horrible amount of pain and difficulties every single day for this whole time just because of his hate for her.


    That''s why, Bellatrix and Andromeda had decided to come here against Axel''s strong wishes in an attempt to apologize once again and convince him to accept their help.


    "Who are the Greengrasses waiting for?" Muttered Andromeda, looking at the three witches who seemed to be waiting in anticipation. Their bright and cheerful moods were a stark contrast compared to the nervous and despondent atmosphere around the sisters.


    Bellatrix shrugged, "Couldn''t care less," she muttered, her eyes not leaving the barrier. She appreciated her sister''s attempt at distracting her from her self-blame and self-loathing but she''d rather stay like this for now.


    Andromeda didn''t give up, "I heard Cissy got a new job..."


    Bellatrix frowned, "Don''t bring up the bitch."


    Andromeda sighed seemingly giving up as she turned back to wait for Axel, "I''m surprised he managed to achieve so much without using any of the potions and medicines I''d sent him. Did you see his exam reports?"


    Bellatrix knew that this was yet another attempt by Andromeda to distract her, but she still couldn''t stop a small proud smile to appear on her face.


    "An ''Outstanding'' in everything, even flying and dueling," she muttered, the magic around her calming down a little. "Even with such a massive handicap."


    "Except for Potions," added Andromeda.


    "Snape needs to be fired," said Bellatrix, her mood souring as she recalled that ''Acceptable''. The man is making Axel do practicals with his crippled hands. It would seem that she''ll have to cripple the bat''s hands and make him do Potions so that he understands his mistake.


    "I don''t understand why Dumbledore would even keep the man¡ª" Bellatrix was saying but she paused in her steps as she saw a familiar face appear from the partition. As soon as she saw him, her jaw dropped.


    "Tristan...?" She murmured, squinting her eyes. For a moment, she almost mistook him for Tristan. But of course, she knew it wasn''t him, it was Axel. The more you compare the two, the more different the two faces look.


    ''How did he change so much in just a year?'' She thought. This was her first time seeing him in person after a whole year. And she''d never expected him to have changed this much. Andromeda also had similar thoughts.


    They had been expecting the same skinny and small boy who would hide his trembling hands in his pockets as he tried not to attract attention. They were expecting a lonely boy who was in need of their help. But imagine their surprise when instead of that boy, they found a handsome and confident young man built like a warrior.


    In the next moment, they saw the two Greengrass daughters rushing the boy, surprising the two women.


    Bellatrix frowned as she heard the conversation, "Why would they thank him?" She murmured, finding this scene much too familiar.


    Andromeda, however, being a Master Healer had different priorities.


    "His hands¡­ Bella¡­ look at his hands." She said in a shaky whisper.


    ....


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyoo!"


    Looking at the girl hanging onto him like a Koala, Axel sighed as he gently pulled her off and set her down.


    "It was no big deal," he shrugged, "It was just annoying seeing you putting up a facade all the time," he told the little girl honestly.


    Aside from the gratitude to Daphne and Evelyn, another reason for Axel to help out Astoria was because of this. Due to his experiences, he could easily tell that the girl was not as happy go lucky as she pretended to be. Far from it, she was quite mature for her age and arguably the most miserable among the family of three.


    So, after observing this, it was just a bit hard to let a sick, frail and miserable girl pretend like that while you have the power to help her.


    "!"


    Listening to his words, Astoria''s eyes widened as she looked up at him with surprise.


    Evelyn who was standing behind her, patted her head gently.


    "It broke my heart everyday to see her do that. You don''t know what you''ve done." she said, looking at him expressionlessly. It was clear that her Occlumency was having a hard time reigning in her emotions since she was trembling slightly.


    Axel felt a bit uncomfortable with that gaze. It felt like something was wrong here.


    "Well, as I said, it''s not a big deal. I just happened to have it so I shared it,'' he said dismissively. He was somewhat glad he wasn''t alone with her right now. Who knows what kind of stunt she''d pull this time.


    He looked down to see Daphne still sitting on the ground, looking up at him a daze.


    "And how long are you planning to sit there?" He asked, offering her his hand.


    "Oh..." with a jerk, Daphne seemed to realize that she had forgotten to move while staring at Axel.


    He had definitely changed from the last time she''d seen him. He just looked even more perfect, if that was possible. Another change she noticed instantly was, he looked... happier... more relaxed for some reason. The constant frown and annoyed look on his face was gone and his shoulders weren''t tense like before, like he was no longer carrying a huge weight.


    Over the summer, she''d been looking forward to meeting him, thinking about ways to thank him, and things she''d talk to him about, but... now that she was finally in front of him, she found herself unable to do anything but keep looking at him. She had this flip-flopping like feeling in her stomach and she was having a hard time forming a coherent thought.


    Taking his offered hand with slightly flushed cheeks, she got up when she noticed something.


    "Wait..." she said, feeling up his hand properly, her nervousness went away as the realization hit her. She observed that the calloused hand in her hands was very stable! That familiar trembling and twitching was gone.


    "Is... Is it true?... You''re actually fully healed?!" She asked as she held up his hand. She had, of course, considered this possibility after reading that letter but she had still found it a bit unreal.


    Axel smirked,


    "Healed?"


    He snapped his fingers as a knife appeared in his hand. With another movement, it spun around both of their hands before he made it disappear.


    "You can say that. Try to keep it a secret though. I''m still having you do my homework if that''s ok with you," he said, trying to retract his hand, but... in the next moment, Daphne had thrown her arms around him, making him freeze.


    "I''m so happy for you...," she said, her voice coming a bit muffled. Even if he didn''t show it, she was well aware just how much he hated being in that state.


    She had seen how he''d tense up everytime someone would mention the word ''cripple'', she had also seen how he''d sometimes just stare down at his trembling hands, as if willing them to become stable. She''d seen how hard he''d work, always having bag under his eyes and even working during the classes. So, even though it terrified her that he wouldn''t need her now that he was healed, she was indeed very happy for her friend.


    Axel stood there, frozen like a statue. Just like any other orphan, the concept of being hugged like this was completely foreign for him. And it felt... comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time.


    "Homework? Anything." He heard Daphne whisper. "I''ll do anything for you,"


    ...


    The Black sisters, who had been listening in on the whole conversation, were still in a state of shock even as they saw Axel boarding the train.


    "That''s Tristan''s son alright," said Bellatrix, shaking her head. She currently had her Magi-mirror out as she snapped Axel''s pictures one after another.


    The father son duo seemed to have some fate with saving Damsels in distress. Only, the son seems to have the potential to surpass the father.


    First he happens to kill the villainous man of the house and then he goes and heals the dying girl. At this point, he practically owns the House Greengrass.


    "He''s managed to heal himself AND Astoria. How?" Murmured Andromeda, finding herself unable to wrap her head around this. Two medical miracles one after another.


    Bellatrix nodded, "Not to mention he''s changed so much¡­ I don''t care how, but... I''m quite excited to see what he''ll do now that he''s healed," she said, finally feeling quite light after months. She was glad that the boy wasn''t as lonely as he used to be and had the support of someone who wouldn''t betray him.


    Looking at Evelyn who was clicking away pictures as Axel and Daphne departed, Bellatrix felt a sense of comradery.


    ''Yep, no way this woman would betray Axel,'' she thought, being quite familiar with the look in Evelyn''s eyes. That was the look of a woman who had found her Liege.


    Bellatrix grinned. Turns out, they had something in common. It looks like a chat with Regent Greengrass was in order. Who knows, they might actually become friends...


    With the knowledge that Axel will no longer be suffering, now she can work on her revenge on the organization in peace. It''s just there was dull ache in her heart knowing just how much he hates her.


    ¡­.


    Lily Potter stood in front of a giant magic circle, with hundreds if not thousands of runic arrays drawn in its layers.


    "It''s not working... It''s not working!" She exclaimed in frustration.


    Icitra, who was lying on a comfortable seat on the side sat up while sighing, "Could you at least explain properly what you''re trying to do? Even though I''m not as much of a genius, but I still have a century of Ruling under my belt," she said as she walk to Lily''s side.


    Lily pressed her lips together into a line. The age difference still somehow manages to baffle her. Especially since this beautiful woman looks even younger than her.


    "Alright, let me break it down for you," she said, drawing a circle on the ground.


    "Finally," muttered Icitra with faux enthusiasm.


    "This is mid-world." said Lily, ignoring the taunt, tapping the circle. "It''s the place I came from and the place my daughter currently is. This world doesn''t have a magic of its own."


    She drew another circle on the side. "This is Nether World. The place we''re currently in. This is where the dark magic originates from."


    After that she drew another circle on the other side of Mid-world such that the three worlds were now in a triangular formation.


    "And this... this is the Aether World, the place where the light magic and even the normal magic originates from," she said, tapping the third circle.


    "The mid world doesn''t have magic of its own. But," She drew two lines, connecting the mid world with both the other worlds.


    "But it has special individuals who can draw magic from either of the worlds. They''re called witches and wizards."


    Icitra nodded, "So, you''re a witch?"


    Lily nodded, "Yeah, a very badass one," she said seriously.


    "Voldemort is also a wizard, though he''s now far more than that. Anyways," she said, pointing at the three worlds.


    "Usually, it''s impossible to travel between these worlds but as you can see, there are exceptions. The worlds can be connected if you have the right circumstances. Especially the mid world and NetherWorld."


    "But... the Aether World, that place has mostly been sealed off from the other two worlds. Not much about it is known except for the fact that a wizard named Merlin from the Mid world had managed to get there and when he returned, he was the greatest in the Mid-world."


    Icitra nodded.


    "So, what are you trying to do?"


    Lily nodded. "I''m getting there. You see, Voldemort is a conqueror. He won''t settle untill he has all three worlds under his rule."


    She pointed at the connecting line between the Nether world and Mid world.


    "He is soon going to be able to succeed in traveling between these two worlds. Once he does that, he will also be able to succeed in traveling from Mid World to Aether World since it''s not that different. So,"


    Lily slowly connected the two circles which signified the NetherWorld and Aether World.


    "I''m trying to directly connect Aether World and Nether World for him, so that he stops paying attention to the mid world. Then we''ll be able to buy a some time in which we can ally ourselves with the Aether World and figure out a way to take down Voldemort. Or if we''re lucky, the Aether World might just crush him for us," she said, and Icitra had a guarded expression as she looked at Lily.


    "How do you know all this? And, are you not able to succeed?" She asked.


    Lily shrugged, "My late husband once had a friend. I don''t really remember his name... Crystal? Tristan? Whatever. Anyways, he was on the run and he thought he was going to die. So he left a lot of stolen research on this subject with us, so that they don''t get it back when he''s caught," Lily sighed.


    "That''s how I got the information. It was centuries of research all just handed over to me, and I was able to save my daughter." She explained. She was truly grateful to the man. He also had a son of Rose''s age whom they were talking about leaving at the Potter cottage since they had the Fidelius. Too bad Voldemort had attacked soon after, killing James and sending Lily here, not leaving the man that option. She still sometimes wonders if the man and his family were still alive.


    "And is there truly no way left for you to succeed?" Asked Icitra.


    Lily shook her head, "There actually is. The notes extensively mention the existence of two objects. They''re called the keys. If I even had just one of them, I can pretty much do anything," she said with a shrug.


    "Too bad I don''t have them. So, I''ll have to search for alternatives."


    Icitra looked at Lily as she finally understood the whole plan.


    "So...you''d put an entire world in danger... Just to save your daughter?" She asked with interest. The Aether World was just becoming a collateral damage in this woman''s plans.


    Lily scoffed, "Hardly. NetherWorld has already been almost conquered. The other races have also surrendered or given up so he already has the Nether World. Also, there''s no way Mid-world can stop him. So, Aether World will have to fight Voldemort, sooner or later. I''m just hastening the process." she said as she sighed. At least that''s how she justified her actions. Maybe it was the dark magic affecting her, or maybe she was always a bit evi, but she knew... That for her daughter, she was willing to do anything.


    ....

 Chapter 51: New Term, New Surprises

    After bidding fairwell to a crying Astoria, Axel and Daphne began walking along the platform, looking for a less crowded place to board the train.


    "Oh, by the way, congratulations for the exams!" said Daphne, her cheeks still flushed for some reason.


    "Oh... thanks," replied Axel, not at all concerned about the results.


    "I must have passed," he muttered. That''s all that matters.


    "Passed?" Daphne shook her head in exasperation. "Mr. Caveman, you did more than just that!" she said in annoyance, showing him the results that seemed to have been posted on Hogwarts Forums.


    "Damn...," muttered Axel, looking at the results. Looks like he overdid it a bit.


    Since he had quit his studies years ago, he had no idea how good he''ll have to do to get average ranking.


    Turns out, he had managed to get the highest scores in Dueling, History of Magic, and Charms.


    Rose was at the top in Transfiguration and flying while Daphne had the highest in Herbology and Potions.


    "Top of the class in three subjects... you were the dark horse this year!" said Daphne, shaking her head in wonder as she looked at the scores.


    The curious students who had checked the Girl-Who-Lived''s results were surprised to see someone else getting the top marks in three subjects.


    Though it was understandable since even Daphne herself was surprised. She had never seen him ever studying any course material. Heck, even all of his homework was done by her. Thus, the forums had blown up with discussion, with everyone expressing their surprise and curiosity over the news.


    "Bye!" Waving a final goodbye, Daphne boarded the train with Axel.


    As Axel looked at the students clamouring around in the Hogwarts Express, he couldn''t help but notice that something seemed different than the last time he was here. For one, it was a lot more noisy than it was the last time.


    "What''s all the hubbub about? Why does the atmosphere seem so different from last year?" He asked Daphne as they searched for a compartment.


    Daphne, who was looking quite excited herself, looked at him in confusion. "Duh, of course they''d be different. This year has so many different things happening. Lockhart aside, I think we''re going to learn a lot this year from the exchange program."


    "Oh¡­" muttered Axel with a nod.


    "Wait¡­." said Daphne, looking at him in resignation. "You have no idea what I''m talking about, do you?"


    "Nope." said Axel, getting into an empty compartment followed by Daphne.


    "Alright, Mr. Caveman. I''ll tell you," she said, shutting the door. "I don''t think you''ll be interested in other things. But the exchange program is something I think you''ll like."


    Axel raised an eyebrow, "Really?"


    Daphne nodded excitedly, "Yep, we''re having an exchange program with another magical school. They''re sending some of their students and teachers here to study and learn about our magical practices while also teaching us about theirs. There''s even going to be a few friendly competitions as well, so everyone is just too eager to earn fame and prove Hogwarts superiority."


    Axel nodded in understanding, "Well, that would explain all the excitement," he muttered, looking at the students clamouring about through their compartment door.


    Daphne shook her head with a sigh at his lack of awareness, "Not all of it. Seriously, do you have no one to talk to? And why the fuck could I not contact you over the summer?"


    Axel shrugged as he took out his Magi-mirror and turned it on again, "I was busy,"


    He had turned it off two months ago when he was making his life saving potion and he hadn''t turned it on ever since. As for the owls? That was another matter altogether.


    "What about the owls? Why couldn''t they reach you?" She asked.


    "Well, I just blocked them."


    Daphne didn''t seem to understand, "Wait, that''s possible as well?"


    "Of course it is. If it wasn''t then there won''t be any criminal on the run. All you''d have to do is write a letter to the criminal and follow the owl," he said, making Daphne have an enlightened look on her face.


    "Fuck... I''d make a terrible criminal, won''t I?" she asked.


    Axel shrugged, "Well, it''s not exactly common knowledge either."


    At least for the common people. Criminals need to have this knowledge. So he had also found out about it through the system.


    "Though, I wonder how the owls detect us..." said Daphne thoughtfully.


    Axel also didn''t know the answer.


    ''System? Can you tell me?''


    [Affirmative. The magical owls, though now used throughout the world, are a species which originated from Britain, from an owl which was Merlin''s familiar. All of this owl''s descendants are able to inherit it''s gift of sight, an ability that essentially allows them to find any person just by knowing their name. This is how the species of Magical owls came to be.]


    "Oh, you''re here!"


    While Axel was listening to the system, their compartment door was slid open as Susan Bones invited herself in, followed by the rest of the golden gang.


    "Look! That''s her!"


    "Yeah! The Girl-Who-Played!"


    "Yeah man. I heard she might get scouted for a league team..."


    "She beat the Slytherins!"


    Students were quick to recognize her with her increasing fame. Rose quickly shut the door as soon as all the gang was in.


    "..."


    Upon having the peaceful atmosphere destroyed, Axel realised a bit too late that he should have drawn the blinds in the beginning. But Daphne seemed all too happy upon meeting her friends.


    After Daphne hugged all of them, they finally noticed Axel who was not too happy with their arrival as he lowered his presence and wodere if he should leave or not let them come in. After all, he didn''t get along well with them. But, since they were Daphne''s friends, he decided to just let it be.


    Hannah, who was the first one to notice him, let out a squeak as she hid behind Rose.


    ?!


    Rose also jumped in surprise when she saw him, "You?!"


    Rose was having a great time since she was enjoying all the fame she was getting for something she did instead of the usual Girl-Who-Lived bullshit. But seeing Axel just soured her mood. She already hated him for various reasons., but he had given her two more reasons to hate him reason to hate him over the summer.


    First of all, when Daphne was injured last time, he didn''t even come to visit. The poor girl seemed so sad during that time. And then she got even more annoyed when she saw the results.


    This guy had somehow managed to beat her in three subjects. Rose wouldn''t have minded if it was someone else, but why did it have to be him?


    Axel shrugged,Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Yeah, me. Is that a problem?" He still hadn''t forgotten that this girl had tried to bully him using her fame in the beginning of last year. Now that he was healed, he had a score to settle with her.


    "Axel?! Our Topper is here!" Exclaimed Susan, taking a closer look at him, "Blimey! Have you become more handsome?!" She asked, destroying the hostile atmosphere.


    Rose scoffed, "Cheater," she muttered, before settling down.


    Daphne frowned, "Rose, what is your problem with him?" While she and Rose were great friends, she wouldn''t just sit by if she behaves so unreasonably. This wasn''t even the first time she was witnessing Rose being hostile to Axel for no reason.


    Rose looked at Daphne in surprise,


    "You too? So even you are going to take his side now? Did you forget that you did all of his homework last year? And what did he do in return? He didn''t even come to see you while you were attacked by a freaking Lethifold!"


    Seriously, what kind of dark magic does he trap everyone in?!" She questioned. "It''s obvious that he cheated. How many times have you seen him in the library? I never did,"


    "I didn''t either!" Added Neville.


    Rose ignored him as she kept her attention on Daphne.


    "And don''t tell me you didn''t do all of his homework because I know you did." she ranted.


    Axel slowly stood up as he towered over Rose, making her take a step back unconsciously. He looked down at Rose, still looking quite calm, "Even if I cheated, what can you do about it? Just be grateful I left out some things for you," he said dismissively. His favorability of her was dropping to dangerous levels. If she didn''t stop being so annoying, she might have to suffer.


    ''I should have left earlier,'' he thought as he turned to leave. He didn''t want to actively antagonize these kids since they were Daphne''s friends.


    Rose didn''t say anything as she looked to the side, seemingly cowed. But Neville seemed to have grown a backbone.


    "Y-You are saying you left them for Rose to win? L-Like you can do better than Rose at those things with that crippled body?" He asked, looking at Axel''s hands which were still in his pockets out of habit. While Neville was nervous as he said that, he still knew that his father would be proud seeing him standing up for Rose.


    Gasp*


    Hannah gasped in horror while Susan aimed a kick at Neville''s shin, making him yelp in pain.


    Meanwhile, Daphne looked at Neville coldly. These two Gryffindors would piss their pants if they knew Axel was already healed.


    Axel just gave a smile that was not a smile. If he had still been crippled, he might have taken offense, but as it was, the situation seemed quite amusing to him.


    He cast a disdainful look at Neville.


    "Simp," he muttered in disgust as he left the compartment. At this moment, Neville Longbottom wasn''t worthy enough to get his attention.


    "Ouch!" A stinging hex struck Neville on his fatbottom.


    "What was that for?!" He asked in indignation, his eyes watering from the pain as he looked back at Daphne.


    Daphne looked at him expressionlessly. "You''re lucky that''s all you got. Keep your stupid mouth shut in front of him from next time," she told him coldly before she also left the compartment.


    The four friends looked at the departing girl in shock.


    "She must have been really pissed," commented Susan and no one disagreed.


    Because¡­the way she just spoke and that expression¡­ that was exactly the old Daphne before her father''s death, The ice princess.


    ¡­


    Axel walked out of the compartment to search for another compartment. The train''s horns sounded, causing him infinite irritation due to his misophonia.


    The sound meant the train was ready for departure, which meant that all the compartments should be filled by now.


    Seriously, if they weren''t Daphne''s friends he''d have kicked them out instead of leaving himself but he figured she''d like to hangout with her childhood friends more than him. He couldn''t have lowered his presence further either, or Daphne would know about his ability and his stealth abilities must remain absolutely secret. In the end, leaving by himself was the best option.


    As he walked through the corridor, looking into different compartments, another pair of footsteps joined him in his search. Axel turned to look at Daphne in puzzlement.


    "Why are you here?"


    Daphne shrugged, "Need you even ask? I''d rather be with you."


    "If that''s ok with you," she added.


    Axel once again began to look for compartments. Though this time, the corners of his mouth were slightly raised.


    "Doesn''t look like there''s any empty compartment left. And those with space would have annoying people inside," observed Daphne as they walked. She had other friends but Axel wouldn''t like them one bit.


    Axel stopped in front of a particular compartment that everyone was purposefully avoiding.


    "This would have to do for today," he muttered.


    Daphne followed his gaze and froze for a moment as she saw Martina Valentino. Martina wasn''t alone though. There were also Hermione Granger and another cute girl with dirty blonde hair.


    "Wait! But you said you didn''t have any relation with her?"


    Axel frowned.


    "I didn''t at the time. Though we''re on friendly terms now. Why do you ask?"


    "..." When did that happen? Axel accepting they are on friendly terms is equivalent to being bosom buddies for normal people. That can''t be possible, right?


    Without giving her much time to think, Axel opened Martina''s compartment door as he entered.


    "Sup?"


    "Axel?"


    Martina stood up in pleasant surprise. "You''ve¡­ changed...so much!" she muttered, observing him.


    "Yeah, that I have," Axel agreed, taking a seat.


    Martina then turned to Daphne as she smiled, "Heiress Greengrass. It''s good to see you again," she said politely.


    Daphne returned the courtesy, "Likewise, Princess Valentino," she said stiffly, still quite surprised at Axel who had casually entered without any knocking and sat down like he owned the compartment.


    Looking at the two girls, Axel frowned. ''What was up with these two? Why are they suddenly pretending to be all prim and proper?'' He wondered.


    Daphne usually curses like a gangster and purposefully ignores most of the rules. While Martina? He''d seen her scream like a little girl in front of a dementor, act like a little girl in front of her parents and fall like a little girl right in front of him. Both have pretty much forgotten formalities in front of him, so he found their act quite annoying.


    "You surprisingly don''t have a single wrackspurt infesting you. This train has lots of people who have loads." Came a dreamy voice, distracting him.


    Axel turned his head to look at the small girl with dirty blonde hair who''d been here.


    "What did you say?"


    Martina coughed, "Axel, meet my new friend, Luna Lovegood. She is a bit eccentric so you might not understand whatever she says," she told him as she turned to Luna.


    "Luna, this is Axel Hunt and this is Daphne Greengrass."


    Luna nodded. "You''re¡­ Axel Hunt?" She asked, looking at Axel with interest. "I''ve never seen you," she revealed. After that, she turned to Daphne. "Nice to meet you,"


    Axel agreed with Martina''s words.


    ''Yep, this girl was eccentric alright.''


    ¡­


    The rest of the train ride was peaceful. Martina and Daphne were still formal to each other and Axel had just decided to focus on continuing with his training.


    [Legilimency


    Stage 1


    Progress: 20%]


    Yep, after reaching the first stage of Occlumency, he''d unlocked Legilimency, the art of entering someone''s mind. He finds this skill really useful hence he''s been investing a lot of time in mastering it.


    They took the carriages to Hogwarts while Luna followed Hagrid to take the boats.


    As he went to sit at the familiar Slytherin table in the Great hall, he saw that the students who''d always turned away from him were now looking at him invitingly. Feeling weirded out, Axel ignored them as he went to sit at his staple corner seat. He looked at Draco, expecting to see the boy to come at him any time, but Axel found him sitting properly like a good little boy, trying to make polite conversation.


    Axel shrugged. He then looked at the professor''s table and frowned as he couldn''t find the professor he was looking for. Axel furrowed his brows in confusion. But since it was time for Sorting, he sealed his ears for the ceremony as he resumed his Legilimency training. By the time the Sorting was over and he unsealed his ears, he had a girl sitting beside him, looking at him curiously with her half asleep dreamy eyes.


    "This place is infested with wrackspurts but you don''t have any. I was curious," she informed him as she looked around at the other Slytherin students.


    ?


    He looked at the girl whom Martina seemed to like very much and then looked at Martina who was already looking in his direction with a worried gaze.


    Axel sighed as he began taking out his food to eat. It would seem that another declaration on the forums from the Mafia Princess was in order. He better not bully this little girl.


    "Why are you eating that?" Asked the girl. Luna seems to be her name.


    Axel began eating his extremely unsavory and expensive meal consistent of precious materials.


    "Because it makes me strong?"


    Luna surveyed him as she pressed his bicep which was as hard as rock. "You are indeed strong,"


    "But did you wash the ingredients properly? Daddy once wrote an article on the sicoscepts on terminite root."


    Axel paused. She had at least recognized one of the ingredients correctly. The girl didn''t stop talking to him the whole dinner until Dumbledore finally stood up, making Axel relieved.


    Dumbledore spread his hands wide in his classic gesture.


    "Welcome my dear Students, to another year at Hogwarts!"


    Applause*


    "But this year is going to be especially thrilling, informative and invigorating for us! Because this year, Hogwarts is holding an exchange program!"


    CHEERS*


    Dumbledore raised his hand, silencing the crowd. "Now, some of you might be wondering, which school is coming? And why specifically that school? All of your doubts will be cleared momentarily but I have a few other announcements to make first," he said, making the students disappointed.


    "First of all, Let us welcome our new Defense against the dark arts professor, Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy n¨¦ Black, who has graciously offered to teach the students in Professor Umbridge''s absence.


    There was a loud cheer for Mrs. Malfoy, and few whistles from the older students as well for the beautiful woman. But Professor Narcissa didn''t seem affected.


    "And for the next announcement, with a heavy heart I have to announce that Professor Jakub Gorski has had to leave due to an emergency¡­"


    "AWWWW"


    There was a collective protest and lamentation at that news as no one seemed to be happy with that news. And the most depressed one was, of course, Axel.


    ''Fuck¡­there goes plan B.'' he cursed.


    Of course, his plan B to find out about the organization was to simply ask Gorski about it. For obvious reasons, it hadn''t been his first choice since he''d have to risk revealing that he knew about the organisation and that Jakub was a member. And he especially didn''t want to forcefully take out the information. But nevertheless, it was an easier alternative than the last plan.


    Now, he only has plan C left. This plan was the easiest of the three plans, but also the most dangerous.


    Since he can''t find the organization, why not let the organization find him? Since even Gorski had already warned him that the Organization would come after him once they see his name and appearance, he just has to spread his name far and wide enough that the organization would find out about him. And when they come, he''ll be waiting.


    Risky?


    Yes, it was fucking risky. But¡­


    Axel looked at the huge amount of SP that he had gotten after stealing the fake Philosopher''s stone and the system shop interface.


    When they come, he''ll be waiting, prepared.


    ¡­.

 Chapter 52: The Exchange Program

    While Axel was busy in his thoughts, Dumbledore had arrived at the main topic.


    "And now, on to the main topic you''ve all been waiting for, the exchange program," he said, and the hall quietened down as everyone now paid more attention.


    There were hushed conversations as the students seemed to speculate who it was going to be. Axel even heard some of them placing bets.


    "10 Galleons says it''s Livermorny. They have some really cool subjects."


    "You''re on. They have too many mudbloods in ''em. I bet it would be kohtzkorviz. They teach you dark magic as well,"


    "Shut up mate, it would be¡ª!"


    Dumbledore smiled, "I know there has been a great deal excitement of speculation and even votes on the forums on who the School might be, since we had to keep it under wraps in case there was a change in plans. But now, it has been confirmed. The school that is going to be coming for the exchange program is, Mahoutokoro School of Ninshu and Jutsu!"


    Axel closed his ears in annoyance as the crowd loudly cheered while some also expressed their disappointment over the news.


    Dumbledore waited for a few moments for everyone to quieten before he spoke again, "Now, since the school has remained relatively closed off in the past, I suppose a brief overview of the school is in order,"


    "Mahoutokoro is one of the best schools of Magic in Japan. But, in terms of its education, it is quite different compared to Hogwarts. Hogwarts trains wizards while Mahoutokoro trains Ninjas. While Hogwarts focuses on Spell casting, charms, hexes, transfiguration, enchanting, etcetera, Mahoutokoro is more oriented towards training their students in combat, physical and elemental magic, and other skills. The Ninjas trained from Mahoutokoro are becoming increasingly popular as they are hired for various jobs and are really skilled at what they do.


    They have their own unique way of spell casting which is quite interesting but also equally difficult to use. And the education they receive is vastly differs from ours. Overall, both the schools have a lot to learn from each other and I hope we can get along with our foreign friends."


    There was a round of applause after which Dumbledore spoke once again.


    "While they''re here, the schools are going to have a few friendly competitions in a few common fields so that the students can learn from each other. And let me assure you, our Deputy Headmistress would not be pleased if you showed unsightly behavior," he said, looking at Mcgonagall who gave the students a stern look.


    "And neither will I." Dumbledore added as the air around him turned serious. "This is the first time in many years that a cross-continental cooperation between schools of different cultures is being organized without any prior relations and precedents. The Magical Schools and governments from all over the world will be paying attention to it. If it ends with positive results, we might be opening up the doors to the cooperation and exchange between all major magical schools in the world. So, I sincerely hope you will conduct yourselves like a student worthy of Hogwarts'' reputation and bring honor to our School," he said, his words unconsciously making everyone straighten up.


    After, he began to go over miscellaneous stuff like the increased security and stuff but Axel was just too busy thinking about ways to attract the organization''s attention to listen to anything.


    He had almost zero to nil information on them so he didn''t know just how he could attract their attention.


    He can''t just advertise the fact that he has this cross-shaped pendant that the organization is looking for, can he? Nope, that''s just not the right way. Even if he wants them to come after him, he doesn''t want them to know that he actually has the pendant.


    It seems like the only way to attract their attention is to show his face to more people. Just like Gorski, surely someone else from the organization must also recognise his face and compare it to his father, right?


    But the question is... how? No one knows him outside Hogwarts. Until now, Axel has always focused on ways to draw the least attention, not the most attention. It was quite a bummer to him when he had still attracted a lot of attention at Hogwarts despite not wanting to.


    Speaking of which, the thing which got him famous at Hogwarts was... that scandal with Martina. Does he have to repeat something like that again?


    Axel sighed. Just the thought of that is making plan D much more appealing.


    Plan D... yes he had a plan D. But it was so bad that he didn''t even consider it untill now. It''s just that, Bellatrix Black knew his dad... so he thought, would she also know about the organization? But obviously, this was a very bad idea.


    After the students were dismissed, as Axel exited the great hall, someone called his name.


    "Axel!"


    ?


    Axel turned around to see Martina making her way over to him in a hurry, the crowd breaking out into hushed whispers as they looked at the two of them.


    "What is it?"


    Martina had a pleading look on her face as she looked at him, "Um... could I talk to you for a moment?" She asked, gesturing towards a broom closet.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Axel frowned. This is quite an unreasonable request, but since she was quite accommodating to him and Daphne at the train ride, he didn''t want to reject it.


    "Alright, but make it quick," he ordered as he followed her, not realizing that the crowd had gone bonkers behind him seeing the two of them going into a broom closet. Yep, his social skills were lacking.


    "What did you want to talk about?" he asked as he entered the broom closet after her and closed the door, making everything go dark. Martina, who wasn''t prepared for the unexpected darkness inside, tripped due to a bucket.


    "Ahhh!"


    ''Damn it!'' Martina quickly got up and pulled her skirt back down. It was so dark, he shouldn''t have been able to see anything, right?


    Only Axel, who could see perfectly, sighed, "Have you got some kind of split personality?" He asked the girl. This was what? The third time she fell in front of him? Maybe fourth. He couldn''t compare this awkward girl with the calm and composed girl who acts like a dignified princess in front of others. And, what''s her deal with the color purple? The design was different this time but she was still wearing purple inside.


    Meanwhile, the students outside were beyond surprised to hear the noise followed by Martina''s moan.


    "Are they¡­ really going at it?"


    "Damn¡­ that guy¡­ with Martina Valentino?"


    ¡­.


    Inside, Martina used Occlumency to calm down.


    ''He didn''t see anything...he didn''t see anything¡­''


    Under different circumstances, she wouldn''t have been able to recover so quickly, but right now she wanted to talk about serious stuff. Taking out her wand, she quickly lit up the room and put some privacy charms after which she finally turned to face him in the dim lighting.


    "I''m sorry, again, for my ungainliness. But I wanted to talk to you about something important." she said, her face slightly flushed due to yet another embarrassing moment in front of him.


    "Go on."


    Martina looked at him with concern, "I just wanted to ask, has anyone tried to bother or bully you after my warning?"


    Axel tilted his head,


    "No¡­ I was just attacked once because some asshole was too jealous," he said with a shrug.


    Martina looked shocked, "Really? Who was it?" She asked, outraged as the things inside the cupboard started to shake.


    Axel thought about it. His revenge wasn''t done yet, not by a long shot, and he didn''t want to be suspicious when bad things happen to those assholes. So, he just shook his head, "No need, None of the Slytherins can touch me. Is that all you wanted to ask?"


    Martina looked at him, slightly astonished. Was this the same boy whom she saw limping through the corridors while shaking non-stop on the very first day?


    But now that she looked at him again, she was surprised just how much he had changed. He was now as tall as her, and his whole being seemed to radiate power and danger.


    She recalled how he had handled the troll and Dementors and how he had handled her brother. Yeah¡­ if it''s this guy, the Slytherins need to be the one to worry. But...


    Martina sighed.


    "No¡­ there something else," she revealed. She had never expected that Luna would get sorted into Slytherin. Just like Hermione, Luna was a beloved character from canon and she had decided to not let the poor girl be bullied like she was in the canon. But¡­ Now that she was sorted into Slytherin, it''s like throwing a sheep to a den of wolves. That''s why, she was here to ask for Axel''s help, the only good Slytherin she knows.


    "It''s about Luna. She is...slightly different from the normal girls. And I''m afraid she''ll be bullied in the dorms..."


    "So?"


    "So¡­ could you please look out for her? I just need you to inform me if you see her getting bullied," said Martina with a pleading look.


    Axel looked at her in puzzlement, "Are you two related or something?"


    "Um...no?"


    "Then why are you going out of your way to help her?" In his case, it was understandable since it was her fault he was in trouble. But why is she helping Luna?


    "I¡­" Martina paused as a nostalgic look flashed on her face..


    "I just feel like I''ve known her from my previous life," she said half truthfully.


    Axel gave her a weird glance. This seems quite a drag. But then, his hand went to his pocket where he kept the knife she gave. It was the first Christmas gift he''d gotten. He still hadn''t given her anything in return for this thing. After all, what could he give her that she can''t get by herself with just a word?


    Thus, Axel sighed.


    "Whatever, I''ll try."


    Martina was so happy that she hugged Axel. "Thanks!"


    "...It''s not a big deal,"


    Axel had an uncomfortable look on his face as he slowly pushed her away. Today is turning out to be a peculiar day. This is the third time he''s being thanked like this.


    His guard is lowering itself while his mind is thinking of weird things, like... how easy it would be for these girls to stab him in the back while they''re hugging him...


    ¡­..


    Later, while sitting in office, Dumbledore pondered over various thoughts while looking through the various policies spread out in front of him.


    The time for war is drawing nearer as the forces of the enemy are making their moves in the dark. Thus, he can''t afford to be passive either. The danger this time will not only threaten Britain, but the whole world. It is not only Voldemort they need to be worried about. It''s a complete dimension.


    Yes, the boundaries between the worlds are somehow loosening, so if someone didn''t prevent it, there is fair chance that the creatures from NetherWorld might invade earth. And that, can be apocalyptic.


    NetherWorld''s threat can be imagined just by the fact that the magical creatures on Earth didn''t originate from here, but the other two worlds. And over time, their bloodlines diluted and their powers weakened through the generations while they stayed on earth. The tales and myths of legendary magical dragons didn''t originate from earth, but from the other two worlds.


    So, all Dumbledore can now do is make preparations for the worse scenario by bringing the Magical countries of the world together to fight as one, all the while hoping it doesn''t come to this.


    While doing that, he also has to pay attention to Rose''s safety. Which is why, he''s allowed Bellatrix to place her aurors at Hogwarts.


    Sigh*


    With a sigh, he popped a lemon drop in his mouth. Dumbledore was weary, oh so weary. He just hoped someone else could do this in his stead, but alas, no one but him can be trusted with such a heavy responsibility.


    ...


    Andromeda looked at her sister who had been quite busy these days, "How did you even get the Organization''s information?"


    Bellatrix shrugged, "I just caught one of its members."


    Andromeda couldn''t believe it. "What the hell Really?" This was quite the shocking news. "How did you even get the information out of a member? The last one committed suicide before you could get anything."


    Bellatrix shrugged, "I learn from my mistakes. Anyways, I think Axel might be in danger."


    Andromeda was instantly worried. "What do we do?"


    Bellatrix thought, "Well, I''m already sending Aurors to the school for the exchange program. I can arrange for his protection as well."


    "Aurors?" Just the word reminded Andromeda of her daughter who was still on training. She sighed. Nymphadora, even though she looks cheerful on the outside, she''s changed after Ted''s torture.


    Bellatrix looked at her sister. At one glance, she could tell her thoughts. She thought about the security for the exchange program. Come to think of it, wasn''t the Auror force shortstaffed right now?


    ''Hm... something can be arranged.''

 Chapter 53: Savage Axel

    A.N.: I made a typing error in the previous chapter. "Gilderoy Lockhart is teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts and Narcissa Malfoy is teaching History of Magic".


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    After his meeting with Martina, Axel went to the Slytherin dorms just to assess Luna''s situation. Besides, he has to keep showing his face there every now and then anyway, so that people don''t get suspicious.


    He entered just in time to see the yearly introduction begin. But this time, instead of Alaric Malcolm, a different person was sitting in the leader''s position. It was a beautiful bronze skinned girl who looked to be above 5th year who was sitting elegantly at the throne-like seat with her legs crossed. She had jet black hair that flowed to her shoulder like a curtain and her electric blue eyes looked at the students present authoritatively.


    "Hello everyone," she said, her voice having an exotic accent to it, "I''m Patricia Afonso, the new Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, and a sixth year Slytherin prefect. My father is a the newly appointed Brazilian Minister of Magic," she said, sounding rather bored. "And for those who care, yes I''m a pureblood. For at least this year, I''m assuming control of the Slytherin House, replacing Alaric Malcolm, who did a rather poor job in his final year," she said matter of factly.


    There were voices of protest from various Slytherins who were loyal to Alaric, especially from Damien Malcom and the group around him.


    Patricia raised a single eyebrow at the opposition. "Is there any basis for your objection? He lost us the Quidditch cup AND the house cup last year. Under his leadership, House Slytherin has turned into nothing but a bunch of bullies and villains. Does anyone of you know how many points we lost last year just because of you guys picking fights and breaking rules? We came at the last position, with the least number of points, ''even below Hufflepuff!'' Do you know how disgraceful that is?" She asked, and no one had any objection to that. The girl was spitting facts.


    "I don''t know about any of you, but I personally hate losing and losing so disgracefully. I had strayed far from leadership until now but I can''t let this continue. From today, I''m the captain of Quidditch team and the leader here. Does anyone have any objections?"


    There seemed to be none. Damien seemed quite tempted, but Axel knew he was too much of a snake to do anything openly when he was at such a disadvantage. Though, one student who looked to be in his third year raised his hand.


    Patricia nodded, "Good. Now that we have this out of the way let''s get to the main issue. Currently, all the other three houses see us as villains and losers because, well, we did break rules and we did lose the quidditch and house cup. Let me ask, are you guys...ok with that?"


    "No!"


    There were a few people who answered that instantly after while others also slowly voiced their approval.


    Patricia shook her head. "Lame. Are we all just a bunch of losers and bullies?!"


    "NO!"


    "Once again. ARE YOU LOSERS AND BULLIES?!"


    """NO!""""


    "DO YOU GUYS WANT TO CHANGE IT?!"


    """YES"""


    Patricia nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Then, let''s begin the Slytherin Redemption!" She said as she began to announce the new rules.


    "First of all, leave all the bloodstatus and family status crap out of here. The treatment you receive in this house will be solely based on the points and reputation your earn for the house. If you do well, you''ll be treated well and vice versa.


    Now, with that taken care of, the next thing on the list is Quidditch. Five out of the 7 players on our team were 7th years and our brilliant captain Malcolm didn''t find it necessary to train any extras since he was going to leave and it was of no concern to him whether we are now left with an incomplete team. So, Quidditch trials are going to be held this weekend. If you become a player, you''ll get special privileges in the house."


    "Next, and the most important one." Patricia paused at this one as her blue eyes looked at everyone seriously. "You have to stop doing what you''ve been taught in the circle last year," she said sombrely.


    ?!


    That got a reaction out of everyone including Axel. There were voices of protest as well as surprise and agreement from the students.


    "I had quit a long time ago and you all need to do the same. Tell me, after learning what was taught to as, have you not noticed the effects? Are you not more¡­ volatile? More temperamental?"


    Several Slytherins had a look of realization while some remained unmoved.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Looking at the girl still speaking, Axel sighed as he shook his head in pity. What this girl was trying to do was quite virtuous and laudable. Too bad though, whether she realizes it or not, she''s going to have a difficult time due to it.


    Most of the students of house Slytherin had signed up for the dark magic course and now even if they know it''s harmful, some bastards are just too much of greedy sons of bitches to stop now. Due to that, they''re only going to get worse, even if the majority come back to the right track. As for the Quidditch cup, now that she''s left with two players, there''s a fat chance she''ll be able to compete with other teams. To put it in a nutshell, she''ll be bringing positive effects but she''ll have to suffer the backlash.


    ¡­


    The next day, Axel was going to classes for the first time with his healed body. He was in quite a good mood as he went to the great hall.


    Right now, his only problem is, how much of his ability should he reveal? It was quite a complicated matter. Staying lowkey has its benefits, but it also has its downsides. Like how Neville Longbottom of all people insulted him yesterday and he didn''t do anything. Besides, he hasn''t exactly been able to remain lowkey despite his best attempts due to his bad luck.


    Sitting at the breakfast table, he looked at the new year''s timetable. First he had Charms, then Potions and then Defence Against the Dark Arts.


    "Why do you not eat normal food?"


    Sitting in front of him was Luna, who looked a bit drowsy.


    Axel frowned.


    "Why are you still sitting with me? Did you not make any friends yet?" By now, the rest of the first years were already sitting in groups, so he figured she ought to be in one of those.


    Luna tilted her head, "I did. But they asked me to sit somewhere else," She said dreamily.


    Axel looked speechlessly at the girl. Did she really not realize or is she pretending not to? Whatever the case, Axel realized that it''s not going to be easy keeping this girl out of trouble.


    Axel reached the charms class early and made to go straight to the last seat which, by now everyone knew, belonged to him. But, he found someone else sitting in his seat instead.


    "What''s up, Hunt?" Asked Draco, sitting on his seat with his friends surrounding him.


    "Malfoy, I''ve been in a good mood today. You better fuck off while it lasts," said Axel expressionlessly. He had been in a good mood ever since he''d healed. He cherished every second he could spend with his body not feeling uncomfortable anywhere for the first time in years. Thus, he was a bit more tolerable to minor annoyances. But, that seat was the best location to sit for him and he ain''t a pushover who''d just give it up if an ant tries to claim it.


    Malfoy got angry while his friends had a mixed reaction.


    "Draco, why don''t we sit at our usual place?" Asked Pansy. She really liked Axel and didn''t want Draco to antagonize him. Though some like Crabbe and Goyle were just cracking their knuckles, trying to intimidate Axel.


    But Draco ignored Pansy as he smirked at Axel. "What''s up Hunt? Not so brazen anymore?" He asked smugly with his wand in his hand, looking overly confident.


    Axel sighed. Of course this guy wouldn''t listen. He knew that Dravo thought he had no reason to back down. He must have made some minor Progress over the summer and he must have also been super confident after having his mother as a Professor, but¡­


    "Look, you idiot," said Axel slowly, as if to make the idiot understand. "I know that you think you are hot stuff now after learning some new spell and mommy''s got your back, but¡­" he paused as he looked down at his hands. "But this is the worst moment to try and pick a fight with me." He said seriously.


    This really was the worst moment for people to be picking on Axel. With his body healed, he was just raring to flex his new power. His whole body was bursting with power and his decisions were quite quite reckless as he was still on the high of this newly gained power.


    The smirk faded from Malfoy''s face as he suddenly felt that this might not be a good idea. But as he remembered all the advantages he had, he once again forced a smirk, "Oh yeah? What will you do, huh? Did you forget about what Patricia said last night? You''ll have to face the consequences if you try to attack me for just sitting on a seat," he said confidently.


    But suddenly, all the Slytherins felt a chill down their spin as they looked at Axel, who was just looking at Malfoy, his head slightly tilted to one side.


    Axel knew that Malfoy was right and that''s the reason why he hadn''t done anything. But¡­ does he really think Axel would give a fuck? Not at the moment at least.


    Axel had slowly began walking towards Malfoy until he was standing right beside him. Malfoy couldn''t do anything even as Axel lightly put a hand on his shoulder.


    "Malfoy, trust me, you want to fuck off now¡­ before I make you give your own wand another blowjob."


    "...!..." Looking at Axel Malfoy paled as he felt goosebumps rising on his arms. He found himself instinctively backing away as he felt the same fear that he felt during their dueling match, right before Axel had burned his mouth by shoving in his wand.


    He heard sounds of sniggering and found that Blaze Zabini and Theodore Knott were laughing at the blowjob comment.


    "That one right there was a violation, mate," said Theodore between chuckles.


    Even Pansy and Millicent were covering their mouths at Axel''s savage reply to Draco.


    Seeing this made Draco forget his fear due to the rage he felt.


    "You cripple¡ª" He exclaimed as he pointed his wand straight at Axel, ready to curse the bastard. But instead, he found out that his hand was empty.


    "You''ve done it now," muttered Axel. What''s with these ants calling him a cripple? Yesterday it was that Neville and today its this guy. Do they think that he''s scared of their mommy or something? Do they think he''s a pushover? Why do people like Malcolm even dare to attack him?


    That''s right. Because he has indeed been acting like a pushover. He hasn''t yet shown anyone even a little bit of what he''s capable of right now. Why has he been so passive? Because he wanted to stay out of trouble. But if trouble is still coming his way anyway, and he''s facing annoyances anyway, then¡ª


    "Why not simply do whatever I want?" he wondered as he gripped Malfoy by his hair. "Getting into trouble is much better than being insulted by ants," he decided.


    In the next moment, the wand he''d snatched had been returned to its rightful place, Draco''s mouth, after which Axel lift Draco off his seat and threw him across the class under everyone''s shocked gazes.


    Malfoy might have been fine with just that. Too bad two bulky bodies of Crabbe and Goyle followed right after, landing on top of him, completely flattening him to the ground.


    Crick* *Crack*


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    A.N.: Ah¡­ that ought to have hurt.

 Chapter 54: The Offer

    That ought to teach him a lesson, right?" muttered Axel, dusting his hands as he looked at Draco buried under Crab and Goyle. Even though he wasn''t really sure whether the guy learned his lesson or not, but there was one thing that Axel was sure of: This was satisfying and he didn''t regret doing it.


    He didn''t do this because of the seat. No, that much offense, he could take. In fact, he didn''t even intend to hurt him for that. But, when Malfoy called him a cripple, Axel just didn''t find a reason compelling enough to stop him from doing whatever he wanted. Neville only managed to escape because he was Daphne''s friend and just too pathetic.


    "Wha¡­"


    "Did¡­ did you see that?!"


    "Did he just¡ª?"


    "How the hell did he do that?!"


    Of course, the onlookers were understandably flabbergasted upon witnessing the unbelievable spectacle of someone literally throwing their classmate with just one hand. This wasn''t something that would be possible unless you have the physical strength of a peak athelete. But, looking at Axel''s lean frame, they simply couldn''t believe that it was him who did that even if it happened right before their eyes.


    At this moment, Professor Flitwick ambled into the class, witnessing a commotion going on.


    "Can anyone tell me what is happening here?"


    And this is how the House Slytherin lost its first points even before any of the Houses gain a single point.


    Draco Malfoy was sent to the hospital wing, but the matter wasn''t too serious, considering that bones can be fixed in a jiffy in the wizarding world, but the bastard made it look like he was dying.


    Flitwick was quite lenient on Axel. Axel had managed to achieve the highest scores in the first year and had always stayed quiet in his class.


    The demunitive Professor had personally witnessed the boy''s improvement, from not being able to properly perform the Lumos spell to perfectly casting all the first year spells. And Draco Malfoy was definitely not in the right, calling such a boy out on his disability, making fun of the weakness that he had been working so hard to overcome.


    Of course, this was a pleasant surprise for Axel, who was expecting higher point loss and a detention.


    "Thanks for going easy on the punishment, professor." Being the last one to leave, Axel thanked the Professor before he started to leave.


    Professor Flitwick smiled, "Try keeping out of trouble, Mr. Hunt," he said simply.


    "I will... try, Professor," replied Axel. But, his footsteps stopped when he reached the door.


    "Professor, I was curious why¡ª"


    "Why I was so lenient?" Asked Flitwick, finishing the sentence for him, to which, Axel nodded.


    The diminutive professor smiled as he looked down at Axel from his elevated seat.


    "Because, Mr. Hunt, there were times when I have also went through similar situations as you when people made fun of my height,"


    Axel''s eyes widened a fraction upon hearing that. Of course! Why didn''t he think of that? Being so short permanently might actually be worse than his situation in some aspects. And people simply tend to never consider how bad he must also feel to live with this reality, only seeing his jovial and comical sides mostly.


    Flitwick shook his head, "You don''t need to look at me like that, Mr. Hunt. That was me decades ago. Over the years, I have long come to love myself the way I am. As you can see from my achievements, I have learned to embraced my weakness and turn it into my strength."


    ''Turned it into your strength¡­?'' Enlightened, Axel looked at the Professor in surprise for several seconds before he left in silence, his mind abuzz with thoughts.


    ¡­


    Very quick, the news of Axel destroying Malfoy was spread throughout the whole school. Of course, no one really believed exactly how he did it, but Axel''s name had began making waves again. Though Axel ignored everything and simply attended his classes.


    But of course, actions had consequences, and some people were NOT happy with his actions.


    In an abandoned classroom, two snitches were flying around, with an athletic girl with bronze skin and electric blue eyes zooming around on her broom, trying to catch them. After a number of attempts, the exhausted girl sighed as she dismounted her limited edition broomstick.


    "Maybe I should just stick to playing as a Chaser," she murmured, looking at the snitches that were difficult for her to even follow. With all the players gone and Gryffindors having Rose Potter, she was forced to try playing as a seeker to have a shot at victory.


    "Patricia?" The door to the empty classroom opened, as her loyal friend entered. "You need to hear this," said her friend, telling her the latest piece of news.


    Patricia frowned as she heard of the incident. If a mere second year boys were to start opposing her from day one, how would they win the Trophy this year? And, who was this Axel Hunt anyway? Did he not hear her clearly yesterday that or does he not fear the consequences?


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Get me the information on this boy and Call him here when the classes are over," she ordered before she went back to practicing. She''ll make an example out of this kid.


    ...


    For the last class of the day, which was DADA, Axel sat in the last seat with Daphne.


    "So, I hear that you''ve been getting along with the new Girl?" Asked Daphne as soon as she came.


    Axel looked at her with dead eyes. "Seriously, I actually pulled off such a stunt, and the first thing you ask me about is Luna?"


    Daphne lowered her a head a little as if in thought.


    "Well, I have my priorities straight," she responded in a voice low enough that Axel couldn''t hear her.


    "What was that?"


    "Nothing. So, what is this news I''m hearing about you blowing people into the air with magic?"


    Axel shook his head, "Nothing much. He was just annoying me, so I taught him a lesson."


    Daphne looked at him with scrutiny, "Hm¡­ this is not like you," she observed. "Usually you''d have been more¡­ I don''t know, cautious?"


    Axel thought about it as he looked down at his hands. "You are right. But that was when I had no real power to rely on. Now though¡­" he clenched his fist and felt the power overflowing through him. "Let''s just say this is not a good time for people to pick on me," he said with a sigh. He wondered if he was going mad.


    Daphne nodded in understanding. "It''s not at all wrong," she said, noticing his doubts. "You know, Tory, mom and I cried happy tears for days after we found out she was healed," she revealed with a nostalgic smile, "One of us would just randomly start crying after once again realizing that it was real and then in the next minute, the other two''s dams would also be opened, and in no time, we''d start bawling our eyes out,"


    Listening to her, Axel fell deep into thought as once again realized just how different it is to have a family. Despite having a chronic disease like that, he still felt a bit jealous of Astoria for having such a loving mother and daughter.


    "Hey... by the way, Luna is cute, right?" Asked Daphne out of the blue, interrupting his thoughts.


    "Yeah¡­ wait, what did you say?" Asked Axel who didn''t quite hear what she said.


    "...Never mind," said Daphne, looking away.


    Soon, Gilderoy Lockhart entered the class, making many of the students cheer.


    Lockhart spread out his hands, as if to indicate that yes, he was the one. "Ladies and Gentlemen, congratulations! You finally get to meet me," he said, flashing everyone a smile with his abnormally white teeth.


    "Me, Gilderoy Lockhart, Order Of Merlin Third Class, One of the top 30 most followed people on Hooter and Magebook, and Witch weekly five time most charming smile winner and much, but you already know that, don''t you?"


    Looking at the cringey behavior of the man, Axel could only shake his head in disgust, "Is this guy for real?"


    Daphne also shook her head in bewilderment, "Let''s just hope he knows how to teach," she murmured.


    "...And then I disarmed him without even looking at him! Like this, Expelliarmus!" He shouted, clearly looking at the dummy sneakily from the corner of his eyes.


    Well, Lockhart turned out to be much of a comical guy as he''d exaggeratedly demonstrate each and every spell on a practice Dummy while bragging non stop. But, as it turned out, even though the guy was narcissistic as fuck, he at least seemed to know his stuff.


    "The spells were a bit weak, but still, he managed to cast them well enough," muttered Axel.


    Daphne nodded, "Well, better at teaching than at least Umbridge so far. But his fame is undeserved. No way he can do the things he''s bragged about with just this." was her judgment.


    Axel looked at her quizzically, "Why aren''t you acting like the others?" He asked, looking at other girls of the class who were definitely much more excited to be taught by Lockhart.


    Daphne looked at Axel for a moment, "Because, there''s simply no comparison," she said conclusively.


    ?? Axel didn''t really understand what but oh well, at least this Professor was turning out to be fine so far. He''s so self absorbed that Axel can easily sleep in this class. But right after he had this thought, the system gave him a notification after a long time.


    [Axel, he has been using Dark Magic.]


    ''Fuck.''


    ....And that promised Axel that this guy....is definitely not good news.


    ¡­.


    After the class ended, Axel found two Slytherin students waiting for him right outside.


    "You need to come with us."


    "Patricia wants to talk to you."


    Axel frowned at their ordering tone. He couldn''t say he didn''t expect things to go this way, but¡­ avoiding this situation now would only make it more complicated. They might think he''s afraid of them or something. And, when he wasn''t afraid of a group of grown-ass wizards who were using Dark Magic, why would he be afraid of this girl and her gang?


    So, he decided to meet up with this Brazilian young lady and give it to her straight to keep him out of this whole charade of hers.


    ¡­


    The door opened and Axel walked into the classroom which the two Slytherins had led him to.


    Looking inside, he was a bit surprised when a green streak flew past him, flying all around the large classroom at high speeds, chasing after a snitch.


    "Zzznnnnn*


    Patricia whizzed past him a few more times, coming dangerously close to crashing into him, but Axel didn''t move an inch. While waiting for her, Axel found out about two things.


    "Znnnnnnn" "Znnnnnnnnnnn"


    One, this girl was trying to intimidate him, and two, the noise made by the snitches in the closed space was¡­extremely annoying. Especially since he had Misophonia.


    Finding no success in intimidating the boy, Patricia landed as she went to sit on a top of a bench wiping the sweat off head. Her dark hair was tied in a pony tail and her body clad in a sports bra and leggings were glistening with sweat.


    "Why''d you call me?" Asked Axel, a bit impatient from the wait already.


    "Axel Hunt, the genius top of the class in first year. You were an asset to Slytherin last year," she said, taking a sip from her bottle, her breathing still a bit uneven from the earlier exertion.


    Normally, anyone male would be flustered in this scenario.


    But... Axel was not just anyone.


    "No shit." He muttered with a bored expression.


    "..."


    The atmosphere of tension and pressure she''d created in the past two minutes was completely destroyed as Patricia found no words to that. There was brief silence in which the only sound in the room was coming from the two snitches that were buzzing by both of them every few seconds.


    ''So annoying,'' thought Axel as he tried not to cringe at the irritating noise the snitches made. He wished she''d proceed a bit faster.


    Letting go of the games, Patricia decided to dive straight to the point. "You''ve been called here because of your earlier act of aggression against your fellow Slytherin, Draco Malfoy. Since you broke the rules created on the first day, in the first class with no regard to the impact it is going to have on the rest of the Slytherin, you are, as warned, going to receive an equivalent punishment from the House." She said in a way as if she was a judge sentencing a criminal.


    Axel looked at her exasperatedly, "And what it this punishment going to be?"


    "Usually, it is to be decided in front of the whole house. But," she said as she paused, trying to make Axel anxious, "Since you could be an asset to Slytherin, I''m willing to lighten your punishment," she said graciously.


    Axel was now beginning to get irritated, plus, the three snitch constantly passing by him were also not helping.


    "What is it?" He asked. There was no harm in listening, right? Maybe he could settle it peacefully, right?


    Patricia nodded, "You only need to apologize in front of all the House and promise to abide by the rules from now on." she said as if this was a light punishment.


    Yep, no way it''s going to end peacefully.


    Axel resolutely shook his head, "No chance."


    Patricia raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Are you really denying it? Are you aware of the consequences?" She asked, her voice taking a threatening tone.


    Though, in Axel''s eyes, she was nothing but a little kitten hissing at him.


    "Look here, you daddy''s princess. I get that you need to make a show out of punishing the person who broke the rules to establish your dominance, but believe me¡­" he paused as his eyes glowed dangerously. "You''re picking the wrong person to pick on here. Keep me out of these powerplays of yours and I''ll leave you alone."


    ?!?


    Patricia frowned as she felt somehow intimidated by the boy. But then, rage overtook her fear when she thought that a mere second year boy said these things to her. ''Daddy''s princess?!'' That was most infuriating.


    Frowning, she took out her wand to teach the boy some manners, but,


    *Swoosh*


    She was caught off guard when a spell came flying at her out of nowhere, disarming her with such force and precision that her wand shot out of her hand like a bullet as it broke through the window behind her, falling outside.


    !!!!


    Looking at her the hole in the window, cold sweat flowed down Patricia''s back as she imagined what would have happened if she took even half of that force. Her hand that had held the wand was had a burning feeling to it.


    Axel shook his hand as he inwardly clicked his tongue. He still isn''t adept at controlling this new power of his. His precision is now top notch but control is severely lacking.


    Pocketing his wand which he''d drawn within milliseconds, he glared at the girl. "I''m telling you again: Stay out of my way. You don''t know even half of what I''m capable of," he said as he started to leave. Before he left though, he reached out with his hand and¡ªa small golden ball got caught between his two fingers.


    "Wha¡ª" Patricia sat there, tongue tied as she witnessed Axel casually catching the snitch without even properly looking at it.


    "Annoying balls," he muttered before his hand blurred.


    *DING*


    An ear splitting sound rang out before the constant buzzing of the room suddenly stopped. With a stiff face, Patricia slowly turned her head to find the two broken and still twitching remains of two snitches lying on the floor.


    "....."


    ....


    Even after Axel had left, Patricia sat there in stunned silence for a long time, looking at the two snitches.


    In those broken remains, she could also somehow see the Quidditch Cup with House Slytherin''s name on it.


    Slowly, an obsessive gleam lit up in her blank eyes.


    ''I NEED HIM.''


    ****

 Chapter 55: Is It That Time of The Month For Her

    Step, step, step,


    Sounds of heals reverberated in the quiet and empty hospital wing as a woman walked towards a particular bed.


    The occupant of the said bed, who was constantly moaning in pain, perked up as soon as he saw the woman.


    "Mother!" He called out, almost forgetting to keep up his injured act.


    The woman, Professor Narcissa, frowned looking at her son. Seeing her son''s acting, she wasn''t at all moved.


    "Draco, stop being so pathetic," she said, looking at her son in distaste. "You''re not fooling anyone by pretending to be injured."


    "But mother! He¡ªHe attacked me for no reason at all! And he didn''t even get punished! Please punish him?"


    Draco Malfoy was terribly frustrated right now. He had wanted to get back at Axel ever since that humiliating duel. Too bad he didn''t have the guts to face him last year.


    But, he had thought that this year would be different. This year, he had his mother teaching at Hogwarts and his magic had also improved. He had even trained a lot to be a seeker. So, he had naturally thought that he would be the center of attention at Hogwarts and also teach that cripple a lesson.


    Too bad, he got humiliated at the start of the year. Now he could only depend on his mother to seek revenge for him.


    Contrary to his expectations though, Narcissa''s frown only deepened. "Lucius has spoiled you rotten. Did I not tell you that I''m not your mother here? You will not be getting any special treatment. Stop making a fool out of yourself and stop acting so spoiled. I didn''t come here to see you whining like a child."


    "Mother¡ª" Tried Draco once again, but Narcissa cut him off.


    "Mr. Malfoy," she said, her tone becoming stricter, "Do not expect any help from me. From now on, you will stop these childish actions which your father has instilled into you and conduct yourself with the way you have been taught by your etiquette tutor."


    Draco look pitifuly at his mother. When he was younger, she used to give him whatever he wanted but slowly, she has changed. She no longer even pays attention to him, let alone fulfilling his demands. Draco sighed pitifuly, "Yes Mother,"


    ...


    "Come with us."


    "Patricia wants to see you."


    Hearing the two Slytherin students, Daphne''s brows furrowed at the mention of Patricia''s name. Unlike Axel, she didn''t have the tendency to be ignorant about everything. So, she knew quite well who Patricia Afonso was. The Brazilian beauty was quite popular at Hogwarts due to her looks and being at the top of her year. But, her popularity was now at its peak since her father was now the Minister of Magic of Magical Brazil. And that girl wants to see Axel.


    ''What would that girl want with Axel?'' She thought as Axel left her with a simple wave. As Axel left, her Ravenclaw friends came to her side, all looking at Axel''s back.


    "Has he become more handsome?" Asked Lisa Turpin.


    Daphne frowned. All these friends of hers like to do is talk about useless things and gossip. That''s why she finds their company a bit undesirable.


    "His hairstyle has changed and he''s gotten even taller." observed Padma Patil. "And yeah, his skin looks quite good."


    Mandy Brocklehurst sighed. "No wonder Martina couldn''t wait yesterday night." she muttered, and the other girls had affirming responses. But, Daphne grew puzzled.


    "What are you talking about?"


    Su Li looked at Daphne in surprise, "You don''t know? It''s all over the forums."


    Daphne had to roll her eyes on that.


    "Of course I don''t."


    It would seem like Axel''s indifference was becoming contagious. Now she no longer wasted her time on her magi-mirror.


    Seeing this, her friends looked at each other with a ''Who''s gonna tell her'' look.


    Eventually, Mandy Brocklehurst was the one to speak first, "Not long after the dinner was over, Martina and Axel were found going into the broom closet together. They were totally shagging in there."


    "Yeah, people even heard Martina''s moan before they put up the privacy charms."


    "And the RM (recorded memory) of the time they left together? Did you see how tired Axel looked? And Martina was smiling."


    "...???"


    Daphne was actually well aware of the fact that her friends were jealous of her friendly relationship with Axel. And she knew better than to trust them. But still, she was indubitably perturbed.


    ''Martina! It''s Martina again.''


    ¡­.


    Lunch Time:


    Axel ate the breakfast calmly as he sifted through the minds of first years. Yep, Legilimency wasn''t as difficult as one would imagine. At least not for him. Currently, he had only learnt reading the surface thoughts but it was good progress, as far as he was considered.


    This skill, he was simply learning because of its high utility, not because of any urgency or reward like the time with Occlumency.


    Legilimency, as he found out through the system knowledge, wasn''t simply reading someone''s mind as he''d believed. It''s far more complex than that. He already knew from his insights into Occlumency that mind is quite a complex, many-layered mess. And Legilimency¡­. Is an art of delving into this mess, understanding it, interpreting it and, under certain conditions, even influencing it.


    With the system''s knowledge, if he is talented and proficient enough, no mind is inaccessible to him. Not even the most protected ones.


    Good for him, he already has the talent in droves, if the system''s claims were to be believed. And he just needed to gain the proficiency. Which is why, as he sat at the Slytherin table during lunch, he was practicing the skill on unsuspecting first years. But while he was busy, a girl came to stand in front of him, attracting the attention of a number of students. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Ah¡­Mr. Hunt?" A faltering voice was heard, disturbing him.


    Axel scowled as soon as he saw who the person was. "Did I not tell you to stop bothering me?" He asked, his voice containing danger.


    Patricia bit her lips upon his hostile response. She really did regret threatening him. But how could she have known this guy would turn out to be a godly seeker?


    "Mr. Hunt, I sincerely apologize for my earlier transgressions. But could you give me a chance to speak?"


    "What is it?" Asked Axel in irritation. He didn''t know what she wanted but her eyes looking at him were a bit strange. It was similar to how one would look at a delicious meal.


    Patricia put up a privacy charm around them as she quickly sat in front of him,


    "As you demanded, your punishment for breaking rules has already been waived off. Furthermore, I have a very attractive offer for you," she said, leaning closer on the table.


    Axel didn''t stop eating his lunch, "Go on." He was a bit perplexed with her sudden change in attitude. Just a while ago, she was quite rude and threatening. But now she couldn''t be more polite and simpering. He didn''t think intimidating her would result into this.


    Patricia straightened, putting her hands on the table. "Mr. Hunt, what you did with the snitch, it was such an impressive display of skill that it has me absolutely convinced of your qualifications!"


    "So, I would like to ask, would you be interested in joining the Slytherin Quidditch team?" She asked with a charming smile. She didn''t think Axel would reject her. After all, who can reject such an attractive offer?


    "No. Is there anything else?"


    "...?" Patricia''s momentum crumpled. She couldn''t understand why Axel refused without any fluctuations in his mood. Heck, the guy didn''t even pause chewing his food, as if her offer was nothing but air to him.


    "What the f¡ª ahm... Pardon me... but I don''t understand. Are you actually rejecting the seeker position in the Slytherin Quidditch team?" She asked, understandably flummoxed.


    Axel paused in his eating of system recommended food as his eyes once again glinted dangerously. "Yeah, is that a problem?"


    Flinch.


    Patricia realized that perhaps, she had moved too soon. Clearly, saying anything more right now would only irritate this demon more. So, putting on a flattering smile, she said, "No-No, not at all! I can only ask you to think about it. The offer will always be there in case you change your mind," saying so, she canceled the privacy charms and left quickly.


    But while leaving, her mind only had one thought: Not giving up.


    Not long after she left though, another girl came to stand in front of Axel. And this time, the number of eyes gathering on him increased a lot.


    "So, how is Luna doing?" Asked Martina.


    Axel furrowed his eyebrows, "Not bad, but not good either. The house is trying to change this year so it''s not as dangerous, but she''s not making friends."


    Martina pursed her lips. "Please try to keep an eye on her. I''ll try to help her in making friends."


    Axel shrugged, "Good luck with that," he muttered, thinking of it as a daunting task. Even though Luna was quite different, he had one thing in common with her: They don''t fit in.


    ....


    Meanwhile, sitting at the Ravenclaw table, Daphne looked at the scene of beautiful and powerful girls meeting Axel one after another and her knife savagely dug itself into the food she was having, scaring those who were sitting around her.


    She was feeling a burning hostility towards these girls. They''re only approaching him now when he''s healed. They''re only realizing his awesomeness now.


    ''Such superficial girls! Hmph!''


    ....


    After Lunch Axel went to attend his very first History of Magic class. Thinking of who the teacher was, he couldn''t say that he wasn''t worried. The professor whose class he was going to attend was the mother of Draco, the boy whose bones he had freshly broken this morning for no big reason.


    ''Is there any Black sister left with whom I haven''t gotten into conflict yet?'' He muttered in annoyance.


    Entering the class, he naturally sat beside Daphne at the last seat since they had History of Magic together.


    ??


    But today, Daphne''s mood didn''t seem good. Her mouth was forming into a slight pout that happens when she''s unhappy and she didn''t smile even at him like she usually does.


    "What''s up with you?"


    "... Nothing." she replied. Still, the pout didn''t go away and neither did she smile.


    Axel shrugged. He decided that he couldn''t be bothered. After all, he had other things to worry about, like the mother of Draco burning him down. He hoped it wouldn''t be a similar case as Umbridge. It wouldn''t be anything he can''t handle but it''ll definitely be troublesome.


    They sat in silence while Axel practiced his Legilimency and Daphne fidgeted restlessly. Finally, Daphne couldn''t hold it in and opened her mouth. But at that moment, the door opened.


    Professor Narcissa had already arrived into the class walking in gracefully. She was wearing a fashionable but conservative Black dress and designer robes. She had a pair of glasses on her eyes and her expression was dignified. Overall, she gave off the impression of a strict teacher. Some olders students had called her a milf for some reason though.


    As a habit engraved by Umbridge, the whole class greeted her with a "Good Afternoon," to which she nodded.


    "Good Afternoon. My name is Narcissa Malfoy and I''ll be teaching you the History of Magic this year."


    Axel was a bit relieved that she hadn''t targeted him yet though he wondered why she specifically said ''this year''. Come to think of it, why did she even have to teach?


    Professor Narcissa continued. "This year, we''ll be focusing mainly on History of Magical Britain and History of Magical Japan. This year, since we''re going to be having classes with Japan, the Ministry has provided some important information about the Japanese Magical History, culture, and education that are Mandatory for all of you to learn beforehand."


    "Since we have only limited days before the Delegation arrives, let''s first focus on Magical Japan rather than Britain." She said, opening up her notes.


    Finding the topic interesting, Axel focused the Lecture finding his worries unfounded. Daphne''s pout also faded away as she also focused on the Lecture.


    "Magical Japan is a powerful magical country that''s famous in Japan. It''s relatively unknown here in Europe due to the large distance, but since Magical Portals can now be developed quite safely between the countries, they, like the other Asian Superpowers like Magical China and Magical India, have began to actively participate in the worldly affairs, like the Dueling Championship and Quidditch World Cup and thus getting popular throughout the world."


    "The Japanese have their own way of casting Magic. It involves Hand Seals and incantation, but, it doesn''t necessarily need a magical conduit like a wand. Technically, we can also learn to do it, but it needs a ridiculous amount of practice to learn and the hand seals need to be very accurate, lest you harm your hands. That''s why, the Japanese also learn to use Wands magic alongside their Hand Seal Magic."


    Axel looked down at his hands.


    ''System, would it be worthwhile me for me to learn Hand Seal magic?''


    [Affirmative. The main component needed for that magic is dexterity. The more dextrous and faster you are, the better you would be forming the Heal Seals.]


    ''....That so?'' Axel suppressed a grin. Then this magic seems tailor made for him. He was now looking forward to the arrival of this School. Smiling lightly, he focused his attention back on the class.


    ¡­.


    After the Lecture, Axel looked at the pouting Daphne. He didn''t know what was bothering her, but he needed her help with something.


    "Hey,"


    Daphne glanced at him before she looked away. Assured that she was listening, he continued, "There are two things I need your help with."


    Hearing that, Daphne paid full attention to him as she put away her sullenness. "What is it?" She asked. No matter what the case, she''ll always be there to help.


    "I got an offer from Patricia to play as the seeker for the Slytherin Quidditch team."


    "What?! How?!"


    That managed to shock her enough to stop her cold behavior.


    "Well, it''s like this¡­" He said as he summarized the events.


    Daphne fell into a daze after listening to him. "So¡­ it actually was about this¡­" she muttered in realization.


    "?What did you say?"


    "Nothing!"


    Axel shrugged, "Anyways I refused. But¡ª


    Daphne was stunned, "The fuck?! You actually refused?!"


    "Yeah. But...I want to know what would happen if I had accepted? Would it have been good or troublesome?" He asked.


    Actually, he had no idea what it meant to be a Quidditch player. So, he thought he might as well ask his Quidditch fanatic friend. Daphne knew him well enough to know if he''d find something troublesome or not. His first choice was, of course, rejection, but Patricia''s reaction, as if she found it absurd that he''d even consider refusing made him rethink his decision and wonder if there was something he was missing.


    As the shock subsided, Daphne realized that it was Axel they were talking about. So, refusing kinda is actually the better choice.


    "Hm¡­ On second thought, I think you made the right decision. You would have found it quite troublesome." She muttered.


    "Isn''t it?"


    "Yeah. The fame and publicity gained from it is just too high. Especially if the player is as absurd as you."


    That made him pause. Fame? It reminded of a mission he had half given up upon. "Really?" He had only watched one Quidditch match in his life. So of course he didn''t know it was this big.


    Daphne nodded, "Of course. I''m afraid if you played, not only Britain, you''d be famous even in the foreign countries once the videos of your play are uploaded to the Magi-Hive. You have both the looks and skills so you''ll get viral pretty quick. Since you want to keep a low profile, it would be too troublesome for you."


    "...."


    That was the past him. The current him needed all the attention he could get for an absurd mission of his since he had no other choice. He needs to know how to use this pendant of his which is supposedly going to be very helpful against Voldemort. If Voldy comes next year, he''d helplessly have to see this world being conquered. And that''s unacceptable unless the conqueror was Axel himself.


    "So, what was the other matter?"


    Daphne, who thought that she couldn''t provide much help for his first problem, Asked for the second problem, bringing Axel out of his thoughts. Though, she still sounded quite sulky, showing her unhappiness.


    "Huh? Yeah well, I wanted to know if you can have a way to help Luna make friends," he said, forgoing the thoughts of Quidditch for the moment.


    Why did he ask her? Because as it was, he could clearly see that little rabbit Luna being eaten alive by the Slytherin snakes. He can''t always keep an eye on her and Martina being the awkward introvert she is, can''t do shit in helping her make friends. Daphne on the other hand, has loads of friends and she even has a little sister. So he thought she''d be the best person to ask.


    "Why... are you so concerned about her?" She asked casually, but her eyes were sharp.


    Axel rolled his eyes. "I couldn''t care less. But this Martina somehow does. Absurdly so. She is so desperate that she dragged me to the broom closet yesterday to ask my help."


    Daphne froze.


    "....So, that''s what it was about¡­" she muttered.


    "Of course. She even came to my table in front of everyone today, making me quite irritated. I can''t let this keep going."


    ''....So, that''s what that was about,'' she repeated.


    ..... Then, weren''t here worries all useless?


    Axel waved his hand front of the dazed Daphne. "The hell is wrong with you? Why are you suddenly smiling now?" He asked, looking at the goofy smile stretching on her lips.


    Daphne coughed as she suppressed her smile. "Nothing. Leave this matter to me!" She said in a bright mood. "I''ll make Luna so many friends that no one would bully her!"


    "....Luna¡ªtic." muttered Axel, looking at her weird behaviour throughout the day. Is it that time of the month for her? According to the system''s general knowledge, sometimes witches get quite temperamental during that time.


    ¡­..

 Chapter 56: Hogwarts Vs Mahoutokoro

    "No. You can''t just do or say whatever you like, Luna. You can''t say things that people can''t understand or find wierd. You should try to be normal, to blend in." Explained Daphne, her expression already a bit troubled and tired.


    Luna slightly tilted her head in confusion, "But, why would I need to do that? I like to do things that I like."


    Daphne shook her head, "But then you wouldn''t be able to make friends," she stated, a bit exasperated. How long had this been going on?


    Luna smiled. "But don''t I already have friends?"


    "You do?"


    Luna gave her a puzzled look, "Aren''t you my friend?"


    "I¡ª" looking into the pure eyes of the girl, Daphne couldn''t bear to deny it. "I meant in House Slytherin," she clarified.


    "But I have Axel there."


    "No you don''t!" Daphne snapped.


    "? I... I don''t?"


    ''Damn it!'' thought Daphne. The words had left her mouth before she could stop herself but she regretted it when she saw the innocent girl looking at her cluelessly.


    Daphne got up. "Alright, we''ll talk later," saying so, she left before the girl could make her more frustrated.


    Daphne sighed. What the hell was she thinking, promising Axel that she''ll help this girl make a lot of friends with so much confidence?


    ''Thinking?!''


    Oh right. She wasn''t thinking at all. At least not anything remotely rational. Daphne sighed again. What was wrong with her these days?!


    Every time when it comes to Axel, she finds herself acting like an idiot and taking impulsive actions. Her thoughts aren''t rational and she finds it difficult to look him in the eyes. And then there''s the damn heartbeat. It increases to such levels that it makes her fear he''ll hear it.


    ''Is it really what I think it is?'' She thought helplessly. It''s not like she''s dense or ignorant. She knows what the most likely reason for this is. And it''s not a surprise really. Axel was her Achilles heel. The moment she got curious, it was already game over for her. But¡­


    But, it''s quite an unfortunate thing to happen to her.


    Just being friends with that guy was as difficult as taming a unicorn. She can''t fathom how she can reach past that stage.


    ''It''s impossible¡­'' she thought. Not with him pushing away everyone when they try to get close.


    Nope, she''d rather stay in denial and hope this was just one of those things in life that you want, but can never achieve. Like being reborn, or traveling to a different world. It''ll most likely pass over, right? Or maybe not?


    ¡­.


    As the days passed, Hogwarts was abuzz with activity. Since it''s going to be having guests, preparations had to be made.


    The House elves worked overtime to clean up the castle while students were educated about the basics of the Japanese culture, and a portal was being set up near the Quidditch pitch, at the usual Portkey Location.


    With all the preparations being taken care of, there were only a few matters which needed to be settled before Hogwarts would be prepared to host the newcomers.


    The day before the arrival of the guests, before dinner, Dumbledore stood at the podium in the Great Hall, with all the students gathered.


    "I hope everyone is here as I have a few announcements to make," said Dumbledore, gathering everyone''s attention.


    "As everyone is aware, tomorrow is the day when the delegation from Mahoutokoro will be arriving, and our preparations are almost complete. In regards to this event, there are a few issues which I''m going to address now. First is, the language barrier." he said, and the students got curious. No one here knows Japanese and neither would most of them know English. How would they communicate?


    Dumbledore smiled, "This is also one of the main reasons why cooperations like this were not usually supported. How would we communicate? With English being the universal language, many people throughout the world are able to speak it, but many non-natives still don''t know the language. Would the teachers who are coming be able to teach you properly in a non-native language? Would the students who are coming to learn from our teachers be able to understand? How are the students between the two schools supposed to communicate? These are the common questions that have frequently arisen."


    Many students only realized this issue now while some had already thought about it. Some already knew the solution while some were clueless. As Dumbledore paused, a mild discussion started between the students.


    Dumbledore smiled reassuringly as he spread his hands.


    "But now, I am delighted to assure you that, with the development of magical technology, it is no longer an issue." He made a go-on gesture and the prefects of each house began distributing something to every student in their respective houses.


    Being the closest to the corner, Axel was among the first ones to get it. Axel looked at the pendant-like object in his hand with curiosity but he could already hear the students.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "The Translation Amulet? nice!"


    "Oh, so that is the translation Amulet? It''s my first time seeing one in person."


    "How would you have seen it before? You''ve most likely never travelled out of Britain, why would you even need it?


    "So, it''s like this..."


    Smiling, Dumbledore continued, "Yes, for those who do not know, these are the translation Amulets that would help you understand any Japanese you hear. Quite an ingenious little invention, especially since it can be mass produced without much difficulty. Ever since their invention, they''ve become quite popular in the ICW and other international meetings."


    The students all stared at their Amulets excitedly. Meanwhile, when Martina looked at hers, she could already tell how it was made.


    "Elder Futhark runes to make the information storage and Celtic ones to make converter and an ''Understading''. This is alright, but the runes are machine inscribed, so won''t work for as long, and material is not good, temporary unbreakable charm, can only convert Japanese to English... a cheap knockoff of the one I designed," she murmured, already analyzing everything. Legally speaking, she could sue this company since she owned the patent, but they, the Valentino''s were already drowning in money and there was nothing groundbreaking in this invention so she decided to just let it rest and focus on what Dumbledore was saying instead.


    "Students are requested to keep their Amulets secure. In case of it being damaged or lost, getting a replacement will be difficult and the one who damages them will have to pay for compensation," said Dumbledore seriously.


    "Moving on, in Quidditch, aside from the usual matches, there will be one more match that will be played: Hogwarts V/s Mahoutokoro."


    "What?"


    "Really?!"


    "Yeah!"


    This made everyone excited. Instead of competing between Houses, they''d be competing with a different school. This time, they can indisputably support one team!


    Dumbledore smiled at the students'' enthusiasm, "So the main question that arises is, how will the members be chosen?" The old man raised a valid question. Who would be the members?


    "Every player would demand a spot in that team, and there are differing opinions on who is better suited to be on the team. And then, when the members of different houses form a team, would they be able to play in Harmony? In lieu of such conflicts, we have opted to choose a simple solution: the house team that wins the Interhouse Championship, will get the opportunity to represent Hogwarts in the upcoming match between the schools. May the best team win," said Dumbledore, subtly glancing towards the Gryffindor table at the end of his sentence with slight amusement.


    CHEEERS*


    There was a loud cheer as three of the four houses cheered, hoping they might be able to win and represent Hogwarts while the Slytherins didn''t look so happy.


    Hearing all the noise, Martina just shook her head. She could already tell that the main aim of Dumbledore was to have Gryffindor, or rather Rose Potter win this thing. With the Slytherin team in shambles and the other Houses inferior to the Gryffindor''s current team, Gryffindor will most likely win this thing. With this he has atleast made sure that none of the players from the Slytherin team can enter.


    When the noise subsided, Dumbledore continued,


    "Now, the next issue that needs to be addressed. Since the exchange program is such an unprecedented and important event, the security needs to be bolstered. Hence, Aurors would be stationed here at Hogwarts starting from tomorrow to keep an eye on things and make sure nothing untoward happens and causes an international issue. Students are requested to follow their security measures and lessen their burdens. That will be all. Now, you can start filling up your bellies. I shan''t keep you any longer," said Dumbledore with a smile as he left the podium.


    With Dumbledore''s announcements, everyone was now excited. Some were discussing about Quidditch, comparing the different house teams and how they could win, while some were playing with their newly obtained Amulets. Axel on the other hand, was just minding his own business, eating his boiled and tasteless food.


    ?..?


    But suddenly, Axel felt goosebumps all over for some reason.


    Patricia looked at Axel with a half crazed/half desperate look. With the stakes risen so high, Axel was the only chance that the Slytherin team had of making it to the finals. She had to recruit him, no matter what.


    ¡­


    12 Grimmauld Place.


    The two Black sisters were in the kitchen, doing what they do best. Andromeda was cooking while Bellatrix was eating.


    Bellatrix sighed, "It''s been crazy busy. Truly."


    Andromeda smiled, "I can imagine. But it''s going to be quite beneficial for Britain."


    Bellatrix shook her head, "That''s not why I''m doing this." Sure it was good for Britain, but that wasn''t her main goal.


    Andromeda furrowed her eyebrows. "Then why? Bella, tell me already."


    Bellatrix just shook her head. "I have to increase our power and influence quickly. Ninjas are good hit wizards, but they don''t accept requests from just anyone. With this, we''ll be able to hire them with much more ease."


    Andromeda stopped in action as she realized something. "You¡­ you actually found some clues, didn''t you?"


    Bellatrix nodded seriously, "It''s tricky, but yes. Basically, our suspicions were correct. The organization is indeed from ''that'' place."


    Atlantis...


    The most powerful and mysterious magical country. A country that''s always been closed off to the outsiders. It neither interferes with the outside world, nor does it let the outside world interfere with it.


    Andromeda sighed regretfully, "No wonder."


    It all makes sense now. No wonder they couldn''t find it for all this while. Turns out, they were hiding in that country! It also explains why they couldn''t find anything about Axel''s parents'' past. Axel... was an Atlantian.


    But, that''s not what''s important right now. Andromeda''s looked at Bellatrix seriously.


    "Bella, if this is indeed the case, then it is going to be much more difficult than a simple revenge. The organization is dangerous. You can''t take any rash actions,"


    Bellatrix took a sip of her wine, "I know."


    BAM!


    At this moment, the door was flung open, as if someone had kicked it and the two alarmed women heard a familiar voice, "I''m back, bitches!"


    "..." X2


    Bellatrix and Andromeda remained motionless as the intruder made their way into the kitchen.


    "Blimey! I''ve always wanted to do that," said Nymphadora Tonks as she grinned at the two women.


    "Nymphadora?" Andromeda whispered in a daze.


    Andromeda was still surprised while Bellatrix was exasperated at the dramatic entry.


    "Did you catch the Black madness while you were away, Nymphadora?" Asked Bellatrix, not the least bit surprised by her arrival. She just wanted to give her sister a surprise.


    Nymphadora''s grin turned into a pout, "Black madness? That''s rich coming from you, Aunty Bella. And when will you stop calling me by that name?" she said even as she made her way to her mother who had already abandoned the cooking to hug her daughter.


    "How come you''re back?" Asked Andromeda, hugging Nymphadora tightly. Her daughter has been on Auror Training for more than one and a half years. It lasts for around three years and the trainees aren''t allowed to leave before that. Calls are allowed, but it''s been a long time since the mother and daughter saw each other in person.


    "It''s all thanks to Aunty Bellatrix. Since Hogwarts needs a lot of security and manpower right now, they''ve also decided to discharge some trainees to let them get some experience. It''s part of the training."


    While hugging Nymphadora, Andromeda looked gratefully at her sister. Bellatrix just shrugged. "Don''t look at me like that. There was just a shortage in manpower."


    "Aww, Aunty Bella is such a big softy," said Nymphadora as she dragged Bellatrix into the hug as well, turning into a three way hug.


    After the three women had hugged her enough, Bellatrix coughed, "Listen up now. There''s a personal mission I''m giving you."


    ...

 Chapter 57: Arrival

    The night before the arrival of the Delegation. Not long after the dinner was over, while everyone was still excited due to Dumbledore''s announcements, Axel silently got up and left after eating his fill.


    "Axel!" Someone called him out as soon as he left the great hall.


    A sigh escaped his mouth when he recognised the voice. "What is it?" He asked, even though he already knew exactly what it was.


    Patricia stood behind him with a somewhat unnatural expression. Her breathing was rugged and her face was flushed. "I really, really want to win now. Anything¡­ I''ll give you anything! Please join the team." She pleaded.


    Axel thought about it. Even after he took Daphne''s advice, he hasn''t given her a definite answer during these days. It''s just one of those things you entertain the idea of doing but never really act on it. Even at this moment, Axel was still thinking whether he should go for it or not.


    "So? Will you give it try? You don''t even have to waste for time in training or anything. I already researched, you can fly decently. You just have to show up at match¡­" Patricia desperately continued pitching.


    ''What to do¡­.'' wondered Axel. It was tough choice since his life might be in danger. But suddenly, Axel snapped out of his thoughts. What the heck is he doing? Since when has he been so indecisive?


    Wasn''t it all clear? He wants the Organization and he wants to do the mission. Then why hesitate? If he has to do it, he''ll do it, and kick ass while doing it! If he can''t even handle the Organization, is he supposed to just roll over and die when Voldemort conquers this world?


    "Alright."


    "And I''ll even handle if anyone tried to bother¡ªwhat did you say?" Patricia paused in her pitching as soon as she heard him.


    "I said I''m in, Captain," said Axel decisively.


    "!" Patricia''s face lit up with joy. She was so happy that she rushed up to hug Axel.


    But¡­ she hugged nothing but empty air as Axel suddenly disappeared and appeared a meter away.


    "Not everytime," he muttered with his back to her, already walking away. He was already somewhat used to these girls'' attack called ''hug''. Not just any random girl can trap him.


    ¡­


    "Hogwarts!" With a shout and pinch of floo powder, Nymphadora Tonks arrived at Hogwarts floo station.


    "How things have changed¡­" she muttered, looking at the floo station. She still remembers the time it was being built. It used to be a boys toilet near the Quidditch pitch before that. But now, the Quidditch pitch has turned into a Quidditch stadium and this thing has transformed from a boy''s toilet to a floo station.


    Whoosh¡­Whoosh¡­


    The other aurors had arrived while she was looking around. Frank Longbottom, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Hestia Jones, and around a dozen others.


    "Blimey, things have been changing too fast," muttered one of the Aurors.


    "Well, it''s still quite similar¡­" observed Tonks. They didn''t even have to change it much. Just had to replace the urinals with a fireplace. Otherwise, it looks the same. The other auror agreed to her statement but, he seemed to have missed an important point here.


    "And how in the Merlin''s pants, do you know how this boy''s toilet used to look like?" Asked Hestia Jones, Nymphadora''s friend and fellow auror trainee, emphasizing the word "boy''s"


    Nymphadora grinned, "Well, let''s just say that being a metamorphmagus has its perks," she said with a wink.


    "..." Hestia had to take a few seconds to digest that, "So¡­ you can actually grow a pair."she said and the two of them burst out laughing. Some other Aurors who were listening in on the conversation also had to suppress their sniggers.


    "Enough!" Said Frank Longbottom, making the Aurors flinch. "Don''t forget that the two of you are on active duty."


    "Yes, boss!" Replied Tonks, once again cursing the involvement of Frank. This man was the head of magical law enforcement and more importantly, he was very strict and a pain in the ass. She was glad he was here only for today to welcome the delegation. They were currently under Kingsley Shacklebolt.


    "Aurors, Listen up!" Said Shacklebolt, gathering everyone''s attention. He then began briefing them on their duties. Someone was supposed to keep a look out on the wards, someone was supposed to patrol the castle, someone was supposed to keep an eye on the students and prevent any major disputes from happening, etc.


    "Trainee Tonks!"


    "Yessir!"


    "It has been speculated by the Headmaster that the Girl-who-lived is going to be targeted during this time. Your mission is to guard her 247. Is that clear?"


    "Wow¡ªI mean Yessir!" Tonks couldn''t help but grin. She can spend her time chilling with her cute cousin Rose.


    Frank frowned. "She''s just a trainee. I don''t think she can handle high level threats," he stated, questioning Kingsley''s decision.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    "Well¡­" the Aurors exchange glances. None could really blame Frank. After all, how would he know? That behind this cute and ditzy facade, was a monster personally trained by the Minister.


    ¡­


    By the next day, the news of Axel joining the Slytherin team as a seeker had already spread far and wide at Hogwarts. And people had quite different opinions on it.


    "He''s just a cripple! There''s no way he can be a seeker!" Was Draco Malfoy''s opinion, who was still woefully unaware and wrong at many levels. He was enraged.


    "He''s going to destroy them..." was what Daphne was thinking. It seems like she''ll be supporting the Slytherin team this year. But still, she was worried. Why did agree? It''s not something he would do. Was it... because of that beautiful captain of Slytherin?"


    "Why would he do this?" Was what Rose wondered as she sat at the Gryffindor table for lunch. Why indeed would he do this? It was understandable if it was something like Dueling, but isn''t playing Quidditch quite hopeless for him? As a seeker herself she didn''t feel right playing against him.


    Neville, who was quite proud to see both his father and mother sitting at the Professor''s table, simply scoffed. "I bet it''s because I taunted him last time. He couldn''t accept the fact that he''ll never beat you at Quidditch."


    Meanwhile, Nymphadora, who was sitting with Rose looked at the Slytherin table curiously. "Which one is he?" Who was this guy for whom Aunty Bella and mom are so concerned about?


    Rose didn''t even have to look over, "Corner of the table from left."


    "Damn..." muttered Tonks as soon as she saw him. She then looked at Rose in a new light. "So, you hate him?"


    Rose nodded. "You have no idea. Hate can''t even cover half of it!"


    Nymphadora grinned as she shook her head. ''Sweet Merlin, is this what I think it is?''


    "Oh? Why exactly is he annoying?" She asked Rose.


    "That... because... he''s such an idiot! Why is he even trying when he knows he can''t win? And there are so many other reasons!"


    "... Is that so?"


    Rose grew annoyed, "Yeah. And what''s with that shit-eating grin of yours?"


    Tonks'' grin widened as it stretched up to her ears, literally, just to troll her Ickle little Rosie. (metamorphing for win) "Nothing. Blimey, Isn''t it hot in here?"


    ¡­.


    The portal opened, and an old man wearing a yukata stepped through, his eyes appearing almost closed. This was Yamasaki Hiroshi, the principal of Mahoutokoro School of Ninshu and Jutsu.


    The man had a walking stick in his hand even though he walked in an upright manner. His head was bald, and his eyebrows, beard and mustache were white and long.


    Behind him came the Teachers and students of Mahoutokoro. While the headmaster looked quite harmless and peaceful, these people gave out strong and intimidating vibes as they looked around curiously.


    Unlike Hogwarts'' students who were wearing long-ass impractical robes, these people were wearing clothes that were easy to move in and each of them had a forehead protector which was carved with a symbol that signifies their specialization. Fire, water, wind, and earth.


    "Yamazaki."


    "Dumbledore."


    Dumbledore greeted Yamazaki Hiroshi familiarly while the other students and teachers of Mahoutokoro looked around curiously. When they looked at the students, their eyes showed traces of disdain. This somewhat guaranteed that the upcoming months weren''t going to be as peaceful as some would have liked.


    "You''ve grown old, Dumbledore. I no longer see that fire," said Yamazaki, tapping his cane on the ground.


    Dumbledore smiled, "I can say the same for you, my friend. The you of 40 years ago would have already bombarded me a few times."


    "Then, let me see if you still have it in you," said Yamazaki before his hands formed a series of hand signs and his face turned up towards the sky.


    In the next moment, Flames erupted from his mouth, forming a giant dragon as they reached high enough.


    Dumbledore sighed, "I''m too old for this, my friend." He pointed his wand at the giant dragon. Even though he said this, both the old fogies knew that this was the right move. Both sides needed to show the students what the other side had to offer.


    Now, there were many ways Dumbledore could have dealt with this, but to dispel the Mahoutokoro''s disdain and condescension, he had to make a demonstration. A flaming phoenix burst out from the elder wand and went toe-to-toe/talon-to-claw with the giant Dragon.


    BOOOOOM*


    "Holy Shit..."


    "Bollocks!"


    "Is this...the power of¡ª"


    The students looked the giant Dragon and Phoenix fighting it out in awe.


    On the other hand, Axel was trembling with excitement.


    [Arcane Eyes]


    [True Invisibility]


    [Presence Reduction]


    [Blend]


    "Fuck..." He had opened his Arcane eyes just in time when the old fogie had warned Dumbledore of his attack. And the results... were exciting.


    ''These two are really monsters,'' he thought, looking up at the sky. He has a long way ahead of him if he has to match that one day. Compared to Voldemort who is supposed to be even stronger that this, he''d prefer whoever the organization sends who''d would underestimate him as a 12-year-old.


    [Magic Hands]


    That being said, he has to improve fast in order to survive. His hands quickly formed a series of symbols, trying to exactly copy what he''d seen just now.


    ding*


    [You have unlocked...]


    A laugh along with a small burst of flame escaped his mouth.


    This year, is going to be interesting.


    ...


    Organization Headquarters: Atlantis


    In an unknown location, a group of individuals sat at a high table as they gazed down at a bespectacled man who was reporting to them with his head bowed.


    "¡ªAnd the king''s poor health hasn''t improved. The fight for succession is starting to get intense."


    "Good," said one of the men sitting at the high table while some nodded in agreement. This was good development as it was in line with their plans. Without any proper heir to the throne, they have a good chance of taking over. "Next."


    The bespectacled man looked at the report in his hand, "The magical schools of Britain and Japan are holding a type of joint education program. We''re suspecting that the Britain''s ministry is trying to get Japan''s manpower on their side behind the scenes."


    The leaders discussed this matter among themselves. Usually, it wouldn''t have been any of their business, but Britain''s ministry seems to have a vendetta against them. After some discussion, they came to a conclusion.


    "Keep an eye on their movements and report everything to us. Anything else?"


    The man hesitated, but then tentatively affirmed, "It concerns the traitor."


    This got a reaction out of the members. The mention of anything related to the traitor was all but forbidden in the organization. The atmosphere of the room seemed to have turned gloomy just by the mere mention of this person. And for good reason.


    So many years of research, so many years of planning. And when they were about to succeed, a trusted member betrays them and destroys everything. Due to him, now they have to take such drastic measures.


    "What is it? Don''t tell me he has returned? The key was clearly destroyed before they disappeared."


    The man shook his head, "No, but we have discovered that... before running away to chase after that man... the princess was actually pregnant."


    "!"


    Everyone present was taken aback as they realized the implications of that statement. When the two of them had returned to stop the organization''s plans, the woman was clearly no longer pregnant.


    This can only mean two things. The princess either had a miscarriage, or...


    ...

 Chapter 58: Elemental Magic

    "Hahaha¡ªargh¡­ Damn¡­" Axel accidentally charred his mouth a bit in the excitement. Thankfully, his intent just now was non-existent and he hadn''t used any incantation either. So, only a little amount of flames were produced which went out unnoticed since everyone was looking at the spectacle in the sky.


    "Man, I got too excited," he muttered, drinking some water. He was so eager to try it out that he forwent the safety precautions.


    [Magic Hands:


    Proficiency: 15% - 16%]


    [You have unlocked: Fire Affinity.


    Current Affinity: 4%]


    Damn...


    What the heck is this?


    After the flames of the dragon and Phoenix faded, everyone applauded.


    "May we have a happy cooperation," said Dumbledore with a smile as he shook hands with Yamazaki Hiroshi, the foreign principal.


    Everyone went to the great hall with the foreigners still looking around curiously. The Senseis sat at the head table while the Nins were allowed to sit wherever they liked.


    "Here!"


    "Come to Gryffindor!"


    "No! Hufflepuff!"


    "You''re welcome at Ravenclaw!"


    "Slytherin!"


    The students began clamouring to invite the foreigners to their tables.


    At this moment, most of the nins split into two groups. One group seemed to follow a tall, handsome boy with spiky black hair and playful temperament. His forehead protector had a wind symbol on it. The other group followed a girl with auburn hair. She had a cute, serious face but a voluptuous body.


    The girl went to the Gryffindor table to sit beside Rose Potter with the group following her also going to the Gryffindor table. The guy on the other hand, went to the Ravenclaw table right up to Martina.


    "Can I sit here?"


    Martina turned her head to look at the guy who was asking for her permission to sit. Even though she was slightly uncomfortable, she just gave a single nod. This wasn''t the first time people were bothering her and it won''t be the last. She just went back to reading the book she had opened in her Magi-mirror.


    "I''m Endo Yuji. Pleased to make your acquaintance."


    Martina nodded. "I''m Martina Valentino." Just like how everyone at Hogwarts was given an English to Japanese Amulet, everyone from Mahoutokoro was given a Japanese to English Amulet, so there was no problem in communication.


    The guy nodded eagerly, "Yeah, I''ve heard a lot about you! You''re that genius who''s invented a bunch of things right?"


    Oh, another fan. Martina nodded.


    "So, what are you reading right now? Which subject is it? I might not even understand it but I''m still curious," asked Endo with a smile.


    Martina looked back at the guy in bewilderment. "It''s a fantasy novel."


    "..." Right, can''t genius simply read fantasy novels?


    At this moment, someone else spoke up, "Endo Yuji, right? I''ve heard about you. You''ve play Quidditch in Major Leagues, right?


    "...Yeah."


    After that, Endo was forcefully engaged in various conversations with other Ravenclaws, not giving him a chance to disturb Martina further. The girl was strongly treasure/guarded/worshipped by the Ravens.


    After everyone was seated, Dumbledore went to the podium. "I''d like to begin by offering a very earnest welcome to our guests from Mahoutokoro. I wish you have an enlightening, educative, and salubrious stay."


    There was a sound applause for that after which he continued, "Hogwarts and Mahoutokoro are two of the best magical schools in the world. But, what''s more interesting is that, the teaching methods of both the schools vastly differ from one another. Both the schools produces elites, but they have their weaknesses.


    The students from Hogwarts can''t compete with Mahoutokoro in combat, stealth, physical magic and so on while the students from Mahoutokoro, can''t compete with Hogwarts in the fields like Enchanting, transfiguration, charms, etcetera.


    So, when Principal Yamazaki here and I happened to be in contact with each other after a long time, we thought, why not combine our strength, and produce elites...who have no weaknesses?


    And that my dear students, is how this cooperation came to be. From now on, the curriculum of both the schools will have slight changes, with new subjects being added to the mix. I hope you not waste this opportunity and learn what is being taught with an open mind," he said, finishing his speech under the thunderous applause.


    Dishes then appeared on the table, this time with various Japanese dishes mixed in. Apart from a certain someone who was eating boiled tasteless meal, everyone else enjoyed the meal.


    While the welcoming feast began, the students were also given their new time tables which made them gasp and even cause somewhat of a small commotion.


    "The heck? It''s starts from 7 in the morning?!"


    "Mate, stop messing around, I go to sleep at 5."


    "Physical Training? What do we need this for?"


    "Well, I have no problems with this. I''m quite fit due to Quidditch."


    "But then it''s a stealth class. Wonder what that''ll entail."


    "The most exciting is the Hand Seal magic class. Can you imagine? Wandless magic!"


    "But... so many classes? How are we supposed to do this?"


    After the feast was over, Dumbledore made several announcements to sooth the students.


    "Since the number of classes have increased, you are hereby absolved of a majority of the grueling homework that takes up most of your time. I hope you enjoy this year."


    CHEERS*This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    The students burst into cheers, some even raising their hands up in banzai. Sitting in the nondiscript corner away from everyone''s gaze, Axel also smirked, ''So, even they know that the homework they used to give was useless.'' he thought. He certainly hoped that was the case. Anyways, nothing changes for him, but Daphne should be happy, right?


    ''Fuck...''


    Daphne was NOT happy. She had already done most of Axel''s homework of this year, all of which is now useless. Also, it was already quite a small thing doing just doing his homework but now she has no way left to even slightly repay him for what he did for Astoria. Daphne felt very useless.


    ¡­


    The next day, since everyone was already going to come at 7, Axel went to the grounds at 5 o''clock in the morning for his own workout. He usually starts after 6:30 but now he has to adjust his timings. It was said that you could wear training clothes, tracks, or other clothes you were comfortable in. So, Axel came in his usual clothes that he wears during his training.


    After coming to the grounds, he found that there was an obstacle course of sorts built here. It must have been built yesterday night. Shrugging, he started his own training.


    After being healed, he has upped the anti with his training, trying out every grueling and intense exercise. The skills which he couldn''t progress or unlock in the past have started to be unlocked and progress rapidly. He first ran laps around the ground at high speed. While running, he also took a few seconds to clear the obstacle course just for a proper warm up. Then, he went to the forbidden forest to start the real training.


    With so many skills to master, he was only half finished by the time it was time for classes. So, after cleaning himself up, he went to see what this basic training was about.


    By the time he arrived, the grounds were filled with students. In the crowd, he found Daphne who was looking around with her magi-mirror in her hands.


    "Why aren''t you picking up my calls?" She asked as soon as she saw him.


    "Well, it''s usually off." He said, checking his magi-mirror. When he looked back up again, he found that she was just looking at him in a daze.


    "You still haven''t woken up?" He asked, waving a hand in front of her.


    Daphne snapped out of her daze as she averted her gaze from him. "No, it''s not that. I''ve rarely seen you in different clothes," she said, her ears turning pink.


    Axel looked at himself. He was simply dressed in track pants, a sleeveless t-shirt and sneakers. Due to the heat from the earlier workout, he had taken off his jacket and simply hung over his shoulder.


    "Oh. Well, I''ve also only seen you in school robes or dresses," said Axel with a shrug, not finding the problem. Daphne was sporting a t-shirt, tights, a jacket and trainers, looking quite spirited. In fact, everyone else was also dressed differently, but she wasn''t looking at them at all.


    "... It''s different when it''s you." She murmured in a voice low enough that he couldn''t hear it.


    "Everyone!" Just as Axel was about to ask her what she said, the Professor who was supposed to teach them had arrived. He was a muscular guy wearing a bandana over his head. His forehead protector had an Earth symbol on it.


    "You can call me Yamato Sensei and I''m here to give you the basic physical training of being a Ninja," he said in a loud, heavy voice.


    "Ninjas try to make 100% use of their body. A Capable ninja can kill a Capable Wizard without even using Magic," he said with a bit of disdain, and Axel had to agree with the man''s words. Axel himself can take on a few wizards without needing to use magic.


    "So, it would be better if you guys don''t slack off and take this seriously. Those not interested can leave this class after they defeat me in a duel where you can use everything while I can''t use magic." That got a reaction from various students. Some seemed ready to challenge the guy there and then, but Yamato Sensei continued.


    "The very first thing that comes under the physical training curriculum of Mahoutokoro is: Physical Training. Second: Movement, your ability to move around. Third: Stealth and Fourth: Weapon-Welding and Hand-to-hand Combat. I''ll only be teaching you the first two. Is that clear?"


    There was a lackluster response. Forming a Hand Seal, Yamato Sensei lifted one foot and slammed it back on the ground.


    BOOM*


    The ground shook and everyone felt the tremors. "You were supposed to say, "Yes Sensei!". Once again. IS EVERYTHING CLEAR?!


    "YES SENSEI!"


    Thus, the first class was spent running laps, which Axel had already done, and doing various exercises. In the remaining time, the sensei had a few students who still had a bit of energy left go through the obstacle course. The rest of the students were cheering for their favourites in the beginning, but in 5 minutes, everyone had given up, no one able to reach past the halfpoint.


    Yamato Sensei smirked disdainfully, "You guys have a long way to go. Do you guys know what the top Mahoutokoro''s student''s current best timing is?"


    The students grew curious. Many of the students here were Quidditch players who had been working out for years. Considering that someone would be able to complete it, the timing shouldn''t be low, right?


    "One minute ten seconds."


    "WHAT?!"


    The students were inevitably shocked to hear this. The gap between them seemed quite huge.


    Yamato Sensei clicked his tongue, "Does that seem impossible to you? Well, it should be. Unlike you guys, who live a pampered and easy going life here, the ninjas at Mahoutokoro are strictly trained from an early age under special conditions. Those who come from Ninja clans begin training even early. Of course they''d be different. The gap is not something you surpass quickly. My job is make you aware of this difference, so that you know the difference and know that magic is not everything. Physical ability is also as important," he explained, making some students very motivated while some humiliated.


    Meanwhile, Axel who had finished the obstacle course in a few seconds as a warm up this morning: "..."


    ''What a waste of time.''


    Thankfully, the next class is Hand Seal magic class. He''s sure to learn a lot there.


    Daphne, who was lying on the ground beside him, looked at him in bewilderment. "The fuck¡ªhah¡ªis wrong with you? You aren''t¡­ even slightly¡­winded." She asked while panting.


    Axel''s brows furrowed looking at Daphne''s condition. This won''t do. Her physical fitness is quite low. Looks like he''ll have to train her a little a well.


    "It''s too easy for me," replied Axel.


    Daphne also felt so. He was doing everything all too easily.


    "Then, why didn''t... you try going... through the obstacle course?" She asked.


    Axel shook his head, "I''d gain nothing by doing that." He was even thinking of ways to quit this class. Maybe his cripple excuse would still work?


    But then, Yamato Sensei gave one important news to everyone, changing his mind. "Listen up! From now on, you''ll be treated the same as the Ninjas training in Mahoutokoro. In Mahoutokoro, knowledge and techniques aren''t taught indiscriminately. So, the techniques you can access will be based on your performance."


    Axel''s ears perked up at that.


    "Those who complete this course quicker will be rewarded with secret techniques you want to learn! The quicker you are, the higher the number of techniques you''ll be taught! Of course, you are forbidden to teach them to anyone."


    "!"


    "... Well, that changes things, doesn''t it?" Muttered Axel, a smirk forming on his lips. Looks like he''ll have to come out of his crippled status soon.


    ¡­.


    Icitra, the Queen of Dark Elves, looked at the small Kingdom they had relocated and rebuilt after Voldemort attacked most of their kingdom. This time, it was underwater, covered in a layer of magic that prevented any water from entering.


    "How did you come up with this? Making a kingdom underwater?" She asked Lily who was waving her wand over a few mirrors in front of her.


    Lily shrugged, "It''s not my idea. Back in Mid-world, we have a city called Atlantis which is also built underwater. I got inspiration from there."


    Icitra got curious, "Oh? How did it look? Was it beautiful?"


    "Well, I''ve heard it''s beautiful but I''ve never actually been able to visit that place since outsiders are banned from entering. I happened to be friends with the princess of Atlantis though, when she and her lover were on the run. She was the one who told me about the mechanism."


    "You knew the princess?" Asked Icitra, tilting her head.


    "Yeah. Actually, that''s the couple who were generous enough to leave their research about Netherworld and Aetherworld with me," said Lily nostalgically. The couple also had a baby whom they were going to leave with her at the Potter Cottage under fidelius since they had urgent business. But then Voldemort attacked the Potter Cottage, cutting their contact forever. She still sometimes wonders what happened to that couple and their child.


    Icitra looked at the mirrors which Lily was working on, "Is it done?"


    "It should be done. But are you sure they wouldn''t betray us?"


    Icitra nodded with certainty. "I know their rulers. They wouldn''t betray us. Besides, most Vampires and Lycans wouldn''t have submitted to Voldemort if they had choice. It''s just that they didn''t have a Lily Potter who could successfully help them escaped. If we contact them, they''ll definitely side with us."


    Lily was still uncertain.


    "Even Vampires? I mean I had a werewolf friend and he was a good person, even though the werewolves of our world are different that your Lycans. But Vampires? They''re just evil undeads on our world," said Lily.


    Icitra scoffed, "The Vampires a Noble race. There are a few similarities but don''t compare them to your world''s Vampires."


    "Well, as you say," said Lily, handing her the two-way mirrors. These things have always been handy so of course she had learnt how to make them. They plan on sending the other halfs of these mirrors to the leaders of other Races to establish stable contact. Since even the Dark Elves have also finally lost, they can only ally with other the races now.


    ¡­


    Next chapter: Ninjutsu Class and Dueling

 Chapter 59: Japanese Magic

    While complaining and groaning, the students dragged their bodies back to the castle for bathing and breakfast.


    This physical training had a mixed reaction from the students. Some of them, who were fitness enthusiasts, were all too happy to show off their physical ability and improve themselves. But, a majority of students would agree that they''d rather sleep in their warm and comfy beds than toil away on the grounds like that.


    Though, some were simply happy to be able to see their crushes in something other than Hogwarts'' bulky robes.


    For example, a photo of Martina in track suit quickly went viral on the forums with hundreds of students simping over it. A photo of Axel was also uploaded by a girl where he was doing pushups and the muscles he had gained due to his training were showing due to his sleeveless t-shirt.


    The caption said, "Who is this cutie? Can someone give me his Hooter?"


    A discussion had broken out in the comment section.


    "Holy Morgana! My heart!"


    "Who is he? Look at those muscles!"


    "Oh Merlin! He looks like a prince!"


    "Isn''t he the one who Martina picked?"


    "Really? Damn it!"


    It was something like that. Most of the accounts on this forum are annonymous so the girls had no shame drooling over a younger guy.


    And nonchalant from all the fuss, Axel had different thoughts in his head as he headed for the next class, the Hand Seal magic.


    After the last time, he hadn''t bothered trying to do this magic on his own since he felt that it could be dangerous. Hence, he''d been waiting for this class ever since.


    The class was held in the huge dueling arena. The second years of all four houses were gathered, looking around curiously. Soon, their sensei arrived. It was a beautiful woman in a kimono whose age could not be determined by her appearance. She had a small beauty mark above her lips which were arched into a small smile.


    "Good morning and nice to meet you, little ones. I''m Sayako Sensei and I''ll be teaching you a new way of doing magic, which is done by forming hand seals." She said with a gentle smile.


    "So pretty¡­"


    "She''s beautiful."


    Sayako Sensei seemed used to the students'' reaction as she began her class.


    "So, let''s begin with the question, what are hand seals? They are specific actions, which aid in summoning and molding magic according to your will and performing a Jutsu or a spell. There are quite of lot of handseals in existence, but usually, only 12 handseals are used in most Jutsus: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Earth, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Bird, Dog, and Boar." She said, her hands forming the 12 handseals in quick succession, her each and every moment appearing perfectly smooth and clean.


    ''Her hands¡­'' thought Axel. They were very stable and dextrous. ''Perfect for stealing. Or for forming Hand Seals, I guess,'' he thought wryly.


    "Now, before we get started, there''s one thing I''d like for you to test," said Sayako Sensei. "We have to check your elemental affinity."


    "Elemental Affinity?"


    "What the heck is that?"


    "I''ve heard about it."


    Sayako Sensei smiled at the students, "Yes, elemental affinity. Like all of you have your specialities in various fields, like transfiguration, charms, etc. Similarly, you have aptitudes for specific elements as well. You''ll find yourself learning the techniques of these elements much faster than any other."


    "But of course, you can learn techniques of other elements as well, though you''ll have a much harder time mastering them," saying so, she produced a transparent crystal from her waist pouch and put it on the table in front of her.


    "This crystal will tell you your affinities by lighting up in that colour. The brighter the glow, the stronger the affinity."


    "There are four affinities that are common in wizards: Fire(Red), Water(Blue), Wind(light Green) and Earth(brown). Aside from this there are other affinities which are much rarer to find. Some lucky people just have them while some are able to awaken them later. These rare affinities have some features that can be quite desirable under certain circumstances. Also, one person can have multiple affinities."


    Hearing this, everyone wondered if they''ll be able to draw a rare affinity or if they''ll have multiple affinities. After all, everyone thought that they were a main character, especially Draco Malfoy.


    Seeing this, Sayako Sensei''s tone turned a bit strict.


    "But, you can awaken new affinities or strengthen your existing affinities through training. And the common affinities are no worse than the rare affinities if you strengthen them properly.


    So, don''t be discouraged or too excited no matter what affinities you draw. Because in the long run, only hard work matters."


    "Now, please form up a line and come one by one to check your elemental affinity."


    The excited students at once begin to scramble to be ahead in the line, even pushing one another. After all, this was like a lucky draw. Who knows if they''d get a rare affinity.


    Axel, on the other hand, had no real enthusiasm over this. He already knew his luck. If he seriously want something, all the stars will allign in order to prevent him from getting it. So, he''s just decided he''ll make do with whatever he gets. After all, the sensei has already mentioned that he can get other affinities and strengthen the existing ones through hard work. And in his view, if it can be done through hard work, it''s easy.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Besides,


    [Fire Affinity: Unlocked


    Proficiency: 4%]


    4% is quite low. Everyone must have atleast this much proficiency already, so it''s no big deal. But the big deal is, he has also unlocked some knowledge on how to raise this proficiency.


    So theoretically, he should also be able to unlock the other affinities and increase their proficiencies! Just thinking about it makes him excited.


    While Axel was lost in thought, the students quickly realized that their fantasies weren''t necessarily going to be fulfilled. For most students, the crystal just gave out a weak light of one of the four common elements. Only a few people had two elements, one of whom was Susan Bones. The other person was a guy who Axel didn''t know but the glow of crystal in his case was quite weak.


    The next was Neville, who had a strong brown glow, signifying Earth. But, Sayako Sensei''s eyes widened a little seeing something.


    "You also have a bit of Nature Affinity. See the dark green specs? Though, it''s a pity that it''s too low," she said, disappointment clearly written all over her face.


    "What is nature affinity?" Asked Neville in confusion.


    "The Nature Affinity was the affinity of the strongest Ninja in history. It''s incredibly rare. Even Mahoutokoro has no one left with this affinity."


    Hearing that, Neville puffed out his chest. He couldn''t wait to tell this to his dad. Even the students were impressed.


    Since Neville and Susan were done, the next one in their group was Rose. Everyone paid attention to what kind of affinity the Girl-who-lived had.


    Frowning, Rose placed her hand on the crystal. At once, a red glow was emitted from the crystal, brightest of all of the students.


    "!"


    Though, that''s not what was surprising. What was surprising was the pitch black color that dominated around 70% of the crystal.


    "Uh¡­ Congratulations! You have a very strong Fire Affinity," said Sayako Sensei with a stiff smile.


    Though even Rose could tell that something wasn''t right, "Why is it Black?" .


    Sayako Sensei shook her head and regained her composure, "It''s darkness affinity. It can be very¡­powerful." That''s all she said before calling out the next one.


    Aside from Axel, almost everyone else was fully focused on seeing the attributes of other students. Sometimes they even Oh-ed and Ah-ed at the results of some students.


    Though, there was one other person who did not seem interested.


    "Damn it, these bitches! Motherfu*!"


    Axel frowned as he turned to look at Daphne who was cursing while scrolling through her Magi-mirror.


    "What''s up with you this time?"


    Daphne sighed. "It''s¡­ it''s nothing," she muttered as she looked at Axel''s photo which had gone viral with a lot of girls typing naughty and indecent comments. She couldn''t care less about checking out other people''s affinities right now. Can''t these hungry bitches find someone else to lust after? Why did they have to come after Axel?


    Soon, it was Axel''s turn and Daphne put away her phone as she thumped his back in encouragement. "Good luck!"


    ''Luck? That bitch has long forsaken me,'' thought Axel cynically as he put his hand on the crystal. Though his luck didn''t seem too shabby this time since as soon as he put his hand on the crystal, he felt a pull from the Crystal and a brilliant blue light began to be emitted from it, making him squint. The light seemed strong enough to rival Rose''s Fire Affinity.


    ''Water, huh?'' Thought Axel, looking at the blue glow.


    He couldn''t quite figure out why he''d have Water Affinity though. He hated water because rain is the bane of homeless people and for thieves. The streets are empty and once you''re soaked, chances are, you don''t have another pair of clothes to change into. He still remembers the time it rained continuously for three days. It was a nightmare.


    Well, he''ll get the other affinities through hard work. At least the other basic ones since it was possible to learn them according to sensei. It would just be a bit difficult. Shrugging, he was about to remove his hand but a hand pressed onto his own, preventing him from doing so.


    Sayako Sensei''s reaction was quite different from his. "Lightning! Lightning Affinity! You have a Lightning affinity along with Water. See those sparks traveling through the Crystal? That''s a sign of Lightning Affinity."


    It was only then did he notice that. Blue sparks were traveling through the surface of the crystal. Damn, now that would make sense. He liked thunder.


    Though he was glad he didn''t raise his other affinities yet, or he''d have drawn too much attention. Satisfied, he removed his hand and began to walk away.


    ?


    But he paused since a cerulean light was suddenly shining behind him, casting a shadow in front of him.


    "Ice Element! Congratulations!" said Sayako Sensei, happily Patting Daphne on the back.


    Daphne nodded calmly, still looking at the crystal, "Though, why is more than half of it empty?" she asked.


    Axel looked at the crystal, and sure enough, more than half of the crystal wasn''t glowing at all. It just stayed transparent.


    Sayako Sensei shook her head helplessly as she knocked the crystal a few times, "That, I also don''t know."


    ...


    ...


    .


    .


    "You really don''t know anything else?" demanded Bellatrix Black, looking down at the man lying weakly on a chair.


    "Minister Black, I''ve already told you everything. Do you really think I''d have anything left to hide after you''ve overdosed me with so much Veritaserum?"


    They were currently in a dimly lit cell and the man was bound by shackles. Bellatrix sighed, "Not about the Organization. Tell me more about Tristan Hunt and this Princess."


    "I already told you. Tristan was a part of the Organization. But he found out that the Organization''s actual goals weren''t something that some of us would like to support. He had gotten dragged in because his late father was a member and he had no choice. As for the princess, I don''t know much about her except that she was beautiful and her Royal family bloodline was powerful. How that man managed to woo her, I have no idea."


    Bellatrix frowned.


    "Once he had escaped, why did he go back? And what exactly happened?"


    "Well he had only managed to steal the research and one key. The organization was going to use the other one so he was going to come. He had this strong sense of justice. Couldn''t see anything bad happening without interfering," said the man as he paused. There was a mockery in his voice but there was also a hint of admiration.


    "That''s just like him," muttered Bellatrix helplessly, feeling bittersweet . "Continue." She said in a sterner tone.


    "So, he came back along with the princess. The two of them also stole the second key as well, but they were discovered and surrounded. Turns out, the higher ups were waiting for him all along. The two of them were powerful, exceedingly so. But in the end, both were badly hurt. Tristan then cast a shield on the princess and destroyed the key."


    "Then? What happened next?" Asked Bellatrix anxiously.


    The man shook his head, "The explosion was just too powerful. Both of them, along with a dozen members who were nearby directly disappeared. Those further away either died with a mangled body or got seriously injured. I thanked the two of them for their sacrifice and finally managed to escape that place."


    There was a silence after that. After which Bellatrix sighed, "You''re quite different from the other member I caught. That man committed suicide as soon as I broke through his mental defenses," said Bellatrix with a sigh. The only thing she could find out from that person was that Tristan was dead. For so many years she had been obsessing over what exactly happened and if he suffered before he died. And now, she can finally get some closure.


    The man chuckled in amusement, "Yes, minister. I''m different. I had joined the organization purely for the research. I''m mentally and morally quite stable, if I do say so myself. But, you are also quite different from what I''d imagined, considering that you still haven''t used the Cruciatus or Legilimency on me yet," said the man, feeling grateful. After all, the minister was infamous for her vicious means.


    Bellatrix''s delicate eyebrows creased at the mention of that.


    "Cruciatus and Legilimency¡­ you''re just lucky that I no longer enjoy using them." She muttered as she turned to leave.


    ''Not after Axel...'' she thought. She no longer found it amusing to torture someone or break into their minds. It made her remember the pain Axel must have gone through, making her hate herself even more. Though, it would be alright if Axel cast those things on her for what she did in the past.


    Just as she was about to leave, the man called out to her.


    "Minister, will I ever be allowed to leave? I haven''t done anything wrong and I genuinely enjoy my job."


    Bellatrix looked back as she shrugged casually, "Maybe. Just be obedient and I might let you leave, Professor Jacub Gorski."

 Chapter 60: Stay Back After the Class

    With everyone''s elemental affinities determined, Sayako Sensei moved onto teaching exactly how to cast the Jutsus.


    "Casting a Jutsu is not easy as casting magic. First, you need to memorize the Hand Seal Pattern of that Jutsu. Then, you''ve to perfectly form those hand seals, which is not as easy as it seems if you are transitioning in quick succession. A slight deviation can cause the Jutsu to fail and result in serious damage to your body."


    ''Damn...'' thought Axel. It seems that he was right in not trying out more of that magic on his own.


    "Your intent and visualization needs to be accurately projected as well. Lastly, do remember that you''re not using a wand. So, even if you do everything perfectly, you will still need a lot of practice before you''re able to summon the magic."


    With everything explained, the sensei started teaching the basic handseals to the students one by one, even explaining the meaning of each.


    "The HandSeal patterns of each Jutsu are quite long. If you want to shorten it to a few Hand Seals, you need to understand the functioning of each seal." This was the reason why they couldn''t simply cram the Hand Seal Pattern of any Jutsu.


    After she''d explained everything, she had the students make each of the hand seals.


    "First try forming Ox. Like this."


    "Now try Ram. Like this."


    There was a big Chart pasted on the wall with the illustration and description of each of the seal and Sayako Sensei would just walked by each of the student who were standing in an orderly fashion with some distance between of them.


    At first, the students thought that it was an easy task but after trying it out, they realized that it wasn''t as easy as it looked.


    "Your fingers are misplaced."


    "It''s too slack."


    "Your hands are not stable."


    Sayako Sensei began to point out flaws in each of the students. Every student she passed by, she''d have to correct them.


    "Horse."


    "You''re taking too much time."


    "Ram."


    "Tighten the grip."


    "Bird."


    "Wrong, it''s like this."


    Meanwhile, standing at the back, Axel yawned. While the sensei had first shown the hand signs, he had already memorize and thoroughly practiced each of them. He was just waiting for all these other grunts to catch up so that the sensei can move on to the next stage.


    Though at this moment, since the Sensei had reached his position during her rounds, he began to make the Seals like the other students as well. But, when she was passing by Axel, the Sensei suddenly stopped walking.


    "Hare."


    .


    .


    "Snake."


    ''His hands...'' she noticed as she called out another Seal. They were perfect for killing, and for seals. Though, what was more surprising, was that the boy was perfectly forming the seals she was calling out. She couldn''t find any fault at all!


    Sayako Sensei recalled that this was the kid with Lightning Affinity.


    .


    .


    "Bird."


    .


    "Dog."


    "Snake."


    "Tiger, Dragon, Rat-BirdDragonOxRamTigerBirdDogBoarSnake!" Previously, she was deliberately taking a pause between each seal so that the series of seals doesn''t accidentally result in magic casting. But, after observing Axel for a few seconds, she suddenly increased the pace, watching him intently.


    "?!" A pleasantly surprised expression appeared on her face when Axel perfectly executed the sequence without batting an eye. As a result,


    Crackle* *Crackle*


    Small arcs of lightning began crackling around Axel''s fingers, startling him.


    "What the¡ª"


    His hands jerked at the unfamiliar sensation. Unlike when he was casting through the wand, the electricity was going through his own body instead.


    Ding*


    [You have unlocked: Lightning Affinity]


    [Current Affinity: 57%]


    ''Damn...'' thought Axel as he looked up, only to find Sayako Sensei looking at him in pure astonishment.


    "You..." Sayako Sensei was at a loss of words. Just now, she was so surprised at seeing him perform the spells that she inadvertently called out the hand seals of a lightning Jutsu. It''s just one of the things which you just try out while thinking, ''No way, right?'' But not only did the boy perfectly perform the hand seals, but he was also able to get results. This shouldn''t be possible unless he''s already had a lot of practice.


    "What''s your name, boya?"


    "Axel Hunt."


    Sayako Sensei smiled as she took Axel''s hands in hers and dispelled the remainder of the lightning as she examined his hands.


    Calluses, cuts, scars, and hardened Skin. As a veteran, she could tell that these hands have been through a lot. "You have beautiful hands, Axel," she said, letting go. She had her doubts about why a Hogwarts students would have these and how he was able to execute the Jutsu but she decided not to disturb the class over it.


    "Take 10 points to your House. You performed the hand seals perfectly," she said with a smile before moving on. "Stay behind after the class, I need to ask you some things."


    The boys of the class felt envious of Axel. They were also trying very hard to impress the beautiful sensei, but all they got was critisism.


    Meanwhile, some of the students suddenly remembered something as well.


    ''Wait¡ªweren''t his hands...''


    Rose looked at Axel''s hands. It was only at this moment she realized that with his injured hands, he shouldn''t be able to cast do these Seals at all. So how come he''s able to be the best at this as well? She had become so used to him being better than her that she''d completely forgotten about this. This guy, she clearly remembered Aunty Andromeda telling her to take care of him since he might never be able to recover.


    ''Has he... recovered?'' She wondered, causing her to shudder. Just the thought of it gave her the chills for some reason.


    The rest of the class was spent with the Sensei correcting others on the hand seals, though she still didn''t teach them any Jutsu, making Axel bored.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Even though it was boring for Axel, Daphne seemed to be enjoying herself. Unlike the morning class''s physical training, this was much easier for her.


    After the class was over, they were tasked to practice Hand Seals to perfection so that they could move on to the next stage.


    "I''m waiting outside. Tell me what it is about, k?"


    After the class was over, Daphne reluctantly left him since Sayako Sensei had asked him to wait after the class.


    As the last of the students trickled out, Sayako Sensei turned around to smile at him, "Boya, answer truthfully. Have you received training in this magic before?"


    Axel looked at her in bewilderment. "No, how would I?"


    Sayako Sensei seriously looked at him for a while and seemed to believe him. "This complicates things."


    Axel frowned, "What does that mean?"


    "Copy my movements." She said as her hands formed a series of hand seals. Frowning, Axel followed her movements and as a ball of flames was formed in Sayako Sensei''s hands, a flame the size of candle light was generated in his hand as well.


    Sayako Sensei looked at Axel deeply, "So, it really wasn''t a coincidence."


    "What does that mean?"


    Sayako Sensei sighed as she explained. "Hand Seal Jutsu is actually very difficult to learn. After all, there is a reason why wand-magic is taught to our students despite having this. As I said earlier, even if a wizard is able to form hand seals perfectly, the magic will not necessarily be summoned if he''s new to Hand Seal magic."


    Axel frowned. That wasn''t the case for him, right?


    "Yes, a normal wizard needs time and practice before their circuits are able to summon magic through Hand Signs. For the next few classes, your fellow classmates are going to be practicing basic hand seals and a basic Jutsu. I''m just informing you to let you know that you won''t be learning anything in the next few classes since you''ve already done it. I won''t blame you if you choose not to attend."


    Hearing this, Axel frowned. It''s not really a surprise that he''s different. After all, his diet, training, and skills have made him quite unordinary. Plus, he''s not even crippled anymore, so he''s going to be the best at nearly everything. But, there was an issue. He looked at Sayako Sensei.


    "Sensei, am I the only person who''s different from others in this aspect?" This was the main issue. If this was the case, then he''s going to try his best to deny his earlier claim of not having received prior training. After all, it would be troublesome if others are ? Well there are a excuses he give, like he found a scroll, or he was taught by an old man, etc.


    Thankfully, Sayako Sensei shook her head with a smile, "It''s not unprecedented. In fact, there are a few other students who were able to do this as well. Some are even monsters with multiple affinities. In Mahoutokoro, these students can receive special training, if they desire since attending normal classes is a waste of their talent."


    Special Training? this appealed to Axel. Hand Seal magic suits him quite well due to his talents. It would be good if he can learn as much as he can as fast as possible.


    "Can I receive this special training?" He asked.


    Sayako Sensei shook her head helplessly, "It''s difficult. We have limited teachers here at Hogwarts and you''re not a student of Mahoutokoro. And even if we ignore this fact, Lightning Affinity is quite rare..." She said, making Axel shrug in disappointment.


    "But¡­ there''s one person who can teach you. But, she''ll only do it if she finds it interesting."


    There is someone? "Who is it? Does this person also have the lightning Affinity?"


    Sensei gave him a mysterious smile, "She''s a student. But, her qualifications are enough to be a professor. As for her affinity, let''s not talk about it. I''ll ask her if she''s interested, though don''t have much hope. You can go now, your friend is waiting for you," she said, glancing mischievously towards the faraway entrance of the Arena where Daphne was still peeking, unable to hear the conversation.


    Axel hesitated, "Sensei, If possible, I don''t want anyone to know about this." he said before leaving. This was all he could ask. And It won''t be a big deal even if others knew though.


    After all, he was still holding back a lot while he performed this. Just like how he has to hold back to lower the output of his magic in other classes. He hadn''t even used [Magic Hands].


    As he came out, he found Daphne casually leaning against the wall outside, as if she wasn''t peeking just a few moments ago. "What was it about?"


    Axel shrugged, "Apparently, I''m too advanced, so I can skip a few classes." He said casually as they both headed for the Great Hall for lunch.


    "Oh... that was it?"


    "Yeah. What do we have after this? Any more Mahoutokoro Classes?" Asked Axel. He was finding these classes a bit interesting.


    Daphne shook her head. "We only have normal classes left for today. The Mahoutokoro classes will be tomorrow: Stealth Espionage and Weapon-Welding Hand-to-hand Combat."


    ''These ones?'' Axel frowned just hearing the subjects. He was still wondering what to do with these classes. For the stealth class, he could actually teach the Sensei instead. But, he can''t really show any of his skills or talents there, can he? Rumors of a thief are already circulating in Hogwarts after he stole everything Damien Malcolm owned. And if he shows off even a quarter of his Stealth abilities, he might become a suspect.


    As for Weapon welding Hand-to-hand Combat, he doesn''t want to show much of his combat ability since he wants the Organization to underestimate him. When they come after him, if they underestimate him, they''ll be much more rash in their attempts. After all, who would be cautious against a 12 year old?


    "Though, there is actually something to look forward to tonight as well," said Daphne.


    "What is it?"


    Daphne looked at him weirdly. "You don''t know?"


    "Nope."


    "... Sigh. Why am I not surprised? Anyways, a friendly exchange is going to happen here in this dueling arena tonight, just for the students to assess each other''s dueling ability."


    Axel''s eyes widened at that. For real? It seems like he should pay more attention to the happenings of the castle. If Daphne hadn''t told him, he''d have missed it while doing his usual training.


    Daphne sighed, "So, are you going to participate?" Daphne had never seen the true extent of Axel''s abilities. But ever since he''s healed, she always gets this feeling that he''ll be able to do anything.


    Axel seemed to think about it. "No. It''s troublesome"


    Daphne was relieved, but also puzzled, "Though, isn''t Quidditch also troublesome? Why did you participate in that?"


    "That is a different matter," Axel replied. Quidditch is much better alternative to attract attention. After all, the organization wouldn''t be threatened if he can fly well on a broom and catch snitches. But it would be a different matter altogether if he''s a duelist who can beat the best of both schools.


    Though, Daphne the pitiful girl was drawing different conclusions. ''Of course it''s different. One has a beautiful and influential team Captain who''d give in to your every demand while the other doesn''t...''


    "What is it?" Seeing Daphne deep in thought Axel waved his hand in front of her.


    "Hm?" Daphne shook her head as she managed a smile, "Nothing, I''ll save you a seat tonight."


    ...


    That evening, Axel was so busy with his training that he forgot about the dueling exchange. After changing into a clean set of clothes, he decided that might as well go and take a look to see if it''s still going on. After all, he was quite curious about the magic of these ninjas.


    Even as he ascended the stairs, he could tell that it wasn''t over yet due to the noise of the crowd. When he finally reached the Dueling Arena, he found that the arena had been expanded due to the large audience and it was still completely full, with many students having to stand due to the lack of seats. A match was currently going on in the main circuit.


    Two boys were standing in the circuit, one of them was Cedric Diggory, the tall dark haired boy with chiseled features, and the other one was Endo Yuji, the spiky hair guy with sharp eyes. Both the boys were quite handsome, hence the crowd''s enthusiasm, especially the female audience.


    With his enhanced eyesight, Axel quickly spotted Daphne and made his way over.


    Pushing through a bunch of fangirls cheering for Cedric, he finally reach Daphne who was distractedly looking at her Magi-mirror. She had a few books piled on the seat beside her.


    When she looked up, she scowled, "Why the fuck do you never pick up a call?"


    ? Axel took out his Magi-mirror to see a number of calls from her. "I''ve told you. It usually stays in my pouch."


    Daphne sighed. She had been worried for nothing. She removed the books from the seat beside her. "It was a pain in the ass, but I saved you a seat."


    Axel looked around. Sure enough, in this whole arena, there was maybe only one seat empty right now. There were many students currently standing around them as well. "Thanks," he said, taking his seat. It really must have been quite a hassle to save.


    Daphne smiled, "Anything," her murmur was drowned in the cheers of audience. She had to come half an hour earlier than the start to get these seats. Right now, she felt that it was worth it.


    Pushing some bitches out of his way, Axel looked down at the circuit where the match was about to start. Professor Flitwick was the referee.


    "Start!" He squeaked, his wand ready to prevent any accidents.


    At once, Cedric fired a stunner at Endo. Endo jumped over spell while his hands quickly formed Seals.


    "Wind Blades!"


    Green blades of wind were fired at Cedric, who hand to use a Shield Charm to protect himself.


    BANG! BANG!


    The crowd cheered as they felt the shockwaves of that clash.


    While Cedric was shielding, Endo had already sent a storm of wind at him, almost causing him to be blown away. But Cedric stuck one of his feet to the floor with the sticking charm as he sent blasting spells at the ground in front of Endo. Even while dodging, Endo was thrown off a bit, but his Hands didn''t stop making seals.


    "This is enough. Be glad you''ve forced me to use this." He stated with disdain as he suddenly turned into a green blurr.


    Alarmed, Cedric tried firing spells at him but it was all in vain as he got a hard punch to his face in the next moment, the sound of which was barely audible even through the shouts of the crowd.


    !


    Amidst the cheers of the Mahoutokoro students, Endo looked provocatively at the Hogwarts students, as if asking if this this was all they had.


    "Well, this is bad," said Daphne, a bit worried.


    Axel frowned. "What''s wrong?"


    "These duels are being recorded and live casted by several news agencies." She said, pointing at the reporters at the side. "Since the world is curious, they''re going to get views worldwide. Hogwarts is going to look bad if we lose since this is not even their best duelist."


    Axel furrowed his eyebrows. For some reason, he couldn''t bring himself to give a fuck.


    There was a pause in which several students hesitated to go and some even stood up. It''s not like Hogwarts didn''t have better wizards, it''s just that they were a bit intimidated by that punch earlier and didn''t want to be at the recieving end of it, if possible. Though, at this moment, someone from the crowd shouted: "MARTINA!"


    Martina who was simply sitting in a far corner, peacefully spending her time analysing the Hand Seal Magic: ? What did I do?


    Before she had a chance to do anything, more voices began shouting her name, and soon, the whole of Hogwarts was cheering for her.


    """MARTINA! MARTINA! MARTINA!..."""

 Chapter 61: Duels

    Martina was just intending to watch all the fun from afar. She wanted to research more about the unique magic-casting of these ninjas.


    Martina is, and has always been, a true nerd. She has always needed a passion, something she can use her brain on to its fullest extent. In her previous life, aside from the usual geeky mangas, animes and novels, it had been science. She was interested in what wonders science could create. And in this life, it was magic.


    Magic was so much better than science. With science, almost everything had been explored to its limits and any breakthroughs would have needed her to reach those limits first. But with magic, there are no limits.


    These days, she''s been researching how this Hand Seal magic works. Previously, she''s already researched extensively about the workings of the wand magic. From what she''s been able to glean, wizards don''t store magic in their body. They channel it by drawing it from an unknown source. And the wand and the incantations make drawing and channeling that magic a lot easier. But somehow, the ninjas are able to draw that same magic through Handseals. She wants to find out the inner mechanics of how this whole system works. That''s the reason why she was here right now, doing her research.


    But suddenly, someone called out her name.


    "MARTINA!"


    "..." She suddenly had a bad premonition.


    """MARTINA! MARTINA! MARTINA!..."""


    Soon, almost all of the Hogwarts students were calling out her name.


    ''Are they for real?'' Martina regretted those days when she had been showing off without thinking of the consequences. She didn''t like violence. Even when she previously dueled, it was because she wanted to test out her magic. Now she regretted doing that because she''s now expected to duel with under so much attention. This is like a nightmare for an introvert like her.


    But, if she didn''t go, she''ll be disappointing the whole school. Not that they would do anything to harm her, but they''d still have ill feelings towards her for letting them down.


    ''What to do?''


    Martina analyzed her situation. Ever since the end of last term, she''s no longer able to have the same leisurely and carefree attitude towards her life here.


    She had just found out that despite all the changes, Voldemort was still there and with so many changes to the timeline, it was no longer certain if the light side would be able to have the victory again and at what cost. She''d been living with her head buried in sand and the philosopher''s stone incident made her face reality. Thus, among other things, she has also been trying to train her combat abilities ever since in order to be prepared.


    Though her command over her magic was quite strong, she had very little combat experience. And dueling in real life is the chance to gain that. Besides, if she experiences their magic up close, she''ll have a better shot at learning more about the HandSeal magic.


    Thus, despite her reluctance, Martina slowly stood up.


    CHEERS


    The crowd went wild when they saw Martina getting up. Up until now, they had lost the majority of the duels and they didn''t like the disdainful looks of the Mahoutokoro. Thus, when they realised that Martina, the Hogwarts'' genius was going to face them, they were thrilled to see her beat them.


    The crowd parted, and under the excited cheers of the students, Martina entered the Dueling circuit.


    Endo Yuji stood at the other side, looking pleased. He wanted to take this opportunity to show his capabilities to Martina in order to impress her.


    "Let''s have a wager, Miss Martina. If I win, you will go on a date with me and if I lose, I will go on a date with you," he said, brushing back his spiky hair.


    BOOOOO


    The students of Hogwarts were enraged. Especially the guys. Martina is Hogwarts'' treasure. Even they have only been able to look from afar and this guy is blatantly hitting on her after disrespecting the whole school.


    "No thanks," Martina looked at the boy with some pity. This conversation was currently being broadcasted and recorded with multiple devices. Since he''s done this so openly, there''s no way her family wouldn''t find out about it. And that can only mean that this boy is going to regret his actions.


    Not wanting the boy to get himself into more trouble, she looked at Professor Flitwick. "Can we start?"


    Professor Flitwick nodded. "Duelists, take Positions!" He called out, his wand much more ready this time. There will be consequences if anything were to happen to miss Valentino.


    "START!" Flitwick barked and Endo began his Hand Seals. Martina simply observed his technique closely, doing her research.


    Soon, blasts of concentrated air came in Martina''s direction with an incredible speed. It was much faster than average spells of students.


    Martina simply raised her wand and a semicircular shield formed around herself which was quickly bombarded by the blasts of concentrated wind.


    BOOMBOOMBOOM


    Though this was much powerful than what he had used against Cedric, Martina''s shield wasn''t even faized and no fluctuations reached her even when shockwaves of wind rippled through the arena.


    Panting a bit, Endo looked at Martina in surprise. He was feeling humiliated for being so publicly rejected by her and he was also quite offended with the crowd''s response. Hence, he''d used a lot of force in the earlier attack. Even the best shields wouldn''t have been able to take that attack but Martina didn''t even seem phased by it.


    In fact, not only Endo, even the professors and Senseis were taken aback. Martina hadn''t used any wand movements or incantations just now and the attack just now was powerful enough to obliterate any average Protego. More importantly, the casting time was almost instantaneous, as if she''d done it quite effortlessly.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    After noticing the shocked reactions around her, Martina clicked her tongue. The spell she had just used was the one she usually used while doing her experiments. It''s not uncommon for her experiments to result in horrible explosions. Thus, she had gotten used to automatically conjuring this shield in such situations. And now she had exposed it due to her habit.


    ''Damn it!'' Endo was regretting using that technique just now. He wanted to show his overwhelming superiority with that attack but Martina handled it like it was nothing. Now he had wasted all that energy for nothing and still looked like a fool.


    "Very well then," he muttered, deciding to take it to close range.


    As Endo made handseals for his next Jutsu, Martina could already tell what he was trying to do. After all, she had observed his previous fight closely as well. It was the magic with which Endo had closed the distance between him and Cedric so quickly.


    To counter this, Martina recalled a familiar spell.


    "Lucious Nitorem!" She called out just when Endo was done with his HandSeals.


    With a burst of Wind magic, Endo was about to make his way over to Martina at incredible speed, just like in his previous duel with Cedric, but¡­


    SPLAT¡ª


    His foot slipped and he fell forward with in incredible moment¡­. Face first.


    The end result of Endo doesn''t need to be described. Suffice it to say that there were a lot of teeth and blood. Professor Flitwick was paying too much attention on Martina and Endo was too fast, thus, by the time his cushioning spell reached him, it was already a bit late.


    "Oh! I''m so sorry!" Martina just wanted to stop Endo from coming into close range and she recalled the spell Axel had used against the troll and which had also made her slip. Thus, she used this spell.


    She didn''t know that the guy would be stupid enough to charge head first even after she clearly used a spell on the ground, resulting in such gruesome scene.


    Looking down at the poor boy, Martina felt genuinely sympathetic. After all, she knows just how embarrassing it is to slip due to such a simple trick. At least unlike her, he didn''t have his underwear exposed.


    Standing to the side, the senseis shook their heads in disappointment. This boy still has a long way to go. Under normal circumstances, Endo wouldn''t have fallen for that trick but he was too unfocused due to Martina and the crowd.


    "Damn it! Told him he should just stick with Quidditch!"


    Many ninjas now wanted to face Martina. Endo wasn''t the best duelist here. His main forte was Quidditch. For combat, there were many who thought they were better. Some of them had already dueled today with the other elites of Hogwarts while the others hadn''t gotten the chance.


    Another one came, this one had fire and water dual element ability. He bombarded Martina with attacks powerful enough that any Hogwarts student would have lost to him. Too bad Martina''s defensive spells were impenetrable. She didn''t give her opponent the time to perform any more of his ninja tricks and quickly defeated him.


    CHEERS!


    The Hogwarts students were now delirious with pride. Martina''s name was being chanted almost with worship.


    "She''s really good..." accepted Daphne with a sigh. Hogwarts had lost the majority of the matches today and like any other proud Hogwarts student, it had left her feeling bad. Thankfully, they had Martina, who was so good at dueling.


    "She''s just an amateur," said Axel, not much impressed as he watched everything with using a low level Arcane Eyes. Martina was not good at fighting. He wouldn''t claim he was better, not with her clearly holding back a lot right now, but if she keeps this up, an experienced fighter who has observed her fight would be able to take her down easily if she doesn''t use more of her powers.


    "Martina... amateur?"


    Daphne looked at Axel weirdly, but then shrugged. Even though his claims are a bit absurd, but it''s at least better than him simping over Martina like all the other boys, right?


    "Well Mr. Professional, can you do better?" She asked playfully.


    Axel shrugged but didn''t answer and Daphne didn''t try to expose him. She didn''t really care if Axel was good at dueling or not. She was already crushing on him back when he was crippled.


    "You''re still in your second year. There''s plenty of time," she told Axel as she bumped shoulders with him. With his talent and hard work, wouldn''t Axel be better than Martina one day?


    "..."


    Looking at the clueless girl beside him, Axel shook his head but still didn''t say anything. His capabilities, only he needed to know.


    ...


    ''Sigh¡­ that was a close one.''


    After winning this second duel, Martina was thinking of going back. She realized that these duels were dangerous. She was unfamiliar with the ninjas'' way of fighting, too inexperienced, and she also didn''t want to show off too much. If forced into a desperate situation, she might accidentally do some magic that is far too absurd for someone her physical age. Thus, she decided it would be better to retreat now. She had done her part and it''s not like Hogwarts doesn''t have its own elites to duel these people.


    Just as she was going to alight the circuit and the Mahoutokoro students were deciding among themselves who will be going, someone appeared in the circuit, facing Martina.


    "What?!"


    "It''s her!"


    "Matsushima¡­ Akiko?"


    "Akiko''s actually fighting?"


    "So, Martina managed to pique her interest, huh?"


    While most of the Hogwarts students were clueless, the Mahoutokoro students reacted quite intensely by the new arrival. It was an auburn haired girl with a serious face and a voluptuous body that was outlined due to her tight clothing. She had a short sword strapped to her back.


    The girl regarded Martina with curiosity. "Let''s duel," she proposed.


    Not knowing the girl''s identity, Martina thought she might as well have another match. This girl''s face looked quite cute and harmless and she didn''t want to make things awkward by retreating now. "Alright¡­"


    This time, the cheering from Mahoutokoro was equally intense.


    "A-KI-KO! A-KI-KO! A-KI-KO!"


    "MAR-TINA! MAR-TINA! MAR-TINA!"


    ? Looking at the crowd''s reaction, Martina realized that Matsushima Akiko might actually turn out to be someone even more dangerous than her other opponents. But, it was already too late to back down now since Flitwick had already asked them to take positions.


    "START!"


    As the match started, both girls didn''t do anything at first, both seemingly waiting for the other person to make a move. But then, Martina decided to make her move. She decided to finish this as soon as possible. Thus, she went on the offensive and fired a few spells at the girl.


    "It''s over for Martina," murmured Axel.


    ? Confused, Daphne wanted to ask him what he was smoking but¡­ she suddenly went quiet when she saw the girl appear behind Martina with a kunai at her throat.


    !


    Everyone who hadn''t seen Akiko in action before was shocked. Looking back at the place she was standing before, they saw her image dissipating.


    Though the one who was the most shocked was, of course, Martina herself. Because her mind was already coming up with different hypotheses on how she did it, each of which required something absurd.


    Flitwick quickly announced Martina''s defeat while asking the girl to put away her weapon, lest Martina gets a scratch and Mahoutokoro burst into cheers amidst the deadly silence of Hogwarts.


    "You hold back too much." These were the words Martina heard from Akiko and then she was gone, just as swiftly and silently as she had come.


    With that, the first exchange between the schools was closed with Hogwarts students going back feeling unreconciled.


    "That was clearly cheating!"


    "Yeah, how cowardly are these ninjas, sneakily attacking from behind like that."


    "Well, of course they''ll resort to this. Couldn''t do anything against Martina upfront."


    That''s how they consoled themselves. Though there was one person who had completely different thoughts.


    "Those techniques¡­. This girl is something," muttered Axel, his eyes still throbbing due to excessive use of Arcane Eyes. Yes, while others might be puzzled, he had seen exactly what transpired inside the circuit just now. He was quite regretful the fight ended so quickly. He wanted to see those techniques a few more times and learn those techniques, especially since... one of them was Lightning related. Too bad, it doesn''t seem like it would be possible any time soon now.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Axel went to train early in morning again . First, he sprinted some laps around the ground. Then, with his warm up done, he entered the forbidden forest to do his main training, just like yesterday.


    Though, this time, something was different. In the clearing where he usually trains, someone else was already there, training so early in the morning.


    Yep, his training spot had been stolen by someone. And the person who stole it¡­ it was none other than the girl who beat Martina yesterday, Matsushima Akiko.


    <hr>


    A.N.: Next is a fight with Axel

 Chapter 62: Axel Vs Akiko

    A girl with auburn hair was currently training alone so early in the morning. At one glance, Axel was able to recognize who she was. She was Matsushima Akiko, the girl who beat Martina yesterday.


    Seeing his training spot being taken, Axel was at a momentary loss as he contemplated how to handle this situation. This clearing was quite deep into the forest and quite spacious and private. In short, it was the best place so far to train his skills and he didn''t want to lose it. So, he was wondering if he should ask this girl to take her training somewhere else or if he should compromise.


    He was going to go forward, but, looking at her training made him pause.


    As he watched, the girl performed Handsigns in quick succession, "Yin Release: Touch of Death."


    Dark energy surrounded her, causing ripples in the atmosphere. With that energy, she lightly touched a tree stump in front of her. Instantly, the stump withered and crumpled into powder, causing Axel to let out a low murmur of appreciation.


    "!"


    Who knew that, after detecting the sound, the girl would jump in surprise like a dear in headlights and quickly look in his direction?


    ''Fuck''


    As soon as their eyes met, Axel had a feeling that he might have seen something he shouldn''t have.


    Shing*


    In the next moment, sharp projectiles were thrown in his direction, trying to nail him into place. Axel was at least glad that none of them seemed to be aimed to kill.


    "Wait a minute¡ª" He tried, quickly dodging the projectiles and even catching one on impulse but the girl didn''t seem to be listening at all as she quickly formed a few hand signs. Axel cursed. He couldn''t just disappear or run away since the girl had clearly seen his face.


    The technique seemed familiar, as in the next moment, the girl appeared right beside him with sparks bursting around her. "Will you stop for a moment?!" He asked in annoyance even as his knife appeared in his hand.


    CLANG


    It clashed with her sword which she had drawn in a flash. The girl''s brows furrowed. She swung her sword again, trying to disarm him.


    [Knife Wielding]


    But Axel wasn''t about to be taken down that easily, after all, with the fighting skills he had accumulated on the streets and combining them with the training and knowledge of the system, he wasn''t about to be bested in close quarters at this level.


    In two seconds, multiple sounds of weapons clashing resounded, and Axel somehow found himself at a disadvantage. ''Damn she''s good,'' he accepted, but at the same time, a thrill arose inside him at finally being able to put his skills to some use. He could feel it. This girl has been trained professionally, with lots of experience in fighting while he had little to no practical experience fighting like this.


    Thus, he brought things up a notch.


    [Arcane Eyes]


    [Arcane Footwork]


    His eyes glowed faintly and the strikes were no longer as difficult to follow as before. With his feet moving quite fast, he was able to avoid most of the attacks, lessening the strain on his Knife-Wielding skills.


    The girl looked at Axel like she couldn''t believe he was actually able to hold up, causing him to smirk even as their weapons seemed to blur, with only the sounds of weapons clashing and sparks erupting due to them. He was no longer backing down from the fight.


    ? At this moment, Axel saw the girl making a few handseals while still holding the sword.


    A sound akin to the birds'' chirping was emitted from the blade as the blade was covered in lightning.


    CLANG


    The next clash between their weapons caused Axel to be blasted back due to the impact with his hands feeling numb due to the lightning. Though, the girl only seemed more surprised by Axel.


    "You have Lightning Affinity¡­?" She murmured and Axel grinned. He was no longer trying to resolve the situation peacefully. It was rare enough that he tried, but since the other party didn''t listen, then he will just beat her first.


    Besides, he was having too much fun right now.


    [Knife Wielding]


    The next time their weapons met, the lightning was totally ineffective. Because, a dull glow was covering his sword. Yep, he had been holding back.


    [Knife Wielding] allows him to infuse magic in his blade as well. He wasn''t using it before because he didn''t want to look too abnormal.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Surprise." He uttered, before the knife slipped out of his hand, appearing in the other one.


    Stab!


    Taking advantage of her momentary surprise due to him negating the lightning damage, he almost managed to stab her. It was only because he didn''t want the fight to end did he slow down imperceptibly, causing her to back away in time.


    "!"


    Akiko looked between the small 1-inch wound in her stomach and his knife with absolute shock. Though, in the next moment, anger seemed to cover her features, at being bested by at close combat against a boy much younger than her who''s not even a Ninja.


    "Yin Release," she murmured, forming a new set of hand seals. Instantly, three Akikos appeared in front of him with no way to distinguish who was real.


    The Akikos continued to make handseals from afar.


    "Lightning Release: LIGHTNING DRAGON!" Three huge lightning dragons appeared, one from each girl, creating an incredibly intimidating scenery, making Axel freeze in place.


    The smell of ozone filled the air and goosebumps rose on Axel''s skin.


    "...Well, this is fucked up," he proclaimed, looking surprised. There were currently three giant dragons made out of lightning coming after him. In face of such a situation, he still didn''t draw his wand.


    He didn''t feel like he needed to. He can confidently say that even after witnessing the power of the fire dragon Jutsu which looked quite similar to this one. Only, this time, there were three. Anyone would have lost their shit, but not Axel.


    "I see..." His hand curled into a fist. And in the next moment, he swung it.


    "!"


    The fist connected with a muffled thud as another Akiko became visible, just a few feet away from him, this one rubbing her cheek as the dragons and other Akikos suddenly dissipated.


    "Are we done yet?" He asked. But even as he looked confident on the outside, he still thanked his lucky stars that he had [Arcane Eyes]. Those Akikos and those Dragons were fake, like illusions, though very real ones. Thankfully, he was able to see through it and see the real Akiko coming for him under invisibility.


    Really, this girl was quite a monster. With these abilities, she''s already better than most wizards he''s seen. He felt like she was a genius on the same level as Martina. And that was a huge compliment considering Martina was quite younger than her. Only, while Martina is more oriented towards the academic field, this girl is pure combat.


    While Axel was thinking how satisfying that punch was, the girl looked at Axel with her mouth agape, her hand still caressing her cheek which was throbbing with pain. She didn''t seem to be able to believe what had just happened. Shame and humiliation flashed across her face before it settled into an impassive expression. But, seeing that look somehow rang warning bells in Axel''s head.


    Akiko''s face was set into one of immense concentration as she formed the hand seals. Axel wanted to stop her, but it was already too late. By the time his knife reached her, there was a burst of lightning, and Axel was thrown back, his jaw hurting badly.


    ''What the hell... was that speed?'' He wondered, spitting out some spittle mixed with blood. Fortunately, her physical strength wasn''t much. Most of the damage was due to that insane speed with which she threw it.


    He looked at the girl shaking her hand as if it hurt.


    Axel rubbed his cheek. It was the first time after getting the system that he actually suffered a blow, which is quite an achievement. Usually, he''d get new injuries every few days but ever since getting the system, he had begun to feel this sense of invincibility that he''d be able to get past just anything.


    This punch was the punch that woke him up and knocked some more sense into his head. That despite everything he had going for him, he wasn''t invisible yet. Just now, he was too careless. If he was cautious enough, he could have been able to avoid that punch. But he had still underestimated her.


    ''This is enough for now,'' he thought as he disappeared from his place.


    [Presence Reduction]


    [Blend]


    [True Invisibility]


    [Soundless]


    [Traceless]


    He silently walked behind the girl who still looking around, trying to locate him.


    "Petrifucus Totalus." he chanted under soundless, using his wand for the first time.


    The girl went down like a sack.


    "Thanks for that. I had fun," he told her, though, he also learned a lot.


    "Now, what to do with you?" He wondered. He couldn''t just kill her since even she wasn''t trying to kill him, only incapacitate him. Besides, with her Lightning and Darkness Affinity, she was quite talented, too talented. If something happens to her, it''ll cause a ruckus. Wait a moment, her talent...The gears of his mind began churning.


    He then unpetrified only her face so that she could speak.


    "So, why the sudden attack?" He asked, looking down at her.


    The girl looked away, seemingly at a loss for words.


    "That Jutsu... the death touch," he said, sounding her out.


    There was a reaction. Her mouth closed, almost too quickly.


    Axel nodded his head in understanding. "Let me guess...it was some kind of illegal Jutsu, right? Judging by your reaction, you''d get into deep shit if it was revealed."


    The girl''s eyes widened just a fraction as she looked at him with some surprise. Then, there was a flash of helplessness, and finally, she looked at him fiercely, as if ready to put everything on the line.


    Axel chuckled. "You don''t need to worry. I won''t tell anyone."


    "...?" The girl looked at him dubiously. "You won''t?" Speaking for the first time. Her voice was quite soft and childish, quite a contrast to her body and abilities.


    Axel frowned. She didn''t seem to be questioning his credibility, but his ability.


    "Don''t give me that look. My will and mental defenses are quite strong, if I do say so myself. No one can get any information out of me. But, I want something in return," he said, looking up and down her body for signs of injuries. There was nothing serious. It seems that they don''t have any reasons for grudges against each other yet.


    Akiko''s expression turned sour as she looked down at her body. "What is it?" She asked through gritted teeth, looking as if she wouldn''t agree no matter what.


    Axel raised an eyebrow. He had a feeling that she was making the wrong assumptions here. "I want you to teach me all the jutsus you can. Sword-wielding would also be nice."


    Akiko''s expression blanked out for a second, "...That... that''s what you want?"


    Axel nodded, "Yeah. Sayako Sensei said I won''t be able to learn much in her classes for a while and people with Lightning elemental affinity are rare. She said she''d ask another student with the Lightning element to teach me, but I shouldn''t have much hope."


    Realization dawned on her, "So, you were the one she was talking about."


    "Yep. You must have rejected quite flatly, right?" He guess as he bent down, so that they were eye to eye, and Akiko looked a bit embarrassed since his guess was correct.


    "So," said Axel, a dark smile playing on his lips, "won''t you reconsider, Akiko Sensei?" He asked, pointing his wand at her throat.


    Akiko swallowed, turning her face away from him. What choice did she have? "Alright, but you must sign a contract first and I''ll need sensei''s permission."


    Axel grinned.


    Today began with an unexpected gain.


    .....


    A.N.: Guys, we''re in the R.S. rankings! Give me more follows, favs and ratings/reviews so that we can climb higher! And I will flood you with chapters

 Chapter 63: The Organisation

    Akiko Matsushima found today''s events quite unbelievable.


    The day had started well enough, with her waking up early in the morning and finding an appropriate training spot deep in the forbidden forest. She hadn''t thought anyone would be there so early in the morning, so she had started training a few forbidden Jutsus.


    But, as her luck would have it, someone actually happened to arrive at that time, somehow without making any noise, as if gliding. By the time she heard his exclamation, he had already witnessed her practicing the Yin Affinity forbidden Jutsu.


    Yin, also called the Darkness Affinity, is the best for creating Illusions and Genjutsu. Many of the ninjas train their yin affinity to learn Genjutsu, and most people at Mahoutokoro thought that she had done the same. But, in actuality, she already had the Yin Affinity. And it was very high. It was at a level where she could use actual darkness Jutsus rather than just Genjutsus. But, that fact has to remain concealed.


    Because, excess of Yin affinity is quite frowned upon in Mahoutokoro since most of the Criminal Nins are known to use the forbidden Jutsus of this affinity. Of course, none of them actually had the Yin affinity. This affinity is so rare that only she has had it in a century. Those Criminals only used Yin Affinity Jutsus by forcefully increasing their Yin Affinity to a level higher than the recommended standards. Thus, Akiko has always kept her use of Yin affinity in public to simple Genjutsus.


    And, this boy has seen her use the Yin Affinity Forbidden Jutsu! Akiko wanted to quickly perform the memory Jutsu on the boy. So, she tried to stop him from escaping.


    But this is when the truly unbelievable part starts.


    She had thrown a few Senbons his way to lock him in place, but... somehow, the boy actually dodged them all! He even caught one in his hands as if it was no big deal.


    Akiko was shocked. Even the students of Mahoutokoro his age can''t do that, let alone a wizard with no formal training. She hadn''t even expected him to move, let alone dodge everything.


    Thus, she didn''t waste time and simply used her lightning Jutsu which lets her travel very fast in a straight line to quickly reach his position to deal with him at close quarters.


    Though, somehow, the boy blocked her sword quite easily... and with a knife at that! Blocking a sword blow with a knife is quite difficult as compared to blocking with the sword, but somehow, the boy did it.


    Not seeing any other way, she used Matsushima Kenjutsu.


    (Kenjutsu = Sword Techniques)


    Unbelievably, the boy was able to match her, with just a knife!


    It has to be noted that the Matsushima Sword Style is one of the best in the world, and she is a certified genius who has been training in it since she was 5. So, her kenjutsu was at a level where she could even beat most of the senseis. Plus, she was using a sword while the other party only had a knife, which is quite a big disadvantage. And yet, somehow, the boy was able to stand his ground!


    He was skilled, and his techniques were exquisite, but... there was a discrepancy that gave her the chills:


    He had very little combat experience!


    Swordplay is mostly about muscle memory and instincts. When an experienced ninja is using different high-speed sword techniques to attack you, you need a lot of combat experience and muscle to instinctively react to it. But, it was plain to see that the boy was doing it without any of that.


    This only meant one thing: The reaction speed of this boy is insanely high.


    Not only that, but he''s somehow able to move his body to match that reaction speed. This means, his physical abilities are also insanely high. He''s much faster than her, a lightning user, and the strikes which she delivered with all her strength and momentum didn''t even cause his arms to shake. Oh yeah, and he was still doing all this with a knife.


    Even as they fought, he was getting better. He no longer wasted his movements, his technique seemed to refine itself and, the grin forming on his face told her that he was actually enjoying this!


    What is this? Akiko has never been in such a situation. And she thought she was the cheat existence here. She now knew how others felt when looking at her.


    Having no choice, she infused Lightning in her sword to stun him. This will be a bit painful, but it was the best option against this monster.


    Though, her next big surprise, he had lightning affinity! He was able to endure the shock of that attack without having to infuse any magic in his blade. Even if not as rare as the Darkness Affinity, the Lightning Affinity is also quite rare. This is the reason why all the students at Mahoutokoro were in awe of her. They don''t know about her Darkness Affinity since it has been a closely guarded secret even before she became a student at Mahoutokoro. Thus, it was quite a surprise that he had it as well.


    But then, it turns out that he can also actually infuse magic in his blade. He was just not using it.


    ''Has he been¡­ holding back all this time?''


    The realization made her stunned. To think he didn''t even consider her a big enough threat to use all of his cards...


    It was at this moment that she saw him counterattack for the first time. Suddenly, the knife in his right hand appeared in his left hand! Before she knew what was happening and backed away, it was already stabbed into her abdomen.


    Akiko blanked out for a moment as she took her distance from him. She had been injured. She had actually been injured! It has been such a long time since this has happened.


    She looked at the boy in a new light. This is no ordinary opponent. She had no choice but to take this opponent seriously. Maintaining the distance, she decided to use her second affinity.


    She used a Powerful Genjutsu to distract him, turned herself invisible, and used a sneak attack on him. But, he actually saw through her technique!


    Just as she was about to attack him, his eyes shifted away from the fake Lightning Dragon as they focused on her. There was a hint of ridicule in those faintly glowing amber eyes. Before she could react, a punch landed on her, smack dab in the middle of her cheek.


    !


    The impact was so strong that her Genjutsu dissipated into a puff of smoke as she was left standing stunned on the ground, barely able to keep her balance. It was such a powerful punch that she had to give him a second look to confirm that it was indeed thrown by him. The boy just stood there casually with a slight smirk playing on his lips. He wasn''t even slightly winded, as if this was just a game to him. Seeing that smirk and feeling the disrespect, anger surged within her. No one had ever treated her like this!


    ''Lightning Release: Lightning God Mode.''


    Without even thinking of the consequences, she used her strongest lightning technique, her Trump card which she hadn''t shown anyone. Since she still hasn''t mastered it yet, using this causes her body to be sore for days. But, it amplifies her speed and reaction speed by a huge factor.


    The boy seemed to realize that he was in trouble since he tried to stop her. But, it was too late. In an instant, she felt pain all over her body, but, the world slowed down for her. She avoided his attempt to stop her.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ''Not so fast now, are you?'' She thought as she punched him with all her might. But in the next moment, her eyes widened when she saw his head already moving backward in the last moment, decreasing the impact of the blow.


    Seriously, this guy was creeping her out now. She was so glad to see the fist connect. But, her triumph was short-lived as she felt her hand throbbing with pain. When she looked back at him, he had already disappeared and while she tried to search for him, she suddenly found her body unable to move as she fell to the ground.


    As she lay there, the foremost thought that dominated her mind was: So, he was still... holding back.


    ¡­


    Axel''s day was starting out great as he discussed the terms with Akiko and finally, they both came to an agreement. For a year, she would try her best to teach Axel whatever he asked if she knew it and if she wasn''t breaking any rules by teaching him. This was the first term. Akiko didn''t think Axel would be able to learn much in a year.


    The second term was: they won''t reveal each other''s secrets. Both of them were pretty tight-lipped and their mental defenses were strong, so they didn''t worry about the second term.


    "The heck is this?" Asked Axel, looking down at a piece of paper filled with densely packed kanji letters. He half expected it to explode.


    "It''s a Fuinjutsu Contract with the terms. You have to sign here with your blood," explained Akiko, biting her thumb and signing her name.


    Axel gave her a scrutinizing look. She didn''t seem to be deceiving him. ''System, tell me what''s written. Is it the same?''


    Only after confirming everything with the system did Axel sign the contract. It was pretty much what they''d agreed on. Since this method seemed quite useful, Axel had Akiko make a few more blank secrecy contracts in case some other unkillable people found out his secrets.


    As Axel was signing the contract, Akiko looked at his name.


    "Axel Hunt."


    Axel nodded as he realized that he was yet to introduce himself. "That''s me, and I already know your name," he was saying, but he saw Akiko begin to sway on her feet. "What''s up with you?"


    Akiko shook her head, trying to clear her head. She rubbed her cheek which was already bruising up due to Axel''s punch.


    ''It''s because of that?'' It seems that the punch he had delivered earlier was still too strong.


    "Hey, are you alright? I tried controlling my strength," said Axel. After healing, he can''t properly control his strengths. So, accidents happen.


    "That strength... was after holding back?" murmured Akiko, looking angrier than soothed for some reason.


    Axel shrugged, " Yeah. Anyways, I''m going to the Hospital wing right now to get rid of this bruising. Are you coming?" he asked, inviting her along. Both of them had a bruised cheek and Akiko also had a small wound from the knife. They wouldn''t be able to attend their classes without raising hundreds of questions.


    Akiko shook her head, "I know a bit of healing Jutsu," she said as she began to perform hand seals. But as she did the hand seals, her legs gave out as she collapsed on the ground.


    Seeing this, Axel frowned. This is not something that could happen just because of his attacks. But then it came to him, "That last Jutsu. It was too much for you, wasn''t it?" He deduced.


    "..."


    Yep, he was right. It made sense now. That Jutsu was too much of a cheat! He was quite eager to have her teach him.


    In the end, both of them ended up going to the Hospital wing. Halfway through, Axel had to carry her using her wand since the girl was struggling to walk on her shaky legs. On a side note, he also made a mental note to also learn some Healing magic.


    "Anyways, why were you practicing that Forbidden Jutsu? You''re already powerful enough as it is, asked Axel as he carried her. It would be understandable in his case since his opponent Voldemort is so OP that his current level is far from enough. But, why would she need to take such desperate measures? Does she also know that the world is going to be taken over by that madman? Or does she have some other enemy?


    Akiko''s eyes flashed with complicated emotions as her fists clenched. "That...is private," she said in the end.


    "K." Axel didn''t pursue the matter further. Though it would seem that she did have a strong driving force behind her strength. No one becomes that strong for no good reason, not even with extreme talent.


    Take Martina for example. Her hunger for power isn''t strong enough. So, despite her talent, which is actually better than Akiko, Akiko destroyed her quite easily in the duel yesterday.


    They reached the Hospital wing in silence. With so many students, of course, Madam Pomfrey wasn''t the only healer. There were others and there were also apprentices pursuing Healing as a carrier.


    The healer lady doing the night shift wasn''t pleased to be disturbed in her sleep, but she did patch up their wounds in minutes. After that, she diagnosed Akiko.


    "Merlin''s bladder, how did this happen?!" Asked the healer as soon as she was done with the diagnosis. Axel was disappointed to know that Akiko was strictly recommended a few days of rest along with the treatment. It would seem like they can''t start the training today since the healer refused to let Akiko off.


    Disappointed, Axel completed his exercise and attended the physical training class.


    "What happened to your cheek?" Asked Daphne as soon as she saw him.


    The bruise was almost gone, but not completely. "It''s nothing. Just got punched from someone." Axel didn''t know why, but he told her the truth.


    Daphne began examining his body in worry, "Merlin! Are you alright? Are you hurt somewhere else?!"


    "I..."


    Axel looked at her fussing over him with some perplexity. This situation is still a bit surreal to him. Not long ago, no one would have given a shit whether he died or not. At that time, he had never expected that he''ll ever find someone who''d care so much for his well-being.


    ''This feeling... is not bad,'' he affirmed once again. Though this time, he didn''t take it too seriously. The last time he had this feeling, it was quite short-lived (Andromeda). Thus, he decided that he''ll enjoy it while he still has it.


    "Sigh, I''m fine. You''re overreacting." he told the worried girl.


    Daphne looked at him doubtfully, "Are you?"


    "What do you think?"


    Daphne seemed to give it some serious thought, "You don''t pick fights you can''t win. I think the other person is much worse off."


    Axel smirked. "Smart."


    "Though, who was the other person?"


    "Can''t say," he replied, making her pout.


    Their banter ended when the Sensei came. This time, there were comparatively fewer students but still, there were plenty including the ones who were there just to watch. This time, Axel performed better than the last time, but still didn''t try out the obstacle course.


    After the class was over, as Axel sat at the breakfast table, some students came to stand in front of him, somewhat surrounding him. It was Damien Malcolm and his cronies. Axel looked around, sure enough, Martina and Patricia weren''t here right now.


    "What do you mean he had a bruise on his cheek? How did he get it?! And where were you while he got hurt?!" Demanded a furious Bellatrix.


    Tonks sighed, "Relax aunty, it''s just a small bruise. And no, I can''t follow him all the time, so I don''t know how he got it. It was there when he got to the morning class at 7."


    Bellatrix banged the table in front of her, "Then find out and report it to me! And don''t let him escape your eyes now. Follow him everywhere! Or you''re better off just going back to your training."


    "Alright, alright, I''ll do it, aunty, please don''t talk about sending me back to that boring place! And you have to give me some more details if you want me to understand the severity!" Yelled Tonks, but the phone went dead with an, "I''ll think about it." Tonks sighed, "Looks like I need to take this seriously." She had been treating this trip to Hogwarts like a vacation, but it seems that she can no longer slack off. Whatever, she was quite curious about this boy anyways. Why are both the sisters so concerned about him?


    On the other hand, Bellatrix had cut off the call because an important guest had arrived at her office. Right now, she sat face to face with an old man with a bald head and white beard wearing a Yukata. This was none other than Yamazaki Hiroshi, the Principal of Mahoutokoro.


    "What is it that you wanted to talk about, minister?" Asked Hiroshi, his face expressionless and his eyes close. He wasn''t smiling like he was in front of Dumbledore.


    Bellatrix decided to come straight to the point, "I had a proposal."


    "Well, let''s see if it''s worth my time."


    Bellatrix frowned. This old foggy was looking down on her due to her young age. "The Kraken," She said, and at once, the old man''s eyes opened. "I''ll help you destroy it."


    "I¡­ don''t know what you are talking about, minister."


    Bellatrix scoffed, "Come on, you know exactly what I''m talking about, or at least, you hope I don''t. I know all about the cooperation between Atlantis and Japan. I even know about the Kraken," she said, revealing her cards. This was the main reason why she chose Mahoutokoro. Because the ninjas have a relationship with Atlantis. The Atlantis hires the ninjas from time to time for various purposes.


    But, there is one main mission that contracts the most number of Ninjas: Kraken. And no, we''re not talking about the creature here.


    Kraken is the name of an Organization. It is the name of THE organization.


    Hiroshi frowned, his eyes turning sharp. He no longer pretended to be ignorant. "How do you know all this?"


    ''Not looking down on me now, are you? You old foggy,'' thought Bellatrix as she put on a mysterious smile, "I have my sources everywhere."


    (Poor and oblivious Gorski in the seller: "...")


    The old man still wanted to check her knowledge, "Why would we be interested in destroying the Kraken?"


    Bellatrix laughed, "Why? Where do I even begin? You want to test out how much I know? Fine.


    "Let''s just ignore the number of Ninjas you''ve already lost against them. It''s a thing of the past. But, correct me if I''m wrong, but they''re going to need your help once again due to the matter of succession. At that time, if you refuse, you''ll be losing your very important client. And if you didn''t, you''ll be losing a lot of ninjas," saying so, Bellatrix leaned closer.


    "If that''s not reason enough, then maybe because you might be interested in avenging your daughter and your son-in-law, who died in a mission concerning the Kraken. After all, your genius granddaughter seems to want the revenge very badly. You wouldn''t want her to go on that futile mission, would you?"


    ''Akiko...'' At that, the old man''s shoulders sagged, and Bellatrix knew she had him.


    ''Hook, line, and sinker.''


    ...

 Chapter 64: Combat and Stealth

    Seeing Malcolm coming, Axel couldn''t help but sigh. What the fuck does this bastard want now?


    This is the first time he is approaching Axel so openly. Until now, Axel is rarely seen at the common house and at any other place. Only the Great Hall is the place which he frequents everyday. And this guy would never usually do anything to antagonise him in public since he had Martina''s protection.


    ''So, what does he want?'' Wondered Axel.


    "Hunt, you should stop," said Damien solemnly. He had an air of righteousness around him.


    Axel looked at him as if looking at a clown. "Who are you?"


    "..." That broke his momentum. It''s just like the arrogant fool to assume that everyone should know him. "I''m Damien ''Malcolm''. I''m here to stop you from continuing your disgraceful conduct."


    Axel tilted his head. He was curious what this guy was upto. ''Alright, I''ll bite.''


    "What are you talking about?" He asked.


    Damien smirked, "Oh, don''t pretend to be innocent now. First, you seduced Martina to get her protection. Then you set your sights on the second most powerful girl, Patricia, and you get into the Slytherin Quidditch team without trial. It was bad enough that all the old members of the team had graduated, but you are making it worse by playing a role as important as a seeker with no skills and experience. You are a disgrace to House Slytherin."


    Looking at the guy, Axel inwardly shook his head.


    ''This guy is digging his own grave,'' he thought. In his previous observations, he has already found that unlike his older brother, Damien Malcolm is quite impulsive, despite his moderately clever mind. He doesn''t think his actions through before acting. Right now, he must have seen that both Martina and Patricia weren''t here and thought it was a perfect chance to make the whole house against Axel. And, his plan was going quite well so far, since his words had the desired effect. Negative glances were being thrown at Axel right now.


    It was the truth that Axel''s admission into the Slytherin Quidditch was quite abrupt. And unlike the case with Rose Potter, his admission wasn''t taken too positively by the house. Damien was taking advantage of that to make things difficult for Axel since he can''t openly bully him due to Martina''s warning.


    But, he was too impulsive. When it comes to a fight, whether it''s a physical fight or a fight of words, Axel''s response is equally sharp. On streets, you can solve most things with violence, but not everything. Thus, Axel usually tries to solve everything with violence, but when violence is not an option, he is capable enough in the battle of wits.


    Looking at the guy, Axel nodded in understanding, "Alright, let''s not mention that you don''t know whether I''m a qualified seeker or not, but you are claiming that I seduced the Princesses of two noble and powerful families¡­ without any proof or confirmation from any of the parties involved¡­" said Axel, and Damien''s face paled as he realized, he fucked up. He wouldn''t have thought that Axel would use his brain enough to respond logically instead of getting flustered and losing his cool.


    Axel folded his hands on the table as he looked up at Damien, who was already regretting his word choice. "So, tell me, Damien, are you ready to bear the consequences of tarnishing the reputation of these two influential families? Blimey, I shudder to think what they would do to you, especially the Valentino Family."


    ''This is it. Yep, this is it,'' thought Axel as he inwardly grinned in satisfaction. Now he can take his revenge from the shadows and everyone would think it''s one of the two families.


    Axel looked behind Damien as he raised his hand, "Oh, hey Martina! Look at this guy¡ª"


    Before he could finish, Damien already beat a hasty retreat, his crownies following right behind him.


    May be his luck was too bad, but the real Martina actually came through the double doors at this moment and poor Damien fell back on his butt with just a look, causing the students who were following the whole conversation to burst into laughter.


    Meanwhile, Martina who had done nothing: Am I that scary now?


    Shaking his head, Axel went back to eating his breakfast. He had won the confrontation, but Malcolm''s words made him aware that his admission into the team wasn''t taken very well by some people. ''Guess I''ll have to start soon,'' he thought.


    ¡­


    "That was¡­ great," said Daphne, looking at Axel with shining eyes as they went to attend their classes.


    Axel was bewildered, "Why are you so excited?" It''s not the first time he has had a fight in front of her. Usually she''s not so thrilled.


    Daphne shook her head, "It''s just a Ravenclaw thing. I didn''t know you could be that witty. I was already ready to move away in case you threw the guy across the table."


    Axel scoffed, "What do you take me for? A savage?"


    Daphne smiled but didn''t respond. At this moment, Daphne''s friends from Ravenclaw joined them for some reason, making her glare at them.


    "What are you guys talking about?" Asked Padma Patil.


    Daphne gave the girls a warning look, "Something you guys have no business butting in."


    "Come on, Daph. We are just trying to catch up. You never hang out with us anymore," said Sue Li.


    Daphne gritted her teeth, "I believe we hung out just yesterday, or am I having memory problems now?" She already knew why they were disturbing her and she did NOT like it.


    Axel''s stats have been increasing too much. He already had the looks. But then he worked hard and slowly improved his academic abilities until he climbed to the first position last year. His looks have improved and he''s tall and muscular instead of his earlier short and skinny body. Now he''s also a seeker in Quidditch. So, of course the bitches are now flocking around, smelling meat, and Daphne absolutely hates it! Especially because they didn''t see the good in him when he was still injured and malnourished. Compared to these girls'', even Martina is much better.


    Despite Daphne''s unwelcoming attitude, the girls shamelessly tagged along while giggling. "We have Stealth Subterfuge and Combat Training today. I wonder what will happen..." said Mandy Brocklehurst.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Axel frowned. He doesn''t like to be surrounded in a group, especially since he doesn''t know everyone in the group. The girls would ask him questions from time to time but Axel would either ignore them or respond perfunctorily. Since they were Daphne''s friends, he just let her handle them.


    When they reached the class, everyone was surprised. Since the size of Hogwarts'' classrooms can be adjusted, the space of the class had been extended by a lot for some reason. There were different targets and training dummies stationed at different distances. The tables and benches had been shifted to the side and weapons of all kinds were laid across them, creating quite the intimidating scene.


    Looking at those sharp and Pointy weapons, Axel''s first thought was, what would happen if he were to use ''Oppugno Totalis'' here. The spell that lets him control multiple objects at the same time. With so many sharp and dangerous weapons, the classroom would turn into a meat grinder, wouldn''t it?


    ''Damn my intrusive thoughts!'' He thought, mentally giving himself a slap.


    Clearing his head of the messy thoughts, he looked at the man waiting for them where the front who must be their professor. He was a man who looked to be in his 50s. He had greying hair but a fit and muscular body and the side of his chin had a cross-shaped scar. He had a few students of Mahoutokoro standing on his side as well.


    "Welcome, everyone. I''m Sensei Morge and I''ll be incharge of your combat training," he said in a deep and solemn voice.


    "Combat is an essential part of being a Ninja. Most of our missions put us in a situation where we have to fight, whether it is to attack our enemies or to defend our clients. In this class, I''ll be teaching you how you can use your body and weapons for doing that," he said, pointing at one particularly long table.


    "We''ll start with Kunai. They are on that table. Kunai are multifunctional weapons. They can be used as throwing weapons for long range attacks, they can be used in short range for hand to hand combat, they''re also useful if you need to cut any objects like ropes or gouge holes, there''s a hole in it''s back where you can tie a rope, further branching out its uses. That''s why, a kunai is a basic weapon that every ninja carries and learns to wield.


    "Pick out your kunais from the table. We''ll start with long range training."


    "Blimey, a simple object has so many uses," commented Mandy Brocklehurst, examining the kunai in her hand.


    "What are we supposed to do with this?" Asked Padma, picking up her own.


    Axel picked one up as well as he weighed it in hands and examined it. As expected, the edges were blunted with magic so that the students don''t hurt each other or themselves.


    Sensei Morge pointed at the target circles stationed in front of them. "You''re supposed to hit them. Improve your aim first."


    "Really?"


    "Just like that?"


    "It''s on!"


    Students found the prospect of throwing Kunais enjoyable so everyone got right to it. But, they quickly realized it wasn''t going to be as easy as they thought. Out of all the Kunais thrown in the beginning, very few were able to actually reach the target, let alone hit it.


    "Lame! Let them show you how it''s done," said Sensei Morge, gesturing to the students of Mahoutokoro.


    The ninjas first demonstrated the technique and then made the throws. All of them were able to hit the bullseye. After that, they began to supervise the students so they don''t accidentally hurt each other.


    While the others were busy throwing with all their might, Axel just stood and watch. He had to agree with Sensei Morge, everyone was lame. Even the students of Mahoutokoro. He could hit the bullseye at this range even in crippled state. This throwing training was useless to him.


    None of the girls around Axel were able to reach the target, let alone the bullseye. But they were quite eager to see Axel try.


    "I can''t reach it! But, I think Axel can make it," said Mandy Brocklehurst, feeling up the muscles on Axel''s arm which were hidden under the cloak.


    "Woah¡­.what have you been hiding here!"


    "... You shouldn''t do that when I have a weapon in my hand," said Axel as she shook off her hand, barely resisting the urge to bash her face in.


    Even though the threat was real, only Daphne out of the girls realized that he wasn''t kidding. Following Mandy, the other girls also touched Axel''s arms.


    "Wow! This is so hard!"


    "It''s like rock!"


    But not even a second later, they were all shoved away, not by Axel but by Daphne, even before Axel extracted himself.


    "You all¡­Stay away from him!" She said in a scathing tone, trying to keep her voice quiet, but a student from Mahoutokoro still warned them to not cause a commotion.


    The girls were a bit scared for a moment since they could feel the danger coming from Daphne this time. But then they thought it must be their imagination as they began whispering among themselves about Axel''s looks. Only Axel, who knew her better could tell that something was wrong with her.


    "even though I always wanted to do that¡­ these bitches¡­ there are so many sharp weapons here¡­" she kept murmuring some strange things in a low voice and her eyes couldn''t be seen due to her hair.


    "Hey," said Axel, shaking her little. "Are you alright?"


    With a jerk, Daphne seemed to come to her senses as she looked at Axel. "Yeah¡­ I''m fine. It''s just that these girls are too infuriating," she said, not trying to prevent her voice to be heard by her friends. Though even now, the girls didn''t take her seriously.


    "Alright, we won''t bother you if you can hit the target next time," said Mandy Brocklehurst.


    "Yeah, we can do that!" The other girls agreed as well. But of course, they knew that there was no chance her kunai would even reach the target, let alone hit it.


    Daphne coldly glared at the girls. "Fine." She said, picking up a kunai with a grim determination rarely seen in her.


    Axel looked at her in surprise. Her previous attempts weren''t bad but there was no power in her throws. He was sure she wouldn''t be able to reach it.


    But Daphne seemed determined, and pissed as she clutched the kunai tightly. After aiming for a while, she swung her hand with all her might.


    Shin*


    The kunai actually made a sound as it cut through the air, surprising Axel. This was a very strong throw. Strong enough that it would easily reach the target, proving everyone wrong. Though, Axel could also tell that her aim this time was off the mark. It wouldn''t hit the target. The kunai in Axel''s hand disappeared.


    Shin*


    DING*


    The spinning kunai travelled in a curved path as it hit Daphne''s kunai.


    Thump Thump*


    ''They were too annoying after all,'' thought Axel, looking at the two kunai buried in the bullseye as he ignored the shocked reactions of everyone else. He was fine with just Daphne''s company for the time being.


    For the Stealth Class, their teacher was a woman with braided black hair, wearing black lipstick and black outfit. Even her nails were painted black.


    "I''m Kurai. Welcome to your Stealth and Concealment Training."


    Even her name, "Kurai" translates into "Dark".


    "You all might have heard that Ninjas are also called Shinobis and the underlying connotation of the word "Shinobi" is "to hide" and¡ªby extension¡ª"to forbear", hence its association with stealth and invisibility," she explained smoothly.


    "So, Stealth and Subterfuge are an absolute must for any Shinobi. It''s the main reason why Ninjas are hired. It''s useful for Spying and Reconnaissance, assassination, concealment, Disguise, and so on."


    ''Damn, this woman doesn''t censor her words.'' thought Axel, looking at some of the students who seemed a bit terrified due to the mention of things like assassination. It has to be mentioned that Ninjas don''t accept just any assassination request and not every ninja is given the authority to accept assassination missions. Officially, only the Hunter-nin corps are given such missions and few people have the authority to move them.


    Unbothered, Kurai Sensei continued, "Let''s start with stealth. Stealth doesn''t simply mean invisibility. It involves everything you can do to make sure that no one notices what you''re doing," saying so, Kurai sensei snapped her fingers.


    In the next second, a kunai was buried above the head of a Student, Neville Longbottom, who promptly dropped to his knees with a terrified expression. "Did anyone see me throw that? This is stealth."


    ''She''s good,'' thought Axel. Too bad there was little she could teach him that he didn''t already know. And the things he might not know are so advance that they won''t be taught in the first class.


    For the rest of the class, Axel simply kept a low profile. Since he was the best at Stealth, it was that much more important to keep it hidden from the students. It''s a skill that loses its usefulness the more you advertise it.


    The class passed peacefully. But, at the end of the class, "Hey, you!"


    Kurai Sensei called out, making Axel stop. He looked back to see who was being called, only to see Kurai Sensei''s gaze fixed on him.


    ''The fuck?''


    "Yes you, the cute one. You wait for a while. We need to have a talk."


    ''Damn it, this time I didn''t do anything!'' Axel swore inwardly. What the heck? He had gone out of his way not to attract attention in this class, and this Sensei is just destroying all of his efforts.


    ¡­

 Chapter 65: New Skills

    In the quiet classroom, Axel faced the woman in black. He wasn''t sure why this woman would want him to wait despite him actively avoiding her attention.


    Kurai Sensei looked at Axel with a penetrating look.


    "How peculiar," she muttered.


    Axel''s expression still didn''t change but he couldn''t help but ask, "What might Sensei be talking about?"


    "You have a talent for Stealth. Tell me, handsome boy, is it natural or did you learn it?"


    Axel cursed inwardly. How did she know? She hadn''t even looked at him throughout the class. He made an expression of confusion as he spoke, "I have a talent for Stealth? Sensei, why would you think that?"


    The woman chuckled. "Well, first of all, your appearance is too eye-catching. And yet, my notice kept slipping off you. But when I rewind my memory, I can clearly recall seeing you standing there."


    ''Fuck¡­'' Axel understood what had happened even before the sensei concluded her words. As an experienced thief, stealth is now a second nature to him. The most important thing for a thief is to not get noticed, and he has become overly adept at it. So much so that his stealth can be activated at a subconscious level. Earlier, he just wanted to keep a low profile and he must have subconsciously used his stealth skills.


    But still, to be able to deduce his talent, this woman is capable, otherwise, the other professors would have called him out long ago since this is not the first time he has subconsciously used his stealth. It''s a habit from a distant past.


    Kurai Sensei continued, "Since I have the memory of you being there but I didn''t notice you, your presence must be quite low. But that''s not the only point. The way you walk, the way you move, the way you breathe, everything is done in a way that''s perfect for Stealth. This is not a common occurrence. It''s the kind of stealth talent every ninja desires. So I was curious how you were able to do this!" Her excitement kept increasing as she spoke.


    ''Damn...'' Axel didn''t know so much could be interpreted from his simple actions. So that''s why she asked if he did it on his own or if someone taught him. Axel didn''t want anyone to know he was an expert at stealth, so he quickly thought of an explanation. Putting on a moderate look of surprise and realization, he spoke, "Is that what it is? No wonder," he shook his head as his hand touched the scar on his cheek. "Actually, there are a lot of times I''ve been forced to avoid being noticed. Maybe that''s why it''s like this," he said with a helpless smile. From what he could remember, the small bit he had unintentionally showed should be around .1 percent of his real skills, so, it should be passed off as just talent.


    Kurai sensei looked at the light and faded scars on his cheek and left eye and imagined his circumstances. Her gaze turned somewhat sympathetic. "If it''s like that, then I can understand. But it''s a waste of your talent to study along with others. Tell me, would you like me to arrange private lessons for you?" She asked with a smile, expecting him to be overjoyed.


    But Axel could only sigh inwardly. If it was something else, he might have given it some thought. But, Stealth was already his forte. He didn''t think this sense could teach him some worth risking exposing his skills over. Of course, he didn''t think his lie just was enough to convince her. It''s better to avoid her as much as possible.


    So, there was no way he was going to accept. But, rejecting would be even more suspicious. "I''ll see if I have the time." He pretended to be ignorant of the benefits stealth could give him.


    Kurai Sensei looked a bit disappointed and irritated. How would it feel when you offer a muggle a 10000 galleons but the other party thinks it''s a worthless currency, and accepts the money as if he''s doing you a favor? That''s how she must have felt. Such an ignorant person, would you still want to give him the galleons?


    After coming out of the classroom, Axel sighed. He felt bad for rejecting the offer but accepting it would have brought more harm than good.


    "What was it about this time?" asked Daphne, who was waiting for him again.


    Axel shrugged, "She said I was too eye catching and handsome."


    "!!!"


    Well, he did tell her the truth.


    Axel ignored her surprised reaction. "It wasn''t a big deal. Anyways, I have Herbology now, what do you have?" Before Daphne could ask more on the topic, Axel simply moved on.


    "Ah... I have Charms now."


    "Well, you are already late because of me. You should go now."


    Separating from Daphne, Axel went to the Herbology class. But, he later came to regret going there.


    Since he was late, everyone had arrived and the class had already started. As soon as he reached the Greenhouse, he saw a bunch of potted plants on the table and all of the students were wearing something on their ears. Just as he was wondering why they''d need earmuffs, out of nowhere, a sharp noise pierced his ears, almost bursting his ear drums.


    ''Fuck! Mandrake!''


    Listening to that noise, a thought flashed through his mind before it went a chaotic state. His knees buckled as he fell to the ground. He wasn''t too shabby at Herbology since it was Daphne''s speciality. So, he knew a bit about Mandrakes. Too bad it wasn''t to the point he could have grasped the situation in time.


    He had Misophonia, a disorder that causes excessive irritation and discomfort towards particular sounds. His Misophonia isn''t too troublesome, just kicking in when he hears particularly loud and shrill noise, like the sound of a train. And every time, the situation is not too bad. He''s able to manage without showing much external reaction. But this time, it was a Mandrake''s cry. It''s enough to knock out a normal person. And on Axel who has Misophonia, it''s like pouring oil into the fire.


    The noise caused him such intense irritation and discomfort that he wanted to destroy everything. His magic flared up, about to destroy everything that was the reason for this noise. And with the last bit of coherent thought, he realized this could be a problem. Thus, he chose to not resist passing out. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    *!!!!*


    Just when Axel''s magic had erupted, the students and Professor Sprouts suddenly had a dreadful feeling, but before anything could happen though, it stopped. No one knew where it came from.


    ...


    Axel woke up to a gentle sensation on his hand and forehead. It was strangely soothing, and it calmed down his mind which was still quite chaotic.


    He was able to squash down his destructive impulse and recall what had happened. He had been about to go berserk due to that extreme noise. And in order to stop himself, he had decided to let the sound knock him out. He could have resisted it, of course, but then he might have done something violent instead.


    And now that he was half-awake and half-asleep, this warmth on his forehead was able to bring him back to consciousness.


    Axel felt that this foreign sensation, was not bad. He wondered if he''ll be able to feel this more often if he got knocked out by Mandrake''s cry again.


    Though as he stirred, and opened his eyes, the sensation was quickly gone, making him wonder if he had been dreaming.


    "You''re awake?"


    Axel''s eyes quickly scanned his surroundings as he sat with vigilance. He found out that he was in the Hospital wing and the voice just now belonged to Daphne who was sitting on his bed side.


    "How long was I out?"


    Daphne''s lips were curved downward, "Only an hour," she said, as if she was displeased that he woke up.


    Axel frowned, "That''s a lot," he murmured. He should have woken up sooner. "Though, why are you here?"


    "Susan told me."


    "Oh¡­" that nosy girl. His Herbology was together with Hufflepuffs.


    "The news must have spread everywhere¡­" he muttered with some irritation.


    Daphne patted his shoulder, "Don''t worry. You aren''t the only one. A few students from every class have passed out due to Mandrake''s. Unlike you, who didn''t have any protection, they passed out because they didn''t put their earmuffs right. Neville was one of them."


    Well, that did make him feel better. But still, he decided to do something about this Misophonia soon. It''s a glaring weakness. Along with that, he also had to make preparations against the Organization.


    ...


    Later that night, in the training room of his secret Hideout, Axel opened the System interface.


    His main focus right now was preparing for the Organization''s attack. After all, once he starts drawing attention, there''s no telling when they''ll come or how they''ll come. It''s better to prepare first. That''s why, that night, he bought some new skills from the System.


    How did he get the SP for that?


    Well, as mentioned, SP can be obtained by stealing. The bigger and more daring the Heist, the more SP he''ll get.


    And at the end of last term, he stole a very valuable replica of the Philosopher''s Stone, from right under Dumbledore and Voldemort''s noses. (correction: only one of them has a nose, but you get the point¡­)


    After that Heist, the SP he got was amazing and he hadn''t spent it yet since he wanted to save it for the time of need. And that turned out to be a great decision since the skills he needs now, after the change of his plans, are much different than the skills he would have bought earlier.


    The first skill,


    [Super Sense]:


    Develop the ability to sense a certain amount of area around you.


    This skill is absolutely necessary for his preparations. His enemies won''t send out an invitation before attacking, and he doesn''t want to be caught off guard. This skill can let him detect danger. Thus, this skill is going to have to be active for most of the time this year.


    The next skill, [Heal]


    Arcane Thief is not a class that specializes in Healing, so it wasn''t powerful. But a healing skill was absolutely necessary, so it''ll do.


    As for the last skill, it took almost all of his sp, but he still bought it. [Void Travel]


    As explained, he puts his safety first, and this is like an emergency escape. There is already Apparation, a way of teleportation for wizards, but the thing about Apparation is, it can be easily blocked. It''s useless at Hogwarts. In fact, after the rapid development in the last decade, Anti-apparation wards are can be found at just any property. That''s why he chose this skill.


    Once he gains some proficiency in these skills, his safety would be increased by a lot, which is something that is very welcome at this time when he is doing something as reckless as being the bait for the enemy. With his paranoid and cautious nature, even his risks are filled with caution.


    "Let''s see what these skills are about," he murmured as he began his practice.


    Just like that, a few days passed. During this time, Axel was very busy with his training. He didn''t do anything too eye-catching and only practiced the new skills even during the classes since he didn''t have much to do.


    To practice Super Sense, he had to increase his spacial awareness. The beginning stages included meditation exercises and going through obstacles with his eyes closed.


    He''d wander out at night and go through the corridors sensing his surroundings. He tied up logs in his room. After swinging them, he''d have to try to sense and dodge them with his eyes closed. After getting bruised up with that, he''d practice [Heal] on his wounds.


    [Heal] wasn''t too difficult, though the same couldn''t be said about Void Travel. He hadn''t made much progress in that yet.


    No progress was on the ninjutsu front as well. Akiko still hadn''t healed yet. She stayed in one of the private wards in the infirmary and visits were not allowed for her so he couldn''t visit her and start learning from her. Axel found it a bit overprotective, but considering that she was such a genius, it might not be too implausible to give her such treatment.


    His days passed like this, relatively uneventful. Though, one day, something happened. Just like the past few days, he was wandering around the corridors at night to train his Super Sense. His Stealth skills were active so that no one could find him as he walked through with his eyes closed, only relying on his other senses.


    During these days, since his eyes were closed during the training, his other senses had amplified. And maybe that''s why, but as he walked, he suddenly detected a faint whiff of fragrance in the air.


    ''This faint scent of Lavender...'' he was quite familiar with it. His eyes opened, though he didn''t find anyone.


    His eyes opened, and of course, he didn''t find anyone. But, when he activated his Arcane Eyes, he found the silhouette of a girl passing by the corridor ahead.


    Martina


    ''What is she up to?''


    Martina had always been quite the mystery girl. This wasn''t the first time he was encountering her at night. Their very first encounter was on his first night at Hogwarts, when he was wandering around, searching for a place to spend the night.


    Though this time, the situation is quite different.


    He wasn''t talking about his difference, but Martina''s. She had on some strange goggles on her eyes, the cloak she was wearing radiated dense magic, and in her hand, was a staff that glowed so bright that it made his Arcane Eyes cringe.


    ''What the heck is up with this girl?''


    There was no way he wasn''t curious. So, he began following her to see where she''d go. Axel followed her for a while, and when she reached her destination, he certainly received a big surprise.


    ''Bathroom?!'' He thought with absurdity as he saw her entering the second floor out of order bathroom like she was going to war.


    Who the fuck goes to bathroom dressed like that?!


    ....


    ***Bonus Scene


    ¡ªHogwarts Infirmary, Private ward ¡ª


    Usually, this place is reserved for patients who need critical treatment or isolation, but this time, a girl whose condition was not so critical was staying here.


    Akiko Matsushima looked outside the window, lost in thought.


    She had always thought that she was the best genius out there. In the same generation, she hadn''t met anyone who could even come close to her level.


    Putting her absurd talent aside, she had received the best education and instructions from the very beginning and she had always put her all into training, unlike other geniuses who slack off. Her target was at a level others wouldn''t even dream of achieving. And yet, despite all this, there was one person who could actually beat her while holding back. And the most absurd thing... he was around 5 years younger than her!


    Someone who could reach this level at the age of 12... this is simply out of the boundaries of comprehension. And, such a genius was completely unrecognised here.


    She recalled the seal of secrecy she had signed with him. It''s not the school''s fault. This genius is intentionally hiding himself among these ordinary students, hiding his abilities. Every morning, she''d see him go to the Forbidden Forest for serious training. And then he''d come back and hold back in the Physical training classes.


    ''He probably holds back like this in all of his other classes as well, or just his Stealth would have been enough to put the whole Mahoutokoro to shame,'' she thought, recalling the time he stopped holding back. Despite her training, she couldn''t sense anything.


    She couldn''t help but wonder how he was so strong, what drove him to obtain such power, and what was his ultimate target... that even after having this strength, he doesn''t show his real abilities.


    As she was lost in her thoughts, there was a knock on her door. A few seconds later, Yamasaki Hiroshi, the Principal of Mahoutokoro himself entered the room.


    "How are you?"


    Even after such a distinguished person personally paid her a visit, Akiko simply ignored him as she continued her training.


    Yamasaki Hiroshi, who had been out of Hogwarts for the past few days, seriously checked Akiko''s condition. After he was done, he smiled faintly, "What drove you to such lengths, that you used ''that'' technique, my granddaughter."


    Even if Akiko wasn''t under the secrecy contract, she''d still not tell him. "I was just training."


    In face of his rebellious grand daughter, Yamasaki simply sighed helplessly. Her mother was also rebellious when she was young, marrying that Matsushima clan brat. Yamasaki patted his granddaughter''s head.


    "Aki, don''t push yourself so hard. Revenge is not the way."


    Akiko rolled her eyes in a ''here-we-go-again'' look.


    "Save it, grandfather. I''m an adult now. I will do whatever I want and if you can''t help me... then I''ll find others who can."


    ....


    A.N.: Martina is going to the bathroom dressed like that, why? And Akiko is going to need help with her revenge.


    Next Chapter: The Chamber of Secrets


    Next Next Chapter tilte: Snake Hunting

 Chapter 66: The Chamber of Secrets

    Martina had been in quite an internal conflict these days. So far, her life in this world has been very peaceful and fulfilling. She has quite a loving and caring family, and magic has been such an entertaining factor that she can keep researching it all her life.


    But, it can''t be forgotten that this world isn''t exactly as safe a place as it appears. It''s the Potterverse, where, even though there''s no Harry Potter, there is still Voldemort. She confirmed it herself last year. And even though the canon plot is not the same, some factors still have not changed. For example, last year, even with so many things changing, Voldemort still came after the stone and ended up endangering the lives of the students.


    So, this year, however unlikely it may seem, there is a chance that the chamber of Secrets might be opened, and a Basilisk might start to roam free in Hogwarts. Heck, it might have already been opened for all she knew. Thus, as someone who knows the plot, she has been agonizing over what to do.


    In the original story, it was only through sheer luck that know one died in the second year. Somehow, every time someone saw the Basilisk, it was through some sort of reflection, and no direct eye contact was made, thus only resulting in the victims petrification and the Basilisk didn''t attack directly as well, or it could have simply eaten a few students. But now, after everything has changed, would such lucky coincidences still occur? She can''t take such a chance. After all, a lot is at stake here.


    A Basilisk is actually a big deal. It''s one of the most dangerous XXXXX creatures. If someone is actually killed by a it, the influential families from all over the world, whose precious children are studying here would be beyond outraged. Specially since there has already been a troll incident before.


    They would politically tear down the School, and her parents would be leading the charge. Not to mention that the cooperation with Mahoutokoro might end, leaving her research of her magic incomplete.


    Thus, the Basilisk needs to be taken care of, as soon as possible. Martina had already made preparations for this years ago, but now that she was actually going to do this, she was having second thoughts. It was a Basilisk! And this wasn''t some fantasy! It''s easy to think about it but it''s much more difficult to actually do it in real life! One wrong move could cost her life.


    But Martina had already made up her mind.


    ''If a twelve year old boy with little to no magical training can do it, then why can''t I, a reincarnator with so many cheats, do it?! I even have the [Linguist] Skill, so Parseltongue won''t be a problem,'' she thought positively.


    As a reincarnator with high karma, she had been able to get a few cheats with her reincarnation, one of which was [Linguist]. It basically makes her adept in all languages of this world. That includes magical and runic languages.


    So, she can access the chamber without needing a Parselmouth''s help and actually communicate with the Basilisk since it''s not under the control of the diary Voldemort yet. Maybe, just maybe things could be settled peacefully, and if not, then she has made so many preparations as well.


    For Basilisk venom, she had some Phoenix tears. In fact, her parents have always had her carry some with her for use in case she even gets a scratch.


    For its Deathly gaze, she has prepared special goggles that''ll protect her eyes. For her body, she was wearing an enchanted cloak which has many enchantments, and her staff, it''s something that has a much better magical conductivity than wands.


    And lastly, she has even brought with her a flock of roosters, who''s cry are the only weakness of Basilisks.


    ''Yes, with this much, I can do it!'' She thought, trying to push down her nervousness. Besides, she also wants to explore the Chamber of Secrets. She should explore it before the plot starts.


    ....


    Looking at Martina going into the Bathroom, Axel frowned. As far as he knew, this Bathroom was out of order. And on her way here, she had already passed by another girl''s bathroom which was perfectly in order. Coupled with other circumstances like her unusual attire, demeanor, and time, she''s likely not using the bathroom for its intended use.


    Then, what''s going on? All sorts of reasons came into his head. Though at this moment, something happened.


    *Ding*


    [Special Quest Triggered]


    [Snake Hunting: Get rid of the Basilisk.


    Reward: ???]


    Axel was pleasantly surprised to see the notification. After all, special quests have always given him good rewards. He got the [Light Magic Infusion] and [Light Armor] skills from special quests, both of which have proven to be quite useful.


    He readily accepted the quest.


    ''So, what''s this Basilisk and where is it?'' He asked the system. As a person who just got acquainted with the wizarding world, he of course had no idea what the fuck a Basilisk was. But he figured it was just a creature that somehow got into Hogwarts like the Troll.


    It wasn''t until the system gave him the information on the Basilisk did he realized, this might be a scam.


    [The Basilisk known also as the King of Serpents, is a dark creature which may reach gigantic sizes, and live many hundreds of years. It''s highly resistant to magic (except light magic) and highly venomous. It has a murderous stare, and the Beam of its eyes can be fatal. Young Basilisks are weak to rooster''s cry, but it''s effect diminishes with the Basilisk''s age. The size of the Basilisk can go upto to 50 metres...]


    Going through the information, Axel realized that he might have bitten more than he can chew this time. He was particularly intimidated by the ''Death Stare'' skill. This thing can kill with just eye contact. How crazy is that?


    ''System, how am I supposed to handle the Death Stare?'' He asked the system incredulously. If not for that skill, he could have still managed, but if he''s going to die even if he made a direct eye contact by accident, then it''s too risky.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    [Axel, death stare is not an absolute skill. There are ways it can be avoided. If you just close your eyes, it can''t affect you.]


    ''Then how the fuck am I supposed to fight?''


    System: [Arcane Eyes]


    Damn...


    ''The venom...'' he began.


    [Leftover phoenix tears.]


    Fuck.


    ''Sigh...'' No excuses then.


    It would seem that he has some snake hunting to do.


    ...


    Entering the Bathroom, Martina went straight to the sink with the small serpent.


    $"Open"$ she said and the old mechanism came to life as the sink sank out of sight.


    ''I don''t want to do this...'' murmured Martina, looking into the wide aperture that appeared in front of her. Her feet left the ground as she started to float in the air without the help of any broomstick. She then flew into the huge aperture, the long tresses of her purple hair fluttering behind her.


    *crunch* *crunch*


    When she reached the bottom of the tunnel and landed on the ground, the crunching of bones beneath her feet creeped her out. She tried to ignore the huge snake skin that was lying not far away from her. Looking at it only made her determination waver.


    Walking into the passageway for a while, she came across another door. It had two stone serpents entwined carved on it, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds.


    "$Open$" Spoke Martina once again in a low, faint hiss. The serpents parted as the wall cracked open, and Martina, shaking slightly due to nervousness and anticipation, walked inside. This was it. This was the Legendary Chamber of Secrets, built by Salazar Slytherin. This place has such a high archeological value, and they were never explored further in the books. It''s called the Chamber of Secrets, surely it should contain some other secrets as well apart from a giant Basilisk, right?


    Stepping past the parted walls, she entered the dimly lit chamber. From what she could see, it was a huge area, at least two football fields. Towering Stone pillars entwined with life-like carvings of giants serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd greenish gloom that filled the place.


    A stone pathway, wide enough for two cars to pass side-by-side led to the wide expanse further into the chamber, with had the giant statue of Salazar Slytherin.


    Greenish water surrounded either sides of the pathway which she walked on, as she fixed her attention on the giant statue with some anxiety, specifically, its mouth. That was the area which is supposed to open and free the Basilisk. Thankfully, it was closed.


    Sighing in relief, Martina decided not to open it yet. She will make all the preparations before she makes her move.


    While she was walking on the long pathway, her attention was diverted due to the amazing architecture of the Chamber of Secrets. She was itching to explore the wards and enchantments placed around this place.


    That''s why, she was taken completely by surprise when something grabbed her hand from behind and attempted to drag her back forcefully.


    "!!!"


    Martina screamed as her magic lashed out at whatever was trying to pull her.


    "What the fuck?! For fuck''s sake, Don''t cause a commotion and quickly come!" A low voice came from right infront of her, making her freak out of even more.


    How can someone else be in the chamber of secrets?! And, why does this voice sound a bit familiar?


    Instead of going towards the voice, Martina instead began backing away as she raised her voice. "Y-you! D-Don''t come near me! I-I-I know v-very PoWerFulL MaGic!" She yelled, raising her staff infront of her as a magical shield was raised around her.


    There were more curses from the other side. "¡ªDumb bish is going to get me killed as well," muttered the voice in frustration as a person suddenly became visible, making Martina widen her eyes in shock.


    "Axel?!"


    ...


    Axel was stealthily following Martina into the Chamber while gathering more information from the system.


    It seems the Basilisk is inside a secret chamber of Salazar Slytherin (thank god it''s not roaming around freely like the troll) and Martina is going to Hunt it down. Well, she does seem well prepared about the task and she''s a powerful genius. So, Axel figured he would just watch from the sidelines and help out in case of emergency and claim the rewards afterwards. After all, the system only asked him to get rid of the Basilisk. He doesn''t need to do everything by himself.


    Thus, closing his eyes and activating his Arcane Eyes, Axel followed Martina, using her as a testing rat for traps and attacks.


    And as expected, Martina seemed to know her stuff since while Axel was constantly on edge, trying to search for the Basilisk in the shadows, while Martina was navigating the place familiarly and wasn''t even surprised by the life-like statues and Basilisk skin.


    ''As expected, this girl is on a different league,'' thought Axel as he looked at Martina who was walking along the pathway without triggering a single trap with some respect. She even had the time to admire the scenery while he worked hard to step on the exact steps she had taken. He had a headache just thinking about coming all the way here while checking for traps and wards by himself, especially since the wards of this place were quite complicated when he once increased the intensity of his Arcane Eyes and caught a glimpse of them.


    (Meanwhile, the unaware Martina who just didn''t bother about that stuff due to her reliance on canon knowledge and lack of practical experience: transmigrators? )


    While walking along the pathway, Axel realized that the woman had completely ignored the seemingly deep water that was surrounding them from both sides, just like how she had ignored countless traces of the Basilisk''s existence around them.


    A doubt came into Axel''s mind.


    ''Does this girl really know what she''s doing?''


    If the Basilisk is not in that water, then where is it? Not trusting her, Axel increased the intensity of his Arcane Eyes as he peered into the waters on either side of them.


    ''Fuck!''


    His heartbeat accelerated as he saw a giant shadow faintly glowing at the depths of the water through his xray vision granted by his Arcane Eyes.


    ''It''s huge....'' He thought, looking at Salazar''s snake. And it was getting bigger and bigger.


    Axel looked back at Martina and still found no reaction from her. The huge serpent was coming closer to the surface. It was moving very slowly, as if to not make any disturbance in the water.


    ''Even if she''s using herself as a bait, this should be enough, right?'' he thought, as he still saw no magical fluctuations coming from Martina, neither did he see her put up her guard or set up a trap. His suspicions of her kept increasing as time ticked by.


    A few seconds later...


    ''If she''s still intentionally not doing anything, then I really admire her patience and balls,'' he thought as the shadow of the snake was even closer to the surface. It seemed like it would reach the surface very soon.


    A few seconds later...


    ''...System, she has no idea, does she?''


    [No.]


    "Fucking hell," he muttered as he hurriedly tried to pull her back.


    Why did he not run away at this moment? Because of the thing called ''Life Debt.'' This girl had saved his life when he was attacked by Dementors on the previous Halloween. Now, he can''t just let her die, can he?


    That''s why, Axel tried to pull her away. But, Martina had the leisure to scream like a little girl and even lash out at him with her magic.


    Curses flew out of Axel''s mouth as he realized that the snake was now just beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to pounce on them. He tried to persuade her to come quickly, but Martina still didn''t seem aware of the danger.


    "Y-you! D-Don''t come near me! I-I-I know v-very PoWerFulL MaGic!" She yelled, backing away from him and going even closer to the Basilisk.


    ''Damn it!'' In his frustration, Axel canceled his stealth as he quickly pointed at the waterbody beside her. "There''s a Basilisk down there!!"


    He thought this would be enough to make her prepare her overpowered magic and also back away, but¡­ it would seem that he had overestimated her intelligence.


    Martina looked alarmed, but also confused, "No, the Basilisk is obviously inside the statue¡ª"


    *BOOM*


    At this moment, with a huge splash, something huge broke through the surface, coming straight towards them with a surprising agility.


    A.N.: Next Chapter: Snake Hunting.

 Chapter 67: Snake Hunting

    <div>


    Upon encountering Axel in the middle of Chamber of Secrets, Martina was actually more surprised than she was at the prospect of encountering a ghost here, which was her earlier assumption.


    Seriously, what is he doing here? And how did he get here? Has he always been here or did he somehow follow her? Did he come here because he''s under the control of Diary? All sorts of questions flashed inside her head.


    But, before she could get her answers, Axel shouted that there was a Basilisk behind her!


    At first, Martina couldn''t understand. Shouldn''t the Basilisk be inside the statue? It won''t come until she opens the statue.


    It was only then did it click to her. She had assumed that the Basilisk would be trapped behind the statue. But, why did she automatically assume that?! If you actually think about it, can such a big snake stay alive locked up in a statue for years? Fat chance. It would have made more sense for it to actually reside in the water here. But, she had been so caught up in her thoughts that she didn''t pay attention to this detail.


    All this was too much for her to process at once. And by the time she realized, it was already too late. With a loud splash, something huge broke through the surface, coming straight towards them with a surprising quickness.


    BOOM*


    Within the blink of an eye, Martina and Axel both disappeared as the mouth of the giant creature, filled with sharp fangs, closed around them.


    "!"


    Everything happened so quickly that Martina couldn''t even react. Her breathing stopped as she saw her life flash before her eyes. In the next moment, a strong force enveloped her and she found herself being moved at an astonishing speed.


    When she came to, she realized that in the blink of an eye, Axel had moved the both of them a few metres away from where they were standing a moment ago. The stone pavement behind them still contained a streak of magic due to his footwork.


    !*


    Cold shivers ran down Martina''s spine when she realized that she would have been swallowed just now.


    $"HISSSSSSS! SSSSS"$


    {PREY IS FLEEING! I WANT BLOOD!}


    The snake''s loud hissing reverberated in her ears, making her shake. She could feel it''s sinister and bloodthirsty nature. She had thought that the serpent might have been like that only due to Voldemort''s control and hunger. That''s why she had brought a lot of food for it. But right now, after feeling the malice and sadism in its voice, she was certain that things could not be settled just by talking. It wasn''t attacking them because it was hungry. It was attacking them because it wanted to Kill.


    "Run." A voice spoke into her ear before she was unceremoniously dumped on the ground.


    Axel couldn''t be bothered to pay attention to this Mafia Princess right now. Even though he had successfully saved Martina, his work here had just started. And only after seeing the creature upclose did he realize that, it wasn''t going to be easy!


    The serpent was ginormous, its vivid green scales looking impenetrable. And despite its size, it was moving with surprising agility!


    But of course, Axel was still faster.


    [Arcane Eyes]


    [Arcane Footwork]


    [Knife Wielding]


    [Light Magic Infusion]


    Right after its ambush failed, Axel didn''t give the serpent the time to turn around. With a streak of light, he appeared on top of the creature. The knife in his hand glowed with a golden magic and his Knife Wielding skills, which had even defeated Akiko, showed it''s charm once again as dozens of cuts appeared on the giant serpent''s back.


    $"SsssssHISSSSS"$ The snake hissed in pain but unfortunately, Axel only had a knife in his hand, not a sword. It couldn''t even reach deep enough to pierce through its thick scales.


    "!"


    Meanwhile, lying on the ground, as she witnessed this scene, Martina felt a strong feeling of Deja vu. But right now, she was so surprised with Axel''s skills and so scared of the Basilisk that she couldn''t remember where she''d witnessed something similar.


    Her mind wasn''t working properly right now and her hands and feet were shaking.


    Scrambling to her feet, she quickly took out another pair of goggles similar to the ones she was wearing and sent them to Axel.


    "Axel! Wear them quickly! They''ll protect you from the Basilisk''s eyes!" She called out in a fluster as she attacked the Basilisk with a few powerful spells.


    Due to her shaking hands, some of her spells hit the Basilisk in the face while the others missed, but since she was so distracted, they didn''t come out as powerful as she intended them to be. They ended up only annoying the magic resistant snake and drawing its attention.


    "Shit." As he wore the useless goggles she had sent him, Axel cursed as he saw the Basilisk once again heading in Martina''s direction. He hoped that this girl had some powerful weapon ready to attack the Basilisk or she was at least prepared to run.


    Martina did have a powerful weapon for this occasion. And when the snake swerved around to come for her, she had no choice but to use it.


    ''I''m sorry, Basilisk. But it seems that there''s no other choice,'' she thought regretfully.


    Taking out a box from her pouch, she threw it at the Basilisk. Instantly, a dozen of roosters came out, along with a sound amplifying magical device.


    "COCK-A-DOODLE-DO!" The loud sound of the roosters'' cry reverberated throughout the chamber, drowing all other noise for a moment.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    $"Hisssss!"$


    {Annoying!}


    ''What?!''


    Martina had thought that this should do the trick, but surprisingly, the loud sound of the roosters'' cry didn''t seem to cause much damage to the Basilisk.


    It only made the tense situation comical as the Basilisk ignored the roosters and fixed its enraged gaze on her.


    Martina couldn''t understand it. She had clearly read in the books that the Basilisks were weak to Rooster''s cry. Even in canon, Tom Riddle''s diary had gotten rid of all the roosters in the second year. That must mean something right? Or why would he do that?


    ''Wait a moment...'' Martina only then realized. Tom Riddle in the diary was just a 16 year old. Chances are, he never actually tested the Rooster''s cry on the Basilisk and only read it in the same books Martina had read. And this information mustn''t be totally accurate.


    But, it was too late to realize this now. The Basilisk was already coming for her with its scary eyes fixed on her.


    At this moment, she happened to make eye contact with the serpent for the very first time. Its large yellow eyes filled with viciousness were fixed directly on her as it slithered towards her with great momentum.


    !


    Looking into its eyes, Martina felt fear gripping her heart. The glasses did protect her as she was still alive, and she could still move as well. But, she was too scared to take action. Her magic was only powerful when her mental state was stable. But right now, her mental state was all but stable. Nothing was going according to the plan. Plus, she was too damn scared! In her previous life, she had been an ordinary girl who would be scared by cockroaches, okay? Even though she was powerful right now and had occlumency, it seems that a 1000 year old Basilisk is still out of her mental capacity.


    Looking at the cowardly girl about to be devoured, Axel clicked his tongue.


    ''Did she really think it would work?!'' He thought in exasperation. He was thinking of taking it easy, but it looks like he''ll now have to take things a bit more seriously.


    His eyes glowed brighter and he searched for the best spots to attack on the serpent''s body. Then, increasing the output of his skills, he rushed forward, running along the serpent''s back.


    Before the snake reached Sakura Martina, Axel had arrived in front of the useless girl with a gust of wind that blew her hair back, standing between her and the snake.


    "Run! This is the last time." He said in warning. He figured his life debt should be over by this much. Now he won''t go out of his way to save her. His life is also in danger right now. Throwing those words, he rushed towards the incoming snake with all his might.


    In the chamber of secrets, amidst the towering pillars, a boy and a Basilisk charged at each other, each unafraid of another.


    $"HISSSSSS!"$


    "Let''s see what you''ve got, you worm," muttered Axel as he overclocked his skills to the max. The bones of his body made crackling sounds as he prepared to push his body to the limits. For some reason, he felt especially empowered right now.


    The glow of his knife intensified and the muscles of his hand that was holding the knife bulged. When they clashed, hundreds of cuts instantly appeared on the head of the creature.


    $"SSSSSSSHISSSSSSS!"$


    Dark green blood splashed as the creature hissed in agony. In a few moments, both of its eyes were gone, and it''s skull head deep gashes, formed by repeated slashing of Axel''s knife. It snapped at Axel causing him stop his attack to dodge easily, but in that moment, the snake unexpectedly raised its body and plunged its head into the water as it started to flee.


    "Fuck! I had almost reached the skull!" Exclaimed Axel as he tried to stop it with no avail.


    On the other hand, after witnessing Axel''s attack, that was much more powerful and faster than the previous one directly upfront, Martina suddenly realized where she had seen it before.


    "That¡­.. Isn''t that¡­?!"


    Her mind quickly dug out the memory and her eyes widened in absolute shock. Last year on the third floor, during the confrontation against Voldemort, when the Lethifold had attacked Daphne and Martina was helpless to stop it, she had seen these same golden slashes appear all over the Lethifold! There was no way she could forget it because she had never known that it was possible to actually kill a Lethifold. It was such a groundbreaking discovery that she had researched about it for days but wasn''t able to find anything. That''s why, when she saw those golden lines cut into the Basilisk''s skin from close proximity, she quickly connected the dots.


    "So, it was actually him all along?" As she looked at Axel who was currently fighting a Basilisk single-handedly while moving at a speed difficult to follow, the boy her appeared to be covered in a veil of mysteries.


    Just like how she was fascinated with magic, similarly, the boy in front of her full of mysteries fascinated her. She has seen this boy fight a troll, Dementors, a Lethifold, and now Basilisk. And each time, the level of his magic keeps increasing. From the boy limping in pain through the corridor alone at night, to the powerful wizard fearlessly fighting a Basilisk, she wanted to uncover the story behind this transformation.


    ''How...?''


    The look in Martina''s eyes slowly changed. She now looked at him with the same desire that she showed for rare tomes of magic.


    It made the fear inside her dissipate, letting her achieve the stable mental state that is needed for her magic to work. In face of her passion, her fear would never win.


    ''It''s my turn now,'' she thought, as her magic flared, making her robes flutter.


    Martina raised her staff, and thick purple chains of magic burst forth, wrapping themselves around the serpent. Her hair bellowed as the purple magic oozed out of her. And surprisingly, the chains were actually able to stop the Basilisk from moving its body into the water!


    The intensity of her magic increased. And, the chains actually started to retract slowly, pulling the giant creature along with them!


    Clack*


    That was the sound of Axel''s jaw falling to the floor.


    He was ready to jump into the water and fight the creature underwater. Somehow, he felt that his chances underwater were not bad, especially since he felt additional power burning inside him at this moment. But, it would seem that there was no need to do that anymore. Looking at Martina bursting with magic, he only had one question.


    ''Woman, would it have killed you to use those powers earlier?''


    (Your daddy here had to fight at his max just now and even risk getting poisoned just now.)


    Against its will, the thrashing serpent was brought out of the water as the chains tightly held it down on the ground.


    Not wanting to miss out on the chance, Axel used his Arcane Footwork to jump a few meters high. From that height, his knife hand stretched back completely while he infused as much light magic in the knife as he could.


    [Knife Throwing]


    Then, he used his knife throwing skill. The real deal, not the small percentage he had used in the class.


    BOOM*


    The knife he threw from his hand broke the sound barrier as it passed through the gap he''d created with his earlier slashes.


    $"SSSSS!"$


    It''s pierced through the Basilisk''s skull, sealing it''s fate. The serpent gave out a few dying thrashes before it moved no more.


    Like this, the life of the thousand year old Basilisk came to an end.


    [Congratulations! You have completed the Special Quest: Snake Hunting.


    Rewards:


    -Basilisk Body Parts


    -Special Skill: Poison Arts


    -Special Skill: Poison Immunity]


    Landing on the ground, Axel panted lightly as he sat on the ground. Even though the fight wasn''t difficult, it wasn''t easy either. Fortunately, the rewards were worth it.


    The New skills looked great. Poison¡­ it was something he had been vulnerable against up until now. If anyone attacked him, whether it''s upfront or a sneak attack, he had made counter measures. But, if someone attacked him using poison, Axel would have been helpless against it.


    It''s actually good that he has been eating his own diet ingredients till now, or he''d have been poisoned by Damien Malcolm long ago. If the organization had decided to subdue him using a poison that spreads through the air, he would have been helpless as well.


    But now, he can learn about making poisons and even slowly develop his own poison immunity as well. So, over-all, even though the mission had been risky, he''d say it was totally worth it.


    ''Sigh¡­'' Sitting on the ground, Axel sighed. He thought that it was time to relax but then he remembered something. Glancing back, he saw Martina, who was currently looking at him in a daze.


    ''Fuck I forgot...'' It would seem that the problem was still not over.


    "Come sit," he said, beckoning her to sit on the ground beside him. He had a headache just thinking about what he was going to do now. Martina had seen too much.


    ...


    <div>

 Chapter 68: Flustered Martina

    Martina looked at Axel, lost in thoughts. Her heart was still hammering in her chest due to the near-death encounter with the giant poisonous serpent just now, and she couldn''t calm down at all. She had almost died! Twice!


    Just because she had gotten very powerful in this life, she had naively assumed that her fear would go away now. But, she had forgot to take into account that some fears are irrational. A tiny spider, or a cockroach, can''t really hurt you. But don''t most girls still hit the ceiling whenever they actually see one?


    The same thing happened to her when the Basilisk suddenly attacked her. It was only thanks to this boy that she was alive right now. The scene of Axel hurling down the knife mid-air with skull-shattering force was still playing in her head.


    At this moment, Axel happened to look back at Martina.


    "Come sit," he said calmly, beckoning her to sit on the ground beside him as his sight went back to the dead Basilisk in front of him. He had a headache just thinking about what he was going to do now. She had seen too much.


    "...?"


    Martina looked at Axel in a daze. The way he was so calm in this situation gave her a sense of incongruency. Especially since she still couldn''t even look at the creature''s corpse without freaking out. So, the sight of Axel''s small body casually sitting in front of the giant Basilisk he killed just moments ago, looked oddly striking.


    Still in a haze of emotions, Martina found herself agreeing to his suggestion as she plopped herself on the ground beside him as she also turned to look at the Basilisk. Somehow, after sitting beside him, she no longer felt so afraid. Her frantic mind slowly calmed down as the two of them just sat there on the cold stone ground, looking at their trophy.


    After a while, Axel turned to fix his gaze on her. "You can''t tell anyone about this."


    Martina flicked her hair to look at Axel in daze. This was the same boy who had made her trip on his first night at Hogwarts. In their second meeting, she had gotten a glimpse at some of his painful memories, making her traumatized by just witnessing them and wanting to know what led up to those memories and what happened next. Then the troll, Dementors, Lethifold... Looking back, Axel had always been mysterious. But the more she knows about him, the deeper the mysteries surrounding him become.


    But, he guards his secrets strongly. This was not the first time he was asking her to not tell anyone about his secrets. And every time she tries to know more about him, he always shuts her out.


    This time though, the things she has found out are too shocking. How is he doing the things he did? How and why did he sneak into the 3rd floor corridor that night? How did he appear here? How was he able to fight fearlessly against the Basilisk? And most importantly, how is he so powerful? Martina had so many questions, and she badly wanted to know the answers! But, she knew that even if she asked, Axel wouldn''t open up.


    So, she only nodded her head. "Don''t worry. I won''t tell anyone," she said reassuringly.


    She''ll save the questioning for later.


    Axel nodded, but still didn''t look convinced. "Would you sign a secrecy contract?" Axel couldn''t help but ask that. The things she had witnessed today were too big for him to risk it.


    Martina tried not to look hurt by that, "O-Okay, I''ll sign it if you want," she said.


    "Though I thought we would have enough trust between us by now," she murmured in a lower voice.


    But Axel still heard it. "Hey, it''s not your fault. I''ve just... stopped trusting people due to certain reasons," he explained, not wanting to hurt her. Martina was not a stranger. He knew her well and he knew she wouldn''t reveal it if she said so. It''s just that, he doesn''t trust his judgement on this matter anymore. It''s better to be on the safer side since the secrets are too huge.


    ''Stopped trusting people?'' That made Martina think about his circumstances. He was an orphan, that much she knew, and from the brief glimpses of memories she had glimpsed when she had tried reading his mind, she was sure that his life had not been pleasant.


    She could understand some of his pain since she was an orphan herself in her previous life, but, compared to him, her life was quite smooth sailing untill the end since she had good relatives on both sides as well a few nerdy friends she could trust. And in this life, she had her loving family whom she could trust with almost all of her secrets. So, it saddened her a lot to think how his life until now must have been, to have this outlook towards life.


    ''No, this isn''t right," she thought. Having this state of mindset is wrong. Axel is missing out on too much. She decided in her heart that she''ll find out more about his circumstances and help him out, especially since she might have died tonight if not for him. But right now, since she had regained her composure, she needed to properly express her gratitude.


    So, she smiled, "Don''t worry, I don''t mind signing the contract. After all, you just saved my life. I don''t even know how to thank you!" She exclaimed, giving him a hug.


    Axel froze. ''There it is again...'' he thought uncomfortably as he attempted to push her away. Though, in the next second, Martina opted to separate on her own initiative as she turned her face away from him, her long purple hiding her face completely like a curtain.


    Martina touched the tip of her ears, which were feeling hot for some reason. As a recluse, close contact with the opposite gender was, of course, a big no for her, but she had been comfortable with Axel since she viewed him as a person very younger than her. But, for some reason, when she hugged him just now, she felt a bit flustered. She reasoned that it must be because Axel''s temperament and physical appearance don''t match his age, so her antisocial tendencies were kicking in.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "A-Anyways, how did you end up here?" She asked, changing the subject to hide away her mortification.


    Axel rolled his eyes, "Don''t ask. Just be glad you''re not good at being stealthy. If you weren''t so sloppy, I wouldn''t have followed you, and you''d have been dead by now."


    Martina looked at Axel in disbelief, "You actually detected me? How?!"


    "Well, there''s only one person I know who smells like Lavender¡­" answered Axel as he got up to examine the Basilisk in front of them.


    Martina looked at Axel with her mouth slightly agape. "Y-You¡­ You actually¡­" she was speechless as her whole face went red this time.


    But Axel''s attention was already on the Basilisk now. "Anyways, what are we gonna do with this thing?"


    Martina sighed as she cleared her head of the messy thoughts in order to answer him. Because, he had actually raised a valid question. They had won the war, but what to do with the spoils?


    "The first thing we do it is to cast preservation spells on its whole body. Every part of a Basilisk''s body is extremely precious, especially since this one is around a thousand years old," explained Martina, also getting up to join him. Now that she had calmed down, she no longer felt afraid, and her excitement replaced her fear as she looked at the treasure trove in front of her.


    She continued, "Its skin has magic resistant properties, making it a great research and development material. Its venom is one of the most poisonous substances in the world. Its eyes, which are the main conduit for its deathly gaze also have diverse uses in potions and rituals. To sum it up, its body is a treasure from its blood, down to its bones," she concluded.


    Axel''s eyes were already shining after hearing her. "So, how do we divide it?" He asked. They had both contributed in bringing this Basilisk down. Martina hadn''t contributed much to the fight, but she had brought him here and restrained the Basilisk at a critical moment. So now the question was, how should they divide it? Axel was thinking 50-50 would be good enough, but they would have a problem if she asked for too much.


    Martina thought about it, "I only want the materials for research and experiments. Just lend me the materials. I''ll return them to you along with the things I make out of these. I will just keep a few things I make out of it." Even if she did keep something, it would be for her and the three members in her family.


    "?" Axel was confused at first, but then remembered that this girl was filthy rich, and also a genius who had invented a lot of things.


    ''It''s good to be rich,'' he thought, skipping this matter for now as he asked the most important question. "How do we sell it?"


    Martina looked appalled at his words, "Sell it?! Why would you want to sell?! Basilisk are already an almost extinct species. And this is probably the only thousand year old Basilisk in the world, hatched and nurtured by Salazar Slytherin himself. Its properties are much superior compared to any other Basilisk. If it landed in the wrong hands, it could end up causing a lot of damage."


    She then scratched her head embarrassedly, "Besides, we don''t know any reliable channels to sell it. Whoever has that kind of money would try to directly rob it from us instead of buying it. And if I ask for my family''s help, they''d find out that their precious daughter was in close proximity with a 1000 year old Basilisk, which would be the end of my days at Hogwarts.


    "So, it''s better if we keep it to ourselves," she concluded.


    "..." Axel sighed. Martina did make sense, but he was still disappointed to hear that. The expenses for his diet and potions are only increasing, and stealing little by little can only get him so far. He needs a different source of income. He had thought that he had struck it rich just now, but his hopes were dashed in the next moment. It would seem that Damien Malcolm is going to have to be robbed again soon. The guy had been a nuisance these days anyways.


    They got to work after that. The Basilisk''s body was massive, and they had to cast the preservation spell on every part of its body and move it to Martina''s storage bag. It was the first time Axel found out just how big the storage bags can be from inside. Apparently they''re rare, but they do exist. For example, a certain Magizoologist used to have a suitcase with a whole wildlife sanctuary inside. Compared to that, Martina''s storage bag still seemed much tamer.


    So, by the time they were done, it was already time for his morning training. Sighing, Axel had decided to choose training over sleeping.


    "Aren''t you coming?" He asked, glancing back at Martina.


    Martina shook her head, "No, I''m going to explore the chamber more. I''ll tell you if I find something."


    Axel shrugged as he waved her goodbye. He got out of the chamber and made his way towards the forbidden forest.


    But, as he arrived at his training spot deep in the forbidden forest, he wasn''t alone this time. A familiar silhouette was present there, casually leaning against the tree.


    "You''re late," said Akiko, pushing off the tree.


    Axel smirked, glad to find out that she was out. He had thought that she was deliberately avoiding him due to the training. "Late? Me? Who was the one holed up in the VIP ward until now."


    Akiko''s perpetually calm face had a ripple of annoyance at the mention of that.


    "Anyways, you ready to train me now, sensei?" Asked Axel, figuring it would not do to annoy her too much. He''s already getting free training from her, through blackmail, if he must specify. He should at least not make this more unpleasant for her than it already is.


    Akiko nodded, looking slightly uncomfortable at being called sensei, "I''m ready. Let''s start with the absolute basics," she said, doing some light stretching.


    "What''s that?"


    Akiko tilted her head, as if the answer was obvious. "Hand to hand combat, of course," she said, cracking her knuckles.


    ''Damn, does she know?'' Thought Axel, not so confident anymore at the mention of Hand-to-hand combat.


    It was already too late though, since Akiko was already rushing at Axel with a punch.


    Whoosh


    Axel had barely dodged it when a volley of punches followed, some almost hitting him. Then all of sudden, a kick landed on his side, which he had noticed too late.


    ''Fuck¡­'' Axel grunted as he did a side roll using the momentum of the kick to take some distance.


    ''She knows,'' he realized. Looks like after her loss, this girl has been closely analysing their earlier fight in order to find his weak points


    Sure enough, even though Akiko''s face remained passive, the hint of triumph in her eyes could not be hidden.


    "As I had thought, despite your exquisite skills in knife, you somehow have little to know skills in Hand-to-hand combat," she derived, looking slightly puzzled herself. After all, any person with his level of skills is normally first trained in Hand-to-hand combat first. So Axel, with his peerless knife skills and shitty Hand-to-hand combat skills, was indeed an oddity.


    "Sigh¡­"


    Axel shrugged while sighing, not rejecting her words. When he used to be on the streets, with his small and scrawny body, he couldn''t do shit against grown thugs no matter how much he tried to improve his Hand-to-hand combat. That was when he first got his hands on a knife. And suddenly, the doors to a new world had opened to him. He realised that you don''t need strength for knife fighting, and he had talent in this field as well.


    Since then, he had never looked back at Hand-to-hand combat. He was still quite good at it compared to most people, but if the opponent is someone like Akiko¡­ yeah, he''s weak as fuck.


    "So, first I''ll need to train you in Hand-to-hand combat," said Akiko, showing more enthusiasm than she should.


    ''What is a bitch...is karma,'' thought Axel. He could easily tell that this girl wanted some payback for the painful days she spent recuperating in the Hospital. And training just happened to provide a very good excuse for that.

 Chapter 69: Mysterious Stalker

    <div>


    In the clearing deep inside the forbidden forest, Axel and Akiko faced each other bare-handed.


    Axel rubbed his side where the kick had landed. They were just sparring, so of course it didn''t hurt. But it was more of a mental blow.


    ''Well, this brings back memories¡­'' he thought, feeling the overwhelming gap between them. This gap is why he had quit hand to hand combat in favor of knife. Though at that time, the gap was due to his weak body and with no combat instincts.


    This time though, in comparison to his opponent, he had superior physical stats, better dynamic vision, and better instincts. But still, with his crude hand to hand combat skills, there''s not much he can do against this fighting machine trained professionally with the best techniques.


    Swish


    Akiko didn''t give him time to think. She was on Axel once again as she swung her long leg to kick his face. But it actually turned out to be a feint as a roundhouse kick was coming for his face before he could counter. When he blocked that, he was instantly trapped in a grapple as his head was enveloped between Akiko''s thighs.


    !


    In the next moment, he was flung to the ground with an incredible force, knocking the breath out of his lungs.


    ''Not so easily!'' Akiko might have overwhelmed him with her skills, but she would have no idea that this much beating couldn''t even put a dent to Axel.


    [Pain Tolerance: 87%]


    Yep, this was the same guy who took Cruciatus for ten minutes straight with a perfectly conscious and sane mind.


    BAM


    Not even a second after he had fallen, Axel had already freed his hand to land a solid punch across Akiko''s cheek, flinging her off himself. He then flipped backwards off the ground to take distance.


    ''She got me good,'' he thought, deactivating his Arcane Eyes. He had activated it at a very low intensity just when she had started attacking.


    Cracking his neck, Axel recalled the series of attacks he had faced in their brief exchange just now. They were all part of a single move, synchronized in a way that defending against everything would be very difficult, much less counter with his crude brawling. Especially since now she already knows that injuries have no effect on him. And he also can''t use too much force since he doesn''t want to hurt her too badly. Suffice it to say, he can''t beat her like this.


    But¡­


    ''This is good.'' A grin threatened to break from Axel''s face. Before getting the system, he had never received any sort of training. But, he had still managed to be skilled at many things. At that time, all that he had learnt was through observing, relentless practice, and real fights. And in those fights, you couldn''t afford to try something you weren''t good at. The things he had observed were pretty also mediocre since you can''t find many experts on streets.


    But now, he had someone who had mastery in many techniques. And, she''s also not trying to kill or maim him. This is a perfect opportunity to learn. What more could he want?


    Her moves which he had seen under slight usage of [Arcane Eyes] played in his mind and he started to absorb and assimilate.


    Meanwhile, Akiko was still stunned as she felt a familiar pain in her jaw. She couldn''t even understand how she got punched. Not even a second after she had hit Axel with a deadly combo, a punch had landed on her before even she could recover. So, how did he recover?


    "My turn."


    Before she even came out of her shock, she heard Axel''s voice as he attacked her with a few rough punches with his non-existent style.


    ''He really is an amateur at this,'' she thought, easily deflecting the first few punches. But then, a series of master jabs were suddenly thrown at her, almost catching her off-guard with the familiar combo.


    ''This is!'' She exclaimed in her mind as she blocked the suddenly thrown kick to her side, mirroring the move she had just gotten him with in their very first exchange. This was the very same combo she had used against him. But surprisingly¡­ the kick actually turned out to be a feint, similar to the second combo she had used on him!


    The incoming roundhouse kick came so quickly that she could only brace herself to block it.


    BAAAM


    !


    The force generated was enough to knock her to the ground even after that as her arms went numb.


    ?!


    What was this power?! It was much more than what he has shown untill now. If she hadn''t defended in time, another trip to Hospital wing was in order.


    "Oh¡­ my bad, I couldn''t control my power properly since I was trying it out for the first time," she heard Axel''s casual apology at that moment which made her realize... that he had been pulling his punches all this while. Her jaw might have been broken otherwise.


    But now the question is, how much strength does he actually have?!


    ¡­


    That''s how their Hand-to-hand to training began. Since he had run out of surprises and they were both trying not to seriously hurt each other, Axel got beaten up most of the time due to his low experience and skill level, but Akiko could no longer disdain him for it. He was getting better with each exchange!


    Akiko took her task seriously. Along the way, she gave him instructions and pointed out his flaws from time to time. By the time they were done, Axel had at least gotten something good out of his beating.


    [Arcane Martial Arts: 2%]


    Yep, he had finally unlocked this thing since he had gained the threshold mastery required to unlock the skill.


    Plus, he could now train his [Heal] by healing the injuries he had gotten from the exchange. Overall, he''d say today was turning out to be a very productive day, adding his earlier exploits in the Chamber of Secrets.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Rotating his arms and shoulders, he looked at Akiko resting against a tree trunk, "Thanks. I learnt a lot, and it was a nice warm up."


    All his muscles which were stiff from too much intense training had loosened now. He felt like he could do better than yesterday.


    "?" ''Is he kidding?''


    Akiko, who was panting slightly due to the exertion with her aching body resting against the tree trunk, didn''t find Axel''s joke funny. If this was a warm up, then the real workout would kill anyone.


    Not knowing Akiko''s thoughts, Axel exited the clearing. He would have liked to keep training, but it was already time for classes. Exiting the forbidden forest in stealth, he went to physical training class as he canceled his Stealth.


    "Who did this to you?!" Asked Daphne as soon as she saw him.


    "Don''t worry, it''ll go away soon," said Axel.


    "You still haven''t answered my question,"


    Axel didn''t hide it, "I was training with someone."


    Daphne was surprised, "It was just one person? Did they cheat or did you not cheat?"


    She didn''t know exactly how strong Axel was, but she knew that If it was just one person, Axel wouldn''t be beaten unless he doesn''t cheat or the other party takes him by surprise.


    A hint of a smile crossed Axel''s face. "I was holding back." Even when she doesn''t know much, she still has absolute faith in his sleaziness.


    Daphne rolled her eyes, "Whatever." She then grabbed his hand as she began dragging him away.


    "Where to?" He asked, looking at her weak hands trying to drag him.


    "Hospital wing. We can''t have you attend the physical training class like this, can we? It must be painful," she said worriedly as she lightly poked a particularly nasty bruise on his arm which hadn''t healed yet.


    "What about the class?"


    "You think I give a fuck?."


    Amused, Axel let her drag him as she carefully steered him out of the crowd. He didn''t know why, but he recalled the conversation he had with Martina this morning.


    ''I''ve just¡­ stopped trusting people due to certain reasons.'' ¡ª that''s what he had told her at that time. But, looking at the blonde pushing aside other people to take him to the Hospital, he realized that he did, in fact, trust this girl to some extent.


    ''Though¡­ her mental defenses are too weak for me to tell her anything,'' he thought with dissatisfaction. It didn''t help that she was weak as fuck.


    "Oi," he called, tugging her hand.


    "What?" Asked Daphne, still busy navigating through the crowd.


    "Let''s not go to the Mahoutokoro classes. I''ll train you instead," he said out of nowhere.


    The Mahoutokoro classes weren''t compulsory, but one would have to do homework and assignments if they''re not attending them. Though, in the past few days, their popularity among the students had reached the peak. The classes were fun and such valuable knowledge was being taught on such a rare opportunity, no one was willing to skip them even if the school begged them to.


    But, Daphne didn''t even consider any of that as she stopped for a moment. "We''ll be training?...Just the two of us? Sure!" She exclaimed, finding the prospect too good to be true.


    Not because Axel was going to teach her some priceless knowledge though. She didn''t know that. She was simply happy for a different reason altogether.


    "... Yeah, I guess?" Answered Axel, wondering if she misunderstood his question. He was asking her to skip the class that everyone was so pumped to attend.


    Though, Daphne only nodded her head blissfully as they continued on their way. "Skipping classes together¡­ Isn''t this progress?¡­" Along the way, Daphne kept murmuring strange things in a low voice.


    As they exited the crowd, Axel turned his head back, only to see no one following them. He quickly wrung his hand out of Daphne''s grasp.


    "What happened?" Asked Daphne, looking like a puppy who had been kicked.


    "Nothing." Replied Axel coldly.


    ''What''s wrong with him these days?!'' Thought Daphne despondently. This wasn''t the first time Axel had suddenly pushed her away. It has been happening for the past few days and she''s really beginning to get worried.


    On the other hand, Axel sighed. For the past few days, someone has been following him from time to time. Usually, it''s not an uncommon thing for someone to follow him, but this person is actually extremely skilled, making him worried.


    He has been cautious from the beginning. After dinner, he always goes into stealth to go to his secret hideout, he''s also in stealth when he''s alone wandering in the night or going to training in the Forbidden Forest. The rest of the time, he''s usually in public. So, the stalker hasn''t done anything yet. And Axel also hasn''t done anything either since he wants to catch this person alive with no chance of escape.


    ''Is it the organization already?'' This was his main suspicion. He wasn''t exactly ready yet. And he had been careful to not show off too much power in public these days, to make them lower their guard and not show any real weakness either.


    That''s why, Axel had been careful not to be too friendly with Daphne in public these days. If they find out that he has a close relationship with her, they might use her to get to him. But, how could he explain this all to Daphne? As he already lamented, her mental defenses are too weak. Though she HAS been training since an early age and she has talent, so there''s hope. But for now, she''ll just have to suck it up. He''ll start training her as soon as he''s handled this skilled stalker, whoever it is.


    ¡­


    At dinner that night, Patricia came to sit beside him.


    "What is it?" Asked Axel in irritation.


    Patricia smiled, "Why? Can''t I sit here because I want to?"


    "Of course you won''t. You usually sit with students with a powerful family background."


    Axel wasn''t the one who said this. It was Luna, who was sitting on the other side of Axel.


    Axel gave the dreamy girl a thumbs up while eating, "Good girl. Perhaps there''s hope for you yet. You observed right. Just don''t say these kinds of things right in front of the person in question."


    Not to anyone''s surprise, Luna was still mostly friendless, at least in house Slytherin. Axel had been trying to help her whenever he could. At least through his guidance, she now doesn''t hesitate to call Martina on the slightest problems, so it''s mostly Martina''s problem now.


    Still smiling, Patricia ignored Luna''s comment. "You know, it''s been really hectic in the Slytherin House these days. I''m in a very precarious situation right now."


    "So I heard," replied Axel, putting more tasteless boiled food in his mouth.


    Patricia sighed. There''s no beating around the bush with this guy. "Actually, a lot of Slytherins are dissatisfied with your nomination as the seeker. And they need proof of your qualification now."


    "So what? You want me to give a trial now? You think I need one?"


    Patricia smiled fawningly at him as she put a hand to his shoulder, "No! of course not. You''re the best one I''ve ever had dear¡­ But, I''m facing a lot of backlash now. I''ll ¡ª"


    "Lady Patricia," said Axel, cutting her off as he removed her hand, "I''d like to say, I''m deeply apologetic, that I don''t give a fuck about your situation. You had promised that I won''t have to go through any hassle. Don''t say empty words if you don''t have the ability to back them up. I''d sooner play for Hufflepuff than give a trial to those arrogant bastards when I''m already doing them a huge favor by playing for Slytherin."


    Patricia looked horrified, "You can''t ¡ª"


    "I actually can, princess," Axel grinned. "There''s no rule banning the students from playing for another house. And there are a few precedents of it happening as well. I''ve done my research." Actually, Daphne did it for him, but who''s gonna call it out?


    He was already aware of the Slytherins'' dissatisfaction with him. And he wasn''t about to be the one to bend in front of them. If they went too far, he had the option of playing for another house team. Giving another house a trial was much more preferable to this. Some might think he was arrogant, but he was not. He was just THAT good.


    Patricia was really terrified now, "Axel, please don''t leave. I''ll...I''ll handle everything. If you leave, it''s over for me."


    Axel grinned inwardly. Earlier, she was all but demanding a trial, but right now, she''s begging him just to stay. Well, let''s not tell her that he also doesn''t want to leave. It has too many complications. Besides, the worse the team, the more he''ll shine. And right now, after all the players had left with Alaric Malcolm, the Slytherin team was filled with a bunch of losers aside from Patricia. He''ll be the only star in the field.


    "Well, behave from now on. Use your Slytherin mind to deal with the situation. I''ll give you the Quidditch cup." he said dismissively as he finished his dinner and got up to leave.


    Exiting the Great Hall, he once again felt the same feeling, as if someone was following him. Usually, he would just ignore it and disappear at a turn after a few corridors. But not tonight.


    Tonight, he''s going to take action.


    . . .


    <div>

 Chapter 70: Encounter with a Metamorphagus

    During the past few days, Axel had been refraining from taking action even when someone had been following him. The first reason was, of course, because the person seemed quite skilled. This was the first time someone had thwarted his Arcane Eyes, and if someone can do that, then they must be damn good.


    The other reason was, Gorski had warned him that the organization might be coming for him soon. So, the chances of this mysterious person being from the organization are very high. He wanted to act immediately, but considering the fact that he knows next to nothing about the organization and this person, he had been testing the waters and making some preparations until now. He had to first judge whether he could actually afford to confront this person based on the stalker''s skill level, behavioral pattern, and reaction to sudden circumstances. After that, he had to plan in order to catch the person with a method that won''t fail, but also won''t be crippling in case it''s not someone from the organization. And that''s what he had been trying to do these days.


    From what he can gather, this person is very skilled at concealment, but also very shitty at Stealth and Tracking. They''d randomly do things that will blow their cover. It has been very hard for Axel to pretend that he didn''t notice anything.


    Their skill level seems to be quite high, but their reaction to sudden situations is¡­ absolute shit. He can take advantage of that. That is also why he can''t wait much longer, since he has to be the one to make the first move to have the element of surprise instead of letting the stalker take the initiative.


    It would have been better if he waited a day or two more, but, he isn''t willing to delay it any longer.


    ''Let''s just get this over with,'' he thought as he recalled Daphne''s forlorn appearance throughout the day. For forcing him to be the reason for that, this stalker is going to have hell to pay.


    ...


    Nymphadora Tonks had been having a very hard time these days. And it was all due to a certain second-year student.


    When Aunty Bella had given her the responsibility to protect a boy, she had been very surprised. That black widow, actually caring about someone''s well-being? No way. She had thought that the boy must have some extraordinary background, important enough to jeopardize Aunty''s position. But turns out, the boy was just an orphan.


    More curious than flummoxed by the situation, she had still decided to do this easy job anyway, lest Aunty send her back to the boring Auror training again. Since it''s a hassle to keep on the disillusionment charm all the time, she borrowed Rose''s invisibility cloak and began her mission. But, who would have thought that she would fail spectacularly at such a simple task?


    It has been a few days already, but she still hasn''t been able to keep track of him most of the time. She can only see him during the class hours and in the great hall. The rest of the time, the time when someone is actually supposed to attack him, he somehow always manages to escape her sight very easily. How is she supposed to protect him if she can''t even see where he goes half the time?


    She would accept that she wasn''t very good at stealth and tracking, it wasn''t her forte, but she didn''t think that she would be so bad to not even be able to keep track of a 12-year-old. The boy somehow manages to escape her sight every damn time she''s following him.


    There''s no way she''s that bad. It''s the person she''s following who''s out of the ordinary. That much is clear enough after keeping an eye on him for a few days.


    He''s got the Greengrass Heiress showing puppy eyes for him, he''s sometimes seen talking to the Princess of the Valentino Family, and then there''s the daughter of the, Brazilian Minister, who was fawning over him tonight.


    And then, there was Rose, who was currently training day and night after knowing that he''d be playing for the Slytherin team, obsessing over defeating him.


    This guy, who you''d somehow usually overlook when looking at the crowd, is unexpectedly quite popular. Even her mom and aunty Bella are worried over him, which is extremely puzzling.


    ''Is there something I don''t know, that''s making him so interesting?'' she thought, unable to see the point.


    The boy is handsome, she''ll accept, but the women included in the list aren''t the type to be swayed by mere handsomeness.


    And of course, she didn''t think he had used some bewitching magic or something, since Aunty Bella was also included in the list. And that woman has so much protection that even a killing curse might not do anything to her.


    Another question is, why the hell is his life in danger? Aunty wouldn''t give her details until now even after asking multiple times. All Tonks has managed to get out of that woman is that some Organisation from Atlantis is after him. That had been enough for her to start taking her job seriously and increase her curiosity even more. Atlantis is the most mysterious magical civilization, closed off to the outside world. And an organization from that place is after Axel? That generates so many questions!


    So, to find the answers, she followed him very closely tonight, in order to make sure not to lose sight of him at a corner like she usually does. No matter what, she has to stop failing at such an easy task.


    ''Nice...''


    Maybe because her luck today was good, but she managed to follow him for quite far this time. Usually, she''d lose him after just a few corridors. But this time seemed different. He seemed to be traveling along the corridors which she hadn''t seen much before. She couldn''t help but notice that this place was nowhere near the Slytherin dorms. The corridors kept getting darker and gloomier, until they were in an area with no lights or torches at all.


    ''This... this doesn''t seem right?''


    Things were not looking good at all. The boy was somehow walking familiarly through the complete darkness, as if he was completely accustomed to it, while she almost couldn''t even make out what was in front of her.


    ''Would it kill this guy to use a Lumos?'' She thought, resisting the urge to use it herself. She can''t light up her wand without blowing her cover.


    How familiar does this guy have to be to walk so confidently in such a dark and gloomy place with no fear? It only means that he''s been coming here very often. In this environment, even she is afraid of the dangers that might be lurking in this dark, abandoned part of the castle, let alone for someone so young. How is he supposed to protect himself if some kind of dark creature shows up here? It''s difficult to even see anything, let alone react.


    ''Well, it seems I''ll have to use ''that''.''


    The lens of her eyes enlarged and shifted closer to the retina, allowing her to see much better in the dark. Still not satisfied, another layer of the membrane formed behind it, bouncing back all the light on the retina.


    ''Thanks, aunty,'' she thought as she was suddenly able to see well. The Black family has had many metamorphmagi over the centuries. She only knew the true uses of her ability after Aunty Bella started to train her.


    "This ability is wasted on you,"¡ªshe''d said when she realized that all Tonks had been doing with her ability was pulling pranks like changing the shape and color of her nose and changing her appearance to someone else''s. Metamorphing is an ability that lets you manipulate your physical body. The degree of Metamorphing increases the more you train and also through some rituals. And her aunt hadn''t spared any expense at either of those. So, it was safe to say that Tonks could be very dangerous if she wanted to. But, after teaching her all this, that heartless woman has also forbidden her from using these things unless absolutely necessary.


    Just now, Tonks had copied the characteristics of an owl''s eyes into her own, allowing her to have a sort of night vision. Owls are nocturnal creatures that are able to see much better in the dark. She just adjusted the structure of her eyes to make them similar. This was just one of the many uses of her ability.


    Though, when she surveyed her surroundings, she got a surprise when she looked at the ground. Huge footprints could be seen, going in the direction Axel was going.


    "Gulp."


    ''Troll footprints¡­'' she recognized from her training. Where was this boy going? Now Tonks was debating whether to keep following the boy or just stop him. But curiosity got the better of her and she decided to follow. A Troll would be a bit difficult, but nothing she can''t handle.


    Finally, she saw him entering a classroom after walking forever. Interestingly enough, the troll footprints were also leading into the classroom.


    ''What the hell are you up to?'' She thought as she hastened her footsteps. By now, she was sure that this boy was up to something shady. Why else would he come to this place at this time of night? Certainly not to sleep. No one can sleep in such a creepy place.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Curious to find out, she went into the room and was surprised by the scene inside. It looked like a Troll fight had taken place here. There were a few craters, and large footprints, with ropes lying everywhere. She had taken just a few steps in when she felt like her foot just snapped something.


    !


    "WHAT THE¡ª!"


    Before she could even look down to investigate, the ropes that were lying on the ground suddenly went taught, binding around her hands and feet, leaving her suspended above the ground, unable to move. Her years of training with her aunt suddenly kicked in as her hands transformed into huge and sharp talons in order to cut through the ropes. Though, by that time, she had already been hit by a few spells at the exposed parts of her body.


    ''So¡­ it was an Invisibility cloak?'' Axel realized in astonishment as he looked at the stalker who was half exposed now. He had, of course, thought of this possibility, but his arcane eyes could see through normal invisibility cloaks. And he didn''t want to think some cloaks could actually thwart his eyes out there.


    He looked at the person who had been exposed after the cloak had come off.


    ''The fuck is that?!'' He thought, looking at the half-transformed hands of the person and the half-cut ropes. He was glad he hadn''t trusted the traps. They hadn''t worked against the troll, and they didn''t work on this stalker as well.


    He further removed the cloak, exposing the face of the person, and got a surprise.


    "You¡­?! You''re that Auror chick, right?" Axel didn''t know if he was more disappointed or more irritated at that moment.


    The person turned out to be an Auror. Now, she''d either be from the organization, which would mean that the Organization has already infiltrated the ministry, and if she''s not from the organization, then it''d mean that an Auror had been following him. Now, if he had been an upstanding, law-abiding goody-two-shoes, this wouldn''t have been too worried. But too bad, he was so opposite of those things that he couldn''t even count the number of crimes he had committed.


    Sighing, he freed only the girl''s head from the state of paralysis.


    "Speak. Why have you been following me?"


    Tonks scrutinized the boy who was currently pointing his wand at her in a threatening manner. She had panicked at first, but after knowing that it was the boy who had designed all this, her fear disappeared. "Auror chick?! Seriously? I have a name, alright?"


    "..." This doesn''t seem like a response a person caught harboring intentions to kill him or kidnap him would have.


    "What IS your name? Why have you been following me?" He demanded, tightening the ropes.


    "Ouch! Hey, stop it! I''m not into this shit!"


    "Your name, and purpose."


    "I''m Tonks! I''m on your side, you idiot!"


    Axel unconsciously loosened the ropes at that, "Tonks...? Do you have any relation with Andromeda Tonks?!"


    "Yeah, that''s my mum," replied Tonks with an eye roll. "Now, can we talk like civilized people instead of people with weird fetishes?" She asked, indicating her bindings.


    "So, you''re that daughter on training, huh?" muttered Axel as he looked at the girl. Well, the resemblance from that woman was clearly visible, her heart-shaped face had similar aristocratic features as her mother, but they weren''t as sharp, giving her more of a girl-next-door vibe. Of course, the beauty gene seems to be present in all members of the Black family.


    ''Sigh¡­ what the hell is up now?'' Though, Axel was only further annoyed at the mention of that connection. Seriously, he tries to forget the family but they keep popping up from time to time, reminding him of that day.


    "You still haven''t answered my question. Why have you been following me?"


    Tonks glared at him, "It''s not like I want to, ok? But Aunty Bella forced me to guard you since your life is in danger."


    Axel''s eyes narrowed at that, "What did you say?!" He squashed down his irritation at Bellatrix''s involvement and instead focused on the key point, "What kind of danger?"


    Is this just a coincidence, or does she actually know something? Come to think of it, Bellatrix Black is the minister of magic. It could be possible for her to know about the organization coming after her. After all, she did know his father. But, he wanted to confirm. "Tell me, what kind of danger am I in?!"


    "Free me first, alright? I thought that we''d at least established the fact that I''m not trying to hurt you by now. This position is a bit embarrassing," protested Tonks.


    Axel scratched his head. Well, she WAS indeed tied in a rather disgraceful matter, but it wasn''t his fault, alright? He couldn''t even see the target and he couldn''t afford to miss, in case the person had ill intentions. But, he wasn''t about to let up just yet. "Well, you might be deceiving me with those word since you can''t actually hurt me anyway. First answer what I asked! Tell me everything you know about the danger I''m in."


    Tonks sighed, "Look, I really don''t know much. Aunty Bella refused to tell me the details. All she''s told me is that an organization from Atlantis is after you."


    "?!" Axel was shocked to hear that answer. An organization is after him, she was right about that much, but... Atlantis?! Now that was news to him.


    But Tonks had more to say, "And, you''re wrong to assume that I can''t hurt you," she said to the still shocked Axel.


    Snap*


    Her tongue suddenly extended and licked Axel''s cheek lightning quick while he was still distracted by her words.


    !


    Axel backed away as he looked at Tonks incredulously.


    The woman gave him a smug grin as her tongue sharpened. And as if to demonstrate, she cut a rope near her with it before retracting it.


    "That... could have been you."


    ''...Fuck...'' Axel was flabbergasted. This... just now, while he was distracted due to the shocking revelation, this woman might have actually succeeded in taking him out if she really wanted to. He had to admit it was his fault, he really hadn''t anticipated that she might be able to do something like this and neither had he calculated this in his plans. She had been paralyzed from neck down, but she was able to attack him with just her mouth.


    "You have a ''sharp'' tongue," muttered Axel with some envy. He definitely wants this skill.


    "Thanks. I get that a lot," Tonks accept with faux humility.


    Axel raised his wand at her in resignation, as if he was about to free her. "You really don''t know anything else?"


    "Yep, that was about it. Are you going to free me now? This is really uncomfortable." She demanded, wiggling her body as she tried to close her legs which had been spread apart.


    "Yes." Axel finally agreed after thinking about it.


    "Brillian¡ª


    "Stupify"


    But before Tonks could celebrate, she had been hit by a stunner. "¡ªBut only after I confirm it," finished Axel, re-paralyzing her head for good measure.


    Does this woman actually think he''d free her after she revealed such a scary ability? She could have almost taken him out using just her tongue, what would happen if he freed the rest of her body?


    Nope, he can''t do it unless he''s sure about her intentions. He has issues trusting even his friends, let alone a stranger.


    "Let''s see," he thought, prying open the girls eyelids. He was about to use Legilimency on her. Though, since he still wasn''t much proficient in it, there are chances he might damage her or his own mind if he dug too deep or worse, get detected by her. If she finds out that he had infiltrated her mind, too many problems would crop up. So, it''s better if he just found the information on the surface.


    "Let''s see... Legilimens!" He muttered, using the spell in the way he learnt from the system. By now, he was skilled enough that he could at least access the surface thoughts of the person without getting detected.


    At once, his mind entered hers. Inside, there were thickly built shields, but Axel was able to get past them. The Legilimancy training provided by the system was obviously much superior, and Tonks'' Occlumency shields were fully developed yet.


    When he finally reached her surface thoughts, a slew of information bombarded him, making it very difficult for him to navigate through them.


    ''Let''s see. Metamorphmagus ability...only acquired through inheritance? Too bad...Damn, she had so much planned in case he was hostile? Couldn''t tell with her casual bubbly persona... what? there''s a wet patch somewhere? Maybe being tied up wasn''t bad? Unrelated... Here it is! Stupid Aunty, can''t even tell the details, why does she have to act all mysterious? Just an organization from Atlantis? Yep, this is it.'' Since he got what he wanted, he exited her mind since he can''t use it for too long yet.


    "So, she WAS telling the truth, huh?" muttered Axel with some surprise. It''s hard to believe, but there actually is someone who wouldn''t lie in captivity. It would seem that she really didn''t plan to harm him and the information regarding Atlantis is true.


    Atlantis¡­ damn. This makes so much sense! Why else had he been unable to find anything about the Organization? It would make perfect sense if it''s from a place that''s shut down to the outside world. But, how did that minister know about this? Is it because she knew his father? If his father had been a part of the Organization, then¡­ does that mean he''s also an Atlantian? What about his mother? Where was she from?


    How much did that Minister know? Does she know more about the organization?


    Would he actually have to face her and ask, after what she had done a year ago? Axel had so many questions.


    Just fuck it, he''ll think about that later. Right now, it''s already very late and he also has a dangerous Auror to deal with.


    ¡­


    ¡ªAtlantis¡ª


    Deep inside the ocean, a huge city, spread over hundreds of thousands of miles, filled with space extension magic was hidden. In this place filled with ancient architecture, a huge castle dominated the central land, spanning over a few hundred miles.


    The castle was Luxurious and lavish, with different kinds of jewels shining with magic embedded in it. Powerful wards surrounded the castle, giving it an even more grand and intimidating air.


    But, this was just a show. The castle had lost its power with no one to rule it. Thus, Atlantis wasn''t as peaceful as it looked anymore.


    Inside this castle, in a luxurious bedroom, an old man was lying on a majestic bed. Though contrasting from resplendence around him, the old man appeared rather pale and haggard.


    "Father¡­ Is there really no way¡­?" Asked a woman with dark blue hair and eyes. She had an exquisite appearance, worthy of someone from the royal family, but currently, her eyes had traces of tears and she looked exhausted.


    The old man coughed, "None that I could.. cough¡­ think of, my daughter. At this point, the throne¡­ can only be inherited if you have absolute power. Forgive me... Antilla, cough¡­I''ve been an incompetent ruler¡­and father."


    Antilla, the second princess of Atlantis only shook her head, "No, father. It is I who has been incompetent. If I was only as capable as sister, it wouldn''t have come to this."


    Hearing about his lost daughter caused the king to go into another round of coughing. "Atlena¡­" he whispered the lost daughter''s name between coughs.


    The princess grew frantic as she fished out a box from the beside, "Father, do not worry about sister," she said, opening the box and revealing a brightly glowing blue pearl inside. "See? It''s still completely fine."


    The king took the pearl in his hands as only then did his breathing relaxed. Both father and daughter looked at the pearl with worry and hope. Because they knew what the pearl signified. It was their only source of hope left now.


    For as long as the pearl was glowing, it meant that Atlena, the powerful first princess of Atlantis was still alive and well.


    Looking at the king who had fallen asleep clutching the pearl, Antilla sighed as she let her weakness show on her face once again.


    "Sister¡­ where ARE you?" She wondered, recalling the explosion that shook Atlantis more than a decade ago, taking away her sister along with her sister''s lover.

 Chapter 71: Training Daphne

    "Renervate."


    Since his business with Tonks was done, Axel renervated her and removed her bindings.


    "?!"


    But... he didn''t anticipate her reaction. As soon as she woke up, the first thing she did was to punch him in the face.


    WHOOSH


    And that punch¡­ It turned out to be strong enough to cave his face in! Fortunately, Axel somehow managed to deflect it in time.


    "What the hell are you doing?!" He demanded as he glared at Tonks, his knife already at her throat. Axel was really a but scared this time. He didn''t know if he could have avoided that punch without the training/beating in Hand-to-hand that he had received from Akiko. And what was with that power?! He thought only he was supposed to have super strength here.


    Tonks seemed to have come to her senses by now, "HolyMorgana!I''msooosorry!" She exclaimed frantically as she checked his face where the punch had barely grazed him. And Axel couldn''t help but notice that the skin of the hand she had hit him with had been darkened and hardened, in case the insane power alone wasn''t enough to destroy her victims.


    "..." If that punch had connected, he would have been in trouble.


    Tonks rubbed her temples, "I''m so sorry, I really didn''t mean to hurt you. It''s just¡­" Tonks was quite surprised by the situation herself. Her head was throbbing with pain and she was feeling very disoriented. Just now, when she had woken up in this darkness with her thoughts in a jumbled mess, not recalling how she was here, she had lashed out after suddenly seeing someone so close. Only after a few seconds she recall what had happened and how she had ended up here.


    Axel realized that her reaction just now must have been due to his forceful intrusion into her mind. He had managed to avoid detection using the system''s method, but his proficiency was still low. Anyways, he can''t blame the girl for this. Looking at Tonks who looked to be on the verge of figuring out that she had been mind-raped, Axel quickly got up.


    "I''ll go now. Don''t follow me anymore," Before Tonks could respond, Axel had already left the place.


    Tonight, he hadn''t caught the criminal, but he did get some important information.


    ''Atlantis¡­''


    He recalled what he already knew about the place. Unsurprisingly, everything he knew was taught by Professor Gorski, their previous History teacher. Now it makes sense why he''d know about it. Gorski was a member of the Organization, and the Organization turned out to be from Atlantis. Of course he''ll know about Atlantis. Too bad, that source is no longer available. It would seem Axel will have to find out about it some other way.


    ¡­.


    The next day, Akiko was once again found training at his spot.


    "Are you ready?" She asked, getting into position for another sparring session. She looked determined to beat him again.


    "Can''t you teach me ninjutsu today?" Asked Axel with a sigh.


    Akiko shook her head, "No ninjutsu until you''ve mastered Hand-to-hand," she said seriously.


    "... Whatever."


    Axel could only shrug as he got into position.


    Tilting her head slightly, Akiko looked at Axel like she was looking at a rare animal. "You''re ready for the pain?"


    Yesterday, after getting used to his surprises she had beaten him quite badly. And today was probably going to be the same. This was her grandfather''s method of making her back down whenever she forced him to teach her something risky. Had her resolution been weak and lacking, she would have quit very easily. So, she thought that it would be easy to make Axel quit.


    On the other hand, Axel was a bit confused by her question. "Pain?" Was yesterday''s training supposed to be painful? That was pain? In comparison to the Crutiatus, it was nothing but a massage.


    "I don''t really care about the pain. Let''s begin," he replied to Akiko as he got into position. He was eager to learn ninjutsu, but he didn''t mind mastering close combat first. After all, it did save his face from being bashed in last night, didn''t it?


    But Akiko, who didn''t know all this, looked skeptical. She didn''t believe he wouldn''t give up if she made it more difficult. "Alright, let''s begin."


    And begin they did, fighting with a ferocity that would leave any onlookers shocked. Axel was now reaping the benefits of all the hardships he had suffered in maintaining such a tasteless but expensive diet and the grueling training he had been doing throughout the year. With his body at the peak of human endeavor, he can now easily keep up with someone like Akiko, who has been receiving the best guidance since early childhood. Combined with his insane pain tolerance, he was an unstoppable force in a sparring session.


    They only stopped when Akiko was too tired to continue. Panting for breath, she looked at Axel who still hadn''t shone any signs of backing out. When her grandfather had used this trick on her to make her give up, she had only persisted because her drive had been very strong. She wanted revenge against the Organization who had killed her parents. But, she couldn''t understand why the boy in front of won''t quit.


    "Why... Why won''t you give up?" She asked in between her panting.


    Axel, who was using [Heal] on his wounds, couldn''t be bothered to answer,


    "...Just cause." He replied, a bit short for breath himself.


    "Fine!" muttered Akiko as she left the clearing in a huff. He''ll give up soon enough. She''ll have to make him. She has no time to train someone else when her goal is to destroy the Kraken.


    ...


    After coming out of the clearing, Axel went to the training ground where all the students had gathered. But this time, he didn''t go to Daphne. He first looked for Martina. To find out about Atlantis, the first person he could think of within his reach was her. Axel knew if anyone would know about a mysterious magical place, submerged underwater, with outside entry banned, it would be this curious but powerful geek.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Now that he has a lead on the organization, he was very eager to capitalize on it. He didn''t even mind the attention he''d draw to himself talking to her in public like this.


    Axel found Martina easily enough, you just had to follow the crowd. Wearing a purple workout outfit, she was doing some light stretching, unknowingly drawing the eyes of half of Hogwarts male population towards her. Around her were a group of Ravenclaw girls, fiercely guarding her like a national treasure.


    When they saw Axel, they all glared at him, but no one stopped him since everyone knew about them being close. But, that didn''t stop them from sending threatening and warning looks his way as he approached her.


    "Martina." Axel called out making her stop.


    Martina was doing some warm up before the physical training starts. After witnessing first-hand the effectiveness of high athletic ability during Axel''s fight with the Basilisk, Martina had decided to take this class seriously. Hearing Axel''s voice, she was pleasantly surprised.


    "Axel?!"


    "Yeah, I need your help."


    Martina was actually glad to hear that. She had yet to think about how to repay him for his help in the Chamber of Secrets. So, she quickly sent the Ravens away for some privacy.


    "So, what did you want my help for?"


    Axel sighed. "It''s about Atlantis. What can you tell me about it."


    "Atlantis? Why do you want to know about it all of a sudden?" Asked Martina in surprise.


    Axel shrugged, "Do you know or not?"


    Martina sighed regretfully, "Actually, I''ve already tried researching about it multiple times before. I''m quite curious about their civilization. But, I haven''t been able to find out much."


    "What are you guys talking about?"


    At this moment, someone interrupted their conversation. Coming to stand by Axel''s side. It was Daphne, who couldn''t help herself from coming over after seeing so many students already pointing at Axel and Martina and manufacturing new sets of rumors.


    Martina nodded at Daphne, "Heiress Greengrass. It''s a pleasure as always. Axel was just asking about something important to tell." Whenever she was in front of outsiders, she would revert to her pureblood princess mode which had learned from her mom.


    But Daphne, who was already misunderstanding Martina''s intentions, thought that Martina was showing off her closeness to Axel to her. ''Flexing in front of me?''


    Putting on a surprised and apologetic look, she said, "Oh, am I interrupting something important? Actually, Axel had asked me to skip classes today since he was going to give me some ''private training''. I came here wanting to discuss that."


    Even though Daphne was trying to flex in a different context, her words did erupt quite a lot of jealousy in Martina.


    ''Private training from Axel?!'' This was the same person who had killed a Lethifold and a Basilisk. Of course she also wanted private lessons from him! But, she wasn''t thick-skinned enough to ask about joining them.


    Axel shook his head, "Not today. I haven''t found the right place to train yet."


    The things he was going to teach Daphne were rather secretive. Not only does it have to be private since he''s going to teach her Occlumency, but it also has to be spacious for the physical training. And the clearing was no longer an option. So, he planned on finding such a place today.


    Martina, who was feeling regretful after not being able to help Axel, perked up after hearing him. "You need a place to train?"


    "Yeah."


    Martina smiled, "You don''t need to worry about that anymore. I happen to know just the right place," she said, putting a privacy charm around them.


    ¡­


    "I still think she made a fool out of us," voiced Daphne, looking at the wall across from a tapestry of a man attempting to train some trolls for the ballet.


    Axel rolled his eyes, "You can''t even give her the benefit of doubt? And here I thought I was the one with trust issues."


    Daphne clicked her tongue, "I''m not saying I can''t trust her. I just can''t help but wonder, if there really was a place as wonderful as the one she described, why would she so easily reveal it to us. Is she stupid or what?"


    Axel shook his head, "She''s not stupid. She could have told me about such a place last year as well, but she didn''t. She did it this time because she owes me." At least she thinks she owes him. But Axel wouldn''t reject it if he was being offered a good place to train.


    Daphne narrowed her eyes, "She owes you as well? What did you do for her?"


    "Nothing much, I just saved her from a scary monster once."


    "... Well, don''t tell me if you don''t want to," huffed Daphne, thinking that he was being sarcastic.


    Axel shrugged. He tried. It''s not his fault if she didn''t believe it.


    "So, we just have to pace back and forth while imagining the kind of place I want, right?" He asked, turning his attention back to the door.


    Daphne nodded, looking excited as well. After such a long time, it''s going to be just her and Axel. She wondered if it could be called a date? She imagined a romantic place, where Axel would personally train her. They''d slowly, slowly grow closer, and then¡ª


    "It''s here!"


    Unfortunately, Daphne snapped out of her fantasy when a door appeared out of nowhere and Axel unceremoniously pushed it open.


    "..." Inside was not the romantic place she had been imagining. But a spacious room with lots of training dummies, weights, and other training equipment.


    "This place¡­" she began.


    "It''s perfect," said Axel, stepping in as he looked around. "It actually worked."


    ''Perfect'' wasn''t the word Daphne had in her mind for this place, but nevertheless, she still followed Axel into the room as the door closed behind them.


    "So, what are you going to teach me?" Asked Daphne, looking at Axel with anticipation.


    Axel frowned. "Do 10 laps of this place first."


    ?


    Daphne couldn''t understand the situation, but unable to deny him, she still did what he had asked.


    "Hah¡­Hah¡­ Done¡­" This room was quite big. Big enough that 10 laps was enough to make her weary.


    "Do 15 push ups now."


    ?


    "I¡­" Daphne wanted to say something, but in the end, she still got down on all fours as she began to do push ups.


    "One¡­ two¡­.¡ª fifteen¡­ hah¡­ "


    "20 sit ups now."


    "What?!"


    "...¡ªSeven¡­hah¡­.Eight ¡­.. hah¡­hah¡­hhah¡­ Can I stop now?"


    Axel watched her indifferently with his hands folded. "Do you want to give up already?"


    "No!... It''s just¡­."


    "Just what? You expected me to teach you something good. You didn''t expect it to be difficult, did you?"


    "I¡­" She did expect it to be quite a bit different. Or more like, she was just too excited by the prospect of him training her that she didn''t think much about this.


    "I won''t lie. I do have a lot to teach you," admitted Axel. "And those things are quite unique as well. Not this bullshit I''m having you do right now."


    Daphne looked up at him from the ground. She really couldn''t understand what was going on, "Then, why?" She asked, looking to be on the verge of tears. Why make her go through this for no reason? Was he just having fun in making her suffer?


    "Because¡­.I want to be sure that you''re determined. I will only teach if you are serious about this. This is not a picnic, Daphne," replied Axel coldly.


    "You always say that I don''t trust you with my secrets, don''t you? Well honestly, you''re too weak and immature for me to tell you anything."


    !


    That hurt. But Daphne had no words to deny him. She had always been trying hard to catch up to him, but no matter how hard she tried, the gap between them only seemed to be increasing over time. It has now come to the point that she can no longer tell just how strong he actually is. So, Axel WAS right. He''s actually teaching her, giving her a chance to be able to stand beside him in the future, and here she is, only thinking about useless stuff. She just wanted to punch her earlier self now. She wondered if he''s regretting teach her now.


    ''Damn it.'' Looking at the dispirited Daphne, Axel wondered if he had said too much.


    ''Was I too harsh just now?'' He wondered, misunderstanding her regretful look as signs of her giving up.


    Actually, him offering to train Daphne, it wasn''t entirely for her benefit. It was for his own selfishness as well. He wanted her to be strong, so that she doesn''t randomly gets done in by one of his enemies in the future. He wanted her to have a good Occlumency defence, so that he can tell her stuff without having to lie and keep secrets for even the smallest of things. So, he didn''t actually want her to quit. He wanted her to train seriously. So, very reluctantly, he decided to make a concession.


    "Oi..."


    From her collapsed position on the ground, Daphne looked up at Axel with her eyes glistening, seemingly on the verge of tears. She was afraid that Axel wouldn''t train her now. Though... what came out of Axel''s mouth was completely different from what she was expecting.


    "One wish."


    ?"W-What?"


    "If you actually succeeded in training to the level I deem passable... I will fulfill your one wish within reason."


    Daphne: !


    ...

 Chapter 72: Common Ground

    Around a month passed since Hogwarts'' exchange program with Mahoutokoro had begun. And during this time, the happenings of the castle were the main focus of the wizarding communities in many parts of the world.


    People were curious to see what results the fusion of these completely different schools would bring. And the various magical media throughout the world also realized this. That''s why, you could see reporters anywhere around the castle these days, searching for content.


    In these times, Newspapers weren''t the only means of information. Information could also be spread by Magi-mirrors, used by many wizarding communities all over the world. And since everyone had Magi-mirrors, the equivalent of a phone, of course they also had televisions at home, which showed Wizarding media and shows.


    With the advancement of Wizarding Britain, other countries in the ICW had also made some advancement under Britain''s lead, at least in the media sector. By now, instead of radios and newspapers, most of the wizarding homes had switched to televisions which work with magic.


    Since the reporters from various countries were sent to the school, Hogwarts was currently trending on various platforms throughout the world. And the exchange program was just a small part of the reason why this was the case. In actuality, Hogwarts is already a land of content as it is. The castle is huge, with no shortage of mysteries and attractions. The moving staircases, the secret passages, the Whomping Willow, the beautiful lake with the giant squid, the boundless forbidden forest, and the various attractions in Hogsmeade... there is no shortage of interesting things here. Once the media came for the exchange program, these attractions were also inevitably featured in those channels, making everything more interesting.


    And during this time, a certain video of the Gryffindor Quidditch team''s practice was also uploaded. It featured Rose Potter, the Girl-who-lived, dodging the bludgers and catching the snitch in a brilliant Spiral Dive at breakneck speed.


    The video blew up, gaining a lot of traction, since the level of skill shown in it was comparable to the Professional athletes, and it was done by a second year girl. And when they came to know that this was the famous Girl-who-lived, there was no way it wasn''t going to get viral. The footage got a lot of views and was reposted several times on different platforms, being watched by the Quidditch fans and other audience all around the world. Some Quidditch stars even commented on it, praising the girl''s skills at her age.


    However, the most shocking thing was when talk of the Rose Potter getting an offer from Montrose Magpies began circulating. Montrose Magpies is currently rated best team in the Major Quidditch League, the Premiere League, with most of its star players being from England and Ireland''s national Quidditch teams.


    And getting selected for such a team is like the ultimate goal for all Quidditch players. The salary is very high, and you get to play with the best players under the best guidance.


    So, when the talks of Rose Potter being a part of such a team began to be raised, the school was, no doubt, in an uproar. Being able to be qualified for such a team already at her age, she was guaranteed a successful Quidditch career even if she didn''t pass the trial now.


    Swoosh¡ªSwoosh¡ªBaam!¡ªhah!


    And while all that was going on at Hogwarts, completely uninvolved with all activities, Axel and Akiko were exchanging blows in their clearing in the forbidden forest, both moving at blurring speeds. They had been doing this every morning for days. But, there was a drastic shift in the situation compared to how it was when they started.


    When they had started, it was like a one sided beating, since both were using pure Hand-to-hand combat skills. And in that area, Akiko, who had been trained since childhood had an overwhelming advantage. But now, in just a few weeks, Axel had bridged the gap to the point that he was now fighting Akiko without taking even a single hit.


    "You ready to give up yet?" Asked Axel, easily blocking yet another series of kicks from Akiko.


    "Hah!" Akiko''s reply was yet another combo, trying to overwhelm him with her speed.


    ''How did he improve so fast?!'' She questioned in her mind. They weren''t meeting everyday these days since both of them had their own training to do, but Axel improved drastically each time they fought.


    In the beginning, Akiko had thought that Axel would give up on training after a few days of beating and she''d be able to focus on her own goals. But at this point, she can barely land a hit on him anymore. She can only imagine how he must have trained to improve so fast.


    "Why¡ªdo¡ªyou¡ªtry¡ªso hard?!" She demanded in between her attacks. She had always thought that she was at least the most hard working, if not the most talented warrior in existence. She had to be, if she was going to face the odds that she needed to overcome in order to take her revenge.


    But then she meets Axel, the person who can beat her in both talent and hard work. She can tell just by the muscle strains visible on his exposed skin, that this guy is training half to death daily, and his body must be constantly in a lot of pain.


    "When will you answer?! Why do you work so hard?! How are you so strong?! And¡­ why the hell do you keep hiding despite having all this power?!" She demanded, her frustration showing in her usually impassive face. The reason she was so affronted by it wasn''t because of something as petty as jealousy. No, it was because his existence proved that she hadn''t tried hard enough. That her drive for power and avenging her parents wasn''t strong enough. That''s why she has been wanting to know, how and why he is what is today and why he still continues to strive for more.


    ''What''s with this girl?'' wondered Axel. This wasn''t the first time she was asking him these questions. She had already asked this to him a lot of times, but he didn''t know that it was so important for her to know about it. Otherwise, he would have told her a little about it since they''re not stranger anymore. Looking back, they have been sparring every few days, sometimes even using magic. And by now, he knows enough about her character to know that she isn''t a bad person.


    But, she hasn''t told him anything about herself, neither has she taught him the ninjutsus yet. So, why should he bother answering?


    "What about you then?" He asked. "Why do YOU work so hard? Even going so far as to train in forbidden arts for it? And why are you not teaching me even after so many days of signing the contract?" Asked Axel right back. He hadn''t been forcing her using the contract yet since it would be better if she taught him willingly.


    Akiko gritted her teeth. The contract! That had only happened because Axel had seen her practicing forbidden arts. She didn''t like the fact that she was being blackmailed into teaching him, and it annoyed her every time he brought it up.


    "You''d have to beat me first for that," she said, making a few handseals as her magic flared.


    [Matsushima Secret Style: Fists of Fury]This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    She stopped holding back and decided to use the secret Hand-to-hand combat techniques of the Matsushima clan, making her fists burn with magic.


    Axel shrugged, "If that''s the case..." he murmured, changing his stance, "Then so be it."


    As soon as he shifted his stance, the atmosphere around him changed.


    [Arcane Martial Arts: 30%]


    He hadn''t used this against her yet.


    Akiko''s speed and strength increased suddenly as Axel found himself facing unavoidable punches even one of which could seriously injure him.


    [Arcane Martial Arts: Softening Palms]


    But, in face of such punches, his hands glowed with a gentle light and the enormous force behind Akiko''s fists seemed to get nullified.


    ''Well, that was dangerous.'' Thought Axel, still feeling the remnants of the enormous destructive might of the punches even after the using Softening Palms. He dared not stretch this fight longer.


    [Magic Hands]


    His dexterity, which was already terrific, reached a godly level, and he caught her fists one after another.


    !


    He had been holding back since he had wanted her to teach him everything on her own initiative. And no one would truly want to teach someone who was already better than them. But,


    ''I had been wrong.'' He thought, ignoring her surprised reaction as his hands gripped her fist.


    If he wants to learn from her, he has to make her submit first.


    ''Take this!'' Axel jumped as his legs wrapped around her neck, and he flipped her to the ground with her hands pinned on either side of her.


    BAAM!


    "Cough!"


    The impact knocked the breath out of Akiko''s lungs as she found herself tackled by the same trick she had used on him on the very first day. Except, she couldn''t use her hands to counter attack like Axel had when this was used on him.


    "So... is this considered a defeat?" Asked Axel.


    Akiko struggled to free herself as she coughed.


    "Coughcough... Yeah...guess I lost..." she said in the end in defeat.


    Turns out, he had been holding back...AGAIN. Just out of consideration. Though she didn''t understand how he was able to do the things he did, but Akiko had no choice but to accept it. She had lost. She was incredibly frustrated. As a genius, it''s very difficult to accept someone else being better.


    But, a promise''s a promise.


    Thus, as Axel let her go, she laid on the ground and looked at the morning sky. "Well, since I already agreed, I''ll tell you about myself then. My drive for power and the reason why I go as far as breaking rules¡­ " she said with a sigh.


    "What is it?"


    "Revenge," replied Akiko with fire burning in her eyes.


    Axel frowned.


    "Revenge? For what?"


    "My parents. They went on a mission very far away, they could never return. I


    want to take revenge on their killers." she said as her face clouded over.


    "I see¡­" said Axel. Actually, he couldn''t see. He didn''t take Akiko for a girl who''d be so emotionally driven when she''s usually like a cold machine. And, revenge for parents? He couldn''t understand the motivation behind that. As far as he could remember, his parents had left him at an orphanage and he didn''t even know them. So, he didn''t really feel the need to avenge them.


    "Anyways, go on the mission my parents have gone on, toh need to be the elite of the elite. And the fatality rate is extremely high. So, only the best of the best are chosen for this mission. That''s why I''ve been training so hard. So, that I can go and destroy those who killed my parents."


    Axel couldn''t understand it.


    "You must have really loved your parents, huh?"


    Akiko covered her face to hide her emotions. "Of course. Who doesn''t love their parents? They were usually busy with their work but they always used to make time for me."


    "Must have been nice."


    "Yeah¡­ it was. But that''s all about me. Now it''s your turn," she said, sitting up. "You still haven''t answered any of my questions. Why are you so strong? Why still train so hard everyday? And, why does no one here know anything about your strength?"


    Axel pondered over it. Why he''s so strong today... It''s due to a variety of reasons. And talent is not the only factor that has contributed to it. The main factor would have to be his mindset. It is something that has been forged after a series of unfortunate incidents.


    Due to his extraordinary luck, he has somehow already experienced some of the worst things that can happen to you when you''re trying to survive on the streets. It made him tenacious and extremely selfish. It taught him the value of his own life, his freedom, his happiness and...the value of power. It has made him obsessed to obtain and retain these things at all costs.


    And then, he was tortured horrifically with the worst torture spell ever, almost killing him. By that time, he wanted to make it so that such a situation can never happened to him again. But then, he came to know that the world was going to be taken over by an extremely powerful madman, and he had been crippled.


    That made him realize the importance of what he already had and how much of an idiot he was not to use it to its full extent. So, from that day onwards, his hard work reached a new high. It''s not something you do unless you''re absolutely desperate. And, he did that for a whole year, while getting the best guidance from the system.


    And this is how he is as he is today. He wasn''t born an absolute genius. In fact, his talent could be considered worse than monsters like Akiko and Martina. But, he has slowly and gradually improved in all aspects, from his body to his mind, so that he is superior to Akiko today.


    Though, he can''t tell all this to Akiko, can he? That''s why he''s never answered her questions until now. But, he has a feeling that she wouldn''t actually start teaching him seriously until he gives her an answer.


    So, Axel told her what he could.


    "Well, I''m an orphan as well, though I never knew my parents, or any living relative for that matter. I''ve had to live through some difficult situations and went through some tough timea. That has toughened me up."


    Akiko nodded, "So, that''s how you got the scars? I''d always been curious," she said, looking at the scars on his face.


    Axel nodded dismissively as he unconsciously ran a finger over his scars. They were both very light, one on his cheek and one across his left eye. He had lost count of the number of times people had asked him about the scars on his face. Some idiotic students have even tried to copy his scars when they heard girls saying it looks ''cool''.


    "Anyways," continued Axel, moving on the topic. "Right now, the reason I''m still training so hard is because, my life''s in danger."


    Akiko blinked her eyes when she heard that. "What kind of danger?"


    "Well, there''s this organisation that was after my father. Now it''s after me. That''s also the reason why I''m keeping a low profile these days."


    Akiko nodded in understanding. It would make sense to keep a low profile if an organisation is after his life. But then something else didn''t add up. "But if you''re trying to keep a low profile, why did you sign up for the Slytherin Quidditch team?"


    For being a seeker, you need to have dexterity, balance, and sharp eyes. And, she somehow had this ominous feeling just thinking about Axel playing as a seeker.


    Axel looked at her in surprise. "Even you know about me being the Slytherin seeker, huh?"


    "Rose wouldn''t stop talking about it," said Akiko with a roll of her eyes.


    "Oh," Axel had totally forgotten that Akiko was actually friends with Rose. "How are you even friends with her anyways? You two are totally different."


    Akiko shrugged, "You might already know it, but she has a very powerful yin (darkness) affinity. I had noticed right away. Anyways, what are you going to do in Quidditch? Keep a low profile?"


    Axel just smirked, "You''ll see."


    "..." Akiko didn''t think Axel would be able to keep his "low profile" for long. But, now that she thought about it, why would this person even need to hide? Which organisation is powerful enough to even threaten someone like him?


    "By the way, what''s the name of the Organization that''s after you?" Somehow, only one name came to her.


    Axel shrugged, "I don''t really know. All I know is, it''s in Atlantis."


    Akiko thought she didn''t hear it right.


    "... What did you say?!"


    ¡­.


    ¡ªNether World¡ª


    Lily Potter and Icitra, the Queen of Dark Elves, were currently in a room with two large mirrors.


    "You think it''ll work?" Asked Icitra.


    Lily fiddled with the mirrors, "There''s no reason it shouldn''t. Besides, this is important."


    Icitra agreed. What they were trying to do was indeed important. Currently, living underwater, they were quite cut off from the activities of their enemy, and they didn''t have any allies. They were trying to communicate with the other races in the Netherworld.


    To do that, they had sent two-way mirrors to other races. And right now, the mirrors had been delivered, along with the message. It was time to communicate.


    "Which races have we successfully delivered the mirror to yet?" Asked Icitra.


    "The Vampires and the Lycans."


    "It''s those two at the same time?" Icitra sighed, realizing the headache this was going to bring.


    "Ready? Asked Lily as she held up her wand.


    "I''m going to start the connection in 3, 2, 1. It''s on."


    The mirrors blurred and then two people''s faces appeared.


    ¡­.


    A.N.: Appearance of New Characters. The Netherworld side will continue on the side and it''ll become relevant in Volume 4

 Chapter 73: A Bet

    "What did you say?!" Akiko couldn''t help but ask. Because¡­ the organization that could threaten someone like Axel, and it''s from Atlantis¡­ there was only one that fit the bill: Kraken.


    Axel''s brows furrowed at her surprised reaction, "I said, it''s in Atlantis. You wouldn''t happen to know anything about it, would you?"


    So, she didn''t hear it wrong. It IS Kraken. The very same organization that she wants to destroy. She so much wanted to nod her right now, and tell him that yes, she did know about it. But alas, she had no choice in the matter.


    "I¡­" Akiko paused in her reply, "I was just surprised," she lied with a heavy heart.


    She was feeling incredibly conflicted right now. The information about Atlantis and the Organization is even more restricted than the Forbidden Jutsus. She had only obtained it after signing an advanced secrecy seals. She couldn''t even revealed the information by mistake. So, no matter how much she wanted to tell Axel, she couldn''t say anything.


    But¡­ since she knew that the organization was their common enemy, she COULD help him out in a lot of other ways. For example, by giving him the best training she could. Previously, she had been hesitant to share the knowledge with him, especially since she was being blackmailed into it. But now, things were different. The Kraken. This organization was so dangerous that she is unable to deal with it even with it by herself.


    ''But, if it''s him¡­''


    At only 12, Axel is already so dangerous. If trained properly, they would have a Kraken-doomsday machine at hand.


    "Axel."


    "What?" Axel was a bit disappointed by the fact that she didn''t know anything about the organization, but it''s not like he expected her to know anything anyway. The girl can''t see anything past her revenge.


    Akiko looked Axel dead in the eyes. "Let''s begin your training," she said seriously. "Tomorrow morning, be here at the same time."


    A grin came on Axel''s face. "Now we''re talking."


    ¡­..


    Later that morning, Axel sat at the Slytherin table eating his breakfast.


    Sitting beside him was, surprisingly Daphne, surprising because this was the Slytherin table. It had always been an unspoken rule for the students to always sit at their own House table. But, after the start of their exchange program, with the nins sitting with them, some of the students had started to sit at the other house tables, claiming they did not have enough space.


    There was some degree of resistance from professors like Mcgonagall, but Dumbledore, the ever-eccentric man he was, instead approved of its saying it promoted unity between houses. After that, the students had kind of started to sit wherever they liked.


    So, this is why Luna was currently sitting with Martina at the Ravenclaw table and Daphne was currently sitting beside Axel.


    "Can''t I eat something more edible?" She asked, looking down at the plate of boiled ingredients that was supposed to be her breakfast.


    Driven by Axel''s promise of fulfilling her one wish, Daphne had been training hard under Axel''s instructions. And of course, diet was an important part of her training as well, which was going to start from today. But¡­ this food, it''s really difficult to eat for her! As a pureblood heiress, she was used to the delicious food carefully cooked by the house elves. Even when her father restricted her food intake, whatever she ate was still delicious. So, it was a bit difficult for her to eat this boiled, unprocessed food.


    Axel shook his head. "No, it''s important to eat if you want the benefits. Do you have a problem with it?"


    "Of course I do! This shit tastes absolutely revolting. How the fuck have you been eating this kind of stuff all this while?" She demanded, lowering her voice so that only he could hear her, so as to keep her pureblood lady image in front of others.


    She had thought that the physical training was the worst part, but when she had first tried some of the "food" that Axel had been eating for more than a year, that was when Daphne truly began to realize the extent of hell Axel had been living for the past year.


    No wonder he always used to be so grumpy. He had to work so hard, maintain that diet, and also deal with all the pain his almost crippled body was causing him at that time.


    Axel frowned, "Even if it doesn''t taste well, it''s still expensive and nutritious food, right?"


    Daphne nodded hesitantly, "But, that doesn''t mean you can eat it like this. I can''t understand how can you not throw up after eating this." She said, gingerly moving the ingredients in her plate around with her fork.


    Daphne didn''t know why, but Axel looked incensed after listening to her words.


    "That''s right. You won''t understand it unless you have struggled to even get something to eat, unless you''ve felt happy to even be able to eat a motled loaf of bread. I was being unreasonable."


    "I¡­" Daphne felt like an absolutely spoiled, insensitive and immature brat right now. But more than that, she felt her heart aching for Axel. She knew that he had had a rough childhood, but since he had always been rather closed off about this topic, she didn''t know it was to the extent that he didn''t even have enough food to eat. Oh how she truly wished she had met him earlier!


    She wished she could have helped him when he was hungry, she wished she could have helped him when he got those scars, she wished she could have helped him when he was getting tortured to the point of being crippled. And most importantly, she wished she could have been there when he was getting these emotional scars that have yet to heal.


    ''But, I''m here now, aren''t I?'' She thought. She was here now, and things were getting better. Today he shared another detail of his past with her. Isn''t this progress? And she would be damned if she were to fuck it up now.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ''My wish, this for you.'' She thought, grabbing of forkful of ingredients.


    Then, glancing at Axel, she slowly put it in her mouth.


    ...


    Meanwhile, sitting on the other side of the Great Hall, at the Gryffindor table, Rose Potter, the Girl-who-played, was also quite exhilarated. Sitting at the Great hall with her group of friends, she relished the attention she was getting as everyone pointed to her and talked about her instead of finding it uncomfortable like she usually does. She had done it! She was finally being recognized for something she had achieved herself instead of the whole Girl-who-lived thing.


    Because, all those Girl-who-lived rumors? They are all bullshit.


    Rose recalled the conversation she had had with Dumbledore at the end of last term. Waking up in the hospital wing, she had panicked as soon as the events of the previous night had come crashing down on her. She had so many questions!


    What happened?! How was Voldemort still alive?! Why did he say he died because of her mother? Why did she suddenly pass out when Voldemort had her? And more importantly, what did he mean when he said he''ll kill her AND her mother? Isn''t her mother already dead?


    But thankfully, Albus Dumbledore himself was there when she woke up, to answer all her questions. At first, she was quite surprised and reticent, seeing Dumbledore in the flesh right after waking up. But the old man had calmed her down and given her some answers.


    Turns out, Voldemort never truly died that Halloween night, and whatever had happened, she certainly didn''t play any part in it. It would seem that her mother had used a very obscure ritual, something which even Dumbledore didn''t know of, to give her some very powerful protection. And was the reason why she was able to overcome the Killing Curse.


    And that''s why she disliked it even more whenever someone called her the Girl-who-lived lived. Her mother, while praised by everyone who knew her personally as the brightest witch of her time, never got any credit despite everything she had done.


    "Isn''t this great? We''re now allowed to sit at whichever table we like," said Susan, who was also sitting with her at the Gryffindor table.


    "Um...I''d rather we sat at our own table," said Hannah to Susan, feeling uncomfortable with all the attention Rose was attracting their way.


    Rose rolled her eyes. "Come on, Hannah. It''s so rare for all of us to be able to sit and talk like this. Classes have been so busy," she said, getting nods from the table.


    "Well, not everyone," said Neville, looking pointedly at the Slytherin table where Daphne had chosen to sit. "It''s like she''s no longer our friend at all."


    Looking at Daphne, Rose''s face darkened. This was the same friend who had gone through life and death with her at the third-floor corridor last year. The same friend whom she has known for years. But, ever since Rose''s and Neville''s conflict with Axel on the train, Daphne has distanced herself from this group. And of course, she knows why. And now she''s always skipping classes as well.


    "She''s gone as well. It''s what he does. Bewitching witches," she said, glaring at Axel. No, she can''t let him take away Daphne as well.


    Hermione, who was also sitting with them, looked surprised, "Does he really do that?" She asked, realizing why Martina paid so much attention to him.


    Rose nodded. Both of her Aunts, Daphne, Martina Valentino, Patricia Afonso, all seem to have been bewitched by him.


    "Maybe, he Bewitched me as well," said Susan, breaking the heavy atmosphere.


    "You are bewitched by every handsome boy," said Hannah as everyone laughed.


    Their group finished their breakfast after that. But as they were exiting, the two groups happened to meet at the door. Seeing the two talking among themselves and completely ignoring them, Rose couldn''t take it anymore.


    "Daphne," she called, attracting the blond girl''s attention.


    "What is it?" Asked Daphne, looking impatient.


    "Why have you been skipping classes?"


    Daphne shrugged, "...Just cus. Do you have anything else to say?"


    Rose was annoyed. "It''s because of him, right? What has he done to you? You used to never miss classes."


    Axel frowned, they were beginning to attract a crowd here, "What do you want?" He asked, stepping forward, getting away from Daphne, so as to avoid getting attention on the two of them.


    Rose glared at Axel, "What I want? I want you to stop bewitching witches all around!" She shot back, stepping up as well.


    Axel was a bit annoyed. He knew that he couldn''t clear up whatever misunderstanding this girl had of him even if he tried. And he was tired of her annoying him all the time. "Fine, let''s make a bet. The match is coming. The loser will do whatever the winner asks."


    "...Fine!" Rose hesitated for a moment before agreeing. She had been training very hard. She was now at a level where even pro players were praising her. Of course she can now easily beat Axel.


    And that''s how, the biggest bet in Hogwarts was made.


    ¡­..


    Meanwhile, in Netherworld ¡ª


    ¡ªContinuing¡ª


    In the room where Icitra and Lily were present with two mirror, two images appeared in the mirrors. Even though they were physically present, just their virtual image was enough to tell that these were not ordinary individuals.


    "Oh, if it isn''t the fallen Queen," said one of the two individuals, looking at the Dark Elf queen as he began to chuckle in a deep, hoarse voice . The appearance of this person was different from humans. He had a large and buffed stature, his teeth were sharp, his yellow irises were bigger than human with black pupils, and his face had a beard that resembled wolf fur. He was the king of Lycans, Fenis¨²lfr.


    "Fenis¨²lfr, you shouldn''t be mocking others when you have become a lapdog of an outsider yourself," came a low seductive whisper from the other mirror. The mirrors were placed in a way that they could see the other mirror as well as Icitra, who was sitting on her throne.


    A low growl escaped Fenis¨²lfr''s mouth as he glared at the other mirror. "I''m no one''s lap dog! I''m his ally. And why is SHE here?!" He growled, looking back at the Dark elf queen.


    "I would like to ask you the same, Icitra," asked the person in the other mirror, flicking her white hair back. This was, of course, the Vampire Queen: Celeste. She was an ageless beauty, with pale skin and red eyes. Whenever she smiled, two sharp canines could be seen in between her red lips.


    Icitra sighed. She was very well aware of the unending feuds between Lycans and Vampires. The two races were like fire and water, always conflicting. They were already at war even when Voldemort started his takeover. But, seeing them still at odds even to this moment made her disappointed.


    "I had thought that getting your race conquered by an outsider would have made at least made you change, even by a little. But you two haven''t changed," she said with some frustration.


    But her words ended up offending the other two rulers.


    "The Vampires have not been conquered. We''ve simply changed our allies," proclaimed Celeste.


    "That''s right. The Lycans haven''t lost as well! Matter of fact, things are better now than they were in your rein. At least we don''t have to lose our people to monsters all the time."


    ''Sigh¡­'' things were not going as she had expected. It looks like these two don''t even want to rebel. But, she can''t really blame them. Netherworld is not really an easy world to live in. There are various monsters living in the wild. And these monsters constantly attack all the Kingdoms in hordes.


    And Voldemort had somehow allied/convinced/enslaved these monsters to march under him. Now when he offers the rulers of the various kingdoms, "be allied with me, the monsters won''t attack you anymore, or be destroyed," the choice is of course obvious.


    At this moment, Lily, who had been silent until now, spoke up, "Bullshit."


    ? 3x


    "You said something?" Asked Fenis¨²lfr, glaring at Lily.


    Lily raised her head fearlessly, "Yes I did. If you really think you''re his Ally, that''s bullshit. That person only takes followers, slaves, pawns¡­ pieces he''ll sacrifice in a heartbeat. So, you are not his allies."


    "How dare you?!" Snarked Fenis¨´lfr, crushing the armrest of his throne.


    On the other hand, the Vampire Queen was far more civilized.


    "Who are you?" She asked, studying Lily curiously. Her skin wasn''t pale enough to be a Vampire, neither did she have sharp teeth. Her ears were different from dark elves. This was, undoubtedly, a species she had never seen.


    Lily stepped forward.


    "I, am a Human. Just like Voldemort. I am what you call, an otherworlder. And the reason I said¡ª"


    "Halt!" interrupted the Lycan King. "Do you take us for fools? You have a nose!"


    "..."


    Lily was honestly at a loss for words for a moment.

 Chapter 74: Incoming Danger

    ¡ªNetherworld¡ª


    Conversation Continued


    "Halt!" interrupted the Lycan King. "Do you take us for fools? You have a nose!"


    "..." Lily was honestly at a loss for words for a moment. Voldemort, you noseless bastard, would it have killed you to upgrade your looks?


    Though Icitra wouldn''t stay quiet as well. "She speaks the truth. Lily Potter ne Evens is indeed an otherworlder who arrived from the same rift as Voldemort himself. I can personally vouch for her.


    The Vampire Queen giggled, "Not all otherworlders have to look alike, Fenis¨´lfr. I don''t remember having furry ears, and neither do I have a tail."


    "You¡ª" The Lycan King was about to respond, but Icitra interrupted him.


    "Rulers¡­ We have some important information to share. Could you leave your squabbling for later?" She asked irately, making the two Rulers actually stop talking. Turning to Lily, she said, "Continue."


    Lily nodded, "So, I was saying Voldemort is just using you guys as his pawns. His real goal has always been to use you as sacrificial pieces. He doesn''t care one bit about your lives. He''s just trying to conquer you all by dividing you!"


    Fenis¨´lfr wasn''t convinced, "Look, girl. I will not say I''m happy with losing my Race''s freedom to an outsider. In fact, there are a hell lot of things about him that make me want to crush his head.


    But¡­ we have also gotten some undeniable benefits after joining him. The monsters attacks have stopped, and these Bloody Vampires don''t bother us anymore."


    Previously, before they were attacked by Voldemort''s forces, the Lycans and Vampires were in a war with each other. They had wasted so much manpower that they had difficulty even protecting themselves from the ever-present monster attacks. But after they had surrendered to Voldemort, there were no more monster attacks and the war had also stopped, letting them recover and heal their wounds.


    "The Vampires had been attacking you?" Celeste smiled at Fenis¨´lfr, but this time, her smile looked dangerous. "Don''t make us out to be the villains now. You Lycans are the ones who started this war in the first place."


    Fenis¨´lfr also flared up. "You bloody liar! Who was the one whose minions killed our brethren for no reason?!"


    "I already said it, it was an accident. They didn''t mean to do it."


    "What a load of¡ª"


    "Guys...Guys!" Lily Potter waved her hands in the air appearing very weak in the presence of these powerhouses.


    "That''s what I''ve been talking about! None of you actually started it¡­..It was Voldemort!" She revealed, mystifying the two rulers.


    Lily took that opportunity to explain everything.


    "Don''t you see? Voldemort first sowed discord between your people. He was the one who killed the members of your races in the beginning. He made you all fight among yourselves, while he also increased the frequency of monster attacks.


    While the Lycans and Vampires, two of the most powerful species are locked in war, weakening each other, all the burden of handling the monster attacks falls on the Dark Elves, making them weak as well.


    Don''t you guys see? You guys have been trapped in Voldemort''s schemes long before he even revealed his existence!"


    The Vampire Queen and the Lycan King both went silent, with different expressions on their faces. Celeste didn''t seem surprised, only intrigued while the Fenis¨´lfr looked surprised. No matter what, these circumstances were too much in favor of Voldemort. And now that they thought about it, it all fit together.


    "Is this true?" Asked the Vampire Queen, looking serious for the first time. "If it is, then how did he make the members of our races attack each other? I checked them personally. There were no signs of mind altering magic on them."


    Lily sighed, "The magic you guys use is quite different from the magic we use in our world. Of course you wouldn''t find any traces. Did you know we could communicate like this? This is also something from our world."


    The Vampire Queen had no answer to that. This was indeed a very novel and convenient way of communication. And indeed, she couldn''t find out what kind of magic was used to make this.


    The Lycan King also figured it out.


    BOOM


    "That Snake!" He roared, banging his feet on the ground. If what the girl was saying was true then that bastard had indeed gotten them good. They had been dancing to his tune all this time while as he overtook most of the Netherworld. So many of them had died meaningless deaths while the bastard reaped all the benefits. This was so infuriating and humiliating at the same time that Fenis¨´lfr couldn''t control his outburst as his whole palace shook with his howl.


    Meanwhile, Celeste appeared much calmer in comparison, but her smile had gone and black veins were now visible on her pale white face, and her eyes had gone completely dark. She looked beautiful and terrifying at the same time. She had her doubts about this from the beginning when Voldemort had showed up, and she still had some doubts left, but it is almost certain now. Voldemort was the reason behind the deaths of so many of her brethren. Of course she was incensed.


    "Calm down, Fenis¨´lfr, Celeste. What''s done is done. We can''t change the past. But we can''t let the bastard continue to rule us. That''s why, we need to put our differences aside and join forces." Said Icitra.


    The Vampire Queen sighed, "What can we even do now? We''re under oath to him." Fenis¨´lfr growled at that.


    At this moment, Lily raised her hand once again. "There are ways around that. Our main priority right now is to gather our forces and monitor his movements. We want to know what he''s planning."


    Fenis¨´lfr shook his head, "I don''t know anything. Haven''t heard from the bastard for months."


    Celeste on the other hand, appeared solemn, "I''ve tried to send my spies to him. They haven''t found what he''s doing exactly, but one thing is for sure. He''s up to something, and whatever it is, he has had moderate success already."


    Lily paled. This is exactly what she was fearing. Whatever Voldemort was up to, it could only be related to one person: her daughter.


    ¡­..


    ¡ª HOGWARTS ¡ª


    The day after making the bet with Rose, Akiko and Axel stood in the clearing in the early morning. Today, Akiko was going to teach him seriously for the first time and Axel was looking forward to it.


    "So, we''re finally coming to Lightning Ninjutsu?" Asked Axel.


    Akiko nodded. "We are. But there''s a lot of other things I''m going to have to teach you as well," she said seriously. The Organisation was no joke. If they were going to take it down, she was going to have to teach Axel a lot more than just Lightning Ninjutsu.


    Axel nodded. "So, are you going to teach me the real use, or like the ones you used on me?"


    Akiko looked surprised for a moment, but then the corner of her lips lifted slightly. "Both."


    ''Now we''re talking,'' thought Axel. In their fights until now, Axel has been able to glean one thing for sure. Akiko is mostly specialized in Killing. Meaning most of the techniques and Jutsus she has learnt are meant for delivering a lethal blow to the opponent. So of course she mostly didn''t use them on Axel. But Axel was still able to tell that she could do more than what she just did.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Just take the Jutsu he had witnessed her doing on the very first day for example, It had destroyed the whole tree trunk quite easily. And of course, Akiko knew more Jutsus like that which she didn''t use. It''s like how wizards don''t use spells like unforgivables or Fiendfyre in normal duels.


    And Axel can''t have her hiding these types of Ninjutsu. He knows that he has many enemies out there. First, there''s the Organisation from Atlantis, and then there''s Voldemort and his army. So, there''s no way he would be satisfied with learning just the non-lethal and less destructive techniques she had shown him until now. That''s why, he was satisfied when she said she''d teach him Lethal Ninjutsus well.


    "Let''s begin then," he said eagerly.


    Akiko nodded.


    "I''m going to assume you don''t know anything and start with the basics of Ninjutsu. Ninjutsu consists of two components: shape manipulation and nature manipulation. Through nature manipulation, you summon the nature of magic you need to use. Then you use shape-manipulation to mold that magic into your desired Ninjutsu."


    Axel was a bit confused, "I thought you just had to do HandSeals to cast a Jutsu?"


    Akiko shook her head.


    "To cast a successful Jutsu, simply doing the HandSeals is not enough. You have to focus on the precise execution of Nature and Shape manipulation and hand seals to help you do that."


    ''Well, that makes sense,'' agreed Axel inwardly. If it was that easy then everyone would have learned to cast Jutsus easily.


    Akiko continued, "In a sense, Nature and Shape manipulation is even more important than Hand Seals. Because, if you perfectly grasp these two concepts, you will theoretically be able to cast Jutsus without having to do any hand seals."


    "Sounds good." Axel grinned as he imagined spamming lethal Jutsus one after another.


    Akiko clicked her tongue, "Don''t be so hopeful. If it was that easy, then no one in the world would have stood a chance against Ninjas. The most that ninjas can do is to shorten the number of Handseals. But direct casting without no hand seals is almost considered impossible."


    Axel shrugged, "One can always hope. Anyways, I can perfectly learn the HandSeals in one go. So I just need to quickly learn the shape and nature and manipulation, right?" He asked. With his perfect memory and dexterity, he could perfectly learn all the HandSeals in one go. So the only thing actually preventing him from casting Jutsus is this.


    But Akiko only shook her head, "It''s not something that can be learnt or taught instantly. I can only give you the key information and guide you through it, but you can only slowly learn Jutsus through a lot of practice."


    Axel frowned, "Why is that?"


    "Well, because it''s a complicated process. You can''t grasp the flow in one go without being able to see it yourself."


    Axel was just going to accept that fact, until he realized something. He smirked, "Yeah, I understand. It must be quite difficult, for most people."


    ''Unless they can actually see the process,'' he thought in his head.


    [Arcane Eyes]


    "Let''s begin then." He said, ready to observe the process.


    Akiko nodded, "Let''s start with the most basic one: Lighting Release: Lightning Bolt. It''s a simple Jutsu with which you can fire a bolt of lightning through the palm of your hand or through your fingers."


    "The hand seals are bear, ox, tiger, monkey, dragon¡­." She said, also showing the hand seals.


    "When you do the bear hand seal, you have to imagine the lightning nature magic coming into your body. When you feel it, you have to make sure to pass it through the Life gate. Life gate is¡­" she began to describe the entire process and Axel realized why Jutsus were secrets that couldn''t be copied just by learning the HandSeals and why it was difficult to learn them.


    "Well, this seems more difficult than magic," Axel commented after she was done.


    Akiko nodded. "It is. And they only get more complicated if you want to use this for other purposes. That''s why we are also taught wand magic. But, as far as combat magic is concerned, Ninjutsus are clearly superior. Once you get it down and master it, the power, damage, speed, everything can be higher."


    Axel thought about the Jutsus Akiko had used, especially the last one, in which her speed had increased exponentially. "Well, can''t argue with that. That Lightning technique which increased your speed was amazing."


    "The Ancient Forbidden Jutsu." Akiko winced upon remembering it. "That was only Half of the technique. The other half is supposed cover my body with a protective Armor of Lighting."


    "... Damn. That sounds dangerous."


    Akiko nodded, "Of course it is. But it''s quite dangerous to the caster as well that''s why it''s forbidden. In fact, no one is actually able to master it for a long time. The most someone has progressed in the last two centuries is me."


    2 centuries? Axel couldn''t understand it. "Why is that?" He asked.


    "Well, the control and lightning affinity needed for it is quite high. Plus, very few ninjas have even been able to access it, since it''s such a guarded technique."


    Axel swallowed his saliva, "You will teach it to me if I ask, right?"


    Akiko rolled her eyes, "How greedy are you? Learn the basics first. Dream later. It will take years before you even reach that level." She said as she made the first seal of Lightning Bolt Ninjutsu. "I''m going to perform the Jutsu. Watch closely."


    ''You bet your talent I''m going to watch this closely, girl.'' thought Axel as he increased the intensity of his [Arcane Eyes].


    Akiko slowly made the HandSeals as she cast the Jutsu for real this time, following the exact process that she had described. Sparks began to be generated at her fingertips.


    "Lightning Release: Lightning Bolt!" She chanted casually, as her hand launched a powerful Bolt of lightning, creating a burnt depression in the tree which she had aimed at.


    ZAP!


    "Now it''s your turn. Try with less intensity, and don''t expect much success on the first try¡ª" she was saying as she slowly turned her head towards Axel, only to see him¡ª


    Zap!


    Before she could do anything, Axel had already cast a similar Lightning Bolt right where she had. Though the power was admittedly quite lower, but it was definitely the same Lightning Jutsu that Akiko had cast moments ago.


    ?


    To say Akiko was shocked would be an understatement. How was Axel able to do it on his first try? Even she had taken at least a whole day before she was able to do something like that!


    ''Are you going to beat me at Ninjutsu as well?'' She thought blankly, looking at the tree where the Jutsu had impacted. She was feeling embarrassed for saying those words earlier. But¡­


    ''This is good.'' She thought, thinking about the organization. She had long stopped expecting any help from her grandfather. He was a powerful man, but a peaceful one. So, if she had to stand a chance against Kraken, she needed exactly someone like Axel.


    Axel is like an unpolished gem. He has lots of imperfections. In a life-or-death fight, there are ways he could be bested. But, that is to be expected from someone with no systematic combat training or experience. These are things that can only be forged when he receives professional training for a long time. And she could do that for him. And once she has removed his impurities, and once she has properly polished him, if the two of them join forces, her dark affinity and his Lightning... revenge wasn''t just a pipe dream for her.


    ¡­


    The training went on for a while before it was time for Axel go on and do his own training.


    "By the way, what did you do yesterday?" Asked Akiko as he was leaving.


    Axel raised his eyebrows, "Even you know about it?" He asked, but then shrugged helplessly. Of course she did. It would be weird if she didn''t.


    Because yesterday''s matter had, sadly, blown up, and now everyone knew that Rose Potter and Axel Hunt had made a bet in which the loser would do whatever the winner wanted. Of course, it was blown in the sense that everyone was trolling Axel for making such a stupid bet.


    With her spectacular performance last year that won the Gryffindor team the Inter-house Quidditch Cup, Rose Potter was already considered the best seeker at Hogwarts. And if that wasn''t enough, the videos of her previous matches and training had gone viral, leading to her getting good comments from some experts as well. And Axel, who was trying to compete with someone like Rose, was simply absurd to everyone. So, Axel was currently getting trolled all over the internet in various ways. There were memes, there were voting polls, and betting pools, all heavily in favor of Rose''s winning.


    "It''s really surprising how blind these people are. To treat a prodigy like you like this..." she said with some disdain.


    Axel rolled his eyes, "So what? I''ve always been treated unfairly, but it doesn''t affect me in the least anymore." Axel had long stopped expecting anything but the absolute worst from the people. So, it didn''t affect him in the least what others thought about him.


    But Akiko didn''t seem reconciled.


    "I don''t understand the system here. They judge students more based on their ability to tolerate cramming for written exams rather than their practical ability. There are no real rewards for being the best, no preferential treatment for the prodigies and hard-working students. The only rewards you get are some meaningless house points which, turns out, can get you absolutely nothing."


    Axel had to smile at that, "That judgment is surprisingly accurate."


    "You know, you should come to Mahoutokoro," Akiko proposed out of the blue, looking absolutely sincere about her offer.


    ?


    "You''d receive the best treatment there. Custom training, custom diet, and forbidden knowledge. I''ll make sure you get everything there. You have the potential to be the best ninja in the world, and no one here even recognizes that, let alone giving you any benefits."


    Axel thought about it and nodded solemnly, "Thanks for the offer. I''ll think about it." Honestly, he didn''t think it would be a good idea to leave. In the future, Hogwarts was going to be the center of all the activities. And he''d rather be in on the action than let the situation get worse in his absence. It is not just a matter of his treatment. The World can turn upside down if Voldemort is allowed to take over, and then he can say goodbye to good treatment in any part of the world. That''s why he''s hesitant to leave Hogwarts for other places.


    But, who knows what the future has in store for him? No one can tell where he might end up.


    Though if there''s really a bastard out there who can, that person better not make life more difficult for Axel than it already is, or Axel would have to consider breaking the walls to end whoever it is.


    Walking back into the Castle, as he passed by the Great Hall, Axel had to pause in order to look at the crowd that was gathering here. Students from both Hogwarts and Mahoutokoro were milling around the message board, talking excitedly about something.


    "Weird sisters at Hogwarts?!"


    "What are you going to wear? I''m considering to go for a Nundu."


    "I can''t think of anything yet."


    "Well, think fast! There''s not much time left."


    Getting closer to investigate, Axel found a poster on the board.


    HALLOWEEN COSTUME PARTY


    ALL STUDENTS INVITED


    Axel scoffed. A party? What a waste of time. As if he''ll be go there. His life is in danger here.

 Chapter 75: Jealous Daphne

    The next morning, in the Ravenclaw''s dorms, Daphne''s bedroom¡ª


    The morning sunshine fell on the few potted plants standing on the windowsill, pouring into a clean room containing a few more types of flora, lots of books, and some Quidditch posters.


    -Yawn-


    Daphne woke up, feeling her body sore all over. Axel had gone rather hard on her last night, not even letting her take any breaks. All she could do was grit her teeth and bear it, holding in her moans until they were finished.


    ''If he doesn''t take responsibility now, I swear I''ll commit suicide,'' she thought, thinking of his promise.


    Really, if he doesn''t fulfill her one wish after making her train so hard, she would feel really unreconciled.


    Just as she was considering stealing a few more minutes of sleep, her Magi-mirror suddenly rang, making her sigh as she tried to find it.


    "Astoria?"


    Since it was just her sister, Daphne picked up the call without bothering to fix her groggy appearance. Astoria''s cute face popped up, holding the Magi-mirror too close to her face.


    "Hey Tory, what''s¡ª" began Daphne casually but her sister''s frantic voice cut her off.


    "Daphi! What the hell is happening at Hogwarts?!"


    Daphne yawned, "What is it?"


    "The forums, the internet, everyone is bad mouthing brother Axel."


    Daphne sighed, "Oh, that¡­" It has reached so far? This was indeed troubling.


    "Yes that! It is sooo infuriating! It''s so unfair! Rose has been playing Quidditch for so long and big brother Axel hasn''t even played it. Why is it so unfair to big brother Axel?"


    Daphne chuckled at Astoria''s anxious ramblings, "Tory, let me tell you one thing," she said, making the blabbering girl pause.


    "What?!"


    Daphne lazily plopped her head back into the pillows. "That guy, there''s no way in hell he''s losing this," she said with surety. Daphne didn''t know why she was so sure herself. She had never seen Axel play. But, after getting surprised by his specialties again and again, Daphne had developed this strong confidence in Axel that now she''s not worried about him losing at all.


    "That guy won''t lose unless he wants to. So, don''t worry your little head over it." she said to Astoria. "Now tell me how my plants are doing. Are you properly taking care of them?"


    Astoria pouted, "I am, but is it necessary? I''m already healed, so why can''t we just have the house elves take care of it?"


    Daphne put away her smile as she brought her face closer to the screen.


    "Astoria, you''re a Greengrass. Nature is a part of your being. There''s a reason why you''re illness used to be stable when surrounded in greenery."


    Astoria rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah, Whatever," she said sullenly.


    "Anyways, what are your plans for Halloween?" Asked Daphne with a smile, knowing exactly what would cheer up her sister. Halloween was coming up and her sister really liked cosplaying.


    And her words had the desired effect since Astoria''s face lit up on that, "Of course! I''ll be going to a party with mom! You want to see my costume?"


    "Of course." Daphne smiled.


    Astoria began enthusiastically showing off her costume. "See? This time the party is going to be so fun! Too bad you''re not going to be able to come," said Astoria teasingly.


    Daphne grinned mischievously at that, "Well, guess what? This time, Hogwarts is also going to step up its Halloween celebration."


    Astoria''s eyes widened, "You''re kidding!"


    Daphne let out an evil chuckle.


    "Hah, guess you were too focused on Axel to read the other news, Lil'' Tory. Instead of the usual feast, there''s going to be a Costume Party this time. Too bad you can''t be there."


    "What?! Nooooo!" Astoria screamed. "Why was I not born a year earlier?!" Astoria screamed.


    And laughing with satisfaction, Daphne triumphantly cut the call.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Sigh, what am I going to do next year?" Muttered Daphne, knowing that her sister would be here next year. That girl would not leave her side even for a minute, so how is she supposed to spend time with Axel at that time?


    ''Well, let''s worry about the current problems first,'' She thought as she checked the Magi-hive for news related to the Rose-Axel fiasco. And soon, a frown slowly marred her face.


    Nope, she wasn''t worried about people talking bad about Axel. She knew that guy couldn''t care less about these things. What she was worried about was a completely opposite kind of problem.


    After this incident, Axel, who had always kept a low profile was once again pushed to the spotlight. His pictures and videos were being circulated on various platforms, and¡­ it was starting to attract the wrong sort of attention.


    Daphne read some of the comments.


    ["So what even if he loses? At least he has the balls to face someone on pro level! I''m with Axel!"]


    ["Yeah, I like his attitude. So what if it''s the girl who lived? He doesn''t simp for her like others."]


    ["Axel, please challenge me as well! I''ll lose and do anything you want!"]


    Daphne: "..."


    How to say it? Axel''s appearance was quite eye-catching. Usually, Axel has this effect that makes people not focus much on him or his appearance whenever someone is in his presence. But too bad, that mysterious effect doesn''t seem to work when his picture is seen through the screen instead of seeing it in person.


    With his sharp and handsome features, accentuated with the light scars and the smooth and silky raven hair stylishly messed up, he gives off this bad boy charm that can hardly be ignored. So now, many girls are coming out to defend him, saying it needs balls for someone to challenge the Girl-who-lived herself without any fear.


    But, that wasn''t enough. Daphne rubbed her face in exasperation as she read some other threads which were very popular right now.


    [AXOSE SHIP]


    [Rose x Axel]


    These kinds of posts were everywhere! Upon opening one of them, some infuriating shit popped up.


    [Now that I look at it from another perspective, isn''t this like a scene from a romantic story? Rose calls out Axel due to jealousy when she sees him with other girls and they make a bet in which the loser will have to do whatever the winner wants.]


    [Yes! I thought I was the only one who saw it that way. I''m shipping them so hard!]


    [They both secretly like each other but are very resistant to admit it. I simply love this love-hate relation!]


    Yep, this was the most infuriating thing of all to Daphne. Many people, who apparently had too much time on their hands, had begun to ship Axel and Rose, making Daphne want to say a few choice words to them. Why is it their business who pairs up with whom? And how the hell did they see this kind of scenario as something remotely romantic?! Axel and Rose clearly hate each other!


    Daphne threw her phone away in annoyance.


    "F#?& ?&#$¡é¡é $$#? &¡Ì¡Á¡Ì?! It''s not like that at all! Are these people blind? They clearly hate each other! There''s nothing like that between them!" She exclaimed in vexation. Her annoyance was immeasurable and her day was ruined. She''ll need some of Axel''s presence to wash this off. So, she was now looking forward to their next training meeting, and dreading it at the same time.


    ¡­.


    Somewhere inside Hogwarts, in a heavily warded room, a small diary remained opened on a desk, showing words from time to time.


    The room was filled with different types of bizzare ingredients, and drawn with different kinds of symbols. There were also cages, big and small, with various creatures locked inside them..


    "You think this is necessary? It could be dangerous" A person said, looking into the screen of the Magi-mirror held in their hand. In the screen, the image of a masked man in a dark cloak could be seen.


    "It is. And you should do what you''re told. You''ve already angered the dark lord the death of the Basilisk," replied the masked man, dark energy swirling around him.


    The person became a bit annoyed, "You are not the one to talk, after getting your headquarters raided single-handedly by just one guy. And you''ve still got nothing on him. So, don''t tell me about what and what not to do. The task I''ve been given is too Insane."


    The dark magic around the masked man flared again. "The guy who raided us... I''ll find him one day. And as for giving you orders...well, these are Dark Lord''s orders, not mine."


    "But¡ª" the person tried to protest, but the diary glowed at this moment and the person stopped protesting.


    "Do you have enough sacrifices?" Asked the masked man.


    The person glanced at the stacked cages in the room, "I do."


    "Good. Keep trying."


    ¡­


    ¡ªTime skip Halloween¡ª


    Just like this the days at Hogwarts passed. Axel trained daily with Akiko and the real training making him have some deep realizations. Not only for his attitude towards training, but towards life in general. And during this time, he continued to train Daphne as well, making her have some rather noticable improvements. Just like that, 31st October arrived.


    It was a day that everyone had been looking for. Because with all the attention that was focused on Hogwarts, it had been decided that Hogwarts would host a Halloween Costume Party to celebrate it and make this event more exciting.


    But surprisingly, the excitement for tomorrow was also not small as well. 1st of November, the day after Halloween. Because, tomorrow is the highly awaited Gryffindor vs Slytherin match!


    The match has been so hyped up that they have had to expand the Quidditch stadium, in order to accommodate the growing number of people who were now going to come to Hogwarts to see the match. The security had been doubled, with Aurors and Ninja corps both being deployed.


    So with these events about to be held, Hogwarts was currently abuzz with activity.


    "What are you going to be wearing for the costume party tonight?" Asked Daphne after they had finished training.


    Axel shrugged, "Not going."


    Daphne frowned, "Why not? It''s going to be fun!"


    "I don''t have time. Besides, I don''t like parties."


    Axel really didn''t. He had only been to one party in his life, and it was thrown by the rich muggle boy he had beaten. In his mind, a party is a place where rich assholes gather.


    "Oh, come on! You have to come! I want to see you in a costume!" Daphne protested. She imagined seeing Axel wearing a pair of cute cat ears and blushed.


    Axel rolled his eyes, "Not happening. Don''t even think about it."


    Daphne blinked her eyes cutely at Axel, "Pleeaaase?"


    Axel frowned, "Don''t do that."


    "Please?"


    "I said, don''t do that."


    "Please?"


    Axel gritted his teeth, "Fine. But no stupid costume," There were two reasons he agreed, none of which were because he couldn''t deny her. Absou-fucking-lutely not! He was still a Sigma!


    "Done!" Daphne jumped in joy. She knew better than to push her luck. Costumes weren''t compulsory. If you don''t want to put on a costume, you could just put on a mask.

 Chapter 76: Halloween

    ''Why is it taking so long?'' Thought Axel as he stood in front of the Ravenclaw Tower. Wearing a formal suit he had bought on his shopping spree this summer, he was currently waiting for Daphne, who was taking too much time to come and he was now getting impatient. Every time, the door would open and instead of Daphne someone else would step out, increasing his annoyance.


    "Sigh¡­"


    Axel thought back to why he was doing this. If you look at the situation, it could easily be seen that he has no reason to go to the party. In fact, there are a lot of ways he could be putting his time to better use right now. But still, here he was, wasting his time on this silly event. Why?


    It was certainly not just because of Daphne''s spoiled behaviour. Well, maybe that played a part, but it was more due to the realizations he has had lately.


    The first thing he realized is, it''s actually quite easy to kill someone. And of course, that means it''s equally easy to get killed as well. He has learnt that in his training with Akiko, who is really going all out in teaching him.


    And, if it is so easy for him to die, he thought, ''Would I be reconciled if I just die just like that?'' ''Has my life so far been worth it?'' ''Have I lived enough?''


    And that''s when he realized ¡ª Living enough? What a joke. He hasn''t lived at all!


    For as long as he could remember, things have always been difficult for him. They were difficult when he was at the orphanage, they were difficult when he was at the muggle School, and they are difficult now, with the new enemies popping up. But he has always been a fighter. He wouldn''t stay satisfied with the lousy cards that life had offered to him. And so, he fought¡­.he struggled¡­.and he worked hard, to climb higher in life and not settle with the sorry excuse he had gotten for a life.


    And so, for as long as he can remember, Axel has never been able to stop for a moment, and live. At all. To the point that he even has forgotten the worth of his life. What''s a life in which he has to keep working hard every single day until you either defeat all of the growing list of enemies, or die trying?


    His future was getting bleaker and bleaker. Before getting tortured, he had been living a much simpler life. He had a goal to open a simple business, get rich, and enjoy life. And it was a very easy and reachable goal, one he could achieve with little effort and with little risk. He had high hopes.


    But now? He first has to deal with the organization, and if he survives, there''s still Voldemort and his army¡­


    Is this still a life he would endure inhumane torture for? Is this still the life he would give his all to protect in an extremely desperate situation, just like he did it the last time when he was under the Crutiatus? He was afraid that he might not.


    That''s why, he has decided to take a little break. To have a little taste of what could be a better life, to find out things that he would enjoy doing, to have some things to look forward to. So that when he gets back to work again, he would know exactly what was at stake.


    But of course, the break would be short. He doesn''t have the luxury to have a bigger one.


    And that is how, he is finding himself here today, standing in front of the Ravenclaw Tower to wait for Daphne. He hadn''t thought of wasting his break for this, But, Daphne had been very¡­ persuasive. Anyways, if there''s someone who can endure his rigid attitude and get him to have even a modicum of ''fun'', it would be that girl.


    As he waited, the entrance opened once again, but this time, rather than students, no one came out. The doors just opened and closed. And once again, Axel smelt a familiar aroma move past him.


    "Martina," he murmured in realization.


    There was a sound of someone tripping, or almost tripping before Martina''s voice sounded. "Axel!"


    ''Oh,'' Axel had somewhat forgotten about it, but he had lowered his presence a little until now, in order to not draw attention. Looks like he just now scared the girl, again.


    Martina made herself visible, looking stunning in her Halloween Costume.


    "Why are you sneaking around?" Asked Axel.


    Martina shrugged helplessly. "The costume was attracting too much attention, and I didn''t want to be surrounded," she said, looking back at the common room entrance.


    Axel looked at her outfit. She had on a red vest, a red coat, and black spandex with red lining. Her feet were covered with black boots, and her hands had fingerless black gloves with red details.


    "What costume is that?"


    Martina looked at herself. "Oh, I''m Scarlet Witch. It''s a muggle comic book character.''


    Axel was still scrutinizing her costume, "It doesn''t look ordinary," he commented, activating Arcane Eyes. It was filled with runes and magic.


    Martina''s eyes lit up in pleasant surprise, "You can tell? Of course it''s not ordinary," she said, coming closer to whisper to him. "I used some of the Basilisk materials to make this. It''s just a prototype, and I''m still experimenting, but let me tell you, this is amazing! I''ve made one for you as well. It''s almost complete."


    Axel nodded, extremely interested, "What are its features?"


    It looked like Christmas had come early for Martina, being able to talk with someone about it, "Oh you won''t believe it," she said excitedly, a privacy charm settling around them even as she spoke, "Since Basilisk Skin has very high resistance to magic, I''ve been able to salvage some of that property using runes! Really effective against dark magic. And then I can change it to any costume I want¡ª"Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Martina was still talking when the door to the common room opened yet again, and this time, Daphne finally stepped out, taking away Axel''s focus.


    Daphne was wearing an off-shoulder royal blue gown that fit her body perfectly till knees, after which it flared out to resemble the tail of a mermaid. Her cheeks had light traces of blue scale patterns complementing her features and she had matching earrings to go along with it. Her hands were wrapped in blue gloves that reached above her elbows and click-clack sounds reverberated from her heel hidden under her dress. It didn''t take a genius to figure out that she was a mermaid tonight.


    "..."


    Axel didn''t properly register Martina''s words since he looked at Daphne with perplexity. He didn''t know why, but looking at her gave him a feeling of naturality.


    Daphne had brightened up as soon as she had seen Axel waiting for her. As he had promised, Axel was not wearing any costume, but he did put on a brand new trending suit, looking extremely dashing. But, her expression dimmed when she saw who he was talking to. She looked at Martina and then herself, and couldn''t help feeling insecure, making her steps falter. She gripped her dress and looked down as she tried to walk steadily in her high high heels but at this moment, a hand gripped her glow-covered wrist, stabilizing her.


    "I think we''ll need to train your balance next," chided Axel as he helped her walk. "Or I''ll be embarrassed to call myself your teacher."


    Daphne felt so overwhelmed that she felt like passing out.


    "Thanks... Um, you look great,"


    Her makeup did its best to hide the blush that had spread on her cheeks, and she felt a scorching feel in her wrist where his hand was gripping hers, even through the glove.


    ''Wish I wasn''t wearing those gloves,'' an idle thought popped into her mind.


    Axel shrugged, "You too. But why put so much effort? We''re late now."


    Daphne smiled brightly, "Because, I wanted to."


    "Wait." She then rummaged through her satchel and produced a masquerade mask with would cover half of his face. "Here. Wear this. Fewer people will recognize you," she said, giving it to him.


    "Oh, thanks." Axel gratefully put on the mask. With the match tomorrow, many people would likely come to bother him. It''s very thoughtful of Daphne to bring a mask.


    But Daphne breathed a sigh of relief. With how handsome Axel was looking, she was afraid he would attract too many vixens tonight. It would be better if he had his face covered all the time.


    Axel glanced back at Martina, "Let''s go."


    Martina looked at Daphne''s unwelcoming look and shook her head with a forced smile. "I still had a few matters to attend to. You two go first."


    Daphne smiled, "Alright, we''ll be leaving first then," she said, dragging Axel along.


    Looking at the backs of Axel''s and Daphne leaving together in perfect harmony, Martina somehow felt very lonely.


    "I was still not finished about the suit..." she murmured to herself.


    ¡­.


    Like always, Hogwarts was really digging the Halloween theme. The Great Hall had undergone a total remodeling. The four long tables were replaced by smaller round tables, and the whole place had been festooned with confectionery-filled pumpkins, apples, black cauldrons of big lollipops, carrot cake, bats, orange streamers, goblets of coloured sweets, Pumpkin juice, and all sorts of Hallowe''en-related decorations.


    The student population had gone bonkers over preparing their costumes for this event. Although it had already been said that students can prepare their own costumes using their magic or get others to do it for them, but of course, all of them only wanted the best costumes. Some of the students got their families to send them costumes while the others ordered online.


    As a result, owl posts had been arriving non-stop at Hogwarts, making it a giant owlery.


    "Looks like the party''s started," said Susan Bones, who was wearing a pink pixy dress, with two delicate little wings attached which were fluttering on their own. Her costume was matching with Hannah, who was wearing a Fairy costume, with insect wings fluttering behind her.


    "This is awesome!" Said Neville in a weird-looking plant outfit, looking around at the great hall. And indeed, the party was awesome.


    Usually, the great hall is always illuminated very brightly with the numerous candles that are always floating under the enchanted ceiling. But tonight, the number of candles had been reduced to provide just enough light for everyone to see but also properly bring out the effect of the pumpkin lamps that were also floating around. Music suitable for Halloween played in the background, and sweets of all kinds could be seen everywhere. What was most eye-catching were the students who were wearing all sorts of costumes from scary ones to funny ones.


    "Yeah, it IS Awesome." Said Rose, agreeing with Neville. "But Neville, what the hell are you wearing?"


    "What? You can''t tell? It''s Mimbulus membletonia," said Neville defensively as he looked down at his own bulbous outfit.


    "I could tell," said Hermione, "But I can''t tell what your costume is, Rose. It''s so cute!"


    Rose looked down at her own costume. It was a beautiful dress and she had a pair of rabbit ears on her head which twitched from time to time. Rose was surprised, "You don''t know? Oh, of course you wouldn''t. I''m Babbitty Rabbitty. It''s from a wizard fairy tale."


    "Oh! Wizards also have fairy tales?! How have I not read them?" Exclaimed Hermione in worry, looking as she was about to rush to the Library right now.


    Hermione herself had opted for a hag costume. With a dark cloak, messy hair, an elongated nose, and necklace of small skulls with glowing eyes, she definitely looked like... how she always looked.


    Susan rolled her eyes, "Relax Hermione. They won''t be coming in exams tomorrow," she joked.


    "Now let''s get moving. We have to show off our costumes! Who knows? Maybe one of us might win the Prize!" She said, dragging everyone in.


    The group made their way into the Great Hall, looking around at everyone''s costume. It looked like everyone had gone all out. And why wouldn''t they? The event was being broadcasted and there was also a best costume contest as well.


    While they were looking around, a loud party horn suddenly blared up right behind them, making them all jump. It was Fred and George, dressed as clowns.


    "Hey Fred, it would seem that our Dark Lady has put on a disguise tonight," said George with narrowed eyes.


    "Yes Georgie, and out of everything, she chooses to be the innocent Babbitty Rabbitty." Said Fred in surprise.


    "I say it is a ploy, to make the enemy lower their guard."


    "So that we can destroy them in the war which is tomorrow."


    Rose was not impressed by the twins'' antics. Not when there were already rumors about her being evil.


    "I''m a dark lady in disguise? Alright, but I see that you two are still clowns."


    The twins were amused. "That we are," said Fred, or was it George?


    "We have always been," said the other.


    "But tonight, we have the excuse¡ª"


    "To do the things which we have been wanting to do," they finished as they high-fived.


    At this moment, a few people started looking and pointing at the entrance, making the group also pay attention.


    "Hunt." Rose''s teeth clenched at the sight of the masked guy walking in with Daphne. She had read the news, of course. So she knew what people were saying about herself and Axel being secretly in love with each other, and it vexed her to no end. ''ROXEL?! Are you fucking kidding me?!''


    "Oh, this is Axel?" Asked the twins together. Then they grinned as they exchanged a glance. "Enemy spotted."


    "Fred?"


    "Yes George?"


    "I know what we''re doing today."


    "Wait what?" Rose had a bad feeling about this. Really bad.

 Chapter 77: Special Mission

    In the dim lighting, the Great Hall, decorated with various Halloween decorations, coupled with the music blaring in the background, looked completely different from its usual magnificence.


    At one side, a huge buffet was arranged on a table, with all sorts of Halloween themed dishes, and on the other, a stage was built with posters of seven weird people and various musical instruments installed.


    Walking in with Daphne, Axel looked around the great hall. People were wearing all sorts of bizarre costumes, most of which he couldn''t even recognise. They were talking, dancing, laughing, eating, scaring each other, or pulling pranks.


    "We''re on time. Look, it''s the Weird Sisters!" Exclaimed Daphne, pointing at the Stage where the music was coming from.


    And indeed, currently, everyone''s attention had shifted towards the stage where seven witches appeared. They were also in Halloween getup, looking like zombies.


    "Who are they?" Asked Axel as a commotion started as soon as they appeared on the stage.


    Daphne was not surprised that Hermit Axel didn''t know about it. "They''re the most popular musical band! They are going to do a concert here tonight!" She explained, dragging him along with the crowd.


    "Are they a big deal?"


    "Big deal? They have fans all over the world. Look around! Everyone is here for them!" Said Daphne, and indeed a huge crowd was now gathering in front of the stage as the students cheered and yelled.


    "Let''s go, we have to get to the front spot!" Exclaimed Daphne, dragging him into the crowd.


    The concert started soon, and the crowd went wild, screaming and dancing along with the music. Standing in between the crowd of people, Axel looked at Daphne, who was vibing along with the music, and Daphne also looked at him.


    "!" Daphne shouted something which he couldn''t hear.


    "Can''t hear you!" Axel yelled back.


    Daphne just grabbed his hand and raised it into the air, making the both of them to move to the beats of music. It was a weird experience, moving along the rhythm in a crowd of people who are all screaming, dancing and jumping like crazy. But it was not unpleasant.


    After a while, they exited the crowd to take a break with the concert still going on in the background.


    "Wasn''t it great?! You were going to miss all this," said Daphne, leaning closer to be heard over the music.


    ''Was it?'' Wondered Axel. He didn''t know. But it was definitely unsafe. It''s quite easy to be attacked in such a crowd.


    Daphne rolled her eyes at him, "Don''t give me that look. For once, I''m going to have you live a little," she said as she dragged him towards the stalls.


    ? ''What look?'' Wondered Axel. He was sure he hadn''t done anything.


    Daphne picked up two servings of what looked like eyeballs stuck with a toothpick. "Here, try this," she said, picking up one by the toothpick and offering it to his mouth.


    "Whose eyeballs are these?" Asked Axel, craning his neck away from the thing.


    Chuckling softly, Daphne ate the other eyeball to show him. "It''s not an eyeball, it''s a marshmallow!" She exclaimed.


    Axel frowned, looking at the eyeball, "How could you tell?"


    Daphne shook her head, "That''s the thing. You don''t find out until you eat it," she said, taking a bite out of a finger dripping with blood next.


    "Oh, fries with ketchup. Nice!"


    Axel sighed. Daphne had already taken his permission to skip the diet for tonight. And since Axel had decided to take a break tonight, he had decided to just go along with whatever for once. But, looking at her eating away freely, he was still getting second hand diabetes. "This is going to mess up all the dieting you''ve done," he couldn''t help but say.


    Eating another bloody finger, Daphne looked down at herself. "Oh fuck it, my tummy has never been so flat before. It deserves a reward!" she said, patting her belly which had indeed flattened after Axel''s intense training, not that it was fat before. "Now, remember you''re on break. So open up¡ª" she said, still holding out the eyeball to mouth.


    Axel sighed and finally took a bite. It was the first time he was eating something other than his diet in a while. And he has to accept, it was fucking delicious.


    "You''re aware you''re going to have to train double after this, right?" He asked Daphne who was grinning like a Cheshire cat after feeding him.


    Daphne sighed blissfully, "I leave that to my future self. But this... this is worth it."


    Daphne''s smile seemed infectious, as a small smile slowly came to Axel''s face as well. "Well, I guess I''ll let go for tonight as well."


    They started to try different types of foods one after another. Witch''s Brew, Blood Splatter Cookie Platter, Treats not Tricks, Mummy Hot Dogs, Graveyard Parfait, things like that.


    "Axel, you''re here!" While they were still eating, someone called Axel. Axel and Daphne turned to see Patricia walking towards them. She was dressed as an Amazoness Tonight, wearing a revealing warrior outfit which was turning a lot of heads.


    Daphne''s smile stiffened as soon as she saw the older girl. "How vulgar," she muttered to herself. Though Daphne knew that it was only her jealousy speaking.


    Patricia seemed to have heard that as she smiled at Daphne, not at all bothered. "This is a Princess Diana costume. It''s quite normal in wizarding Brazil. Please don''t disrespect our culture."


    "..." Daphne had nothing to say to that, only cursing the fact that she was only 12, and there were some things she couldn''t have right now.


    Patricia then turned to Axel, "Axel, tomorrow''s our match¡­"


    "Yeah? So what?"


    "¡­" Patricia didn''t know what to do with this guy. She was dying with trepidation right now just thinking about the millions of ways they could lose tomorrow''s match, and the person she had pinned all her hopes on is so nonchalant about the whole thing, making her question her decision yet again.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Patricia sighed, "The team I have this time is the worst team House Slytherin has ever had. The remaining good players I had recruited have left because I couldn''t explain why our seeker doesn''t come to practice even though he''s never played Quidditch before. So we''re left with a bunch of noobs for tomorrow''s match." she said, her calm facade slipping.


    "So?" Asked Axel, as if he couldn''t understand where the problem was.


    "You¡ª" Patricia took in a deep breath, trying not to snap at the guy. He was her only hope now, and she can''t afford to have him leaving the team as well.


    "So, I''m wondering what we are supposed to do tomorrow. And should I worry about the match or the aftermath after we lose to Gryffindor under my terrible leadership," she said, barely keeping her composure.


    Axel smiled, satisfied to see that she had stopped her threats now. Yep, he was just testing her. "Listen Captain, the only thing you need to worry about," he said in a relaxed tone, "Is to decide the point margin you want to win with. Leave the rest to me."


    "Oh, overconfident much?" Said someone, as a ball was thrown at Axel at high speed from behind.


    "?"


    Since Daphne was standing right in front of him, Axel didn''t dodge the ball, and it was too late for using magic. So, he could only deflect it.


    ¡ªPlop¡ª


    But unexpectedly, the ball exploded on contact, spraying golden and scarlet color all around. Daphne was saved since she was shielded by Axel, but Axel and Patricia had gotten paint splatter on their outfits, drawing a lot of attention.


    !


    Witnessing such a scene, gasps were accompanied by sounds of camera flashes, and many people had begun filming it on their Magi-mirrors. Yep, people weren''t going to miss this opportunity.


    *Honk* *Honk*


    "HAPPY HALLOWEEN!" Exclaimed the culprits, the Weasley Twins together after blowing the party horns, and many people laughed along with them, finding this funny. People are like this. They find these things funny as long as it doesn''t happen to them.


    ''Don''t kill them, don''t Kill them, don''t kill them, ok may be later, but not now.''


    Axel slowly removed his mask and shook off its paint as he casually looked at the culprits.


    "Scourgify," he muttered, taking out his wand removing the paint off himself, and from the still stunned Patricia. The paint came off, but the stains were still there.


    *Crack* *crackle* Axel''s knuckles cracked as he clenched them into fists. He wasn''t angry, no. He had received far worse treatment than this multiple times back when he was on the streets. So of course just a bit of paint wasn''t going to phase him. But¡­


    ''Retaliation is a must,''


    That''s right, he has to dish out multiple times what he received just now. Because,


    First of all, that suit was expensive.


    Second, the paint was Scarlet and gold, meaning they were clearly sending a message here. This is not a simple prank, but a humiliating attack. And if he didn''t retaliate appropriately, it''ll send out the wrong message.


    Third, no matter if he was still very weak to defeat some of the enemies he would have to face in the future, he was still not weak enough to have to take this kind of treatment from a couple of clowns. As the person with power, he should be the bully, not the other way around. Otherwise, all this power is useless.


    Just as Axel was going to take action, a system notification flashed in front of his eyes.


    [Special Quest: School in Danger]


    [An extremely dangerous creature has been summoned into Hogwarts, and it''s currently making its way down here. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to prevent it from reaching here, or it could result in extreme consequences.]


    [Rewards:


    -Special Skill: Barrier


    -Limited Information on Atlantis.]


    ''System! What the fuck?! Give me more details. What kind of creature are we dealing with? What''s its danger categorisation?''


    !


    The information came, and Axel eyes got stuck on the system interface, ignoring the clowns completely. He can also deal with them in the match tomorrow and the mission right now...


    ''Fuck¡­'' Isn''t this... too fucking difficult?!


    Axel was occupied, but nothing was holding back Patricia. "Fred and George Weasley! I challenge the two of you to an Honor Duel right now! The duel doesn''t end until one side is completely unconscious!" she exclaimed drawing her wand and pointing it at them.


    Meanwhile, Daphne dragged Axel away from the commotion, fearing he might murder someone. "A-are you alright?! You''re not hurt, are you?" She asked anxiously.


    With all his attention on the mission, Axel snorted, knowing that his break was over. "I''m fine. But I need to leave. Now," he said, looking around for someone.


    ''So much for fun,'' he thought.


    "What?! But we were just getting started! There''s so much to do¡ª"


    Axel grabbed Daphne''s shoulders and looked into her eyes in all seriousness. "Daphne, I need to leave. Now."


    Daphne found herself unable to deny his words. But, she didn''t want it to end yet. This had been turning out to be the best night of her life.


    "Ah¡­alright, then let''s go toge¡ª"


    "No! You''re staying here! And don''t you dare leave this place until I come back! Find a professor and stay close to them."


    "... Alright," said Daphne in resignation. Daphne didn''t know what was happening, but she could tell that Axel meant business right now. So, she went along with his demands. But that didn''t mean she wasn''t crestfallen right now. "I''ll do whatever you ask, but please don''t do something that''ll get you into trouble," she said despondently.


    "Don''t worry." Axel nodded in relief as he turned to leave. He was really glad she understood the severity of the situation. "And Daphne," he paused.


    "Yes?"


    Axel scratched his head as he looked away. "Thanks for tonight. I¡­ I think I had fun," he said, looking back at her.


    *Ba-dump* *Ba-dump* Ba-dump*


    Daphne was stunned as an unbelievable feeling rushed through her. "I¡ª" she began, but Axel was already off, disappearing into the crowd. It was definitely good that he had, because Daphne''s mental faculties were no longer working properly and she would probably have made a fool of herself if he had stayed.


    ¡­


    Axel didn''t directly go to the fight. He first had something else to do.


    "Martina."


    Axel quickly found Martina even in the crowd. She was sitting together with Luna, away from all the commotion, literally on the opposite end of the great hall.


    "Oh, Axel? Do you know what the commotion there is about?" She asked, pointing at the crowd that was gathering on the other side.


    "Hello Axel, you seem to be in trouble," greeted Luna casually with her usual half closed eyes. She was in a bizarre outfit tonight, with a crumpled horn on her head.


    "Hi Luna," Axel didn''t have time to chat with the girl so he went to business.


    "Martina, you said the combat suit you made for me was almost ready, do you have it on you right now?" He asked urgently.


    That''s the reason why he''s here. The information about the creature provided by the system is too overwhelming, and he was going to be needing more than just the clothes on his back for his safety.


    Now, normally one wouldn''t carry such stuff on them all the time, but Martina was different. The small hand bag which she kept on her person all the time is phenomenal. She has a research lab in there and also has enough space to put a giant Basilisk inside.


    And sure enough, Martina nodded her head, "Yeah, it''s here. But why are you asking for it right now?"


    "Because I need it right now! Things are turning out like last Halloween," said Axel, trying to make her understand that he was not fucking around.


    And his words had the desired effect, as Martina was instantly alarmed as she stood up from her seat. "Again?! But isn''t the Basilisk already¡ª "


    "It''s not a Basilisk! It''s something more dangerous! Now, give me the suit. Quick! It''s coming this way." Said Axel, cutting her off.


    All the nonsense was instantly gone as she brought out a combat suit made out of black leather. "I''m also coming," she said, taking out her staff as her costume turned purple and black, shifting into combat mode.


    Axel shrugged, "With the current situation, I could definitely use a hand," he said, turning to leave.


    "How about one more?" Came a voice, and Axel saw Akiko appear behind them. Akiko was in a fox spirit costume tonight, with two fox ears on her head and a tail on her back. She had been listening in to the conversation.


    Axel grinned. "I was counting on it. Let''s go."


    The three of them made their way out of the hall and they could finally converse freely. Martina looked at Axel and asked exactly what he had asked the system.


    "Axel, do you know what creature it is? And how dangerous is it? Could it actually be five X-es?"


    "Five X-es?" Axel had a grim expression on his face as he recalled the system''s information. "Its danger categorisation¡­ let''s just say that 5 isn''t enough to cut it."


    Yep, that was the thing. This thing was so dangerous that XXXXX was not enough to describe it. That''s why Axel was so serious right now. He didn''t think he was powerful enough to deal with it without any help.


    ''But¡­if it''s with these two¡­'' Axel looked at Martina and Akiko on either side of him. The most broken students of Hogwarts and Mahoutokoro. Their power level at their age was not something that could be understood with common sense.


    If the three of them join forces¡­


    ''Ain''t no way we could lose right?''

 Chapter 78: A Creature above XXXXX catergory

    "What did you say?! Above XXXXX?!" Exclaimed Martina as the three of them stood in a quiet corridor outside the great hall.


    "Unfortunately yes. It''s a very powerful dark creature," confirmed Axel.


    Akiko nodded grimly. "That would explain it," she said in realization.


    "Explain what?" Asked Axel quickly. If Akiko could explain this, it would save him the trouble of explaining this by himself.


    The genius-nin glanced at Martina with hesitation. Axel waved his hand, "She''s fine," he said, vouching for Martina.


    Those words might not mean much if someone else said it, but coming from someone who had made her sign a secrecy contract just to keep his secrets, Akiko knew that Martina could be trusted, at least in this urgent situation.


    She nodded, as she decided to go with it.


    "Alright, I''m very sensitive to yin or darkness magic. And just a few moments ago, I suddenly felt a terrible disturbance in the yin element that almost made me pass out." she explained. It''s the reason why she came to find Axel in the first place. Her Grandfather is not here and there''s no one else she could trust about her Yin affinity secret.


    "I''ve never sensed anything like this before," she said gravely.


    Axel shook his head inwardly. This much wasn''t enough. The two of them need to know more in order to face the creature. But the problem was, he couldn''t explain how he knew about it.


    "I know a bit more about this creature," he said, drawing everyone''s attention.


    "You know? What is it that we''re facing?"


    "You both already know about Dementors, right?" He asked.


    Akiko and Martina nodded in affirmation. "Is it the Dementors again?" Asked Martina with some distress.


    Axel chuckled ironically. If it was only that easy. "It''s not. It is an evolution of a Dementor. It''s called... a Demogorgon." he said, recalling the information he had gotten from the system.


    "What?!"


    The two girls were understandably mystified. So, Axel explained to them as quickly as possible.


    Dementors are actually incomplete creatures. They seek darkness and souls for their completion. And when a sufficient number of souls and Dark energy is consumed, under the right circumstances, they can evolve. They become more powerful, more sentient, more corporeal. And more¡­a lot more dangerous.


    "And that thing... it''s actually in school right now?!" Martina covered her mouth in horror. "How did it end up here?!"


    Axel shook his head, "The situation is beyond improbable, but the priority is how to deal with it before it''s too late."


    Actually, the circumstances of evolution are too difficult to be met on Earth, what with the lack of sufficient dark magic. And since the creature is more corporeal, it loses its ability to travel from the Netherworld to here. So, these creatures are only supposed to be found in the Netherworld. But somehow, it''s here tonight in Hogwarts, about to cause a lot of Mayhem.


    "How do we deal with it?" Akiko asked the main question. Both the girls at least had enough sense to not ask how Axel knew what he knew.


    Axel looked into his Magi-mirror, smoothly hinting at the source of his information.


    "It''s a very dangerous creature. Fighting it alone without prior preparations guarantees certain death for each one of us."


    !


    Now that was a blow that took them by surprise. Each of them was somewhat aware of the other''s power. Even all on their own, each of them was a force to be reckoned with, with different types of skills and specialties. Even XXXXX Creatures like dragons weren''t impossible for them to deal with let alone just surviving against one. But here Axel was, guaranteeing certain death in a one-on-one confrontation against this creature.


    "But, since we are going to be facing it together, with such preparations, we have a real shot at this," he said, reigniting their hopes.


    "What do we have to do?" Asked Martina and Akiko nodded.


    Axel looked at her seriously, "How powerful is your Patronus?"


    Martina nodded a bit apprehensively. "It''s quite powerful. But¡­" But it hadn''t properly worked in their last encounter with Dementors on the previous Halloween. She had been too scared and unfocused to cast it in one attempt, almost losing their lives.


    "Don''t hesitate. You can do it," said Axel with surety. Even though this girl could be quite unreliable, Axel atleast had this much faith in her ability.


    Axel then looked at Akiko. "How many weapons do you have?"


    As the granddaughter of Hiroshi Yamazaki and the Heiress of two powerful clans? Akiko smirked, "A lot."


    ...


    In front of Axel''s eyes, the system Interface showed him the live location of the Demogorgon as he ran through the corridors in a blur together with Akiko, with Martina actually flying behind them.


    Of course, all three of them were almost invisible, only showing themselves enough to be able to see each other.


    Axel was currently wearing a black hoody with the hood on, black jeans, and black sneakers. His hands had fingerless gloves and his face was covered with a mask, only leaving his eyes visible.


    Due to necessity, Martina had also lent a suit Akiko, which was one of the prototypes she had made for herself. Since the suits can change into anything, she had turned it into her usual tight ninja clothing that outlined her curves and like Axel, her face also had a mask on. "It''s close. I can feel it."


    Axel nodded, it was indeed close. And now, even he could feel it. The familiar ominous and hopeless feeling, quite similar to the one he felt in the Dementors'' presence, only much more¡­ sinister. And judging by the quick intensification of the this feeling it would seem that they were almost there.


    "Martina, it''s time," Axel said, glancing back a Martina.


    It was better to cast the Patronus before. With the unreliability of Martina, it''s not certain if she would be able to do it after they come closer to the creature.


    Martina nodded, taking out her staff.


    She would be lying to say that she wasn''t nervous. From what Axel had explained, there were high chances she could die a horrible death just now. But, whether she liked it or not, she was not a runner. She was a coward, but she wouldn''t run away from situations like this, a situation where she''s risking her own life for saving others. Even though this was what had gotten her killed in her previous life.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    [Child of Magic]


    She used her second cheat ability that she had gotten for saving the previous world.


    Yes, this was the reason for her insane Magical talent. Magic comes easily to her and the power of every magic spell she casts can be magnified multiple times according to her will. Sadly, she had not been able to use this gift to its full potential.


    Closing her eyes, she recalled all the happy memories she had formed in this world, as well as the happiness of saving the lives of millions of people in her previous world with her research. And finally, she recalled Axel''s powerful and reassuring presence right beside her, which made her fear vanish, filling her up with motivation. Yes, she couldn''t embarrass herself again. Raising the staff, she said the incantation.


    "Expecto Patronum!"


    A bright light erupted from her staff, lighting up the whole corridor as an extremely corporeal and life-like owl emerged from her wand. The creative seemed to have a sentience of its own as it flew around and came to sit on Martina''s shoulder. Dense waves of positive energy radiated from it, completely disrupting the previous gloomy atmosphere.


    "It worked!" Martina jumped in joy, feeling accomplished at not failing like the previous time.


    "Don''t celebrate yet," muttered Akiko, feeling the dark presence getting stronger as they reached their destination. In the next moment, they heard a sound. It was a creepy mixture of breathing and groaning, which sent chills down their spine.


    "Alright, I''m scared," admitted Martina, moving a bit closer to Axel.


    "Just stay back. You''ve done your part. We''ll do the rest" said Axel, running forward to the next corridor where the creature was. There they saw it, a giant silhouette, wrapped in a cloak, currently hunched over in a facing away from them. It must have sensed their approach, because it turned its head in their direction, slowly drawing to its full height.


    !


    The moonlight coming from the window in the corridor fell on the creature, and two things became visible at that moment, surprising them. First, the creature''s appearance. It was around 15 feet tall, quite taller than a Dementor, wrapped in a dark torn and shabby cloak and rotten flash visible at the uncovered parts.


    The second thing that was very noticeable was,


    "Mrs. Norris!" Cried Martina in horror. Blood was clearly dripping from the creature''s cloth covered head that only exposed a mouth. And lying on the ground where the creature was previously hunched over, was the half eaten body of a cat which used to be Mrs. Norris.


    ''More corporeal indeed,'' thought Axel, truly realizing what that meant. This thing ate more than just souls.


    The creature sucked in a breath and then,


    "SCREEEEEE!" It screeched in one of the most sickening sound Axel had heard, which even trumped that of Umbridge''s. A wave of its aura hit them, clashing with the Auro of Martina''s Patronus.


    "It''s working! Let''s proceed with the plan!" Shouted Axel, infusing his knife with light magic. Martina had truly done her job. The clothes they were wearing, made from the Basilisk hide, are highly resistant to magic. That''s the reason why their soul wasn''t getting sucked out of their bodies right now. Without them, they''d already be dead since the pull is much much stronger compared to a Dementor''s. And the Patronus had prevented Demogorgon''spresence from affecting their minds. Otherwise, most of its prey can''t even muster the will to escape, let alone fight back.


    Annoyed by the Patronus, the creature screeched again as it extended its hand.


    !


    A mass of dark magic came out of its hand heading for them. It was the Demogorgon''sability. It could harness dark energy.


    "Akiko!" Called out Axel.


    "I''ve got it!" Came her reply as she formed a few handseals. "Yin Release: Dark Shield


    A shield formed in front of them, defending them from the corrosive darkness. The creature let out a shriek of frustration as it moved forward.


    "Can''t let it come closer!" Shouted Axel, backing away along with Martina and Akiko. That was the main problem. The intensity of Demogorgon''spull on the soul increases with the distance. So, it''s very risky to get near it.


    "Yin Release: Chains of Hell!" Akiko cast another Jutsu, and black chains emerged from the ground, wrapping up the creature. "Now,"


    Axel nodded as two kunai appeared in his hands.


    [Tracless]


    [Light Infusion]


    [Throwing]


    The kunai in his hands began to flow in with Light magic, and Axel threw them out, sticking them straight into the creature''s skull.


    "SCREEEEEEECH!"


    The creature screeched in agony as it struggled hard, almost breaking off the chains of darkness. But Axel wasn''t done yet. He kept throwing out the Kunais, knives and swords, piercing the creature every time.


    *Shing* *Shing* *Shing*


    The creature kept wailing with each attack, but for some reason, there wasn''t enough damage. It kept struggling against the chains as the pull on their souls got stronger, causing them to back away.


    "I can''t¡­ hold it for much longer.." said Akiko through gritted teeth.


    "We have to hurry! If the others arrive before us they''ll die without the protection of the suit!" Said Martina, firing her own spells, none of which seemed to work.


    "Damn it! I''m so going to make an offensive Patronus spell if I get out of this alive!" She exclaimed helplessly.


    The pull on their souls intensified, and the creature began to attack them with its dark magic, which Martina had to defend them against.


    Akiko could see where this was going. "It''s... too powerful! We... agh...we should think of evacuation!" She said with difficulty. There were barely any ways to deal with a Dementor. And an evolution of that thing? It''s a total abomination.


    "I''m not done yet!" Shouted Axel.


    ''Work, damn it!" Thought Axel, throwing the Light magic infused weapons.


    Axel didn''t know what the problem was. Everyone had done their part, but he wasn''t able to successfully play his part.


    ''System, why isn''t it working?'' He asked, even though he already knew the answer.


    [Arcane Thief is not a Class that specializes in Light magic. Your [Light Infusion] skill is not strong enough to counter the dark energy of a Demogorgon, if delivered in such low quantity. And albeit they are more corporeal than Dementors, Demogorgons still have enough intangibility to negate most of the physical and magical damage.]


    "Damn it!" It was a familiar feeling, realizing that your magic just wasn''t strong enough. One that he hadn''t felt for a while after getting healed. But he had to accept it. When it came to the big leagues, his magic was still not strong enough, when compared to people like Martina, Akiko, or Dumbledore. He couldn''t overpower these people purely in terms of magical combat. At least not yet.


    But, since when had he only relied on brute strength to get through? Actually, never. He was used to not being the most powerful in the room. But what he couldn''t do with power, he had always more than made up for it with his other abilities.


    Closing his eyes for a moment, Axel went back to the time when his magic was extremely weak, making almost every spell impossible for him. Even at that time, he had managed to use his magic effectively.


    ''Repetition.'' That was the key.


    "Martina, can you lend me your staff?" He asked.


    Martina looked extremely regretful as she shook her head, "It''s bound to me. No one else can use it."


    ''Sigh¡­'' Axel had expected as much. He took out his own wand.


    ''I''m sorry for this,'' he thought, apologizing beforehand.


    The wand hummed in response, ready for anything. During this time, the degree of his bond with his wand had strengthened further, making the power out even better.


    Raising his wand he activated his special skill.


    [Light Infusion]


    It''s a skill that lets him infuse the Light element into his spells or weapons. And right now, he was doing exactly that.


    Taking a deep breath, he began using the same spell that had been very useful during the time he was crippled.


    "Electrica Impulsa, Electrica Impulsa, Electrica Impulsa¡­"


    Within a few seconds, he had charged his wand dozens of times, generating an incredible amount of power. It had to be noted that this spell could already generate a lot of power back when he was crippled. And now, with the massive improvement he had gone through, the amount of magic stacked up was truly staggering.


    *Crackle* CRACKLE*


    White Lightning began to snake around his wand, all the way up to his hand. And Martina and Akiko had to distance themselves from him, the former due to the lightning discharge while the latter due to the incredible amount of Light Magic.


    "SCREEECH!" The Demogorgon''s struggles intensified. Only now, instead of coming closer to them, it was now trying to get as far away from Axel as possible.


    "Drag it in front of the Window!" Said Axel with difficulty. With the power he was holding on, massive destruction would be caused if he released it in the castle. Axel was currently in an incredible amount of pain. He had never felt like this before. It felt like could put everything into the spell.


    "Alright!"


    Akiko tried her best, and Martina also helped, conjuring chains of her own to drag the struggling creature towards the window.


    Axel''s jaw clenched due to the sheer amount of concentration that was needed to maintain the spell, even with his incredible mental power. Blood started to leak from his nose and his head was pounding. His wand''s condition was no better, even showing tiny fissures along its surface.


    When it was finally right in front of the window, Axel was barely holding on.


    "This one''s for Mrs. Norris, you Demo-moron," he said, finally releasing the magic.


    *ZAP* *BOOOOOOM*


    ....


    A.N.: I''m posting chapters at random intervals, so please follow to get update notifications.

 Chapter 79: Limit Break

    BOOOOOOOMMM!!!


    The creature couldn''t even make a sound before it was utterly obliterated into nothingness, but the bolt still went on, out of the window, painting the night white for a few seconds.


    "...." x3


    Three people looked at the scene blankly, dark spots dancing in front of their eyes due to the access brightness just now. The power of the spell was off the charts!


    There were a few reasons to explain that. First of all, Axel''s magic was already very powerful after getting healed. Second, he had a high affinity with Lightning, one which had only increased ever since he had started his Ninjutsu training with Akiko. And third, he had charged the spell too many times. It''s not something that even geniuses like Martina and Akiko can do, since it requires an insane amount of mental strength, something which was Axel''s forte.


    These were some of the reasons why the spell was so destructive. But, even after that, Axel was still surprised by its might. That was too much power.


    At the time of casting, he had felt a peculiar feeling. It was like...he had an unlimited amount of magic, causing him to put in more power than he had predicted. And now, he felt completely drained.


    Axel collapsed to his knees, so did Akiko right afterwards. The fight had taken a lot out of both of them.


    "Above 5 X''es¡­ it was definitely above that," said Akiko while gasping for breath. [Chains of Hell], a Yin Affinity Forbidden Jutsu which very few Yin users can perform without dying. A spell that could easily hold down dragons. And she couldn''t even hold down the creature for more than a few minutes with that spell.


    The Demogorgon turned out to be much more powerful than they had anticipated. Just a few moments ago, she had already given up on defeating it, instead considering how to stall it and evacuate everyone. Her thought process had even reached the idea of using the portal which the delegation came from to transport everyone at Hogwarts back to Japan. That''s how hopeless the situation was. And then Axel suddenly decides to use some extremely powerful magic, one she had never seen before, to completely annihilate the creature.


    ''How..?'' She wondered.


    Martina on the other hand wasn''t so surprised by the fact that Axel had managed to save the day once again. She was more surprised by the magic he had just used.


    "H-How¡­? How in the ROB''s name did you do that?" She asked Axel, who was lying exhausted on the floor. The spell is only supposed to produce lightning and there''s no way it could be charged that many times! Martina''s eyes were shining with curiosity as she looked at Axel.


    "Don''t ask," said Axel distractedly. He had other things on his mind right now which were much more important than answering how he did it. He was currently looking down at his wand which had taken some damage due to the last spell.


    ''Thanks¡­and sorry.'' he said to the wand through his head.


    The wand gave out a weak thrum in response, making him regret even more.


    ''I''ll get you fixed.'' He promised.


    "¡ªel? Axel?! Are you alright? Ohmygod! you''re bleeding from the nose! Exclaimed Martina, bringing him out of his thoughts as she checked his condition.


    "I''ll live," said Axel with a nod, slowly getting up on shaky feet. "But not my wand," he said, looking at the damaged cherub feather wand in his hand which had accompanied him through many difficulties.


    "Oh¡­may I?" asked Martina, holding out her hand.


    Axel hesitantly put his wand in her hand. "Thanks," she said, gingerly holding Axel''s wand with both hands as she closely examined it, stroking it a few times.


    "Careful," said Axel, a bit apprehensive.


    "Don''t worry, I know how to handle a wand. I''ve been doing this since I was a child." Martina said reassuringly.


    Meanwhile, Akiko: ''.....Do I have a dirty mind?''


    Unaware, Martina continued her diagnosis. "Let''s see, there''s critical damage to the wood, and a slight damage to the core as well, but it can be salvaged. Looks like the power output was too much for it. I can help you fix it," she said, giving it back to Axel.


    Axel raised an eyebrow, "You can fix it?" Wandlore was quite a complicated branch of magic. That much, even Axel knew. But she''s Martina after all, so it shouldn''t come out as much of a surprise.


    Before Martina could reply, Akiko got up. "We need to get out of here."


    Martina nodded in agreement but Axel had one more thing to do. "Wait a sec."


    [Traceless]


    Activating the skill, he quickly removed traces of Akiko and Martina from the scene as well, only leaving the rest of the things undisturbed. Let Dumbledore and others do whatever they want with this. He had done his part, the rest, he minded his own business too much to bother.


    How did the Creature get here? Who brought it? What were they playing at? There were a lot of questions in his head, but Axel''s head was still throbbing due to the exertion earlier and he already had enough on his plate.


    Though, Martina and Akiko had even more questions. How did Axel know the castle was in danger? How did he know that it was a Demogorgon? How did he know exactly what a Demogorgon was? And, how did he do that magic?


    So, after they were safely out of the area, the two girls turned to look back at Axel to ask questions, but to no one''s surprise, the mysterious boy was nowhere to be found, making Akiko click her tongue and Martina to stomp her foot. The only thing he left was a note tucked in each of their pockets which stated,


    "Thanks for the help. I owe you guys one."


    Martina crushed the note. "This is so like him¡­" she said in annoyance, and Akiko could only nod in agreement. Though, both the girls were smiling.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡­


    After Axel had gotten rid of the girls, only then did he look at the System Notifications he had received.


    [New Skill Unlocked]


    [Congratulations. You have unlocked the Skill: Limit Break


    You can temporarily break past your limits in order to overcome a desperate situation.]


    "Son-of-a¡ª!" Axel exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the notification. Previously, he had been too concerned about his damaged wand to pay attention.


    So, a new skill! Axel sighed. Now he can understand how the spell was so powerful. And here he thought, he had finally became powerful.


    Limit Break. This is a great skill for critical situations. But, it was also quite dangerous. It doesn''t give him extra power. The power he is getting is at the expense of damaging his own body. He''ll have to use it wisely.


    Axel checked the other notifications.


    [Congratulations. You have completed the special mission: School in Danger


    Rewards:


    ->Special Skill: Barrier


    ->Limited Information on Atlantis.


    ->Approval Rate]


    Another Special Skill!


    As explained, Arcane Thief is a great class, but it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of skill set. A single class can''t have every skill after all. And special skills make up for that. Like now, he has got a barrier skill, something which the Arcane Thief Class does not include. It''ll definitely come in handy.


    But, Axel''s main focus was on the information he had just gotten installed in his head, and as he laid there on the ground, the elation he had been feeling at completing the mission slowly vanished.


    Because the limited information he had gotten didn''t contain good news. He carefully sifted through the information and his expression grew sombre the more he read.


    Here''s the jist of it. Atlantis is the oldest magical civilization, much, much older than any other. And as one would expect, it used to be very developed in terms of magical technology. But almost everything was destroyed due to internal warfare thousands of years ago, and Atlantis sank underwater.


    The remnants of the Royal Family who had won the war, restarted the civilization, having very little left of the previous glory. They decided to start anew and discarded almost all of the previous advanced magical technology, leaving only a few pieces of the advanced technology which are called Relics. Now, after thousands of years, the opposing side has risen again, trying to take over, and the Royal family is at its weakest right now.


    It would seem that the organisation is going to take over Atlantis very soon. And when it does, it''s going to start a war against the world using the relics. So, if Axel has to handle the Organization, he has to do it soon, or he''ll have another force trying to take over the world.


    ''Looks like there''s no choice,'' he thought, slowly picking up his tired body. With his realisations over the past month, he had been having second thoughts about attracting the attention of the Organisation. Why not live in peace for a few more years? Why not train steadily, gather strength and then take it on?


    But, with this news, it would seem that he has no choice. He has to take down the Organization quickly, or at least prevent it from taking over Atlantis. So, it would seem that he''ll be going with his original plan, attracting its attention and drawing it out. Which means, he can go wild in tomorrow''s match. It just so happens that he also had a few bones to pick with a certain pair of clowns who are now going to regret ever bothering him.


    ¡­.


    Feeling quite drained, Axel went back to the Great Hall after changing to find a very anxious Daphne. Axel dragged her to a secluded corner where no one would bother them.


    "Merlin''s beard, you''re bleeding! Are you alright?!" Asked Daphne, frantically checking for injuries.


    Axel checked his overexerted body. "I''m fine, just tired."


    "What happened? Why did you have to leave so suddenly?" She asked anxiously, sitting right beside him.


    Axel shook his head. "You need more Occlumency for that. But everything''s fine now," he said, settling into the chair.


    Daphne couldn''t help it, her eyes grew misty as she gripped his hand with both of hers. "I was so scared. I''ve never seen you so serious before."


    Axel didn''t shake her off. It was a really close call this time. They had almost lost it due to not being able to damage it. And with its high range, if the creature had reached anywhere near the great hall, it would have sucked hundreds of souls at once.


    And at that moment, Axel had thought of only one person in the Great Hall, which had helped him break past his limits. "Thanks," he said looking at the mermaid in front of him, not really explaining everything.


    Daphne sighed, "Don''t thank me. I couldn''t help you make the most of your break. You didn''t have that much fun, did you?"


    Axel shook his head, "No," he said truthfully. In the first place, he is not even the kind of person who would overly indulge in pleasure.


    But, his original purpose wasn''t having fun, was it? It had been to find something to fight for once again. Something that''ll drive him to not give up in a difficult situation and drive him to give it his all. A reason to work hard. And, at that moment, when he had foreseen the creature breaking out of the chains, he had felt it. He didn''t know what it was yet, but it was there. And he intended to explore it. So, tonight wasn''t meaningless.


    "You did help me," he said, smiling at her. "Just not in the way you wanted."


    ¡­


    The next day, Axel woke up in the morning feeling quite groggy and tired. His head was still aching from his fight with the Demogorgon.


    ''Is Halloween here cursed or something?'' He thought while groaning. Last year it was something else and this year it''s a creature above XXXXX.


    Axel dragged himself out of bed. It was early morning and he had some training to do. The break was already over, and though he was interrupted, the main thing was Axel had actually felt annoyed at being interrupted, meaning it was definitely something he had enjoyed.


    ''Oh, there was a match today as well, right?'' He realized while doing his training. So, he warmed up some of his skills which would come in handy today. That was it for his preparations. After that, he leisurely made his way into the Great Hall, only to see a lot of eyes turning towards him.


    Patricia, the Captain who looked to be on the verge of pulling her hair out, finally seemed to have hope returned to her eyes as soon as she saw him.


    "Where have you been?! I''ve been trying to find you since last night! You haven''t picked up any of my calls, owls can''t reach you, and I can''t even find your room in the dorms!" She asked in harsh whispers after dragging him aside.


    Axel rolled his eyes. "What is so urgent that you''re trying to find me like a crazy stalker?" His Magi-mirror is always on silent mode and of course she didn''t find his room in the dorms. It''s because he has removed his name from the door of his room there, so that no one notices his absence.


    "Urgent? We have a match in a few minutes! Is that not urgent enough for you?!"


    "So what? I''m still on time. Now let me eat my breakfast," said Axel as he began to leave.


    "Breakfast?! You still have time for breakfast?!" Patricia followed him like an angry kitten.


    Axel ignored her. "Yeah, I need my energy, don''t I?"


    Patricia once again almost pulled her hair out of frustration. "So overconfident! You''re giving me anxiety," she said, her hands reaching for her pocket.


    Axel pushed past her, offering her a potion. "Here."


    Patricia checked her pocket where the potion was supposed to be moments ago. "Wait, when did you¡ª?" But Axel had already left behind.


    "Just trust me, captain," said Axel as he went to sit beside Daphne.


    "What''s the news?"


    Daphne looked furious, "Not good. I so want to kill those brothers right now."


    Photos and clips of the Seeker and the Captain getting splashed in Gryffindor colors were currently making rounds on the Magi-hive and the Slytherin team was getting unceasingly trolled right now. Some might say that it was just paint, but it was not. Two Slytherin representatives get painted into Griffindor colours is extremely humiliating to the whole house and it IS a big deal. And the only reason it was just paint and not something more harmful like their other pranks was because the imps didn''t want to get disqualified before the match. Other Slytherins are the witnesses of how vicious those two can really be.


    Axel nodded. "The twins will get what''s coming for them. Anything else?"


    The twins were dead meat, Daphne already knew that. "Don''t get into trouble," that''s what she was worried about. "And also, my mom and sister are here. Come see them after the match if you can."


    "Will do." Axel quickly ate his breakfast and got up, ready to kick some ass.


    ....

 Chapter 80: One vs All

    In the stadium, Bellatrix and Andromeda Black appeared one after another in the VVIP room through the Fireplace.


    They were here and not in the VIP box with the other Blacks who were supporting Rose because they wanted to see the match discreetly, without being seen by anyone.


    "It''s been a while since I attended one of these," said Bellatrix nostalgically, looking down at the stadium.


    And as she removed the cloak, the reason for their discretion became visible. For today, the majestic Minister of Magic persona was gone, replaced by a girl in a black jeans, green silver-green t-shirt that said "Go Slytherin!" and matching scarf, with the snake insignia on it. In her hands she held a tray containing a big bucket of popcorn and various drinks.


    Yep, as it can be seen, Bellatrix Black had come fully prepared for the occasion, not as the Minister of Magic, but a hardcore fangirl. She had worked nonstop in the past few days to clear her schedule for today, postponed everything so that nothing can disturb her today, brought popcorn, booked a private vvip room at the stadium, and even wore the Slytherin Quidditch merch that she had always thought was stupid.


    Why did she do all this? Certainly not because she liked watching Quidditch, at least not since her cousin Reggie stopped playing. Nor was it because she was a Slytherin Supremist. There''s only one reason why she''s like this: Because Axel was playing in today''s match. And since it was his first match, she ought to come and support him, right?


    "Where IS he? When will it start?" She muttered anxiously, looking down at the pitch with her omni-occulars.


    "In a few minutes," said Andromeda, who had also taken the day off from her master healer shift. "But... Bella, don''t expect him to play very well. He was¡­ he used to be permanently disabled not too long ago," said Andromeda, who couldn''t share the same enthusiasm as her sister.


    It was good that Bella had been too busy to check up on the recent news about Hogwarts. If she had, she might have exploded due to rage. Andromeda was quite outraged herself at how harsh the students can be over a simple match. And more importantly, Axel had only recently suffered from severe trauma in all of his nerves. So, even after he''s healed now, (Merlin knows how), his motor skills might not be as sharp as they used to be. So, she was quite apprehensive about today''s match, especially since it''s against Rose. That girl won''t pull back her punches.


    Bellatrix shook her head. "No matter how he plays, I''ll still support him," she said calmly, looking down at the stadium. "It''s not like there''s no nepotism in Quidditch. I''ll even make him a pro player if he wants to."


    Bellatrix casually said some crazy stuff and Andromeda was glad her sister hadn''t seen the news yet.


    ¡­.


    Meanwhile, in another VVIP private room, the Valentino Family, Italy''s biggest magical mafia family, was present.


    "Did we bring everything?" Asked Alessandro Valentino, Martina''s father and Wizarding Italy''s Godfather. He was a handsome middle-aged man, with purple hair, blue eyes, and a scar on his forehead. Wearing the suit, hat and accessories like gold chain, watch and rings, he cut an intimidating figure, even though he was soft as a sponge with his family.


    "Yes we did," said Francesca Valentino, Martina''s mother with a slightly peeved look. "But you and your son overdo things when it comes to her."


    Martina''s mother had auburn hair, violet eyes, and a calm and collected temperament. Seeing her parents'' looks, people will be surprised by Martina''s beauty.


    "We do not!" denied Alessandro in sinc with his son, Enzo. Enzo''s facial features matched Alessandro''s. Only, his hair was auburn in color, matching his mother. He had piercings on his eyebrows and ears, and his curly hair was long and wild.


    At their blatant refusal, Francesca calmly handed out her rebuttal. "She only asked for specific materials for her research. Not the delicacies of half the world."


    "What?" Alessandro shrugged, as if he didn''t find anything wrong with it. "Our daughter is growing. She needs good food that''ll at least last a year. What if the food here doesn''t suit her taste, right Enzo?"


    Enzo nodded, "Besides, she''s all skinny now. She''s clearly not eating properly."


    Francesca didn''t know why she even bothered. These two were a lost cause when it came to her daughter.


    At the moment, the door to the room opened, revealing Martina, who smiled as soon as she saw her parents.


    "My Martini!" "Lil'' Tina!"


    She was quickly hugged by her father and brother, making her smile wryly.


    "Mom." After she was freed, Martina quickly hugged her mother.


    Being an orphan in her previous life, Martina genuinely cherished her family and thought of them as her real family, unlike some other reincarnators who are more connected to their previous lives'' relations.


    "How have you been?" Asked Francesca, her stern eyes softening as she caressed Martina''s hair. No matter how much she tried, she could not be her usual strict self with Martina. It helped a lot that Martina didn''t need it.


    "...Same as always," Martina replied. Even though she was not. Especially not yesterday''s incident with the scary Demegorgon. She couldn''t sleep well last night. But, she couldn''t tell them since that would mean her transfer from Hogwarts. Feeling safe and relieved, Martina hugged her mother a while longer.


    She then began her enquiries. "How are you guys doing? Has there been any trouble? Are the businesses doing fine? There are no new gangwars, are there?"


    Alessandro laughed, "Everything is fine, boss," he said jokingly. "Now, let us handle these things. You focus on enjoying life a little."


    "Even though I don''t like it, I''ve stopped fighting as well," added Enzo with a pout.


    "That''s great." Martina smiled, "Mom, did you bring the things I asked for?" She asked Francesca.


    "Yes, everything is here. Though I still don''t understand why you would need them. Just promise to be careful," said Alessandro


    "Yeah, yeah, I know," said Martina distractedly, checking the contents.


    At this moment, the noise from the commentary and the crowd sounded from outside, signifying that the match was about to start.


    Enzo frowned, "Oh, I forgot to soundproof it," he said, taking out his wand.


    Martina stopped him. "No, don''t! I want to see the match today," she said as she looked out the stadium through the window.


    Enzo was confused for a moment but then a shit-eating grin slowly stretched on his face.


    "Hm? Since when have you taken an interest in Quidditch? It''s not even Ravenclaw''s match today."The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "It''s because¡­" Martina paused as she stomped her feet, "It''s not what you think!" She snapped.


    "Oh, so it''s not because of that boy playing?" Asked her father. "I heard it''s quite a big match for him."


    "... It actually is... but how does that translate into him being my boyfriend?!"


    "We never mentioned anything about him your boyfriend though, did we Enzo?" Asked Alessandro innocently.


    "Not at all. I think we need to ''talk'' more with this guy,"


    "God¡­ just kill me now," muttered Martina, burying her face into her hands.


    ¡­.


    Axel headed down to the Slytherin Lockers when it was time for the match. The atmosphere inside the Slytherin Locker room decorated with Sliver and Green was depressing, to say the least. Which wasn''t a surprise, considering their situation.


    All the players on the previous Slytherin Quidditch team were Alaric Malcolm''s lackies, so on Alaric''s orders, they wouldn''t play for Patricia. As for any other player with decent enough skill to make it on the professional field, they stepped down since they didn''t want to damage their track record. That''s why, most of the players here were amateurs and they knew they were going to lose.


    So, when Axel, one of the major reasons for their current situation, came into the changing room, many glaring eyes were cast on him.


    "Look who finally decided to show up,"


    "The one who''s supposed to ''win us the game''."


    Axel didn''t pay attention to these people. They aren''t even named characters for him yet, just people whose sole existence is to fill in the numbers of the team."


    There were two girls, the ones who behave like Patricia''s attendants all the time, and three guys, all of whom weren''t looking particularly friendly with Axel.


    "You''re here," said Patricia who had just emerged from behind the adjacent room. "Here''s your uniform. Quickly get changed! We don''t have time," she said, handing him the Slytherins Quidditch uniform.


    Axel checked it out. There was a silver green jersey and matching robes for the upper body. There was no lower body uniform so he didn''t need to change the joggers he was wearing. Aside from this, there were leg guards, shin guards, fingerless gloves, and a helmet.


    Axel looked at the other three guys in the room. Since they only had to change the upper body clothes, they were changing into their uniforms in the locker room itself but Axel still didn''t want to change here if he could help it.


    "Where do I change?" He asked Patricia.


    "Oh, the boys'' changing room''s on that side," she replied.


    The guys exchange glances and sniggered. "What''s the matter Hunt? Too shy to change here?"


    "I think he might secretly be a girl," said the other one. Of course, the team members didn''t have any good impression of him, so they weren''t going to miss any chance of taking shots at him.


    Axel sighed. He had no problems changing in front of others. He was just being considerate here. But if they didn''t want his kindness then so be it. Amidst the sniggers, Axel casually took off the loose full sleeved tshirt he was wearing.


    ¡ªSilence¡ª


    And suddenly, everyone went quiet for a second. Jaws dropped, gasps were heard, and eyes went wide as they caught a glimpse of Axel''s bare torso. Due to his relentless training and diet, Axel had the peak human male physique. He wasn''t bulky, but he was absolutely ripped, with well-defined chest, shoulders, arms and sculpted abs. Each and every movement caused his muscles to visibly contract, making for a fascinating view. But, on that perfect body, light and faded scars from all kinds of injuries like, cuts, gouges, lesions, and lacerations were spread randomly, displaying the struggles and damages the owner of the body had gone through.


    Though, before the onlookers could get a better view, Axel had already changed into his jersey, snapping the female audience out of their trance and drawing out sighs and awkward coughs from them as everyone went back to what they were doing.


    "Cough...Everyone, it''s time!" said Patricia, her eyes lingering on Axel a few moments longer. It was no wonder her threat and intimidation were useless against him. If someone has gone through all that¡­ what she did would appear nothing more than mere child''s play to him. She wanted to ask a few questions to Axel but she knew it would be no use.


    While the team made their way into the stadium, the Commentator also began to speak.


    "Ladies, Gentlemen, and Hogwarts Students! The match that we have all been waiting for has finally arrived! Amidst the touching reunions of families, an extremely savage and vicious showdown is going to take place! The clashes between these teams have always been the talk of the school. Because it has more than a thousand years of intense rivalry, GRYFFINDOR VS SLYTHERIN!"


    *CHEERS*


    "Today, this Match is being displayed across 7 different magical communities, a big achievement for us! And as we can see from the crowd''s response, everyone has been looking forward to this match. But this time, there''s something more to this match than the usual rivalry! Those who are still in the dark, let us bring you up to speed with what''s at stake today!"


    The big screens that were installed on both sides of the stadium displayed a short clip in which the Twins in clown costumes threw a ball at Axel and Patricia, painting them both in Gryffindor colours.


    Laughter erupted from the stadium, while all the Slytherins were offended.


    "This is a Clip of last night which is quickly going viral on the Magi-hive. The two identical clowns in the clip are the Weasley Twins, infamous for their pranks. And their latest prank included painting the Captain and the Seeker of the Slytherin team into Gold and Scarlet, the colour which signifies the Gryffindor House, which is a great humiliation to many a Slytherin. And through the match today, the Slytherin team is supposed to take its revenge today."


    Meanwhile, standing opposite Axel in the middle of the pitch, Rose looked between a mixture of amused and guilty. "I tried to stop them, don''t blame me for this," she offered to Axel. She didn''t know why, but she had had a bad premonition as soon as the Weasley Twins had come up with the idea. She had tried to stop them, but of course, since when had the twins listen to anyone?


    Facing the humiliation from the crowd and the gloating looks of the twins, Axel remained unmoved. "You should have tried harder. Don''t blame me for what I''m going to do next," he replied calmy, making Rose''s bad premonition come back in full force.


    The Commentator wasn''t done yet, as another clip was shown on the screen next, of Rose and Axel facing each other. "And this is a clip of the challenge between Seekers of the Teams. The new Slytherin Seeker, Axel Hunt, has challenged the Gryffindor Seeker Rose Potter, the Girl-who-lived herself. The Gryffindor seeker has been reported to be the best and the youngest seeker at Hogwarts, winning Gryffindor the Quidditch cup and House Trophy in her very first year here. There are talks of her getting offers to play in the Major leagues already, which is definitely going to be an unheard of feat. And such a seeker has been challenged by the Underdog Axel Hunt. The word is, the losing party will have to do anything the winner asks! So, ARE YOU EXCITED TO SEE THE OUTCOME?!"


    """""YEAH!"""""


    Axel frowned. The Commentator has been in favour of Gryffindor from the beginning, and passive aggressive towards the Slytherin. Like right now, he is all but stating that Axel is a reckless idiot, while trying to stay neutral to not get into trouble for it since the match is being broadcast internationally. But then again, the Commentator, Lee Jordon, was a Gryffindor and bosom pals with the Twins so it shouldn''t be a surprise.


    "Alright then, so let''s begin this very exciting match, brought to you by BigOwl, your shopping made easier, and Grapes, premium Magi-mirrors and other Magitronics!''


    Facing each other, both the teams were handed standard broom sticks, to ensure fair competition. If the players are allowed any broom, the richer side always has the unfair advantage. And to stop this, the School provides the teams with standard identical broomsticks with the same specs, checked by Madam Hooch herself. As already mentioned, Hogwarts was rolling in money. Just the promotions of those two brands had raked in enough money to fund the entire school for a year or two, let alone providing students with brooms.


    "I want a clean and fair match," said Madam Hooch as she blew the whistle, starting the much awaited match.


    Jordan began again, "And the match has started, with both the teams kicking off the ground, taking positions! Madam Hooch is going to release the balls any moment now. One thing to be noted in today''s match is that it is a debut match for most of the players in the Slytherin Team. Yeah, Captain Patricia Afonso had this brilliant idea of making a team out of a bunch of inexperienced noobies for this important match, surprising us all. Let''s see if her strategy works," said Lee, once again passively dissing the Slytherin team.


    Madam Hooch released the ball, starting the match.


    "And the Balls have been released, and Gryffindor is immediately in possession, the Quaffle in Angelina''s hands,¡ªCaptain Patricia tries to Intercept but blocked by the twins!¡ªGood Strategy, the rest of the Slytherin team are almost all amateurs anyway¡ªAngelina to Katie¡ªSlytherin player trying to defend, but in vain!¡ªKatie to Alicia Spinnet¡ªAlicia takes a shot¡ªAND SCOOORRE! Gryffindor has scored one of the most one sided goals in Hogwarts history. I was reserved in my judgement earlier, but it is clear now, the Slytherin team is really weak this tim¡ªWait¡ª" Lee Jordon suddenly paused in mid commentary in surprise.


    "The Slytherin seeker is waving his hand in the air. When did he even get there? WAIT! IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS IN HIS HAND?!"


    Sure enough, high above in the air, looking down at everyone, with the sun''s glare falling from behind him, Axel sat casually on his broomstick, his hand held high. And clutched in his hand, was a shiny struggling golden ball with wings attached to it.


    "In your assholes, doubtful people," he muttered, waving the Golden snitch, surprising everyone.


    He was not being overconfident when he said he would win easily. And, he is not being overconfident when he is saying, "This is just the beginning."


    The series of events from Yesterday night till now have left him more than a bit annoyed. And since he has free reign to go wild today, he is going to take this chance with open arms.


    "So begins the ass-kicking," he said, releasing the snitch.


    ...

 Chapter 81: A Thiefs Control and Dexterity

    After separating from Axel, Daphne went to the VIP box to see her family. On her way, she found Hannah, Susan and Neville, going in the same direction as well.


    "Heya, Daph! You''re going to the VIP box, right?" Said Susan, raising her hand in greetings.


    Daphne smiled, "Hey guys. Yes I am, mum and Tory are here."


    Susan beamed, "Our families are also here. I love this day!" She exclaimed. She then noticed the green scarf wrapped around Daphne''s neck and raised her eyebrows, "You''re supporting Slytherin? Is it because of Axel?"


    Daphne nodded, not bothering to deny it.


    Neville snorted. "How useless. When everyone knows there''s no chance of them winning. I''m so looking forward to Axel''s humiliation!"


    Daphne gave him one cold look, "No one asked for your jealous opinion, Neville. Just learn to accept that you''re not the main character outside your home," she snapped.


    She had been tired of this guy taking every opportunity to talk bad about Axel out of jealousy. Did anyone see her talking bad about Martina? Or Akiko? Or Patricia? He should learn something from her. Daphne wondered if she should write a book on how to be a proper fangirl.


    Daphne looked at Hannah who looked a bit intimidated by her outburst, and Susan who didn''t seem to know what to say, and then at Neville who had obediently shut up, and she suddenly didn''t want to stay here any longer.


    "Sus, Han, I''ll go ahead. See you guys in the VIP box!" With that, she was off.


    Walking away from the people who once used to be her friends, Daphne sighed. She used to be very close to them. But over the last year, they had just sort of, drifted apart. In the first place, she had become friends with them because her father had ordered her to do it and she wasn''t given a choice. But her asshole of a father was already dead, so she could be friends with anyone she wanted, and frankly, she no longer wanted to be friends with them.


    Daphne didn''t let this small encounter dampen her mood. She was going to meet mom and Tory! Last time, those two had been away searching for a way to cure Astoria. but this time, they''re here, and she will be watching Axel''s match with them! Thus, feeling excited, Daphne made her way to the VIP box.


    "Daphi!" As soon as she stepped in, she heard a very dear voice calling her. There was only one person in the world who called her ''Daphi''. It''s because this girl couldn''t pronounce ''Daphne'' when she was little, and now, even when she''s 10 years old she still calls Daphne by that name.


    "Tory! I miss you!" Daphne hugged the little missile that was headed her way.


    "I missed you too!" said Astoria in a muffle voice with her head buried in Daphne''s shoulder. She then began hitting her with her little hands. "I''m so mad at you! You got to go to the Halloween party here with Axel and you didn''t take me!"


    Daphne laughed gloatingly. "Who was the one teasing me for not being able to go to a Halloween party? I had so much fun with Axel! It was the best night of my life!"


    The two sisters went to the area where their mother was seated, waiting for them. Evelyn beamed as soon as she saw her elder daughter.


    "How''s my big girl doing?" She cooed, wrapping Daphne into her warm embrace.


    "Mum, don''t talk like that. There are people I know here!" Protested Daphne in a whisper while returning the hug.


    Evelyn just smiled. Holding her daughter at arms length she scrutinized her. "You seem to have changed a little in just two months," she said, patting her over her clothes. "Hmm¡­ your figure has changed so fast. Quickly share what you''re doing with mum as well."


    As a woman who took care of her appearance, Daphne''s change due to her intense training and extremely nutritious diet didn''t go unnoticed by her mother. The baby fat was gone, and she had gotten more beautiful, while also developing curves in the right places. So, Evelyn naturally wanted in on the secret as well.


    "Is it because of the ingredients you''ve been ordering?"


    Daphne shrugged, "I dunno? Must be puberty," she said, playing dumb. She won''t tell anyone unless Axel allows it, not even her mother. Besides, Evelyn Greengrass does not need to worry about her appearance. There are already enough offers of remarriage as it is.


    At her daughter''s blatant acting, Evelyn looked doubtful, but thankfully, Daphne was saved from further questioning when Lee Jordan announced the teams'' arrival into the stadium.


    "He''s here!" Exclaimed Astoria, excitedly standing up from her seat. And sure enough, both the teams were currently making their way into the stadium. Daphne''s eyes were instantly glued on Axel, who looked quite dashing in his Quidditch gear.


    But just when they thought the match was going to start, Jordan began to show the clip of Axel getting splashed with paint. Daphne once again closed her eyes. She couldn''t watch it. And she closed Astoria''s eyes as well. But Evelyn did see it quite clearly, and not for the first time.


    "Honey, I do hope you''ve thanked the boy after this," she said, looking at Daphne.


    Daphne was puzzled. "For coming with me? I did thank him."


    But her mother shook her head lamentably, "You''ve so much to be thankful for to him. But in this case it''s only because of you that he got splashed with all that paint."


    What?!


    "How is this my fault?!" Asked Daphne disbelievingly.


    Evelyn opened her Magi-mirror and played the clip in slow motion. "Look here. He was already dodging the ball as soon as he caught a glimpse of it. The twins'' shouts must have alerted him. But then look closely¡ª" said Evelyn as the slow motion clip showed Axel turning his head to look at Daphne, who was standing right behind him, and then moving back to his original place.


    "Did you see? He would have moved away if he weren''t trying to protect you."


    "How dreamy!" Astoria went star-eyed at Axel''s display of chivalry. For her, Axel has always been a sort of hero, the person who gave her the magical cure to save her life.


    Meanwhile, Daphne: "..."


    He did that¡­ for her?! Looking at the boy standing in the distance, Daphne''s heart started to beat faster. A feeling of incredible sweetness welled up inside her.


    "He always casually does these kind of things...And doesn''t even mention them!" she complained.


    Her mother patted her back understandingly. "It''s difficult, right?"


    Daphne put a hand on her heart, "It is." The debt on her increases yet again. "I hope there''s nothing more," she murmured, her glistening eyes not looking away from Axel.


    Evelyn looked at her daughter in pity. This lass still doesn''t know the biggest one yet. Who freed them from Cyrus Greengrass?


    The family of three remained in a comfortable silence, until the second clip ended. Only after the match was going to start did Astoria have a worried look on her face. "He will not lose, right?"


    She was unwilling to see her hero lose and be a slave to sister Rose.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Daphne shook her head. "No way."


    Astoria looked hopeful, "Then, will he punish those bad guys?"


    Daphne nodded. "Of course."


    "How do you know for sure?"


    Daphne smirked, "Because he said so." For her, that was reason enough to be sure.


    As soon as the match started, everyone else in the VIP box was looking at other players. The only ones paying attention to Axel were the Greengrasses. Astoria wanted to see Axel play, and Evelyn, like Daphne, was a Quidditch enthusiast. So she wanted to see just how good Axel is for her daughter to have such confidence in him.


    As soon as the whistle was blown, they saw that while everyone was moving, Axel, on the other hand, remained completely stationary, with only his eyes moving. Then, as if a gun had been fired, Axel shot into a particular direction at a blurring speed.


    "So cool!" Exclaimed Astoria.


    Meanwhile, Evelyn, who knew more about Quidditch, looked at the scene with somewhat widened eyes. "Was¡­ was that?"


    Daphne nodded, her expression mirroring her mother''s. "...Launching Boom! That was definitely a Launching Boom! But, I''ve never seen one like this before..."


    Launching Boom is an incredible technique in which the players somehow manage to keep their brooms at one place while leaning down. They are essentially gathering an incredible amount of potential in their broom, not letting it turn into kinetic energy. And when they finally let go, the result is a launching Boom, which launches the player into a particular direction like a bullet. The technique is supposed to be a secret and only a few players are known to be able to perform it. And none of them are able to gather as much momentum as Axel.


    Evelyn was still surprised, "He can actually perform a Launching Boom?! For Merlin''s sake he''s only 12! And where and when did he even learn it?" She questioned.


    Daphne''s gaze was transfixed on Axel, who was now waving his hand in the air. "Honestly, I''m also only finding it out now. But mom, there is... a bigger surprise waiting," she said, pointing at Axel''s hand.


    And by this time, Lee Jordon also noticed it. "IT''S THE SNITCH! AXEL HUNT HAS CAUGHT THE GOLDEN SNITCH! AND I THINK IT WAS BEFORE ANY OF THE TEAMS EVEN SCORED! Oh Merlin! Fastest Catch, Catching before any goal, smoothest catch, how many records has he broken?! Was that real skill? Or was it just a fluke?! That is the only question here!"


    CHEERS*


    And just like that, the Slytherin supporters, who had been trying to hide themselves into the crowd, suddenly emerged forth, cheering for Axel in full force.


    Axel looked at Rose Potter, who was looking at him like the apocalypse had come earlier, and a smile slowly formed on his lips. ''She saw,'' he realized. Rose was actually chasing after the snitch at the time. But of course, you can''t really catch up to it in the beginning of the match since it usually flies the fastest in the beginning, But since she was paying attention, Rose had actually seen how he had caught the snitch. And judging from the look on her face, it would seem that she didn''t like what she saw.


    "You brought this upon yourself," he muttered, even though he knew she couldn''t hear him.


    ¡ªSwish¡ª


    In that instant, Axel noticed a bludger that was his way by one of the twins. ''Not every time,'' he thought, dodging it with leisure. He might as well have been yawning while doing it.


    Lee Jordan continued his commentary, "Is it only me or no one else saw what just happened just now as well? Let''s see the replay of the catch!"


    The big screens showed Axel loading up the energy and boosting away in a straight line out of the view of the camera, too fast for it to follow. The view of another camera then showed Axel smoothly catching the snitch in slow motion.


    And Jordan, also with more than half the audience went mad.


    "HOLY SHIT! A LAUNCHING BOOM! A LAUNCHING-FREAKING-BOOM!"


    "...JORDAN!" Even Professor Mcgonagall''s response to Lee getting using the wrong language on an International broadcast was a bit delayed, showing that she had found his words extremely agreeable until she realized it was still wrong to say those words.


    "But Professor! A launching Boom! And one with such speed! And then he was even able to capture the snitch in the middle of it! I am sorry, but I can NOT be blamed for my reaction!"


    Axel frowned. He didn''t know what he had done was such a big deal. You just need the right balance and dexterity to pull it off. Just don''t let the broom move forward, like compressing a spring, and then you let go at once, going at a much higher speed. Easy peasy.


    Lee Jordan continued. "And yes, after watching the replay, it has been confirmed that Axel caught the snitch before any of the teams had scored, and he also caught the snitch in record time: 11.2 seconds! The all-time international record is 65 seconds and Hogwarts'' record, made by Rose just last year, is 3 minutes 20 seconds!"


    While the crowd was re-watching Axel''s first catch and the players had resumed their match, Axel was doing a count down. "55, 56, 57, 58,"


    There was this annoying rule, that you can only start to rechase a snitch at least after one minute has passed since it was previously caught, you know, to let it properly disappear. So, Axel had been waiting.


    "60."


    Boom*


    And with that, another Launching Boom was used, this time much better than the previous one!


    And emerging on the other side, Axel''s hand was raised high in the air again.


    "ARE YOU SHITTING ME RIGHT NOW?! ANOTHER ONE?!"


    "... Jordan," she really couldn''t blame Jordan.


    "Sorry Professor, BUT AXEL HUNT HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH YET AGAIN! Has one minute even passed yet since the release of the snitch?! How many records did he break this time?!


    It Has Been Confirmed, THOSE CATCHES AND SKILLS ARE NO FLUKES. WE MIGHT ACTUALLY BE WATCHING THE DEBUT OF A FUTURE QUIDDITCH LEGEND!"


    As Axel released the snitch, a time-out was called by Captain Oliver Woods. A 100 point lead is not small. Gryffindor has essentially lost this match if the 3 Slytherins now protect the three rings while the rest try to stop Rose from catching the snitch twice. And that is not even taking into account Axel, who has caught the snitch twice in the first few minutes of the game. If they still want to win, a time-out is the right decision.


    While the Gryffindor team was still planning, the Slytherin team swarmed Axel like he was their saviour, which he kinda was. After Lee''s Commentary and those clips, it was everyone''s ass on the line if they did not win. Especially for Patricia, the Captain, who would be the one to take all the blame. This was no longer just a game of Quidditch for her. Her whole career and reputation as a politician was depending on this match now.


    "Axel!"


    So as soon as the whisle for timeout was blown, Patricia was the first to arrive on Axel''s side, almost lunging off her broom to hug him, which Axel avoided by backing away.


    "We have already won the match! I love you so much right now Axel! I could give you anything you ask!" She exclaimed, opting to grip his hands instead. If she couldn''t lead the other team members to defend this win that had been handed to them on a silver platter, she didn''t deserve to be a Captain. The rest of the Slytherin team also agreed. They all seemed satisfied with the situation right now.


    Axel looked at the scoreboard, which now showed 10-100 in favor of Slytherin and his fists clenched. "Not enough," he muttered, shaking his head. "Nowhere near enough."


    To draw the Organization''s attention, this was nowhere near enough.


    And neither was it enough to satisfy this twisted desire for revenge inside him.


    He didn''t know what it was like, to be ridiculed and laughed at by thousands of people right to your face. And by even more than that number who were laughing while watching this broadcast. Well, turns out, it''s fucking humiliating, and infuriating. Axel had thought that this would not affect him, but it did. And now he feels the need to show everyone exactly who it was they were laughing at.


    Even though he had this urge, he would suppress it if the situation doesn''t allow it, but right now, the situation not only permits him, it actually demands him to go further... To go wild... To have free reign.


    "I can hold back a little less today," he murmured, a grin slowly spreading across his face, which spelt doom for the Gryffindor team. Activating his senses, he decided to listen in on what they were planning.


    Beeep*


    As soon as the break was over, the Gryffindor team seemed to have completely changed its course of strategy.


    Looking around, he saw the twins and some of the other team members circling him closely, looking at him like hawks. And Rose was circling him in a wider circle.


    He knew what they were planning. Launching Boom requires you to stay facing in a particular direction for a few moments before shooting off. And the direction you''ll go is the direction you''re facing, no turns possible. So, every time you do it, you are essentially declaring the location you''re going to go, and in his case, also the direction of the snitch.


    So, as soon as he starts loading up the energy to perform it, they would know the direction and one of them would block him, while Rose goes for the snitch. It''s impossible to change direction at that speed. No one has been able to do it.


    So, since it''s impossible to change direction, he would inevitably crash into the person who had blocked his path. With a collision at that speed, he won''t be able to continue the match, and Rose would get the snitch.


    A very Gryffindor strategy, in which one of them is going to sacrifice himself for the team. Only, who said Axel always needs a Launching Boom to catch a snitch in the first place? And¡­ who said he can''t break their strategy, even while using a launching Boom?


    [Arcane Eyes]


    Activating Arcane Eyes on low burn, Axel quickly caught sight of the snitch. Then, he quickly calculated the speed and direction of his launch while loading up power in his broomstick.


    "He''s doing it! Everyone, follow the plan!" Shouted Woods, thinking everything was going according to his keikaku. The guy might as well have been popping an evil smile while at it.


    With everything done, Axel shot into a particular direction at an incredible speed, and just according to the plan, one of the twins, George Weasley, valiantly came into his path right before the second Axel had launched himself.


    Booom*


    For a moment, the Gryffindors thought they had done it, and the Slytherins realized that they had been too late to understand the Gryffindors'' strategy.


    But then, they saw Axel appear on the other side of George, his hand held high in a familiar gesture, with the Golden Snitch safely held within his grasp.


    CHEERS*


    "WHAT?! WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! I THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO CRASH! I NEED A REPLAY!" Exclaimed Jordon, mirroring everyone''s thoughts.


    Meanwhile, casually sitting on his broom, looking at the snitch struggling in his hand, Axel clicked his tongue. "Who told them to assume I can''t turn at that speed?"

 Chapter 82: RIP Gryffindor

    "WHAT?! WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! I THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO CRASH?! I NEED A REPLAY!" Exclaimed Jordan, mirroring everyone''s thoughts at witnessing the spectacle just now.


    Meanwhile, casually sitting on his broom, looking at the snitch struggling in his hand, Axel clicked his tongue. "Who told them to assume I can''t turn at that speed?" he muttered.


    Amidst the anticipatory gazes of the onlookers, the replay was played in slow motion. And, what it showed managed to baffle the onlookers even further!


    "MERLIN''S SWEATY KNICKERS! DID HE JUST-?!"


    "Jordan!"


    Lee Jordan, along with many others, couldn''t believe what they saw! Just when Axel was about to bump into George, he somehow managed to swerve around the twin, missing him by a hairs breath, blowing George''s robes due to the sheer wind force.


    "HE ACTUALLY DID IT! AXEL HUNT HAS SOMEHOW MANAGED TO TURN HIMSELF ACCURATELY AT THAT SPEED! HOW?! I DON''T KNOW!"


    Ignoring the crowd''s cheering, Axel turned his head to look back at George Weasley. ''How the fuck are only Slytherins called the villains?'' he thought knowing exactly what the guy had tried to pull. Others might have missed it, but Axel had not.


    Just now, when blocking Axel''s path, the Weasley twin had slid back on his broomstick and raised the tip to point straight at Axel. In this way, the tip of his broom would hit Axel first in case a collision happened. Since he''s far back on his own broomstick while Axel is leaning forward, George would be relatively unharmed. On the other hand, having a broomstick hit right into his helmet or gut at that speed¡­ Axel would have been in trouble.


    "Seriously?"


    First of all, they humiliate him last night for no reason other than the fact that he was in the Slytherin Quidditch team, and now this. In the situation just now, it would have still been understandable if they had tried to stop him by putting themselves at equal risk as him, but George had purposefully tried to injure Axel badly, while also making sure that he himself won''t suffer anything more than minor injuries.


    Axel shook his head in lamentation."You''ve blown it, you moron," he murmured. Previously, there was still a chance he might have let them off easy. But with the shit he had just tried to pull, Weasley had doomed himself, along with his whole team.


    Looking at the scoreboard, Axel decided to tilt it completely to one side. He was going to butcher them.


    In the minutes to come, Axel was like an unstoppable machine, catching the snitch again and again. He even stopped using the launching boom, removing Gryffindor''s delusions that they had a chance if they somehow stopped him from using it. He had already caught the Snitch 9 times by now.


    It was almost Halftime, and Axel once again went to chase after the snitch. But Rose was flying right in front of him, being lucky enough to have the snitch pass right by her side.


    "And it looks like the Gryffindor team is finally going to have their first 50! Rose Potter is on to the snitch, and Axel Hunt seems unable to catch up!"


    Indeed a bit too far behind to do anything, Axel looked at Rose, who was about to catch the snitch for the first time in the match.


    ''Should I, or should I not?'' He wondered. But then, he just laughed. "Of course I should."


    Rose has always been a little too arrogant for her own good. And since Axel has decided to take on the task of humbling her, he must be thorough.


    Rose looked at the snitch which was flying just a couple feet in front of her.


    ''This time, it''s mine!'' She thought, her hand stretching out to take the snitch. She didn''t care whether they won or lost at this point. She just wanted to beat Axel, at least for once, and wipe the confidence off that smug face.


    "ROSE POTTER IS ABOUT TO TAKE THE SNITCH! AND¡ª WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?!"


    Rose almost had the snitch in her grasp. But before she could close her fingers around it, it disappeared from her view! Turning her head, she saw that snitch clutched in Axel''s hand, which currently had its middle finger raised specifically for her! This grand gesture, promoting brilliant sportsmanship, was shown on the screen as well, to all the spectators who thought Rose was better.


    "AXEL HUNT HAS THE SNITCH! I SERIOUSLY CAN''T BELIEVE WHAT I''M SEEING! IS THIS GUY A HACKER?! Hunt has somehow caught up to Rose, snatched the Snitch right out from within her grasp, AND flipped her off! What an absolute vindictiveness! Please remind me to not get on his bad side!"


    Axel got a warning from Madam Hooch for using vulgar gestures which he shrugged off while the Slytherins, and many others among the crowd seemed to have found a new idol.


    """""AXEL! AXEL! AXEL! AXEL!""""


    Amidst thunderous cheers from the audience, the first half came to fruition, and the Slytherin team swarmed Axel once again.


    "AXEL! MARRY MEEEEE!" That was Patricia, whom Axel promptly dodged once again. The rest, they were still nameless characters for him, so he ignored them as well.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Finally getting from people trying to marry, hug and pat him, Axel wasn''t allowed to take a breather since the Gryffindor Captain Oliver Woods had accused him of cheating. That''s the thing with games. If you''re playing too well, people think you''re hacking.


    Several experts came to Axel, who still held the struggling snitch in his hand. So, instead of releasing the snitch, Axel had to give it to the experts, who began casting several spells on it to find out any signs of tempering since it did seem a bit unbelievable that he was able to catch the snitch so easily and quickly. After that, Axel''s broomstick was also checked, since his flying skills were too bloody brilliant and the last burst of speed did seem a bit sus. And then his eyes were checked in case he was wearing some sort of enchanted device which was allowing him to see the snitch.


    Meanwhile, inside the Gryffindor Locker room, the atmosphere was as depressing as a funeral. Which was kinda true, since they had just been butchered single-handedly by one person. The team members were all lost in their own thoughts, while Oliver Woods, the burly Captain and keeper of the Gryffindor team paced back and fourth, fuming.


    Rose sat quietly in a corner in a daze. What was she thinking when she accepted Axel''s challenge? Did she really think she could beat him? The guy whom she hadn''t seen lose at anything even when he was crippled?


    In the first place, what was she thinking when she went to confront him? What did it matter to her if he was seducing all the witches?


    Rose closed her eyes, and when she did, all she saw was the smug face of Axel, looking disdainfully at her with the snitch held in his hand, and the scenes of his amazing flying skills, which were much superior to hers without even trying.


    "Damn it! I can''t think of anything." Exclaimed Woods, bringing her out of her thoughts.


    "But we can''t let the Slytherin team win with such a huge landslide! We''ll be the laughing stock of the entire Britain! So if any of you have any ideas, I''m all ears.


    The three chasers were out of ideas as well.


    "We have to stop Hunt, but I have no idea how." said Angelina.


    That much was obvious. If they had to stop Slytherin they had to stop Axel. But the question was, how?


    "I don''t think we can. Why did you guys have to provoke him?!" Questioned Alicia Spinnet. "He''s a beast!"


    "Yeah, a hot one," added Katie, without realizing that she had said it out loud. Though the other two chasers certainly did not disagree.


    The twins looked at each other. "I say we take him out," said Fred.


    "We can''t beat in terms of skills anyways," said George.


    Rose disagreed immediately. "No way! We were already wrong to let you do whatever you wanted with the earlier strategy! You could have seriously injured him!"


    The twins looked innocent, "But that would have stopped him, right? And we wouldn''t be in this situation right now," said one.


    "Besides, he''s a Slytherin. We can''t go soft on him, can we Rosie?" said the other. "Don''t you remember what the Slytherins were like last year? Just think how much more insufferable they will be after this kind of win."


    "So what if he''s a Slytherin? He hasn''t done anything wrong yet," argued Katie.


    Woods, who had been silent, seemed to have decided. "Alright, we''re doing it." He said.


    "But¡ª!" Began Rose, but Oliver cut her off.


    "Save it, Rose. I''m the Captain, and I''ve decided. We can''t let him disrespect us like that. It''s just a little injury."


    This time, Rose wasn''t worried about Axel. She had gotten a glimpse of his real skills. So now, she was actually worried about their own team. "You''ll only make it worse for yourself, trust me," she said.


    "We don''t trust you anymore, Rosie."


    "After all, you are already his slave, aren''t you?"


    !


    Though the Twins were mocking her, but Rose realized... they were right!


    ''Fuck! I forgot the bet!''


    ¡­


    The examination for whether he was cheating or not resulted in nothing more than pissing Axel further off. Of course the experts couldn''t find anything.


    As soon as the match resumed, Axel spotted the snitch yet again and went after it. From in front of him, he saw Fred Weasley coming but he didn''t pay much attention.


    "And Axel''s revenge continues, he''s going for the snitch yet again¡ªAnd something is different with the Gryffindor beaters, maybe a new strategy¡ª OH!"


    ''The Hell?!'' Just as he was about to catch the snitch, Axel was surprised as one of the Weasley Twins out of the blue, decided to take a direct swing at him with his beater''s bat as he flew past him!


    Imagine flying at a blurring speed, and someone comes at you with equally blurring speed and does a close line with with his beater''s bat. Yep, you''ll be toast.


    Though with nothing to hold him back, Axel dodged of course, but missed the snitch, making him frown.


    Beep*


    The Gryffindor Beater Fred Weasley got a warning and a penalty was awarded to Slytherin.


    ''So, that''s how we''re playing now?'' Thought Axel, looking at the twins as he cracked his neck. "Then bring it!"


    For few the minutes to come, Axel''s pace increased, leaving no saving grace for Gryffindor. Even when Fred and George Weasley tried their best, how could they really take him out? Even the 10 year old Axel was skilled enough to avoid whatever tricks they had up their sleeves. Especially when he''s already on alert.


    The twins were desperate now. They knew that they were going to be disqualified if they actually succeeded. So, why not go all out? If they are losing like this, it is only fair that they bring their enemy down with them, right? It''s the least they can do.


    So, just as Axel was about to catch another snitch, one of Fred Weasley distracted Axel by hitting a bludger his way with all his might, while George Weasley snuck up to him with his wand drawn, getting in as close as he could in order to get the perfect shot.


    ''Just one hit, and it''ll be over.'' Thought the Twins in sync.


    "IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE TWINS HAVE LOST IT! A WAND! A FUCKING WAND!" Exclaimed Jordan. Even Jordan had lost it. He wanted to know exactly what his friends were thinking.


    "Jordan!" Leave it to Professor Mcgonagall to be a stickler for rules even when a student is about to be hit with an unknown spell at such a high speed. But hey, she''s only doing her job.


    "Are you kidding me right now?" With the snitch right below him, Axel noticed what the twins were doing and was baffled at their gall. Are these two for real? Even using magic? When his own wand was lying broken in his pocket and the spare wand that could land him in Azkaban for murder?


    Yeah, what a great situation to be in.


    But it would seem it was his own fault. Perhaps he had been too soft on the twins, making them think they could do anything to him without serious consequences.


    Sigh...


    "Take this as a reminder then," he said, activating [Arcane Eyes].


    The Bludger had already reached him at an incredible speed, and so had George Weasley who was about to fire a spell at him. It seemed like Axel was a goner now. Even those who trusted him were worried.


    But perfectly calm at this moment, Axel ducked low, towards the snitch and actually raised his hand up towards the Bludger made of out iron!


    "WHAT?!"


    The Bludger hit his hand at an incredible speed, but Axel rolled with its momentum, changing its direction.


    While turning, he caught the snitch which was right below him with his other hand, and then¡ª


    [Throwing]


    While still traveling at a very high speed, he launched the Bludger at George Weasley, who was about to fire a spell at him.


    BAAAM*


    ...

 Chapter 83: An Invitation

    BAAAAM*


    The bludger was thrown with such a force that Axel was pushed back a few feet with the recoil of just the force he had put into it. Add to that the force it already had, and you could tell that George Weasley''s fate had been sealed.


    SPAT* *CRACK*


    The twin never stood a chance at dodging it. Hell, he might not even have seen it coming, while trying to screw Axel over by hitting him with a spell from behind like a coward. The Bludger came to him too fast. It was like an unstoppable demolisher, aimed by a master shooter. It first hit Weasley''s wand, snapping it off, then it hit his hand, causing several fractures. And then it hit his face, taking him off his broom for a ride.


    "Happy Halloween." Said Axel, returning the words the twins had said to him, finally completing his revenge.


    "WHAT?!" Shouted Lee, and everyone, everyone who was watching the match stood up from their seats, including Lee, Mcgonagall, and even the occupants of the VIP box.


    Everything happened too fast. For a moment, it looked like Axel was going to be hit by either that bludger, or a spell, and in the next moment, he had pulled this absolutely badass roll, which hit George Weasley with the force of a cannonball.


    "OUCH! THAT MUST HAVE HURT! WE HAVE A MAN DOWN! PROFESSOR! QUICKLY SAVE HIM!"


    People couldn''t even see when the Twin got hurt, let alone where and how bad the injury was. Para-healers were quickly called, who promptly took away the Weasley Twin while giving an ok sign, signifying that he will be fine. When it was confirmed that George will live, Lee continued the commentary.


    "I don''t think I can believe my eyes. What happened just now?!" Questioned Lee. This kind of move was way above his comprehension. He had seen what had happened, of course, but he was still having trouble believing someone had really done what he had seen. Everyone else also had the same reaction. They were all waiting for the replay.


    But, their minds glitched further when they saw Axel raising his hand in the air in a gesture that had become very familiar to everyone. It was only then did they realize: The mf has even gotten the snitch?!


    "HOW IN MERLINS BARMY HEAD DID THE SNITCH GET THERE?! HUNT SOMEHOW ALSO HAS THE SNITCH IN HAND RIGHT NOW! WHAT EXACTLY JUST HAPPENED?! REPLAY IT FAST!"


    Soon, the footage was replayed, which showed in slow motion exactly how Axel caught the bludger, turned using its momentum to catch the snitch, and then redirected the Bludger straight at Weasley, while upside down. And finally, it showed him looking down at George and uttering the words, "Happy Halloween."


    """""WOOOOAAAAHHHHH""""" The spectators had various reactions towards this savagery.


    "WHAT WAS THAT?! IS THAT EVEN HUMANLY POSSIBLE?! THAT WAS HANDS DOWN, THE COOLEST THING I''VE EVER SEEN! AND THE MOST MERCILESS! HE UTTERLY DECIMATED GEORGE! That Throw was personal, as were those words, Happy Halloween, clearly as revenge for their prank past night. Merlin''s pants! Remind me to never get on this guy''s bad side. Wait, will he be fouled for it or not?"


    Yep, that WAS personal, and Axel didn''t regret it one bit. Releasing the snitch, he quietly waited as Madam Hooch discussed with a few experts on the ground about what decisions to make for what had just happened. Along with Axel, everyone else also waited with baited breaths. Looks like no one wanted him to leave anymore.


    Soon, Madam Hooch announced her decision.


    "And it would seem like Madam Hooch has made the decision! AXEL STAYS ON THE FIELD WHILE THE TWINS HAVE BEEN DISQUALIFIED! What an absolute chad, doing something like that and still playing on the field!"


    Turns out, Axel hadn''t commited any foul by critically injuring another player with a Bludger when he was not even a Beater. It would have been a foul if he had used the Beater''s bat, but understandably, there are no rules for what to do when a player catches the Bludger by hand and uses it to injure the Beater instead.


    CHEERS*


    Deafening cheers came from the audience, who didn''t want to miss even a little bit of time watching this genius play.


    """""AXEL! AXEL! AXEL! AXEL!"""""


    Sitting on his broomstick with the snitch still in his hand, Axel looked at the crowd that was chanting his name and felt the adrenaline pumping.


    "Is this enough?"


    He had gone and done it now. He had broken free of some of the faux mediocrity he had shrouded himself in. And he had to admit, it felt great, addicting, even. But he knew that this was the limit. He was not strong enough to afford revealing more for now.


    But¡­


    "One day." He decided. One day, he''ll be at the top, and won''t be afraid to show it.


    ¡­


    On the other hand, inside the VVIP box, Bellatrix struggled against the ropes she had been bound into. "Andi, don''t be ridiculous. Are you seriously going to have me call guards on my own sister?" she asked, her eyes on Axel.


    Andromeda, who was currently holding two wands in her hands right now, sighed. "And who forced me to do it? You would have killed those two if I hadn''t bound you."


    "Not before torturing them to insanity! And those two cheeky fuckers would have deserved it!"


    Andromeda winced at the statement, and the ropes around Bellatrix tightened. "No one. Absolutely no one deserves getting tortured to insanity, Bella! And I am the one being ridiculous, she says," said Andromeda, looking at the ceiling.


    At Andromeda''s outburst, Bellatrix bit her tongue, recalling her brother-in-law in Saint Mungos, who had been tortured to insanity. She had been out of line.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    (She was being a bad girl, and she needs punishment.)


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t actually mean it¡­" she said, looking away.


    Andromeda shook her head, "We both know you did," she said in slight annoyance. That''s the thing with Bella. Once she gets attached, there are no boundaries she wouldn''t cross for that person, right or wrong be damned, consequences be damned.


    Andromeda sighed, recalling what had happened earlier here.


    ¡ªFlashback¡ª


    "What the fuck?! Who do they think they''re laughing at?!" Shouted Bellatrix, throwing away her popcorn.


    Axel''s clip had just been shown on the big screens, and as expected, Bellatrix had gone berserk.


    "That Lee guy and those twins! I''m going to kill them! And Rose needs some serious spanking as well! As for those who are laughing, I''ll ban them from all Quidditch stadiums in Britain!"


    "Calm down, Bella. These things happen sometimes. Don''t take extreme measures. We have to deal with this smartly. " said Andromeda, not really surprised. She was only cursing whoever had the brilliant idea of showing these clips here.


    "This IS the smart thing to do," said Bella. "Anyone who goes against Axel dies."


    Andromeda shook her head in regret. That is exactly what she had been worried about.


    Thankfully, the match started, distracting Bellatrix. Though Andromeda couldn''t watch. She knew exactly how bad Axel''s condition had been. So she was not hopeful.


    But¡­


    CHEERS*


    "WOW! YES! YES! YES! HE DID IT! HE DID IT!"


    But when she heard the crowd making noise and her sister, the dignified Minister of Magic, jumping up and down like a little girl, Andromeda was left flabbergasted.


    "H-How¡­?" She questioned, unable to believe her eyes. How did Axel recover perfectly from his previous condition? It was already surprising enough that he hadn''t gone mad after that torture, then it was surprising enough that he had been managing to do great despite those injuries, and then it was surprising enough that he actually seemed to have recovered.


    But¡­ doing something like this¡­ Flying with such grace and catching the snitch with such precision. Andromeda had to accept it now. Miracles do happen¡­ at least for certain people.


    Just when she was feeling relieved thinking that her sister won''t be causing any trouble today, those fools started targeting Axel, once again setting Bella off again and again for the rest of the match, which led to the current situation, where she''s bound to the chair.


    Bellatrix once again struggled with her ropes, "At least let me celebrate! He was so brilliant today¡­" she said, sighing fondly. His father would be proud.


    "That he was," Andromeda agreed. She hadn''t seen anyone as skilled as Axel. Recalling how the boy had looked at his hands at that hospital bed, she realized the deep meaning behind his ironic and hopeless look when he had found out his hands along with his body were useless. He had just experienced something which would drive anyone else insane and then he had to face the fact that he had just been stripped of what he was best at. Stripped of qualities which defined him.


    She could only imagine how strong his mental state must be, to not waste even a single moment moping around and instead trying his best to move forward.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, inside the other VVIP box.


    Enzo ate his popcorn, while laughing, "Damn! That was fucking awesome!" He declared. Even his mother didn''t scold him about the language this time like she does.


    Alessandro sipped his martini (the drink), looking at Axel in approval, "There''s no doubt about it. That guy is a Top G. Trashed the whole team single-handedly and even returned the damage multiple folds."


    Enzo nodded, "Did you see that throw? No mercy! He''s one of us. No wonder little sis fell for him."


    "I did NOT fall for him. I just said he''s interesting!" Said Martina, coming out of her thoughts. She had been really worried about Axel just now. To begin with, he was already tired from the fight last night and in no shape to play. And then his wand had also been broken, meaning he couldn''t have defended himself even if he wanted to.


    Francesca looked at her, and she could clearly tell her daughter genuinely cared for the boy.


    Her gaze turned to Axel, judging him critically. "His injuries from last time seem to have healed perfectly, he has a prime physique, and he is academically at the top of his class, and has an unseen amount of skills. He certainly surpasses the criteria."


    "Why does nobody listen?! He is my friend!" Exclaimed Martina, but she really was considering inviting Axel over for a different reason: his wand.


    "We hear you, Martini. We hear you. But you''re turning 16, and you haven''t even been engaged yet," said her father.


    In Mafia families, it was the norm for their children to be engaged in their childhood, as in by the age of 12. It''s a way of establishing relationships among their groups and saying, ''Peace bro, we ain''t fighting each other no more. Let''s find someone else to mess with together.''


    But Martina hadn''t been engaged yet. One, because Martina strongly denied it, and two, no one can mess with the Valentinos. They try, of course, but it''s always futile. So, even if she''s unaware, her engagement is turning into something of a big deal. The wealth and power of the Valentino Family is immeasurable and it''s common knowledge that Martina''s is the center of the Valentino Family. Whoever marries her will have the entire Valentino Family as their backing.


    That''s why, all the Mafia families are desperately fighting to have her marry into their family, causing a headache to the Valentinos. To decrease the competition, they''re even spreading all sorts of rumors, like there''s something wrong with her and that''s why she hasn''t been engaged yet or that she likes girls.


    So, her family is currently looking for suitable candidates, to fix up the engagement and stop these hyenas who are eyeing their family. Martina, of course, is unaware of all this, lest she forces herself to get engaged to someone.


    "Don''t bring up my engagement, dad. I''m not thinking about it until it''s absolutely necessary," said Martina, lost in thought. When his wand had been broken, Axel had seemed really down. It was the first time she had seen him care so much about something. So, she had gotten a bit too ahead of herself when saying that she could help him fix it by mistake, making Axel think that she could fix it. Before she could clarify, they had to run due to Akiko''s warning. By the time she had turned around to see Axel, he had already gone.


    It''s not a lie that she''s great at making wands and that she could ''help'' him fix it, but, Wandlore is a subject that can only be learnt through time and experience. And fixing his wand¡­ it''s a bit risky for her. So, asking for her teacher''s help would be for the best since it''s guaranteed it will be fixed. There''s only one problem: Her teacher doesn''t do anything for outsiders.


    So, Martina looked at her mom, "Mom, Axel''s wand has been damaged..."


    Yep, it''s her mom. Her mom''s family specializes in magical weapons. This was also the source of Axel''s knife. Only, they don''t share them with outsiders.


    "Specifications?" Asked her mother.


    "Beechwood, 12 inches, and Cherub hair as its core. There''s critical damage to the wood and slight damage to the Cherub core."


    Her mother raised an eyebrow, "Cherub hair? No wonder. But beechwood doesn''t seem to suit him. Does he have a problem with his control?" Asked her mother, evaluating Axel further based on his wand.


    Martina scratched her cheek at her mom''s ''No wonder'' comment. Cherub wand users are usually known to be very charming and charismatic. Even if she said that that is not the reason why she''s Axel''s friend, it''s not like anyone in here is going to believe her. As for the matter of Beechwood not suiting him, Beechwood focuses on control more than power.


    "No, his control is good, too good, infact. But it used to be very bad before his injuries were healed so it used to suit him well. I was thinking we could replace the wood, along with other changes," she replied.


    Her mom''s eyebrows raised further. "Even ''those'' changes?"


    Martina sighed, knowing what they were going to think, but she had to do this. Axel had saved her life. And just yesterday, saved the school. It''s the least she can do.


    "Yes mom, I want the best. But it''s really not what you think, sigh..."


    All three other Valentinos in the room looked at Martina, making her feel like dying out of mortification. Finally, her mother gave out her verdict. "Fine, invite him over for Christmas. I''ll see what I can do," she said with a smile.

 Chapter 84: Snap

    During the amazing Axel V/S Gryffindor match, the VIP box had been quite eventful. So much so that it deserves its own chapter.


    ¡ªbefore the start of the match¡ª


    Inside the VIP box, the scene was a bit peculiar.


    Aside from various influential families, there was another group of people present, attracting a lot of attention. They were scouters, the people looking to sign talented prospects into their team.


    Scouters are here every match, so what''s the big deal? Well, the big deal is that, usually, they''re from local minor leagues, looking for talent. But today, aside from these, there were the real deal here as well, the big leaguers. And not just one or two from Britain, but from foreign clubs as well, which is quite surprising for a school Quidditch match.


    And, there''s only one reason why they''re here: Rose Lily Potter.


    Usually, the big leaguers don''t need to do this kind of grunt work. They can poach whoever they want directly from the minor league teams and even other Major league teams quite easily. But this time, the situation is a bit different.


    The viral clips of Rose were really impressive, which is not surprising considering that she''s extraordinarily talented and has been training from an early childhood. She''s even suspected to have what these people call a once-in-a-century level talent.


    Another advantage is her young age. There are no age rules, so most of these people like to have them young, because they''re cheaper and they can be taught all the pro techniques, grooming them to perfection.


    (We''re talking about Quidditch)


    So, here they are, to confirm her talent in person and sign her up quickly before the other predators get their hands on her.


    But, when the match finally started, something unexpected happened.


    "Did that guy just¡ª?"


    "The snitch!"


    "H-How¡­?"


    "The match just started, damn it! Isn''t this a record?!"


    "But how did he even do it? Did anyone see?"


    None of them did. All of them were only looking at Rose, it would seem. As people who called themselves Quidditch experts, they were quite embarrassed.


    "Is it only me or no one else saw what just happened just now as well? Let''s see the replay of the catch!" said Lee.


    But when the replay was played¡ª


    "A Fucking Launching Boom¡­"


    "Merlin''s Eyeballs!"


    "For the love of Quidditch¡ª"


    "Merde¡­"


    "Did that guy just casually pull off a launching Boom?"


    "You sure we were here for the girl?"


    These guys had the most intense reactions. Because they knew the significance of what Axel had just done.


    On the other hand, the situation was completely different on the other side of the VIP box.


    "Suck it, Neville!" That''s what Daphne had said, soon after Axel''s first catch was replayed, to Neville in a low voice, flipping him the bird. Neville''s ears turned red out of embarrassment and anger. He was sitting with his father and gran, both of whom certainly didn''t appreciate her extreme politeness.


    Frank Longbottom frowned. Just now, he had been listening to his son complain about how Daphne had gone dark and was supporting the Slytherin team today due to some random guy, even fighting with Neville over it. Frank had a hard time believing that, since Daphne used to be a very polite and sensible girl in his memory, but seeing her right now he figured his son was indeed speaking the truth.


    "Mrs. Greengrass," he said, looking at Evelyn. "I know it must be hard on you after Cyrus, but you have to pay better attention to your daughter''s behavior."


    Evelyn was embarrassed, "I apologize on my daughter''s behalf. I''ll have words with her." she said before turning to Daphne. "What was that about?" She asked in a low voice.


    "That jealous git is always talking bad about Axel," said Daphne glaring at Neville, and that was all the explanation Evelyn needed, her attitude towards the situation changing 180.


    Unaware that he was no longer going to receive the same courtesy twice, Mr. Longbottom nodded patronizingly. He truly believed that the Catch just now was a fluke and Axel was no good. "It''s better that you understand. That kid has no family background , and he was still sent to Slytherin and no matter how good he plays, he can''t match prodigies like Rose. Kids like that have no future to speak of and will only have a negative influence on your daughter. It''s better to nip the bud in the early bloom," he said helpfully. The girl has no father figure to look out for these things, so he might as well help them out as a common courtesy to their children''s friendship.


    Evelyn''s eyes turned cold. Axel was the savior and benefactor of their family. And someone insulting him is someone insulting her family. She was going to say some choice words to Frank Longbottom, but something happened.


    Boom*


    "ARE YOU SHITTING ME RIGHT NOW?! ANOTHER ONE?!


    While Mr. Longbottom was giving his valuable opinions on Axel, Axel had once again caught the snitch in just a minute after his first catch, making Mr. Longbottom eat his words.


    "AXEL HUNT HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH YET AGAIN! Has one minute even passed yet since the release of the snitch?! How many records did he break this time?! It Has Been Confirmed, BOTH OF THOSE CATCHES AND SKILLS ARE NO FLUKES. WE MIGHT ACTUALLY BE WATCHING THE DEBUT OF A FUTURE QUIDDITCH LEGEND!"


    Evelyn smiled kindly at Frank, "I think I would know better what''s best for my daughter, Frank. Please keep your long bottom out of it."


    "...!" Mr. Longbottom''s patronizing smile vanished.


    "Pffft!" A snicker was heard from near a seat beside them and the group turned to see Sirius Black sitting along with his wife Marlene and son Jamie. "Frankly speaking, got your long bottom kicked, Frank," said Sirius with a chuckle.


    Frank scowled at his friend. "Thought we were on the same side here," he gruffed, feeling even more annoyed. He had been speaking against the person who''s currently kicking his friend''s god-daughter''s bottom right now.


    Sirius chuckled, "Why so sirius, Frank? And I didn''t say you were wrong. The kid''s skilled, I gotta admit, insanely so, but we ARE gonna kick the Slytherin''s bottom today. Launching Boom has its flaws after all," he said assuredly. Being the best friend of a seeker and a Godfather of another makes you know your Quidditch. So he could already see how this was going to play out.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "The boy''s in danger, people. One more launching Boom, and he''s going to the infirmary," said Sirius, his deep, far-seeing eyes set on the pitch, giving off the impression of an expert. "Oh look, it''s already starting." He added, and indeed, something had indeed started on the pitch, as the Gryffindor had changed their composition.


    "What?" Daphne became worried. Axel was already looking a bit under the weather ever since he returned last night. She was worried he might not be ready for whatever was coming.


    Seeing Daphne like that, Neville was of course glad. "You suck it now." But daphne was too worried to him pay attention.


    "They''re going to take him down. If he uses that trick again, he''s going to crash. So if he has any sense, he should stop doing it now." Explained Sirius. "Oh no, he''s doing it again. Sigh¡­.As expected, he''s good, but seems like he''s still too green," he said, feeling more relieved than he sounded at the knowledge. The Scouters were here so Rose needed to perform well today. And this Axel was currently stealing her thunder.


    Sirius''s words of wisdom made all the Greengrasses worried while in the pitch, Axel had been loading his energy, about to shoot off. Suddenly, they saw George Weasley get in his way and understood what was going to happen. "NO!" Daphne stood up from her seat, but it was too late.


    Boom*


    Axel disappeared from their view, and Evelyn had to hold her daughter back to stop her from rushing to the stadium. But then,


    "WHAT?! WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!"


    CHEERS*


    They saw Axel appear on the other side of George, his hand held high in a familiar gesture, with the Golden Snitch safely held within his grasp. Daphne finally took a deep breath, her heart still hammering her chest due to the earlier scare.


    "He''s fine!" Said Astoria, hugging her mother.


    On the other hand, Sirius sat there like a statue, his words stuck in his throat as he tried to clear it while the Greengrass sisters gave him matching judgy glares. ''Don''t talk if you don''t know anything,'' they seemed to say with their eyes. They had thought he was an expert. On the other hand, their mother was pure savage. "Your gift of foresight rivals the psychics of knockturn alley, Mr. Black. I am most impressed."


    "Ahem¡­ he¡ªuh¡­. Oh he did that¡­," tried Sirius, pretending to understand, though he had no idea what the fuck had just had happened out there. The expert image he had was shattering to bits. "It''s the least likely outcome, huh? He must be really lucky," he said, nodding his head to himself while his wife Marlene tried to hide her face out of second hand embarrassment.


    At this moment, the replay was shown, in which Axel masterfully swerved around the twin, dodging him by a hair''s breadth very calmly, and then catching the snitch.


    "HE ACTUALLY DID IT! AXEL HUNT HAS SOMEHOW MANAGED TO TURN HIMSELF ACCURATELY AT THAT SPEED! WHAT AN AMAZING SHOW OF SKILLS!"


    Sirius: *slap* *slap* His cheeks felt swollen.


    "Mum, is this person really an expert?" Asked Astoria, pointing at Sirius.


    Evelyn shook her head, "No Tory, he''s a prankster. He likes to scare and bother people. Don''t listen to him."


    "Oh¡­so he''s like those bad twins?" Astoria asked, pointing at Fred and George.


    Evelyn nodded. "Exactly."


    Astoria looked at Sirius with a pouty glare before turning away.


    Sirius: ? "..." ''I really am an expert¡­. You have to believe that. I haven''t spent all these years supporting Reggie, James, and Rose in vain!'' Sirius was Siriusly hurt. "Oh, something must have caught my eyes," he said, rubbing his eyes. He wasn''t trying to hide his tears. Nope, not at all.


    At this point, even Frank pretended he did not know this guy. It''s not like he did not have the same thoughts, but at least he did not say them aloud anymore. But, he and his son could really sympathize with the man. These Greengrass women are brutal with their words.


    On the other side, the selectors: "OHHHH"


    "H-How?


    "God¡­ I''ve seen god."


    "Dayyumm! That was smooth as butter! How IS he doing this?"


    "Hello sir¡­ yes I''m seeing this too, sir. Yes I''ll try my best. Offer anything? Even that much sir? Yes sir. And sir, about Rose¡­ forget her? Alright¡­"


    Everyone of these scouts was already out of their seats, their attention focused solely on Axel. Once in a Century talent? This was a talent that''s never been seen in the history of Quidditch. Screw Rose. They can''t miss someone like this.


    The game continued like that, with these experts not moving their eyes away from Axel. They were already discussing the amount and terms they were going to offer with their bosses. Like this, the half time arrived, and Sirius got up from his seat. "Excuse me."


    To his credit, he had managed to keep his mouth shut until now with much difficulty, which turned out to be a good thing, since he would have been wrong again with the last catch in which Axel magically outflew Rose.


    Going out, he took out his Magi-mirror and typed a message.


    "Take out the seeker. At any cost." He sent it to someone he had saved as "New Marauders". He also sent out a few hundred galleons. This much was like chump change for him.


    The other side replied instantly, "Lord Padfoot has spoken. It shall be done!"


    What? He can''t let his daughter be a slave to a Slytherin boy, right? Oh, and these two were his successors. Their pranks are hilarious.


    Whistling a jolly tune, Sirius pocketed his magi mirror. Now, to save his expert''s image¡­


    Returning to his seat, he confidently looked at the Greengrasses. "I have some sirius predictions for the second half. And I think it''ll be for the best if your hero sits this one out," he said, waiting for them demand an explanation.


    But at this point, the Greengrass women just nodded perfunctorily giving him a lukewarm glance before turning their attention back to the match.


    Sirius shrugged. And within the first few minutes of the match, one of the Weasley Twins directly took a swing at Axel with his beater''s bat!


    "THAT BLOODY ¡ª" yelled Daphne almost at the top of her lungs, but paused mid-curse, realizing she was in the presence of many influential people of the society. Covering her face, she buried herself in her seat, completely mortified. Her perfect pureblood heiress image was ruined. ''Axel Hunt! You''ll be the death of me!'' She thought furiously, her cheeks burning. The problem was, she was okay with that¡­Seriously what is happening to her?!


    Sirius sipped on his drink leisurely, sitting with his legs crossed. "Ladies, is this the part where I say, ''I told you so''?" He said calmly, though he was quite surprised, disappointed and annoyed that the boy somehow dodged, similar to how you feel when you smash a cockroach, only for it to spring up and run away without damage. For the next few minutes, the Greengrasses were constantly on edge, with the Twins attempting everything to take him down, and Sirius passing out ominous comments, making them quite anxious.


    Not too long after, Axel was met with an inescapable situation! A Bludger was headed his way and one of the twins had drawn his wand, approaching close to him.


    Daphne was extremely angry right now. And she didn''t even know who. But she knew one thing: This man needs to shut up. She has absolute faith in Axel''s ability, but she can''t help but worry. And this man''s constant "predictions" aren''t helping.


    "Let''s see if he can escape this¡­" said Sirius excited.


    A few moments later¡­ Sirius Black sat with a blackened eye, looking at Axel, who had somehow managed to pull off something incredible. Only now did he wish he had kept his mouth shut the whole time. But today, he had at least learnt a few life lessons.


    Firstly, ''I''m never betting against that kid again... whatever the situation. He''s a monster.'' and second, ''That girl packs a Sirius punch.''


    ¡­


    The match finally ended, with Gryffindor''s or any team''s worst defeat in the history of Quidditch. The point margin had never been this huge in the History, even back when the rules hadn''t changed and the games sometimes had to be stretched for days because the Seekers couldn''t catch the snitch.


    "Sigh... It''s finally over..."


    Axel''s head was feeling very heavy towards the end of the match, maybe because he was mysophobic and the crowd was just too damn loud. But his headache persisted even after he turned down his hearing using his [Super Sense].


    When he finally landed on the ground, he wobbled a bit as his feet felt shaky. ''System, the heck is up with my body?''


    [It''s not only because of your body, Axel. But the cause is the skill [Limit Break]. A long break is necessary to recover from that skill, depending on by how much you have broken past your limit. But you have only pushed your body and senses to work intensively after that, only getting a few hours break. You need immediate rest.]


    While he was still struggling to keep standing, with his vision blurring, Axel felt someone jump on him, almost making him fall as they hung onto him like a koala.


    "AXEL! Banaca! I finally got my hands on you! Holy Diana, you were amazing!" It was Patricia, who had landed not long after he did. But before he could muster enough strength to push her off, the rest of his team members had arrived, also leaping onto him.


    "Get away from him, you all! Let the guy breathe!" Though someone came at the right time, right before he was about to snap, pushing away his team members much to his appreciation. Only, this person wasn''t any better. Axel was suddenly dragged into a side hug, as the man seemed to parade him along. And Axel realized who it was:


    ''Lockhart?''


    Why this fool of all people?


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, my Student, Axel Hunt! Came to me for some Quidditch tips. He''s learnt a lot from me. So proud of you, Axel." He felt the person rubbing his head as if they were very close. "I think your parents must be proud, huh? Tell them that they don''t need to thank me much, I was¡ª"


    Okay, that was it for Axel. A could only take so much before he¡ª


    Snap*


    ...

 Chapter 85: Lockhart Destroyed

    "With that, this painful match finally ends, and I can NOT believe the numbers on the scoreboard! 1140 to 90 in Slytherin''s lead! With a MASSIVE 1050 point difference!"


    "Axel Hunt, the star of the match, finally lands on the ground, and his feet are looking a little bit shaky. Well, can''t tell what state he must be in, cause no one else is even capable of doing what he did today."


    "And OH! A hug from the Stunning Slytherin Captain, boy is he lucky. And here comes the rest of the team! The Slytherin team is having a moment right now, but Axel Hunt doesn''t seem to be in a good state¡­"


    Axel, as the main attraction of the whole match, was of course being shown on the big screens. And by now, people were obviously starting to take notice that something was wrong.


    "Honey, there are wards out here! Only reporters, professors and players are allowed entry into the pitch," said Evelyn, putting a hand on the panicking Daphne''s shoulder.


    "Can''t you do something about it mum? He''s clearly not alright!"


    Daphne was trying her best to get into the pitch. But students or civilian entry was forbidden, with all kinds of wards set up.


    "That idiot! I knew he wasn''t alright." Said Martina in half worry and half annoyance.


    "And here comes¡­ Professor Lockhart?" Commentated Lee. "Woah, didn''t see him coming, but looks like he''s getting everyone off of Axel. And¡­ Now he is hugging him?"


    On the big screen, pure vexation was clearly written all over Axel''s face which was considerably paler, while Lockhart was waving his hand to the cameras with his brilliant smile, making outlandish claims.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, my Student, Axel Hunt! Came to me for some Quidditch tips. He''s learnt a lot from me! So proud of you, Axel." Axel felt the person rubbing his head as if they were very close. "I think your parents must be proud, huh? Tell them that they don''t need to thank me much, I was only¡ª"


    *Snap*


    Axel had had enough. He had been feeling nauseous for a while and there was only so much he could take. The teammates couldn''t really be blamed for their reaction, he had won them a match and they were just thanking him. So even if he didn''t like it, it didn''t piss him off too much.


    But what the heck is up with this guy? Is he really doing this right now?


    Even though Axel''s body and his senses weren''t working properly, his mind was. And he knew what had just happened. This person, Gilderoy Lockhart, is a very popular, well-established, and very experienced adventurer. His skillset includes being great at pretty much everything. And who is Axel? Before today, a fucking nobody. So, if Lockhart claims he''s got some great insights in Quidditch and he trained Axel, and Axel says otherwise, who''s the majority of people going to believe? Of course Lockhart.


    It means this man is trying to piss on all of what he did today.


    Today, when Axel woke up, he wanted nothing more than to sleep a bit more. It wasn''t like his usual ''tired-to-bone'' kind of tired state... it was even worse, due to the [Limit Break] backlash, but he still forced himself. He came here, and did everything he needed to do, even exposing many of his cards, even if he needed rest, and even if it was so risky for him to show off.


    And here is this bastard, trying to take that all away? For what? Simple fame? How infuriating is that?!


    Plus, Axel didn''t really like the comment about his parents. They will be proud? Well their son is a thieving murderer. Axel was sure they couldn''t be prouder. But it''s their fault for abandoning him.


    And lastly, ''This guy''s sticking too close! And he''s too creepy,'' thought Axel in revulsion, trying to move his body to push the bastard away.


    Usually, Axel would be pissed with even one of these things. But right now, they''re all happening together while he can''t do anything. So, he could not be blamed for what he did next.


    [Limit Break]


    Raising his hand, Axel gripped the hand that was rubbing his hair. And¡ª


    *Crack* *crick-CRACK*


    "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"


    In the next moment, Lockhart found himself lying on the ground, screaming like a little girl, with many of his bones broken.


    "You have an extreme talent for pissing people off," spat Axel. In terms of being infuriating, this guy couldn''t rival Umbridge, but yeah, he comes pretty close. And that was saying something.


    *Ding*


    Red messages started popping up in front of his eyes, and Axel felt like his head was splitting off. But he couldn''t leave as bright flashes of lights started to come from all around him, as the reporters who had been on the ground began to surround him for a close up shot on what had just happened while asking him questions.


    "Mr. Hunt! Why did you injure a professor?"


    "Axel! Is what Professor Lockhart said really true?"


    "Were you really taught by him?"


    Now after using Limit Break once again, even his mind was having problems working, since all of his concentration was spent on not passing out. At this moment, a commotion started in the crowd as the reporters slowly parted to reveal a familiar figure.


    "Professor Lockhart is only trying to wrongfully claim the credit," said the person sharply. "The man can''t even replicate 5% of Axel''s skill and neither does he know how to perform even half of the tricks Axel performed today. He hasn''t taught anything to Axel. In fact, before today, that man didn''t even know about Axel''s existence, much less teach him anything," said the person, spitting facts in everyone''s faces. But, it wasn''t just the words that had a high impact. It was also the person who had spoken those words.


    """Martina... Valentino?!"""


    "Miss Valentino herself has come to Axel Hunt''s defense!"


    "Miss Valentino, why are you defending Axel Hunt?"


    "Miss Valentino, are you accusing Gilderoy Lockhart of blatantly lying in front of the whole world?!"


    Yep, the person was Martina herself, who came to stand beside Axel. Martina nodded at the cameras. "Yes, Gilderoy Lockhart is lying and it''s very easy to prove it. You can test him anytime. He won''t be half as skilled as Axel, not to mention the fact that he''s only been here for barely 2 months, not really enough to learn anything of that level," she said matter of factly, thoroughly crushing Lockhart''s claims and also showing his stupidity.


    "After Axel has shown his talent today, Lockhart is just one of the many who are going to try and take advantage of him. But Axel is my friend, and I won''t let anyone make use of him like that," she said sternly, radiating a powerful presence.


    She then turned to Axel and her brows furrowed in worry, noticing his pale face and unsteady feet.


    "Are you alright? You shouldn''t have pushed yourself so hard last night!" she said, trying to support him.


    ""!""" Last night? Shouldn''t have pushed himself? The reporters realized that they had struck gold.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    "I''m¡­ fine¡­ and thanks," muttered Axel. He was really grateful to her for stepping up. Between Lockhart and Axel, Lockhart would have won. But between Lockhart and Martina? The fraud doesn''t stand a chance.


    Martina could clearly tell he wasn''t "fine" as she came forward and tried to support him.


    *Whoosh*


    Just then, a gust of wind blew, as someone appeared right behind him, and even in his woosy state, Axel still recognized the familiar presence easily.


    "Hah¡­ you''re here too?" He asked, without even turning back. He thought that student entry was forbidden?


    "You were amazing... just like last night." said Akiko, her hand landing on his shoulder to support him too. She had, of course been watching the match too and knew about Axel''s condition.


    The reporters: """!""" Nani?! Another one?! This is Jackpot!


    Axel nodded, now the red messages in front of his eyes finally fading, and the noise around him also getting lower. His body was no longer able to hold on. "Then¡­ guess I''m in safe hands..." he managed, as he finally let go of his consciousness.


    ...


    That day, the name Axel Hunt made big waves around the world. Catching the snitch wasn''t the same as scoring a goal. No matter how many goals you score in minor leagues or in school Quidditch, it wouldn''t be comparable to scoring in a World Cup or a Major League. Because scoring goals depends more on the level of the opponent team than personal skill. But, catching the Snitch is almost the same in any format. Because the snitch is always difficult to catch.


    And someone catching the snitch 22 times in a single match¡­ anyone with even a little Quidditch knowledge would be interested.


    Video and articles, all with colorful titles began appearing within hours after the ending of the match.


    "HOGWARTS STUDENT CATCHES THE SNITCH 22 TIMES IN A SINGLE MATCH!"


    In an Inter-house Quidditch match at Hogwarts, a student named Axel Hunt (13) managed to make History by catching the snitch a total of 22 times in a single match. This is reportedly the highest number of time anyone has ever caught the snitch in a single match, the second highest being a measly number of 8 by another student named Victor Krum. This was¡­ Click here to continue.


    THE FASTEST CATCH IN THE HISTORY OF QUIDDITCH


    The fastest catch! A player caught the snitch in just 11.2 seconds, creating a world record! The player'' is Axel Hunt, 13 year old, and he caught it using the very difficult technique, the Launching Boom.


    "A 13 YEAR OLD SEEKER BREAKS MORE THAN 20 RECORDS IN A SINGLE MATCH: ANOTHER RECORD!"


    Axel Hunt, a member of House Slytherin at Hogwarts, managed to break the record of most records being broken by a single player in a single match. Watch the highlights of his spectacular performance here.


    "THE MOST BRILLIANT CATCH IN QUIDDITCH HISTORY"


    We guarantee you have never seen a catch like this. In an iconic match, the seeker catches the Bludger with one hand and the snitch with the other, but it doesn''t end here. Watch in high quality ?


    "GILDEROY LOCKHART GETS THRASHED BY 13-YEAR-OLD BOY"


    The Well-established Defender Against The Dark Arts, Best seller Author, and famous Adventurer and influencer Gilderoy Lockhart, who is currently teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts subject at Hogwarts gets brutally beaten on by 13 year old student. Reportedly, the students was not in a right state after his match and Lockhart pushed his buttons further by claiming credit for the boy''s achievements, causing the boy to lash out.


    There were thousands of videos and articles like this started appearing, making Axel''s name resound not only in Britain but also in different parts of the world. And various Articles of Axel began to come up as well.


    "WHO IS AXEL HUNT? EVERYTHING ABOUT THE QUIDDITCH PLAYER AXEL HUNT IN A NUTSHELL."


    Suddenly, a name has become very popular by taking the Quidditch world by storm by breaking more than 20 world records in a single game. So naturally, the questions have begun to arise. Who is Axel? What kind of person is he? What is his family background?


    In this article, we will cover everything we have managed to find about the rising Legend.


    The first thing we discovered, is that Axel Hunt is a mystery. His birth is not registered in the ministry or Hogwarts website like all other students. There''s no information about what his life was like before coming to Hogwarts and neither is there any information about his parents or legal guardian. According to our sources, the boy has always arrived and left the Kings Cross Station alone, and nor has anyone come to visit him on the visiting days either.


    In his first year, the boy had come to Hogwarts heavily injured, and his performance at his classes were consequently affected as well, including his performance at Quidditch. "He used to fly without gripping the handle. His hands were always all shaky,'''' said one of his anonymous classmates.


    "His spells used to be very weak. And his hands were always shaking. Also, his aiming was horrible," was what another source confirmed.


    The cause, origins, nature of Hunt''s injuries remain undisclosed but it was something that even Hogwarts'' finest medical staff couldn''t heal, and it caused him to have problems with his magic casting, dexterity, and balance¡­ almost everything a good wizard and Quidditch player needs.


    But Hunt didn''t let this bring him down, as over the year, he made steady improvements in his health and studies, becoming one of the top students at Hogwarts. He finished his Hogwarts first year as the Valedictorian, coming first in almost every subject¡­ click here for more.


    "MOST POPULAR BOY AT HOGWARTS?"


    (Below were pictures attached of Axels. One of him being supported by Martina and Akiko, one of him face to face with Rose, one of him being hugged by Rose and one of him and Daphne.)


    Click here to read ?


    ¡­


    While these kinds of articles were appearing all over the internet, unaware of all this, Axel was blissfully asleep in the VIP ward with no disturbances. When he finally woke up, it was already the next day.


    Looking around, Axel found himself in an empty room with no one present, only a large pile of letters, and various chocolates and other kinds of trinkets. As soon as he sat up, a bell on his bedside began ringing, causing him to try and shut the thing down.


    While he was still fiddling with the thing, the door opened and Madam Pomfrey entered. "I have to say Mr. Hunt, you continue to suprise me," she said in exasperation, to his bedside with a writing pad. "How did your crippling injuries from last time get healed? It''s like¡­ they were never there," she said, slight intrigue and frustration slipping into her tone.


    Sigh¡­


    Axel sighed. He had been planning on avoiding Pomfrey for this exact reason. That was also the reason he learnt [heal]. But oh well, him and dangers are old friends, and he should have known it was inevitable to avoid this place forever. Now that Madam Pomfrey has had time to scan his body, she must have noticed a lot of peculiarities about it.


    "Professor, I am not telling you. And I will ask your complete discretion over the matter through the Healer-Patient confidentiality pact as well. Also, please destroy any reports you have on me."


    If there was one thing everyone knew about Madam Pomfrey, it was that she was a stickler for rules. And Axel knew the rules now, he knew he could do this.


    Madam Pomfrey gave him a disapproving look. "Mr. Hunt, are you aware how many people we could hel¡ª"


    "Pardon me, Madam Pomfrey," interrupted Axel, "But I couldn''t give a flying fuck about how many people you could help with whatever I reveal. Besides, it is useless even if I do tell you since it was a one time thing," he said simply, flexing his fingers to check their functioning.


    He could understand the Medi-witch''s perspective, but the cure included the substance called the immortal elixir. There was no chance in hell he was telling her. Anyways, he wouldn''t tell her even if it was cheap and easy to make the recipe. He''d rather sell the potion made from it to the rich people at high prices.


    "Now could you tell me where I am? Can I leave now?" He asked, flexing his arms and legs experimentally. He was still feeling tired, but everything else seemed fine.


    Madam Pomfrey sniffed disapprovingly. "You had half the school coming here to see you so you had to be shifted in the VIP room. And no, you are not leaving until you''ve gotten at least two more days of rest. Your condition is serious."


    Axel frowned, "Serious? Isn''t it just some fatigue?"


    Madam Pomfrey seemed to consider hitting the boy. "Fatigue?! Your body was refusing to function properly no matter what I tried. I have never seen this level of "fatigue", or whatever it is. It is always like this with you," she said in complete exasperation. Before this, he had suffered from extreme torture, to the point his nerves had received permanent damage.


    Madam Pomfrey gave him a judging look, "You don''t¡­ enjoy this, do you?"


    Now Axel considered hitting her instead. Enjoy?! Enjoy your sister! He did NOT survive all that torture to be humiliated like this! But Madam Pomfrey actually smirked a little, meaning she had said it on purpose, maybe revenge for him being a snob. But Axel''s eyes narrowed. Alright, he will remember this.


    In a much better mood, Madam Pomfrey handed him a list containing various names. "You have quite a few visitors waiting for you. Which one would you like to meet first?"


    Axel looked at the list.


    "Daphne Greengrasses, Martina Valentino, Akiko Matsushima, Patricia Afonso, Rose Potter¡­"


    "..." What''s with this list?


    Axel decided to call Martina and Akiko first, since he had to thank them. First they helped him out yesterday and then today as well.


    "How are you now? And what exactly happened to you?" Asked Martina as soon as he entered.


    Since even he didn''t know, Axel checked the system notifications. But he got the chills as soon as he read.


    ''Risk of Soul Damage?! Fuck me sideways!''


    But on the outside, he maintained his casual appearance, "As I said, just a little tired. I''ll be fine after a short rest."


    Akiko looked at him with scrutiny. "That''s not it," she declared. "Just tell me if it''s serious. I need you to be fine," she said seriously. She really needed him in top condition for her revenge.


    ''System, will I be fine? What''s this notification about the risk of soul damage?! Explain everything!''


    [Yes Axel. The skill [Limit Break] does not only draw strength from your body. It also draws strength from your soul. In a way, it''s a kind of soul magic, an extremely dangerous and risky branch of magic. And by over using it, you have put strain on your soul. Thankfully, you stopped before causing any permanent damage, so yes, you will be fine.]


    Axel looked at Akiko. "I will be fine. Really."


    Picking up his wand from the bedside table, he gave it to Martina. "Anyways, you said you can fix this, right?"


    "Um¡­ That¡­" Martina hesitated, feeling quite nervous for some reason. It was time to invite him over.


    ......

 Chapter 86: Pitiful Daphne

    "I''ll go now." When the topic shifted to his wand, Akiko decided to take her leave now that she was sure Axel was fine.


    Martina, on the other hand, hesitated. "Actually, the thing is¡­ about your wand¡­ I can''t actually fix it¡­" she admitted.


    "What?" Axel froze, as the sinking feeling he''d been having after his wand had been destroyed came back to him. Martina couldn''t fix his wand? The only reason he had been fine with his wand getting damaged was because he knew Martina would fix it. And now she says she can''t?!


    "Then why did you say you could?!"


    "Well, I didn''t say I could fix it, I had only said I can help you fix it," said Martina, pursing her lips.


    Axel could suddenly breathe again. He didn''t know he''d been signing for this when he decided to strengthen his bond with his wand for extra power output. "Then, it can be fixed, right?" he asked, just to make sure not to jump to the wrong conclusion this time.


    Martina nodded vigorously, "Oh, of course! Don''t worry about that. But the thing is, you''d have to come to Italy for that. Um¡­ d''you have plans for this Christmas?" she asked, looking abnormally nervous.


    Axel thought about it. Christmas was the nearest date he could leave Hogwarts. At least without breaking the rules. And as far as he knew, "I have no plans for Christmas," he replied. He has never had plans for Christmas, except for the last one, which he blew up by causing a spectacular misunderstanding, also by being picky with his food, not being able to talk much, and by just observing the happy family like a creepy depressing outsider. So yeah, he didn''t think he had plans for Christmas. He couldn''t ruin another one of theirs.


    But going to Italy? "Why Italy?" he asked.


    "My mother''s side of the Family specializes in magical weapons and my father''s side in enchantments. So that would be the best place for you to get your wand fixed," Martina explained.


    "What about Olivander? Can''t I just get it fixed there?" He asked. As far as he was aware, Olivander was the best in Britain and it would be far less troublesome to get it fixed in Britain.


    Martina shook her head sadly, "You don''t understand, Axel. Repairing a wand is not something normal. Usually, when a wand is broken and damaged, the only choice is to get a new one. Olivander can''t repair that much damage. And even if he did, the bond will no longer be there."


    That last line sold Axel. But he was a bit surprised by what her words implied. "So, your family is actually better at wands than Olivanders?" If that was the case, then why hadn''t he seen anyone else with a Valentino wand?


    Martina nodded. "It actually is. It''s one of the reasons why we''re the most powerful family in Italy. But we never make wands for outsiders."


    Well, that made sense. But¡­


    "But, I am also an outsider, aren''t I?"


    Martina broke eye contact on that. "W-Well, my parents think you aren''t¡­" she murmured in a low voice.


    "Hm? What does that mean?"


    "Uh, nothing! I meant to say that they can make an exception since we''re friends."


    "Oh." Axel was really grateful. "Thanks."


    "Well, there''s just a small thing¡­"


    Axel wasn''t surprised. Of course there will be a catch, Nothing is free in this world, "What is it? Don''t worry about the money. I can pay any amount¡­" he began but Martina cut him off.


    "No! it''s not anything like that. You just have to¡­come to my home and celebrate Christmas with us¡ª"


    "Wait, what?" Axel had a bad feeling about this. The last time he had met that family, their idea of greeting him was literally assaulting him, and that was still in Britain, right inside Hogwarts. Who knows what they''ll do if they had him in their own home, in a country which they all but rule.


    So, if it were any other circumstances, he would not, in his right mind, be caught anywhere near their place. But¡­did he have a choice?


    Axel gripped his broken wand and felt the weakened connection. He only now realized the significance of its presence. It was like a part of him was absent.


    "Alright¡­ I''ll be there," he said with a sigh. What''s the worst that could happen?


    Martina smiled, "Really? That''s great! I''ll inform my parents then!" She said excitedly. It was the first time she was having a friend over. "I''ll go now. You need rest."


    "Alright," said Axel, even though he had no such plans.


    "Also, do I call in Daphne before you rest? Asked Martina, turning while leaving. "She''s been quite anxious,"


    Axel thought about it for a moment and shook his head with a sigh, "No need."


    "Oh¡­ alright then."


    ¡­


    ¡ªDaphne¡ª


    When Axel had won the match, even among the deafening noise of the crowd, Daphne cheered the loudest. She was his number 1 supporter after all, and she had a thing for Quiddich. So, she was very deeply affected.


    She was the only one he had shared his troubles with when he was injured, she was the one who had seen him struggle daily, attending classes with dark circles under his eyes, madly working on getting healed, and¡­ she was the one who introduced him to Quidditch. It felt like just yesterday when they were both sitting right here, in this VIP box, when she had explained everything about Quidditch to him. In fact, just a few days ago, she had also recounted all the rules and other things that he would need to pay attention to so that he doesn''t screw up.


    So, now that he had performed so well, her Axel had performed so well, of course no one could be more happier and excited than her.


    But, with all the happiness, there was also a bitter feeling to accompany it. Now the rest of the world also knows about his brilliance, it felt like she was losing something precious, something like a secret that only the two of them shared. She couldn''t help but have this¡­ fear that now that the other girls, better girls might try to get between them now that they knew a little bit more about Axel. And, who knows? They might even succeed. Axel is no longer that same rude and closed off guy who wouldn''t trust you no matter what you do. And frankly, she wasn''t the best choice he had.


    But she didn''t let her own insecurities Dampen the happiness she felt for Axel, cheering him the best she could.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Though, everything changed when the match ended. That bitch was Patricia was on to Axel, hugging him like that! Daphne couldn''t believe it! She had to wait so long before she could get one hug from Axel! And here was this slut, hugging him so tightly! Why is Axel letting it happen?! What is so good about that tramp when it is so clear she''s using him?!


    And then she noticed! Axel didn''t want to be hugged! It was written all over his face that was being displayed on the big screen, making her realize that something was wrong with him. Daphne was so panicked that she must have tried everything to get on there on the pitch with him. But¡­ by the time she reached there, she saw him falling into the arms of Martina and Akiko, who had somehow gotten there even before her.


    Before she knew it, Axel was already surrounded, being floated to the Hospital wing magic while a forcefield fended off anyone who tried to get too close. There was nothing Daphne could do that wasn''t already being done.


    "What the hell happened to him?! And how the hell does Akiko know Axel?!" Asked Rose from her side, after she was finally able to shrug off the reporters who had been surrounding her.


    Daphne was quite ashamed to admit it but, "I have no idea," she told Rose.


    "But what do you care?!" She asked fuming as they followed the procession which was getting bigger and bigger.


    "Why are you angry at me? I''m the one who lost today. I''m like¡­his slave now!" said Rose defensively.


    "...You''re saying it as if it''s a bad thing," muttered Daphne enviously, in a voice Rose couldn''t hear as she rushed into the procession.


    As soon as they were out of the wards, the crowd got even bigger. With everyone following Axel. And Daphne was kicked out at the Hospital wing, just like the hundreds of other fangirls who were screaming Axel''s name. Only Martina and Akiko were allowed in.


    When Martina and Akiko came into the waiting room, both of them were swarmed by reporters.


    "How is Axel''s condition now?"


    "Is Axel Hunt stable?"


    A lot of questions like this were thrown at them, and to the reporters'' questions, Martina shook her head, "We don''t know. Madam Pomfrey said his organs aren''t functioning properly. It''s a state of extreme fatigue."


    This caused a commotion among the crowd, and Daphne panicked as well.


    "Is his fatigue related to the "activity" you guys did with him last night?" Asked one of the clever reporters and Martina and Akiko were left speechless at that as they exchanged glances.


    "!?" Daphne was dumbstruck.


    ''...What the hell?!''


    What the hell was happening? Daphne felt like everything was slowly falling apart. What was it that these two did last night with him? Why couldn''t they tell anyone? She also wanted to know, but no answers came as Martina and Akiko refused to answer.


    She waited in the waiting room for hours while various reporters came to her, asking her and the others for an interview but they all simply refused, but Patricia was quite glad to take the offer though.


    As the hours passed, the others either fell asleep or left. But Daphne didn''t sleep a wink, anxiously waiting for Axel to regain consciousness. She felt that it was somehow her fault. Maybe if she hadn''t dragged him to the party last night, he would still be fine.


    When Axel finally woke up, Daphne quickly got up, wanting to rush in and see how he was. But the first people he called in were¡­ Martina and Akiko.


    "..."


    With the things that were happening around her, Daphne was slowly beginning to realize something: she wasn''t as close to Axel as she thought she was. There are suddenly these girls who seem much ahead in the race than her. They seem to be ahead of her in almost everything.


    After a few minutes, when Akiko came out, Daphne quickly went to her. "How is he?!" She asked, not caring whether she knew the girl or not.


    "He''s fine. He just needs rest now"


    "Did he¡­call me in?"


    Akiko shook her head, "No. Anything else?" She asked, looking to be about to leave.


    Daphne hesitated, "How do you know Axel?"


    Akiko shrugged, "We train together."


    "...Okay. Thanks," said Daphne in a shaky voice as she went back to her seat. She was now feeling numb. The one thing that she thought only she had exclusively with him was also gone.


    ''Axel¡­ you scumbag¡­''


    Daphne didn''t even have the right to be angry. He didn''t owe her anything. He doesn''t have to return her feelings, especially since they''re only friends.


    When Martina came out, Daphne got up once again. "Can I go in now?" She asked.


    Martina looked really awkward. "Um¡­ he refused for any more visitors¡­"


    Daphne''s eyes were brimming with tears now. "Oh¡­ of course. He needs to rest¡­" She felt like she was an idiot for waiting for so long. And yet, even as Martina left, Daphne began walking back to her seat on her unsteady legs.


    !


    At this moment, Daphne felt her hand being gripped by someone, startling her for a second, though in the next moment, her grip on the hand tightened. She knew whose hand this was¡­ there was no way she could forget.


    The hand tugged on her, leading her out of the Hospital wing, and Daphne let herself be pulled. As soon as Axel became visible, Daphne couldn''t hold back anymore. She hugged Axel and began balling her eyes out. She knew that she was probably blowing away the little friendship they had left right now, but she couldn''t help herself. Axel didn''t push her away, just putting a hand on her head.


    "Listen," he said after a while, making her forcefully stifle her crying and look up at him. Her eyes were puffy and her nose and ears were red. She looked very pitiful, enough to melt anyone. But Axel''s words seemed to have no mercy. "Don''t approach me in public from today on. We can''t be seen together."


    The tears that had barely stopped began to overflow again. "Why¡­?" She asked, trying really hard not to cry more.


    Axel sighed. He didn''t plan on telling her more, because that''ll only put her in more danger if her mind was read, but looking at her like this, even he was a helpless. "I have some really powerful enemies, and they''ll probably know about me after today¡­"


    Daphne understood the rest, she wasn''t stupid. Axel was strong, and clever. Even if his enemies are stronger, it wouldn''t be easy for them to get to him at all. And the textbook solution to this is going after the people he cares about. She understood it, of course she did, but¡­ it didn''t make her feel much better.


    "Then why¡­.?" She was going to ask why he let Martina and Akiko approach, but stopped immediately. Those two¡­ even 10 Daphnes might not be able to scratch on them. Of course they can take care of themselves.


    "Why what?"


    "Nothing... Will you still train me?" She asked desperately. The desire for power in her was now burning stronger than ever. If only she had been stronger¡­


    Axel nodded readily, "Even more intensively."


    "Thanks!" Daphne hugged him again. Usually, anyone would be devastated at knowing that the hellish training was going to be even more hellish, but Daphne only felt blissful. She could feel the gap between them widening. She felt that if she didn''t quickly gain strength, it would only widen.


    "Anyways, I couldn''t meet your family. Sorry for that," said Axel. He had been unconscious for around a day so of course the Visiting day was over.


    Daphne shook her head. "It''s alright. You''ll see them at Christmas, right?"


    Axel paused. "What¡­?"


    Daphne looked up at him confused, "What do you mean "what"? Aren''t you coming home for Christmas?" Daphne felt it was only normal that he came. She and her family had much planned for him¡­


    "...I was invited?"


    Daphne frowned. "Of course you are. You''re coming, right? Mom and Tory would kill me if I didn''t bring you."


    Axel seemed at a loss for words. "I''m sorry. I have to go to Martina''s home this Christmas."


    Shatter*


    Daphne felt the distance widening once again.


    Seeing Daphne''s hopeless look, Axel sighed as he slowly took out his damaged wand.


    "Look at this."


    "Your wand¡ªwhat?!" Daphne let out a gasp as she looked at the wand. "Is this¡­?!"


    Axel nodded. "Yep, it''s broken."


    "Oh Merlin, I am so sorry Axel¡­" she said, holding his hand between hers. She knew how much that wand meant to him. In fact, she had found herself jealous of that wand many times, that''s how much Axel cared for it. And now seeing it broken, she could only imagine how bad he must be feeling.


    "It''s not surprising, really," said Axel, emotionlessly looking at his wand. "Good things don''t last long in my life¡­ they never have. That''s why¡­" he paused.


    "That''s why¡­?" Asked Daphne.


    Axel shook his head. "Nothing, just make sure to not appear with me in public. And, I''m going to the Valentinos to get it fixed. Otherwise I''d have come."


    "Oh¡­" Daphne understood now. The Valentino wands were famous in the upper society. It would make sense that he couldn''t come for Christmas. But¡­ no outsider was allowed their services. What does that say about Axel and Martina?


    ¡­


    Two days passed, and the popularity of Axel''s match only increased. And on the Wednesday morning, when Madam Pomfrey finally let Axel "officially" leave the Hospital wing, he went to the Great Hall for breakfast like usual.


    !


    But as soon as he went past those double doors, he realized something. Every pair of eyes turned towards him and the bustling atmosphere quieted down for a moment, before bursting again with even more noise. Students began pointing at him and many were rushing towards him for autographs and selfies.


    ''Fuck¡­'' This thing had slipped his mind. Somehow, the concept of people actually treating him like a celebrity seemed quite absurd to him. But, it was happening, and Axel was hating every second of it. He wanted so much to share an eye roll with Daphne, but he resisted the urge.


    Looking at the crowd surrounding him Axel sighed, knowing that his quiet life had forever changed.

 Chapter 87: The Most Powerful RIZZard

    Two days passed, and Axel''s popularity only increased. On the Wednesday morning, when Madam Pomphrey


    finally let Axel "officially" leave the Hospital wing, he went to the Great Hall for breakfast like usual.


    !


    But as soon as he went past those double doors, he realized something. Every pair of eyes turned towards him and the bustling atmosphere quieted down for a moment, before bursting again with even more noise. Students began pointing at him and many were rushing towards him for autographs and selfies and a few reporters who had been waiting for him also came forward.


    ''Fuck¡­'' This thing had slipped his mind. Somehow, the concept of people actually treating him like a celebrity seemed quite absurd to him. But, it was happening, and Axel was hating every second of it. He wanted so much to share an eye roll with Daphne, but he resisted the urge.


    *CHEERS*


    Axel turned his head to see the whole Slytherin house standing up from their seats, clapping and cheering for him, with Patricia standing in front.


    """"""SA-VAGE AX-EL!''''''''''''''''''''


    """"""SA-VAGE AX-EL!''''''''''''''''''''


    """"""SA-VAGE AX-EL!''''''''''''''''''''


    Then the Slytherins began chanting this new title which he had apparently been given after displaying his exceptional savagery.


    "..." Axel had no words for it. What the fuck was going on with these students? And that title? He didn''t know if he was being praised or insulted here. But he supposed it was at least better than some cringe song like ''Axel is our king, he can catch a snitch by its wing, that''s why Slytherins all sing, Axel is our King!'' Truly, that would be a disaster.


    His team members came and started pushing away the crowd and the reporters, making way for him to go towards the table, at the leader''s position, right beside Patricia. A bit weirded out, Axel sat down, with his teammates sitting all around him.


    "What''s all this about?" He asked Patricia in an undertone.


    The Brazilian Captain tilted her head as she peered at him, "What do you mean? It''s a celebration, of course. We''re celebrating your glorious achievements!" She said excitedly.


    Axel was confused, "It wasn''t a big deal. Doesn''t this seem a little too much?"


    "Not a big deal?!" Patricia had to squint at him to confirm he wasn''t just joking or being humble. "Of course it''s a huge deal! Slytherins are a bunch of egoists and supremacists. And they were really aggravated by Gryffindor after the insult on Halloween night and on the internet, especially since there was little to no chances of them actually winning! And, most of us have already been the victims of the Twins'' pranks.


    But then you pop out of nowhere, and maul the Gryffindors in that savage and satisfying fashion¡­ you should have seen yourself out there. The moment you caught the snitch while throwing that bludger at Weasley¡­ it was thrilling¡­it was electrifying¡­" she said with a somewhat intoxicated look, her legs clenching together as she looked at Axel.


    "Uh¡­Okay, I get it," said Axel scooting a bit further away from the girl, "But can you make them stop now? It''s causing me a headache." It really was, and so was Patricia''s perfume due to her closeness. Axel risked a glance towards Daphne, only to see her stabbing her fork into her plate, while glaring in his direction. He had a feeling that she was going to be grumpy in today''s training session.


    But then from a few seats beside Daphne, Axel saw another glare directed his way. But this time, it wasn''t from a girl. It was a student from Mahoutokoro. It was the wind guy duelled Martina. Looking around, Axel noticed more unfriendly gazes from many other guys, making him frown.


    "Have I done anything against Mahoutokoro?" He asked Patricia. Who else could he ask? There was no Daphne here.


    Patricia coughed, "Well, Akiko is an unreachable existence among the students of Mahoutokoro. And she personally came to rescue you so¡­"


    "Great. More enemies," Axel sighed, looking at the ceiling. Looks like his life is changed forever.


    ¡­


    From that day onwards, Axel stopped appearing at meal times at the great hall, and the number of classes he was skipping increased. A few professors complained, but his head of house, Professor Snape, couldn''t care less, letting him get away with it.


    Just like this, the days passed, with Axel becoming a reclusive star of Hogwarts. Every day, he''d first practice his own skills, then train with Akiko, and then train Daphne. During this time, with their daily interactions discontinued by Axel, Daphne seemed to have gained even more motivation, making rapid improvements in her training. She even learned a few ice-related spells which Axel had asked for from Akiko.


    Patricia didn''t let a peep anymore, even if he didn''t show up for training even once. On the other hand, the Hufflepuffs were under a lot of pressure, due to their upcoming match against the Slytherins. Axel was living the thug life, with the Slytherins worshipping him whenever he showed up at the dorms or the House table and skipping classes as he pleased. Even the students from Mahoutokoro wouldn''t bother him without a reason. After all, he had Akiko''s protection. They could be jealous and outraged but they couldn''t really do shit.


    Overall, anyone would think he must be very happy, right? He was not.


    In his quiet training room, Axel looked at the damaged wand in his hands. For the hundredth time, he cursed himself for being so careless. The thing is, he didn''t actually realize how much he cared about it until it was lost. During this time, he hadn''t bothered getting a new one, opting to make do with Daphne''s father''s wand when it was absolutely necessary. That was also one of the reasons behind his class skipping.


    But it wasn''t like losing it only had downsides. Axel raised his free hand.


    [Magic Hands]


    [Proficiency: 52%]


    "Incendio."


    His hand suddenly began to feel hot, before gradually, a very tiny flame lit up on the tip of his finger.


    Looking at the flame, a crooked grin stretched across Axel''s face. "Finally Wandless, huh?"


    After loosing his wand, Axel realized his dependence on it. Take a wand away from a wizard and he''s suddenly more fucking useless than a muggle. So, he had been training his skill, [Magic Hands] a lot lately. Magic Hands increases his hands dexterity. By training it, he can get absolute control over his hands. When you have absolute control over your hands, you can do very awesome things with them, which everyone thought were impossible.


    But still, he''s a long way off before this actually becomes useful, and it might never be comparable to his output with his wand. So, fixing his wand was a must. Pocketing his wand, Axel sighed. Fortunately, the wait was finally over. Going down towards the Great Hall, he noticed the changes from the usual mornings. The Hall was decorated in Christmas decorations, and students could be seen lugging various types bags.


    Yep, the Christmas Holidays were here, and as decided, Axel was going to the Valentinos to get his wand fixed.


    As Axel arrived into the Great Hall, many eyes were drawn to him, of course. But no one really came to bother him. It is already known how much he hates crowds. Only Patricia seemed to break the rule. "Merry Christmas, my Estrela," she said, coming to walk alongside him.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "What do you want?" Asked Axel.


    "How hurtful. Can''t I approach you just to wish you?"


    "No you can''t, Patricia. Get to the point."


    Patricia sighed as she got serious. "The interview. Have you thought about it yet?"


    Axel shook his head, "I already told you. It''s not my thing."


    Patricia didn''t agree, not letting him leave. "But you have to understand, it''s for the best. There''s literally little to no information about you out there. Right now, you are just a blank canvas. And if you don''t fill it, people are going to fill it the way they want."


    Axel stared at her for moment then scoffed. "You''re making a big deal out of it."


    "No, I''m not," said Patricia, coming to stand in his way as she fished out her Magi-mirror. "Look here." She said, showing him an article in her magi-mirror.


    It was an article titled: "MOST POPULAR BOY AT HOGWARTS?"


    Below were Axel''s various pictures attached. One of him being supported by Martina and Akiko, one of him face to face with Rose, one of him being Hugged by Patricia and one of him and Daphne. Looking at the Article, Axel''s brows furrowed as he gave it a read.


    "Hogwarts seems to have gained a new most popular student. And the escapades of this particular student are so extra-ordinary that we feel compelled to write this article. The name of the student in the picture is Axel Hunt, an unseen Quidditch prodigy and a Valedictorian. And as can be noticed from the pictures, it seems that not only in Quidditch, he is also an amazing player in terms of wooing beauties as well. But the most astonishing detail here is not the jaw-dropping beauties of these girls. It is their identities. Here''s a detailed review of the identities of these beauties and their relations with Axel. It will truly boggle your mind.


    Martina Valentino:


    (Here''s a picture)


    Do not have any thoughts about this beauty, because this is Martina Valentino, the little princess of the extremely powerful Valentino Family. The Valentinos is the most dangerous and influential family of Italy, with its businesses spread in many fields, running in many parts of the Wizarding World. And Martina is the one and only extremely doted princess of this family. Not only that, she is also an exceptional prodigy in Magic and Enchanting, owning patents to various Magical Inventions. It is also suspected that she might have a hand in the invention of various other Patents registered under the Valentino family.


    According to our sources, this prodigy has long taken a liking to Mr. Hunt, even before he had started to show any talents. In his very first year, a picture of Axel and Miss Valentino sleeping together on the Hospital bed had gone viral, causing quite a stir. With the school belle apparently getting together with a weak boy of unknown origin, her suitors were outraged at Axel, to which, Miss Valentino herself came forward, announcing that anyone daring to bother Axel Hunt will have to face the wrath of the full Valentino family. And this year, the two were seen going in and coming out of a broom closet, with evidences of some suspicious activities. The response of the rest of the family to their precious daughter''s wild actions is yet to be noticed, but the speculations are, it might not be positive, given Hunt''s relations with other women. Regardless of the outcome, everyone is looking forward to how the relationship develops. Click here to see more on this.


    Rose Potter:


    (Here''s a picture)


    The next in the list is Rose Potter, none other than the Girl-Who-Lived herself! Rose Potter is said to be the girl who vanquished Britain''s one of the most fearsome Darklords, Lord Voldemort and also a very talented Quidditch player. She''s the heir to the Ancient Potter Family and adoptive daughter of the Black Family, which is currently the most influential in Britain.


    So, something is going on between this Vanquisher of The Dark Lord and the Quidditch Prodigy Axel Hunt. And the fans are loving it. Axel and Rose have this love and hate relationship that many have come to adore. According to our sources, their first meeting had occurred even before the two arrived at Hogwarts and they were on friendly terms. But then the Sorting happened and they were sorted into rival houses, Gryffindor and Slytherin. And before they knew it, the friendship turned into rivalry, with the two often seen being at odds with each other. And during this time, our witch charmer began to make friends with other witches. At the end of the year, Axel went to be the Valedictorian of first years while Rose went on to win her House the Quidditch Cup and House Cup, beaten Slytherin to the punch.


    In their next year, in order to settle the scores, Hunt managed to get himself into the Slytherin Quidditch Team, also as a seeker, the same position as Rose, while he continued his relations with other girls. Unable to take it anymore, Rose confronted Axel, calling him to stop his wickedness. To which, Hunt, also thoroughly irritated, proposed a wager that whoever loses will do whatever the winner says. At this time, Hunt had no history with Quidditch, while Rose was adroit in it to point of even getting offers to play for major league Quidditch team. There was no way Hunt could have won. Hence Rose accepted the challenge, and Hunt was lambasted throughout the internet by all of Rose''s supporters. But who would have thought that Hunt would actually turn out to be a never seen Quidditch Talent? Truly triggered by all the ridicule and criticism, Hunt caught the snitch 22 times in that match, setting many records and winning the wager by thoroughly beating a very stunned Rose Potter. Fans are immensely curious about how this love-hate dynamic is now going to play out. Click here to see more on this.


    Patricia Afonso:


    (Here''s a picture)


    The stunning beauty in you see in Slytherin colours is Patricia Afonso, a Sixth year Slytherin Prefect and the current Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team. She is the only daughter of Pedro Afonso, the Head of the very influential Afonso Family and the current Minister of Magic of Brazil. Axel seems to have had no interactions with Patricia in his first year, but in his second year, he managed to get the Slytherin Captain to hire him into the team without even a trial. The Slytherin team was already pretty weak at the time, with most of the players graduating just last year and there was a lot of pressure on her as the Captain and de-facto leader of House Slytherin. But she went against everyone''s expectations and selected Axel without a trial. From our sources, it is known that Patricia had started to approach Axel on a daily basis, asking him for something, and it wasn''t until Axel got himself the seeker position did he agree for whatever demand she had.


    But Patricia might have never thought that selecting Axel could be a such a significant risk to her, as the seeker and captain were both humiliated in a prank by Gryffindor team''s beaters right before the match, getting covered in Gryffindor colours in front of the whole school. The prank sparked great outrage in the Slytherins and to make the matters worse, the clip of the prank was shown on live international broadcast, making winning a necessity for Slytherin and Patricia. With Patricia at her wits end to save her political career, our dreamboy Axel came to not only save the day, but also win Slytherin''s honour back by defeating Gryffindor by more than a 1000 point margin. During the match, out of sheer joy, Patricia claimed of loving Axel and even proposed marriage to him, and gave him a tight hug after the match, almost making our charmer pass out as he added yet another member to his growing list of Witches. Click here to see more on this.


    Akiko Matsushima:


    (Here''s a picture)


    The next of the list is Akiko Matsushima. Don''t get fooled by the cute face. The girl you see in the picture is a very dangerous Hunter-nin. Akiko Matsushima is arguably the most talented warrior of Japanese School of Magic, Mahoutokoro. She is the first ninja to get a Hunter-nin license at her age, something which is equivalent to a Hit Wizards in Britain. Her talent can estimated by the fact that she defeated Martina, the Hogwarts undefeated prodigy in a duel. Akiko is also the Granddaughter of Hiroshi Yamazaki, the current Headmaster of Mahoutokoro and the inheritor of the powerful Matsushima clan. Currently, it is quite unclear exactly how and when Axel and Akiko have known each other, but when he was about to fall unconscious after his Akiko came to his rescue, with the two exchanging words smilingly before Axel passed in her embrace. This behaviour is quite uncharacteristic of the cold hunter-nin who has never cared for anyone. Akiko''s only comment on the matter has been, "We''re good friends. I''ll help him out whenever he needs." Which is already enough to state to the magnitude of significance coming from someone like her. See more on this here.


    Daphne Greengrass:


    (Here''s a picture)


    The adorable witch in the picture and the last in the list is Daphne Greengrass, the Heiress of the Greengrass Family, one of the sacred twenty eight in Britain. She has been known to be quite a good friend to Axel and she is reportedly the one who forced Rose to confront Axel. The two of them even went to the Halloween party together like a couple. But it would seem that the only purpose of this relation was to make Rose jealous, as Axel has completely cut off all contacts with Daphne after the match. See more of this here.


    Whatever his relationship might be with these girls, it seems a strange coincidence that all of them are outstanding witches, with prominent backgrounds. And to be able to win over all of these with no background, Axel''s charm cannot be underestimated. Many are curious to find out how he''s doing this and there are many men out there who are willing to become his stude¡ª"


    Axel stopped himself from reading more of this nonsense now that he was sure nothing sensitive about Daphne was written, but he did get Patricia''s point. These guys had dug up his whole history and made him out to be some kind of witch charmer who is going for witches with powerful background. But¡­ giving an interview? That''s just not his thing.


    "Did you see? There are a lot more like this," said Patricia, scrolling down to show articles with other headings.


    "Axel Hunt: Background Search"


    "Secret Behind Hunt''s success"


    Axel sighed as he side stepped her and began walking away, "Well, let them write whatever they want. Anything is fine as long as they don''t change my name," he said, walking away.


    He wasn''t doing this to get everyone''s approval. To get his name across to the Organization, he just needed the fame. Even if it''s infamy.


    Walking a few more steps, he finally encountered Martina, who had been searching for him.


    "Ready to go to my home?" She asked excitedly.


    For going to the home place of the most dangerous magical mafia? Who''s princess is rumoured to have romantic relations with him? Yeah absolutely...


    ...

 Chapter 88: Lap Pillow

    <div>


    "Ready to go to my home?" She asked excitedly.


    Axel shook his head, "Actually, I have one more thing left to do before I''m ready," he told her. In their last meeting, Daphne had strongly requested he spend his train ride with just the two of them. She refused to even tell him why. A bit bewildered, Axel had still agreed since he saw no problem in agreeing. With the door clock and blinds drawn, no one would be able to see them together anyways.


    Just as Axel was about to leave, someone unexpectedly showed up.


    "Hey Martina." It was Damien Malcolm, someone who had all but disappeared ever since his last confrontation with Axel.


    "What do you want?" Asked Martina a bit impatiently.


    "Nothing much¡­Just some payback," said Damien with a dark chuckle.


    Martina frowned, "What is that supposed to mean? What kind of payback?" Even she was understandably surprised. Damien had never been so openly rude to her before.


    Damien shook his head, "I was sincere, Martina. You are younger and yet I treated you with respect. Time and time again, I expressed my love to you. But you never gave me a second glance. You just had to go ahead and choose this bastard instead," he said, glaring at Axel hatefully.


    Martina took out her wand, "I''m warning you, Malcolm. You''ll regret it if you ever involve Axel."


    Damien chuckled darkly. I''m also warning you, Martina. Merry Christmas." He said as he left.


    Axel sighed, shaking his head. He had beaten up the guy a few times under stealth and even emptied his room several times before, and Malcolm had stopped bothering him altogether. But it seems people just can''t change, huh?


    "Any ideas what he was talking about?" He asked Martina.


    Martina only shook her head, "No idea. But don''t take him too seriously. He''s always overly dramatic."


    Axel shrugged, "Whatever. I''ll go now."


    "Oh, alright, let''s meet at the station then," said Martina.


    After separating, Axel activated his Stealth as he joined the crowd of Students heading out of the school, picking a carriage to the Hogsmeade station. After boarding the Hogwarts Express, he activated Arcane Eyes and began searching for Daphne.


    He found her sleeping inside a compartment locked with a charm. Opening the door with just a little of his [Lockpicking], he quietly closed the door behind him. Axel sat down beside her, observing her sleeping form. Strands of blond hair covered some of her face, her hands were hugging herself, maybe due to the cold, and she had a bit of drool leaking from the corner of her mouth.


    It was the first time he was seeing her sleep since usually it''s the other way around. Daphne has always been the one taking care of him. But she''s been pretty tired and stressed lately, working really hard to improve. Axel is afraid she might burn herself out. Even now, dark circles were visible under her eyes due to the lack of sleep.


    Axel casually removed the strands of hair off her face. He felt quite sorry for her. She''s been going through all this due to him. Daphne shifted uncomfortably in her seat, trying to get into a better position.


    Shaking his head, Axel gently lowered her head to let it rest on his lap. But, the movement woke her up. Her eyes flew open as she tried to sit up.


    "Ohno! I slept?!" She asked in a half asleep state as she saw him, not even realizing she was lying in his lap. "I needed to spend the last few hours with you! I need to refill my Axel energy before the Holidays!" She said dazedly with sleepy eyes.


    Axel raised an eyebrow at her behaviour. He made a mental note to himself that Daphne can talk nonsense in her half-asleep state. He pushed her rising head back down, using his jacket as a pillow. His ripped thighs cannot be the best pillow. "Stay asleep. You need rest," he told her. Spend time with him? They meet daily in her training sessions. Daphne should instead save her energy to spend it with her family, whom she only meets occasionally.


    In her half asleep state, Daphne took a deep breath, burying her head back in his lap as she fell asleep once again.


    Hours passed, and Daphne seemed to have found the best sleeping posture as she slept like a baby. And from the way she''d smile and snuggle further up to him, it seemed that she was having pleasant dreams. Axel didn''t wake her up, who knows how little the girl must have slept in the last month, always looking tired. And the less time she wastes here the more time she''ll be able to spend with her family.


    Only when they had almost arrived did Daphne stir. "Hmm¡­Axshhe'' I wuv u¡­" murmuring incoherently, her eyes slowly opened.


    And she saw Axel reading a book, making her realize that she was actually lying in his lap.


    Daphne smiled blissfully. "What a dream¡­" she mumbled, before snuggling back into his lap. With her head buried in his jacket, she took a deep breath, inhaling his scent. "It''s almost real¡­"


    "It''s good that you woke up. We''re almost at Kingscross," said Axel, closing his book.


    "¡­.?" Daphne froze and her eyes opened as her mind came out of the sleepy haze. Her head mechanically rose from his jacket as she took in everything around her. One of her hands touched the slight traces of drool at the corner of her mouth while the other hand touched her hair which was a mess. Her eyes went back to Axel before looking back at her position, her head unable to properly comprehend the situation. Finally her eyes closed again as she fainted.


    "Well, she must be really tired," muttered Axel.


    ¡­


    "Hey," said Axel as he appeared beside Martina, making her jump.


    "It''s you! Sorry, I didn''t see you approach," said Martina. She had just alighted the train and was about to call Axel through the Magi-mirror. "Let''s find my brother. He''s here to pick us up," she said, walking together with Axel. Martina seemed really happy right now, maybe because she was excited to go home.


    But before Axel and Martina had walked much, they were ambushed by a bunch of reporters, who blocked their path.


    Click click!


    "Miss Valentino, and Mr. Hunt, you two are walking together. Does that mean you''re going to be spending your Christmas Holidays together?!"


    "Mr. Hunt, we''ve never seen you with any guardian. Is it possible for you to tell us about your living conditions?"


    "Miss Valentino, does your family approve of your ''close'' relation with Axel Hunt?"


    A lot of questions were thrown their way. Axel was a bit annoyed. If he wasn''t Martina he would have left without giving answers. But Martina was too kind. The girl was trying to actually talk to the buggers. "Excuse us please. My brother is here. It''ll be good if you guys leave before he comes¡­"Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Of course, the reporters wouldn''t listen if you''re so nice to them. The crowd only increased. Just when Axel was wondering if he''d have to wait forever, a few rowdy looking wizards in black suits barged in as they roughly shoved the buggers aside, creating a path for Martina and Axel to walk through. And leading these men was of course, none other than Enzo, Martina''s brother.


    "Lil'' sis," he said spreading his arms.


    Martina smiled, hugging him. "You have a bruise on your cheek," she couldn''t help but point out.


    "Oh-no, don''t make wrong assumptions here! I haven''t been in any fights. It''s from Maria."


    "Then you must have deserved it," she said, lightly hitting him. "Maria is Endo''s fiance," she informed Axel.


    Enzo then turned his attention towards Axel. "And here is our guest of honor, huh?" He said, offering his hand.


    "Axel Hunt," said Axel, shaking his hand.


    Enzo looked down at Axel''s hand, "No longer injured, eh? I need a rematch," he said, tightening his grip to test Axel out. Axel''s hand, of course, didn''t budge at all, but he didn''t do anything either. He still needs to get his wand fixed after all.


    Martina, who had seen him fight XXXXX level creatures, and exacting vicious revenge on those messing with him, quickly separated their hands for her brother''s sake, "Enzo, can you please behave? He is our guest!"


    Enzo laughed, releasing Axel''s hand. "Relax sis, I know what I''m doing," he said as he grinned at Axel. "You already passed the first test¡­"


    Axel furrowed his brow, "What test?"


    "Nothing!" Said Martina, giving Enzo a warning glare. "Enzo likes to play around. Now, can we go already?"


    Enzo nodded, grinning teasingly at Martina, "Right, let''s go. mom and dad are waiting," he said, taking out a ring from his pocket that expanded in size. "Grab on."


    Martina turned to look at Axel. "You still have the Valentino knife, right?" She asked.


    Axel nodded. The knife is always in his pocket.


    "Hold the ring then. It''s a portkey," she said, gripping the ring.


    ''A portkey¡­'' Axel looked at the ring curiously. Of course knew of portkeys, but he had never actually tried one himself. So he was, without a doubt, curious to try one.


    "Is this your first time?" Asked Martina, observing him.


    Axel shrugged.


    Endo was surprised, "You''ve never portkeyed before?"


    Martina hit her brother on his shoulder. "It''s not that uncommon." She then smiled reassuringly at Axel, "You just have to grip the ring tightly. It''s very safe, so you don''t need to be worried."


    "..." When did he say he was worried?


    "Ready?" Asked Endo, when everyone''s grip was secured. "Here we go." he said, pressing a button.


    Axel felt as though a hook just behind his navel had been suddenly jerked irresistibly forward as his feet left the ground; he could feel Martina and Enzo on either side of him; they were all speeding forward in a howl of wind and swirling color; his hand was stuck to the ring as though it was pulling him magnetically onward and then, they were suddenly ejected, out into Italy.


    Martina staggered a little, ending up holding onto Axel, who had landed quite stably. "Oh, sorry. That usually does not happen!" She clarified, feeling embarrassed about her earlier reassurances. In the end, she was the one who ended up needing help.


    "It''s fine," Axel already knew how steady Martina was based on the number of times she had ended up flashing him.


    He took a look around the surroundings, and even if he was expecting it, he was still surprised. He was currently standing in a magnificent garden, which seemed to stretch behind him endlessly. In front of him was a cobble-stoned pathway, leading to a giant manor, which shimmered due to the magic surrounding it. Men in black suits were stationed everywhere around the place, armed and dangerous.


    "Welcome home, princess!" said Martina''s dad, Alessandro, who was walking towards them with several other individuals.


    "Dad! Mom!" Martina quickly got away from Axel as she embraced her parents. "Maria! You''re also here." said Martina, hugging a girl who had come to stand beside Endo. Maria was brunette with an athletic figure. She was wearing a similar punk outfit like Endo and her nose and ears had piercings.


    Maria nodded, "Yeah, I thought I might come and help out, you know, with the ongoing situ¡ª" she couldn''t continue, as Enzo cut her off. "She''s here for Christmas, of course. She''s helping out with the party organization."


    Maria realized her screw up as she quickly caught up, "Yeah, you know how onerous our Christmas parties can be," she said, forcing a smile.


    Martina was going to ask questions, but Alessandro shifted everyone''s attention to Axel as he approached.


    "And here is your boyf¡ª"


    "Dad!"


    "Alright, alright, here''s your friend from last time. Axel Hunt, right? I''ve heard a lot about you," said Alessandro, looking at Axel with the intimidating air of a Mafia boss as he held out his hand.


    Axel clasped the offered hand with some exasperation. ''Are we doing this again.'' He thought, feeling Alessandro applying pressure as soon as he shook it. Trying to crush the hand of someone with an inhuman level of dexterity is not a good idea.


    At this moment, Axel happened to yawn. Watching Daphne sleep had made him sleepy as well.


    "Nice to meet you, sir," he said, stifling his yawn with the back of his other hand.


    The rest of the people: "..."


    "Damn sonny, you sure you''re only 13? Your hand wouldn''t budge," he said, squeezing it further.


    "Leave it, dad. I''ve already tried. The guy has a grip made of iron," said Endo, really empathetic with his father''s situation. Being bestest by a 12 year old sucks. He had already experienced it twice, counting what had happened last year.


    At Alessandro''s question, Axel shrugged, "Not my fault if you guys squeeze like little girls."


    ¡ªsilence¡ª


    There was a moment of silence as everyone stopped what they were doing. Only the sounds of birds and fountains in the distance could be heard as everyone looked at Axel with surprise.


    After which, Alessandro burst out into a raucous laughter, followed by Enzo. Alessandro thumped Axel''s shoulder pleasantly, "You do have balls, kid. Much better than the sissies of today."


    Axel inwardly gave himself a thumbs up. As someone who''s been in the company of crooks, and one himself, he knows that showing weakness and politeness in situations like this is even worse. It makes you a pushover and puts you in a weaker position. It only invites them to push you further. Besides, Martina is right here. She wouldn''t let her father hurt their enemies, let alone her friend Axel who saved her life.


    Axel turned towards Francesca, Martina''s mother who had been observing the whole scene and bowed slightly. "Thanks for inviting me, ma''am," he said politely. Different people need different treatment. From what he knows from Martina and what he has observed, Martina''s mother is a very uptight woman. And she''s one who''s going to help him out with his wand so of course he has to behave.


    Francesca nodded in approval, "It is our pleasure. I''ve long wanted to know more about Martina''s first friend," she said, studying Axel with a critical eye.


    "Mom! I have many friends! I''ve just never invited them!"


    "Exactly my point, dear."


    Losing the argument, Martina looked at the sky in exasperation.


    At this moment, one of the men in black came to Martina''s parents and whispered something in a hushed tone. Hearing it, their expressions became somber, as they exchanged glances, talking in low voices.


    Alessandro turned back to Martina and smiled, "Martini, you show Axel around. We have some work to do, okay?"


    Martina scowled at her parents, "Mom, dad! You''re doing it again. Why can''t you guys just tell me the problem?"


    "Because no matter how mature you are, you are still too young to know about some things," said her mother


    Martina''s further protests fell on deaf ears as everyone left to deal with whatever problem they were facing. Left alone with Axel, Martina stomped her feet. "They always do this!" She whined.


    Axel shrugged, "Why would you even want to know?" He was just fine that they had left. Now if only they deal with the problem quickly and get around to fixing his wand, he''ll be relieved.


    Martina shook her head, "You don''t understand. They think¡ª"


    "¡ªOf you as a child? While you think yourself far more mature? Tell me about it," said Axel with a scoff.


    "You¡ªhow¡ª?" Martina sputtered but she sighed as she sat down on the bed of lush grass and small flowers beneath her. "You wouldn''t understand. I have always had a very high IQ. But in other things¡­ I''ve always struggled. And my family''s overprotection and deciding everything for me hasn''t helped me at all."


    Axel sat down beside her. "Parents making decisions for you, that''s gotta suck," accepted Axel. "But you are still quite lucky." Her parents decided for her to have an easy, struggle free life, and a happy life. That can''t be such a bad thing, right? The decision his parents made for him was that it would be better for him to stay at an orphanage rather than with them.


    Martina looked at Axel and suddenly realized what an absolute bitch she was being, whining about a perfect life in front of Axel, who must have had a very tough life, especially considering the state he was in when he arrived at Hogwarts. "I''m SO sorry, that was so insensitive. You''re right, I''m already lucky."


    Axel shook his head, "I am right. But, I didn''t say you were wrong. You do need to experience some hardships, and start helping out with your family''s problems." Martina''s parents'' method might have been great in normal circumstances, but the fact was, Axel could see war in the future. And Martina as his ally, having so much power without knowing how to properly wield it, was a huge waste of war potential.


    Martina sighed, "But what can I even do? My parents wouldn''t tell me anything. I''ve never seen them so tense in ages. It has to be something really bad," she said worriedly.


    Axel put his hands in his pocket. "Well, I might have heard a little of what they were talking about."


    Martina looked at him in surprise. "You did? What did you hear?"


    Axel nodded but instead of replying, he asked his own question. "You guys are the most powerful magical mafia in Italy, right?"


    Martina nodded.


    "Well, then what do you know about the Russian Magical Mafia?"


    Martina''s eyes widened.


    "It''s them?!"


    ...


    <div>

 Chapter 89: The Russian Mafia

    "The Russian Mafia?!" Martina''s eyes widened. "What else did you hear?"


    Axel nodded, "Yeah... I also managed to hear something like "Mikhailov" from them."


    Hearing that, Martina paled as her fears came true. "Oh my god, it IS them. No wonder mom and dad were tense."


    "What is it?" Asked Axel, not liking her reaction.


    Martina sighed as she explained, "When it comes to the magical underworld, it is most active in two countries: Italy and Russia. These are the countries where the Mafia gangs are so strong that even the local governments can''t do anything to stop them. So, in each of these countries, there needs to be one overlord, someone who would stop the Mafia gangs from running rampant and reign them in. Italy, has the Valentino Family and Russia¡ª"


    "¡ªHas the Mikhailov Family," finished Axel, to which Martina nodded. "So, how is this Mikhailov Family? And what business could they have with your Family that''s gotten them looking so troubled?" Asked Axel.


    Martina shook her head. "Until now, both the families have left each other alone, so I have no idea what they might want. But I do know one thing for sure: those Mikhailovs are no good. While we mainly deal with maintaining order and keeping the crimes in the country to a minimum, the Mikhailovs manage the Russian Mafia by running all the syndicates themselves. Drug cartels, prostitution, slavery, smuggling, arms dealing, nothing is beneath them."


    Axel had to sigh at that. This Russian Mafia, it couldn''t have waited till his wand was fixed, could it? He just wanted to leave as soon as possible.


    It was getting dark, and the lights began to get lit up in the whole estate, making the scenery even more beautiful. Catching Axel looking around, Martina shook her head vigorously, temporarily removing all the worries. "But forget about all that. You''re here for the first time. I can''t have all this spoil your visit," she said with a smile as she got up and patted the grass off her jeans.


    She then began pulling Axel up forcefully, who seemed to have no thoughts of getting up. "Come on, let me show you around the house."


    Axel couldn''t understand her, "Aren''t you worried about the Mikhailovs? What if a gang war begins?"


    Martina shook her head, "Oh trust me, you''d know if there were chances of a gang war," she said, looking around. These men would be celebrating if that were the case. "And even if something does happen, we just happen to have a lot of weapons and countermeasures ready. Come on now, I can show you!"


    At that, Axel was suddenly very cooperative about having a tour.


    Since Martina had never had a friend over before, she was naturally very excited to show him a lot of things. She first showed him around the outside. The grounds around the estate were like a township itself, and there were portals installed to move between places. "You''ve never tried a portal either, right?"


    Axel shook his head. "I didn''t know they even existed before they got one at Hogwarts."


    "That''s normal. Portals are a relatively new concept, so not many places have them," said Martina understandingly. "It''s an interesting concept, really. Think of it as apparation. Only, the very thin tube is widened a lot."


    Axel had no idea what she was talking about. "I have never experienced Apparation either." It''s just not something he could learn at Hogwarts due to the wards.


    "Well, then let me help you experience your first time," she said, flashing him a smile, but she then paused, "Wait, that came out a bit inappropriate. I didn''t mean it that way¡ª"


    "Let''s go already," said Axel dragging her along.


    They both stepped in front of the portal. It was a gateway of sorts, and since it wasn''t active right now, you could see through it. Martina waved her hand and the wards around the thing disappeared. She then pressed a button at the side. "To the front wall."


    The portal got activated as magic filled the gateway, making the other side translucent. Martina tugged at Axel''s hand. "Let''s go,"


    Axel''s [Void Travel] skill hadn''t been progressing very well so he also wanted to experience it. Thus, with some hesitation and curiosity, he stepped through the portal.


    *ZZZZZ*


    As his body passed through the translucent layer, he felt this fizzy sensation buzzing on his body, followed by another fizzy sensation as he emerged from the other side. It was quite surreal. Looking around, he found himself on top of a high Wall overlooking the entire estate.


    "This is the outer wall that surrounds the mansion," explained Martina.


    The wall circled the entire estate, which was quite beautiful. But, what was on the other side of the wall was even better. On the other side of the wall was a lush forest, beyond which was a beautiful lake which shined with rainbow colors.


    Martina looked back at him, "Isn''t it beautiful? It''s called Lake Carezza, a famous landmark of Italy. It is also called "lec de ergobando", the rainbow lake. It''s covered with myths and legends."


    Axel nodded. "It IS beautiful." The lake was magical, it almost seemed to call onto him.


    "That isn''t all," said Martina, raising her hand, casting out waves of magic.


    "How do you even do that?" Asked Axel. He knew first hand how difficult wandless magic was.


    Martina smiled mischievously at him, "You''re not the only one with secrets, young man."


    Axel stared at her. Just now, it almost actually felt like she was... older. Martina turned her back to look at the magic she had been casting. "It''s done," she said, and in the next moment a ripple became visible in front of them, followed by another, and another, until hundreds of them were visible.


    Axel''s jaw dropped, "Are those all...?"


    Martina nodded. "Yeah, they''re the wards."


    Like every other Wizarding Estate, the Valentino manor was also protected with wards. But, the wards here were...


    "Fuck..." swore Axel. "This place is better protected than bloody Hogwarts," he muttered, activating his Arcane Eyes for further checking.


    Wards of all kinds were interwoven so complexly that he didn''t know where to even begin deciphering them. And they thrummed with powerz strong enough to withstand anything. His Wardbreaking skill, which had advanced quite a lot after last year, was still coming short in front of this elaborate piece of work.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Martina looked at him in surprise. "You can tell? I''m so glad! I''ve spent years working on them. These wards are a big reason why we don''t need to worry about a Gang war."


    "You designed them?" Asked Axel, amazed. "But they''re interconnected to power each other, and there I can see at least 5 back up setups for each ward. How did you even do that?"


    "!" Martina ceased functioning for a moment as she looked at Axel blankly, her eyes widened, "You can actually understand them? Oh my god! There''s finally someone who gets it!" Martina looked like she would kiss Axel any moment.


    Axel on the other hand had something else on his mind, "How did I even get here? These wards should have thrown me a mile away," he asked in confusion.


    Martina smiled, "Your knife. The Valentino knife, didn''t I say it''s a symbol of our friendship? You got access to the wards when you had dropped blood on it and bonded with it," she explained.


    "Come on, let me show you my lab as well!" She said, taking Axel''s hand. We''ll go by Apparition this time. It''s quite easy really, all you have to do is picture the location you want to go, and will yourself over there.


    Without barely a sound Axel and Martina disappeared, before appearing on the other side. It was quite a peculiar feeling. It was like being forced through a very tight rubber tube. Axel decided that he preferred portals.


    As he emerged on the other side, Axel looked at his surroundings. They were in a spacious and luxurious room. The room was painted lilac, hung with dark purple curtains of silk and lace, and with a sumptuous bed in an alcove covered with violet sheets. But the room wasn''t tidy, there were a lot of books piled up all over the place, with a few clothes scattered here and there.


    "This is my bedroom," said Martina, but then she realized something. "D-Don''t misunderstand! I only brought you because the door to my lab leads from here.


    Axel looked around the room. It was much better compared to the alley he used to sleep in. Martina really is quite lucky. "It looks comfy," he commented.


    Seeing him looking around, Martina suddenly got self conscious as she also looked at her room. "I''m sorry for the mess," She said, quite embarrassed she began leading him towards the door to her lab. While walking along, Axel paused in his footsteps as he was about to step on something.


    It was... a pair of purple panties with an "I ? Magic" print on it.


    Martina: !


    *Boom*


    A beam of magic escaped Martina''s hand, destroying a pair of panties as soon as she could. She might have even defeated Akiko had she been that fast in her duel. She smiled back at Axel, praying that he hadn''t seen, "What did you see?"


    Axel shrugged. "Nothing I haven''t seen before," he said, trying to reassure her.


    But that only made Martina feel even worse mortification as she led him to the bookshelf. "Anyways," she said as touched a book, her ears red. "This is the way to my lab," she said, half-drawing the book out of the shelf. Suddenly, there was a mechanical click, after which the bookshelf opened from the middle, showing a door made out of heavy metal.


    "Cool," commented Axel.


    Martina smiled proudly, "This is nothing. Wait till you get inside."


    She pressed her hand on the door and suddenly, the runes inscribed on it started to light up, making the doors open. The inside was so capacious that it made Martina''s room look small. And it seemed it was divided into sections. One section, the biggest one, was dominated by books, lots of them. Like, they were rivaling Hogwarts Library. One section had lots of plates lying around with various runic sequences on them, on the other various kinds of trinkets dominated one section, one was filled with lots of potions and potion ingredients, along with all kinds of equipment. And there was more, there was only so much you could describe.


    Martina turned and spread her arms. "How is it? You''re the first person other than me to step foot in here."


    "What¡­ in the tarnation of Netherworld have you been doing here?" Muttered Axel, walking in.


    Martina smiled sheepishly, "I had started out small but then I just kept expanding it¡­ Anyways I brought you here to show you the things you''ll find Interesting," she said, summoning a metal contraption from afar.


    Axel looked at it in surprise, "Is that a gun?"


    Martina nodded, "A magic gun. 5 times more destructive than muggle guns, runs on magic batteries. It''s one of the few offensive equipments I''ve made. As you know I didn''t use to like violence¡­ "


    Axel raised an eyebrow, "And now?"


    Martina aimed the gun at a target range and fired, shooting a beam that dug a hole through a dummy. Martina blew away the imaginary smoke off the gun as she shrugged. "Not anymore¡­ You''ve been a bad influence on me," she said accusingly. Lately, Martina had been faced with more than a few situations in which she found her strength lacking. And then looking at Axel dealing with his problems with pure and unadulterated destructive violence, she instead began somewhat liking solving thing with violence.


    Axel shrugged, "Might keep you alive longer," he muttered, still looking at the dummy. He was amazed by the power of the magical gun. That could definitely be useful. Not for him, but for people like Daphne in case of emergencies.


    "What else do you have?"


    She Martina grinned. "Many things. I have laser guns, light sabers, A railgun, a jetpack, a prototype of Ironman suit¡­" Martina began listing off the things.


    Hiding away in this basement for year, she had of course been fullfiling her nerd fantasies, building one thing after another. And now that she had to go to the violent route, a lot more things were to come.


    "Well, let''s see them then." Axel grinned. This was definitely turning out to be quite a fruitful visit.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in a meeting room, the Valentinos were in the middle of a very important discussion. They had dismissed even all their trusted men, leaving just the family members including Maria.


    "I hope it was just a war. It would have been much simpler," said Alessandro, Enzo nodding along with him.


    Francesca sighed, "Even I have to agree. It is clear that Makhailovs have been eyeing our power for a long time. But this approach is a bit difficult to deal with."


    Maria also shook her head, "Asking Martina''s hand for marriage, it is really¡­"


    "Fucking insane," finished Endo. "Do they really think we''ll ever accept?"


    "It is also a smart move. They are already here, we can''t reject them outright. And they''re also coming to the party tomorrow," said Francesca, feeling a headache coming. "We have to fix up Martina''s engagement quickly," she decided.


    "But¡­ who will it be? Can it be that boy? Doesn''t he have no family background?" Asked Maria curiously.


    "We don''t need a family background as long as there are no red flags. And we aren''t sure about how she feels about the boy yet. But it will be whoever who can keep her happy," said Alessandro. "We can''t, and god knows we''ve tried."


    "What does that mean? Isn''t Martina quite happy?" Asked Maria in confusion.


    Francesca sighed. "No, she''s not. Martina, has always been different¡­ distant. It''s not that she doesn''t care about us or loves us, it''s just that she has always kept some boundaries with us, no matter how close we are."


    "She''s always locked away in her room, doing who knows what," said Enzo.


    The Valentinos are quite distressed about the future of this daughter of theirs. It is very difficult to find someone with whom Martina would be happy with.


    ¡­.


    On the other side, it took a while for Axel and Martina to go through her inventions. Before they knew it, it was already dinner time and Martina and Axel were feeling much more comfortable around each other''s company, their initial awkwardness gone. Martina was no longer feeling nervous at having a friend over and Axel was feeling less tense at being in a Magical Mafia home. You could say they had bonded over destructive geeky toys.


    At dinner time, they emerged from Martina''s room with their clothes disheveled. Martina''s face was brimming with jubilation and her eyes were shining. Even Axel''s usual bored and broody expression was gone, and his face looked almost neutral now.


    But, when they emerged, the rest of the family, who were just coming back from their meeting happened to catch the two of them coming out, with their clothes disheveled and Martina beaming with joy,


    !


    Alessandro, Francesca and Enzo, all three of them stop to look at the scene in surprise as they exchanged glances. They hadn''t seen Martina this happy in a long time. But more importantly, all three of them had one question.


    ''He¡­ he just came out of her bedroom, right?''


    There was no doubt about it. Both had emerged from her bedroom. And with the state of their clothes and the difference in their expressions, they were either tumbling on the bed or they were doing something in the room further in. Either of the options was a huge shock.


    Francesca was the first one to recover. "It is good you guys are out. It''s dinner time. Come on, you two must be tired."


    Martina realized that her parents might be misunderstanding her. But there was nothing she could do or say that wouldn''t make the situation worse, so she just sighed and went to the dining room.


    In the dining room, as Axel sat on his seat beside Martina, he found that everyone was looking at him and Martina for some reason, making him uncomfortable. As the first course was served, Francesca finally spoke up, looking at Axel.


    "So, Axel. How old are you exactly? Is it still 12 or is it 13?" She began her interrogation, looking at Axel with even more critical eyes. It was the eyes of a mother looking at her prospective Son-in-law.


    Axel was stumped on the very first question. "I¡­ don''t know."


    ...

 Chapter 90: I Did NOT Sleep With Her!

    "So, Axel. How old are you exactly? Is it still 12 or is it 13?" She began her interrogation, looking at Axel with even more critical eyes. It was the eyes of a mother looking at her prospective Son-in-law.


    Axel was stumped on the very first question. "I¡­ don''t know."


    Everyone on the table paused, surprised at Axel''s answer. How can you not know your own age?


    "You¡­ don''t know?" At this absurd situation, Francesca couldn''t draw conclusions on her own. So she asked. "Could it be that you have forgotten or¡­?"


    Axel shook his head, "No, I''ve never known when I was born."


    "Oh..."


    Francesca''s line of natural conversation that she had planned beforehand was completely broken after this answer.


    "How can someone not even know their birthday?" Asked Enzo insensitively, getting a kick from Maria from under the table. (Ouch!)


    Francesca continued, ignoring Enzo''s question. "What about your family? Who is your guardian?" She asked the main question, hitting two birds with one stone. First, it was important to know about his family background before deciding anything and second, she wanted to know what kind of guardians he had who hadn''t even told him his date of birth.


    Axel almost laughed in derision. Family? Guardian? Him? Hell no. But he was once again stumped at what to say. With all eyes fixed on him, he couldn''t help but feel uncomfortable. Everyone other than Martina was looking at him with some sort of calculating, judging eyes, as if wondering how much he would sell for. Axel hadn''t forgotten that he was currently in the house of a Mafia family. Martina was good, but the rest of her family could not be trusted. They seemed like good people but you cannot really know for sure in such a short time.


    Axel coughed, "I''m sorry, but I''d rather not talk about my family," he said, trying to look apologetic. This lady here is going to fix his wand and he''d rather not disappoint her. But really, openly saying that, ''I have no one to look after me, so making me disappear will not create any waves'', in front of a Mafia family is just not a wise decision.


    "Yes mom, he doesn''t like to talk about his past," said Martina, shooting a warning look at her mother which said, ''knock it off! She had already guessed what was going on here. Her mother was interrogating Axel!


    There was a good reason why Axel doesn''t talk about his past. In their second meeting, Martina had tried to read Axel''s surface thoughts, but by accident, she had ended up getting glimpses of Axel''s worst, most horrific memories. She had already broken down when the scar part had come, forcefully breaking the connection. With such a past, it is already a surprise he isn''t going all Voldemort mode until now. Thus she has always respected Axel''s boundaries, making sure not to push them. And now her mother is just insensitively asking Axel uncomfortable questions just because she has delusions of engaging the two of them? Not on her watch!


    Francesca inwardly heaved a sigh. The duo''s response had already broken away any possible route for her to enquire further without making Axel uncomfortable and drawing Martina''s ire.


    She looked a bit taken aback and apologetic. "Oh, is that so. I''m sorry if my question made you uncomfortable," she said naturally. "But whether you are 12 or 13, I''m just glad that you are getting along so well with Martina."


    Alessandro nodded, "I know right? Usually, she doesn''t even let us into her room.


    Martina looked into her plate, not speaking. A girl needs her space, right? Her family is just clingy and overprotective. Back when they were allowed entry, at least one of them would always be in her room. If it stayed like this, then how was she supposed to do her research all the time which also involves dangerous accidents, explosions, and other risks in front of them?


    "Yeah! And I haven''t seen her this happy in a while," added Enzo, to which everyone agreed. The moment Martina and Axel had come out of that room, Martina had the brightest, most relaxed and genuine smile on her face. It was almost as if-


    Francesca put on a serious look, "You two, I know it might be difficult to control it since you''re at that age, but you need to show restraint on what you do in the bedroom. I don''t want my daughter to be pregnant this early," said Francesca, dropping a bomb.


    !!!!!


    "What?!" (Enzo) "What the hell?" (Alessandro) There was sound of cutlery dropping.


    "Cough! Coughcough!" Martina choked on the juice she had been drinking. "Mom! What are you talking about?!"


    "Yeah! Was Tina doing¡­that?"


    "My daughter is¡­ already grown so much?" Both father and son couldn''t accept it, and Axel suddenly got two piercing glares directed at him.


    ''Good thing I didn''t reveal my background¡­or the lack there of,'' thought Axel, as Alessandro and Enzo looked at him like he had, well, fucked their daughter and sister respectively.


    Francesca rolled her eyes, "Oh come on! What might the two of you be doing if not making out, with your clothes and hair in a mess and your face practically glowing?" She asked in exasperation.


    "T-That was because we were¡­ we were¡­" testing out dangerous magical weapons and blowing off one dummy after another? No way she could say that. "Playing," She finished lamely. The reason why she was so happy was that, with Axel, she didn''t need to hide anything. She was able to finally freely show someone the things she had been working on her entire life, and he liked it! How could she not be happy? Sadly, she couldn''t explain all this to her parents, resulting in her lame response just now.


    "You were¡­ playing¡­" repeated her mother in understanding. Martina never played. Even as a child.


    "...Yeah, we were playing" Martina didn''t sound convincing even to herself, let alone her parents. She realized that she might have further solidified their suspicions instead, as her father and brother were now looking positively murderous.


    She quickly changed the subject. "Why didn''t you guys tell me that we''ve gotten into trouble with the Mikhailovs? I could have helped!"


    That managed to divert everyone''s attention as they looked at Martina in surprise. "How do you know about that?"If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Yeah, who told you that they''re coming tomorrow?"


    Martina''s suspicions were confirmed. "So, they really ARE coming?!" She had only known that there was some trouble related to Mikhailovs. But them coming over? For tomorrow''s party? It''s much worse. "Why? Will that guy Maksmilian also be coming?"


    Her family exchanged glances. Maksmilian Mikhailov, the future heir of Mikhailov family, was the most arrogant, cruel, and insufferable guy they had seen. And incidentally, he also happened to be the guy whose marriage proposal had come from the Mikhailov family to the Valentinos.


    The discussion shifted towards the Mikhailovs as Martina''s father and brother were successfully distracted, letting Axel have his dinner in peace by just lowering his presence a little.


    "Mom, when will you fix Axel''s wand? It''s really inconvenient for him," said Martina to her mother after everyone was finished eating.


    "Oh, that," Francesca nodded in acknowledgement as she sighed, "I haven''t forgotten about that, but currently, I''m swamped. It''s been very hectic lately. There''s a party tomorrow, and there are some other problems as well," she said, casting an apologetic look at Axel. "I''m sorry, young man. Repairing a wand is a delicate work that can take hours to days to get done. I''ll try to do it as soon as I can."


    "I understand," Axel would be lying to say he wasn''t disappointed. But he really couldn''t blame her. She was already doing a huge favor to him by even agreeing to do it.


    "But," she said, putting her cutlery down and putting a sanitizing spell on her hands, even though they were pristine. "I can see examine wand right now and tell you how long it''ll take to repair it." She said, holding out her hand.


    Axel''s wand suddenly appeared in his hand, as he handed it to her. He had forgotten to tone it down, drawing raised eyebrows from around the table due to his quick draw. If he attacks someone like that, wouldn''t they not even have time to draw their own wands?


    Taking the wand, Francesca examined it closely but her eyes widened immediately. "By gods, how did it even get like this?" She asked, looking up at Axel in surprise. "Were you the one who cast this spell?"


    "What''s wrong dear?" Asked Alessandro.


    "Did he cast an illegal spell?" Asked Enzo excitedly.


    Francesca''s eyes went back to the wand, "I can''t be sure since I don''t know the wand''s endurance, but the spell which did this¡­ it had enough power to take down even a dragon," she said, surprising everyone.


    Axel didn''t bother answering her, "Can it be repaired?" He instead asked the main question.


    Francesca gave Axel a deep look, as if looking at him for the first time. The spell was most likely cast by none other than the boy in front of her. With the bond she was sensing, no one else could have used that wand. Her evaluation of Axel was raised. To be able to cast such a spell at his age¡­ he''s certainly not ordinary.


    But then again, he''s Martina''s friend, of course he couldn''t have been simple. It is even more impressive that the boy is capable of so much and yet the thing he''s actually known for is Quidditch, something harmless and non-threatening. He''s hidden himself very well.


    She nodded, coming out of her thoughts. "Don''t worry, it can be repaired. I would just need time." she said reassuringly.


    Axel felt like he could suddenly breathe again as the load on his chest lightened a little. "Thanks. I''ll owe you for this," he said, though no one other than Martina truly knew the value of this favor.


    ...


    The next morning, it was Christmas.


    Early in the morning, Axel woke up in the extremely luxurious guest bedroom of the Valentinos. The bed was quite comfortable, and the room was spacious enough for him to exercise and train so he was very satisfied. He did his exercises and took a bath in the swimming pool-like bathroom.


    ''Am I forgetting something?'' He wondered. He had a feeling that he was. ''Must be nothing, I even removed the owl post restriction,'' he thought. He had removed the magic that had been blocking the owl posts so that he could receive the few gifts he was going to get from the few people he had managed to know in the last two years.


    As he left the room, he didn''t notice the fact that his Magi-mirror, which he had forgotten to remove from silent mode, had been ringing for a while.


    When he came downstairs, he thought as if he had taken the wrong route, as the manor looked quite different with all the Christmas decorations.


    In the spacious living room, there was a giant Christmas tree, finely decorated with everything decoration baubles, Christmas Lights, Stockings, Wreaths, Tree skirts, Garlands, Tinsels, you name it. Axel had never seen a Christmas tree this big. And under that tree were the gifts. Hundreds upon hundreds of them. Axel had never seen so many gifts either. Since he got delayed due to his exercise, the family was already there.


    Martina was the first person he saw. Aside from her purple skirt, she was also wearing a santa hat, and long red socks on the occasion. She was currently sitting on the ground, with her presents opening around her by her magic.


    The rest of the family was also there. Alessandro sat in his pyjamas between a pile of different types of gifts, opening them one by one with his wand while Francesca sat on chair with a pen and note book floating by her side, noting down who gave which present, her hair tied in a messy bun until her usual uptight appearance. Enzo and Maria sat with a pile of their own, as Enzo opened the gifts with his knife.


    It was quite a peaceful harmonious scene, one which Axel didn''t feel himself adequate to witness, let alone interrupt. He wanted to return to his room and come back later, but Martina spotted him before he could leave. "Oh you''re awake? Merry Christmas!" she said, turning her attention away from the gifts she had been opening. "Come fast! You have a lot of gifts to open!" She said, beckoning him excitedly. The rest of the family, who had seen him by now, also welcomed him warmly, giving him Christmas greetings.


    As Axel looked at his pile under the tree, he doubted his eyes. "Are those..?"


    Martina nodded, looking at the Hundreds of gifts and letters he had received. "Yep, everything that is addressed to us has been passed down to the wards and stored here in different piles. The harmful ones have already been removed so you can open them.


    "..." Axel randomly picked one.


    "Dear Axel,


    Merry Christmas! I''m your biggest fan. let me have your babies!


    Love


    Xxxxx xxxx"


    "What the heck?" Sifted through at the pile and found that a lot of letters were like that. But, he suddenly ignored everything as he found the gift he had been unconsciously looking for.


    "From Daphne Greengrass." It was a neatly wrapped box with a ribbon on top. Opening it, he found a Letter, a card, a rolled up piece of paper and a strange box. He first opened the letter.


    "Dear Axel,


    Meeting you has been the best thing that has ever happened to me, or my family. Thankyou for being you. Here are gifts from me and my family.


    There''s a gift card that we didn''t have much use for from my mother. You can order any ingredient from BigOwl for free for a year. The rolled up piece of paper is a drawing Astoria made for you, and lastly, the strange box is from me. It has some wood that''s been lying in our family treasury forever. It has quite powerful magical properties. It''s been used for wand making in the past but then the method was lost, so it''s just been lying for centuries. Ask Mrs Valentino if she can use it in your wand. They are, after all, the best at Wandlore. Hope your wand is successfully repaired.


    So, these are the gifts. If they seem excessive or annoying, please just take it as us being bothersome. You''ve already given us a lot. The only thing we want in return is that you remember us.


    Love


    Daphne


    P.S.: Can you be back by New Year? Please drop by if you can, we had something planned for you.


    He had just closed the letter when Francesca and Alessandro came over. "Axel, here''s a small gift from us," she said, passing him a delicate wooden box.


    Axel was surprised. "You don''t need to. Helping me out with my wand is already too much," he said, trying to decline. But the Valentinos wouldn''t have it.


    "Just take it already, boy. It''s for Martina," said Alessandro. He still seemed a bit gloomy after last night''s misunderstanding.


    Axel thought it would be better to just accept it, lest this Mafia boss flips out. Francesca opened the box as she offered it to him, and inside was a beautiful wand which had a "V" engraved on it. "This?" He asked in confusion, picking up the wand.


    "It''s a substitute wand. You can''t just rely on one wand. It''ll also prove to be useful till I repair your original wand. Put a drop of your blood on it," Francesca told him.


    "Thanks. It''s a welcome present," said Axel as he did as he was told, dripping some of his blood onto the wand. The result was immediate. He felt a click, signifying that the connection had been established, and a powerful shockwave erupted from it, blowing back everyone''s hair as Axel''s eyes widened from the power he felt.


    !!!!


    ''What the...''


    Axel could feel that this wand was different. Not in terms of bond, but in terms of power.


    "This wand¡­" he began, completely taken aback. He had been expecting just some ordinary wand, something you can get for quite cheap at Olivanders. But this thing¡­ "It''s quite¡­"


    "Powerful?" Asked Francesca understandingly. "It is. I especially handpicked it from amongst our finest collections, after considering what would be the best fit for you. It''s 12 inches, the wood made from the Manna Ash tree, exclusive to Italy, and a hybrid core made using our family secrets. There is no trace, and the Valentino crest, that grants you special privileges in 10 magical countries including Britain. But, your original wand will be even better," She said, casting a glance at Martina.


    The girl was going all out for the boy''s wand. Even Francesca couldn''t understand why. What mag ical had the boy cast on her daughter to make her fall so deep? She just hoped that this will all be worth it. "It should be a good substitute while I''m fixing your original wand."


    "It IS a great wand," said Axel in agreement, waving the wand experimentally, "But, I don''t think I can accept it. It''s too precious, and you''re already doing a lot for me," he said, offering it back with much reluctance. It really was a great wand and it was certainly a much, much better alternative to Cyrus Greengrass''s wand that he was using right now. The power alone was astonishing. Axel was sure it wouldn''t be damaged by even the 30xElectrica Impulsa, unlike his original wand. But he couldn''t really accept it. It''s not a good thing to owe a Mafia family. He had no choice in the case of his precious Cherub wand, but in this, he had a choice.


    Francesca shook her head, refusing to take it back. "It''s already bonded to you, Axel. And it won''t work for others once it''s bonded to someone, just like most Valentino weapons. Just accept it, it''s useless to anyone else now." she told him matter of factly.


    "... Alright." Axel sighed. So there was no choice after all. "I''ll take it. Thank You very much, Mrs. Valentino. I owe you another favor. Please let me know if you need anything," he said, once again giving out a favor they didn''t know the value of.


    "Will do." Francesca nodded perfunctorily, but then she smiled, "Actually, there is something you can do."


    "What is it?"


    "Come to the Christmas party tomorrow. Martina could use some company."


    Axel sighed. Again, no choice, right? There''s no way to reject this invitation without coming out as a complete asshole. "Alright, I''ll be there." He said with reluctance. He just hoped it would pass peacefully.


    ¡­

 Chapter 91: Christmas Party

    After putting away the new wand, Axel looked at the gifts from the Greengrass family. He first picked up the card, still unable to believe that he had gotten such a thing. Free ingredients for a year? That sounded too good to be true.


    At this moment, Martina also happened to peek over. "Hey, is that¡­" she frowned, taking a closer look. "Isn''t a VVIP membership card from BigOwl?! I''ve been trying to get one for years!" She exclaimed.


    Axel looked back at her in surprise, "Wait, you couldn''t get it?" He asked. There was something that even Martina couldn''t get?


    Martina nodded. "It can''t be bought for money. Only special business partners and those who''ve given considerable concessions to them can get them. It lets you have the freshest and exclusive ingredients and other exclusive items from their stock."


    "Damn¡­" Axel realized that the value of this card is much, much more than what Daphne had tried to show. He shook his head with some helplessness. It was just like that girl to downplay whatever she does for him. ''It''s as if she wants to stay in my debt forever,'' he thought in exasperation, not knowing that might have actually hit the nail on the head.


    Putting away the card, he proceeded to open the painting Astoria had drawn. It was a painting of Axel sitting together with the Greengrass at the dining table, all of them smiling. It was titled, "Family." The painting was beautifully drawn, and Axel could see that the girl must have put in a lot of work into it.


    Looking at it, Axel recalled the time he had spent at the Greengrasses''. It was certainly a pleasant time, much more pleasant than the Valentinos who had begun interrogating him as soon as the dinner had begun. He had felt more at home at the Greengrasses''. In fact, he had even briefly wondered if that was what it was like to have a family. Observing their happiness and Astoria''s pure smile, he had felt that even as a murdering thief, he had at least done one good deed in his life, even if it may only be a one time thing.


    Sighing, he carefully placed the painting back and finally got down to the last gift. It was the strange box that Daphne had sent him. He was already quite satisfied with what he had received but he was curious what kind of gift Daphne had sent him. Opening the box, he found an old and shrivelled piece of wood that was wrapped up in a silk cloth. It looked like any ordinary wood to him, but Martina, who had been sitting beside him, suddenly widened her eyes, her head turning to look at the wood.


    "What the hell?!" She exclaimed, making Axel confused at her reaction.


    "What happened?"


    "This¡­" Martina didn''t seem to know how to explain it. "I am much more¡­ sensitive to magic than other people. And I can sense an amazing amount of magic from this thing," she explained, looking at the wood in surprise.


    "Really?" Asked Axel, looking skeptical. "How come I feel nothing?"


    If that''s the case, then how come even after directly holding it, Axel could feel nothing from the wood?


    Martina shook her head in confusion. "That''s what I can''t figure out. It''s like, the wood has been sealed or something."


    Axel decided to use [Arcane Eyes] on the wood. But as soon as he did, he almost got blinded by the light trapped inside the wood. But it was bound by some kind of magic, which was keeping it contained. Axel could make no sense of the thing.


    "Can you unseal it? We could use this in my new wand," said Axel, offering the wood to Martina.


    Martina looked at a loss. "I can try. But¡­ are you sure about handing out something so precious casually to me?"


    Axel raised his eyebrows. "Is it really valuable?"


    Martina looked affronted. "Axel, I''ve never seen anything like this before, that''s how rare this is. It''s value can''t be estimated, but I would be willing to spend a lot to get my hands on this thing," she said, shaking her head in wonder. "Who is giving you all these gifts?" She asked enviously.


    Axel was at a loss of words. What did Daphne say? Here''s some wood that''s been lying in our treasury since forever. The girl is casually handing out precious family heirlooms to him like this. Her father must be rolling in his grave. Axel did like that thought, and so must Daphne too so he decided to accept that wood for now.


    He held out the wood to Martina, "Try to find a way to unseal it."


    Martina looked perplexed, "Did you not hear me? It''s very valuable."


    "It IS quite important to me," said Axel. "That''s why you have to be extra careful with it," he said, looking her into the eyes.


    Martina nodded vigorously as she gingerly held the piece of wood. "I''ll¡­ I''ll do my best!" She didn''t know why, but she felt this inexplicable feeling brimming inside her at being trusted by Axel.


    Axel began checking other stuff. Surprisingly, he had once again gotten a gift from Bellatrix and Andromeda.


    Andromeda had given him some more health supplements with a note saying, "Don''t reject even these. I really didn''t have anything to do with what Bella did. I hope we couyld start over."


    "Heh," Axel shrugged as he chucked the gift into his bag. At least she knew not to give something too precious this time, because it would have been returned anyway. But Axel was tired of being angry with this lady. Whether or not she wanted to look into his mind to find out how he had survived, the fact of the matter is, she didn''t harm him personally. She could have just broken into his mind forcefully, gotten the information, and simply left him to fend for himself.


    Instead, she introduced him to the Wizarding world, bought him nice things, got him a hair cut, and even took him to dinner with her family to introduce him to Rose in hopes of getting him a friend. And even if that was all just to get information from him, it was only to cure her husband.


    So yes, Axel could no longer be bothered to stay angry at her. He guessed he had matured that way by now.


    ''But this bitch¡­'' he thought, looking at Bellatrix''s gift. No matter what, Axel would take revenge on her one day. Opening Bellatrix''s gift, he found a vial and portrait of what looked to be an older version of himself, minus the scars. The note attached with it said,


    "Dear Axel,


    I am in the life debt of your father, so harming you is the last thing I''ll ever do. Please forgive me, I didn''t know your identity back then. I didn''t mean anything I said. I''ve sent the proof. It''s his portrait which I painted myself and the memory of him saving me.


    Bellatrix Black."


    "Who is this?" Martina couldn''t help but ask, but then she quickly clamped her mouth shut. After looking at two of Axel''s gifts, Martina couldn''t help but start secretly peeking more at Axel''s gifts. She wanted to know what gifts Axel was getting and from whom. It may be the only way to find out more about him at this point.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    The previous one, for example, were some very high quality health supplements, which are good for Athletes. It was from someone named Andromeda. She hadn''t been able to properly see who it was, and it could be any Andromeda, but she was apologizing in the note. ''I wish we could start over?'' What does that mean? Is it an apology note from an ex-girlfriend? And who is Bella? These were the questions she had in her head as she began working on her own gifts.


    But the next time she peaked, she happened to see a portrait of someone who looked quite similar to Axel. There were differences, of course, but the resemblance was uncanny. "Who is this?" She had blurted out before she could control.


    Axel, who had been reading the note, was annoyed to know that she had seen it. "Nobody," he replied, taking out his brand new wand. He figured it was time to test it out.


    Martina couldn''t understand. It was clearly someone related to Axel, most likely his father. "You two look quite alike. Is it your father?" She blurted out, her curiosity getting the better of her.


    "I have no father," snapped Axel, pointing his new wand at the portrait. "Reducto."


    *Boom*


    A very powerful beam of light hit the portrait, causing a huge explosion. Axel was surprised by the power of the wand. He hadn''t used much power, just enough to destroy the portrait and not the floor below. But his wand turned out to be much more powerful than he had anticipated, resulting in this situation.


    ?!


    But, what was more surprising, was that the portrait was unharmed even after that attack! Mystified, Axel looked at the rest of the note.


    P.S.: I made the portrait indestructible so you can also use it as a shield when you''re in danger.


    Bellatrix Black, fuck you!


    The explosion attracted a lot of attention, and the rest of the family also saw the portrait, making Axel curse inwardly.


    If things weren''t bad enough, a deep, austere voice sounded at this moment, making him freeze. "It is good to finally see you, son. You''re quite powerful."


    Oh great, it speaks.


    That''s it, he''d had it now. Having no other choice, Axel chucked the portrait in his bag. Looking around, he saw all eyes focused on him.


    "Excuse me," he said, storming out of the room.


    As soon as Axel left, the curiosity exploding in the Valentinos was akin to the level that the readers feel when an extremely skilled author leaves them at a Cliffhanger.


    "Son! He said son! It WAS his dad after all," said Martia.


    "But why would he try to destroy it? And why did the portait say it was seeing Axel for the first time?" Asked Enzo.


    "Portraits aren''t actually real, Enzo. They''re just the depictions of how the painter viewed the subject. At the time this portrait was painted, according to the painter, Axel''s father still hadn''t met him," explained Francesca. "As for why he tried to destroy it¡­" her eyes narrowed in interest. "That can only be because the boy loathes his father."


    Everyone was now more curious about Axel''s family situation. But Martina felt guilty, because her slip had led to the whole situation. To distract her parents, she changed the subject.


    "Mom, dad, have you made preparations for the Mikhailovs tonight? What if they try to pull something?" She asked nervously.


    "Don''t worry, Martini," said Alessandro reassuringly, Axel''s situation completely forgotten. "They''re coming to OUR territory. Only their family is allowed, no bodyguards. They can''t do anything here."


    Martina sighed. "That''s what I''m actually worried about. Why would they risk coming here for no reason? They must have some sort of plan, right?"


    Enzo shrugged. "What can they even do? Aren''t our wards the strongest in the whole fucking world?" He asked.


    Francesca sighed, "Well, technically, they aren''t the strongest, but yes, our wards are indeed quite strong," she agreed. But inwardly, she was also thinking what Martina was thinking. Even proposing marriage wasn''t a good enough reason for them to come personally. The Mikhailovs aren''t that simple. After all, they''re running the most powerful crime syndicate in Russia.


    ''What are they playing at?'' She wondered.


    ¡­.


    In a dark meeting room, a man with a bald head and a cigar in his hand sat at the head of the meeting table. Even in the dark environment, he was wearing dark shades over his eyes. Sitting around the table were various rowdy men, looking a bit subdued while looking at the man. This man was Andrei Mikhailov, the boss of the Russian Magical Mafia.


    "Are all preparations done?" He asked, puffing the cigar leisurely.


    "Yes boss. All set," replied one of the men.


    Andrei nodded in satisfaction. "Remember now. You all have to play nice. Their daughter is the key to the Valentino family. If they agree to the marriage we don''t need to go to plan B. After all, we just have to control the daughter."


    One of the men raised his hand, "But brother, what if she refuses to be controlled?"


    Andrei laughed, and the rest of the men laughed with him. "Sergei, you seriously asking this? We have more than a hundred ways of making bitches listen!" he said, taking another puff. "Besides, Max can handle her, right son?" He asked, turning his attention to his son and heir, Maksmilian Mikhailov.


    Maksmilian nodded. Unlike his bald father, he had light brown hair and he could be quite handsome if not for the sleazy smile on his face. "Don''t worry dad. Leave her to me."


    ¡­


    Axel had stayed in his room for the rest of the day, training, and he was glad that the Valentinos had given him his space. He was just not ready to answer the butt load of questions they must have had after seeing the portrait. Currently, there was a potion vial in his bag containing a memory of his father, and his Portrait as well. Axel would be lying to say he wasn''t curious. But, at the same time, he had a feeling of strong repulsion as well.


    The portrait was nothing. It was just a depiction of what Bellatrix knew of his father, which couldn''t have been much, considering the fact that she didn''t even know his father had a son. As for the memory, well, he didn''t have a pensieve, and there was not much to gain in watching a memory of a person who''s already dead. Besides, though he didn''t know why, but his parents had left him at an orphanage, of all places. Who does that? certainly not good parents and certainly not people who deserve his attention. So, Axel had just spent his time training his skills.


    Later that evening, Axel was in his room, wearing a black tuxedo that the Valentinos had sent to his room this afternoon, ready to go to the party, as he had promised.


    Just as he was putting on his velvet loafers, there was a timid knock on his door. "It''s open," he called out. He kinda knew who it was just from the knock. .


    Martina opened the door. "I''m really sor¡ª" she was saying, but she paused as she actually caught sight of him.


    Finished putting on his shoes, Axel straightened up, looking at Martina. She was wearing a purple cocktail dress, with the sleeves and shoulders made out of translucent gauze, displaying her fair skin.


    "You look nice. What were you saying?" Asked Axel.


    Martina shook her head, as if to clear her thoughts, "I wanted to apologize for what happened this morning. If I hadn''t been so nosy, the situation could have been avoided. But don''t worry, my parents won''t be anything about your situation anymore."


    Axel shrugged. "Then, it''s alright I guess," he said, accepting the apology. Her behavior earlier was a bit irritating but he couldn''t really fault her for it. Martina is a girl who can''t hide her curiosity. In fact she must still be quite curious to know more. It''s already a punishment for her to try not to ask more. "Is it time to go already?" He asked.


    "Thanks," Martina was relieved. "Yes, are you ready? Mom told me to pick you up."


    On his nod, Martina looked at Axel''s neck, "You aren''t going to wear the bow tie?"


    Axel shrugged. "I don''t really know how to," he accepted. Tie, he still knew from his time at school, but bow tie? That never came up.


    "Well, let me help," said Martina, picking the tie. While Axel was thinking of how to reject without coming across as rude, Martina had already bridged the gap. Stepping closer, she unfolded his collar.


    As she put the tie around his neck, Martina suddenly realized that Axel was now taller than her. His figure is also much better than anyone she had seen, making him look quite dashing in the slim-fit tux. She also got a closer look at the two scars on his face. They were quite light, almost faded, but they were jagged, making you wonder how he got them. Martina wanted to run her fingers over them.


    At this moment, Axel cleared his throat, making her realize that she had gotten distracted.


    FBI! OPEN UP!


    Martina shook her head of all thoughts and quickly tied up the knot, stepping away from him. In retrospect, she wondered why it didn''t occur to her to tie it using her magic. Maybe because she didn''t think it would be a problem to tie it herself, or maybe she wasn''t thinking at all.


    Turning around, she quickly began walking. "Come on, we have to leave now. The party has already started."


    Axel shook his head as a walked along. ''My two years younger self would probably try to steal from me if he saw me,'' he thought, looking down at himself. The things he''s doing for his wand¡­


    They went to the ballroom where the party was, and Axel was surprised at the magnificence of everything. A red carpet laid on the ground, surrounded both sides by the Christmas decorations, leading into a huge ballroom. Everything was great, but¡ª


    *Click* *Click* *Flash* *Flash*


    "Princess Valentino is here!"


    "Miss Valentino, one photo!"


    "Wait, that''s Axel Hunt, right?"


    "Miss Valentino, can you tell us why you invited Axel Hunt to the party?!"


    "Are you two dating?!"


    There were annoying reporters as well. Taking Axel and Martina''s photos together. Frowning, Axel and Martina pushed past the annoying reporters, into the venue, drawing a lot of eyes. Axel sighed, trying to look on the bright side. At least he''s one step closer to getting the organization''s attention..


    ¡­


    next chapter: A DUEL

 Chapter 92: A DUEL

    While almost everyone was meeting to celebrate Christmas, a few people were having a different sort of meeting in an underground base in Britain. Incidentally, this was the same place Axel had accidentally broken into before the start of the term.


    In a dark meeting room, three people were meeting up, wearing skull masks and dark cloaks. "How are the rituals coming along?" Asked the one who was clearly the leader, looking at the short one of the two, his voice magically altered.


    The shorter one bowed. "I''m facing some difficulties. But I am positive the experiments will succeed."


    The leader nodded. "Keep at it." He then turned to the other person. "How is your search coming along? Did you find the masked intruder?"


    The taller person nodded enthusiastically. "I have some definitive leads. I''ll definitely catch him soon! But, can I ask why we''re searching for him?"


    "The ritual circles reacted when he came here. It is therefore crucial that we find him. You just need to get that reaction again, and you have found the thief," said the leader patiently, taking out his wand. "Crucio!" He called out without warning.


    The other person screamed like a dying pig, almost crying in the process.


    "This is for the stunt you pulled a month ago," said the leader calmly. "You were warned time and time again not to do it, but you couldn''t resist it, could you?"


    "I was.. I was only¡ª"


    "Crucio!"


    The person screamed again, almost beginning to sob pathetically this time. "I don''t want to hear any excuses. I warned you against doing actions which would attract attention. Just catch the thief and you''re done."


    ¡­..


    VALENTINO BALLROOM, ITALY


    Axel sighed. He already wasn''t liking this party.


    "Oh, Martina! Look at you, you''re all grown up now?"


    "Yeah, how long has it been? You were still clutching your mother''s hand the last time I saw you!"


    As people saw Martina, they began greeting her familiarly, trying to make small talk with her. Martina put on an ostensible smile as she began dealing with the people one by one, using the standard responses that had been trained into her by her mother. She seemed to be doing fine on the surface, but Axel could see that she was quite uncomfortable.


    "Oh no..."


    Then all of a sudden, she excused herself as she began dragging Axel along, walking as fast as she could without looking conspicuous. "Oh no, oh no, they saw me," she muttered, keeping her expression natural.


    "What''s up?" asked Axel, looking around.


    "Don''t look," whispered Martina, her smile never leaving her face as she kept looking forward. "Just pretend to be casual and they might leave me alone¡ª"


    "Miss Martina!"


    "Miss Valentino!"


    Unfortunately, before she could even complete her sentence, a few high pitch voices had called out to her, making her stop. "Damn it!" she muttered, making Axel raise an eyebrow. You know it''s bad when Martina is using ''damn'' with her unsullied mouth.


    Putting on a smile, Martina turned around to greet the incoming people. They were a group of girls, all dressed gaudily in expensive clothes and accessories.


    "Oh, it''s you guys. Merry Christmas."


    "Merry Christmas Miss Martina, we''d just been talking about you. Don''t you look a-mazing!" said the girl in the lead. She looked older, around 18-19. She was beautiful, but she looked a bit too superficial with all the excessive makeup and jewelry. The rest of the girls agreed, while also returning the Christmas greetings, but their eyes were constantly straying towards Axel, giving him coquettish looks.


    "And this must be the friend we''ve been hearing the rumors about, right?" asked another girl, who seemed to be wearing some traditional Roman garb, also with an excess of accessories. "I have to say, he''s drop-dead gorgeous! Miss Martina, why don''t you introduce him to your childhood friends?" She asked, looking at Axel hungrily.


    "He is Axel Hunt, my close friend," Martina said while looking warily at the girls. She then turned her back to look at Axel. "These are...my friends. This is Sofia, Bianca, Chiara, Aria, Gia..." she introduced the girls one by one, and Axel didn''t even properly listen to their names.


    "Ciao, Mr. Hunt! My name is Sofia Lombardi, and I have to say, I. am. your. biggest fan!" she exclaimed, looking at Axel.


    "Shut up, Sofia, you might have not seen even a single match of Quidditch completely," said another girl before turning to Axel. "Hello Mr. Axel, I''m Bianca Romano. And I have been infatuated ever since I first saw you. Would you like to dance with me?" She asked, offering her hand and leaning forward a little to show her cleavage.


    "Hey, that''s not fair Bianca!"


    "Yeah, get in line."


    The girls began arguing over who was going to dance with Axel. At the Halloween party, he was wearing a mask, and he hadn''t been standing beside the host of the party. It also helped that he was still relatively anonymous back then. But in this party, with his mask off, dressed in a highest quality tux, standing beside Martina, and after making history in Quidditch, he was attracting just too much attention.


    A frown came upon Martina''s always docile face. "Excuse me, but he is with me," she said, coming to stand in front of Axel.


    The girls were surprised, to say the least. They had never seen Martina like this.


    "Why Miss Martina, I didn''t know you two were dating," said Sofia, putting on a confused expression.


    "Yeah, especially after the rumors that have been circulating around lately," said Bianca, lowering her voice to emphasize the gravity of the news.


    Martina sighed. "No, we''re not dating. And no, the rumors aren''t true, I do not prefer girls," she clarified. She had heard some of the rumors spread around by the families to lower the competition for her marriage.


    "Oh no, you misunderstand, Miss Valentino," said another girl. "That''s not the rumor Bianca was referring to."The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Yeah, it''s the latest one," said another girl.


    ''Great, another one?'' Martina just gave up dealing with these girls as she grabbed Axel''s hand and began to leave. "Just leave us alone." Just the Lesbian one was embarrassing enough. She didn''t want Axel to hear more.


    The two of them kept walking until they were blended into the crowd of people, who either didn''t know them enough or weren''t going to bother them.


    Only then did Martina sigh. "I hate parties," she muttered, her fake smile finally slipping off her face.


    "I''ll join the club," said Axel, his eyes somehow darting at people''s neck, fingers, wrists, and pockets. Old habits die hard, and there were lots of prime targets here. "Anyways, what was the deal with those girls back there?" He asked.


    Martina''s face cringed. "They are how the girls growing up in Mafia households are usually like. They''re just trophies...or bargaining chips. And all they have in their life is to compete to be a better trophy than others," she said somewhat lamentably. All those girls are interested in, is drama, gossip, romance, getting a better man... superficial things like that.


    Martina sighed. "Anyways, I really am sorry my mother made you go through this." she said apologetically. "But I''m truly helpless in front of her decisions."


    "I know," said Axel. Martina had her brother and father wrapped around her finger, making them unable to make her do anything. But her cuteness card doesn''t work on her mother, forcing her to go along with a lot of her decisions. "But I don''t mind," he said, looking pensive. "It''s a small price to pay, really. In fact, I have to sometimes wonder if they actually have some kind of ulterior motive for doing this," he said with some suspicion.


    He did NOT like being here at this party at all. But, it''s too low a price for something as huge as fixing his wand. So low that he began to wonder if something was wrong.


    Martina shook her head, "They wouldn''t do that. We''re friends, right? We''ve been through so much together. Of course I can have my family do this for you," she said sincerely.


    Looking at Martina''s positive attitude, Axel sighed. He had to accept; Martina WAS pretty na?ve. High IQ does not automatically give people high EQs. In fact, some people with high IQs have a much harder time dealing with people and emotions. Another problem: She was too kind for her own good,


    "Martina," he said, stopping to look at her in exasperation. "You should stop predicting other people''s actions based on your own moral criteria. It will get you into trouble someday," he told her. He knew Martina wouldn''t do anything against him, but he couldn''t say the same for her family.


    Martina looked almost physically stung by Axel''s statement. "What... are you talking about? They''re my family! Of course I trust them. They''ve gone above and beyond to fulfill my wishes. Of course they can repair your wand if I ask them to."


    Axel sighed. "See? That''s the problem. They would do pretty much anything for your sake."


    While they were talking, someone walking by gave Axel a hard shove, definitely on purpose. "Oops. Sorry, didn''t see you there little guy."


    Axel, who had barely budged, looked back at the interrupter with an unimpressed look, his hand blurring for a moment until he resisted. Before he said anything, Martina beat him to it.


    "Maksmilian Mikhailov, Go away now," she said seriously.


    Maksmilian fixed his gaze back on Martina, eyeballing her. "Martina, Is this any way to talk to your future husband?"


    "What?" Martina looked downright disgusted. "If you were the one choice I had, I''d still choose dying alone rather than you."


    The smirk faded off Maksmilian''s face as his anger began to show. "So it''s true? You''re actually going to reject a marriage proposal with the heir of the "Mikhailov family"? And for someone like¡­ him?" He asked, pointing at Axel.


    ?


    "...What the hell are you talking about? What marriage proposal?" Asked Martina, and Axel suddenly had a sinking feeling as he slowly processed what he had just heard. The douche right in front of him, the one whom he was just going to teach a lesson to, turned out to be the heir to the Mikhailov family. And where the hell did a marriage proposal suddenly pop into the conversation?


    Maksmilian looked at Martina ludicrously. "What? Are you going to pretend to be ignorant now? Your parents rejected the proposal without telling you?" he asked, pointing at the elevated platform where the Valentinos and Mikhailovs were, seemingly in a debate.


    "So it''s like this¡­" there was a click in Axel''s head as he figured out what was going on here. Suddenly, everything made more sense. Why the Valentinos invited him, why they were extra courteous to him, and why they agreed to fix his wand and also gave him a new powerful one when the privilege is only reserved for the members of the family, and why he was invited to this party with Martina. It all made sense now. "Why am I not surprised?" He muttered, smiling sardonically.


    Maksmilian turned his attention to Axel. "And you. I''ve had my men look into your background," he said, shoving him back. "You absolute nobody, How dare you even DREAM of being with her, huh?!" He asked, his voice rising with every word as he shoved him again.


    The commotion caused was attracting a lot of attention, causing people to gather around, and Martina finally came out of her shock as she came to stand in front of Axel. "Hey! Don''t get him involved! He has nothing to do with this!" she exclaimed as she turned to look at Axel. "You were right Axel, I am so sorry I didn''t believe you! I promise I''ll make things right again." she said, feeling mortified. She still couldn''t believe her family would do this. But as Axel had said, they would do anything for her, which includes doing even this...if they think it''s good for her.


    Mikhailov laughed at Axel. "Hiding behind a woman? That''s the kind of person you are? I am seriously disappointed in your choice, Martina." He said, trying to shove Axel again through Martina.


    Axel had to push the girl aside before Mikhailov''s hand landed on her. He sighed. "You''ve done enough damage already, Martina. Don''t make things worse," he said in extreme exasperation, his voice still calm. "And you," he said, finally speaking to Mikhailov for the first time as he looked at him like looking at an ant. "As it happens, I''m already having a bad day. Don''t test my patience." he said, his calm voice containing a hint of danger.


    That only made Maksmilian more infuriated. Laughing out of anger, he stepped forward to look down at Axel. At 13, Axel couldn''t be expected to grow taller than an 18 year old with tall genes. "You..." he said, shoving Axel again. "Just who do you think you are, huh? (shove) You think you''re a big shot if you can play Quidditch? (shove) Let me tell you, it makes you an absolute NOBODY! You think a nobody like you deserves someone like her?" He asked, shoving Axel with each of his sentences, until Axel''s hands could no longer stay still.


    Mikhailov took the glove off his hand and threw it at Axel''s feet. "Let''s duel then. If I win, you walk away from her. You also have to change your school and grovel at my feet!"


    The commotion had attracted so much attention that a ring of people had gathered around them. These were the guests of a Mafia Overlord. Of course they weren''t peaceful herbivores. At the mention of a duel, the crowd became excited as they began clamoring for them to fight.


    *click* *snap*


    Also, the reporters were having a field day, recording and snapping away photos one after another like no tomorrow.


    Axel, on the other hand, who had already been beyond annoyed by the repeated shoving and taunts, had his annoyance increased even more just by listening to the terms of the duel. He wasn''t even Martina''s boyfriend! He had just been set up to be the scapegoat so that all the blame for the rejection of the proposal would be placed on him, leaving no chance of friction between the two overlord families. Francesca, he reckoned, must be the one who thought of this. And now he''s stuck with some bullshit dueling proposal which he should have no business dueling.


    "Fight! Fight!"


    ""Fight!""


    """"Fight""""


    """"Fight! FIGHT!..."""""


    The crowd would, of course not let this chance of watching drama and action stop, so they began making noise.


    Axel had to admit, this Mikhailov at least had some brains. Since he''s in the enemy territory with no fighting force of their own, the guy is playing this game carefully.


    If they were outside, he''d have Axel blasted off before he even said anything. Instead, he''s initiating a duel, with the terms achieving his purposes. He hasn''t even drawn his wand at Axel yet, since Martina is standing right beside him and if he pulls his wand on Axel, he''ll also be pulling it on Martina, which is a justified reason for at least a dozen stunners along with a few bone breakers by the men guarding her. Only when Axel accepts the duel would the guy be able to take out his wand and attack him like he''s been itching to. So overall, he''s played his cards smartly, almost being successful at being legitimately drawing his wand on Axel.


    But... that''s what makes the situation so... funny.


    Axel grinned, deciding to just go along with it. What choice does he have at this point? Back out of it? In such a situation? Nah, he''s not capable of it. Besides, backing out won''t prevent these people from coming after him since according to them, he''s already "Martina''s Boyfriend".


    But oh well, he already has too many enemies now. Adding one more to the list isn''t going to change anything.


    "Alright¡­ I''ll accept," he said, cracking his knuckles. Since he was already screwed whether this guy proposed the duel or not, he was grateful to him for the opportunity to relieve some of his anger.