ă€ŠHarry Potter And The Rise Of The Protectoră€‹


 Chapter 1 - Ch. 1 Prologue

    "Damn that hurt!"

    I really didn''t think my day would end, or should I say my life would end like this. But of all things, WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE TRUCK!? It''s not like there aren''t any other ways to die. I am not even Japanese or from Japan, nor was I there or have ever been there. So why a truck!?

    Going back a bit as a form of introduction, just to be polite. My name is or was apparently Micheal Folster, above average in most things in my life: good family with some loving and supportive parents, the ever annoying sibling that as the elder I must never admit to actually loving and constantly protecting, good grades in school and active enough in physical activities. Aside from that, my hobbies and interest were pretty varied from literature to martial arts, with a little bit of the anime thrown in there I am unashamed to admit.

    Though if I had something to admit is that I was a bit too much into online novels of a lot of genres. I read everything from some of the gritty anti-hero''s and straight up villains to the fluffy romance ones with some drama thrown in to face slap some people. I was recently indoctrinated into the world of fanfics and I have to say it ate a lot of my time. Star Wars, Naruto, MHA, Bleach, but for some reason the ones that made me lose myself in the world they recreated over and over again were the Harry Potter ones. I just enjoy the characters and how some changes or points of views could change the way everything ends.

    Now that you have a basic grasp of who I am, let''s get back to how I died because it just made me curse at the clich¨¦ of it all.

    I''d just finished high school with good enough grades to enroll into the university of my choice and with my parents supporting the path I was trying to follow in my life. I took a long time to really think about what I wanted to do in life and I come up with something no one envisions for themselves as a child; I wanted to teach.

    On my way back from the University to fill out some of the last forms and get my student ID. I stopped to get some of my favorite snacks as a reward for everything going well. As I stepped outside and got to the corner of the street, I saw a young mother and her child crossing the street. (We know where this is going)

    She looked like she twisted her ankle due to her heels and was hurting pretty badly so I stepped up to help.

    I got to the kid who looked like she was almost about to cry and said "Hey there little one. My names Micheal, I''m going help your mommy get out of the street so can you go to the bench right there and wait for us?" As I pointed to bus stop at the corner.

    The little girl nodded and ran over to stop, turned around and stared at her mother. "Thank you for the help, these are new shoes and I just misstepped." Said the young mother on the ground.

    I extended my hand and replied "it''s no problem at all. Let''s just get you out of the street first."

    I got her up, picked up her purse and started to make my way over to the sidewalk. And that''s when I heard a loud honk. Then I saw a light coming towards our direction. Problem was that it was coming towards me and the hurt women, but swerving out of control towards the bus stop which just so happens to contain one frozen little girl.

    "MILLIE!!" The mother yells in horror as she realizes where the truck is heading towards.

    In that moment I don''t know what came over me but I let go of the mother and sprinted towards the girl. As the truck got closer I jumped and pushed the girl out of the way. And it was just in time for me to get hit by truck and boy did that not feel great. Even if it was just for a short while, I don''t think I can forget the sound of pretty much every part of me snapping and crunching at the impact.

    I did see that the girl was out of danger the moment before I got hit, which is nice to know since I''m not getting up from this. I know this, everyone who saw this knows it and I honestly couldn''t even feel much of anything at that point

    Everything was simply getting darker and darker as my brain was shutting down, until I closed my eyes and just let myself go into the darkness.

    That is until I realized I was still thinking. I couldn''t feel my body so my first thought was that I lived but somehow ended up completely paralyzed. But after a few minutes I also noticed that I''m not breathing or feeling any sort of pain, which I assumed that being paralyzed doesn''t stop from feeling pain.

    This made me think of a lot of possibilities: one is that I''m a soul and I''m being judged right now, two is that this is that this is limbo, three is that this is the afterlife (which in all honesty sound frightening, I mean an eternity of nothing is just horrifying), and lastly that this is somehow a waiting room for something.

    After what could be considered a few dozen minutes there was a sudden white light that engulfed me. A few seconds later I''m standing or floating or whatever I doing in front of two people: one is a man seemingly in nearing middle aged judging by his salt-pepper hair and neatly trimmed beard on his sharp face made him look like stern man, he had the red eyes which almost seemed to glow with how intense they were and was wearing almost blood red robes kinda similar to what Jedi''s wear. The other was a woman: she had pitch black hair and eyes, looking like darkness itself, but her features were gentle like a mother waiting for you to fall asleep, wearing a similar robe to the man but black as her hair.

    They were looking at me until finally the man opened his mouth to say "Micheal Folster... you are now dead."

    "Well F.u.c.k." I reply as that last bit of hope to still being alive just crashed.

    I thought of my parents and even my little brother. My Friends. My dreams. Everything that I thought I could do in my life. Then two random thoughts came from the back of my mind; at least I saved that little girl and I''m glad I didn''t die a v.i.r.g.i.n.

    "Cough cough" I hear as I snap out of my thoughts.

    "Now unfortunately what my husband said to you is true." I hear the black haired woman say as she shows an apologetic expression on her face. "But their is some good news. You preformed an incredibly good deed before your death and you''ve also led a good life, with the fact that you actually weren''t meant to die yet. And so we''ve decided to give a second chance."

    I froze.

    Isn''t the exact situation that anyone who''s read some reincarnation stories dreams about? Isn''t that what I''ve dreamed about at least a hundred times? It can actually happen?!

    "Does that mean going to a different world like a fantasy one or sci-fi one?" I asked to confirm exactly what they were offering

    "That''s right." Said the the stern looking man.

    "And do I get to chose where I go?" Asking for clarification.

    "We will have to see if it''s an appropriate world, but yes you do get a choice." Answered the almost motherly woman.

    "And do i get some kind of cheat ability or skill to help me?" I asked in a hopeful manner.

    "No." Answered the man basically crushing my hopes.

    "Oh stop being so harsh and explain things properly dear." Said the woman in a slightly huffy manner. She looked back at me and said "You do get some bonuses as long as they aren''t going too far, but do be warned that it will be up to the world to fulfill your d.e.s.i.r.es, we will simply make it so they will be fulfilled but cannot do it directly as that would encroach on the domain of other gods and they would probably try to kill you and get us punished for it." Explaining how this would work.

    "So I get wishes as long as they aren''t too extreme and you don''t have any control on how they would be granted?" I asked to confirm

    Both simply nod at my question.

    This makes me think for a while until I finally make up my mind. I mean this is something I''ve dreamed about for a long time so I did have things planned out in an imaginary manner.

    "Can I go into the world of Harry Potter as a wizard?" I asked the couple.

    "That is an acceptable world. Reasonable risk, no dimensional travel, no ascension possibility, you have knowledge about it, close to your own and with a lot of leeway to make your bonuses come true." Said the man with the most words I''ve heard out of him so far.

    "Can I be born a few years before Harry Potter?" I''m asking in the hopes of getting closer to my ideal path

    "Of course dear. As long as you don''t ask to be put into any of the truly important people chosen by the worlds fate you''re fine." Answered the woman in a gentle manner.

    "That''s great! And how many requests can I make to help me in my new life?" I asked excitedly.

    "Depends on the requests." The man answered back in his short but to the point manner.

    "I was think of being born with some kind of family legacy, like being the heir to a lost or noble family. Possessing an almost eidetic memory. Being a natural occlumen. Possessing an enormous amount a magic. Being able to communicate with animals and magical creatures. And finally adding an incredible will to improve myself and never giving up, and being handsome never hurt anyone." I said to the duo as I finished my ideal list of d.e.s.i.r.es.

    "The bloodline will be easy enough when inserting you in the requested time period. The Occlumency and Eidetic memory can be related hence will not pose any issue. The magical energy will be a bit trickier. We will have to work with how the world would make it possible, but making your body extremely adaptable and giving your new body the ability to absorb and manipulate magic with some practice should ready you for however it is done. Your looks certainly won''t be an issue and giving the requested willpower and drive is simple enough. The last ability you requested will truly depend on if the world will allow this, we will not be able to help." The man answered all my requests in a direct and final manner, whilst also beating his previous record of words spoken.

    "Yes I do believe that everything apart from that will not break the limits of the world. And do you worry your little head about anything, I''ll handle your looks and make you perfect." The woman said with a look that almost made me see stars in her eyes.

    "Then I will thank you in advance for everything." I said to convey my appreciation. "Ah. Will i keep my memories of my previous life?" I asked remembering cause I really want to remember.

    They looked at each other for a moment before they nodded in response.

    "That should be everything then." I said as I was thinking if I had missed anything.

    "Then you should prepare yourself dear, we are going to send you down in a moment then." She said while looking at me with excited eyes.

    "Prepare yourself, because your wishes will almost certainly require you to suffer quite a bit. But only for some time, and you shall attain your rewards." Said the man warning the about the dangers of the situation

    "Thank you both, but before I leave I did want to ask who both of you are. It''s kinda rude that I didn''t do so before, but I do want to thank you properly for everything." I said slightly sheepishly while looking at them.

    "We are Death." They answered in perfect unison. "And now it is your time to depart"

    "Then thank you for everything Mr. & Mrs. Death!" yelling as everything was fading away.

    And that''s how my second life began.

 Chapter 2 - Ch. 2 Aedan Bones

    I opened my eyes for the first time in this new life of mine with my head hurting and seeing something I didn''t expect, a body.

    I saw a woman holding onto me, shielding me with her own body, with tears coming down her face but with a fire in her eyes they could not extinguish. She looked frightened but it did not stop her as she keep looking at me. She had long c.h.e.s.tnut colored hair, a pair of steel blue eyes, soft features which shows that she must have been pretty if it wasn''t for all the dust and dirt across her face.

    "It''s alright Aedan, it''s alright, you''re ok. Daddy and mommy will take care of all those nasty men. Just keep quiet for a while ok?" She said to me trying to reassure me as she wiped a bit of blood of my head.

    It looks like something happened and this Aedan died and that allowed me to become him. Thinking about how the Mr. & Mrs. Death sent me here. And it looks like I''m young, like no more than 5 young.

    The woman In front of me took me into her arms and ran while holding me and muttering to herself " I hope the order notices what''s wrong soon, because if they don''t I truly don''t know what we can do."

    We arrived at a staircase where a man was running towards us. He turned around the instant he heard a noise coming from the door behind him whipped his wand and shot out a series of spells resulting in a large cut appearing in the door and a man falling while clutching his throat.

    "We have to go now my love. We can''t hold them back. The house-elves are all but dead and everyone else is simply trying to drag more down with them." The man who I assume would be my father by that way he looked at both me and the woman who appears as my mother.

    This whole time I''ve just been so confused. I wake up in an unknown house, held by some woman who is apparently my mother, and we are running around while screams and explosions just keep happening. There are bodies laying on the ground and people fighting everywhere. I keep looking at the man in front of me in the hopes of getting some kind of information.

    His hair was short and brown, it must have been styled in some manner but unfortunately for him the battles made him looked completely disheveled. His hair had mud and what I presume is blood matting it, his face looked stern and serious with sharp features, a neatly trimmed mustache and strong looking chin. His green eyes looked at the both of us tenderly, but also with a hint of sadness in them as he seemed to know that all this would not end well at all.

    "Hide with Aedan, I cant let them find the both of you." He said in an authoritative tone while at looking at my new mother.

    "You think I''m just going to leave you to fight alone Edgar! Not a chance in hell!" She almost growled back at him with an angry look in her eyes.

    "Serena please. We can''t just leave Aedan alone in this world. Hide him and yourself. This way I can truly protect you both." He replied imploringly at his wife.

    She looked at the man for a moment with a steely gaze before slowly nodding.

    "Thank you my love." He said with a sign of relief.

    She kissed him briefly before running towards the back of the house. We came to a large room filled with bookshelves and a fire place lit with a few reading chairs near it. She pulled a blue book and it opened a secret compartment behind one of the bookshelves. She put me in the room before hearing shouts and more explosions coming from the direction we came from. She bit her lip placed me down on the bench inside before looking at me.

    "Aedan, you are our beloved child and I''m so sorry for having to do this, but I simply cannot leave your father. You will have to be strong for Mommy ok? You are the proud heir to the house of Bones. You may break a few, but we will come back stronger. We are never afraid to fight for what we believe, even when the world doesn''t share that belief. So be a good boy and stay quiet for me please. Because I need to believe that what I will do will keep you safe. I love you so much, so very much and I know that in the future you will do me and your father proud." She said as her voice went from determined to unbelievably soft and gentle.

    She bent down and place a soft kiss on my forehead. I don''t know why, but that one kiss made me unable to hold back the tears I didn''t know I was about to shed. I truly did not want this woman you looked at me like I was the world to her, to leave me. I felt such pure love in that one kiss that i just couldn''t keep it in. I don''t know if this came from me or from whatever was left of the original before he departed, but I didn''t truly care.

    With my blurry eyes I simply looked at her and nodded resolutely. It doesn''t matter if I just came here or that I just met these people. They are protecting me as their child. They are giving their lives for this and showing what it means to truly be resolute. I decided to do as the woman asked. I will make her proud of her decision. I will be in this world which I wanted to explore and discover as Aedan, heir to the noble house of Bones. I will fight as they did, for what they believe was right. It might not be the same but my will shall be.

    With that the woman, my mother, Serena Bones, gave me one last look with deep emotions in which I could see sadness, love, anger and determination, stepped out of the safe room and closed the door behind her.

    "I love you Aedan and I''m so sorry for leaving

    you so soon." She said as the door finally closed with a click.

    I simply couldn''t help but shed tears for her and the love she tried to express before leaving. The longing to see your own child grow as you watch over them and the fact that she could no longer afford that luxury.

    And so I waited like she asked.

    I waited for what seemed to be at least an hour until I felt something shake. I focused for a second and felt it shake a second time, only stronger. Then sounds like a hammer striking against the wall started. It got louder and louder until I finally heard "CONFRINGO!"

    And the wall in front of me exploded.

    A man in full black robes, wearing a silver mask akin to a dead mans face, with ornate design near the eyes and on the forehead. It made it seem as if snakes were coiling themselves on the mans face, emphasizing the madness in his eyes. Besides him was a tall woman with long, thick, shining black hair. She had thin lips, dark, heavy-lidded eyes, and a strong jaw. He tight black dress and black boots added to her presence as someone you saw herself above others. And she truly believed she had nothing to hid since unlike the man, she did not have a mask, showing clearly the most famous or infamous and devoted death eater; Bellatrix Lestrange, looking almost as she did in the movies, only younger.

    Her eyes stared into mine as I didn''t budge an inch to the two death eaters.

    "Hahaha!" She cackled with an almost insane glee. "He doesn''t look scared. The little half-blood filth stares into the eyes of his better and dares not beg!" She suddenly switched to rage as if it was only at the flip of a switch.

    "CRUCIO!" She yelled as she pointed her wand at me.

    In that instant, pure pain shot through my body. I couldn''t breath, everything just stopped working like I wanted. I was a simply on the floor, writhing, unable to even yell as the pain made my entire body feel like it was on fire and breaking every bone at once. You cannot imagine what it could make you feel. This is the spell she used to drive two of the bravest Order of the Phoenix members to insanity and I''m getting first hand experience as to why that is.

    She pulled back her wand with an insane grin on her face as she looked at her work.

    As the pain stopped I could finally breath. Giant breaths filled my quickly as I shivered from the leftover pain. After a few seconds I simply look right into her eyes again and glared.

    The grin on her face dimmed seeing this. She lifted her wand and as she prepared the cast the Unforgivable curse again as an arm shot up and said "stupefy."

    "You dare stop me from executing the lords order Barty!!" She shrieked at the man beside her in anger.

    "Not at all mistress Lestrange. I simply believe he will be useful, very useful in one of the dark lords experiments. Strong willed, has some bloodline even if it was polluted by that filthy mud-blood. He should be perfect." Said the man, that from what Bellatrix said should be Barty Crouch Jr.

    And that''s how after an hour of being reborn I lost my new family and was put at the center of some of the darkest magic known to wizard kind as Aedan Bones, heir of the noble Bones family.

 Chapter 3 - Ch. 3 Be careful what you wish for

    It''s second time I wake up in a strange place today, but this time there is no one around.

    I look around the room I am now in and I feel I should correct myself after doing so. This isn''t a room, it''s a cell. And from the looks of it, appears to be in a dungeon. But honestly, who puts a kid alone in a dungeon.

    There''s what appears to either a bench or a bed, can''t really tell which one. Some kind of bucket assuming it''s for my needs. The wall are made of stones, like the room was simply carved out of the earth. There''s no window. The only light comes from the small hole in the door to let people look in the cell. The door is made out of solid steel and I assume it''s enchanted. Truly an almost stereotypical dungeon.

    Nothing happened for the first day. I could hear some doors opening and some people walking outside from time to time, but that''s about it.

    Instead of wasting time doing nothing and dwelling on loosing my new family so soon, I tried to do whatever any protagonist does in Harry Potter fanfics when young and unable to practice magic properly: Occlumency and wandless magic.

    The first day didn''t have much in the way of results. I did what every book said was the first step and that was to clear the mind whilst meditating. I also tried to find the magic in me, but that was easier said then done.

    I took a week before I started to get on the right track. I started to feel some energy near my heart, and after that I started feeling that energy around me. It was only then that I remembered the Death couple saying I would be able to feel and absorb magic with relative ease in my new body. I also started to make some headway in my emptying to the mind. It took some time but I was finally able to do it. I also was able to get some sort of understanding of how things worked in this dungeon: everyday the death eaters or whoever is in charge here sends food down for what I can call breakfast, then they send some house-elves to pick the plates, give you Scourgify and empty the bucket. Then they don''t do anything until what I''ll assume is lunch time, but that''s not to give us since we only get what''s enough to keep us alive, so it''s basically just making rounds to check if everything is still ok. Then there''s supper which just works almost the same as breakfast.

    This means I have plenty of time to practice as long as I keep track of when the last movements outside happened.

    It''s been two months since I came down and I''ve been pretty productive. I managed to make what I believe is a defense in my mind. I took some bits from Sherlock ''memory place'', added some bits I''m unsure work and tried to create a veritable fortress in my mind with guards ranging from soldiers with advanced military equipment to some fantasy like dragons. At the center is the fortress with my general knowledge and some traps, leading to the most fortified stuff I could think of: genetically locked computer within a vault which also houses my baseball sized magic core, protected by a standing army of the most powerful fictional characters I could think of. I couldn''t get the hang of creating fake memories, I just can''t seem to get it right.

    On the other my magic is pretty pathetic. I can barely lift the pebbles in my room. I tried everything but I just keep fainting after a few minutes of doing it. The only consolation is that I am able to do it for greater periods of time, so it''s seems like those theories which state magic is like a muscle should be correct. There''s also the possibility that I''m just too young, because from what I remember young wizards only usually start really feeling their magic at the age of seven.

    My routine of training my Occlumency and magic kept going until 2 and a half months in my cell door opened. Two men wearing identical plain silver swath eater masks stepped into the room. The two looked like towering mounds of either fat or muscle compared to my small stature and weak body.

    "It''s your turn now kid. Try to last longer then the last kids that were up there. I hate having to come down here with you low-breed filth." The death eater on the right spat out.

    The one grabbed me while the other cast Petrificus Totalus and then levitated me out of the room.

    Once in the hallway i saw maybe half a dozen cells which seemed to be identical to mine. The hall seemed to have been dug out of the earth just like the cells, the only things that looked like they had been made instead of carved are the doors and the torches.

    We went into a room which was lit properly unlike my cell. On the ground was a weird set of circles with at star in it, surrounded by drawn symbols in what i have to presume, judging by the redness of it all is blood. If it''s human or not I don''t know, and even if I could know I don''t want to. There were pieces of what looked like a lion; beige colored legs with great claws, three pairs scattered at different points of a star within the circles, a tail and what looked like fangs on the other two points, and above the center was held a pair of eyes floating in a liquid held by a glass container. In the middle of all this was a table with what looked like straps.

    All I could do was watch and try to figure a way out of this situation which did not look like it would end well for me. The problem was that I was completely stuck both magical and physically, my wandless magic was laughable and I don''t know how to even leave this place or how many people are here. In the end, all I could do was watch in horror at what I could guess would be a ritual and one involving blood and sacrifices, something which pretty much all fantasy worlds would call dark magic.

    "Try not to die too quick kid, it''s annoying having to dispose of you filthy brats." Growled one of the men who as he strapped me down.

    "All yours sir." They said to a man standing in the corner observing everything.

    "Leave us!" Said a raspy voice which sound almost inhuman.

    As both men left he turned towards me and said "you will be a step on the path to create the ultimate weapon for the dark lord you filthy half-blood. Be grateful for this chance or die for his glory."

    He turned around and walked to to his own position just above my head. He pulled out a silver dagger and started a chant which I couldn''t recognize as he was murmuring. Until finally he used the dagger to slice my wrists. Pain explode and my mind started going into overdrive trying to think of something, trying to stop myself from panicking.

    "et tandem intrat sanguinem predonum" said the hooded man in an excited manner.

    The blood circles started to glow as it became liquid again. It came towards my slit wrists and started to crawl it''s way into my body. I felt like my arms were on the verge of bursting, like every vain and artery were stretched to their breaking points. Until the blood finally made its way to my heart and spread throughout my whole body. I tried to use every little bit of magic I could to try and stretch the blood thin as to not explode like an over inflated balloon. It took all my will to not scream out in agony until it finally started to calm itself.

    "Oculi tandem intrat rapax" said the bastard holding the knife as he did something no one could truly be prepared for.

    He slashed his knife across both my eyes.

    In that instant I froze. It just didn''t compute. And then came the pain, the horrifying pain, followed with the horror of the situation and it finally made me scream. I could only feel the despair at the situation until new sensations were felt on my face as a cold liquid was poured on me. Then I felt a new sort of pain, like my eyes were being pulled out and shoved into my skull at the same time. I yelled and screamed until it felt like blood was coming out of my throat.

    All I could hear in response was that f.u.c.k.i.n.g bastard who stabbed me! The piece of shit who took my sight and put me through this pain! And he was f.u.c.k.i.n.g ecstatic! It was like his f.u.c.k.i.n.g birthday was happening and he got everything he asked for!

    I don''t know how long I was in this limbo from hell, but it finally stopped. And I could only cry with no tears after I felt them untie me from the table.

    "He lived!! The boy lived!! He''s the first to make it this make far, haha!!!" Said the piece of shit like he got his dearest wish granted.

    "You two idiots outside! Get him cleaned up and send him back to his cell! He is now the most important subject in this place!" He commanded as I was simply trying to get by bearings back as the pain was still assaulting me.

    I heard the door opening and the sound of footsteps neared me. I felt the blood on my body leave and then followed the same procedure as when I was brought up. Only this time I was simply shocked already. I didn''t know what to do anymore. So even if they didn''t full body bind me I still wouldn''t have moved.

    I was dumped back into what I assumed was my cell and felt around for my bed. After I got my bearings, i climbed on and simply curled up and trembled at how everything just happened so quickly. I kept asking myself questions. Thinking about how could even learn magic while blind. Thinking about what these bastards will put me through next, cause from what that d.i.c.k bag said I''m sure he''s got more planed for me.

    The only way I could fall asleep that night by forcing myself to using Occlumency. I entered my mind happy to still be able to see it. I went to the deepest parts where my core memories of my past life dwelled and my magical energy which powered everything within me lay. And when I got there I had to double check if everything was alright because my magic core, the which was responsible for containing, distributing and absorbing the magical energy for wizards... well it now had a twin and both of them were a least four times the size of what my previous one was. If my previous one was basically a baseball containing mist, these were two basketballs containing incredibly dense mist.

 Chapter 4 - Ch. 4 Changes

    I finally woke up, but I don''t really know what time it is or more accurately I don''t know what part a those shit eaters work is coming next nor how long till it happens. I also realized that my eyes are bandaged and I''m not in a hurry to take the things off, I mean I don''t want an infected wound on top of being blind now.

    I felt outrage at what they did to me! They just used me and dumped me back into my cell. Experimented on me and left me to rot again.

    But anger has to wait, because my body needed to be taken cared of. First problem is that I need to use the bucket. After feeling around for it with my feet as I was walking towards what I think is the right corner, I can finally take care of nature''s call.

    And apparently I really need it cause from what I can hear I think i almost filled half.

    Next up was a complaining stomach. I head towards the opposite direction from where the bucket and try to feel for the door and be extension the tray of food which is supposed to be on the floor near it.

    Thankfully there was some, although not nearly enough to feel my massive hunger. I guess it''s gonna be a rough couple of days.

    After I was done, I did my best to walk back towards the bed and started meditating. I needed to understand what changes and how having two cores is going to affect me. As I tried to understand them I noticed that they were constantly feeding of each other when not being used. Meaning that when they were full, they keep helping each other grow by basically doing continuous exercises on their own. That was a really great piece of news and I really needed a piece of good news to cheer myself up, because not to beat a dead horse here but it really sucks that I got blinded by some freak who probably wants to blow Volde-hitler.

    Now what was also interesting is that I started to feel magic as I used it. When I mean feel magic, I don''t mean in the way that people generally feel magic flow through them as they use magic, no it''s different then when I used wandless magic before. I felt it all around me, felt it c.a.r.e.s.s the pebble I was levitating after I found it, felt it move around and through me as harnessed it.

    Tis is when my wandless training really started to pick up. I was able to lift pretty much all the pebbles I could find in the room with relative ease and was able to make them fly around the cell. I tried to think about how to get out of here. How to gain enough strength without alerting those guarding me before it was too late.

    I was doing this until I heard some footsteps coming. I immediately stopped my training and waited for steps to pass, but they didn''t. I heard the door open and turned my head towards the sound.

    "Well well well. Will you look at what we have here. He''s alive. The old man will be real happy to hear about this." I heard the voice the deep and slow voice. It''s sounded like the big man who brought me to that a.s.s hat last time.

    He closed the door and left, probably going to inform that crazy bastard. And a few minutes later he came back, used the body bind and levitation charms and off we went.

    I was put down in some kind of chair and then strapped in. Steps went away and a different stepping sound came closer, it wasn''t the heavy stomping, this time is was slow and light.

    "Here''s the little miracle boy, hehehe!" I heard the raspy bastard say in an excited tone.

    "You''ve been out for almost a week. I was starting to worry my success would actually end up killing you anyway. But no worries, no worries. You''re here and alive, making it so I can''t wait to go further hehe." He continued on as I kept my silence.

    "Let''s get started shall we?" He finally said.

    For the next hour he continually drew my blood by cutting into various parts of my body and never healing any. The pain of slowly getting cut in different parts of your body whilst being unable to even know when or where the next would happen was almost maddening. Thankfully is was able to find a way to obtain a bit of a reprieve. I was able push my conscious mind into my Occlumency defenses, effectively putting a barrier between me and the outside world. Now I could still feel the pain, but at least it was toned down by a good amount and causing the physical reactions to decrease as well.

    After old bastard was done with cutting me up like a Christmas turkey, he made me drink a horrible tasting concoction to help replenish my lost blood since he didn''t want me to die. They bandaged me saying something about not wasting their time and magic on really healing me and threw me back in my cell.

    The first time was the worst. My body aches and hurt every time I moved. I had to try to heal the cuts by channeling magic to them and trying to will my body to heal using the energy. I had some success as I was able to move again without parts of me screaming in pain.

    This started happening almost every day after the first time. I was brought down cut up, fed a few different potions to see how they would change me or make me react, with no idea what he was looking for or hoping to do to me.

    The few good things happening for me was that during this time my training was giving pretty good results. Levitating wandless no longer really did anything, so I tried to bring them together and form one bigger rock. Unexpectedly I was able to achieve accidental transfiguration by actually combining them into a single solid rock. After that little accident I tried to do it intentionally and finally I was able to make the pebbles go back and forth between the two, which ended being a much better exercise for my growth.

    Next big news was that after about a week and a half of training with my new cores I had a thought that took me an embarrassingly long time to think about, as it was only when going back through my memories using Occlumency did I stumble onto a fanfic I had read in my past life which the OC developed what was basically a magical sonar to see where his eyes couldn''t. So I started intensely focusing on this to hopefully gain some form of sight again. I tried to make it come out of my hand and feel around the room like I could feel the the objects my magic was interacting with while doing some wandless training. This offered extremely limited and tiring results, where I was basically just firing raw blasts of energy to feel in a narrow cone with short range and duration, but high energy cost.

    And I''ve also found out that I feel a lot stronger and faster now. Not just physically, but also my reflexes. My training in using magic to heal the deeper cuts on me has been useful and it feels like the others heal quicker than they should. So with a mostly working body I started to do some exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, squats and stretching. And since I still remember my time in martial arts from my previous life, I''ve also started doing some basics to get a proper feel for it and develop a new sense of balance without my eyes.

    With my experimenting and my being experimented on, and my workouts in between, time passed quite fast and soon another three months passed.

    In that time period a few great changes occurred.

    The first being the most distressing bit, and it''s that I think I''m actually becoming used to the fact that I''m basically tortured everyday by being either cut up or drinking those concoctions by the insane Voldy sucker downstairs. It help me perfect the protection of mental damage from continuous physical and magical torture though. So I''m pretty sure I won''t end up like the Longbottom''s or end insane, unless I already am and I really don''t know. I think I still have my morales and goals, but it''s kind of hard to tell when my only companions are in my memories and the fact that I keep thinking of ways to kill those responsible for my suffering.

    Second is that I''m really getting the hang of transfigurations rocks and stone as I basically take some of the wall or floor bit by bit and almost play with it as a form of training. I was also able to make a stone knife that I''m in the process of trying to change it into a real one or at lest make the edge and point able to stab someone. I can''t just stay here forever and wait for someone to find me or die, gotta have an escape plan at one point.

    Third is that I''m basically daredevil now, or if you''re more into the manga scene then comics Neji Hyuga. I was able to figure out how to let out a small part of my magical energy through basically every part of my body. Basically I feel my magical energy interact and bounce off of obstacles to get a feel for my surroundings. So I can now sense everything in my cell perfectly: every pebble, every crack and bump in the walls and ceiling, my bed and bucket, and I''m even able to feel a bit outside the door by letting my energy flow through the openings.

    And lastly it''s actually something I''m learning at the very moment.

    "You truly are my only success. You have muscles strength and flexibility far beyond your age group, even beyond some a.d.u.l.ts. Your reflexes are almost instantaneous and you possess some innate resistance to magic. Truly a marvel of my ritual." said the Volde-blower sighing at his own work.

    "But why did the eyes fail? Why haven''t they healed and integrated properly? Everything else went well and there has been no sign of rejection, so why?" He continued in frustration now.

    If you think that was my biggest surprise of the day well you''d be wrong. Cause the next moment one of the death goons burst through the door panting and spoke to the old bastard next to me to say in a panic "the dark lord is dead, he''s gone!"

    "Preposterous! The Dark Lord is nigh invincible, what on earth could have beaten?!" Asked the fan-girl yelling in disbelief.

    "They said it was a baby. They''re calling him the-boy-who-lived." Answered goon one in a shaky voice.

    "Hmph! A baby!? You''re telling me a baby beat the strongest wizard in existence?! You''re telling me a baby beat the heir of Salazar Slytherin himself?!" Yelled the old man questioning the sanity of the idiot of front of him.

    "But it''s true sir. They''re capturing Death Eaters now and trying for trials. A lot of the others are going into hiding or trying to get out of this." Replied the goon nervously.

    "Get the boy back in his cell! I''ll find out what''s going on immediately! No one is to do anything stupid until I get back! Understood?!" Barked the old fan-girl.

    "Yes sir!" Was the only reply that came out.

    As soon as I was back in my cell I thought to myself with a large smile on my face ''this truly changes things doesn''t it? Now how can I use this to get out of here?''

 Chapter 5 - Ch. 5 Another Rebirth

    After the old madman left to find out what was truly happening in the outside world, I suddenly had a lot more free time on my hand.

    The elves were bringing food and cleaning spells, but apart from that nothing was happening. I tried to catch them a few times but it never worked. The guards no longer came to check on things in between meals, leaving me to try and find a way to break the door or unhinge it, but to no avail and most important of all was that I haven''t seen the assholes since the surprise announcement that Voldy-twit was defeated. So that means I haven''t been tortured since and I''ve been left to train on my own again.

    I was so happy for a while until I realized how depressing all this sounded. I ecstatic at the fact that I won''t be tortured and experimented on, how depressing does my life sound to others right now?

    Putting that thought aside, it was time for another training result posting. And let me tell you that thinking of using what I learn against these assholes and escaping is a pretty powerful motivation.

    About two months after being taken out of my cell I''ve got to say it did wonders for my body. Although I''m still malnourished, I''ve been able to keep my body healthy enough perform physical exercise and training making it so it shouldn''t be too difficult to fix any issues when I ever get out of this hell hole. And yes I say when because I''m not going to doubt myself on this: I will escape this place!

    I''ve also been able to transmute things into metal. I had to take it step by step, learning how to first change smaller pieces of rock into different things like buttons or the first class match. Then I slowly made my way up to make bigger and more complicated objects until I could finally make an actual weapon.

    Magically speaking it''s going pretty well. My cores haven''t actually grown in sizes since the ritual, but what has been happening is that the magical energy in the form of fog has been getting denser and denser as I train, plus the use of wandless magic is getting easier with time. This makes me think that my body is adapting to it slowly but surely.

    With this I''ve been trying to figure out how to make a magical shield like the protego charm, but it''s been proving difficult to make a full body protective magic. What I did achieve was basically a small shield around the palm of my hand which should prove useful in some kind of situation.

    All of my free time suddenly come to stop when I suddenly heard a door slam open and footsteps stomping in this direction. I felt one of the goons rush past my cell and to the others and could hear him stun someone and leave with them, without even closing the other cells door from what I could hear.

    ''The old bastard must have found something truly important for him be in such a hurry.'' I thought as this was happening. Although hate isn''t even close to being enough to describe what I feel for that abomination, I can''t deny how meticulous the man is regarding his rituals.

    It wasn''t long until the heavy man came back once more. Twice more. Thrice more. Until he left with what I believe was the last occupant aside from me in these cells.

    It was at that point when I knew it was my turn. I was either going to live through this new ritual of his or die without a grave like the rest. So I prepared myself. Transmutated a sharp enough knife and put myself in an corner near the door.

    My cell opened and I burst into action. I pushed of the ground and bent low. The overweight goon didn''t see me until I was close to him. I point my knife and stabbed at his gut. I was able to pierce into him and felt blood on my hands. But before I could pull it out for a second stab, his big fist was a mere inch away from my face forcing me to let go and push off the man. It still connected with my face, but at least i reduced the impact. He pointed his wand at me to take me down but I quickly dodged to the side and ran to get out of the room. He shot a few spells at me and I was able to deflect a few with my palm shield and reflexes. I burst past him and ran towards the stairs when I suddenly heard "CRUCIO!" From behind me. I fell forward with my momentum and screamed for the pain. He kept casting the Unforgivable with an enraged look on his face until he was right next to me. He then started to kick me while cursing.

    "Damn filthy half-blood brat! F.u.c.k.i.n.g half beast mongrel! You dare to attack me! You dare harm me! You''re lucky you''re the last one and that sir Avery wants you or I''d have killed you already!" He yelled until finally he kicked my head and I fainted.

    I was woken up by talking between the old bastard and the over weight goon, and being strapped onto a table with the old bastard again was not goin to end well.

    "This is the last one sir. The f.u.c.k.i.n.g mongrel tried to escape! He f.u.c.k.i.n.g stabbed me in the gut! He''s lucky we don''t have anyone else. We have to leave after he dies and start again somewhere else. After we stole that egg the aurors are hot on our tail and can find us at any moment." Said the goon in his heavy voice sounded quite worried and angry about the situation.

    "I know! You don''t have to keep telling every single time!" Snapped the old bastard.

    "I know it''ll succeed this time. I calibrated it properly after the other trials just to get this one shot right. He''s the perfect test subject for this. If this succeeds the Dark Lord can regain his power almost immediately and take his place at the head of a new world!" He continued will sound completely insane.

    He was moving around writing things on the floor in blood saturated with magic. It felt like the blood was almost bursting with it. But what really drew my attention was what was in a small box near me. The thing was almost like a small sun in terms of magical energy. It felt almost limitless. Like there was no end or beginning for it. I had to stop trying to prob into it or I felt like I would dull my senses.

    The old codger was done whatever he had been doing and got into his position above my again, not the most pleasant memory. I heard him unsheathe his small dagger and open the box and lifted something above me. I could now feel the little sun above me. He started chanting in a low voice. Until he built up his momentum, raised his dagger and stabbed me in the c.h.e.s.t while shouting "Quod est ad coniungere c.u.m sanguine!"

    I was going into shock, screaming at this f.u.c.k.i.n.g old man in my mind. ''It wasn''t enough that they took my new family and shoved me into a dungeon! It wasn''t enough when he took my eyes and almost made me explode the first time!! It wasn''t enough when this motherf.u.c.ker tortured everyday for months!!! Now he wants me to die for this bullshit too!!!!''

    As all this was going through my mind, the crazy bastard yelled "quod est ad coniungere c.u.m flamma immortalem!" And shoved the little sun in the stab wound.

    Suddenly my whole body felt like it was on fire. Everything was burning, even my magic. And it was at this moment when I felt something enter through my minds defenses. It didn''t tug or test anything. It simply went in. I did what I could do best when faced with old demons crazy ideas and went in to defend myself in whatever way I could. But when I arrived in my fortress all I could see outside of with was a bird lighting everything on fire. It screeched in madness and pain as it tried to destroy everything hoping that it would stop the pain. My defenses were trying to stop it but nothing was working. I mean how do you shoot down the species know for it''s immortality? How do you stop a freaking Phoenix?

    I stopped to think for a bit and adjusted my fortress. Since it wants to burn everything, I''ll have to put the fire out. So I imagined enormous amounts of water getting shot out from the now transformed canons. I imagined hundreds of firefighters coming out to help me douse the flames. Hell I even formed a giant water golem like Aang did in his Avatar state. And everything started to put out the flames. Steam was everywhere as the heat was no joke. The flames were getting put out, but the bird itself was almost unstoppable while cutting through everything in its path. All of my defenses were being broken through and I couldn''t make them strong enough to resist. It was a tug of war. I kept summoning new defenses and it kept breaking them.

    It kept crying out in anger until it finally clicked, I don''t need to put it down. It''s suffering just like me. It was put in an unjust situation against its will for the rituals of one f.u.c.k.i.n.g old man and his hard on for Voldy-twat. It just wants out and to live it''s life.

    That''s when I decide to pull back my defenses and do the complete opposite, I opened myself to it. I showed it everything I am. The pain I went through. The will I hold. The dreams I wish to fulfill. My ideals. Hell I even showed my first life!

    "I am Aedan Bones and if possible I want to be friends with you who is suffering through the same pain as I have."

    The Phoenix finally landed in front of me. Looking at me. Understanding what I have shown it. Understanding me.

    "Will you be my companion in this life, if I have any after this ordeal?" I asked while stretching out my hand.

    It stared into my eyes for some time until it finally nodded and placed its head in my hand.

    "Thank you."

    Outside, while this was happening with Aedan''s mind, was a whole another story.

    As soon as the old demon finished putting the Phoenix egg in the stab wound he made, flames erupted in protest and surrounded Aedan''s body.

    "No no no! Not this again! Why is it happening!? It should be perfect! How will I bring the Dark Lord back if I can''t make it work?!" He shouted in a tone akin to madness as the flames were trying to burn everything in the room.

    "We have to leave now! He''s going to die like the rest. And the Aurors are already taking down all the defenses and curses in the manor. It''s only a matter of time before they find the entrance to this place!" Yelled out the Death Goon.

    "I cannot leave until the egg kills him! Without it the Dark Lord will not be able to return quickly!" Hissed the old man I response.

    "I''m leaving now! I''m not get sent to Azkaban or given the Kiss just for your f.u.c.k.i.n.g experiment!" Yelled the goon as he stormed out of the room to escape.

    "You traitor to the Dark Lord! Coward besmirching his great name! Flee while I earn his trust!" The old demon shouted in a frenzy.

    He then observed the flames surrounding the boy with a determined madness in his eyes. It grew more intense by the minute until suddenly it halted and began to quiet. The old mans eyes widened in shock and then his face was filled with mad glee as he shouted "Success!!! The Dark Lord shall return to us soon, with me at his side!! Hahahahaha!"

    The flames then enveloped the boys body in what seemed almost like an egg of its own. And at that moment the door burst open behind the old man as four men wearing a variety of damaged, bloody or dusty robes entered and were frozen at the sight of what appeared to be an egg made of fire. That is until the old man turned around with utter madness on his face and yelled out an otherworldly "Nooooo!!!!"

    "You shall not interfere with my work! Avada Kedavra!" He yelled as the Aurors dodged, diving out of the way with haste.

    The old man begin to fling every curse he knew to keep them away until the flames disappeared. Stringing Severing charms, exploding curses and some unforgivables as he tried to suppress the surprised Aurors. Unfortunately for him, that was his only chance. One of the Aurors blocker the majority of his spell chain while a second retaliated with a classic Expelliarmus-Impedimenta-Stupefy chain, forcing him on the defensive immediately. The third took this chance to throw a Locomotor Mortis-Stupefy-Incarcerous chain a step slower than his colleague to catch the old man off guard after blocking the first chain. This resulted is the old man blocking the chain and just as he was about to counter attack he switched to defense again only to block the first strike and be struck by the stunner and be bound immediately after.

    After securely binding the old man they finally turned their attention to the egg shaped flame in the center of the room. They tried to figure what was happening until a hurried thumping could be heard through the door. They turned to see the leader of this raid: Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody.

    Looking as though his face was roughly carved from wood. Due to injuries from his long career as an Auror, it was covered with scars, and a chunk of his nose was missing, with a missing eye replaced by the enchanted one he now wears in its place. He had dark grey, grizzled hair. And the wooden leg which gave him his characteristic walk.

    "Hmmm, good job. Dangerous man this is. Specializes in dark rituals and a devoted follower of You-Know-Who." He said in his growling voice.

    He turned his enchanted eye the the flame in the center. "Now what we were defending so desperately Death Eater." He murmured to himself.

    It didn''t take long for the fire to start to shrink until they could finally see what was inside: I looked like the body of a white haired boy with a Phoenix on his c.h.e.s.t.

    "Well I don''t think that''s what any of us were expecting." Exclaimed one of the Aurors.

    And that''s how Aedan Bones, formerly Micheal Folster, experienced a second rebirth.

 Chapter 6 - Ch. 6 Accident at St. Mungos

    -Third person P.O.V

    In a simple room, with unadorned walls made of limestone colored blocks. Containing a few chairs near the plain wooden door, a single bed with night stands on either side and window showing a quiet beach with waves breaking on the shore rhythmically, lied a young boy.

    "Oooh." g.r.o.a.n.e.d the young boy in the bed. He twisted and turned as if he truly did want to wake.

    Then he suddenly stopped moving. His hands started to feel around on the bed which could not feel further than what he was used to. Then he sat up straight like ruler. Opening his eyes in shock to look at where he was. And shock was an understatement, he didn''t recognize the place. It certainly wasn''t his cell. It wasn''t any place he knew. It didn''t resemble any place from his previous life either so that took the option of "everything was just a dream." Away.

    He then froze as his eyes widened.

    He brought his hands in front of his opened eyes and began to wave them. He started looking at every everything in the room as the turned his head around crazily. He then started staring at the beach and the water outside, until he heard a small screech behind him.

    He turned in an instant and saw a small ball of red and gold plumage, with a little head sticking out of it with a golden beak and almost glowing orange irises staring at him while perched on the beds back board.

    -Aedan P.O.V

    I could feel a connection to it, like it could feel me and I could tell what it wants to convey. And at this moment all I could feel was small fluffy bird jumping at me and almost hearing ''pet me!'' In my mind.

    "Hey there little guy. Are you the one that was lighting everything on fire?" I said gently while catching it in my hands and stroking it fluffiness.

    That was until it nipped and my hands and I felt some anger at what I said, making me pull my hand away real quick. I felt anger and the words little guy coming from the small Phoenix.

    "Ow! Ok. Are you the one that was lighting everything on fire little girl?" Asking while correcting myself.

    It nodded its head in response and I could feel a little happiness as I continued to stroke it''s little head.

    I kept thinking about what could have happened. The last thing I remember was getting stabbed by the old demon and fight the little sun ball in my hands, as soon as I was done I passed out. So how did I end up here? And where is here?

    ''At least it doesn''t look like another dungeon.'' I thought.

    While I was musing on my situation while absentmindedly stroking the small bird in my hands a random thought came to my mind.

    "Hey little girl." I said to get its attention. "We are bound together now right?" Asking to get some confirmation.

    "Then I think we should get you a name if we''re going to be together. I already introduced my self as Aedan when we came to an understanding." I declared while looking at the bird nodding it''s head and letting out an excited chirp.

    "I think Sol would be a good name for you my little girl. Cause the first time I felt you, it was as if you were a little sun." I said to her as I rubbed her fluffy little body.

    Hearing her agreeing chirp, she started jumping around my bed in an excited manner, looking like and adorable little fluff ball in the process and making me unable to hold in my laughter at her cute actions.

    "Well then I guess that''ll settle it. Nice to meet you Sol, I''m Aedan Bones and I hope we can be together for a long time." I said the her will looking at her with a gentle smile on my face.

    While I was playing with Sol I heard the door gently open. I snapped my gaze at who was coming in and was quite surprised. It looked like an elderly woman. She looked almost like and old fashion nun, except that her outfit was mostly white, with red sleeves and a white hat with some fabric attached to it going down her back. I couldn''t see any of her hair as it was all tucked inside of the hat, but her face showed her age as it had a good amount of wrinkles on her forehead and around her eyes. Her lips were pressed thin, in an expression that almost seemed like she was always disapproving of something.

    "Ha! Looks like you''re finally awake boy. Maybe now those Aurors will finally stop bothering us about you." She said as if it was somehow my fault I wound up here.

    "Now sit still and keep you and that blasted bird quiet. I''m going to cast some diagnostic spells on you." She continued as she took out her wand.

    She tapped me on the head a few times, each time she did so I felt a cool feeling spreading from my head to the tip of all my limbs. I kept feeling what was happening until she stopped and started to write whatever she found on her clipboard.

    "Excuse me, but where exactly am I?" I asked the matronly elder.

    "St Mungo''s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries." She answered curtly as she was writing.

    "You mean I''m at the hospital?! I''m out of that hell hole!?" I asked loudly as my voice cracked at the matron and tears built in my eyes, blurring my vision, making her look away from her notes.

    "Yes. Where else would this be?" She asked disbelievingly at me.

    As soon as that confirmation was said tears feel down my cheeks.

    "I''m out. I''m really out." I murmured quietly to myself.

    I started crying out of happiness and relief. No more having to worry about that old demon. No more daily torture. No more having to stave off hunger by escaping to my mind. No more threat of death hovering over me. I''m finally out!

    The matron was startled as I broke down in tears. "There there child. It''s ok, it''s all ok. You''re safe now. No one will harm you here." She said in a soft tone trying to console me.

    It took a few minutes for me to stop crying while the matron was simply rubbing my back to assure me.

    "Thank you." I said embarrassingly while still sniffling a bit

    "No problem dear." She answered understandingly. "Now, some Aurors are probably going to come soon as they''ve been impatiently waiting for you to wake up these last few days. They''ll ask you some questions about what happened. I think I''ll be present when they do so, so don''t worry too much. Now try to get some more rest until they arrive dear." She said in a slightly disapproving voice at their actions.

    As I laid down back into the bed i looked at her and simply said "thank you."

    She looked into my eyes but the froze. She just stopped moving, staring into my eyes.

    At that moment floods of images exploded into my mind so fast I couldn''t make any sense of it. I saw an old house one second. A small fluffy creature the next. Then I saw an old castle, some classrooms filled with children. Next was a test room filled with teenagers. A family celebrating something. I saw a group of young a.d.u.l.ts celebrating. Some intimate moments I really didn''t want to see. Then was people rushing around injured and sick patients. Rooms filled with potions and ingredients. Spells being used to fix injuries. Patients with deformities, missing limbs and sicknesses blending together in a crescendo of rapidly accelerating sights and sounds until I simply passed out from the overload of information flooding my brain, effectively stopping anything new from entering.

    I don''t know how long I was out, but I simply couldn''t wake up completely until I had finished sorting through everything I had seen. What I understood from these images, was that they were the memories the elderly matron. I must have used Legilimency without even knowing I could when I looked into her eyes. It took a long time for me to sort through everything, but luckily enough for me I got two bonuses out the splitting headache I experienced from this overload: one is the useful information on treating injuries and magical maladies, using my Occlumency to perfectly store and categorize the information, i now have a lot of reference points when I can actually practice it. And second is that I was able to use the unneeded memories to form a kind of labyrinth outside of my fortress, making people loose themselves in a modified version of the matrons memories before reaching mine.

    Something that surprised me was Sol. She apparently has the ability to enter my minds realm through our connection. And I had to spend some time reassuring her that I was ok and that this was just an accident. She was a bit mad at me for worrying her though.

    I didn''t want a repeat of that little accident, I mean even though it''s useful to learn a lot quickly, I''m literally forcing the information out of their brains and that cannot be good. It''s also not my knowledge or understanding so it can lead to a lack of proper foundations in the subjects I experienced through the matrons memories. I think I''ll use them more as reference points and advice instead of pure fact.

    And since that was my decision, I decided to bust out my tried and true method to sense without seeing. Feeling around the room, only the feel my little sun ball behind me, I opened my eyes in relief to see the same ceiling as earlier, but the matron is gone now and I don''t really know how long I''ve been out for again.

    Well, let''s just try not to have any more accidents at St. Mungo''s.

 Chapter 7 - Ch. 7 Meeting some government employees

    A few hours after I had woken up from my memory sorting, I felt that someone was approaching my room. I could hear a female voice arguing at the person, and I say at because I can''t seem to hear any responses, as a rhythmic thud could be heard getting clearer and clearer.

    "You will not enter the patients room without my presence, ministry orders or not. He is a child and one who suffered enough and if you want to see him you will let stay in the room!" Declared the slightly muffled voice outside the door.

    "Fine. Suit yourself. But if he attacks again don''t blame me." Growled an irritated voice in response.

    "He didn''t attack anyone! At most it was accidental magic due to intense emotions." Shot back the woman''s voice.

    The door swung open with a slam with two people walking in.

    "Mr. Moody, even if you are sent by the ministry, it does not give you the right to slam open a patients room open!" Yelled what I think sounds like the matron from last time.

    And did she say Moody? Alastor Moody? The most recognizable man in the entire series. I really want to see if he looks like the movies. But he''s incredibly paranoid, I don''t want to repeat my little accident and end being seen as a threat by the man.

    "Boy, I''ve got some questions and you''ve got answers to give me. I''ve waited long enough." He growled at me.

    "Why aren''t you opening you''re eyes boy? I''ve been told you could see fine. What are you hiding from me?" He questioned in a low tone, seemingly ready for me to pounce at him at any moment.

    "Last time when the matron was here I looked into her eyes before I was about to rest like she told me and I think I accidentally used Legilimency. I don''t want to do that again so I decided to just close my eyes around people for now." I explained calmly to seasoned Auror.

    "Oh did you now? And how does a boy like you know what Legilimency is pray tell?" He asked in his growl like voice.

    "I read about it I my father''s library when I was looking at all the books we had." I answered simply with something I believed should be reasonable.

    "And who is this father of yours boy?" He asked disbelieving me.

    "Edgar Bones." I answered

    There was a pause after my answer.

    "And your mother?" I heard Moody ask as if trying to confirm something.

    "Serena Bones." Came my reply.

    "What''s your name boy?" He finally asked.

    "Aedan Bones." I declare proudly thinking of the couples last moments.

    "Get me some goblins to do a bloodline test now!" He roared at someone outside. "You better be who you say you are or I''ll dig out your secrets for trying to impersonate the child of two of the greatest fighters I''ve known." He growled at me in a very heated manner.

    It took maybe half an hour, but I suddenly felt a new group of people nearing my room in a hurry. Two of which felt very short compared to those I usually sense. It''s a shame cause I really want to see what goblins truly look like.

    "Is that him?" I heard a voice almost sounding like a croak.

    "Hmm!" I heard Moody confirm.

    I heard small steps come towards me and ordered "hand out. We need some of your blood for the test."

    I held my left hand towards the small being. I felt him grab my index and swipe a knife and drawing blood. Interestingly enough, the wound seemed to heal almost immediately afterwords.

    "Aedan Micheal Bones

    Father: Edgar Bones

    Mother: Serena Bones

    Heritage:

    -Bones (heir)

    Creature Inheritance:

    -Wampus Cat

    -Phoenix

    Vault:

    -Bones (Trust vault)

    -Bones (Main vault)"

    Said the goblin who finished reading out whatever was found from my bloodline.

    "Get Amelia here now! She will want to know immediately!" Roared Moody after getting proof that my claims were in fact true.

    "And you''re sure about everything that was on that paper was accurate Runeclaw?" He asked one of the goblins.

    "Our test does not make mistakes Mr. Moody." Replies the goblin with an insulted tone at the very thought of them making an error.

    "Alright. Everyone leave. I''ll handle this with Amelia when she gets here." He said ordering people to vacate the room.

    People left the room while Moody grabbed a chair, dropped it near my bed and sat down in it.

    There was silence in the room.

    "So I can ask some questions?" I asked Moody in an unsure tone.

    "Yes." Was the growling response.

    "Are my parents alive?" Was my first question.

    "No." Came out the answer with a sigh. "We weren''t able to get to them or you in time."

    "Who is Amelia?" I asked trying to sound like I didn''t know the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement (DMLE in the future).

    "Your aunt, also the only member of the Bones family confirmed to be alive. Except for a cousin of yours named Susan." Was his answer.

    "What''s a Wampus cat? I heard them say I had it''s bloodline, but I don''t really know what it is. The Phoenix doesn''t surprise me too much because of how I bonded with my little Sol here, but a cat?" I said as I was playing with Sol again in my hands.

    "So that''s a Phoenix hun?" Said Moody "you''re going to need to be careful no one targets you for it. Easy target you are. Young, no wand, carrying a gold mine with you."

    "Thanks for the advice." Was my only answer.

    "Back on the topic: a Wampus cat is no kitten, it is a XXXXX rated magical creature more commonly found in America. They resemble mountain lions, but with an additional pair of legs. They are extremely deadly, capable of Legilimency and Hypnosis with a lot of strength behind them using their eyes. They''re magic resistant and almost impossible to kill. I have a set of scars because of one of those a dark wizard tried to keep as a guard back in the days." Said Moody to answer my question.

    "So that''s why I saw the matrons memories. I have the ability of a Wampus cat in my eyes!" I exclaimed in a sudden realization.

    Then I paused for a second as I remembered the scenes of the ritual which took my eyes. Three pairs of lion legs, a tail, fangs, and a pair of eyes preserved and floating above the ritual formation.

    ''So that''s what was bugging the old demon. He couldn''t get the eyes to fuse with mine properly. Everything else worked except for that final goal of his first ritual on me. But after the ritual with Sol they did! And I can see out of them haha!'' I thought as a smile grew on my face.

    "Your name is Mr. Moody right?" I asked him

    "Alastor Moody. Most people call me ''Mad-eye''." He corrected me

    "OK. I''m gonna open my eyes to play with Sol until my Aunt is arrives, so please try not to look at them. I have a feeling your memories are not something I want to see." I informed the man.

    "Ha. Like you''d be able to get through my defenses boy." He grunted at me.

    And so time passed as I pet the cute and warm little ball of fluff. After about 15 minutes I started to hear hurried steps coming towards my room.

    "Does Aunt Amelia have strong enough Occlumency to resist me looking at her?" I asked Moody.

    "Try mine." He replies.

    I turn and look into the mans remaining eye. And I gotta say, they did a really good job portraying him in the movies. The only differences seemed to be his nose, with the visible chunk missing, less wrinkles and the grayness of his hair not having been complete. The result of me looking into his eyes was a few random memories of his office or of some time he was traveling, until I was shut out completely.

    "Well it''s pretty sudden. I''ll warn her and tell you when you can look." He said in an almost impressed manner.

    "That''s good cause I think that''s going to be her." I replied with a small sigh.

    He raised an eyebrow questioning what I just said until the door to my room swung open abruptly.

    "Wow, a lot of people are really rough with doors here." I couldn''t help but say with a chuckle to myself.

    "Aedan. Is that really you?" I heard a woman ask ask she came closer.

    "Yes I''m Aedan. I guessing you must be Aunt Amelia." I answered he question.

    I felt her hand touch my face, turning it in many different directions to get a good look at me.

    "What happened to your hair? And why aren''t you opening your eyes? And what is this scar?" She asked me in quick succession, but before I could answer anything she changed her target for questioning. "Alastor, what happened to him?"

    "Calm yourself Amelia." He said slowly. "You''re going to need to prepare yourself for some very sudden Legilimency before the kid opens his eyes. He''s been changed." He tried to explain to my seemingly very high strung aunt.

    She paused for a few moments and declared "Alright, I''m ready."

    I opened my eyes and finally get a good look at the famous Amelia Bones. I saw a square-jawed witch with close-cropped grey hair and a monocle attached to her collar. This gave her an appearance of being a serious person, with appropriate robes for the head of such an important department. She looked at me with the same green eyes I remember my father having the first and last time I saw him. A few memories of what I think was her and my father when they were young floated to the surface, as well as a wedding scene in which I can only assume was his and my mother''s.

    "I understand what you meant Alastor." She said without turning her head. "How did this happen to you Aedan? How did you get that ability? And where have you been this whole time?" She asked me suddenly.

    My eyes dimmed at having to remember my time in that cell. My time in that hell hole. And she saw this. She turned to Alastor for an explanation.

    "What we know so far is that Aedan was probably captured when they attacked the Bones manor. They took him away after killing everyone they could find. He started off with the beginning.

    "He was taken to an underground facility found dug out under the Lestrange family home. What we found was the den of a ritual magic researcher, a very dark and devoted member of the Death Eaters. He was researching ways to use dangerous magical creatures to empower either his comrades or You-Know-Who himself. We caught their trail when a Phoenix egg was stolen and smuggled into the country and a few Aurors tracking it got attacked. We finally found their base of operations, swept the place clean until we found a hidden entrance. We found a half-dozen cells with almost nothing in them except buckets and what we assume was a bed, with no light sources and metal doors. Then we found a second floor with multiple rooms. One was filled with tomes about different magical beasts, ritual magic, blood magic and human transmutation. Another was full of preserved beast parts and ingredients. The next was a room with a chair with straps and a good number of instruments, almost looked like muggle medical tools. Last room held a a table with straps where we found the boy undergoing what we assumed was a ritual. And at the end we found a hole filled with what we believe are the cremated bodies of whoever they took for their experiments." Moody explained to Amelia.

    "Dear Merlin! And you''re telling me my nephew was trapped in that place for over 8 months!" She yelled looking like she would rip apart the next Death Eater she sees.

    Her face suddenly lost all traces of emotions, as if she couldn''t feel anymore, but her eyes were different as they almost screamed her intent for retribution.

    "Tell me what you happened to you Aedan and I''ll make those people responsible feel the punishment they deserve." She declared looking me.

 Chapter 8 - Ch. 8 New Home

    It took me a few hours to tell her everything I knew about what happened me. I talked about Lestrange and Crouch jr. About what the old demon with the last name Avery did to me did to me and the rituals they used on me. It wasn''t much that they didn''t already know, but it helps whatever case they''re going to build against those that captured in the Lestrange case.

    After I was done Amelia looked at me to say "Thank you for telling me all this Aedan. I''ll make those animals get the Kiss for this. They think they can do whatever they want just because they''re purebloods? Then they have another thing coming."

    "Alastor, go back to the ministry and make sure they charge the captured Death Eaters with the right charges. I don''t want them on trial simply cause they''re Death Eaters, too many are getting away with the Imperius defense." She ordered

    "Aedan, I''m going to check with the matrons on when you''ll be fit to come back with me. I''m now your guardian since I''m your closest living relative, who is both willing and able to support you." She then said while looking at me.

    "That''s ok Aunt Amelia. I''m fine with coming with you." I answered back with a smile. "As long as Sol is coming with"

    "The bird? Well that''s fine." She answered back after thinking for a second.

    Both left the room in a bit of a hurry.

    As I was left alone, I decided to go into my mind and study those memories I got from the matron. She''s been a healer for a really long time and I have no doubt I could teach myself a great many things from going through her memories properly this time.

    I was focusing my attention on some examples of what kind of potions one can use to fix different injuries, maladies and accidents until I heard Aunt Amelia talk as she open the door.

    "They said there is nothing physically wrong with you. They are worried about your mental health because of what you''ve been through, but i convinced them that getting out of this place and being with your own family would be a better environment for you. So you''ll spend the night here so that they can clear you and I''ll pick you up tomorrow evening ok?." She said explaining what was going to happen regarding my stay.

    "Alright Aunt Amelia, I''ll wait for you to pick me up tomorrow." I answered trying to be polite.

    "You don''t need to be so polite when we''re alone. But, I will need to leave soon." She said to me trying to correct me a bit.

    She approached my bed, extended her arms and hugged me.

    That act made me freeze. My eyes started to water. She must''ve have felt my body becoming rigid because she squeezed me a bit harder. I tried to hug her back, but it was like my body was fighting against me. All I could manage was my arms mechanically raising themselves and mimicking her action. As soon as I did though it was like a dam burst and I kept on crying.

    She didn''t say anything or do anything else. She just let me cry as much as I needed. I don''t know how long i was crying for, but I know that I felt lighter after I did so and very tired. Aunt Amelia let go of her hug and laid me back on the bed.

    "Alright, now get some rest. I''ll come and pick you up tomorrow. I''ll get you some new clothes too so you don''t leave the hospital in their gown." She said as she was standing up.

    "Good night Aedan, I''ll get someone to get you a Dreamless Sleep potion." she said and with a wave of her wand turning off the lights in the room.

    After receiving said potion from the matron in charge of me I could finally rest. No Occlumency training and no thinking about that hell hole. Just rest.

    I woke up feeling refreshed the next morning to a knocking sound at door and the matron from last time coming in.

    "Time for breakfast Aedan. You have to be hungry after the past few days of constant rest and all that happened yesterday. Eat up."

    I looked at the plate filled with eggs, sausages, bacon, toast and beans like a ravenous beast. I start eating like the starving boy I feel like, only pausing to breath and take great gulps out of the glass of orange juice offered on the side. It took no time at all to finish the food and feel full for the first time in a long while.

    "Well it looks like I was right. You did finish everything, that nosy Margaret will eat her words now." She said in a triumphant tone.

    "Sorry about that. And thanks for the food." I said rather sheepishly.

    "No worries dear. I''ll come buy later for another check up and bringing lunch with me. Just relax for a while." She said with a hint of a smile on her face.

    She did a quick wave of her wand to clean my face and simply lifted the tray as it followed her out of the door.

    Since I was left on my own it was time to continue looking trough the matrons experiences. I kept doing so until lunch when I devoured the food brought in front of me again, only to start again right after that.

    I was brought out of my memory surfing by Aunt Amelia opening the door with what seemed to bean honest to god house-elf holding a bag.

    The little creature was quite similar to Dobby from the movies, but this one stood straight and unafraid of its surroundings. She a a dark grey toga like outfit made to properly fit her to match my aunts robes, her eyes seemed smaller than in the movies, but still to big for her size and she looked like she had a little meat on her bones compared to the abused and beaten Dobby or the insane Kreacher.

    "Tilly, please dress my nephew properly and don''t look into his eyes as it''ll be dangerous for you." She promptly ordered

    Tilly the elf approached me. With a snap of her fingers the curtain on the wall sprang to life and blocked Aunt Amelia''s view. She snapped again to make me float out of the bed, a second time to get me out of the hospital attire, and a third to to almost attack me with the clothes as they flew towards me in an effort to be worn. It only took less than a minute for me to be on the floor in my new outfit and the curtain to open.

    Aunt Amelia look at me from head to toe before finally nodding. "Now you look proper. Almost looked like a beggar before. We might not be from a most ancient and noble house, but we are still from the Noble house of Bones, we have to show some decorum." She said with some pride at her choice of outfit.

    I looked down at myself and found a simple white button-up shirt with a light beige vest, tucked into a pair of matching beige pants, completed by a light beige coat and proper pair of leather shoes. It was really impressive that all this was put on me in less than a minute but really embarrassing. And it must of shown on my face as i saw aunt Amelia holding back a smile.

    "Come on now Aedan, lets get you to your new home." She said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me along out of the room and towards the other end of the hall as Sol flew over and landed on my head.

    I was looking around with great interest as to how the wizard hospital worked, but to my disappointment I couldn''t see in any of the rooms and we were walking too fast for me to really get a good look at anything. The only interesting part was when we reached the lobby and a bunch of weirdly dressed wizards and witches were waiting while reading newspapers, or books with moving pictures. I could see some panic as some were trying to explain to the matrons what was wrong with them. We arrived into a hall with about a dozen fireplaces with small green fires in them with people coming in and out off them with a flash of that emerald flame.

    "Alright Aedan, just a hand full of Floo powder and yell out ''Bones House!'' Nice and clear, also keep your arms tucked in and your eyes closed, don''t want any ash in your eyes." Said my aunt while passing me a bucket of slightly glittering powder.

    I grabbed a handful like she said, stepped into the fireplace and onto the small green flame at my feet and yelled out "Bones House!" As clearly as I could while throwing the powered at the flame.

    The flame flared as the powered came into contact with the powder and swiftly enveloped me. I could feel myself zooming through something, but kept my eyes closed as Amelia told me to, I also held my breath just in case. I suddenly felt myself land somewhere and due to the abrupt nature of the landing I was forced to stumble forward, at least due to my quick reflexes I didn''t fall onto the floor. After a few steps I opened my eyes, took a few deep breaths and felt that Sol was still with me. I looked around and seemed to be in an old fashioned living room; I saw Victorian couches in some darker colors, beautifully engraved coffee table in the middle. I found a few interesting devices on the shelves to my left, a cabinet filled with a variety of tea sets and boxes, and the wall to my left was filled with bookshelves living up the name.

    I heard the fireplace roar behind me and found my aunt stepping out gracefully and with full control, followed by Tilly behind her.

    "Well this is my home, which means it is now yours as well. It is smaller than the Bones manner, but due to the attack and the ministry being extremely busy dealing with the fallout caused by You-Know-Who''s fall, I haven''t had any time to deal with the issue. Your room will be upstairs next to Susan''s, she should be sleeping already, so I''ll try and explain your situation to her tomorrow morning. For tonight you can just can just use the pyjamas waiting for you in your room. I''ll leave some money for you and Tilly to go shopping tomorrow as she knows what will be considered appropriate. Now off you go, we will all talk in the morning." She explained to me how everything would work.

    I follow Tilly as she guides me my new room. We pass by a few sleeping portraits in the hall and I spot a few cabinets with a variety of interesting decorations, but that''s all.

    "Here you are young master, this will be your room." Said the house-elf as she opened the door.

    "Thank you Tilly, but you don''t have to call me young master, Aedan will do." I responded while giving her a smile.

    "No no no, Tilly couldn''t possibly do that! Tilly is a good house-elf. She is a good elf of the noble Bones family. She can''t disrespect the young master." She declared as if it was a great insult to herself and to the family.

    "Ok Tilly, I understand. But still thanks and goodnight. I sighed at the behavior.

    ''They really are that subservient huh.'' I thought, remembering my past life.

    "It''s Tilly''s honor young master. Pleasant dreams." She said as she simply disappeared from where she stood.

    I entered the room and took a quick look. There was a Victorian four post queen size bed, covered in red sheets with an array of pillows waiting for me. A massive and detailed Persian rug was covering most the floor. A nicely crafted, dark wooden dresser was found in the room and the same type of wood seem to have been used to make the closets doors.

    It was after looking around that I saw a large mirror standing against the wall opposite of my new dresser.

    ''Huh, I just realized that I haven''t really seen my face since I came to this world. I''ve just been automatically thinking it would be like my old one. Wonder what I really look like after that hell?'' I suddenly thought as I walked my way towards the mirror.

    "Well, Lady death did say she would take care of my looks and I guess she wasn''t kidding about that." I said as I finally saw my face for the first time.

 Chapter 9 - Ch. 9 New look, new start

    What I saw in the mirror was quite shocking to me. I first saw my hair; about shoulder length, uneven and damaged from not being properly trimmed or taken care for more than 8 months, but the color of it was what shocked me. It was a light silver, to the point of almost being white, but still silver none the less, with a few streaks of light golden hair being found in between looking like little rivers of gold in between an ocean of silver. I then noticed my eyes; with a golden iris interwoven with red, akin to a flame hidden within them, and with a cat-like and almost predatory shape to them. My skin was extremely pale from my prolonged absence from sunlight, but fair and soft almost like a new born. The only mark on my skin was a light, clean and straight scar visible from one side to another where I was slashed and blinded. I looked at my new face from every angle before noticing that my ears had also changed a bit, they had become slightly more pointed than what you usually see, not like house-elves, but like a leaf.

    ''Why does it feel like Lady Death likes Lord of the Rings right now?'' I thought after getting a good look at my self.

    I put my thoughts away and proceeded to remove the outfit forced on me at the hospital. After getting my shirt off I looked a my b.a.r.e c.h.e.s.t in the mirror. As I expected, there was a large scar right above where my heart should be, some parts looked like the stab, but most was from the flames after Sol''s egg was shoved in it. I noticed that aside from scars on my wrists and a few in places on my biceps and forearms, the rest of the places the demon sliced me didn''t seem to have left scars. I started scanning my body to see it having some light muscles, which is impressive if you think about my age, but I could also see my ribs rather clearly, showing the signs of being malnourished during my abduction.

    I stopped staring at myself and put on the pajama, and jumped into bed. The only thing I could say when my body was finally in it was that it felt heavenly. So soft and accommodating, with just the right temperature and resistance. It had to have been enchanted cause I''ve never slept on something so perfect. I turned my head and see Sol getting comfortable on one of the pillows besides my head.

    "Goodnight Sol. I''ll see you in the morning." I said with a smile.

    With a happy cooing as a response I closed my eyes and left towards dreamland.

    The only problem was that dreamland seemed to want to shove me into some unpleasant memories. I kept thinking of my time in captivity. Of when they sliced my eyes or stabbed me in the c.h.e.s.ts while i couldn''t see. I kept twisting and turning in my sleep, sweating and breathing hard, unable to wake up and still forced to have the nightmares.

    Until I suddenly saw a small light come towards me. It was warm and gentle, forcing those bad memories away from me. I flew around me and finally went into my c.h.e.s.t where my scar was.

    ''Thanks Sol.'' I thought as I could finally relax and drift off to a peaceful sleep.

    I was woken up early and still groggy by an energetic Tilly.

    "Wake up young master Aedan, mistress wants everyone downstairs for breakfast before she leaves." She announced in a voice that I think should be illegal so early in the morning.

    It takes me while but I finally get out of bed and make my way downstairs.

    I enter the dinning room to see a fairly long, polished red wooden table, with finely crafted engravings on the legs, with silver plates on the table holding a plethora of foods. There are eight chairs around the table matching it, an elegant chandelier above, a fireplace seemed to have been lit behind Aunt Amelia as she sat at the head of the table, with a little girl to her left who I assumed should be Susan Bones, one of the members of Harry Potter''s class and future Hufflepuff.

    And since I noticed the small child, I decided to close my eyes before she could look into them due to curiosity. Don''t want to break my cousins mind on our first meeting now do I?

    I approached the table on my aunts right and chose to sit in front of Susan.

    "Good morning Aunt Amelia, you wanted to talk before you left today right? I said stifling a yawn.

    "Yes Aedan." She simply said. "But first introductions since I doubt you''ve met and if you did Susan would have been too young to remember."

    "Susan, this is your cousin Aedan, he was your uncle Edgar''s eldest." She introduced the small child. " And as I''ve said, this is Susan, your two year old cousin and daughter of your uncle Thomas."

    "Both of you are going to be living together from now on so no fighting. Because of my duties as the Head of the ministries law department I''ll be very busy and out of the house a lot, so you two will be together a lot. Tilly will stay home and take care of the both of you." She explained to the both of us how living in her home would work. "And Susan, I want you to not look into Aedan''s eyes for now since it would be very dangerous for you to do so. Don''t annoy him with this or it could harm with permanently, is that understood?" She then declared as she stared at Susan intently.

    Her only response was to nod furiously under our aunt''s intense gaze.

    "Good. Now I am sorry to ask you this Aedan, but until you learn how to control your eyes around others you will have to keep them closed." She turned to me sounding apologetic.

    "It''s fine aunt Amelia. I really only need my eyes open to really see things in detail and read. I''ll be fine rest of the time, especially if someone is there with me." I answered without thinking too much as I was filling my plate with some of the food on the table.

    "What do you mean you only need to open your eyes see details?" She asked wanting an answer.

    I took a moment to think about how to answer. I don''t want to sound like I''m blaming her, I mean the lady took in two kids and is willing to raise them even though she has an incredibly busy and stressful job.

    "Well, since I spent pretty much seven months without being able to see, I had to figure out a way to do it. It took about three months of trial and error, but I was able to figure out a way to send very light amounts of magic from my body to feel everything around me. So I can feel the shape of everything in about an eight foot radius. I can''t see far using this method but I can see everything well enough to live if I know my environment and it would help to have someone guiding me." I explained, trying to make her understand what I meant.

    "I''m sorry Aedan. I shouldn''t have asked that question. It was ins.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e of me." She said with sadness in her voice after understanding what I answered.

    "Aunt Amelia I''m not blaming you for that. I blame that old demon for doing it to me and I''ll pay him back for everything he and his Death Muncher allies did to me." I said with anger in my voice. "But you are not to blame. All I can say is thank you for taking me in." I finished, calming my emotions using Occlumency.

    "Thank you Aedan and it is my p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to have the both of you here. Now let''s eat and put those sad topics behind us." She declared after letting a small breath out.

    We started to eat what was basically a feast for the three of us. I ate quickly, but I tried to at least have some form of table manners in front of Amelia. I really don''t want to seem like a starving animal at the table. What was interesting during breakfast was the fact that I felt little Susan''s gaze looking in my direction and "saw" her face turned towards me between her nibbling on the food little like a small chipmunk. And every time I turned my head to face her direction she would quickly turn her attention back to the food like she was trying not to get caught.

    I couldn''t stop myself from chuckling at her behavior.

    "Hi Susan it''s nice to meet you." I said as I finished the food on my plate and turning my face towards her.

    She jumped when she heard my voice say her name and turned towards me carefully.

    "Like Aunt Amelia said, I''m Aedan and I''ll be living here with you guys from now on. I''ve always wanted a little sister and I''m glad to meet you." I told her directly with a bright smile on my face. And it''s true, if anyone has ever had to grow up with a younger brother before says something other than this then they are lying.

    "It''s nice to meet you too." She answered shyly while looking down.

    "You don''t have to like me now, but I hope you can after getting to know me." I said gently to her.

    "Ok." Was the only thing she said quietly. I could feel her face warming up as I talked to her.

    "Alright, if you two are done eating go change into some proper clothes and wash yourselves properly. I''ll be leaving soon. I''ll get Tilly to measure you and buy you some more clothes to wear around the house. I also don''t think it''ll be safe for you to go out of the house until we can control your eyes, so I''m sorry but you will have to stay in for a while." She said in a stern voice.

    "That''s alright Aunt Amelia i understand. But can I read the books you have here then?" I asked in return.

    "Of course dear. Now run along and clean yourselves up." She finally said as she stood up and prepared to leave.

    I headed upstairs with Susan right behind me and entered my room to see a ball of fluff still sleeping on one of the pillows. I smile wryly at the sight and proceed to head to the bathroom down the hall with yesterday''s clothes, which seemed to have been washed and folded before I woke up.

    I enter a see a large bronze bathtub waiting for me, filled with warm water already. There''s a bunch of bottles on a small table besides the bath and a chair with a towel on it, which I decided to put my clothes on. There''s a large window with the dark grey curtain drawn over it, a table with a mirror filled with a variety of bottle.

    ''So even a strict witch like aunt Amelia likes to pretty herself from time to time.'' I mused to myself as I undressed.

    I entered the bath carefully and as soon as I was In a good position it simply felt heavenly, even making me let out a m.o.a.n at the pleasant feeling. You really don''t know how it fells like to have a warm bath after months with any. I didn''t realize this before, but the bath helped me relax my tense and battered body. I proceed to clean myself thoroughly, using the present shampoos and soaps, until I was done and simply relaxed for a moment.

    "Young master Aedan." I suddenly heard Tilly through the door. "It should be young lady Susan''s turn soon, so please prepare yourself quickly." She said in her squeaky voice.

    I got up, started drying and dressing myself. A few minute later I came out of the bathroom and headed downstairs to finally start my new life in the wizarding world of Harry Potter.

 Chapter 10 - Ch. 10 Two years

    It''s been two years since I was taken in by my Aunt. I am now 7 years old. I''ve grown and filled out quite a bit due to being able to eat enough food and my constant exercises, now being 4''6 (and yes I''m keeping at it, never know when a well trained body will come in handy). My hair has grown with me to stop around my shoulder blades, but it''s now well groomed and so smooth that I''ve heard both Susan and aunt Amelia protest at the injustice.

    Three big pieces of news happened in the family in the last two years.

    The first happened about six months into my stay at the Bones house. It was when the trial against those responsible for my imprisonment and torture was to be held. My aunt was spearheading the trial and had gathered enough evidence to "make half the dementors of Azkaban give them the Kiss at once" in her words. There was just one problem: the current current Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. He screwed over the trial like it was nothing. The first thing he did was remove my aunt from the proceedings, the reason for this was apparently that she was "too involved in the case and victims to permit for a ''fair'' trial." Let tell you, I''ve only seen her that enraged twice in my stay with her. The second time came a few days after and the verdict was announced: 20 years emprisonnement in Azkaban for one Ignacius Avery, stating that due to his age he would be unlikely to serve it fully. She was livid at that one, frustratingly drinking the entire evening while complaining about Dumbledore and his stupid ideology of giving the worst criminals in modern history a ''second chance'' to correct themselves.

    ''That old demon better die in that place, because if he escapes with He-who-I-can''t-take-seriously I''ll make it feel like a f.u.c.k.i.n.g vacation'' I thought as my eyes glowed with determination at the thought.

    The second major event was after I''d turned six and I received an unexpected gift for my birthday. It was pretty nice birthday too. The dining area was decorated nicely with floating letters saying happy birthday, flying firecrackers were dancing around the room and a delicious looking cake was sitting on the table waiting to be sliced into and eaten. It was only me, Susan, Amelia and Tilly, but that was enough for me because it felt warm and I was unable to stop the goofy smile on my face from showing. We even managed to convince Tilly to eat cake with us, which was a lot more difficult than it sounds since she wouldn''t stop crying like it was the biggest honor in the world for her. When it came to the presents it was great: Aunt Amelia got me a formal book on Occlumency to help me learn the established system, she also got me some wizard candies on behalf of Susan, Tilly handed me some incredibly nicely made robes for indoor wear and even Sol, who had grown into her full size (and let me tell you that it was both funny and frightening when Aunt Amelia realized she was a Phoenix), gifted me one of her Heart feathers, which I immediately thanked her and had Tilly properly store it. What made this event special was when one package arrived by owl near the end of the celebrations with a sender who''s not too popular in this house arrived: Dumbledore. It seemed the package was for me, but I looked at Amelia as her face lost its emotions and only when she nodded so I carefully open it.

    ''Dear Mister Bones,

    I know you may not have much in the way of positive feelings towards me due to the results of the Avery trial, but I''ve heard from a colleague of mine that you possess a very particular ability. I discussed this with an old friend and we found what I believe to be perfect little solution until you gain control of it.

    Wishing you a Happy Birthday.

    Albus Dumbledore''

    ''So this is the Albus " I give second chances to psychopaths" Dumbledore that exists in this world huh? One that is still smart but has a heart. I''ll have to be careful around him cause I''m not planing on being another one of his weapons.'' I thought after reading the message.

    I looked at the small wooden box with my initials engraved in golden cursive and opened it. Inside was a pair of glasses. It had a metallic frame, with what felt like engravings throughout.

    "I''ll have someone in the ministry look them over before you try the on. We can''t be too careful as it might be a fake sender or a cursed item." Said Aunt Amelia.

    A week later she came back with them.

    "Wear them and look me in the eyes after."

    She simply ordered

    I put them on as instructed and look into her eyes.

    "They really do work!" She exclaimed as her eyes widened. " i didn''t feel even the hint of a tugging on my defenses! You can finally go outside without worrying Aedan!"

    My eyes widened at the time. I felt excited beyond words at the thought of finally being able to see more of the world.

    And for the third piece of news

    Susan actually called me her big brother.

    I mean, I know it''s not a big deal for most people, but it felt great for me. Getting accepted by the little girl really makes the time and snacks I''ve given her between my readings of Aunt Amelia''s book real worth it. So now half of the time she calls me brother.

    Now, back to me being seven.

    I knocked on the closed door in front of me and waited patiently for an answer.

    "Come in." I hear the occupants answer.

    I open the door and walk into Aunt Amelia''s home office. It''s a place Susan and I aren''t really allowed into when she isn''t there. There''s her large and sturdy desk, with a few bookshelves in the the room and behind her chair, on the wall, are moments in her life she is proud of. Her graduation, first position in the ministry, notable captures and successfully sentenced individuals and the day she became the head of her department are all behind her in moving photographs.

    She looks up from her work and realizes it''s me. She takes off her glasses and looks at me.

    "Aedan? What''s wrong? How come you came here? Aren''t you usually reading stories to help Susan sleep right now?" She asked in a tired manner.

    "There''s nothing Aunty. I just wanted to ask if it was possible to have some tutors come in and teach me about subjects that won''t require a wand for."

    "What?" She said, asking for a clarification.

    "I want to study things like Potions, Herbology, History, Astronomy, Arithmancy and Ancient runes!" I said with stars almost coming out of my eyes. "And I also want to read about the charms, jinxes and curses I''m going to learn at Hogwarts, to at least know the words and motions. I also want the learn how transfiguration works!"

    "Wait a second Aedan. You want to learn all those subjects now?" She asked confirming my requests.

    I nod quickly. "But if I can''t get tutors can I get the books instead? I''ve finished all the books downstairs." I ask trying to put an alternative on the table.

    "You finished all the books downstairs?!" She exclaimed in disbelief as she abruptly stood up.

    "I have been reading them for a while. I even made some corrections in some of them based on the collective opinions of other authors and my own research." I proclaim with my c.h.e.s.t puffed out a bit.

    "You did what?!" Almost screamed Amelia. "Come with me." She said as she dragged me downstairs.

    "Which books did you make your corrections?" She asked me with narrowed eyes.

    "Well, I looked at the Seven-volume work on Harry Potter''s life and the Second Wizarding War, but most of it was completely ludicrous. Do people actually believe this nonsense?" I started by questioning some of the materials spread in the magical world.

    "Then there was A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry, which I found that they didn''t properly reference similar spells and developments from either earlier wizards or modern Muggle breakthroughs. Most of the muggle studies books are out of date by almost a century. The Dark Arts: A Legal Companion had many loopholes that I found and listed a few possible solutions. Laws of Conduct When Dealing With Muggles? was similarly ridiculous. And I found that both Legislative Guide to the Proper Use of Magic and Magical Misdemeanors in the Modern Law are showing a high level of discriminatory restriction on any muggle-born or wizards containing beast blood which can possibly lead to possibly violent reactions if the current trend of laws keeps up." I answered systematically.

    Aunt Amelia quickly went through the mentioned books and found my notes. At first she looked mad, but as she read through them her eyes widened in understanding at what I wrote.

    "Aedan. This is what you''ve been doing with these books all the time?" She asked

    "Yeah, i would have tried forming opinions and new ideas on other things but your books are centered more on laws and history." I answered to her query.

    She stayed silent for a time and looked at me whilst thinking.

    "Alright. I''ll get you some tutors." She finally declared

    "Yes!" I exclaimed with a fist pump

    "But." She added making my celebration stop in its track.

    "We will start with the basic subjects of potions, Herbology, Astronomy and History. You will also be getting proper etiquette lessons and penmanship classes to deal with the horrendous scribbling you call writing. You must also spend some time with Susan as you have, without neglecting her. If you can''t handle this then your lessons will stop until you get to Hogwarts. If you succeed we shall see if we can add the other subjects you requested." She stated her deal and it was take it or leave it.

    "Alright Aunt Amelia, I agree to your conditions." I stated resolutely in response.

    Starting my fruitful years of pre-Hogwarts studying.

 Chapter 11 - Ch. 11 Time, Money and a Letter

    That was how the next four years of my life started.

    My Aunt set up two tutors for every day, divided to before lunch and after it, with some time after my lessons to look after Susan. To her credit she was very well behaved when the tutors were around, but I think it did help that I also took her out to Florean Fortescue''s Ice Cream Parlour as a reward. With permission from aunt Amelia, Tilly as a chaperone and floo powder as our means of travel. On those little trips I sometimes get permission to buy myself a book or two from outside my tutors requirements.

    Speaking of my tutors, I''m very proud of my progress with all the subjects I was allowed to study. it was really great to learn about so many magical things, even being able create potions and handle magical plants. But, I really underestimated the etiquette and writing lessons included into that deal. They were simply horrendous. I can deal with being taught how to properly act in wizard society, what to do in certain situations and how to present myself, but the hours upon hours of continuous writing in the proper style was making my hand want to jump off my wrist. This coming from a guy who''s literally been tortured!

    It took a whole year to be done with both of those classes and let aunt Amelia hold up her end of the deal, so Arithmancy was added first. She wasn''t sure how to feel about an 8 year old learning how to do a third year level class, but I took it in strides. It wasn''t until Ancient Runes was added that my pace slowed down a bit. But I''m happy I powered through.

    And now for my results and let me tell you that some tutors were left almost in tears and others were trying to cram me with everything they could near the end of my tutoring. Not because I was a horrible student, but because they couldn''t believe how much I got done.

    Ancient Runes: It was an interesting subject, like learning a new alphabet. Only this alphabet could make things invisible, or fire-proof. I started this one a year and a half into my tutoring so I was not able to get as far as I wanted, just finished O.W.L level. I found the subject genuinely fascinating, as it lets one empower objects to accomplish certain task by engraving a symbol and imparting some magical energy into it. I was even able to use a set of Runes to create four matching expanded storage bags with the Bones family coat of arms, using my own original combination of Runes to mimic the undetectable extension charm. Susan really liked hers and started wearing all over the place, aunt Amelia thanked me for the thoughtful gift and switched over to using it, Tilly on the other broke down when she got one too and proclaimed an even greater everlasting will to serve our family. It was really hard to stop her from being overzealous after that one.

    Arithmancy: Like Ancient Runes, I didn''t get as much time on this with me loosing a year before I could study it. What did help was finishing high school in my previous life and knowing how math works, cause apparently wizards only actually learn about if they take the subject in their third year and not many people do. This gave me a fundamental understanding on how spells worked. It was really interesting breaking down spells and seeing what changes would happen. Of course I didn''t use any of them, that was left to my tutor. It did also allow me to properly write down the math necessary behind my other sight, with that done I believe I''ll be able to improve it later on. Got past O.W.L and near N.E.W.T for this one as I got a little too into it.

    Astronomy: Although it''s not a subject I''m particularly fond of or see much use in since I''m a not like the centaurs, who hold a close relationship with the stars, nor a seer which can see the future. And the fact that ritual magic is considered illegal as dark magic doesn''t help reduce its uses. But still, I made it through five years of school material and even had some interesting bits of research on the side about how lunar energy can affect certain spells and potions depending on its waning and waxing cycle.

    Herbology: I was actually really into Herbology. There''s just something about being able to grow living, moving, sometimes attacking magical plants which makes it rewarding. I was able to convince Aunt Bones to let me grow some plants in the back like some Puffapods, Leaping Toadstools and I was actually able to recreate the environment necessary to grow some Aconite, also known as Monkshood or Wolfsbane. It goes without saying that I went beyond O.W.L level in this one. Even got Susan to join in and she seemed to really enjoy it, especially when playing with the Toadstools.

    History of Magic: This one was not too bad since it''s mostly about memorization, but the hard part about any history is taking the individual parts and linking them to the larger whole to form ones own opinion on the subject. It''ll hopefully help me avoid having to listen to the notoriously sleep inducing Professor Binns and let me focus on different pursuits in class. I was able to finish up to O.W.L level on this subject by the time I was ten, but one must always improve when given the chance.

    Potions: hehehe. I''m sure that I''m ready for Snape after this. I mean I respect the guy quite a bit. He made many mistakes in his life and he knows it. He''s also suffered a lot from when he was young, to his school years, until finally loosing the love of his life to another and then to death itself. He his one of the only truly repentant human beings I''ve ever read about. But he''s a shit teacher. As my response, I got to almost N.E.W.T level in potions. My tutor was so enamored with me that she tried to beg aunt Amelia to let me be her apprentice. Guess brewing a bottle of Felix Felicis will do that to a potions master.

    During this time I also didn''t slack off on my wandless magic training or physical efforts. I kept trying for the spells I remembered and of those the ones that wouldn''t break or damage anything. So I trained the water making charm, fire starting, lumos, locking and unlocking charms, summoning and banishing, focused intensely on protection and even tried to Disillusion myself, but that one didn''t work so well. All in all it went pretty well as I improved my magic control and abilities in secret.

    Did you know that Phoenix tears are incredibly rare and valuable? Cause I seemed to have found myself in a position of having one. Did you also know they love to eat magical plants? Which I happen to grow myself? Did you also know you can kinda bribe your Phoenix with her favorite treats and extra care in exchange for a tear about once every two weeks? Well I certainly found out after quite a bit of negotiations. To explain why I''m talking about this is pretty simple: i figured out a way to sell some and get some cash to invest into other places and start racking in the cash.

    About a year and a half ago i decided to act upon a plan of mine. This plan was involving Gringotts wizarding bank.

    Remember when I said it was really hard to get Tilly to calm down after i gave her that pouch, well I did this by getting to bring me to Gringotts one day, after I promised Susan to bring her back some bribes from Sugarplum''s Sweets Shop in exchange for keeping quiet about me leaving. Now we had been to Diagon Alley before, but this was my first time heading to Gringotts itself.

    Tilly apparated us in front of the imposing building. It was truly grand, made from snowy white marble and towering about the other shops, as if to proclaim its superiority, and announcing itself as Gringotts Bank in golden letters above the door. The bronze doors themselves held their famous warning in silver.

    ''Enter, stranger, but take heed

    Of what awaits the sin of greed

    For those who take, but do not earn,

    Must pay most dearly in their turn.

    So if you seek beneath our floors

    Thief, you have been warned, beware

    Of finding more than treasure there.''

    Stepping through the door and walking up to the stairs, I come to see a vast marble hall with long counters stretching along its length, with doors leading off to the vault passageways and with around a hundred goblins sitting at them. I receive a few inquiring glances from the working goblins and some more intense gazes from some of the guards for some reason, but I take them in stride.

    I reach the head teller and wait for him to notice me.

    After a minute he looks up at me a gives me a sharp-toothed smile, making me feel a bit off.

    "Welcome to Gringotts Bank little warrior. How may we be of service?" He said in his grating voice.

    "I have a business worth quite a few galleons to propose and I would like to request a private room to continue further. Also what''s this about being a warrior?" I stated and the asked.

    "It''s in your walk, the way you walk steadily and with confidence, your eyes as they look around your surroundings, your body language as it seems ready to explode at a moments notice and your overall feel. Every goblin has experience as a fighter, even if we are not guards." He answered proudly.

    "But why pray tell would you need a private room young one?" He then asked getting to business.

    "Follow me young warrior, it seems like you do have some business with Gringotts." He said with another toothy smile on his face as he got up and started walking towards his own office.

    We reached his office as he sat down behind a desk and I in front of it.

    "Well, tell me what you wish to accomplish here." He started us off

    "I wish to sign a few contracts with your bank. I give a few samples of what i offered to sell for me, you get a nice cut of the sales and I wish to keep my information hidden." I answered with full honesty.

    "An interesting proposition young warrior. And what do you believe will make our bank do this?" He said as if to test me.

    "10% cut of the finale selling price for every unit." I answered giving them the best cut they could actually receive from such a deal. Because although they are the most legit option, I can find other means to get what I want. I few magically binding vows with some people in need of money and some disguises and aging potions to throw them off makes selling them through other channels is very doable. Annoying but doable.

    "You do know your stuff don''t you little warrior?" He asked chuckling at the response

    "I think we can arrange a suitable deal for that much." He stated as he started to write some things on a piece of parchment.

    As he was done he handed it to me.

    "This contract states that I, Ragnok, head teller of Gringotts Bank, am to serve as middle in the sales Phoenix tears provided by, add your name here, in return for 10% of each units final sale and that all information about the seller and buyers shall become confidential. It shall become binding as soon as it is signed and a few drops of blood from both parties are added onto the contract." He stated explaining the procedures.

    I pass the contract to Tilly to see if there is any hidden magic I missed by feeling it. She simply hands it back indicating it was good.

    I sign and add my name, then use the knife Ragnok hand to me to cut my finger and let three drops fall on the contract. He does the same and it disappears with a flash of blue flame.

    "Now that everything is in order." I say as I reach into my pouch and started taking out the stockpile of tears I had amassed since I thought of this plan. " I would like to do two things in Gringotts: open a new vault under my own name to store these new earnings of mine and ask if you are able or willing to invest in a few muggle businesses." I said with a large smile on my face at the shock on Ragnok''s face and the greed in his eyes.

    "Ahem. Opening the vault will simply take a few papers, some blood, a contract and a new key. We will have to discuss this investing of yours." He answered after snapping out of his daze.

    "I wish to change most of my earnings into Pounds and invest into overseas companies. I have four in mind at the moment who I believe will succeed. In returns Gringotts will receive 5% of the money they invest on my part and 5% off the earnings, without having to be involved in any loses i incur. You get paid, paid again if it works and lose nothing if it doesn''t work out. How''s that for a dream proposal?" I asked with a perfect smile.

    "Hahaha! You truly know how to tempt us don''t you young master Bones?" He asked while laughing in delight at my proposal. "You have yourself a deal. Now which companies will you invest in?" He then asked to confirm my choices with his toothiest smile possible.

    "Microsoft, Apple, Nike and Walmart." I replied.

    After another hour all the paperwork was done for my request and I left the bank a very happy customer. I stopped by Sugarplum''s Sweets Shop like I promised Susan and headed back home.

    I was broken out of my musing on the last four years by the arrival of an owl in front of me holding a letter.

 Chapter 12 - Ch. 12 Lets Shop Properly

    ''HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

    Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

    (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

    Dear Mr Bones,

    We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

    Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

    Yours sincerely,

    Minerva McGonagall

    Deputy Headmistress''

    On the second page in the envelope.

    ''HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

    UNIFORM

    First-year students will require:

    2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

    3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

    4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

    Please note that all pupil''s clothes should carry name tags.

    COURSE BOOKS

    All students should have a copy of each of the following:

    The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

    A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

    Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

    A Beginner''s Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

    One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

    Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

    Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

    The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

    OTHER EQUIPMENT

    1 wand

    1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

    1 set glass or crystal phials

    1 telescope

    Students may also bring, if they d.e.s.i.r.e, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

    PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS

    ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK

    Yours sincerely,

    Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus

    Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions''

    ''It really came. My Hogwarts letter. The thing that every child who saw the movies or read the books dreamed about when they reach the age of eleven.'' I thought after reading over the letters twice.

    "Hehehehe!" I excitedly laughed to myself.

    "I can finally do it! I can finally start to learn real magic! I can finally get my wand! Haha!" I exclaimed loud enough to get Sol''s attention.

    It took me a few minutes for my excitement to die down, letting me think properly.

    ''I''ll ask aunt Amelia to let me go get supplies on my own so she won''t know about my other vault. I love her, I do, but this needs to be kept secret until I can defend both myself and my family. Too much money can also be a curse.'' I thought to myself.

    I ran upstairs to her home office and knocked. I took the moment to make myself more presentable before being permitted to come in. I love the woman, but she is a real stickler for rules and etiquette.

    "Come in." She simply said

    "Hey aunt Amelia, my Hogwarts letter just came in. I sent my reply confirming it already, so all that''s left is to go and get my supplies." I informed her with a straight and to the point explanation.

    "Good, I''ll trust you to get your things with Tilly as your chaperone. You''ve shown enough maturity to handle that on your own, but I want you to hold off on getting your wand until the weekend. It''ll be better to get it after your birthday and i wish to be there for it. I also think it''s about time we make you the official heir to the family. You have met and far exceeded my expectations during your studies." She replied, surprising me.

    I was all ready to fight to be able to go on my own, but she''s going to let me anyway. I mean Tilly is coming with but that''s not an issue at all.

    "Thank you for your trust aunty, I will do my best to maintain it." I answered with a determined look on my face.

    "Alright, now go off to bed Aedan. You will be going out in the morning." She said with a small smile on her face.

    "Good night aunt Amelia." I answered as I was leaving the room.

    The next morning was pretty exciting for me. I had a quick breakfast, bath and I was ready to go.

    We got to the Leaky Cauldron through the floo network. It was apparently a little bit of tradition to go through it when buying your school supplies. I headed off to Gringotts first, because I''m going to need more money than what aunty is allowing Tilly to use.

    We walk into the bank and reach Ragnok in his usual spot.

    "Hello there Ragnok. May your vaults be full and your enemies pray to never encounter you." I said with the proper respectful greetings of goblins. It usually just involves them having lots of money and people they fight against dying, so it''s pretty fun to try different combinations and there''s never any harm to making more friends.

    "And may your gold keep pilling up at your feet like your enemies young master Bones." He replied with a nod and toothy-smile, which I''ve kinda gotten used to by this point.

    "Now what can Gringotts do for you?" He said getting down to business.

    "I wish to buy a bottomless pouch connecting to my private account and to inquire if my previous order has arrived yet." I answered.

    "We shall simply take the 10 galleons required for the pouch with your permission and your order certainly has arrived. I am sure you will find it to be exactly as you required." He stated with another smile as he waved his hand, sending another goblin to fetch my order.

    A few minutes later I receive the pouch and a small package, which I immediately put into my storage pouch.

    "You know how the pouch works. You can only take out the money in your vault and only you and those permitted can do so." He said off-handedly

    "Thank you Ragnok. May you find gold wherever you go and your ennemies broken bones form your path." I said before taking my leave.

    The first store I visited after leaving was the trunk shop, since I want to make a custom order.

    You should have seen the look on the store owners face when I listed my requirements: Dragon hide on the outside, with my initials A.M.B engraved, feather weight charm, unbreakable charm, anti-muggle charm, blood bonded so that only I can access and summon it, shrinking charm with a chain attachment to were it as a necklace, vastly expanded book compartment, ingredient and potions compartments, and a lot of additional space to use as I please. The whole thing cost around 9000 galleons, but money is not an issue and this will be a piece of equipment I''ll use for the foreseeable future so it is well spent. Unfortunately it won''t be ready until August, but the finished product will speak for itself.

    Next was Madam Malkin''s Robes for All Occasions, a place where I''ll also get a custom job because if I''m going to be wearing something for an entire year I''ll make damn sure it''s the best I can buy. What''s the point of making money if you don''t spend it?

    I make my way over with Tilly and enter the store, seeing a squat, smiling witch who was dressed in mauve clothing and grey hair styled in an interesting upwards fashion.

    "Hogwarts, dear? Well come in and set yourself up in the room on the right. I have to finish up with these two girls first." She said quickly after seeing my nod.

    So I walked over to the fitting room and wait for a few minutes.

    The short witch comes in and wastes no time getting started measuring with gusto. I order the three sets needed made of Acromantula silk, because of it minor spell resistance and comfortable feel, self ironing and repair charms, as well as a minor self adjusting charm to keep up with my growth during the year. I also asked if it''s possible to mix a bit of dragon hide into the robe, but unfortunately not. The total still ended being about 450 galleons after everything was said and done, and the order would be ready in a few days. Although I do need to say that she tried to throw in a discount if I would be a model for her designs, and it was really hard to keep turning her down due to her persistance.

    Next was Scribbulus Writing Instruments. I entered the shop filled with display cabinets with beautiful quills of every color and feather I could think of, with finely engraved tips to complete them. I stepped towards the counter and found an elderly wizard in brown ink splattered robes waiting there. I placed two custom orders; one is to turn three of Sol''s feathers into properly made quills, and let me tell you he was ecstatic to be able to work with Phoenix feathers, to the point that he swore it would be some of his best work, and I also ordered two self writing quills with enchantments letting me input the information I wish to write on it to free myself from the constantly looming wave of homework written about in the books. He said it should be done by the end of the day and that he would send the quills to my home.

    Slug & Jiggers Apothecary was quick. I ordered two of the standard pewter cauldrons required, i mean it''s really unlikely in mess up any potion taught at Hogwarts but better safe than sorry. I got two sets of ingredients, some not required in class, but I didn''t over do it cause I can always order more through the mail. And finally a set of custom potions equipment, with a reinforced cauldron and goblin made vials and tools, stuff that would give even Snape a hard on.

    Now, I''ve been to Flourish and Blotts before, but it''s always been as a reward for doing well during my tutoring. But this time I had no reason to hold back. I bought every book that caught my attention. Standard Hogwarts material years 1-7 for every class, books on more mundane spells, party spells, lesser known potions, magical theory, care for magical creatures books and I even found some dueling books hidden in the shelves. I may have also headed to Borgin and Burkes quickly to buy some older and more, shall we say, difficult to obtain books.

    And my final stop of the day was Eeylops Owl Emporium because although I had Sol, she was my friend and partner, so I''m not using her as a delivery service. Plus if she can get friendly with the new owl, she''ll have a friend to fly around together with and be able to have fun even when I''m busy. And so I purchased a wonderful white and beige female barn owl, which I named Artemis.

    With everything I was permitted to buy ordered or obtained, i stopped and got Susan a treat because we left her home alone and headed back.

    On a side note, Sol was not just a little peeved at the sight of Artemis and it took a lot of convincing to make her understand why I got her. It took a few days and a good amount of bribes, but she finally got around to agreeing.

 Chapter 13 - Ch. 13 A wand and a core

    The rest of my week after the shopping spree was done was greatly fulfilling. I spent my time going through the first and second year textbooks and understanding the basics of magical education in the theoretical aspect. The clothes and supplies I had custom ordered also arrived and I was pleased by the finished products. Finally I also inspected my order from Gringotts: the package contained a perfectly forged, goblin made knife.

    A year into my deals with Ragnok, I decided to order a weapon for my own self defense in case I am unable to use magic properly or have my wand taken from me. And so I commissioned it to be based on modern combat knives, with it being unbreakable, bonded to me, and that it should always return when taken or lost. I also added some difficulty when I wished for it to be possible to further enchant it by myself later in the future. This resulted in a beautifully made silver combat knife, with goblin Runes engraved into the blade, hidden through the Phoenix,with a small ruby in the place of its eye, they crafted into it. The note that came with the knife said that to bond with it I simply needed to cut my palm with it and let it absorb some blood, and that if I want to further enchant it I can do so by targeting the handle or the ruby itself. They also made sure to state that the blade would return to the goblins after three generations as promised, unless I ,or those I pass it on to, pay for an extension. It was exactly what I had requested, so I immediately strapped the dragon leather sheath to my forearm, which is enchanted to shoot the knife into my hand with a thought as per ordered. I am not ashamed to admit I played with it for a long time.

    It''s now July 7th 1988, three years before the Harry Potter plot starts properly and the reason I''m mentioning the date is because I forgot that something important was going to happen today: my magical maturation. The reason why one must be eleven years to properly practice magic.

    If that was all that would happen then I''d be happy to gain more strength and control like my peers. My only problem is that, according to all the magic theory books I''ve read on the subject, I''ve already gone through my first maturation as a result of my first ritual and it was refined to the extremes due to the second. So from my understanding, what I am currently experiencing inside of myself right now is the transformation of the incredible condensed gas changing into its phenomenally more potent liquid form. Something which is only supposed to happen in the properly magically endowed witches and wizards, basically Auror or skilled hit-wizard level. This is why most wizards are just basically useless in real combat anymore, they''ve got nothing to back up their spells.

    And so I was meditating, focusing on the representation of my core within my mind, trying to aid my cores in their transformation. This is when an issue occurred, my twin cores were striking each other in their agitated state as they constantly attracted each other. I felt pain in my heart every time they did so, as if the energy would explode from within it. I had to do something or at this rate I might become a squib if they break or die. I thought and thought as I forced the two energies away from each other. The tug-of-war between me and my cores kept going for I don''t know how long until I realized that this wasn''t going to work. It was at that moment that I had a flash of inspiration.

    If they want to go towards one another, why not redirect their trajectory slightly to make them chase one another?

    Instead of forcing them apart, I let them head towards each other only to divert them off their courses slightly so they would miss. And so the process repeated itself countless times until they were in contact with each other, but were also constantly moving as they were chasing one another. They resembled magnets in a way. And as they chased after themselves, they started merging, slowly but surely they became a single entity. I don''t know how long this process lasted, I felt mentally exhausted by the trial but I stayed awake because I had to see this through. Soon enough the two spheres slowed gradually until they found a comfortable pace, not too fast nor too slow.

    It was quite shocking to see the results. My two cores had almost fused into one, but kept a small barrier between the two, with both filled with different colored liquids: one golden and the other silver. And well, it basically looked like yin and yang, with the whole thing being around the size of a large softball and the liquids inside moving with their rotations.

    And then I simply fainted. Don''t judge me. You try and keep your heart from exploding due to magical energies, see how it feels.

    I woke up with the sun directly in my face. I got up and heard a yelp coming from my left.

    I turn around and see a really nervous Tilly.

    "Hey Tilly, what''s wrong? Oh and what time is it?" I asked groggily while rubbing my eyes.

    To which her reply was to run out of the room yelling "Mistress! Young Master Aedan is awake!" In her squeaky voice.

    "What the?" I asked myself in confusion

    "Big Brother, you''re ok!" Susan said as she tackled me back into my bed and started crying.

    "Well yeah I''m ok. Why wouldn''t I be?" I asked while trying to sooth the crying little sister.

    "You''ve been unconscious for the past three days Aedan." Amelia said, dropping the bomb.

    "Three days!!" I yell out in surprise.

    "Yes, we even had a healer come in to check up on you, but all they said was that you were keeping yourself asleep and couldn''t force you awake in case it made things worse." She explained with a bit of anger a her voice. "So what happened?" She finally asked.

    "Well, because of the rituals that I went through my core is somewhat different from most people my age and when it was going through it''s maturation some issues happened. So I went inside of myself to makes things work properly." I tried to explain.

    Her gaze softened, like it always does when I mention my time in that place.

    "Alright dear, as long as you''re ok now." She said softly.

    "So you''re ok?" Susan asked while looking up at me from my c.h.e.s.t with tears threatening to fall out of her eyes again.

    "Yes I''m all ok. I actually kinda feel great right now." I replied with all honesty.

    "Well good. Unfortunately for you though, you missed the weekend and I even took a day off to make sure nothing wrong would happen to you, so you''ll have to wait until Saturday evening before we go and get your wand." Said aunt Amelia back to her normal tough but fair self.

    "It''s alright I understand. Thanks for worrying aunty, it means a lot. You too Susan and Tilly." I said with a smile and warm feeling in my heart.

    "We are family, all that we have left and I treasure you both." She said as she walked over to me and Susan, and hugged us.

    It was really nice.

    But since I had to wait another week for my wand, I went back to studying and testing spells out wandlessly. It really shocked me. It takes less magic, for a stronger effect, quicker execution and the magic was recovered at a pace incomparable to the previous one. So I ended up spending the week spamming spells like it was going out of style. You know, until I just fell asleep due to the exhaustion that came with it.

    That was until Saturday came and it was time to go to Ollivanders.

    Aunt Amelia took me and Susan to Diagon alley through the Floo network. We reached the narrow and shabby shop with peeling gold letters over the door of the shop read: Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.

    "Go on Aedan, everyone goes through this little initiation. We will wait for you a Florean Fortescue''s." Said Amelia as she held Susan''s hand.

    I nodded and stepped into the shop. It was a tiny space for the shop, empty except for a single, spindly chair in the corner. Thousands of narrow boxes containing wands were piled right up to the ceiling of the tiny shop, and the whole place had a thin layer of dust about it. With an old man with pale silvery eyes, should length gray hair and white skin, who I assumed was the famous Garrick Ollivander.

    "I did not expect to see a new customer this late in the evening, but no matter no matter, it is always a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to match a child to its wand. I hope you make things challenging for me." He chuckled to himself

    "Now then young mister..." "Bones. Aedan Bones." I finished for him. "Ah one of the survivors, a shame about what was done to them, sold the whole family their wands." He basically muttered to himself.

    He then spent the next half hour handing me wand after wand, containing all of the Ollivander classics of Unicorn hair, Dragon heartstring and Phoenix feather, but nothing was fitting properly.

    "Well I''ve asked for difficulty and you''ve certainly provided Mr. Bones." Ollivander said quite happily despite all his failures.

    "It seems I might have to make a custom wand after all years." He mused.

    I was kind of prepared for this situation. I mean, I have the essence of a Wampus cat and a Phoenix in my body. It would be strange if any random wand would bond with me properly.

    "Um mister Ollivander." I said to get his attention. "If you can take a vow of silence I can probably help with why the wands aren''t working properly." I said to him.

    He raised an eyebrow at the request, but I know the mans curiosity will get the better of him. It''s just who he is. And just like I thought, he pointed his wand upwards.

    "I, Garrick Ollivander, swear on my magic that the information giving by Aedan Bones shall remain between us and that I shall tell none. So I say, mote it be. Lumos." He recited and with the lighting of the wand signifying a valid oath I was relieved.

    "Basically, due to events outside my control, I was imbued with the essence of a Wampus cat and deeply bonded with a Phoenix. I also currently have two magic cores." I explained to the man.

    "My word!" He exclaimed. "No wonder none of my wands bonded with you. Do you happen to have any feathers of said Phoenix?" He asked in an excited and hopeful manner.

    "I had a feeling that I would be difficult so I prepared in advance." I said as I took out a few boxes from my bag.

    "This box contains a heart feather of my friend, freely given. And these are a collection of Wampus cat hairs I ordered from America, because I''ve heard they aren''t really used here and thinking it might connect with me better than other materials due to my circ.u.mstances." I explained to the man.

    "Yes, I much prefer unicorn hair or dragon heartstring, but a good wand maker should strive for the best match, not the preferred material. If these are what matches you then it is what you shall receive. Now come with me, I need you to choose a wood and which of these hairs truly resonates with you." He said as he guided me towards the back.

    He laid out a bunch of different wood samples and said to close my eyes and feel which one was calling me. Quickly doing so, I focused and felt a piece draw me in strongly as i moved my hand towards it. I opened my eyes and found myself grasping a jet-black block of wood.

    "Ebony wood, good with many things, especially combat. It prefers those with great courage and generally matches well with people who are outside the norm or outsiders. Truly interesting. Now the cores." He said as he laid out more boxes.

    This time I felt two pulls. One was brilliant and warm, while the other was subtle and calm. I opened my eyes again and find what I guessed would happen: the feather and one of the boxes of hair.

    "Phoenix feathers make for very individualist wands, strong wands, while the Wampus hair tends to be good at the more subtle side of magic, preferring to find new paths instead on focusing on the ones others see." Explained Ollivander again

    "Come back tomorrow evening Mister Bones. I should have it ready by then." He declared with fire in his eyes.

    "Thanks Mister Ollivander. I''ll leave the leftover Wampus hairs for you to experiment with if you want." I said as I began to leave.

    "I think I''ll take you up on that, keep the skills sharpened." He answered with a laugh.

    I explained to aunt Amelia why it took so long and that my wand should be ready tomorrow.

    "Really, why is it so hard to get you a single wand young man." She said in a fake anger voice.

    I returned the next day and Ollivander took out a black box and put it on the counter in front of me.

    I open it and take out a beautiful black wand with a comfortable handle, sleek and straight body without a single flaw in the wood. And then I felt it connect to my cores, making multicolored lights flow around me and a Phoenix cry being heard.

    "Ebony, Phoenix heart feather and Wampus cat hair, 11.5 inches, slightly flexible. One of the finest wands I''ve ever made." Said Ollivander with pride.

    I thanked the man after paying for the wand, arm holster and maintenance equipment, and left.

 Chapter 14 - Ch. 14 Family and a train

    It was exciting to finally get my own wand, the thing that''ll follow me on my path as a wizard. The tool with which I will create magic better and better magic.

    I spent the next month and half plowing through my school books. Every charm, jinx, and curse I could learn, I would master with the wand and then train it wandlessly. It feels great to make progress in something obviously magical. That''s the main reason I got into potions and Herbology so much, it was different, fantasy like and I could learn it. Aunt Amelia did kinda get mad at me for doing some spell in the house, so I had to set up some dummies outside and practice on those.

    Aside from the school stuff, I''ve been learning some neat party tricks like changing hair colors, making some controllable firecrackers and a few little pranks here and there. Susan really liked when I made a bunch of paper airplanes fly and dogfight in the backyard. She also like when i put on a little puppet show with Tilly, each of us animating a puppet, but she was way better than me at this. It does help me work on my control though so I wasn''t embarrassed to kill two birds with one stone. as much as I want to grow stronger and learn more about magic, I really care about this little family of mine.

    Aunt Amelia actually started taking us out during the weekends of my last two weeks home. Although she is a pure-blooded witch, she was a very good friend of my mom when they were younger and she was shown how the muggle world actually worked through her. That''s why she actually brought the both of us to the muggle side of things like an amus.e.m.e.nt park, which Susan was both in love with and horrified of.

    It was a fun couple of weeks.

    September 1st, 1988.

    "Alright Aedan, time to go! The car is here!" I hear aunt Amelia yell from downstairs.

    I''ve got my trunk in necklace form, Artemis in her cage, wand and knife on each arm and my glasses on. Everything is packed and I''m heading downstairs.

    "You could''ve just had Tilly bring me there on the knight bus aunt Amelia, I know how busy you are." I said as I got downstairs.

    "Don''t say such things. My nephew is heading off to Hogwarts, I can make time for that every year." She declared in a huff.

    "Do you have to go? I really don''t want you to?" Said Susan with teary eyes.

    "Yeah. I''m gonna miss you lots Susan, but this is something every witch and wizard has to do. And in three years you''ll join me over there too." I said gently as I bent down to her level.

    "Then you have to write lots!" She declared.

    "I promise." I promised while ruffling her hair a little.

    "Alright, let''s go kids." Cut in Amelia while pushing us out the door.

    We got into one of the ministry''s enhanced cars, which was a black 1960 Bentley S2, classic British car, with tinted windows, expanded and refurbished interior. Perfect for any ministry official to get around the muggle side in.

    Susan sat right next to me and Amelia went near the driver to tell him he could take off. My little cousin/sister is really cute as her brown hair swings around with her head when she tries to look at everything around us. My aunt and I just watch her with a smile as she does so.

    We arrived at Kings Cross station an hour in advance. We get out, I grab Artemis and head in with my family.

    On our way to the platform I see a bunch of witches and wizards hurrying about in odd clothing and robes, running along with trunks, a variety of uncommon pets, and while screaming to hurry along or complaining about muggles. It really makes me marvel at how the Statute of Secrecy hasn''t been broken yet and how far muggles will go to logically deny the possibility of the fantastic. Both sides have their own faults on this point.

    We got to the wall between platforms 9 and 10, I take a look at aunt Amelia, she nods and I walk through with steady steps. As I was about to hit the wall, I felt like I was passing through a kind lightly resistant jelly, and a second later I was through. I took some steps away from the door and was welcomed by a sight more interesting than the movie.

    I saw a horde of frantic men and women all over the place, with yelling, hugs and kisses happening everywhere. Pets were complaining, kids and teens were getting together and catching up. I saw a bunch of papers flying around the platform and then spotted the iconic sign of platform 9 3/4. Following that was the sight of the crimson machine, stolen by wizards in 1830, launching their biggest ever memory and concealment charm operation. It was certainly a memorable sight, with its clean, crimson body, powerful whistle and matching compartments.

    "Wow!" Exclaimed Susan coming in from behind me. "It''s huge!"

    "Alright dear, you''ll get your time on that train soon enough, but stay with me today." Said Amelia sternly.

    "Alright Aedan, stay safe, don''t be afraid to write even if there''s nothing wrong, and I doubt I''ll have to worry about your grades, but that doesn''t give you an excuse to break rules and go crazy. If you cause any trouble you''ll get a howler right in the middle of breakfast you hear me?" She then said to me in an equally stern manner.

    "Yes ma''am, I''ll do my best." I answered as if a soldier.

    "Good, now off you go. Get yourself a compartment before they''re all full and make some friends while your there. I know I didn''t give you much of a chance to make some growing up, but it''s important." She said softening her expression.

    I smiled at her concern. I then took a breath, stepped forward and gave her a deep hug.

    "Thanks aunt Amelia, for everything. I know it''s hard raising us, but thank you for caring. I love you." I said while hugging.

    She froze when I hugged her, but she softened a lot when she heard the ''i love you''.

    She looked at me with moistened eyes, wiped both corners and said softly "I love you too Aedan."

    I let go, give Susan a hug and head for the train with Artemis. With one last turn to wave at them, I step into the train.

    I found an empty compartment to sit in, made sure Artemis was all good above me, took out some 4th year books and started to read. Coincidentally, I also spotted a train of rushing red heads a few minutes before it was time to set off. Makes me remember that there''s going to be Bill, Charlie, Percy in the school this year and next year the terrible duo will join.

    At eleven sharp, the whistle echoed throughout the platform and the Hogwarts express set off.

    As I was reading in my compartment time passed quickly. There was a few times when people opened the door making me look up but no one actually talked to me. The girls tended to gasp when they saw me look up before hurrying away and the guys looked at me, pursed their lips and left. Both reactions were weird in their own way.

    Halfway through the ride though, an older girl, with short bright pink hair, opened the door with some tears on her face.

    It was everyone''s favorite metamorphmagus, Nymphadora Tonks. She should currently be a 4th year Hufflepuff student. She was truly a beautiful person in the books, and I''m not talking about looks here. She is someone who is selfless enough to help those in need and courageous enough to fight again Volde-shorts and his Death Cucks, and able to be true to herself in the pursuit of who she cares for. Although I thought she was wasted on Lupin and that it was an immense d.i.c.k move on Rowling''s part to kill her in the final battle, but she''s probably on of my favorite female characters. Gonna see if I can change her fate later on.

    "Is anyone sitting here?" She asked in a slightly cracking voice.

    "No, you''re welcome to join me." I answered breaking out of my my musing, gesturing for her to sit and putting down my book.

    "Thanks, I''m Tonks by the way, 4th year Hufflepuff." Said the girl as she sat down, rubbing her eyes and sniffling a bit as she introduced herself.

    "I''m Aedan, 1st year nothing. So how come one of my big bad seniors is currently crying?" I asked trying to make her chuckle a bit a her situation.

    "Ha. Cheeky firstie I have here then." She said breaking out of her melancholy a bit.

    "Sigh. One of my housemates came and yelled at me saying I was stealing some guy i never meet she confessed to. She said I seduced him and kept on insulting me until some other girls joined in and I couldn''t take it." She explained with some pain on her face.

    "How could you be stealing a guy if you don''t even know him?" I asked baffled at the irrational situation.

    "Well that''s what happens to people like us doesn''t? We can change our appearance so people want to get us to date their dream person." She explained, but there was one part bugging me from that explanation.

    "What do you mean by ''we'' and ''us''?" I asked for clarification.

    "Metamorphmagi like us can change our appearance so people want us to fulfill their fantasies." She explained, but then she saw the weird look on my face and asked "what?"

    "I''m not a metamorphmagus." I said with an awkward tone.

    "Wait what? But your hair! Your ears! Your eyes! Your face!" She exclaimed in surprise and disbelief.

    "Well I''ve got some complicated and really personal reasons behind most of that, but the face should be all me and I''m pretty proud of it." I proclaimed whilst puffing out my c.h.e.s.t and lifting my head a bit.

    "Haha! Prat!" She said as she laughed out loud.

    "That hurts. I''m really proud of this face of mine." I said in fact hurt.

    "Alright alright, it is a good face." She said with a chuckle. "But still acting like a prat." She then declared.

    I then over exaggerated having a wounded heart and make Tonks burst out laughing.

    It takes her a few minutes to calm down again.

    "But seriously, you look like that and it''s natural?" She asked incredulously.

    "Well, it''s not exactly natural, but I''ll stop anyone even thinking of trying to get these features the same way I did and that''s all I''ll say about the subject." I said in a serious voice.

    "Well aren''t you mysterious." She said ending the questions on my looks.

    "So Aedan the first year, what house do you think you''ll get?" She asked in a excited tone.

    I thought for a second before answering. "I don''t really know to be honest. I think I could fit in pretty much all the houses: I have courage and bravery, I work hard and am loyal, I seek knowledge and possess intelligence, I have ambition and can be cunning."

    "Wow someone''s full of themselves." Said Tonks mockingly, wearing a grin.

    "I don''t really think like that, it''s just what I''ve done and what I plan to do in the future which tells me this. Now if you ask what house I want to be in, it''s an easier answer by processes of elimination. Let''s start with the most obvious house, Slytherin. Although I personally think there is nothing wrong with the house nor it''s ideals of ambition and cunning, it''s almost been reduced to a cesspool of bigotry and supremacy, letting those with the deepest pockets or bigger fist rule since the rise of the Dork lord." I explained.

    Tonks jaw hit the floor if it could when she heard me say Dork Lord.

    "Next is Gryffindor. Although they are brave and willing to step up for what they believe is right,they lack any thought behind their actions. Bravery must be tempered to avoid recklessness and proper knowledge must be known to have the correct target to truly do the right thing, because without knowledge it''s only self-delusions. Although they are not bigoted, they have a problem of quick judgement and stubbornness stopping them from admitting fault. So I although I can fit into the house, I am personally against it."

    "Now for Hufflepuff." I started and heard Tonks gulp as she readied herself because of my previous dismantling of the other houses.

    "It''s ideals are great, hard work and loyalty should be things all wizards should truly aspire to. The problem comes from the mentality students have regarding it and people''s general opinion of it. And that comes from the single phrase ''and Helga Hufflepuff took the rest.'' It brings down the students opinion of their own house as the house of the leftovers and the normal without them even realizing it. There''s also a problem with being too united, as it makes everyone on the same level and if you''re not you get ostracized, leading to a lack of outstanding students. Although these problems are there I still can see myself grow in it, making friends and proving myself through hard work." I concluded about the house and Tonks had a thoughtful look after I was done speaking about her house.

    "And lastly the house I personally think I''m most likely to get into, Ravenclaw. It prizes knowledge and those you seek it, something I''ve had since young. The problems with the fact that students in the house have come to only strive for grades as proof of their intelligence, instead for truly understanding a subject, they simply memorize it and regurgitate that onto tests and homework. They also forget to spread that knowledge as Rowena herself decided to do when she helped found the school. Now they lord the knowledge they think they have over others and believe themselves superior without even being able to apply said knowledge properly." I said finally finishing off my long-winded explanation.

    "Well, you''re definitely a Ravenclaw. No other house is gonna take someone who had that much to say on a single subject and a simple question." Tonks simply answered with a mocking look on her face.

    That makes me burst out with laughter at the response, cause I actually agreed with it. Can''t see anyone who gets into any other house say that much on such a simple question.

    "You do make good points though." She added after she finished laughing.

    "Thanks." I answered

    We then started talking about some random things about Hogwarts she knows and some funny spells I''d learnt. It went on until we heard the announcement that we''d arrive soon.

    "It was nice talking with you Aedan, you were fun. And thanks for the advice about those girls. I''ll head back to change into my robes." She said as she got up to leave.

    "No problem Tonks. It was really nice to meet you. You''re a blast." As replied.

    She then left and went back to her stuff.

    ''Well, time to get changed.'' I thought to myself.

 Chapter 15 - Ch. 15 Hogwarts

    Since we were arriving I took a set of robes from my trunk and put them on.

    ''Although it''s impractical, it was galleons well spent to make them this comfortable. And I''ve always wanted to wear these so I''ll make it work.'' I thought to myself after getting dressed.

    "Alright Artemis, Aunty told me that they''ll bring you to owlery so I''ll see you later. Be a good girl ok?" I said before feeding her a few treats and receiving an affectionate nip in return.

    I head out of the train to hear a booming voice. "Firs'' years this gather ''ere! Firs'' years over ''ere!"

    I walked over with my peers and find Hogwarts keeper of keys and of the grounds. The heavily bearded half-giant stature was even more obvious next to a group of eleven year olds. He stood near 12 feet tall, with his untamed beard and hair, arms and legs thicker than our bodies. Physically speaking Hagrid is very intimidating man. I know that he''s basically a big teddy bear unless you insult Dumbledore, but still. And the man doesn''t seem to realize the differences between himself and others, it''s fine to be different but you have to understand it. I mean who keeps an Acromantula as a pet, or raise a Cerberus and name it Fuffly, tries to raise a dragon, and from what I remember he later tried to get students to raise some weird cross-breed he made.

    "Firs'' years follow me!" He yelled out seeing that no one else was coming.

    We followed him like we were baby chicks, it was a little bit funny thinking about that comparison, and reached a bunch of docked boats waiting for us.

    "No more than four a boat!" He announced

    I simply hopped onto a boat. Two others joins me on the it. One was a girl with long black hair, dark green eyes, lips on the thinner side, high cheekbones. The other was a very nervous looking boy. He had wavy sandy blonde hair that reached just under his ears, clear blue eyes and a gentle look to his features. The girl was very confident in herself while the boy seemed to not trust the boat as he jumped slightly and grabbed onto the sides of it as soon as we set off.

    I look at the both of them and decide I should introduce myself. "Hi, I''m Aedan Bones. It looks like we''ll be spending the next seven years seeing each other, so it''s nice to meet you." I said smoothly and with a smile to the both of them.

    "Bones? Like Amelia Bones, the head of the DMLE?" Asked the girl in a surprised tone.

    "That''s right, she''s my aunt." I answered in a slightly guarded manner. I love my aunt, but I know some people would do a lot to get to her. She holds a lot of authority and is responsible for many people going to Azkaban. It makes you enemies.

    The girl is slightly shocked but introduces herself anyway. "Victoria Travers, heir of of the most ancient and noble house of Travers." She said in a proud tone whilst puffing her c.h.e.s.t out.

    "A sacred twenty-eight heir is it?" I responded with a raised eyebrow.

    "A what?" I hear the nervous boy ask.

    "I''m guessing you must be muggle-born then?" I asked in response.

    "That''s right, names James Calaway. It''s nice to meet you both." He said looking at us.

    I see Victoria frown at his introduction.

    ''It looks like she''s been fed that pure-blood supremely crap.'' I thought quickly.

    "Well James, the sacred twenty-eight is a title given to twenty-eight families in the ''pure-blood directory'', a book listing the so called ''truly pure-blood wizard families'' left in Britain, meaning all wizards with no muggle or muggle-borns mixed in. The Travers family is part of said book, and with miss Victoria here being the eldest daughter or only child, she is the heir of it." I explained to the boy.

    "Hmph! And from your tone you seem to dislike it I see." Said an offended Victoria

    "Not dislike, just don''t see the point of being pure-blooded if it forces inbreeding and short-sidedness." I said with a shrug

    "What did you say!" Screamed Victoria getting some looks from other boats, before noticing and sitting down with a red face.

    "I have nothing against the concept, but if it ruins the possibilities and abilities of the next generation then I frankly don''t see the point of forcing things." I said with another shrug.

    Victoria herself was looking like she''d explode any second, until we heard Hagrid''s booming voice yelling to keep our heads down. I watched everyone else and just laughed.

    "Why are you laughing?" Asked James with a weird look.

    "He''s a half-giant, of course he has to duck, but we''re eleven and not even half his size." I said with a big grin on my face.

    James looks around sheepishly and noticed I''m right, while Victoria is just giving the stink eye.

    We pass that bit and we can finally see it, Hogwarts. The movies just can''t do the scene justice. The magnificent ancient castle, with every window light up with an orange glow and all of it reflecting off of the Great Lake as we slowly approach. Simply breathtaking.

    We disembarked and followed Hagrid up to the castle. I could feel the magic in the air here, it lightened my steps and made my cores quicken their pace.

    ''It''s no wonder Dumbledore stays here all the time. The magic here is insane compared to anywhere else I''ve been.'' I thought to myself after feeling it''s effects.

    We finally reached the doors to the great hall and were instructed to wait. And as that was happening, the ghosts of the castles started to head into the hall through the walls.

    "Oh, hello there new students. It''s a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to make your acquaintance. I am the Fat Friar, hope you can come to Hufflepuff! My old house you know." Exclaimed the portly ghost before being on his way.

    I felt a tug on my sleeve and turned to see James being the culprit.

    "Were those ghosts?" He asked with some fear in his voice.

    "Yeah, but there''s no need to fear ghosts in general since they can''t interact with their surroundings. Plus, most ghosts in Hogwarts are supposed to be quite friendly apparently. The only exception is supposed to be Peeves, a pranking poltergeist, so if you meet a jester in an orange suit be careful cause he''ll get you in trouble." I explain trying to warn and calm James.

    "Hey. If you know so much, do you know how their going to sort us?" He then asked.

    "From what I know they use a magic artifact left by the founders to judge which house we would do well in." I answered, trying to sound like I don''t know everything for sure.

    "So we won''t have to do anything?" He then asked.

    "Shouldn''t have to no." I replied to his visible relief.

    At that moment, the famous deputy headmistress, Head of Gryffindor and our future transfiguration professor, Minerva McGonagall, arrived in front of us. I have to say that Maggie Smith nailed her to a fault, it was that accurate when it came to how she looked, tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood with a very stern face .

    "Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall." She said introducing herself. "The 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. 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 rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor."

    She finished her speech waited for a few minutes and during that time I looked around at the rest of the students. What i noticed was that I was taller than pretty much everyone here, standing 5''1 at the age of eleven. Then opened the doors to bring us into the Great Hall.

    ''How magic is great.'' I couldn''t help thinking as I saw the beautifully bewitched ceiling with a smile on my face.

    Without even realizing it, I somehow ended up at the front of first years, with James right behind me and Victoria trying be in the front at the same time. All eyes were on us, but I''m already used to being stared at so I just kept on admiring the hall itself. We reached the end of the tables and saw a stool, with an old hat on it. And behind it was the professors tables.

    ''I was happy to see Alan Rickman is alive and well in this world.'' I thought after seeing our dear potions master.

    I then recognized Hagrid, Professors Pomfrey, Hooch, Flitwick, even Kettleburn, due to their rather unique traits and appearances, and of course Dumbledore, with his really weird eye twinkle that I think has to do with his magical cores maturation level. The rest I''ll have to learn latter. But I was broken out of my musing by a certain hats song.

    "Oh, you may not think I''m pretty,

    But don''t judge on what you see,

    I''ll eat myself if you can find

    A smarter hat than me.

    You can keep your bowlers black,

    Your top hats sleek and tall,

    For I''m the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

    And I can cap them all.

    There''s nothing hidden in your head

    The Sorting Hat can''t see,

    So try me on and I will tell you

    Where you ought to be.

    You might belong in Gryffindor,

    Where dwell the brave at heart,

    Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;

    You might belong in Hufflepuff,

    Where they are just and loyal,

    Those patient Hufflepuffis are true And unafraid of toil;

    Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

    if you''ve a ready mind,

    Where those of wit and learning,

    Will always find their kind;

    Or perhaps in Slytherin

    You''ll make your real friends,

    Those cunning folk use any means

    To achieve their ends.

    So put me on! Don''t be afraid!

    And don''t get in a flap!

    You''re in safe hands (though I have none)

    For I''m a Thinking Cap" he finished with a bow to the applause of the students and staff

    Professor McGonagall steps forward with a piece of parchment and announced how things would work. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she simply said.

    "Ashwood, Thomas!"

    A short brown haired boy stepped forward nervously, sat on the stool and the hat was put on him. After a moment.

    "GRYFFINDOR!" Shouted the hat as applause erupted at the houses table. Even McGonagall had a small smile at having the first student this year.

    "Bones, Aedan!"

    People turned their eyes on me and started whispering to themselves. I also saw Dumbledore look at me intently with a raised eyebrow. I walked up took out my wand and used a quick "Scourgify" to clean the old hat before I had to use it. Making students quiet down and some professors pay more attention.

    "Why thank you young man. It''s been years since someone actually cleaned me." Said the hat in response.

    "It''s no problem. Hope it helps me get into the house I yearn for." I answered with a cheeky grin.

    "We shall see if it is the house which would fit you first." It replied.

    I sat on the chair and the hat was placed onto me.

    ''Boy, you are a difficult customer aren''t you?'' I then heard the hat say in my mind. ''You fit every house, and you know it, but you also understand the value of each. The courage to fight, the wisdom to learn, the drive to work, and the ambition and cunning to reach your goals.'' It continued in its analysis.

    ''So, this becomes one of the rare occasions when your house will be up to you.'' The hat concluded.

    ''Then I wish to join Ravenclaw please.'' I thought to the hat.

    ''Are you sure? Slytherin would be a place to learn many things and you would gain dependable allies in Gryffindor.'' Said the hat to test my resolve.

    ''Ravenclaw is my choice. It''s closest to what I believe I am.'' I responded resolutely.

    "RAVENCLAW!" Then announced the hat in response as applause burst out from the table.

    I went over to the welcome of the upper years and observed the rest of the sorting. It didn''t take that long since there was only 33 of us. Not many wizards had kids during the war and a lot of muggle-borns were killed or disappeared. On a side note, James went to Hufflepuff, Victoria went to Slytherin and 6 others were sorted into Ravenclaw.

    After the sorting was done, Dumbledore stood up. "Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Without further wait, let the feast begin." And with a wave the feast appeared in front of our eyes.

    It''s been a while since I ate till a was completely stuffed, but boy was it satisfying. At the end when all the food disappeared from the tables, Dumbledore stood once again to speak.

    "First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well. I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors and that the list of forbidden objects shall be posted in front of his office for perusing. Quidditch trials will also be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And now it''s time for our school song before heading to bed." He said with a smile.

    And the school bellowed:

    "Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

    Teach us something please,

    Whether we be old and bald

    Or young with scabby knees,

    Our heads could do with filling

    With some interesting stuff,

    For now they''re b.a.r.e and full of air,

    Dead flies and bits of fluff,

    So teach us things worth knowing,

    Bring back what we''ve forgot,

    just do your best, we''ll do the rest,

    And learn until our brains all rot.

    Everybody finished the song at different times. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

    "Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic as old as time! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

    And so ended my first feast at Hogwarts, with lots of food and music that can break the ears of anyone who''s heard actual muggle music before. I stood and followed the Ravenclaw Prefects to head towards our tower.

 Chapter 16 - Ch. 16 Goals and Classes

    So the introduction to the Ravenclaw tower was fairly standard. The common room was very open, with the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw, house exclusive library, nice starry sky dome and blue curtains and carpet. But it had a spectacular view of the grounds surrounding Hogwarts as we could see the lake, the Forbidden Forest, the Quidditch pitch and the Herbology gardens. They told us about the standard rules of Hogwarts, but also about a reward system in the houses. Basically the better you do in your year, the better the rewards for the next: best rooms, more access to the library, etc. They also showed us to our rooms and like I thought, they basically provided us with basic dorm rooms, with a bed, works desk, closet and bookshelf.

    First thing I did was set up some runes in my new room, similar to my own expanded bag, making it bigger. I then added my own potions area, rune crafting area and Sol''s perch just in time for her to appear through flame travel (The Hogwarts wards can suck it, cause I''m not leaving her at home all year). I then start to plan out my year.

    -get Marauders map and study it before the start of next year so the Twins can get it.

    -Check to see if I can find a working time-turner in the Room of Hidden Things. And even if there isn''t, I''ll spam the room of requirements to its limits.

    -get all Hogwarts useful classes to N.E.W.T level (Charms, Trans., Potions, Herb., CoMC, DADA, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes) and get everything else (History, Divination, Astronomy, Muggle Studies) to meet Outstanding with distinction if possible.

    Also on a side note, I don''t care if Dumbledore doesn''t like it. I''m not stopping myself from getting more opportunities because, instead of seeing any actually talented wizards as their own person, with individual ideals, he sees them as a potential Tom f.u.c.k.i.n.g Riddle''s. I''m mean honestly, the man has a lot of issues letting go of things. It''s why he fought Grindelwald, one of the reasons he taught at Hogwarts, the reason he doesn''t teach Harry shit except show him memories, hell it''s also why he''s dying during Harry''s sixth year. If it comes to it I''ll give him a magic oath so he can quit being annoying because of one asshole who looks like a moldy egg now.

    ...ok I''m good now, time for bed. I want to knock the socks off my professors.

    First week of class gave some mixed feelings. In the morning we had our first Herbology lesson with Hufflepuff students. Professor Sprout started us off with proper safety when handling magical plants and warned everyone about the Venomous Tentacula, as they tend to be grabby. As a precaution she taught everyone the Fire-starter charm ''Incendio'', which I could even do wandless and silently, so it''s was only a flick of a wand away for me. She then introduced the class to Puffapods, a fairly safe bet to start people off with. It was one of my first plants too, but I''ve since learned about them inside and out. So I started working with mine as I hummed. I was done so fast that the Professor had to check my plant to see if I did it correctly, which resulted into 5 points for the house. On a side note, another student by with the last name Ward, I couldn''t hear his first name, from my house got points in that class. I saw James on the other hand get attacked be the Venomous Tentacula behind him, not great.

    We then had lunch, followed by Defense against the Dark Arts with Gryffindor. It was average. A teacher which seems to have based class on guidelines instead of experience, but what can you expect from someone who''s going to be gone in a year?

    First class of Charms was great though, even if some of the Slytherins with us were a bit annoying. Professor Flitwick knew how to keep kids entertained with his cheerful demeanor and occasional colorful use of charms while he talked about the theory behind the magic. He started us with the basic Lumos, which me and Victoria did at the same time as soon as permitted. Only difference being i did mine silently and without wand movement. Flitwick gave us both 5 points. I then started playing with my own little variations of the spell, making a rainbow of colors come out as I had fun, and you should have seen the look on Victoria''s face cause a wall had more emotions in it. The Professor was extremely pleased to hand out 10 points for that. With noting else to do I just helped out a few housemates for the rest of the class.

    But after excitement must come it''s enemy, boredom. I really underestimated the ghostly History of Magic Professor. I swear what Binns considers a class could be used to break powerful Occlumency defenses, it was that bad. Pretty much everyone was passed out. I just isolated myself in a Muffliato Charm and read whatever I pleased. Pretty sure that''s how my time in this class is going to be spent for the next five years.

    Our first Transfiguration class ended up being with Slytherin, with McGonagall doing her two iconic bits at the start: animagus transformation and threaten everyone that if they f.u.c.k around she''ll kick us out. With that out of the way, it was time for every years first transfiguration: match to needle. This is something a figured out when I was five and without a wand, so I just looked at the match and transformed it into a golden needle with petals engraved into it, then looked away. I looked around and found Victoria looking in my direction smugly, until I just ignored her and started helping my desk-mate. I was encouraging the girl and giving her pointers when McGonagall came over and was surprised at my work, rewarding me with 10 points since she had given Victoria 5 and mine was a lot better.

    Potions was interesting to watch. Snape came in with and gave his little speech about the ''subtle art of potion making'' which it is, but you don''t have to be so dramatic about it, and about most people being stupid, which isn''t helped by constant bullying, intimidation and shit teacher. I actually partnered up with James for this class cause he looked like he did on the boat and in Herbology, nervous and uncomfortable. We were then told to make the Cure for boils lesson. I didn''t look at the written instructions, just went to grab the ingredients under Snape''s disapproving scowl until he noticed I was taking the right ones, with a few extras. I proceeded to whip up my modified version to help with pimples and warts too, while cutting down on time. Even helped James with his since it was such an easy potion for me. Wasn''t even looking most of the time, just waved my wand when I knew I had to to make the potion do things. Snape couldn''t say anything to me, but kept yelling at James and taking points away from others for the slightest missteps. He ended class with a lot of homework.

    We had Astronomy during the night to understand the stars. Now, the actual science behind the wizard version of the subject is f.u.c.k.e.d. They still kinda consider the earth as the center of the universe, which makes it really weird when they accurately divine things or how rituals based off the stars actually succeeded. But oh well, I knew everything Professor Sinistra was saying already so I was testing my modified version of the subject using modern theories of the subject and mixing the two together. Always fun to try new thing.

    Last class of the week was the one most were excited for, Flying. I do have to admit I''m a bit excited to properly fly in this world. I mean people can just fly using a broom, heck Voldy-mold could fly without one in the movies. Nothing too extraordinary happened because Madam Hooch made sure everyone was well aware of the dangers. When it came time to summon the brooms to our hands I simply commanded it with authority and up it came. A few others succeeded into doing it as well. We then proceeded to mount and practiced lifting off. Only a few people with experience were comfortable with the last one, but all I felt was the d.e.s.i.r.e to shoot off into the sky. I also took note that the Ward guy did very well in this class as well, I think I''ll try and see what he''s like. Might make a friend.

    And that''s pretty much how all of my first classes went. Everyone pretty much got into a groove, getting used to classes, the castle, all the living portraits, ghosts, and the nightmare of all students, homework. Well all students except for me, cause I had my specially prepared quills for that. You''re not allowed using them for test or in class, but no rules against using them for homework. Wonder why no one thought about this loophole before. And so I input what I wish for it to write and off it goes while I can study and practice whatever else I want. Also, since Snape was being a git in class and with homework, I decided to take a page out of one of my favorite fanfics in the old life and bury him in it with every bit of knowledge I have on the subjects. For the other professors I give them the required amount, but with the complexity kicked up about six years ahead of my peers.

    Time passed quickly, I''ve been holding back on starting most of my goals this year to accustom myself to Hogwarts and perfect my concealment abilities. It''s a combination of disillusionment, mufilato, and scent erasing charm to cover all my bases. It was finally time to get the Marauders map from Filch''s office.

    And so, during the weekend, when students were coming in and out of the common room regularly, I concealed myself and left at the same time as some older Ravenclaw''s and made my way to Filch''s office.

    I then waited for him to leave, and according the what I''ve observed of the man he''ll leave soon for a duration of between 30-45 min with his hated cat. As soon as he does I make my way in carefully, making sure to not move or disturb anything. I then found were he kept confiscated goods, and in it was my prize. I quickly placed the box back to where I found it and triple checked if I had left any evidence of my visit before leaving and heading back into my room, with none being the wiser and one new piece of parchment.

 Chapter 17 - Ch. 17 A Useful Room

    With the Marauders map successfully acquired I could really start fulfilling my goals for the year. Although I am confident in my abilities to conceal myself, the map will help eliminate any possibility of being caught red-handed. I have a feeling Dumbledore will find some ridiculously convoluted way to find out when I''m sneaking around, but there''s no way for him to know for sure what I''m going to do, rendering him a none factor in my books.

    The next day was the weekend, giving me the free time necessary to find the room without breaking any rules. After carefully concealing myself and heading out of my room, I headed to the left corridor on the seventh floor to find the funny tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls ballet. I really have to wonder if wizards are that lacking in common sense, that one of them would try to teach the incredibly difficult and precise dancing of ballet to a race of moronic, carnivorous and violant giants, and that no one doubts this happened.

    Well I did find the tapestry. I waited and made doubly sure that no one was near or had the possibility of passing by any time soon. I then proceeded to do the necessary steps to find a specific set-up of the room: the Room of Hidden Things. The room in which Tom Riddle hid Ravenclaws Diadem, where Draco found a way to bring Death Eaters into the castle, where Harry held the practices for Dumbledore''s Army and the place where many forgotten things can be found.

    I walked in front of the tapestry three times thinking ''I want to find something.'' Simple but should work. Where else would the room take someone who wants to find something other than a room full of lost things? And so, after my third pass a door appeared causing me to get quite excited. I stepped through it and found the mother of all disorderly messes, with furniture pilled to the ceiling, books in various states randomly dumped everywhere, broken items lying around, skeleton models and so much more.

    After taking in the fact that I''d found the right room I began my first goal: finding a time-turner if possible. So I tried the quickest and easiest way "Accio Time-turner!"

    .....

    And nothing. I also tried to summon a book not far from me to see if the spell was working or if it was just that no time-turners were in the room. Seeing the book stay immobile confirmed a theory about the room of Hidden Things stating that the summoning spell doesn''t work in here, forcing anyone to find what they seek manually. No one is sure if the feature was built into the room or if Riddle added some kind of spell to protect his Horcrux.

    "Welp, it looks like I gotta do this by hand." I said with a sigh.

    "I can''t spend that much time doing this, I have plans for what to do with a time-turner. It''ll slow me down, but I''ll be fine. So... yeah, a week, that''s how long my search window is for. After that it doesn''t matter." I said to myself with a plan.

    Having made up my mind, I then close my eyes and start to feel everything around me through magic. Feeling for enchanted objects. Feeling for intricate things. Feeling for anything with an hourglass shape.

    And so my search began. I couldn''t find anything during the weekend, which was disappointing, but it did make me feel better when I saw Snape''s face during Potions. His eyes wouldn''t stop twitching when he saw me, all due to the magic of homework. I mean the man asked for a lot of homework and he received it, not my fault.

    The next day I thought my search in that mess was over, but after checking out the time-turner i had found, it turned out to have been cracked. And when I''m about to mess with a fundamental part of reality I want everything to be in order. I did use it to get a feel for the magical signature of these things though, allowing to filter out a lot of my finds.

    After another two days I found two more damaged ones and a straight up broken one. This made me seriously consider using the Felix Felicis in made that broke my tutor. But no, it should only be used when absolutely needed. I can do without the Time-turner so there''s no need to take it and be unable to for the next decade. So I persevered.

    And so, on Thursday, after six days of searching, I finally found a fully functional time-turner. This one seemed to have been made in the style of a pocket watch, with an hourglass in the middle. It was silver, with various runes engraved on the inside to protect and contain the enchantments. Simple and elegant. I liked it.

    With my goal reached and some spare time till my deadline, I started going through some of the books piled up everywhere to see if any hidden gems were around. I found about two dozen books which caught my interest due to their now forbidden nature or for being discontinued. I have no d.e.s.i.r.e to walk the path of the dark arts, I''ve experienced first hand their methods and results, but I will understand them, I will study them, and I will break them!

    I also tested out my new toy the next day to get more time in the room whilst still attending class. Very useful toy indeed. But as much as I like it, I shall adhere to its rules strictly. Five hours a day max. Never interact with yourself. And don''t change anything. The use of this tool shall only be for me to spend more time in the room of Requirements, while attending classes.

    Now my first two goals of the year are complete, time to spam the Room of Requirements or RoR for short.

    During the weekend I ran a series of tests to find out the limits of the RoR. Like the books it couldn''t give me any food, but I also found that it included ingredients for food and ones for potions. No ready made stock of useful potions either. No relative time manipulation like in some fanfics. And I could only come in and out on the seventh floor.

    The good bits were that it could indeed provide me with all the books available not just in the library and the forbidden section, but in all of Hogwarts as long as I could think about what I wanted. Can''t get what you don''t know exists for sure. These were only available in the RoR, but I found a loophole by getting some enchanted quills to copy the particularly interesting or difficult books for further studies. It could also form a fully equipped potions lab, with everything one needs to create difficult and long-brewing potions. It also formed the perfect practice area for any kind of spells I could think of, with moving targets, obstacle courses and sets of self repairable targets. All in all, it should be useful for the foreseeable future.

    And so began my intensive studying and practice. I learned new spells daily and improved my knowledge by leaps and bounds. My control over my magic was being refined as pushed myself to not only use spells as they were intended, but to push them to the limit and training to use everything a could silently and ,when possible, wandlessly. I trained certain spells like Stupify, Diffindo, Expulso and Confrongo to be true weapons in my arsenal, increasing their strength, penetrative power and speed for casting. I''ve even figured out a way using Arithmancy to add minor tracking abilities to trick opponents, but I do not know how well it will work during duels or on moving targets. I found myself becoming enamored with two particularly useful spells for their potential uses in combat: Aqua Eructo charm and the Scorching charm.

    Aqua Eructo is an advanced version of the water-making charm, allowing one to summon high pressure water from the wand. By training it to be used in combat, i found it to have high potential for offense and defense, but I''m still in the beginning phase and cannot control the water I summon properly.

    The Scorching charm is actually what McGonagall used when forcing Snape out of the castle near the final battle. It uses intense heat and flames to attack the opponent, forcing the recipient to deflect since the heat is still transmitted through magical shields. Useful to buy time, attack and distract. I''m still learning to up the heat and the amount of flames I can summon, I''m also having some trouble executing it multiple times in a row.

    I''ve also found a way to train my use of Legilimency, so I don''t fry anyone''s brains by just looking into their eyes without my glasses. It involved starting off with small animals and building my way up to humans, in the hopes that handling less developed and more fragile minds i could learn to control my probing.

    Last of my new projects using the RoR was concerning my knife. Although it is already a deadly weapon, i wish to make it a lethal threat against almost any opponent and to do that i will make it capable of controlled flight. My plan being to enchant it so I could make it fly according to my command, not making it a sentient artifact. And to accomplish that I started to study the most famous example of flying devices: broomsticks. Hence why I took a bunch of different brooms in working order from the room of Hidden Things and started dismantling them after I had enough fundamental knowledge. This allowed me to get a great many ideas regarding how to make it fly and protect it from anyone tampering with it, but I still need to figure out a way to control it and I want to study newer brooms to make the best product I could.

    All in all, my next few months at Hogwarts we''re very productive. With my time turner, cheat-like quills, the RoR, my ability memorize and categorize nearly everything I read quickly, and my hard work were turning the RoR into a very useful place indeed.

 Chapter 18 - Ch. 18 Friends, a meeting and snow

    Just in case anyone was wondering, no I do not spend every waking moment out of class inside the RoR. That''s what I have the Time-turner for because I literally cannot be in the room at the same time as myself. This gives me personal time to do some more normal things for an eleven year at a boarding school, like hanging out with friends.

    Don''t be surprised, I might be a pretty isolated from people in general. I mean my height intimidates a lot of the boys my age and most girls just run away from me, but I did become friends with James due to me constantly trying to help him adjust to Hogwarts or helping him out in potions. Turns out that although he is hopeless in Herbology and with Snape as a potions teacher his hopes in that subject were dashed, he is a wonder in charms and quite good in Transfiguration. Apparently Professor Flitwick is already trying to recruit him into the charms club, which he tried to do for me too but I rejected stating my own personal studies were my priority right now. So we started hanging out and sitting together when it was joint classes between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. We also study in the library together and exchange information about how everything was for each other before Hogwarts. He tells me about his time in muggle schools, t.v shows he likes, comics he reads or just random stuff with friends. I tell him about how it was to live with my aunt, Susan and Tilly. I obviously didn''t mention my little stint in that cell, but I told him about me trying to improve myself, how I started my own magical plant garden in the backyard, or some potions I knew and even about some of the third year electives we can chose later.

    James got really curious about house-elves when I talked about Tilly. To the Bones she''s part of the family, as much as she tries to deny it when we say it, but James being a muggleborn was very surprised about the fact that there is basically a magical slave race in the world. He didn''t go full Hermione on me thankfully, but he was still uncomfortable until I explained that as they ''evolved'', if you can call it that, they became unable to form magic on their own and required to be either bonded to a wizard or witch, or to a house with enough residual magic to sustain them or die. He was very surprised when I told him that since Hogwarts is the largest magical residence in the UK, it also housed the largest known collection of house-elves. This actually led to a visit of the kitchens after we were done talking since we were peckish and James had a bit of curiosity towards them. Honestly, I''ve been in the kitchen quite a few times already since I have a lot of late nights or don''t go to the Great hall for meals as you only really need to be there for special occasions, but it''s always distressing to have so many elves fawn over you. James was certainly shocked as they kept shoving food his way without being able to deny their ''kindness'', well until we ran out of there.

    In the Hufflepuff house I''ve also been keeping contact with Tonks, who tried to jinx me when I kept trying to use her full name to tease her. She was very surprised to find out that I could keep up with her talk about her class troubles, with me giving advice on how to work out troublesome spells, brew a few potions or handle certain plants. First time that happened her mouth wouldn''t close, her eyes and hair changed back to their natural color in shock. It was both funny and kinda cute, didn''t now that enough of shock would cancel out her transformation. This resulted in me being the most Ravenclaw ravenclaw in history, or the most claw-like person she ever met. It did help that I also helped her make some potions to prank some bullies harassing younger kids and also helped improve her homework from time to time. All in all it''s been fun hanging with her.

    Between the start of the semester and the first break on Christmas, I also ended up befriending one Christian Ward, the guy from my house who was good in Herbology and Flying. He had short black hair, which was usually messy, sky blue eyes, was a bit on the shorter side, but nothing that puberty wouldn''t fix and a bit of a wild feeling to him. He seemed to go out on his own a lot and preferred to spend his free time outdoors. So one day I tried to approach him when he was hanging out near the Black Lake.

    "Hey, what are you doing out here?" I asked the guy.

    "Trying to spot creatures in the lake." He just answered nonchalantly without even looking up from the water.

    "You curious about the squid?" I then ask with a smile on my face.

    "A bit, but I heard the lake has mer-people in it and I wanted to see if I could meet them." He answered

    "Wouldn''t it be better to play some music to draw them up? They are supposed to be fond of it." I then said off-handedly.

    He then looked at me with a surprised look on his face.

    "Wait. You know about them?" He asked incredulously. "I''ve been trying to get a chance to talk to them for weeks now! "

    "I can see two problems with that. First is the language, cause I''d be surprised if you knew mermish, and second is that they don''t come to the surface when people are near usually, since like most intelligent magical being they aren''t exactly fond of wizards. But the tribes near Hogwarts are supposed to have agreed to not harm students and help if they are truly in danger." I explained to the guy.

    "Huh, didn''t think about the language. Also didn''t know anyone else in our year had an interest in things like this. Especially the famous Silver Star of our house." He said with a chuckle.

    "The what?" I asked the guy with a really confused look on my face.

    "What, you didn''t know? It''s how people address you in our house, well the girls mostly. I even heard it''s starting to spread to the others too." He said laughing at the face I was making.

    "How the bloody hell did that happen?!" I exclaimed.

    Christian just laughed even harder at that. It took him a few minutes to calm down and explain.

    "Well, you know how you''re basically the best of our year?" I nod in response, it''s not really a contest at this point. "Then there''s the fact that every class you just finish what''s required and then some, then you turn around and help those who need it the most. Throw in your looks and voil¨¤, the Silver Star." He explained.

    "How come I''ve never heard about this stupid title?!" I exclaimed in disbelief.

    "Well no offense mate, but you don''t really spend a lot of time with other people. I''m actually surprised you''re talking to me." He then answered with a questioning look.

    "Sigh. Well I can''t really say anything about the first bit. I did talk to you for a reason though." I say in response.

    "Oh yeah. And what is this reason?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "I saw how you were during Herbology and Flying classes, you looked like you were enjoying yourself and so I wanted to try and become friends with you." I declared.

    He was kinda stunned for a bit.

    "You want to be friends with me?" He asked incredulously.

    "Well yeah, that''s why I approached you." I said while giving him a weird look.

    "But everyone in the house looks down on me for not being Ravenclaw enough and for liking being in the fields playing with plants and animals." He said not understanding.

    "And that exactly why I want to be friends with you." I proclaimed. "You''re different from most people. Ravenclaw has turned into a house of bookworms instead of the place where researchers are born. They worship the books they read instead of trying to look beyond them. That''s what''s wrong with the house and why outside of succeeding academically they can''t find paths for themselves. But you''re already doing that. So I''ll ask you, Christian Ward, to be my friend instead of any of those boring stick-in-the-muds any day."

    "So you think I''m weird too?" He asked as a joke.

    "What''s weird about finding a subject one is passionate about and immersing oneself into it? If our house thinks that''s weird then they''ve truly lost the path Rowena wanted for us." I answered. "So, will you be my friend?" I then asked the boy.

    "Nice to meet you properly Aedan Bones, hope you don''t regret this." He said holding out his hand with a grin.

    I smiled and took it.

    By the way, it turns out Christian isn''t just passionate about Herbology and CoMC, he really likes any class or activity that has to do with nature itself, even Astronomy. Boy was he surprised when I introduced him to the muggle understanding on the subject. That''s how I made my own friends at Hogwarts, usually hanging out with James and Christian, since Tonks is a fourth year and has her own things going on we don''t see each other as much.

    And so that''s how my first few months at the castle were spent. Studying, training, experimenting, hanging out with friends and bouncing ideas, experiences and stories together. James started to get used to magic with my and Christians help. James brought us to some hidden spots he found while exploring the grounds. And I was mostly helping them find interesting bits of knowledge in their areas of interests or showing some new spells I was learning, even teaching them a few of the simpler ones.

    The rhythm continued until the snow falling around the castle announced the arrival of the winter holidays.

 Chapter 19 - Ch. 19 Winter Break

    *Third person POV*

    "Well, Now that our fist term is concluding I would like to announce our usual meeting in session. How has everything gone so far?" Asked Dumbledore as he spoke to all the professors.

    They begun talking about the day-to-day events and activities in the castle for a while until a Professor McGonagall brought up a more serious subject.

    "We have had a few examples of bullying gone too far already. Some Slytherin students took for granted the light punishment you have implemented Albus and caused real harm to a few students." Said Professor McGonagall.

    "Hmph. I was told that on the first occasion the other party casted the first spell." Said Snape in response.

    "Because the poor child was getting physical harassed by the students of your house Severus!" Replied Minerva angrily.

    "Minerva, you know why this policy was put in place. I cannot just let the other houses attack those in Slytherin because of what the Death Eaters have done in the past." Said Dumbledore cutting into the argument.

    McGonagall wanted to argue, but she respected the man too much and held her tongue.

    "How have classes been then?" Said the Headmaster diverting the subject.

    "Oh it''s been a delight! I have a small group of first years who are just brilliant." Said Flitwick in a very excited tone. "I''ve only been able to get young mister Calaway to join the Charms club, the others didn''t seem to have much interest in it sadly."

    "Yes, two from your house Filius have shown a remarkable aptitude for Herbology. Young mister Ward and Bones are simply in there element when in the greenhouses." Said Professor Sprout in a delighted tone.

    "Yes, mister Bones seemed extremely adept at Transfiguration and mister Calaway as well. Miss Travers seems to hold some kind of rivalry towards mister Bones, but he seems to have little interest towards it as when he finishes, he helps those around him who accept it." Said McGonagall.

    "Oooh, he does the same thing in my classes. I''m very proud to have such a student in my house. He does not seem to discriminate between houses as well." Added Flitwick excitedly.

    "He does seem to spend a lot of time guiding others in my class as well. Shame he wasn''t put with my badgers." Then said Sprout.

    "Hmph, Bones is an arrogant child. He never reads or follows instructions, believing himself above the matter. He does as he pleases and simply shows off by assisting others instead of focusing on his work." Then added Snape with disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e on his face.

    "Then why have I not seen deductions of points Severus?" Asked Dumbledore with curiosity. "You''ve never had issues with it before."

    Snape looked like he ate a fly at the question.

    "He appears to be a competent potions maker as he constantly adjusts them as he pleases." Said Snape with an even more pronounced frown on his face. "And they are valid improvements making it impossible to take points from."

    "Oh ho. A boy his age modifying potions, truly a talent!" Said Flitwick almost squeaking due to excitement.

    But in the corner Dumbledore''s eyes seemed to focus a little.

    "He does seem awfully distracted during my class though." Said Professor Sinistra while thinking of the boy. "But his homework and answers are always superb."

    "Yes, the boy has a knack for melding advanced theories and ideas into simpler spells. His homework assignments truly make you think at times." Added McGonagall with a slight smile.

    Snape on the other hand grew even more upset at the thought of the Bones child assignments. "He does not follow simple instructions and writes whatever he sees from books as a means of showing. I assign three feet and he gives eight on the subject."

    "He seems to be particularly enthusiastic about your class Severus." Said Flitwick with a chuckle.

    "Thank you for your reports everyone." Said Albus with a small smile on his face. "Let us hope everything continues to function well during the following term. Minerva, Severus please do stay behind."

    The other professors then took their leaves to prepare for their winter break.

    "What is it you wish to discuss Albus?" Asked McGonagall.

    "How has mister Bones been outside of class?" Suddenly asked Dumbledore.

    Surprised at the question, but she still answered. "I''ve heard he spends a great amount of time studying on his own, and the rest of his time is spent with mister Calaway and his housemate mister Ward. They seem to either enjoy looking for things that peek their interests in the library or exploring the grounds."

    "He also seems to be helping Miss Tonks to prank other students and has been actively participating in some cases." Added Snape.

    "Hhmmm. All right. I wish for the both of you to keep observing him. You both know what he''s been through and I don''t want him falling onto the wrong path." Ordered Dumbledore.

    "You can''t be serious Albus. Mister Bones has shown nothing but a positive attitude towards those who do not reject him and is actively helping others." She McGonagall in disapproval.

    "That is precisely why we must watch over him Minerva. He has experienced the dark side of our world, he cannot fall to its temptations due to what he has gained from it." Stressed Dumbledore in response.

    "It will be difficult Headmaster. Bones possess extremely powerful Occlumentic defenses. He is also cautious. He will know if we pay too much attention to him." Said Snape carefully.

    "I know. This is just a precaution, nothing drastic. No need for anything serious." Said the Headmaster to reassure the two.

    "Now I have wasted enough of your time." Said Dumbledore standing up. "I hope you both have pleasant holidays."

    *Back to Aedan POV*

    "Brother!! You are back!!" Yelled out the human shaped rocket named Susan as she tackled me.

    "Yes, yes I''m back little sis. And I''ve got treats." I said with a smile while pulling out some candies I bought on the train.

    "You''re the best!" She replied with starts in her eyes and snatching her treat.

    "Hi Aunty, hi Tilly. It''s good to see you two." I then said while giving them a hug each.

    "It''s good to see you too Aedan." Answered Amelia with a warm smile on her face.

    "Young Master!!!" Squeaked Tilly in shock at getting a hug too.

    "Let''s get you home Aedan." Aunt Amelia said with an almost motherly smile on her face.

    "Yeah."

    The holidays served as a good break for me. I paused my studies to spend some time with my family. I checked in on the garden that Susan has been taking care of with Tilly for me and found that they''ve been doing a pretty good job. Since this is a registered wizard home I''m allowed to use magic without any trouble, and use magic I did to entertain my precious little sister by enchanting some snow to dance or make a snowman ''come to life''.

    Christmas itself was a very warm affair, just the four of us. Since Susan really took an interest in Herbology because of me, I got her a nice Dittany plant to grow on her own. It''s an expensive plant due to its restorative effects, and a delicate one, but Susan looked at it with shining eyes and hugged me from the happiness. Tilly seemed to be very fond of objects related to the Bones family, understanding that it appears to be an honor to receive such things for a house-elf. So i ordered a badge with our family crest and motto she could pin to her cloths, needless to say Tilly fainted from happiness. And for Aunt Amelia, I was able to find very old book of wizard laws from Merlin''s era and when she understood what she held I saw how a giddy aunt looked like for the first time. She looked like she tried very hard to maintain her image in front of us, but she kept fidgeting and looking at the book in her hands making it really hard to hold in my laughter.

    As for me: Aunt Amelia actually got me a copy of the Auror training manual, which I didn''t expect from my straight-laced aunt. ''Susan'' got me a book on Phoenixes and Tilly brought out a new set of winter clothes she had made herself. With hugs all around and happiness in the air, it made for a wonderful time.

    Outside of the family I received some gifts from my friends. James sent me some of the Sherlock Holmes series, which I had found out that i quite liked. In response a had sent him a small book of useful and interesting charms I had found and learned in my studies. Christian sent me a book on lesser known magical creatures and their habitats signed by its author, even I never heard of some of the creatures in it. I actually sent him a homework quill like mine, because I know how much the guy absolutely loathes homework since it takes away his freedom, truly made to be wild. Tonks sent over some prank objects from Zonko''s and I sent her personally created potions recipes and samples for her to use as she wished. The only weird part was that there was a bunch of packages with my name but no senders name filled with chocolates. It took Tilly a while to check them all, but nothing harmful was found so I ended up just getting a lot of chocolate and some weird looks from aunt Amelia.

    And so I spent my break in relaxation and warmth around my family. The only matter of importance was that I checked how my investments were going and moved some money around. While I was there I also took my chance and ordered a ring made of the same materials as my knife because I had learned that by linking them together I could control the flight through the ring, and resonance between the two would be easiest when they are made of the same materials.

 Chapter 20 - Ch. 20 Fruitful Harvest and Preparations

    My return to Hogwarts was pretty uneventful: went to Kings Cross, met up with James and Christian, talked about our holidays and thanked each other for our gifts, Tonks popped in to tease the three of us and thank me for the prank potions before running off again.

    And so started the new term at Hogwarts. I dove back into my routine of time-turner/RoR spamming, hanging out with friends and generally being the absolute best in the year. I''ve noticed Snape is being sneakier around me and McGonagall is paying more attention to me, so it was pretty easy to guess the old man was already getting worried about me turning dark. I mean it''s quite insulting on some levels, but the man is a lot stronger and much more knowledgeable than me, so can''t do anything else except improve. Even if I have a freak dual core in its second stage at the age of 11, which keeps growing stronger as I absorb the excessive magic in and around Hogwarts, he is a man with a solid third stage core, the elder wand and decades of time to consolidate his power. It will take time, but I shall surpass him.

    So the months passed without much trouble at all. There were some cases of bullying but since unless I was spending time with my friends I usually disappeared or was studying, it did not affect me at all. Victoria did try and compete against me in a few subjects, but it was a one-sided contest. Not because I constantly went far beyond our year in ability, but because I simply didn''t bother competing and was just enjoying being able to play with magic in new and interesting ways, which resulted in me beating her in everything and not noticing it as I was too enthralled by my fun. (Which as the Chinese would put it "almost made her vomit blood due to anger".)

    Aside from that little fun, my goals for the year had been met with great success. The Time-Turner helped me save invaluable time in my studies, giving me months of extra time. In the end I was able to push all core subjects at Hogwarts to NEWT levels, which was pretty exciting for me since my original plan was to let a few stay above OWL but below NEWT. Although my abilities have improved, it will take time to properly implant all I''ve learned into wandless application.

    My other goal for the year was to figure out and hopefully replicate the Marauders Map. I''ve found that it uses a modified application of the Homenum Revelio charm empowered and supported by the Hogwarts wards. It''s basically a display of what the wards sense within its borders, but with the pranksters spirits added to it. This explains why the RoR and chamber of secrets aren''t included: one is Unplottable and the other should be outside of Hogwarts'' wards, and add to the fact that those four probably didn''t know about either. It is a brilliant bit of enchanting, runework, wards studies and talent, but with the base model figured out and full access with me knowing the password, i can reproduce it and even create maps of places with similar wards if necessary. And so my own map was created before the term was done, without the stupid comments, different password, and adding my own function to list when people vanish or appear within the castle, with it placing indicators on where. So now I will know if people are sneaking in and out.

    The overarching goal for my time at Hogwarts has also begun with great success: O with distinction across the board. That''s right, I even forced that git Snape to his knees as he gave me the highest grade he''s ever given because he literally couldn''t not give it to me. I mean, I literally wrote a book containing every potion he taught to the first years and improved them in terms of effect, efficiency and price. So I became the first student in history to do so, not that anyone other than my friends and family know and I told them to keep quiet about it. Making people know I''m number one, but not my grades. Aunt Amelia was really proud of my grades and thought I''d be the next big thing in the wizarding world.

    Like the canon, Slytherin had won the house cup, we were first in points but ended second after the snakes had won the quidditch season. And so with most of the houses dissatisfied with their win, my first school year at Hogwarts ended. As I headed back towards my home I made promises to keep in touch with my friends.

    But now is the time to start building my foundations for the war I know will come. A lot of people died when Voldemort returned, he even killed my aunt personally, and I''ll be damned if I don''t change things. I respect the fact that Dumbledore tries to avoid bloodshed, but these people are almost animals when it comes to either muggle-borns or ''blood-traitors''. They went so far as making it illegal to be a muggle-born wizard. The problem is that being anything but a half-blood or pureblood in the British wizarding world is always looked down upon. It is either outright bigotry or more subtle discrimination like not allowing them in certain positions, limiting employment opportunities or just never truly giving them a chance. Even if Dumbledore was basically forced into being the head of Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump, he has the possibility of improving things, but he doesn''t do it because he''s too focused on Harry and the stupid prophecy.

    Fun fact about prophecies by the way, don''t f.u.c.k with them. They are not like the mildly possible predictions divination provides. True prophecies are turning points of fate and anyone who''s tried to mess with those has not ended well. So Voldemort is all Harry''s, but I''m going to break everything around the bald c.u.n.t.

    Back to the main topic at hand. My first goal involves improving the situation for muggle-borns. This is for before, during and after the war. I believe that the situation regarding them as absolutely idiotic, as wizards are almost castrating themselves. We need to have new wizarding blood or the inbreeding will just slowly kill off every wizard family in existence within a few generations. They are also one of the biggest economic factors in our society, it''s only that they don''t have a lot of money individually. The simple fear of loosing control is not an argument to allow murders, destructions of lives and discrimination, whilst blocking the path to actual improvements and progress. I also wish to save lives during the war, stopping more people from experiencing the pain of being at the mercy of people who have none, like I have. And I also kinda want others to experience what I''m experiencing. The joy of discovering magic, pushing its boundaries and enjoying the actual future they could have.

    My second is improving the treatment of those suffering of or living with Lycanthropy. People like Remus who want to live their lives but can''t do to some asshole who infected them. They are not that difficult to handle honestly. First was the invention of the Wolfsbane potion, although expensive it is still a path forward. Second is the fact that wizards have actually had agreements with werewolves before, creating areas where they can safely group up and transform together. Fun fact is that werewolves only feel natural aggression towards humans, they are perfectly fine towards each other and animals so isolation during full moons is pretty easy. I also want to stop the ministry from making being a werewolf all but illegal thanks to Umbitch, because that''s just insane. You''re telling a bunch of people who are already having a horrible life because of how the world treats them and then you tell them to be treated like animals and become unable to get jobs, literally forcing them to do illegal acts to survive and pushing them towards animals like Fenrir Greyback to influence. Honestly, it''s a disease that only affects people on an average of 3-5 days a month and if prepared it extremely manageable.

    And my first step was to correct one of the biggest problems in this magical world, the lack of proper f.u.c.k.i.n.g information. People just believe werewolves are animals, but most aren''t. They have been forced to walk the only paths they can. And no one informs muggle-borns or their parents of anything regarding the wizarding world. A letter shows up saying you''re accepted into Hogwarts, a professor shows up saying ''You''re a wizard/witch [insert your name here]'' and bam in what is basically a different world with its own laws, history and culture as an eleven year old. This leads to a good amount of them being unable to effectively develop in the magical world, hitting dead-ends, loosing everything because of some stupid bigoted law, or just being forced to make a living in the muggle world. And so I wrote two books of information, one regarding each topic under the name Micheal Folster.

    I used my connections to the goblins to have my book on werewolves ''Blinded to facts about Werewolves'' published legitimately and distributed to not just Britain, but throughout Europe''s communities. The second would be free from the start as I want to spread it to all muggle-borns quickly since they need to know this. And so I decided to pay the goblins for every copy they manage to give to muggle-borns or muggle parents learning about this world as they come to exchange their money. I mean I have a friendship with the goblins, bring in a lot of money for them through my investments and my use of their services, coupled with my respect for them and their culture, and the fact that they respect me as a warrior. They are great allies and I question all wizards who look down on them, I mean they''ve never lost a war against wizard kind so why piss them off? Wizards are just trying to destroy themselves in Britain was a thought that has crossed my mind a lot as I learn about how they handle things.

    But yeah, that''s how two books which would spark some of the most needed changes in Britain came into the eyes of the world.

 Chapter 21 - Ch. 21 A year came and went

    As summer break ended it was time to return to Hogwarts for my second year. And so like last year Aunt Amelia got us a ministry car to get there in style and comfort while Susan was getting in all the hugs she could. I really love my cute little sister.

    We got to to platform 9 3/4 with plenty of time to spare. I gave everyone great big hugs as I said my goodbyes and headed to find myself a compartment and wait for my friends.

    "Hey man, how was your summer?" I heard the laid back voice of Christian ask.

    "Pretty good. I had lots of time to create a few interesting little potions and play around with some spells." I answered my wild friend.

    "Haha, sounds like a summer for our Silver Star alright." He said teasing me.

    "Haha! And what about our famous baby Hagrid?" I answered back with his own title in response. And yes he''s been compared to Hagrid because of his love for creatures and the fact that he doesn''t seem to be very claw-like.

    "I''ve been great! The family went to visit a Welsh Green sanctuary, it was wicked." Said the black-haired boy with a broad smile on his face.

    "Must''ve been cool, I''ve always wanted to see some dragons in the wild." I said feeling a bit jealous.

    "I''ve finally found you two." We then heard from the compartment door.

    ""Wonder Boy!!"" We exclaimed in unison.

    "Oh, when are you two gonna drop that nickname?" Said the newly arrived James.

    "When we both lose ours." Answered Christian with confidence.

    "Hahaha! You know we care, so how was your summer?" I asked after laughing a bit.

    "Sigh, it was good. Since I don''t see my parents much they decided to take a family trip, so we went over to Paris to see the sights. They also got curious about the magic side there, but we couldn''t find it. Still an interesting city to visit, magic or no magic. Also you have to thank your aunt for me since she let me stay for a week." Said James.

    "Oh come on I told you it''s fine. Aunty loves having you over and you also helped me take care of Susan." I said waving my hand and shaking my head.

    "Alright I get it." He answered.

    Then James looked like he thought of something and rummaged through his bag for a few seconds and took out a book.

    "Have you guys heard about this book being given out at Gringotts?" Asked James holding out the very book I wrote.

    "Yeah, supposed to be some sort of guide for muggle-Borns no?" I answered after giving it a quick look and then passing it to Christian.

    "Heard the info in this thing is pretty accurate and up to date too." Added Christian handing it back to James. "I was actually more interested in the fact that the author wrote another book and published it at the same time about werewolves."

    "Yeah, heard that one is causing an outcry from a lot of people, but it''s also been heavily supported by people affected or related to those affected by lycanthropy." I responded.

    "Really?" Said a surprised James.

    "Well it''s no surprise you didn''t hear of it since you''d be out of the loop during summer, but there''s basically a hidden man-hunt by some families who aren''t too happy with being called out and that the ministry wasn''t pleased as well for being criticized. But the man made valid, fact based points, with historical doc.u.ments and events to back it up so they can''t do much." Explained Christian before looking over to me.

    "Yeah, my aunt even said that some rich families tried to force these books onto the forbidden list as they were ''disrupting law and order''." I added with a chuckle.

    "Yeah. It may not seem like a lot to publish two books, but they pointed out a lot of issues with how things are currently going in a subtle manner. There''s no outright criticism or blaming, just highlighting of issues." Continued Christian.

    "Wow and that one guy started all that, pretty impressive." Sighed James in admiration.

    "That it is." I said with a knowing smile.

    We chatted until we got to Hogsmeade and it was time to get changed. Since we were now second years we headed towards the carriages and yes I could see the Thestrals clear as day. And I get why people don''t like these guys, but they still look pretty cool. I mean they look like the horses of the grim reaper.

    My favorite senior also joined us for the carriage ride and we all got to chatting. She even put her pride down and asked for help this year since she''s going to go through her O.W.L''s and hopes to become an Auror, which I fully support her being badass, and needs good grades for it. I never say no to helping my friends so it was pretty easy for her, but I still teased her by calling her Pinky Puff.

    So with laughter and good cheer we arrived at the Great Hall to wait for the first years to show up and be sorted. The hat sang a different version of his song, which he does have plenty of time to come up with, and began sorting. Everything ended up being like the books: twins in Gryffindor, Edward Cullen in Hufflepuff where he can shine all he likes, Angelina Johnson (future Weasley) was a lion and Roger Davies joined our house, but all I could remember of the guy was that he was Quidditch captain and acted like an idiot as Fleur Delacour''s date during the Yule ball.

    With the end of the feast that horrible song was sung and the weasley twins got a bit too into it. Then it was time to retire. But do you remember when we were introduced to Ravenclaw tower that the better your results, the better the treatment? Well remember who was the absolute best last year? All I''m saying is that I just got a bit more motivated to stay at the top and Christian got real jealous when I showed him room I got.

    This year I had a few different goals. My plan is to focus on the electives offered at Hogwarts: CoMC, divination, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. F.u.c.k muggle studies, I know more than the damn teacher and the textbook is missing the biggest technological boom in history saying the last big invention was the god damn horseless carriage. Makes me want to introduce wizards to nuclear bombs. So instead I focused on healing since my charms, Herbology, potions and Transfigurations are all beyond NEWT level and I have the memories of the matron from St. Mungo''s stored away in my mind. I''ve also added Wards since my future plans require it and the sooner I learn them properly the better.

    A lot of time is saved by the fact that my Arithmancy was already kinda monstrous, why else do you think I can modify and play with spells like I do, because I can transform them into equations and change certain parts to gain different effects. My Runes studies were equally monstrous, you''re looking at the guy who recreated bottomless pouches using only runes before he ever got close to a wand. My CoMC and Divination studies were almost purely theoretical at this point, but since I do not possess any seers bloodline I am planning to keep it that way for Divination and just not taking the class.

    To learn more about magical creatures on the other hand one just needs to look for Hagrid and he''ll be real happy to share whatever he knows on the subject. The man dreams about teaching the subject after all and is genuinely interested in creatures, albeit only the dangerous kinds but still. Although he loves Dumbledore too much for my taste, which is understandable since the man was able to get him a job and a place to live when he was left without any parents and kicked out of school as a half-giant. We still found a common passion for the subject. Christian was very happy to join the two of us in our talks, James felt a bit odd being there since he was more scared of magical creatures than curious about them. And so I became a friend of Hagrid''s during this year.

    For my healer studies I decided to approach madame Pomfrey about my interest in the field and if it would be at all possible to help in the infirmary to get hands on experience. It was quite difficult to convince her. It took a letter from Flitwick who was happy to see me use my talents to learn the noble art, a test to prove I had the knowledge necessary to help, and even Dumbledore stepped up to let me do so. I think he believes that by me learning healing it will be less likely for me to turn since it requires one to have the correct mindset to heal others through magic. So conflicted feelings on that last one, but I''ll take advantage of everything I can get. And so my time during the weekend was divided for me to volunteer and Quidditch games were all hands on deck due to there almost always being injuries.

    Outside of my studies I made friends with the Weasley twins when me and Tonks were going to prank some gits from my house who were bullying some Hufflepuff kids, and by coincidence Fred and George had the same idea, resulting in a very bad day for that prat and shivers running down the spine of the professors as an unholy team-up began. Taught them quite a few spells and potion recipes to help in there endeavors and they loved me for it.

    On a weird note though, Victoria seemed different this year. She wasn''t competing against me like she did last year and her performance seemed to have dropped. She''s also stopped hanging out with her usual crew. It was very odd to me, but without seeing an outright problem I didn''t feel right to just interfere.

    And so came and went my second year at Hogwarts. With the elective subjects as well as healing progressing superbly. Everything should be at NEWT level with my healing and wards not too far from it. My grades were just unfair on everybody else again.

    And so summer came to us once again, making me start the next stage of my preparations for the war that is to come. Five years till he returns, let''s see how much I can get done.

 Chapter 22 - Ch. 22 Plans and Surprises

    As the summer had come, it was time to capitalize on last years events. My books had become rather infamous in a way and many people wanted to find me, which is one the things I wanted to happen. I wished to see who wanted to find me because they empathized with what I wrote or wanted to force me to retract my books and/or silence me. And so I basically hired the goblin nations information network to compile a list of those truly looking for me, not because of me. (If you can get the difference.)

    And so began my search for an assistant. Since I was in school and didn''t want to force aunt Amelia to let me stay at another place to get more freedom, I still care about my family a lot and I don''t want to hurt them over this, so an aide was the best solution to solve the problem. I needed someone who liked my ideals hidden in my books, with a difficult life situation because of the wizarding world''s issues, and which would act on ''my'' behalf during the year itself.

    After looking through the list i obtained, I found potential allies to join me in my attempt to force some progress into these stubborn idiots, but only one seemed to have what I was looking for. Scott Cross, 37 years old, single, muggle-born, graduated from Hogwarts 20 years ago with a few good NEWT''s results from Gryffindor. He was employed into the MoM out of school and joined the hit wizards, after some success one of his missions, he harmed the interest of one most ancient and noble house, forcing him into a desk job, and slowly crushing his career until he was forced out of the department. He tried to join other branches of the ministry and would do good work, but was forced again and again to find new jobs until he had enough and left for the muggle side of things to make a living. Let''s meet the man shall we.

    And so I arranged for a meeting. I disguised my true appearance to be the one from my old life, except I had a more aged look making myself look in my mid-twenties instead of 18. So I had neatly combed brown hair, green eyes, strong jaw and an overall pretty good appearance if I do say so myself. I had rented out a restaurant and ordered for everyone to leave after the meal was set on the table. What is the use of money if you don''t use it from time to time?

    I was waiting at the table when Mister Cross had arrived. His hair was dark brown unkempt, but he seemed to have tried to fix it to no avail, his beard was unshaven, his eyes,although blue, had some reddened due to fatigue and stress, and his clothes looked well worn. The man gave off the air of being beaten down by life, but still struggling.

    I stood up with a smile to greet the man. "Mr. Cross thank you for taking your time to accept my invitation. It''s a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to meet you." I mean it''s hard to hate a man who appears not to judge and welcomes you with a smile.

    "Eh, yeah it''s nice to meet you too Mr. Folster. Sorry about my appearance I''m not used to coming to places like this." He answered feeling surprised at my behavior and slightly embarrassed at his own attire.

    "It''s no problem at all, as you see no one else is here so act as you wish." I answered keeping my smile.

    "Though if I have to be honest, I find it strange that you would want to meet me. I mean from what I see you don''t lack money, you don''t know me, and I''m pretty sure a lot of people want to know you right now." He said straightforwardly.

    This makes me smile even more, because I want him to question things and think for himself. This is good.

    "I will explain everything soon, but first let''s enjoy a good meal. The wizarding world has its charms, but the food is not exactly my favorite part of it." I say with a smile.

    The meal was a rather quiet affair. I could see the man wanted to eat the food quickly, but restraining himself. During the meal I was able to catch some thoughts using my very subdued form of Legilimency to learn a bit more of the man. He has quite the pride, we shall see if he can bend it a bit. And so as my utensils were put down the talks began.

    "So what is it you want from me? You don''t bring a guy like me, to a place like this just for a meal. Especially if you have money like it looks you have." He started off directly.

    With a broad smile I decide the answer the man with honesty. "I am looking for a man to do a job."

    "A job?" He said with a slight frown.

    "Yes. Due to my personal situation I cannot participate in the world at the moment and I find myself in need of someone who can help me with that." I answered with a calm smile.

    "If you need someone to do something house-elves would be more than happy to do so." He answered narrowing his eyes a bit.

    "True, but i don''t need a servant. I need an aide. Someone would be me my arm when mine are tied up, someone I can trust to do my business on my behalf and do it right." I said to the man.

    "And you think that''s me? We''ve just meet and you don''t know anything about me!" He said incredulously.

    In response I tossed him the file I had on him. "You believe i would meet everyone who wishes to find me? No. I have carefully investigated those after me and analyzed who would suit the role of my aide. You Mr. Cross are the best I saw in that very long list. Strong, determined, hard worker, adaptable and experienced. You have what I need. You have experienced what I wish to change in the world and I wish for you to help me do so." I explained in a serious manner.

    He looked over the file with some shock. He was silent as he mulled over what I''ve said to the man.

    "So I would listen only to you?" he asked cautiously.

    "Yes, aside from my assignments and the management of my assets, you shall be free to generally do as you please. I will be providing a house, your pay shall be in whichever currency you wish it to be, but you shall be sworn to absolute secrecy during, and if you ever wish to leave, after your employment." I explained to the man to make sure he understood what would be required of him.

    "House and pay?" He asked curiously.

    "The pay would be 2000 Galleons a month due to the nature of the job and the house would be were i would be staying in the public''s eye, and since I am busy most of the year it will basically be a house to yourself." I explained to the mans utter shock.

    It took the man some time before he could talk again. "Why me?" He said in a strained voice.

    "Because seeing a qualified wizard such as yourself, being forced to live as you do is the epitome of foolishness our world offered and I wish to change that. Will you help me Scott?" I asked extending my hand.

    He looked at me, then my hand for some time. "Yes sir." Was the answer he finally gave, taking my hand with absolute determination.

    "Good. This will be the contract which states the conditions of your employment and my duties as employer. Give it a read if you find this acceptable we shall sign it here and now." I said whilst handing him the contract.

    After he checked and was satisfied, we both signed and so it burst into flame as we received a copy.

    "Aedan Bones?!" Then exclaimed as the man saw the signature at the bottom and looked at me for an explanation.

    "Well that''s the reason I need you." I said removing my disguise as his face turned to shock. "This is my first secret. I am too young to do many things and need an agent in my stead. You were the perfect man."

    "Hahaha! Doesn''t matter now, you''re my boss and as long as you do what you promised it''ll be fine. I mean even with my experience I couldn''t tell it was a fake appearance so you have skills and power to back it up." Said Scott with a laugh.

    "Thank you." I answered with a smile. "First job is to get you cleaned up, here''s some money for that. Then we will go to Gringott''s tomorrow afternoon to set you up with access to my personal vault so you can act in my stead. Then comes the buying of the place which will serve as ''Micheal Folster''s'' home, it''s registration as a wizard home, the proper wards and getting some house-elves." I then listed his first assignment.

    "No problem, I''ll hand in my resignation in the morning and get myself cleaned up. I''ve still got a few friends in the ministry, even after all this time, so I''m sure getting some house-elves won''t be too hard after the house is set-up." He replied

    "That''s good. I hope that everything shall go well between us in the future Mr. Cross." I then answered.

    "I hope so as well Mr. ''Folster''." He replied with a grin.

    As we left and separated I let out a relieved sigh with a smile on my face as ''Micheal Folster''.

    ''That turned out exactly as I''d hoped. With Scott as my aide my plans can really start moving along as I stay in the shadows.'' I thought to myself feeling excited.

    But then I turned my eyes to a note and address I had received when I went to get information from the goblins.

    ''You say that you we are hated for manageable reasons and that we can live perfectly well as people in this world instead of as animals. Prove it. Help us. We need help from someone who is not afraid to speak out as you have. Please help us.

    If you agree to do so come to the place written below and ask for Geri:

    White Wyzern pub.''

    ''Well now, how to deal with this? I''m confident in my skills, but I think I''ll hide Sol on myself to have a quick means of escaping. I don''t have time to learn apparition, or create a Portkey so that''s my only option.'' I thought coming up with contingencies.

    ''It''s risky, but I believe this letter should not be a trap, but someone desperate. Let''s see how this goes O desperate werewolves.'' I then thought as I made up my mind as started walking to Knockturn Alley.

 Chapter 23 - Ch. 23 Greyback

    On my way to Knockturn Alley I put on a proper cloak and added a glamour to my face so that no one would know even my fake appearance. Add in a notice-me-not charm and you''re ready to visit the seedier side of the wizarding world. I also got Sol to let me shrink her to be in my c.h.e.s.t pocket just in case, in exchange for her favorite food and some pampering of course. She''d do it without the rewards because we both care for and want each other to be safe, but she''s my friend and I also want her to be happy, so in exchange for things that make her uncomfortable i give her things that make her happy.

    I made my way through the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley to reach Knockturn. As I walked some people tried to test me by sending some weaklings to harass me. I let them only see my eyes. My eyes with the color of fire, and made them glow through the shade of my hood while giving them a dose of Legilimency for good measure. Two of the guys that came for me fainted and the the last one stumbled back in fear, fell and actually wet himself. It was really hard to hold back my excitement at how badass I felt as I walked away.

    No one bothered me after that little display and I was safely able to find the White Wyzern. It was in one of the corners within the alley. Dark, dingy, dirty and depressing. There was no colors besides brown, gray and black present in this place, only people who lost their way and fell from whatever grace they once had, if they ever had any. So I walk up to the heavily tattooed bartender and ask for Geri. He looks at me for a second, hands me a key and tell me to head upstairs to room 4.

    Would it hurt for anyone to liven the place up a bit. Or at least class it up. There are plenty of places in the world where very illegal things happen and look nice, but wizards tend to think that having an illegal profession means you have to live like a f.u.c.k.i.n.g bandit. I mean even Diagon alley isn''t that clean and it''s one of the most important places for the magical community in Britain.

    Sigh

    Anyway, I made my way to room number 4 and casted the Homenum Revelio charm to know how many are in the room or hiding around the place. I also used my self created magic sense to have full view of everything in range, making it so that if anyone tries to rush to the room I''ll be gone before they can do anything to stop it.

    And so I enter the room to see three cloaked figures. Two were tall and large, standing behind a smaller figure sitting on a chair, waiting for me. And six outside hiding.

    "It would appear that you are Geri yes?" I ask while closing the door behind me.

    "And you must be Mr. Folster." Replied a woman''s voice, with a bit of something else other than politeness in her voice.

    I pull down my hood to reveal my older appearance. "In the flesh." Giving them a smile. "Now what can I do for three werewolves such as yourself? Although I have published that book, I do not believe I''ve ever had contact with any of you. It was just a belief and a lot of researching, never met many werewolves." I continued getting straight to the point.

    "We need help. You say werewolves can live amongst everyone else and we want you to help with that. Prove you wish to help us." Was the cloaked woman''s response in her proud voice.

    ''Ah, so that''s it.'' I thought to myself after doing a secret Legilimency sweep on her. ''She''s isn''t asking to for help. She''s demanding it from me to prove I am worthy of collaborating them. Ha! Like I need to prove myself to this random werewolf chick just cause she showed up first. My plans to improve the treatment of people with lycanthropy will work fine with or without this woman. Plus, even if the original story didn''t show everything, werewolves certainly joined Baldymort and no significant female character was one. The only important werewolf who fought against them was Lupin.''

    "A lot of people ''need'' help. So why should I help you? Someone i know nothing about. Who''s face or identity I do not know. With motives unexplained. Goals unmentioned. And I won''t mention the place you chose since I understand that you have limited options, but I will mention the other people you have hidden around the place and the fact that those two behind you seem to be ready to pounce any second., while I came alone as a show of trust." I replied dropping my smile and answering her in a purely business manner.

    "You dare speak that way to our lady you f.u.c.kin-" and that was as far as the brute on the right got before I raised my hand and slammed him into the wall.

    "Be quiet when I am speaking to your so called lady. She asked for a meeting to acquire my help and has shown me nothing to encourage me doing so. You are giving a worst impression of anything that would be mentioned." I say with clear venom in my voice.

    The magic coursing through my body started to leak out and made the entire room feel heavy, making it hard for the three of them to breathe, as my eyes became like true flames again. "I am not the one here who is supposed to impress. You are the ones who were supposed to impress me." I declared in an absolutely cold manner.

    I released the man, turn around as I let my pressure return to normal hearing gasps for air. I reach the door, grab the doorknob and without turning around spoke three words in a voice devoid of emotions. "And you failed."

    With my declaration done, I pulled my hood up and headed out of the pub.

    I felt a few of the people I tagged as werewolves following me and the rest rushing into the pub. I''m assuming they want to check if those three are still alive. With another sigh, I decided to lead the four following me to a more open area and wait for them to catch up.

    As the four hooded figures approached me I kept silent. Slowly enhancing my already massive strength, speed, flexibility and reflexes. I have the explosive strength and speed of a Wampus cat, coupled with the strength of a Phoenix and it''s stamina instead of immortality, boosted through magic, I believe I can shatter boulders without too much of a problem.

    One of the figures steps up a bit and starts to yell at me in a snarling manner. "You reject our lady, insult her by doing so, risk her death and you think you can just leave!?"

    "You asked for my help and then are surprised with rejection after I''ve felt threatened, seeing people try to force me to accept, while getting no reason to specifically help you or your group." I replied calmly. "Are you all incapable of actually thinking like grown men? If so, I will have to retract some of what I''ve published because you barbaric gits are proving me wrong."

    The four figures snapped at what I said and prepared to rush at me. I mean these guys should be wizards but decided to rush me physically, are they stupid?

    In response I used my enhanced strength to stomp heavily onto the empty street, causing it to shake and cracks form throughout, making the four trying to run at me to stumble and trip.

    All in all, I think I did rather great for my first true battle. It wasn''t against actual wizards, and it wasn''t the full moon so their powers weren''t all there, but for a soon to be 13 year old I think I did pretty badass.

    "Now what to do with you?" I ask myself while tapping my chin. "Death or life? They attacked me for a stupid reason after asking me for help. So death then?"

    "No! Please I beg you!" I then her the woman''s voice yell at me again.

    I turn to see the trio I had left behind with an additional two.

    "Don''t really think you''re in a position to ask anything from me." I said off-handily.

    "Please show mercy!" She implored

    "You don''t get it do you?" I said in a cold voice, looking directly into her gray eyes. "I don''t f.u.c.k.i.n.g care what you want to do or achieve at this point. You''ve insulted, looked down upon, demanded and now threatened me. And you have the gall to try and appeal to my mercy now? That is what you should have almost started off with when your goon interrupted us."

    She was stuck because it is precisely as I said. They asked me for help, then they acted like they were better than me, and finally actually trying to attack and claim his life.

    "I will give you my life if you spare them." She finally said in desperation.

    "Why should I care about your life?" I answered with no emotion. "You mean nothing to me and hold no value to me. If that''s all either leave or try to save them and fall with these fool."

    I had finished speaking with these arrogant idiots. It was time for me to clean up this mess and be on my way. I''ve already been out of the house for too long.

    "What if I say my full name is Geri Grayback?" Yelled out the women in desperation.

    I had paused. That statement didn''t compute for a moment. But when it did, only hatred of that name emerged. And so my magical power and, for the first time, my bloodl.u.s.t surged out of me. Every bit of hatred I had acc.u.mulated for those who would throw themselves with those inbred psychos was coming out, causing the remaining werewolves to step back in fear.

    "You are related to that animal." I finally said as if the reaper judging a sinner.

    "Th-That m-man will le-lead our p-people to their death if he con-continues. I want a dif-different path." Said the woman as she trembled before my gaze.

    Her eyes then widened as she looked into the emotionless flames mine seemed to have become. She felt like her entire life was forced out of her brain, as her memories were dragged out piece by piece, until nothing was left to see. She was laid b.a.r.e before the man and could do nothing to stop it. When it finally stopped, her legs collapsed under her.

    I retracted the aura I was letting it out and everything became calm again. The werewolves were looking at me with absolute fear.

    "Your life shall be mine now." I then declared. "You shall do what I order to fulfill my goals and when you have proven yourself I will let go of your chain. You will have the choice to continue helping me or leaving and living as you wish at that time. This shall be an unbreakable vow. Death for either if it is broken. Do so and all those present will be spared and you shall be involved in my efforts to change this stupid and rotting society." I held out my hand for her to take and vow.

    "I swear that as long as you help the werewolf people you shall have my absolute loyalty and life." She answered, on her knees in front of me and holding my hand.

    "Then so it shall be Geri Grayback. You shall meet me at the time and place specified on this paper tomorrow. No one else will come with you. My aide shall be with us. We will get you cleaned yo and looking respectable before my true business starts. Do you understand?" I ordered and confirmed.

    She put her hood down, revealing a stoic woman, with messy and unkept raven black hair, steely grey eyes and determined expression. " I understand master." She then declared.

    "Good." I simply answered. I removed my magic from and healed those I fought, then I left for my home.

    ''It was a busy day'' I thought as my head was finally able to hit the pillow.

 Chapter 24 - Ch. 24 Investments

    The next day came, although I was still feeling tired from last nights events the day must still come.

    I spent the morning with Susan, helping her with the self-studying she''s been doing on plants and potions. Although she likes to learn it''s not nearly as bad as me. She just likes learning about what interests her, but she has no d.e.s.i.r.es to be tutored like I had been. Aunty and I actually encourage her to learn like this instead, because enjoying the process of learning is much more important for a child. You cannot force things, she will already have a great head start in the subjects she likes, no need to push anything more onto her. It also helped that I will be the heir of the family instead of Susan and that I''ve completed all necessary lessons for it, making so my little sister can just enjoy herself. She apparently made friends with Hannah Abbott, who''s going to be in the same year, through aunty and the girls parents, so they''ve been spending a lot of time together. Coincidentally, this has freed up a lot of my daytime to do as I wish.

    After lunch I had dropped off Susan to the Abbott family household and thanked them for having Susan over. I got some stares due to my looks, but after two years of getting lots of those at Hogwarts I''m basically immune. I then headed towards my own meeting.

    I decided to meet the two at a place I bought to do potions experiments in Diagon Alley. It''s a bit away from the main shopping area, but it''s also easily missed. I reached the place and found my two new assistants, one staring intensely with suspicion and the other wearing her cloak to conceal herself. They both turned to look at me when I entered.

    "Glad to see you both made it safe and sound. Scott you clean up nicely." I say in greetings. He is looking good since he shaved his beard, got a neat and proper haircut, new day-to-day suit and a re-energized look on his face. So instead of looking like a man chewed up by life he now seemed to be a businessman.

    "Thanks, the cash helped. So what should I call you right now since you look like that?" He asked.

    "Micheal Folster when not in a completely secure location. That''ll be how it is until properly built facilities are up and running, and when I won''t need to hide anything." I answered the man knowing why he was asking.

    "So who''s this? Didn''t tell me there was anyone else." He then asked pointing at the cloaked Geri.

    "This is Geri. Her last name will stay between me and her until she decides to say it to you herself due to familial issues. She was actually a surprise gain from after my meeting with you finished. And since the both of you will be work for me, hence together, I will tell you that she is a werewolf and that her duties will be different from yours." I informed the man.

    "Werewolf huh. Had a few scraps with them in the past, but if you say she''s a colleague then it''s fine boss." Said the man reminiscing a bit.

    "If that is what you wish for master." Answered Geri, speaking for the first time in front of Scott.

    "Woah! Master! What did you do when I wasn''t there kid?" Asked the very surprised Scott.

    "Like I said, surprise gain. Her life is mine for now. I offer protection, employment, and help in bettering the situation regarding lycanthropy, she gives me temporary servitude and if I truly gain her loyalty she will become my aide. But for now I need to get her cleaned up and dressed like a person. So we will be heading to the muggle world for that, since wizard fashion just makes me shiver at times." I explained to the both of them.

    I will skip the fashion montage, but it was surprising that Geri ended up really wanting to participate after seeing some of the results. She apparently never had the chance to experience more normal life as she has always been within werewolf communities.

    It did take a few hours, but it gave me time to run some things through Scott. I gave him one of my muggle credit cards and asked him to go check into real estate and land outside of any cities or towns. Places far away from anyone so that I can do almost anything I wish with them. They will be the places where I shall build up my resources. He actually returned returned before Geri was done with her makeover. He handed me some doc.u.ments about which pieces of land he''s purchased and I must say they fit the criteria''s nicely. The development of the lands will have to wait before I perfect my warding skills since I went them completely off the grid, no one but those I will chose shall know if their existence. He also brought along with him some options for the official home of Micheal Folster. But before I could start going through them we heard that Geri''s makeover was done.

    It was shocking to see the result to say the least. Scott''s month was hung open with wide eyes and I was impressed at the work they did. Honestly, I knew that she would look pretty good from what I could tell about her face and body, since it was her lifestyle that had caused her to not know how to dress herself stylishly or how to apply makeup, take care of her skin or use a variety of products. Apparently her potential was one of the reasons why it took so long, but with results like what I''m seeing it has been worth it. They turned what was basically an almost Viking like woman to freaking Yennefer of Vengerberg. They took her long, unkempt hair and turned it to lightly curled raven locks resting on her shoulders, with her steel grey eyes, somehow smooth looking white skin even after living amongst werewolves almost her whole life, thin lips with light amount of lipstick. Her new outfit gave her the look of one of those beautiful, but strict CEO''s from fictions, with her black jacket and skirt, white inner blouse, her now incredibly smooth, long legs were b.a.r.e and finishing her outfit was a pair black heels. She stood looking at herself in the mirror with a bit of a daze, not believing that this was her. She even touch her face and pinch her arm to see if she was dreaming, earning a chuckle from me and making her turn towards me with wide eyes.

    "Well, now you certainly look the part. I now feel like I''m the one who needs a makeover or people will think you''re the boss." I said teasing her a bit and elbowing the gawking man besides me.

    "Cough, yeah you turned out great. Guess that time was well spent." He said with some embrass.e.m.e.nt.

    After hearing our feedback Geri stood upright, snapping out of her shock and regaining her prideful aura.

    "Thank you for waiting master and for all of this. I shall strive to meet your expectations." She said with all seriousness and a bow.

    "There''s no need for you to bow in public. If you want to do it in private it will be up to you, but you will be my assistant out in the open." I corrected her on what I''m expecting. "Also sir will do if you have to use respectful terms."

    "Understood sir." She answered, almost like a soldier.

    "Alright, at least I know what your official name shall be in the muggle world now. The paperwork shall be done at Gringott''s, at the same time you both shall gain access to my rather massive amounts of money." I informed Geri who simply nodded.

    "Scott, you will be in charge of my new properties once this is done. I want you to keep an eye out for places up for sales in Diagon Alley and keep track of your other assignments. I also want to construct a greatly expanded underground space as soon as possible for werewolves Geri trusts enough to invite. I want them to have a place they can spend the full moon in peace. We will also modify the house that will be chosen for ''my'' official residence to have a similar space underneath so that she can spend her full moons there if she should chose to do so. Aside from that I will see how things shall progress with my other plans" I ordered the man as he took not of what to do.

    "Got it Boss."

    "Geri, for now I''m guessing you don''t have much in formal education or training correct?" I half asked and half knew.

    "Yes sir. My father and some of the people try to teach the younger ones in what they know, but it leaves us lacking in many things." She answered a bit sadly.

    "Alright. I''ll hire tutors for you and trainers. You''ll be formerly trained in combat, both magical and physical. I have a meeting with the goblins next month and I''ll see if they can train you as a warrior. So you shall be more of my guard than assistant, but I will still ask to see if you can learn management from them as it will be useful for me and for you if you ever leave." I then informed Geri.

    "Thank you sir." Says Geri with some emotions in her voice. She knows that this is a good opportunity for her, making fire burn in her eyes in determination.

    With their orders clear, we finally arrived at Gringott''s. As usual I went to a private room with Ragnok. We set up Scott with a limited access to my accounts to purchase things on my behalf since he will be my main manager. I''ve also hired trainers from a list provided by goblins. They would have to sign a privacy contract, but they get paid extra for that. And as a fun note, Geri was registered within the Muggle world as Jennifer Roth, really tempted to go with Yennefer but it''d be too weird in England.

    With my current business done with the goblins, it was time to leave and let my two aides get to work.

    On that note, I have decided to build a custom manor 30km from Little Whinging, where Harry Potter was currently living. I had bought the land within an isolated forest and construction started according to my specification. Anti-Muggle, apparition and portkey wards would be put around the house with the use of a reinforced wall and gate. With a variety of defensive spells, enchantments and wards added into it. The house itself will be in the style of a two story manor, containing everything a multi-talented wizard like myself can wish for. Library, potion lab, Rune Carving room, reinforced practice room, an expanded greenhouse in the back and an small fully stocked infirmary. It would be magically protected as well and no one could enter without the express permission of either me or Scott. I also paid a lot of extra money to make sure even House-elves not keyed into the wards would not be able to enter, just in case someone was actually smart enough to try and send some. It''s also being registered as a legitimate wizards home under Scott''s name, the Floo network will be connected in a protected room able to lock in anyone trying to sneak in, or lock out people to give a chance at fleeing. Everything should be ready before the summer ends and the House-elves requested will come once that is the case.

    Everything needed for a man to feel safe. I won''t make it go under Fidelius charm or become unplottable because it is supposed to be a place people can find Micheal Folster in the future. But if the place is still standing by the end of the war the investments will make it worth it.

 Chapter 25 - Ch. 25 Twelve People pt.1

    Now that both of my new aides had their duties handed to them, it was time for me to work on my other plans.

    Using a list of people who wished to meet ''Micheal Folster'', and with the help of my goblin allies, I was able to have a good amount of information on them. I filtered out the obviously hostiles ones, removed the ones who were bought to meet me, shady individuals with unclear motives, and was left with a modest group of mostly muggle-born witches and wizards who had either; been forced out of the magical world to make a living, or are all but homeless in the magical world.

    And so I started to organize a meeting with those I had screened. I decided to rent one of the rooms in the Leaky Cauldron for it, setting up some space expansion runes to temporarily enlarge the place since the place isn''t exactly fit for many people.

    A few hours later the 28 men and women, with ages varying from 27 to 62, arrived one after another. And with a few galleons to the owner Tom, it was easy for all of them to find the right room.

    I waited until the appointed time for the meeting before starting speaking, making sure no last minute arrivals would appear.

    "Hello everyone. My name is Micheal Folster, the author of those two rather infamous books currently trendy around our communities. And I''ve called you all here because you had an interest in the points I had weaved into them." I started off with confidence as I addressed the room.

    "Because I am unofficially being hunted by private parties and the ministry for my works, I took my time to check who each of you are in a general fashion, making sure that everyone here actually resonates with my views." I explained my situation as this persona and the fact that I know who they are.

    "You are all muggle-borns, with talents and abilities you struggled to learn during your time at Hogwarts. People who once excelled among their peers. Men and women who should have had bright and productive futures, capable of contributing to our society." I began, making them remember they had what it took. To know they once had great prospects and futures.

    "But then came the cold and hard reality of our governing bodies. Corrupt to no end. Blood purists and bigots holding almost every level of power and influence. Discrimination based on lineage instead of skill or competence. These moronic reasons cost each of you, present in this room, to loose everything. Forcing you out of the world which should have been filled with possibilities and almost being exiled from it. To be forced to make a living amongst the lowest of Britain''s magical world." I now said with outrage in my voice.

    "I called you all here because I want to change this. I want to be able to give every magically gifted child the opportunity to live with the wonder we all felt when we discovered true magic in this world. To find and follow their dreams without fearing to be ostracized and rejected because of where they come from." I said, trying to make them remember where they themselves started and the hopes they once held.

    "And so, to carry those ideals, I wish to form a group to champion them. The Federation for Integration and Respect of Muggle-borns, or FIRM for short. And all of those present are those I believe have the ability and d.e.s.i.r.e to help me achieve those ideals." I then took a small pause after my declaration.

    "This will not be a group aiming for revolution or anything that extreme. It will be dedicated to changing how wizards see muggle-borns by demonstrating that skill and ability are above blood, that we are an important part of the wizarding world wether they like or not, and that we have the right to be heard." I explained to those in front of me.

    "Those who would be willing to join need simply sign this contract and those who wish not to do so can leave here and now. The contract enforces secrecy to a very strict degree, but guarantees the participants stable, if not greatly improved, incomes and opportunities, Leadership roles in the fields of your expertise within the organization and the ability to help those who will come after us to not suffer as you have." I then plainly stated.

    "I will not force anyone to accept. If you do not believe that our community can be changed and that I am a naive or delusional young man than you are free to leave. I thank you for your time and know that I will certainly not hold any of this against anyone. Joining requires great courage and determination, exactly because of the nature of the goal, and it is completely reasonable for many to not care or hold the same values in their hearts. Hence I will not force or punish the issue." I said trying to reassure everyone that this is an offer of recruitment, not conscription.

    After everything was said and done more than half of the original 28 had left, leaving 12 men and women behind. But what I was pleased about was that the ones I had hoped would stay had.

    "This is actually a much better result than I anticipated. I thank you for placing at least some of your trust in my promises and ideals. The thirteen of us shall become the founding members of FIRM. I shall act as the founder and chairman since I shall be bankrolling the federation and your roles and duties shall be determined after everyone has signed the contract. I explained to the dozen before me.

    And now that the formalities were out of the way I began to explain what I had planned.

    "My first two big moves will be to open an information center right in diagon alley to help muggle-borns and their parents understand the world they are stepping into properly and to serve as an area to distribute the guide I have published. And secondly, it is to form a new newspaper, one which will eventually compete and surpass the Daily Prophet since all of us present know how corrupt that paper is. It shall be operating from above the information center for now, until it can grow in a self-sustaining manner. This will allow to weaken the grasp of incorrect information, break a foolish monopoly and try to get people to think a bit more." I explained seriously.

    I then turned and spoke to three specific individuals I had my eye on for this job. First was Darius Stone: 42 years old, about 5''10, short brown hair and eyes, with a thin frame, but possessing a inquisitive aura. He was fired from the prophet for constantly posting articles depicting the falsehoods within ministry statements or from the prophets own articles. I don''t even know how he was able to accomplish the second one more than once. Second was Julian Cromwell: 41 years old, 6''0, with sleek black hair, blue eyes, a pair of glasses hanging from his nose, a slight gut showing itself as he was aging. He was a journalist as well, but became an editor for the prophet until he resigned. He had been forced to run a particularly distasteful article, praising former death eaters who had killed some of his friends and their families, for ''donating'' vaste amounts of money to the ministry. The third was Julian''s wife, Martha Cromwell. 39 years old, tall for a woman at 5''11, with light blonde hair and a pair of blue eyes to match her husband. She was successful reporter until see caught wind some scandals of the old heads of departments, resulting in her being banned from posting them due to the man in charge having been good friends with them. And has her husband quit from the Prophet she had decided to leave as well.

    "Mr. Stone, Mr. Cromwell and Mrs. Cromwell. You three shall be the ones to start this newspaper. Mr. Cromwell will be the chief editor for the paper. I want this paper to be known for fact-based new. It doesn''t matter if we are slower than others, but our paper needs to be seen as the most credible source out there. It shall also be seen as a neutral existence, not attacking or critiquing anyone for now." I explained to the trio clearly. "I shall give you the funds necessary to employ those you believe will be willing to join, since I''ve no doubt many with the likes of the prophet are sick with such ''news''. I will also equip you with everything necessary to publish this paper."

    At this time Mr. Stone stepped up to speak. "And you can provide all of that?"

    "I have more than enough money to fund the projects I am juggling. News outlets should not be done to gain money. They should be there to inform people first and foremost. And so I am going to always be expecting to make a loss regarding the paper." I answered honestly.

    The three looked very pleased with my view on the subject. With excitement at the possibility of surpassing the prophet.

    "Then we shall do as you ask Mr. Folster. You shall not be sorry you gave us this chance." Declared Mr. Cromwell with determination in his voice and eyes.

    "I know you won''t. But I am worried someone might get a bit overzealous. I''ve read her articles." I said with a bit of a chuckle aimed at Mrs. Cromwell.

    "I will be fine. Plus Julian will nag me if something''s wrong." She declared in response, leading to a sigh from her husband.

    With another chuckle I turned to one Mr. Timothy Mathews. The man was 53 years old, with shoulder length gray hair, a slight hunch bringing his height to around 5''7, sharp green eyes and the smell of potions lingering around him. He actually should have become a formal potions master, he was and still is an extremely talented man in the field. He aimed to revolutionize the way wizards brew potions, but this threatened many purebloods about 20 years ago. As a result they stopped the man from ever becoming a certified master in the field. Unable to push forward his new methods or potions, he became stuck. Becoming the owner of a small shop, suffering through the stupidity of those in power alone.

    "Mr. Mathews. You shall become the shopkeeper for the apothecary that will be opened in a second building i own in the alley. It shall be a place to challenge current and future potion masters in the field. This book contains my own results in the field, please do give it a read as I speak with Madam Chambers." I said to the older man, handing him my first volume of improvements and originals.

    I then turned my attention to Madam Melody Chambers, a person who reminds me quite a lot of Professor Sprout. The portly woman stood at 5''2, with curly gray hair and green eyes, grandmotherly face and aura. She seemed to be a very kind elder. Unfortunately, her son''s family was targeted by Death Eaters during the war and ended up loosing him, her daughter-in-law and grandchild. It broke her heart when it happened and angered her greatly when those responsible got away using the ''Imperio defense''. She tried to fight against the ruling, but the pureblood families pushed her down by buying out everything surrounding her ingredients shop and greenhouse. In the end she was forced to sell it all and try to make a living in the muggle world.

    "Madam Chambers, I wish for you to be in charge of my developing herb farm. I am currently in the process of creating a place to grow rare and difficult magical plants in great quantities. I know this is a difficult task, but like Mr. Mathews I wish for you to see my notes on the subject before hearing any feedback on the offer." I said to the woman respectfully. She is skilled and experienced in the field, with the only reason she is not officially a master being because it was taken away when she was being suppressed.

    I was about to speak to one Mr. Oliver Gunn when Mathews grabbed me by the shoulders and looked into my eyes fervently while shaking.

    "Did you truly think of these and create them yourself!? Do they work? Have they been tested? How did you do it?" Came his rapid fire questions with energy I did not expect from the man.

    "Yes Mister Mathews, these are recipes i created, improved and tested. Everything in this first volume can be brewed at anytime." I answered the man calmly

    "Did you say first volume?!?" Exclaimed the man in shock.

    "Yes. These are the 2nd and 3rd. This is as far as I''ve tested. The rest remain purely theoretical and unrefined." I said while handing the books to the man. "Like I said, the shop shall challenge masters and those aspiring to become one. I want to force them to innovate by rewarding and producing those capable of improving recipes or creating new ones."

    "I''ll do it. I''ll make it into a holy ground of potioneering. No one in the field will not know Breaking Grounds apothecary." He proclaimed with what almost seemed like fanaticism and suddenly coming up with a rather fitting name for the shop.

    "I will have to agree with Mr. Mathews enthusiasm as well." Came the polite and happy voice of Madam Chambers.

    "If this information is true, you have basically revolutionized the field of Herbology with this book alone Mr. Folster. Not even counting the fact that it says it is one in a series of four." Proclaimed to short woman. "I shall plant every single one and shove the results in those pathetic old men''s faces. They shall rue the day they took my title away."

    "I am very happy to welcome the both of you abord then. We shall use Mr. Mathews innovations regarding the brewing process to help improve efficiency, but we will also recruit some individuals after the name spreads. As for the farm, it has been named Natural Cultivation''s, and it will be used to supply a vast amounts of herbs. It shall be a place for those muggle-borns struggling to make a living snd find a steady work. It will be advertised in the information center and the paper. So it shall take more time to truly get it off the ground since they will require training." I said as I explained the beginning stages for both and properly shake their hands.

    Next up is...

 Chapter 26 - Ch. 26 Twelve People pt.2

    With my two new heads for my potions business and farms, I turned my attention back to Mr. Oliver Gunn.

    "You Mr. Gunn, I will have to meet you later to discuss a rather s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e subject regarding my proposition for you." I said to the man.

    He simply nods in response.

    I then turn my attention to one Elaine Summers. 27 years old, long blonde hair with slight waves, striking green eyes, tall and well trained body giving her the impression of a graceful predator, a true beauty. She is bit different from the rest of those present, since she is currently working as a hit wizard the ministry, but has been heavily suppressed within her department. They have her constantly doing desk work, pushing her achievements to others around her, forcing crap assignments onto her and just generally trying to make someone almost as good as some Aurors hate working there. The reason for all of this is because some rich guy from a noble house wanted to marry her, but she flat rejected the man, to which he believed that her job was the reason she rejected him. So he started bribing her superiors to force her to quit. She now hates him and strives for success to spite the man. She also has a good sense for what is right, but can act flexibly.

    "You Miss Summers are going to be a bit different from the rest of these ladies and gentlemen, because I actually would love for you to get a promotion." I said with a growing smile.

    "Huh?" Was the only noise that come out due her surprise.

    "You see I want muggle-borns to be involved in the ministry, it won''t do any good if we just push from the outside in order to get some reforms, thus I will help you obtain results so unquestionable that they will fight to promote you." I declared with a smile.

    "It might take a bit of time, but I will help train you to the next level regarding your magical power and provide training tools to improve. Opportunities will also come forward after all preparations are done." I explained to the woman.

    "And you think you can teach me?" She said with a raised eyebrow, sounding challenged.

    "Hmmm. Alright looks like you don''t believe me. How about a small duel then?" I offer the woman.

    "Oh, that confidant are you?" She said trying to test me.

    "Honestly I believe i am still a bit green, but my knowledge and magical strength help me cover for it. I know my strengths and my weaknesses. The only thing left is to improve upon them." I answered.

    With a wave of my wand a conjure some chalk and make it draw the dueling ring, with another I set up multiple protections protective barriers around said ring and finally I use the chalk to set some wards to strengthen and stabilize the protection.

    Those present couldn''t believe what they just saw. Jaws hung open and eyes were nearly popping out. Even Elaine showed shock on her face.

    "Now that the duel ring is set up, I do believe we can begin. I would like to ask for us to keep to less destructive or damaging spell as this is a rented space and only a duel to show my competence." I say with my smile still on my face.

    "Huuuh, uh? Yeah sure." Replied the still a bit out of it Elaine.

    "Then shall we?" I said with a slight bow.

    "Ready when you are." She answered, finally focused and bowing.

    "Mr. Gunn please do be the referee, I know you will be suitable for the job." I say to the man.

    "Alright." Answered the stern looking man as he stepped up. "As both parties agreed this shall be an incapacitation duel, with the loser determined by disarmament or submission. No lethal or damaging spells. This will be a clean fight only to show skill. Now both duelers at the ready." He said raising his hand.

    We both take our stances, she raises her wand arm at the ready in stance resembling a fencer, while I stand in my own custom manner. Instead of having my wand arm in front I actually hold it behind my left hand, while keeping myself light, preparing myself to dodge. I''ve also taken my glasses off for the duel since, like some more advanced duelers, I incorporate Legilimency into my style, but I''m not overly reliant on that.

    "Then begin!" Declared Gunn.

    Elaine jumped into action, using a quick combo of debilitating jinxes to dim my vision, slow me down or distract me, capping it off with a direct trio of stunners. The only problem for her was that I was constantly using the minimal amount of movements required to dodge each one of her spells, since I could see which would come next in her head. It wasn''t her fault. She knew how to preform proper combos within the limitations of the duel, it was just that my own trained abilities, my enhance speed and ridiculous reflexes give a great advantage when one-on-one. Just for dramatic effect a casually swatted her last stunner with my left hand and giving her a grin. I then started my counter attack, using my own understanding of every spell I''ve mastered to remove the need to say it and even remove the movements necessary, letting cast my own combo of enhanced spells with quick gestures, forcing her on the defensive immediately. She defended what she could but there are only so many spells a shield can block. This forced her to dodge, which was what I wanted to force her to do as I casted a quick series a leg-lock charms after I succeeded in blinding her for a second using a lumos I shot at her face, capping it off with a stunner.

    With an obvious winner, I remove the protective spell and runes as I approach Elaine and wake her up.

    "Damn, that was just downright emasculating. Couldn''t even get a good shot on you before you destroyed me." Said the downed beauty.

    "Don''t you need to me a man to be emasculated?" I ask while helping her up.

    "Ha! I''ve got more balls than most of the ministry combined!" She declared with a laugh."

    "Hahahaha! That''s the best reply I''ve ever heard!" I agreed as I burst out laughing.

    "But you are good kid. Hit me up if you wanna get laid. You look a bit too wound up." She then said with a grin.

    "Cough! Cough!" I then sputtered in response. Which makes her laugh.

    "Don''t worry kid, it shouldn''t take too long." She said with a wink and then started laughing again.

    "Thank you for the offer Elaine, but I''m ok for now." I answered politely.

    "I''ll send you some of my modified spells and notes on the subject to give you references. I''ll also teach you the way to better your magic control." I said getting back to business and handing her the book she would need for now.

    With that done and Oliver Gunn who is going to be last, I then turn to the last five in front of me.

    Most of them had some experience within the ministry, but were later replaced for stupid reasons due to their positions being ''too good for them to be in'' according to some people from prominent families. And so they were forced to stagnate within their positions.

    "Mr. James Whitcomb." A 63 year old bald man from my aunts department, with pale brown eyes, thin frame and some wrinkles showing on his face. "Ms. Sherry Holmes" 49 year old with shoulder length black hair, showing signs of graying, extremely dark brown eyes, a pair of librarian glasses on her nose and well... a really huge c.h.e.s.t, from the department of magical transportation. "And Mr. Anthony Wall." The oldest attendee at 66 years old, really starting to fit the image of a wizard, with his grey beard, hair and robes, kinda reminds me of Ben Kenobi, but if he was more of a hippy, from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. "I wish for you three to be in charge of the FIRM center that will open in the Alley. You will initially be in charge of it in its entirety, but when we can hire more people you will move towards management and advertis.e.m.e.nt of the center. I will try to introduce new programs and products to the store within the year." I announce to the three.

    I received nods of acknowledgment from them and turn my attention towards the final two. One is Ms. Catherine Forrests; 55 years old, with platinum blonde hair and clear blue eyes, really made me think if this was Draco''s real mother for a while. She used to work for the Department of International Magical Cooperation. The second was Jimmy Kent; 33 years old, with the Weasley hair, green eyes, on the shorter side, currently being put down, I''m guessing without my aunts knowledge cause she''s wreck anyone doing this in her department, in the DMLE.

    "Ms. Forrest, i would like you to be in charge of the logistics involving the farms. You have experience working with many different individuals and getting what you need to do your job properly. This will be the business with the most immediate growth in terms of human ressources so please assist Madam Chambers in it''s management. You both will receive all the information regarding the properties and it''s current stage of development through my aide shortly." I said to the woman, explaining my reasoning for her assignment.

    "Finally Mr. Kent. You shall be in charge of the management for the current Breaking Grounds apothecary. They will need much in terms of equipment and machinery if I know Mr. Mathews ideas as I think I do. You will also be currently responsible for it finances so that our future potions master can focus on his craft." I then in turn explain to him, getting a excited nod in return.

    "Now! If everyone understands everything I''ve said, Mr. Cross!" I yell out of the room as my side comes in with doc.u.ments for everyone.

    "Each of these will be your work contracts stating the pay and conditions of the jobs you will be undertaking and doc.u.ments regarding the places you shall be working in. Ms. Summers will be slightly different from the rest, but will be basically considered sponsored by us to improve the image of muggle-borns through excellence. Mr. Gunn will have his own if he agrees later." I explain.

    With everyone very happy with my quite generous conditions and reasonable restrictions, they signed and will soon be considered my employees. After which they left to take care of their affairs and prepare for their new jobs. Leaving me, Scott and Oliver Gunn alone.

    Oliver is unique among those who came, since he was an active Auror during the war almost 10 years ago now. At 44 he still stands strong and proud, with a muscular body, scars on his exposed forearms, strong jaw, short brown hair and steel blue eyes. The man scream ''warrior''. The reason he is no longer an Auror is because during said war his family was killed, with Voldemort himself present and himself being forced to watch. And unfortunately his death eaters were very pressed to impress their lord, making his wife suffer a lot before they killed her, but they left him alive to suffer. In return he went rogue and started to hunt known dark families supporting the mad-man. When he was found they couldn''t give him too harsh a sentence because he made sure his targets were guilty and left evidence, making the final verdict on him 8 years in Azkaban.

    "Now, Mr. Gunn. I would like to thank you for both your patience and time." I start off with a slight bow.

    "I''m guessing this is going to be a rather s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e subject then Mr. Folster." He answered in a direct manner.

    "Yes, it has to do with the enterprise I wish to begin with you at the helm and a dangerous secret as to why I wish to do so. But first a question. What do you think about the current defensive capabilities of the ministry?" I asked the man.

    "What capabilities? They constantly cut funding. They''re planing to stop accepting new Aurors. Hit wizards are corrupt to no end. And to top it off the current minister is a coward." He answered with a huff.

    "Yes and that is why I wish to start a specific business with you: private protection." I said delicately.

    "You want to make a mercenary force?" He asked with surprise in his voice. "Why? Isn''t that the opposite of what you said?"

    "This isn''t related to my movement. It is about something much more dangerous in this world of ours." I answered with a sigh.

    After hearing that Oliver narrowed his eyes at me. "Explain." He simply demanded.

    "What if I told to you the Dark Lord isn''t truly dead?" I simply said.

    "Impossible, he died that night against the-boy-who-lived!" He exclaimed.

    "True he did technically die." I admitted. "But the problem is that the man feared death the most. That''s why his men are death eaters. Why the killing curse is his go to tool. Because it is what he believes is the greatest fear of all men. And so he sought a way to beat death. And in his search he found a way, a very dark way. He made a horcrux." I said to the man in all seriousness.

    "A what?" He asked.

    "Scott, the book please." I said to Scott as he handed a book to Oliver.

    "Please go to page 82 Mr. Gunn" I say.

    "You mean to tell me He did this?" He asked with a shaking voice.

    "Yes and he will return." I answered coldly.

    "That is why I wish to prepare a force to fight him when he returns. Something the ministry is to corrupt to implement. If I''m wrong then all that happens is I make a new business providing security to those who can afford it and if I''m right we can have professionally trained experts to combat those f.u.c.k.i.n.g bastards." I announced to the man.

    "How''s this going to work?" He asked with determination in his voice.

    "It will start with you. Get some people you trust and invite them in as executives. I''ll put adds out into the prophet and our own paper when it''s up and running, also within the center. You can also recruit people down on their luck or try to poach people from the ministry. I''ll bankroll what you need. A facility is already being built in secret and no one will know where it is located. It will be the training ground. You will be the trainer and I''ll give you the books I''ve prepared for you. Scott will inform you about everything else." I explained to the man.

    "I''ll be ready." He answered simply.

    And that''s how these twelve people were brought in under me.

 Chapter 27 - Ch. 27 Heir Bones

    It''s been almost a month since I managed to recruit the twelve under me. There has been tremendous progress in all of the active projects, with the FIRM center and the paper, officially straightforwardly called the Herald, up and tuning, being distributed in the center. The farm is slowly coming together since new employees need proper training to handle the plants and every single one had to sign strict confidentiality agreements due the new methods used there. The potions shop should be up and running by the time my new school year begins, it''s taking longer because Mathews semi automation of the brewing process needs to be adjusted to my potions and the everything needs to be setup in a separate building. The protection agency under Oliver now simply called Fortress Protections, has around 20 recruits so far and are now perfectly hidden from the world. Three of my safe houses have been completed, the house-elves we obtained to take care of ''Micheal Folsters'' home have arrived and have been bound to me, so they know who I really am.

    The only problem regarding all of this is that communication has been troublesome. I can''t receive the mail at my house, Tilly would notice immediately and then aunt Amelia would know, leading to her asking about all this and figuring some stuff out. So I began to try and work around the problem. I studied two way mirrors to see if I could expand them, although theoretically I think it could be done, I had no way to connect multiple mirrors into a network that could be used reliably right now. I looked into the Floo network to understand how you can stick your head into a fireplace and just talk to someone, really weird choice, but based on how pretty much everyone needed a fireplace to live when the network was invented made it the ideal choice back then. I did get a good amount of inspiration from that.

    This turned into my own summer project. I studied various means of communications from around the world. I researched methods abandoned by time. I tried to develop a new tool with multiple connectivity to others. I couldn''t make it work for the life of me. Every failure gave me some insight, but couldn''t think of a way to send messages from one place to another discreetly. And so, during my frustration I decided to take a break on testing theories and decided to read up on means of magical travel to see if any inspiration would strike.

    While I was reading up on the subject Tilly came into the library. I sensed her but I was immersed into my reading.

    "Young master Aedan, the mistress wishes to see you in her office." She said in her usual squeaky voice.

    "Aunty? Do you know why?" I asked curiously as I look up from my book.

    ''She usually never calls me or Susan to her office. If something needs to be said it''s usually at the dinner table.'' I thought, getting curious at the situation.

    Since I wouldn''t be able to figure it out, I simply got up and headed to the office. A few seconds later I stood in front the door and knocked.

    "Come in." I heard my aunts voice say.

    ''She sounds tired. Hope she''s ok.'' I thought with some worry as I entered.

    "Hello Aedan. I''m sorry for calling you here, I know I don''t usually do this but I''ve realized we''ve been putting off an issue for long enough." She said seriously.

    "We have?" I asked with my head tilting to the side a bit, thinking about what it could be.

    "Yes, it''s about time you officially take your position as Heir of the family. Since I am currently the head of the house, I have been managing everything at the same time as my duties in the ministry and it is honestly catching up to me. Hence I will start slowly preparing you for your role as family head and handing more and more of the duties which come with it." Declared my aunt.

    "I understand. I''ll do my best to uphold the house and surpass your expectations of me Aunty. You won''t have to worry about the house, I''ll make it better what it once was." I answered with determination. She has had to take on the burden of me and Susan, her job and the sudden headship, it''s time I help her out and reduce her burden.

    "I know you will Aedan. You are fiercely intelligent, hard working and determined. I know you will make me and your parents proud in whatever you do." She said with the gentle smile which rarely appears on her face.

    It always warms my heart seeing that smile. Makes me want to make sure she can do it more and more.

    "And so, tomorrow we shall head to Gringott''s to make everything official." She declared.

    "Yes Aunt Amelia, I''ll be ready." I answered with a little salute as a joke.

    I get a small smile in response and head out of the room to continue my research. It''s not like this is a surprise, I''ve been prepared to become heir since I was 7. At that age I could have already started helping aunty out, but I think she wanted me to have more time to pursue my interests and studies. The only reason this is really happening is because the minister is putting constant pressure on her and that her department is always under fire for one reason or another, coupled with her taking care of me and Susan, it''s only burning her out. So the solution is allowing me to share at least some of her workload.

    The next day I got up and dressed myself properly and went down to have breakfast. After our nice family meal, we dropped Susan off to the Abbott house and headed for the bank. As we walked through it''s halls goblins kept giving me polite nods and greetings, which confused aunty to no end.

    "Dear, why are they being so polite towards you?" She asked in a low voice.

    "Tilly didn''t tell you?" I answered a bit surprised. But then I thought that maybe aunty just never asked since I do spend a good amount of days outside the house and I''ve never caused any problems, always getting back on time, no injuries, no reports of bad behavior, so Aunty probably just trusts me when I go out and doesn''t ask.

    "Tell me what?" She asked curiously.

    "Well, a few weeks ago I was invited to their city to spar with some of their warriors and I accepted. There was a little tournament for hand-to-hand combat, I got first place and met their royal family during the celebration. It was really fun, they gave me this ring for my victory and to signify friendship." I explained with some excitement over the memory. This new ring actually replaced my silver and ruby ring. It is still the same material, but this one has been permanently bound to me, never is it going to leave my side. It has also been personally crafted by the king and has been engraved with a phoenix, whampus cat and the symbol of the goblins royal family, showing my status as a friend of the nation.

    It was really fun. There were skilled warriors, but goblins are more adept at weapons combat, the opposite of me and adding the fact that my body is way too strong for a human, I was able to win over those with more experience than me. The tournament did show me where I would need to improve and helped gain experience, so it was a great choice to join in.

    "You what!?" Exclaimed aunty in shock, but soon calmed down seeing my smile and letting out a sigh while rubbing her forehead.

    "Next time you have to get my permission for this Aedan. It trust you can take care of yourself better than most a.d.u.l.ts, but I am still your guardian and must know when you do things like this. Am I understood." She asked seriously.

    "I''m sorry aunt Amelia, I didn''t think it would be a big deal. I understand." I said lowering my head a bit.

    "Alright then. As long as you understand." She said with a nod.

    And so we kept walking until we reached Ragnok, in his usual spot as the head teller.

    "Greetings Warrior Bones-crusher, may your ennemies know your names meaning and their wealth falls to you." He greeted using the title they came up for me. I won''t say it''s inaccurate because during the tournament one of the goblins noticed I was holding back my strength in order to have greater control and skill, which he then became insulted and forced me to use my all. When he took my full power punch and tried to block it head on I

    broke both his arms and sent him flying from the ring. It''s not my fault! He asked for it and they''re a lot smaller than humans, which means lighter, so without their armor they end up not being able to take as much. If that wasn''t enough, the rest suddenly decided to throw themselves at me to prove they had the strongest bodies, so I ended up breaking the bones of all of my opponents. (Kinda why I didn''t mention it before, it felt bad hearing all those snaps. Reminds of of when i got hit by that truck.)

    "Hello Ragnok, may your foes fear your presence and their coins join yours." I responded. Still making a bit of a game in trying to be creative with those responses.

    "Bones-crusher?" Then asked Amelia from the side with a raised eyebrow. "It looks like you have some explaining to do at home young man."

    I gulp at that tone. ''I am so gonna get an ear full.'' I thought.

    "Haha! The great Bones-crusher fears his aunt. The king will love to hear that one." He announced with a laugh.

    "Oh come on Ragnok, don''t do that. You''ll ruin my reputation." I pleaded with the goblin.

    "Oh, this will be grand." He said with his largest smile.

    "Nooooo!" I wailed in despair as I crouched down and traced some circles on the floor.

    "Alright, that''s enough with your little skit Aedan." Ordered aunt Amelia. "We would like to formerly make him Heir of house Bones." She then informed.

    I get back up with a little grumbling, Ragnok leads us to his office and calls for a goblin to bring the family ring.

    He brought and opened a box with one empty spot and one ring made of silver, with the family emblem of a shield with a wand on it, and the motto of ''break, but never bow'' written under it. Aunt Amelia has a similar ring but is golden.

    "Wear the ring, it will test you to see if you are worthy." Informed Ragnok.

    I take the ring and put it on my right ring finger. I felt a prick as it tested my blood, then a red glow came from the ring and it then resized itself to fit my finger.

    "Congratulations Heir Bones. The ring will serve to warn you of Legilimency intrusion, poisons and some dangers. You will now be able to fully inherit the Bones family when the head decides it or becomes unable to fulfill the duties required by the role." Said Ragnok.

    "Thank you for informing me." I then answered.

    I am know officially the heir of the noble house of Bones.

 Chapter 28 - Ch. 28 The end of summer

    After being made Heir of the house I started taking on some of the work that came with the title, this involved spending more time in aunt Amelia''s office. I went through the properties of house Bones, our finances, vault holdings and allies.

    From what I found the family was heavily involved with Dumbledore''s order during the war, providing a good amount of funding and using some family properties as order safe houses. I won''t disrespect my parents choices, they did what they believe should be done in order to defeat Voldy-shorts. I really don''t like the Headmasters style though, too soft-hearted, self-destructive even and naive. Well as a result a lot of properties were destroyed, but I think I''ll be able to get the wreckage cleared up and set up some kind of residence. I''m thinking of introducing the concept of apartments and condos to magical Britain, because from what I understand it''s already being done in France and there is a great amount of homeless witches and wizards. I think I''ll also set some up specifically for werewolves. Food for thought.

    The money in the vaults no longer qualifies the family to be a most noble house, but I think that after this year we will be getting a good influx of galleons. The reason being that I''ve finished studying most subjects beyond NEWT level and I believe I can start properly pushing some developments into this stagnating country. I have a notebook full of things I believe can be made theoretically already and have even some bits in working order. Make them useful and popular and bam, money starts flowing in again. I think I''ll also invest into Randolph Spudmore, the creator of the future Firebolt, since I''ve already done so as Micheal Folster. It''ll be an amazing source of revenue.

    We have a few shares of things here and there, but I believe we can do more. But that will be in the future when the house has more in its vaults and our reputation gets better. Because as of now, aunt Amelia is the only representative of our family, I''m unknown for now and Susan will take a long time to develop into someone who can help with that. So I''m going to give myself some more exposure by publicly presenting some inventions, instead of hiding them through my other persona.

    Aside from those major points, it''s just really boring dealing with the paper work, but it''s something I''m already working around. I''ve analyzed my homework quills and recreated them for the purpose of paperwork. I''ve managed to give them minor Legilimentic abilities to write surface thoughts and orders regarding the paper in front of them. It required a good amount of trial and error to stop them from writing every surface thoughts crossing the mind of the user, but I was able to get a good balance going. So now I only have to read over the doc.u.ment, set it in front of the quill and it writes everything it''s ordered to do, even when I''m reading the next paper. Hehehe, I think aunty is going to love my Christmas present this year and make everyone working behind a desk at the ministry eat their hearts out. I can just see the money for this little gadget.

    Aside from my duties as heir, I was also able to take some time and visit Christian. The Ward family has invited me to go visit a hippogriff breeder and I had accepted with aunt Amelia''s permission. Apparently there has been some hatchling recently, still very small compared to horse size a.d.u.l.ts. I thought it''d be a nice experience.

    Aunty let me use our Floo to get to the Ward''s home since they were connected as well. I arrived and was welcomed by the Ward parent and child trio. Christian takes more after his mother; she had the same messy black hair, only longer, those sky blue eyes and the same features could be spotted on his face. Mr. Ward on the other hand was almost the picture of an outdoorsman; shortly trimmed brown hair, a bushy beard, piercing green eyes, and the build of a bear almost. It''s not really a guess as to where Christian got his looks, but it is interesting to think about how his father hooked his mom. But he got his love of nature from the both of them that''s for sure. His dad was basically a mini Hagrid in looks and feelings towards beasts, while his mom was an avide nature lover, always wanting to go in forests or seas to find new and interesting things.

    "Grahahaha! You''re here kid! Good! Let''s get to the portkey, it scheduled to activate in 5 minutes." Said Mr. Ward in his booming voice as he pats my shoulder repeatedly.

    "Thank you for the invitation Mr. & Mrs. Ward. I''m really excited to go see the hippogriffs." I say taking his pats without any issues.

    "Dear, don''t hurt Christians friend. He''s always in his own world so making this one should have been hard enough." Said the Mrs with a smile that wasn''t a smile, but a teasing glint flashed through her eyes.

    "Mom, could you not say that in front of me? Or at least not in front of Aedan." M.o.a.n.e.d Christian. "Plus I can''t take all the blame. Who were the people who took me to live in a forrest looking for griffins instead of interacting with anyone who had a kid my age?" He then added with some fake anger.

    "Grahahaha! You know you loved our family expeditions, don''t even try to deny it boyo!" Came Mr. Wards boisterous laughter.

    "Alright boys! That''s enough joking around for now. It''s portkey time." Announced Mrs. Ward, clapping her hands to get everyone''s attention.

    Everyone left the room and went to the backyard where a used car tire was waiting for use.

    ''I mean, I get why they make portkey''s objects muggles won''t just casually pick up, but it just doesn''t feel right to grab pieces belonging in a dump.'' I thought with a sigh.

    Everyone put a hand on the tire and readied themselves. And then that familiar uncomfortable feeling of being hooked around the navel happened, feeling myself getting dragged as I keep my grip on the tire, until we suddenly land at the destination.

    When I could finally get a good look around I spotted a one story cottage in front of us. It was old fashioned like pretty much anything wizards used, it was almost considered a hut like Hagrid''s, except that this one was professionally made and had proper roof, windows and doors. I mean honestly you''d think ascetics would be absorbed even if they only go in the muggle world occasionally.

    I snapped out of my judgy moment when I felt something passing over us. I could see the claws and hooves of a passing hippogriff and an excited smile spread on my face.

    Now, before anyone thinks I don''t know how dangerous those things are or how to handle them I gotta tell you, Hagrid has loads of first hand experience and I personally looked up tones of creatures with Christian. I know how prideful they can be and how to approach them, and if all else fails I''m pretty sure I can actually pin one down.

    "Ah?! Boys be careful, you know how dangerous these ones can be, especially with the newborn around!" Yelled out Mrs. Ward

    We got to the fence marking their territory and looked a the wide open space before us. It was a very large space, with lush grass, small h.i.p.s giving the place something more than just a flat plain, you could see the beginnings of a forest in the back of the enclosure and at the moment 7 hippogriffs were relaxing near each other, and in the middle one could see a smaller grey ball tumbling around the a.d.u.l.ts. It''s always cute to watch the lack of coordination in an infant.

    "It seems that you boys appreciate the beauty of these majestic creatures don''t you?" Came the voice of an old man behind us.

    A bald old man with a thin grey mustache, wearing a leather duster, dragon hide pants, metal tipped boots and with a lasso at his h.i.p.s. He had scars visible almost everywhere, pretty sure I know where he got those from, and he just looked like he almost came out of a western movie. All he was missing was the hat and I swear the next thing he''d say is that he''s teach me how to shoot, then die to make a good revenge story.

    "Yeah we''re both pretty into magic creatures and hippogriff are the bests I''ve seen so far." I say to the old man before turning to look at them again.

    "Can we interact with them today or will they be too protective cause of the little one?" Asked Christian excitedly.

    "Hhmmmm. I do think we can at least go near them since they know I won''t hurt anyone. But we won''t be able to play with lil''Whitecrown, they''ll pounce on you before anyone can do anything about it." Said the old man after thinking for a bit.

    As the Wards arrived, the old man who''s name was apparently Ben Crypt, guided us slowly towards the resting beasts. We slowly and calmly approached them until Ben stopped us.

    "Alright, that''ll be close enough. We don''t want them to be annoyed at us." He said.

    Well, that was until we noticed that little one actually slipped away from the watchful eyes of the others and was heading out way. We all froze at its actions.

    "Shouldn''t we not be getting near that one, as badly as we want to?" Asked Mr. Ward.

    "Yeah we need to back away." Said the breeder Ben as he got up and started to make everyone slowly back away.

    As we make our way back the hippogriffs finally notice the hatchling missing and our leaving. Then all hell broke loose as they saw it getting near us and they fly after it.

    "Shit! Everyone run!" Yelled Ben.

    Everyone takes off, I could actually outrun everyone here easily, but I don''t want people to know how freakishly strong I am. It makes people ask questions I don''t want to answer.

    We run towards the warded fence in the hopes of getting to safety, no one wants to be in the middle of this mess. But suddenly I hear something getting kicked, and then tumbling as sound of pain comes next. My eyes widened as I saw Christian had tripped as we ran. I stop immediately and turn around to go get him. When the others finally realized neither of us were with the group they had reached the fence.

    "CHRISTIAN!!! AEDAN!!!" Screamed Mrs. Ward in horror as she saw the approaching hippogriffs and the two boys.

    "Come on mate, not leaving here to become hippogriff dung." I said to my friend as I lift him up.

    "Yeah now we both get to be dung." He answered sarcastically at the situation.

    "Episky." I chanted at his ankle. "Now run mate!" I shouted after.

    But it seems to be too late as the hippogriffs are too close.

    "Sigh. Mate I''m gonna have to trust you. I''m going to do something you might not understand, but for the next bit whatever you do, do not look into my eyes. Got it?" I asked my friend as he nods.

    "Good." I then say as I took off my glasses.

    I let my magic build up within me, quickly gathering as my cores rotate at immense speeds to give me what I need. I step in front of Christian, focus my energy into my eyes causing them to appear as if fire is coming out of them. My silver hair starts dancing as it feels the magic coming off of me. My magic builds up, and up, until it''s about ready to burst... and then I unleash it.

    With almost an audible roar I let out the aura of one of the most dangerous predators in the wild, my aura of the whampus cat, while forcing all of the enraged hippogriffs to look at me. Making them see the image of the beast hidden within my blood.

    "ENOUGH!" I declared as they faltered in their advance.

    "YOU! SHALL! KNEEL!" I ordered using my predatory aura and magic to force these proud creatures into submission. My legilimency crushing their wills to face me. And slowly they kneel before me, with resistance and fear, these creatures kneel.

    I keep up the pressure until both me and Christian reach the fence where the a.d.u.l.ts are speechless at what just happened.

    "Let''s go mate." I said in a deflated tone.

    ''What a way to end my summer.'' I thought as I was heading towards the portkey with my friend and looking into the sky.

 Chapter 29 - Ch. 29 A new year arrives

    I spent the last weeks leading to my departure for Hogwarts in a melancholy mood. I really couldn''t get that feeling of dominating another being out of my head and it felt disgusting. I felt disgusted with myself mostly. I had other ways of getting around the issue, but I resorted to taking care of things like freaking Voldemort. I did what he would have done, except he would have probably slaughtered all the them as a bonus.

    The only thing that could take my mind off of what happened was doing research. It wasn''t the healthiest option to deal with my emotional issues with the event, but at least it distracted me.

    At least there had been something good that came out of it to cheer me up, and that was I''d finally remembered one unofficial way people could travel from one place to another: Vanishing Cabinets. It involves making the cabinet from conjoined trees and linking them through a complicated set of Runes and Charms, creating a method of instantaneous transport between the two. With this in mind I began to run tests on the subject, which led to the most infamous pair of cabinets in the Harry Potter series: the one in Hogwarts and at Borgin and Burkes. I simply had Scott purchase the one in Borgin and Burkes while disguised and bingo, easy cabinet to study since the one at school hasn''t been damaged by Peeves yet and a way into he school whenever I want.

    It took a good amount of testing to find that I could form links between pieces of the same tree or it''s offshoots, not only between conjoined trees which are rare. I think the fact that I''m trying to do a much simpler version of the cabinets helped reduce the strain of the bond necessary. My goal is to create a link between a great number of mini cabinets which will act as an instantaneous delivery tool, where you basically write something on paper, put it in, close it and off it goes to the requested receiver. I''m basically inventing magical text messaging in all honesty, but without tech.

    The only problem I had was that I had to make sure the wood will properly connect to the other pieces. It was difficult because of the requirements of either being from the same tree or being of child of it. And so I searched for a solution. I had some thoughts of trying to use those giant Redwood trees in California , but the supply won''t be nearly enough and it''s a protected reserve. A breakthrough occurred when I was researching and found a Japanese method from the 15th century still in use called daisugi. It uses a particular species of cedar tree and is essentially an oversized bonsai tree as it relies on a great amount of pruning to make trees sprout from the base ''mother tree''. It''s pretty nifty and using magic, since I won''t be growing anything magical, I think I can get my own operation up and going in a year and half at most. For now though, I shall make a small number of vanishing boxes, to test my work and see if it can eventually be expanded properly.

    The final prototype for the vanishing box was a simple piece made of from pine, with four other boxes around it. It had a simple panel which opened and closed, a small dial to set the number you wished to send to resembling a rotary lock. Turn to the number and viola. So I wrote a simple message on a piece of parchment, put it in my #1 and closed it, set it to #3, pressed my wand gently onto the box and simply said "send". With a small Glow on the tip of my wand and a light sound from the box it activates. I turn my attention to #3, walk to it and open it as I hold my breath.

    "YES!! Haha! I did it!" I shouted out in happiness as I broke out in a little dance.

    Apparently my shout startled Tilly since she appeared in my room a moment later.

    "Young master are you ok!?" She asked in distress.

    "Oh Tilly, come here, come here." I say excitedly as I drag the house-elf to my prototypes.

    She looks at the simple wooden boxes curiously but can''t figure out why I''m excited about this thing, so she turns towards me with a weird look and tilted head.

    "Tilly doesn''t understand young master." She said.

    "That''s ok! These are what I''ve been working on during the last month! Instant messaging tools! They can send letters and messages to anyone holding one of these boxes and who knows the right number!" I explain excitedly.

    Tilly''s eyes widened after she understands what I just said. "So Tilly won''t have to clean up after the owls anymore?" She then asked seriously, to which Artemis in my room screeches feeling challenged and insulted.

    "Not for small messages and letters, but owls are still gonna be needed to deliver parcels, sorry Tilly. And you''re still gonna be needed girl." I said to the house-elf only worried about cleaning, while stroking my own owl to calm her down. (I know I don''t mention her a lot, but I do send her every week with a letter to my Aunt and Susan, if I didn''t a howler would come for me. Did that once cause I lost track of time, and it was an embarrassing breakfast to say the least.)

    With Tilly loosing her interest with the tool she quickly left since nothing was wrong with me.

    ''Now all that''s left if to test for distance and the durability of the enchantments.'' I thought to myself while c.a.r.e.s.sing my new creation.

    I also showed aunty my new device and she was shocked at what I created, and also questioned how no one had thought of using the idea of vanishing cabinets like this in the first place.

    "I''m thinking of leaving one with you and Susan while I''m at Hogwarts. It''ll let me test is it can get through the wards, the distance will test that aspect and since I won''t be in contact with yours at at least six months it''ll give me an idea of how the enchantments will react to the regular use." I explained to my aunt.

    "That is good. If this work it will certainly be useful for many things. Might even replace all those stupid inter-departmental memos flying all over the place in the ministry." She said with a nod.

    "Does that mean I get to write to you more often while you''re away?" Asked Susan with great expectations.

    "Well, if aunty agrees I don''t see a problem with it." I answer, thinking a bit before doing so.

    "Yay!" Said my cute little sister as she began jumping around.

    "Susan. We are at the dinner table, at least wait until everyone is done before jumping around like that." Said Amelia with some authority in her voice as she chastised Susan.

    "Haha! Happy you want to write to me that much Suz." I say while patting her head and getting a giggle in response.

    "I swear you two. You pamper her too much Aedan, she will end up spoiled." Sighed aunt Amelia.

    "Little sisters deserve to be pampered by their older brothers." I declared with my c.h.e.s.t puffed out.

    "Oh Merlin." Simply said aunty as she gave up on that front.

    "But in all seriousness, I think if this works out properly it could become a great means of income for the family. So I''m thinking of investing into it as the heir when all the quirks are worked out." I said to Amelia.

    "Yes, it could become a very good business for the family." Nodded Amelia supporting the option.

    "It''s not the only thing I''m working on, but it will be a good start." I then added.

    "You have more things like this?" Asked aunty curiously.

    "For now most of them are mostly theoretical, but very possible." I answered.

    "I look forwards to seeing it then dear." Simply said aunty with a gentle smile.

    "Hehe, I''ll make the family proud." I say as i scratch the back of my head.

    With that meal done I quickly headed back into my room a took out a trio of boxes made with ebony. These were finely crafted and made to fit into ones pockets, closer to the future smartphones than boxes, with an enchanted glass in the front which will bond to the owner, stopping anyone else from reading the piece of parchment behind it, which is also specially treated to work in a similar manner to Tom Riddles diary. The parchment is made to absorb the ink and save what was written on it, it''s actually closer to how the Marauders map was made but with no sentience, mixed with the diary. Basically I made a specials parchment with a memory for what was written on it. This way I can send massages and review past ones as well. These advanced versions of the boxes will be for me and my aides only. No one else will know of their existence or know what they are even after I unveil the vanishing boxes. And so I sent one to each of them using Artemis.

    A few hours later she had returned and I sent the instructions on how to use the messengers, as I will call this model, and the memory parchment. A few minutes later they had both responded that they understood the tool and it''s purpose.

    With everything solved, it was time to go to bed because m tomorrow was the day I return to Hogwarts. The last year before Potter and his friends join Hogwarts and everything starts going to shit.

    Sigh

    Looking forward to a productive year.

 Chapter 30 - Ch. 30 On a train with true friends

    September 1st arrived and like always an slightly rushed morning was happening with aunt Amelia pushing both me and Susan so that I could make the train on time. I''m getting kinda used to riding the ministry cars, makes me wonder why more people don''t use them. I get that there are faster ways of traveling, but most of them are annoying or uncomfortable, with a lot of wizards never learning how to apparate for some stupid reason. A comfortable car does wonders.

    Anyway, we arrived at Kings Cross with plenty of time to spare. I gave Amelia and Susan some hugs, said my goodbyes and headed to find a compartment.

    As I sat down I was left to think on my own and realized I don''t really know how to face Christian after what happened with the hippogriffs. On one hand I''m pretty sure I saved him from getting hospitalized at the very least and on the other I did something considered impossible for a wizard, much less someone of my age. I did come to terms with how I reacted in the situation, even if I don''t like the way I handled things it still happened and all I can do now is learn from my mistake.

    "Hey mate, how''s your summer been?" I then hear James voice as he enters the compartment and breaks me out of my thoughts.

    "It''s been a mixed affair." I reply with a wry smile.

    "Really? That''s weird for you. What happened?" Asked James with some concern.

    "I-" I wanted to to explain but the door burst open with an angry looking Christian.

    "You bastard! You owe me an explanation!" He declared.

    "First with what happened at the ranch. And second is why you''ve been avoiding answering my letters or invitations." Christian said as his eyes narrowed.

    "Christian I''m sorry about what I did, but I can''t answer the first part since I''ve promised to not talk about that. As for the second... sigh, I just don''t know how to face you or your parents." I replied dejectedly.

    "Don''t know how to face me!" Yelled Christian as he grabbed my collar.

    "You''re my best friend and you saved my life, but you don''t know how to face ME!" He continued.

    "Whoa! Christian calm down. This isn''t helping at all. Just look at Aedan''s face. It''s not that he doesn''t want to say anything, he''s afraid of saying anything." Interrupted James, trying time get Christian to calm down and let go.

    It took a moment but he let go with a push to make me sit down.

    "You said you promised to not talk about it." He asked with narrowed eyes.

    I nod.

    "With who?" He then asked.

    "My aunt." I answered.

    He took a deep breath and then said something I didn''t expect.

    "Alright, I''m taking an vow and then you tell me everything." He declared.

    "Wait a sec Chris! You want to make a magical vow! Those are really strict, you could die!" Yelled out James in shock as my own eyes widened.

    "Be quiet James. If you don''t want to participate either be quiet and be the witness before leaving, or leave now and I''ll find someone else to do it." Answered Christian with anger in his voice.

    "Why do you need to go so far?" Then asked James, not understanding why one of his friends was willing to do something that puts his life on the line.

    "So that silver bastard can trust me enough to f.u.c.k.i.n.g talk to me!" Yelled Christian.

    That statement hit me really hard. They are my friends, the best, but I''m scared of them thinking I''m a freak because of what I''ve been through and become.

    "Then I''m taking one too!" Suddenly declared James. "I''m not being left out because I didn''t do this."

    "B.u.t.t out James, this is between me and the shiny git!" Growled Christian.

    "No! You two are my best friends too and I''m not letting this happen without me!" He answered with outrage in his voice.

    But both of them stopped yelling at each when they saw the tears coming out of my eyes. It wasn''t out of sadness, I was just so glad and relieved that these two were my friends that I couldn''t stop the tears.

    "Whoa, I''m sorry for calling you a bastard." Said a panicked Christian.

    "Yeah it''s alright. Christian doesn''t mean those things, he''s just really concerned about you." Followed up James.

    "It''s not that you idiots. I''m just glad you two are my friends." I answered as I wiped my eyes. "You really want to know right?"

    They both nod.

    "Alright. No vows. I trust you two more than enough. I was just scared. Scared to lose you guys." I saw trying to pick up my courage.

    They both looked at each other and sat down.

    "Alright. Talk. It doesn''t matter because we''re friends." Said Christian after finally getting what he wanted.

    I wave my hand, locking the door, casting a notice-me-not, muffling things even further, blocking anyone from seeing into the compartment and checking if there''s anything or anyone which could overhear the conversation.

    This greatly surprised the two as they watched slacked jawed as I do the wandless magic.

    "How''d you do that? You did magic without a wand!?" Exclaimed James.

    "It''s part of the explanation." I said as I begun. "Well, you both know about how I live with my aunt and little cousin."

    To which nod with an obvious look on their faces.

    "Have you wondered why that is?" I asked.

    They look at me wondering what this has to do with what they want to know.

    "Sigh. When I was four years old, death eaters decided to wipe out the Bones family since ours was a family standing against their lord." I said and then looked at James." You might not have heard much on the subject since most of the community is either too afraid to remember that war or too afraid of angering the remaining death eaters and you''re Muggle-Born. But they were the loyal followers of the biggest, maddest blood bigot who''s hunger for power was insatiable."

    "Aedan!" Exclaimed Christian.

    "You can''t let a madman make you fear him Christian. His goal would have destroyed Britain''s magical community and who knows what he would have done after. He was mad and didn''t have any actual goals except ruling over others in a bid to feel superior. That''s actually one of the reasons i avoided you after that incident, I felt like I acted like him and it disgusted me." I said with a slight bow and a sorry look.

    "Back to my family. They killed everyone in the house and found me after my mom had hidden me. Instead of killing me obviously, they took me and stuffed me into a cell in a place supposedly under a Lestrange property, after using the cruciatus curse on me for shits and giggles. I was left alone in that cell for two months from what I could count, without anyone interacting with me and the only time i knew another living being was near was when food got shoved into the cell or when some house-elf came in to empty the toilet and shoot a cleaning spell at me. Nothing happened until some goon stunned me one day and I woke up strapped to a table, in a room filled with diagrams written in blood and parts of an animal, I would later learn was a Wampus cat, around me in a specific manner. It turned out to be an experimental ritual to embue the abilities of the beast into a wizard. Well that ritual almost killed me. I felt like I would burst like a balloon. That was until the old bastard in charge sliced my eyes out and tried to shove the eyes of the creature to take their place." I paused and a look of shock and horror was on my friends faces as they look at the still noticeable scar on my face.

    "Fortunately And unfortunately, the ritual had partial success. My body got stronger, faster, it became somewhat spell resistant and my magic core went through it''s first maturity with ease. The problem was that I became blind due to the eyes not properly fusing with me. And unfortunately for me, I was the only successful test subject which meant that for the next 4 months I spent my time in total darkness and getting cut, probed and tortured to understand what happened to me and why the eyes didn''t work." At this point both of them were simply horrified at what I''m describing. What 4-5 year old could get through all that and still end up like I have?

    "Luckily I was able to develop a very strong skill set with Occlumency due to the Wampus cats natural affinity with the mind arts, letting me escape the pain by hiding in my own mind and I had great regenerative capabilities due to my body. Then those in charge of the facility heard the news of Moldy-Shorts defeat and they left me alone for another two months. That was until the demon started doing a crazy ritual with a Phoenix egg they had stolen and put the Aurors on their track. He began to go through every test subject they had until it was my turn as the last. So I was once again strapped to a table but this time." I take a small breath and take my shirt off to show them the scars left above my c.h.e.s.t as their faces lost any blood left in them." They stabbed my heart instead of the eyes and shoved the egg in it. They were trying to figure a way to resurrect their lord using a ritual with a Phoenix egg as the focus. But the Aurors found them, took down everyone involved and when the ritual was complete my eyes had fused with the beasts properly, I had gained more strength and magical power, with my partner... SOL!" I finished off by yelling for my now fully grown familiar. I usually let her live as she pleases nowadays, since she comes to sleep with me and spends her time flying outside or hunting after i put on her concealment ring, which makes her appear as a great falcon.

    She appeared through her flames and landed on me arm. Much to the surprise of my two friends.

    "You bonded with a Phoenix!?" Yelled out Christian because he knows how rare and special this is.

    "Yeah, and I know you know why I''ve never made this public or taken any chances of it happening." I said while stroking my pretty girls head.

    "It''s a big deal?" Asked James confused.

    "Yeah the only other know domesticated Phoenix right now is Dumbledore''s." Said Christian still in shock.

    "What!?" Yelled out James as he understood just how rare this is.

    "She''s the only reason I''m alive. She is my first friend. She is family and we are bonded on a much deeper level than Fawkes and Dumbledore. She might actually die if I do." I say stating just how important she is to me and I to her.

    "And this has to do with what you did with the hippogriffs?" Asked Christian carefully.

    "Hippogriffs?" Asked James.

    "Basically a griffon but with horse legs instead of lion, less dangerous, more reasonable diet, a bit smaller, and people are allowed to breed them." I simply explain to James after which he nods.

    "But yeah. I basically used a combination of Wampus and Phoenix essence from my blood, infuse a tone of magic and then activated an overpowered Legilimantic attack to make them yield." I explained to James. "That''s why I told you not to look into my eyes, and it''s actually why I wear these glasses, not because the slash reduced my vision, but because if I don''t I might accidentally break someone''s brain if I''m not careful."

    "And that basically explains why I''m so different from everyone. I didn''t even know that I looked like this until I got to my aunts place so I''ve no clue if it was one or both of the rituals which changed me like this. It''s one of the reasons I''m not really proud of my looks and i strive to improve myself because o don''t want to ever be in that kind of hopeless situation again." I finished off by saying.

    "I''m sorry I forced you to say that Aedan. I couldn''t possibly have guessed you''ve been through so much and I was ins.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e. I''m sorry." Finally said Christian hanging his head down.

    "I''m sorry too. But I''m glad you told us." Said James with a bit of a sad smile.

    It took me a bit to react to their feelings.

    "Thank you for listening and believing me. And thank you for being my friends." I finally said as I was choking up.

    "Yeah ys too Aedan, and we will make sure that stuff doesn''t happen again, to you or anyone else." Proclaimed James.

    "I may not be as good as you two with a wand, but i certainly won''t let you go through anything like that again. And again, sorry for being an a.s.s about this." Said Christian agreeing with James.

    "Thanks Christian, James, it means the world to me." I said truly thankful to the two of them.

    "Alright. Enough of the sappy stuff because we''re almost at Hogsmeade and should get ready." Announced James trying to snap everyone out of it.

    I get Sol to head back and we all get dressed up into our robes. I was smiling ear-to-ear as we headed to the castle with true friends.

 Chapter 31 - Ch. 31 Third Year Goals

    After the usual feast and sorting, with those horrible songs and Dumbledore acting like a weirdo again. I mean honestly, the man might be the most powerful around, but does he have to make people think he''s gone senile, it really annoys me and makes me lose trust in his abilities even if I know how intelligent the man is.

    After getting into the best room for third years in the tower, cause I''m the best of the year not just the house, and modifying as I please once again, it was time to get my goals for the year in order.

    1. Work towards my masteries in the chosen subjects: Charms, Potions, Transfiguration, DADA, Herbology, Healing, Dueling, Warding, Ancient Runes And Arithmancy. I''m going to flex so hard. Most of these will be projects until my seventh year. From what I understand of the requirements to achieve a mastery, the applicant must show true mastery of the subject theoretically and practically, but I want to go further and develop originals for all the subjects. Technically speaking I''ve already done so for potions, herbology and Arithmancy due to my new brewing and growing methods, as well as my incredible number of modified spells. The dueling will require me to get more experience as it is straightforwardly a duel with a skilled tester, so I''ll have to be able to destroy the man/woman. Transfiguration is kind off a more free form branch of magic so showing extreme skill in the area will be the only way, plus goal 3 will help. Not gonna do CoMC because I can''t really think of a good reason to do so, but I''m pretty sure Christian will want to, so I''ll help him with that later.

    2. Become well known within the school for something other than my looks and grades. This plan will actually involve me trying to start up an official study group for anyone who wishes to join and possibly trying to start up the dueling club before Lockhart comes and ruins that for everyone. Plus if the second one works it''s yummy experience for me.

    3. Start the process for becoming an animagus. I''ve already achieved my corporal Patronus, something supposed to help identify ones animal form, which turns out to be a Phoenix. I doubt I''ll actually turn into one, but turning into a similar bird seems likely. This will help with my Transfiguration mastery.

    4. Start developing my tech/magic ideas. I''ve some ideas on how to make some muggle technology work around magic and it''s time I make them realize that muggle tech is not useless or always worse than magic. Everything will be put up for sale in the FIRM center, under Micheal Folster''s name.

    These will be my goals and ambitions for the rest of my time at Hogwarts. If everything goes well I won''t really need to do my seventh year, but I want to participate in the triwizard tournament as a means to establish myself properly in the wizarding world.

    And so began the school year. As third years it was time to chose electives. In my case I chose Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures. Divination, although theoretically useful, I do not possess the gift for, and Muggle studies is over a hundred years behind the actual thing and is extremely pointless for a reincarnated muggle so I''m out. Three subjects will be more than doable since I have my handy homework quills, which I think I''ll get James and Christian to help them out with the increased workload. Speaking of them, James will be taking Arithmancy and Runes with me since I told him how useful they are with charms and enchanting, while Christian will be taking CoMC and divination as a freebie, since I told him most people can fake it and still get good grades in the subject.

    As usual I have to say having the RoR and a time-turner is a godsend since I can just put the second me in there while I study outside of it, giving me free research time.

    My new classes were pretty boring for me because of how advanced I am, but I make sure to use my time effectively especially in Ancient Runes. My plan for both my mastery and the tech/magic hybrids is to make binary code into a valid language for of Runes. Since they are 1''s and 0''s they can be minimized to have the maximum amount of space, they can easily be made to appear to be moving around or dancing together to stop anyone from deciphering the codes and a wizard would have to learn the code itself to even be able to understand what each line will do. This is my more immediate project so I''m putting more attention on it. Arithmancy has the same problem, but in this one I''m figuring out the proper math for my original spells for my Charms and DADA masteries. I want to create a new form of protection and a spell truly made to go against the dark arts, something along the line of a Patronus but I''ll see. CoMC is just basically a fun break for me and Christian. We''ve studied and he''s played with everything Hogwarts could possibly provide. It was a nice experience to be playing with the less dangerous creatures like Kneazles, Nifflers and Streelers. Like I said fun break.

    As everyone was getting into a groove, I also resumed my time with Madam Pomfrey, who really likes when I call her Professor when she''s teaching me. Although my knowledge in the individual components of healing are great(potions, herb and charms), one still needs hands on experience and with my results Professor Pomfrey has been more and more inclined in letting me handle cases. This inadvertently made my name spread through the castle as a skilled healer.

    With that momentum coming without me planing for it, i decided it was time to try and set up my little study counseling. So I just decided to post that if anyone wanted help on some spell, potions or any assignments in general, i would be happy to help any who came to one of the abandoned classrooms on the main floor. I''ve also specified that anyone who comes can ask for the help of other willing participants. It would happen twice a week, Monday''s and Wednesday''s after supper. I got permission from three heads of house for this one, didn''t even ask Snape because he really doesn''t like me. Wonder if the homework has anything to do with.

    On a side note, having a few house-elves at your service really helps in setting up a room. I used a good space expansion rune set to make it possible to fit a lot of people, with many tables, comfortable chairs, a sectioned firing range with dummies where I made sure to stop any sounds traveling to and from it, and I''ve also included a few shelves full of study guides for students in their 1st-7th years. I turned the place into a perfect student help center basically.

    "Mate are you really sure about this? It''s not that everyone in our year doesn''t how smart you are, but will they come?" Asked Christian who decided to support this project of mine.

    "I don''t think that''s the point Christian. People don''t need to come, they just need to know that there is a place which is willing to help them." Answered James.

    "Like James said, it doesn''t matter if they come now, as long as someone wants some help I''ll do what I can. Plus if no students come then we can just study and practice in this room of ours." I say confirming James'' statement.

    "Fair enough." Shrugged Christian. "Alright you said you''d help me with actually training those DADA spells while I''m here." He then said to me and dragging me to the dummies.

    "That I did, but I want to start you off with one of the most important spells a wizard can learn first." I replied with a smile.

    "Oh yeah? Which one?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Protego." I answered with a large toothy smile.

    "Well damn." He simply says as he guessed what was gonna come.

    "Don''t worry Chris, I''ll only used stinging hexes and tickling charms" I continued as you can almost see horns and a tail on me.

    "James! A little assistance here!" He yelled out in desperation.

    "Don''t look at me, I''ve got that spell down pat." He said, ignoring his pleading friend.

    "You traitor!" He screamed.

    15 minutes later he was on the floor wheezing as he cursed at a silver haired demon. No idea who he was talking about, I''m a beautiful angel. He was getting the hang of the spell though.

    After that, I went over to James and we got talking about enchantments. He seemed to be really passionate about being able to imbue magical properties to objects, so I took out my vanishing boxes. I''d actually forgotten to give these guys a copy of my prototypes.

    "Hey Chris, stop whining on the floor! I''ve got a new toy to show you two!" I yell to my lightly traumatized friend.

    "Yeah yeah, I''m coming." He said as James was getting rather curious about the boxes.

    Christian finally joined us and I could explain.

    "Alright, these little babies are my prototypes." I then said with a smile.

    "For what?" Asked James as he was looking at the from every angle.

    "Instantaneous messaging and letter delivery. Got the inspiration from vanishing cabinets." I answered proudly.

    "Wait! Really!? You figured out how to do that?" Snapped both of them as they realize what these were.

    "Yeah, been using it to keep in touch with my family for the last month. They work by choosing the number you want to send to and place the message in it, close the lid, point your wand and say send. Presto you just sent it to whoever. It even works to the Hogwarts wards so I''m pretty it can get to anywhere in Britain so far." I explained further.

    "That''s awesome Aedan. And made these all by yourself?" Asked James.

    "Yeah, it was actually my summer project." I said while rubbing my nose with pride.

    Christian was about to ask some more question but then the door opened. A small Asian girl from Ravenclaw walks into the room looking very shy. She had long shiny black hair growing to the middle of her back, small freckles on her nose, typical black eyes, and it looked like she would become rather attractive after she grew up.

    "Alright you two no starring at the first customer, she''s nervous enough as it is. So get to working on your own stuff and help each other out." I say to my friends as they realize they''ve been staring a bit too intensely.

    "Sorry about them, they''re friendly, just surprised someone actually came. My names Aedan Bones and you are?" I say trying to sound nice and approachable.

    "Um, I''m Cho Chang. First year from the same house." She answered with a very quiet voice.

    "Well Cho, it''s a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to meet you. Let''s set ourselves up on the table here and see what I can do to help you out." I said, trying to put her at ease, but I could hear my two friends whispering at the back.

    "Another one bites the dust against the silver star?" Whispered Christian.

    "Judging by the redness I''d say so." James whispered back.

    "I can hear you two over there." I the yelled at them, which caused them to burst out laughing and Cho to look at me with confusion on her face.

    And that''s how the student run exchange room began.

 Chapter 32 - Ch. 32 Why is it always Slytherin?

    For the next few months things were going great.

    My student exchange room was starting to pick up some steam as Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs from Third year and below started to frequent the place. No one from the snakes or lions had come yet. The snakes being less of a surprise than the lions since I do have a bit of a relationship with the red headed twins. No older students have come either, I think it''s their pride stopping them since asking someone from a lower year for help, since it would lead to some mocking. I even decided to hold a little pre-Halloween feast party with those who came for a little fun.

    A really big surprise was when Christian decided to try out for the Quidditch team. An even bigger surprise came when he became one of the chasers for the team. Me and James were really supportive of him and wondered if we could do anything to help our friend, but couldn''t really come up with anything. I think I''ll be able to come to see his matches and support him if I convince Madam Pomfrey that I can act as an on site medic when they play. She was actually on board with the idea, saying it would test my skills and judgment to see which I could heal properly and which I couldn''t and get help for.

    The first actually troublesome event was when some older Slytherins actually tried to break into the room and were simply repelled. This caused for them to accuse me of banning them as they got Professor Snape on their side.

    "Hello Professor, what can I do for you?" I asked politely.

    "It seems you do not welcome students of my house Mr. Bones, something which you explicitly said you would and even put traps to harm them as they entered." Said Snape as was trying to intimidate me into admitting fault.

    "Did I now? That''s something I am wholly unaware of as there are no defenses at all when the room is scheduled to be opened. Aside from that I had Professor Flitwick''s permission and supervision when I installed a simple ward to stop those with ill intent from opening the door when it is not time for the exchange." I explained, covering all my bases perfectly. "Can I ask why several older students where trying to enter the room when it was clearly not an operational day?"

    Although Snape is kind of a git and would take away a lot of points and give punishment liberally to other houses, he also knows that he cannot justify anything of the accusations, especially such easily proven facts and with everything I''ve done being permitted.

    "What is going on here Mr. Bones? Why have called me and are being interrogated by Professor Snape?" Squeaked my own head of house from behind me.

    "Oh, thank you for coming so quickly Professor. It seems that some older students tried to get in the room with ill intent today and are accusing me of refusing to allow Slytherin students to participate after they were repulsed." I answered the Professor.

    "Is this true Severus?" Then asked Flitwick.

    "You''ve given permission for the boy to set up wards in the castle Filius?" Then asked Snape in response.

    "Of course! With the permission of the Headmaster I was allowed to setup the ward, but Mr.Bones wished to try his hand at it after studying the subject and succeeded perfectly. I was very proud of him when he did so." Answered Flitwick with obvious pride in his voice.

    "Hmph." Simply responded Snape as he figured out that he can''t do anything and that his students are entirely in the wrong. And so he left in a huff as the older kids glare at me like it''s my fault I wasn''t punished for something stupid they tried to do. I think one of them might have been that really ugly quidditch captain of their team. Can''t remember the name of that guy, but he certainly didn''t help the ''purebloods are superior'' image that''s certain.

    That little event ended for a bit anyway, but a few days later some of them tried to corner me as I was walking to the exchange room with Christian and James.

    "You''re gonna regret making fools out of us pretty boy." Said the ugly guy, I finally remembered that his name was Marcus Flint. Typical bully, believes himself better than others and clever, but is simply a cheating idiot. He repeated a year and simply did not have any redeeming traits aside apparently being a good enough flyer to be a chaser.

    "How? Gonna make me look like you troll face? Honestly how pathetic are you? You can''t make it through a simple ill-intent Ward. You w.h.i.n.e to your head of house after you completely fail to do bad deeds with no proof or evidence to support any of your claims. And now here you are, with some fifth and sixth years to try and bully three third years like it''ll somehow not make you look even worse than you already do in the eyes of everyone else." I reply with stinging jabs and enough venom in my words to even make an idiot like him realize how pathetic he his.

    "You''re going to be the pathetic one as soon as we''re done with you!" He yelled out in rage.

    "Wow. Great response troll face. Are those the most words you''ve ever been able to say?" Replied Christian with his voice dripping with sarcasm.

    "You little half-blood shits. You and your mudblood think you''re so tough? Well fine! Kick their asses!" Yelled Marcus.

    That one word made both me and Christian stop laughing.

    "Chris, James, you two go get a professor aside from Snape and then go tell Madam Pomfrey that some idiots are going to visit. You know how strong I am so no arguing on this one." I said, leaving no rooms for questions on this.

    Christian smiles thinking about how strong his friend is physically and James still worries but knows he can''t help here. So they both nod and run.

    "Where are you going you little mud-" One of the sixth years tried to yell as my foot kicked him right in the face, making him do an over the top flip after fainting directly and ending on his a.s.s.

    Not believing what just happened to their housemate the rest of them freeze as my leg comes down slowly and I set myself in a proper karate stance.

    "One down, five to go. Which of you inbred idiots wants the next one?" I then asked with a cold voice.

    I wait a few seconds but no ones moving. Even with how strong I am it''s still not a good idea to let them surround me with bigger numbers, so I decide to make the first move. Keeping myself light on my feet I suddenly burst into action and arrive in front of a fifth year with brown hair.

    "Shit!" Was all he could get out before my jab hit him straight in the face, with a reverse punch to the solar plexus to knock the air out of him and a quick hammer fist to his chin to knock him out. The three hit combo took 2 seconds and I was away from the group again as they stood there not knowing what just happened and their second man goes down. The third target was a shorter fifth year with a rat like face, against whom I used a beautiful roundhouse kick to the head to immediately making him lose consciousness, leaving only three. As they finally realized this wasn''t going well the two remaining sixth years charged at me, hoping to pin me down, but I simply dodge the first and trip him as he passes, then I grab the seconds arm, use his own momentum against him to throw him to the floor and strike his head with my fist to stop him from getting up. Marcus just stood there, paralyzed as i knocked out his last guy with a clean hook as he got up.

    I take a breath to stabilize my breathing and then walk towards the idiot. He steps back in fear as he sees me approaching.

    "Now troll face. It''s just you and me." I say to him with a warm smile which would seem like the devils to him. "Let''s see if we can make you less ugly with a few bruises. Who knows, with how you look I might actually fix some of those things you call teeth too."

    A few minutes later James and Christian came back with Professor McGonagall who was shocked at the sight of six older students laying around the hallway, with me just sitting in the middle of them all and a bunch of students looking at the scene.

    "What in merlins name happened here Mr.Bones?" Questioned the Professor with a very serious look on her face.

    "Well, a few days ago these six tried to break into the new student exchange room to either mess with it or completely destroy it for some unknown reason. When that didn''t work due to a ward on the room permitted by the Headmaster and overseen by Professor Flitwick, they tried to get me in trouble saying I was excluding Slytherin from the exchange. That didn''t end well either as all evidence was against them. So today they ambushed me and my friends when we were heading over to open the room for the day with intention of beating us up physically, even using the term mudblood to insult my friend James. So I told them to get a teacher and warn Madam Pomfrey while I took care of things since everything is on my side. I''ve completely avoided any actual injuries that will require more than a night in the infirmary since I only knocked them out with minimal force." I explained everything to the Professor.

    "And Mr.Flint here?" She asked, pointing to the guys face since it had turned purple from a lot of punches.

    "He was that ugly when I found him." I answered with a straight face.

    All of the students burst out laughing at that sentence. A lot of people had been bullied by the ugly troll and they felt great when they saw him and his crew completely demolished by me. And so they laugh at the situation, the joke and in relief as someone had finally stood up to the bully.

    "Sigh. Understood Mr.Bones. If everything is how you say then you are certainly not in the wrong. You may go if there is no need for you to see Poppy as well." Said McGonagall.

    I left in a hurry with James and Christian because I could almost feel the angry Snape arriving and I think the professor could too because as I left I could hear her say one phrase.

    "Why is it always Slytherin?"

 Chapter 33 - Ch. 33 Troubled Girl

    So after my little adventure with those older idiots, a few changes happened within the castle for me. First is that a lot of those who Flint and his followers had bullied now look at me with some admiration in their eyes, I mean no one likes a bully, but everyone loves someone who stops him. Second is the fact that pretty much the whole of Slytherin house has decided to hate me, I think Snape really pushed for that one. But the only result was a lot of people hit by hexes or jinxes I reflected back at them and that when I try to help in class they continually try to sabotage or make me look bad, which just doesn''t work considering I''m constantly under the gaze of the Professors and other students. Third is something which Christian and James both hate me for and tease me about constantly, that being girls started to look at me like a piece of meat and they are the hunters, so I''m just constantly hiding. And lastly, I''ve had a boom in numbers for the exchange, with more students coming for help and older one realizing they can use the place to discuss with their peers, no matter the house or year, and help younger ones in their spare time, while also asking for help without judgment. I made this place to focus on the improvement of everyone, bullying and harassment will lead to temporary ban or if the case is too severe the person will be banned permanently. I''ve also had to add a clause saying that if you aren''t here to improve or help others you had to leave, because girls kept trying to sneak in and just stare at me. Got a lot of dark stares from the guys till I added that rule.

    On the whole, I believe I''ve been a major beneficiary of the event. Funnily enough, because Tonks knows about the fact that I''m ahead of 7th years by far in pretty much every subject, she was the first senior to ask for help in the room, and that''s what made the older students acknowledge my academic abilities as well. I was now being called the freaking Silver Raven because of my old nickname of Silver Star by the girls and my knowledge as a Ravenclaw. I got teased to high heaven by my friends for this one and I think it was revenge for when I help them practice their hands-on skills.

    With all this happening, my reputation in the castle was simply exploding upwards in the eyes of pretty much everyone except one very angry house, some more jealous students, and one apprehensive headmaster. But the rest of the professors were thrilled at the trend in increasing grades and the fact that three of the houses were having more exchanges between each other.

    But. There seemed to be one girl in the third year who was getting worse and worse in grades and emotional state.

    My self proclaimed rival from first year had started stagnating in second year for some reason, but since the start of our Third year she''s been literally depressed. Every time I saw Victoria she now had a dark expression on her face, with reddened eyes showing we had probably cried recently. She''s been avoiding the Great Hall and even skipped the Halloween feast. I don''t particularly have a good opinion of the girl, but it''s not bad either. I mean even with her Death Eater father she still has never bullied or insulted muggle-borns, she simply showed some rejection on her face, and she was just trying to be number one through hard work, not sabotaging. Seeing her slowly break down was not pleasant, but I don''t know the girl well enough to really interfere and I don''t want to make the prideful girl break by showing pity.

    But well, let''s just say my attitude towards the problem changed very quickly when it was almost the winter holidays.

    I was on my way back from cleaning and locking up the exchange for the break after a little celebration for the holidays with those who''d wish to come. It was a nice little thing. I got the castles elves to makes some Christmas themes food in the shape of snowmen, snowflakes, pine trees, etc. Decorated it a bit like how the Great hall was for the Yule ball scene in the movies and just had a few fun competitions like the best Ice transfiguration, who could make a small statue sing/dance the best, or just who can destroy a dummy the best. I think it was quite successful.

    Feeling happy, me and my friends decided to walk around the snow covered grounds. Gives a different feel then the rest of the year, for a lack of a better word, it feels more magical seeing the white blanket cover everything.

    Suddenly as we neared the Black Lake, we heard some voices. Looking over, we spotted a group of students, dragging another one kicking and screaming. We looked at each other and started to run in their direction.

    By the time we got close enough to see what was happening in detail, they had thrown the student into the lake and were shooting spells to stop her from being able to get out.

    "Ha! You think you''re so great Travers? You think you can be better than the Star? Well, how about now?" I could hear one of the bullying girls taunt, what we could now see was Victoria.

    "Make her learn her lesson. She is nothing. She''s not better than any of us." Sneered another.

    All three of us froze when we saw a mix of Ravenclaw and Gryffindor girls doing something so mean to another.

    With a quick look we all knew what had to be done. With my tutoring and constant training, Christian has gotten quite good at using silent casting and had a knack for the art of plant magic. He was in charge of getting Victoria out of the lake by manipulating the aquatic plants. James was going to be with me to immobilize the rest of them, since with him following my lead, he''s also far ahead of others in the areas of Charms and Transfiguration. So we just casted Incarcerous at the lot of them.

    "What Slimy Snake doesn''t have the guts to take us on?!" Yelled one of the lion girls.

    "Which bastard wants to support that little bitch!?" Screeched one of the claws.

    "You want to take this one o mighty Silver Raven." Asked Christian jokingly, while glaring at the bullies.

    "Yeah i got this. James can you dry her and bring her to the infirmary?" I ask my charm proficient friend as I turn my attention to the girls. "Madam Pomfrey should be at the feast, but I won''t be long and should be able to take care of it."

    "You do that, we''ll get her there safe and sound. She needs to get out of the cold after being in the lake for that long." Agreed James.

    They left me with this group of bullies as they took Victoria away.

    I step in front of them and look at them with a cold face.

    "You know... I hate bullies." I start with a little pause. I see their faces drop when they hear how cold my voice is compared to my gentle and calm tone when I''m helping others or my happy and energetic one when I''m explaining something I find interesting.

    "But this was for you!" Yelled out one of my house members.

    "That snake can''t be allowed to reach you!" Explained another.

    "I have never requested anything from anyone. I abhor this type of behavior." I reply with anger in my voice, shutting them all up.

    "You will be permanently banned from the exchange. I will notify Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Snape of what happened, they will decide the punishment for such acts. I believe your group has also been responsible for some of the changes Victoria has been through over the last year and a half as well, this will also have to be considered." I announce my verdict to the girls.

    "You can''t do that!" Now said a raven, feeling both scared and nervous.

    "I can and will. My exchange was made on the principle of helping each other no matter the house and ability. I''ve clearly stated that participants are to never bully others or discriminate, and you have shown a disgusting level in both. As for telling teachers, you are lucky I''m not helping Victoria charge you with actual crimes. You''ve all committed horrible acts of harassment against a single girl who was trying her best without harming others." I reply with a glare.

    With a wave of my wand I clear the snow around the fallen students, conjure a fire to keep them warm and then take my leave with them begging for forgiveness from me.

    I walked on without looking back at them and headed to the infirmary where my two friends were waiting for me. Victoria seemed to have lost consciousness which is both good and bad. It lets me treat her with no issues, but it means her body was at her limit and her mind had been put under incredible stress for a long time.

    "Sigh. Can you two go get the heads of house except for Professor Sprout, since it involves all houses but hers? Madam Pomfrey also needs to be notified. They should all be at the feast. Sorry for the running around." I asked apologetically to my friends.

    "It''s no problem mate, you''re the only one who knows anything about healing. You stay with her." Answered Christian, understanding the situation well, with James nodding besides him.

    They both ran out and headed to the Great Hall.

    Meanwhile I used a few diagnostic charms on Victoria, it was disheartening seeing the results. She was quite underweight for a girl her age. Scr.a.p.es, cuts and bruises were all over her body, but I''m not sure if that''s the bullying or if she is in an abusive home. I''ve actually found a few bones with traces of being improperly mended. Her body itself is running on empty. And if I understand her psychological state properly, she''s getting close to the point where one would actually contemplate committing suicide due to constant harassment, bullying, possible abuse, pressure from the self and exterior, and no support from anywhere.

    ''She needs help. I can''t turn my eyes away from this anymore. Whether she likes it or not, I will help her.'' I thought with determination.

 Chapter 34 - Ch. 34 Supporting a lonely girl

    As I was thinking about how to help Victoria, Madam Pomfrey arrived with James behind her and Snape soon after.

    "How is the girl Aedan?" Asked Madam Pomfrey as she entered.

    "This incident itself didn''t leave much to worry about. We got her out of the lake quickly, dried her and got her indoors with no time wasted, so the worst would be a few days of potions if she gets sick." I answered the relieved healer.

    "You said this incident isn''t much to worry about. So what is Bones?" Asked Snape, catching the hint in my words.

    "There''s a few. The biggest is that I think she might be physically and verbally abused in her home." I stated seriously.

    "Dear Merlin, you can''t be serious Aedan!" Exclaimed Poppy.

    "Do not lie to me boy." Was Snape''s sneering answer.

    "Her injuries and mental state are consistent with everything you''ve taught and I''ve researched on the subject Madam Pomfrey, please run your own diagnostic tests on her and see." I simply answered.

    Doing just that, to confirm her students diagnosis of Victoria, she runs her own spells.

    "By Merlins beard." She whispered to herself as her eyes widened.

    "Well, what is it Madam Pomfrey? Is the boy lying or just incompetent?" Asked Snape, snapping at her.

    ''I''m giving the git twice as much homework this week. He thinks what I''m giving him now is bad, he has no idea.'' I thought to myself because of Snape''s insult of my skills.

    "Nothing of the sort Severus. Aedan is

    perfectly correct. Ms. Travers shows clear signs of abuse and improperly healed injuries to conceal it." She responded seriously.

    "Bones. You, Calaway and Wards will speak to no one about this. I will discuss this with the Headmaster." He ordered us and declared as he left.

    "Is it alright if I stay and help Madam Pomfrey? I feel like she could really use some support right now." I asked my healing instructor. It''s not like I''ve never spent the night in the infirmary to watch over a patient.

    "That''ll be fine Aedan. Thank you for offering." She answered with a smile on her lips.

    With that I spent my evening waiting for her to wake up. James and Christian came to check up on the situation, but after understanding they wouldn''t be able to do anything for now, they left and got ready to head home in the morning.

    When the sky was about to fully become night, Victoria finally woke up.

    "It''s good to see the damsel has awoken." I say with a bright voice. "How are you feeling?" I then asked carefully.

    "What are you doing here? Here to mock me? To prove you''re better than me?" She asked aggressively, almost like her last defenses were being attacked.

    "No Victoria. I''m here to take care of you. Me and my friends are the ones who got you out of the lake. We also got those girls punished for their actions. I''m also the one who''s going to try and help you feel better. So please don''t think I''m here to hurt you, but if you want to let anything out please do. I''ll be right here to listen." I answer gently to the very hurt girl, who is like an injured beast at the moment, clawing at anything getting close to her.

    "Ha! Like I''d believe the perfect little Silver Star would take his time to talk to me! The foolish girl trying to beat him! The slimy snake trying to look better than everyone else! The pureblood bigot! The bully!" She yelled at me, as she screamed her emotions at me.

    I simply smile warmly and hope to encourage her to let off more steam. That smile makes her pause, she wasn''t expecting a smile.

    "Why are you smiling!? You think it''s funny that I''m yelling at you?!" She then snapped at me. "You think I''m so far beneath you that you can just brush off anything I say!?

    "I''ve never thought that Victoria." I simply reply with a calm voice.

    "I actually believe you are a very talented witch." I added.

    "Don''t you dare mock me! You think I''ll accept your pity! I am member of the Ancient and Noble house of Travers!" She yelled back. It was as if she was desperate to appear strong in front of me.

    "I''m not mocking you at all Victoria. You are the only student in our year I''ve never had to help in any subject. Your grades are fantastic and you''ve earned every single one of them. You are determined, strong, courageous, as well as fiercely intelligent. You should be considered a true example of what a witch should be." I say honestly to the girl.

    "I am so very sorry that people have harmed you so much because of me. I''ve tried to make it clear how much I hate such acts like bullying, but it looks like I''ve failed you. So

    I am sorry." I added sincerely to the poor girl.

    "Stop apologizing to me! You think you''re so perfect! Best grades! Most popular! Most attractive! Skilled! Knowledgeable! Outgoing! Kind! You think you''re better than everyone else and you disgust me! You don''t even look human! More like some elf and Veela hybrid!" She yelled back at me.

    "Hahaha. Now that''s a new one! None of my friends ever thought of that one. Veela-elf hybrid indeed." I exclaimed with a laugh.

    Seeing my reaction confused her greatly. She doesn''t understand how I can laugh at being insulted.

    "But you know... I''ve never thought of myself as being remotely perfect. Intelligent yes. Creative, strong and outgoing certainly. But never perfect." I say to the girl.

    "Ha, like I believe you. I know you think you''re better than everyone else. That''s why you ''help'' them. Why you opened your stupid room. Why you even learn how to heal on top of class work. It''s because it makes you feel better than everyone else." She then said with barbs in her voice.

    "No. I try to help others in class because I''m all honesty I''ve already completed everything required in every class at Hogwarts and wish to help my classmates to improve and enjoy magic like I do." I replied to her barb.

    "Bullshit! You expect me to believe you''ve studied to NEWT levels!" Denied Victoria.

    "I was already at OWL levels in Potions, Herbology, History, Runes, Arithmancy and Astronomy by the time I was in Hogwarts due to pushing myself and having my aunt hire tutors. I had covered every book of spells until OWL''s from a theoretical perspective and was able to master 1st-3rd year spells from that. I was putting myself through 6 years of intensive learning before I even came to Hogwarts because I wanted to learn everything I could. I wanted to know. I wanted to learn magic. To master it. Change it. Create it. I wanted to understand every aspect I could from it and then make it my own. And I want to try and help others feel a similar passion if only for a single subject. That''s actually why I''m such good friends with Christian and James." I explain to the almost broken girl.

    Her eyes widened in disbelief. It''s not like many wizard families don''t want to get tutors for their children, but children don''t want to do so. They don''t care for magic or see it as special, to them it''s something they live with and will learn later so there''s no rush. It''s hard to make kids even learn the family exclusive skills and knowledge, much less do what I have been doing since the age of 5.

    "That''s who i am Victoria. That''s what drives me to learn and improve. I''m not competing for grades because those aren''t truly my goal, it''s only a way to demonstrate the steps I''ve taken. As for being perfect, well have you ever wondered why the so-called perfect guy where''s glasses?" I then ask the girl.

    She opens her mouth a few times, wanting to say the obvious reason of eyesight issues, but from the way I asked, it made her think that might not be the case.

    "It''s simple really, because if I don''t and lose control, I might fry the brain of anyone who looks into my eyes." I stated directly.

    Her mouth hangs open at my answer, with eyes wide open.

    "I don''t see myself as a perfect person, not even close. I see myself as a monster, one who needs to be careful not to harm others accidentally or he might be collared. It still have my goals and dreams, but I''m different and I know it, so I do what I can." I said with a self-depreciating smile.

    Victoria couldn''t really understand everything that I''ve said because it throws her views in the air and she wanted to find something to latch onto.

    "Then what about the times you smirk at me when I finish in class assignments after you?" She started off with.

    "I was smiling at the fact someone else was skilled and determined to learn."

    "What about all those girls?"

    "I had no idea they were doing things like that and hate the idea of bullying."

    "What about you learning healing from Madam Pomfrey?"

    "Healing is something i believe more should learn and should be offered at Hogwarts itself. I didn''t do it to be better than others, I did it so I could help others."

    "Then your room?"

    "I want to encourage people to seek improvement and for people to help each other. Without anyone worrying about house, age, or status."

    I didn''t know how to comfort a crying girl. I mean does any guy really know? But I manned up and did the only thing I could think of.

    I hugged the poor girl.

    It startled her, froze her for a bit, but then she felt my hug tighten a bit and she started crying even more. Letting her feelings of frustration, stress, anger, sadness, depression and helplessness flow out of her.

    So I stayed there and was trying to comfort the hurt girl. It took maybe 15-20 minutes before she was able to calm down again. My shirt was fairly wet, but it''s worth it.

    "I''m sorry about that." She said still sniffling a bit and wiping her eyes.

    "It''s alright Victoria. Hope it helped." I said giving her a reassuring smile.

    "Thanks." Was all she could say in a quiet voice with redness on her face due to some embrass.e.m.e.nt.

    "So what are you going to do for the break? Are staying here or going back?" I asked after a few minutes of silence.

    "Why are you asking?" She then asked in return as she became a bit scared.

    "Because me and Madam Pomfrey know Victoria, Snape as well and I won''t leave you alone after this. So I want to help." I answered looking straight into her eyes with determination.

    "I don''t know. If I don''t go my father will get worse in the summer." She answered with fear and sadness.

    "What about your mom?" I asked carefully.

    "She''s in St. Mungo''s, a curse went wrong and dad took up gambling and drinking." She mumbled sadly.

    "I''m sorry to hear that Victoria." I say apologetically.

    "Not your fault." She answers.

    "Mmmm. How about if I invite the young Heiress of House Travers to make connections for the winter break at the home of Noble house Bones?" I ask the girl.

    "Wait. You''re inviting me to spend the break at your house?" She asked in surprise.

    "If your dad is anything like I think he is, then he''ll jump at the chance of making a connection with my aunt and it''ll let you not be near him whilst also going back and making you appear ''useful'' to the man. I think it''s the perfect trick." I say explaining my reasoning.

    The girl is smart, she understands immediately how solid the suggestion is, but then her face turns towards me in doubt.

    "But you live with your aunt no? Will she even allow it?" She asked feeling both fear and hope.

    "I''ll ask her now. I''ll have to explain some of your situation, but my aunt is a very good person and I''ve no doubt she''ll agree." A replied trying to reassure the girl with a smile.

    "But how? We leave tomorrow and I can''t just show up!" She exclaimed.

    "Let me introduce to my little creation, the vanishing box. Lets me send letters to a box my aunt has in her possession instantaneously. Made it during the summer." I say in an infomercial voice and with a proud smile.

    I write a quick letter to my aunt and few minutes later her agreement came in.

    "And voila. Victoria Travers is now officially invited to visit house Bones for the holidays." I give her the letter with a smile.

    She takes the letter and reads it over and over, like she thinks it''ll vanish or be a fake. But when she finally convinces herself this is actually happening, new tears slowly fall unto the letter.

    "Why are you helping me? We barely know each other." She asked desperately.

    "Because I''m no longer looking away from you suffering." I answer with determination. "From now on you are my friend." I declare.

    She starts crying even more, but this time it''s different. Those tears held relief and happiness.

    "Thank you." Was all she could whisper in response.

 Chapter 35 - Ch. 35 Worry and Joy

    With a new friend joining my two, it was a bit of an adjustment since although she didn''t leave a negative opinion of herself with the guys, she still didn''t give off much in the positive feelings department.

    This resulted in a little ice breaking during the train ride back to London. But honestly, as soon as we all started to talk to each other about things we particularly enjoyed it was going great. Victoria had a passion for improving herself in pretty much all aspects, not wanting to lack glaringly in any way. She was the most well rounded student after me and would had been offered a time-turner this year if her grades hadn''t dropped. She could talk to Christian about Herbology, but struggled to match him in CoMC. She could talk up a storm on Charms and Transfiguration with James, but he had true fire in his eyes when it came to enchanting, leaving her helpless in that field. I was able to match everyone and then some in every field we discussed.

    This gave something to Victoria she had never really experienced before, true peers and possibly friends. People she could turn to to discuss her ideas and new things she''d learned, who would then offer feedback, advice, or praise for her efforts. Not the so called friends who were either followers or only after her families wealth and power. Although it was too soon to be real friends, she was happy to find herself surrounded by passionate youths her age.

    It lit a fire in her eyes again. But most importantly, It let her smile for the first time in a long time.

    -Meanwhile, In some old mans office.

    "And so our first term comes to close again and the students enjoy their vacations. So let us begin our little meeting once again. Anyone care for a lemon drop?" Said the Headmaster and offering his candy as was the usual for everyone present. Something which everyone just ignored.

    With the standard report and a few minutes of on going exchanges, it finally come down to the changes happening.

    "The NEWT and OWL students are behaving as usual. Stressed and worried, but it seems that there have been less, for the lack of better word, harassment of teachers for assistance this year." Began the deputy headmistress.

    "Hmph, I''ve seen nothing indicating actual improvements in my classes. Except for the rare case, most of these children should never be behind a cauldron." Disagrees the ever sneering Allen Rickman.

    "Oh don''t be so uptight. I think there has been a rather good amount of talented students rising up lately." Lightly admonished the kindly head badger.

    "Ooh, it has simply been a delight seeing so many of the younger students improving in their practical work lately." Squeak the ever-joyful mini Professor.

    "Speaking of which, does this have anything to do with the founding of Mr. Bones ''exchange room'' as I believe he calls it?" Asked the most wizard looking old man in Britain.

    "Yes indeed! I''ve been paying close attention to my brightest house members project. Not only are the students participating showing improvements in their practical skills, the homework submitted has also shown qualitative jumps as some of the older ones began to participate, which seems to help them strengthen their basics." Excitedly said the head raven.

    "I''ve also noticed a decrease in inter-house conflicts between the three participating ones. It warms my heart to see the students helping each other." Added the kind-hearted Herbology master.

    "Except for Slytherin house. After that debacle with Mr. Flint, I seems they refuse to participate and are openly hostile anytime Mr. Bones wishes to help them." Finished the feline transfiguration teacher.

    "My house members don''t need to participate in that foolish waste of time." Sneered the original greaser. (Cause he''s a greasy git~)

    "Hmm, so it seems the majority believe this has had a positive influence on the students. Then I believe there is no harm in letting it stay open until further notice." Proclaimed the supreme Mugwump. (Ridiculous title)

    "Then I believe everyone can be dismissed. Severus, Minerva, please do stay behind." Concluded the second coming of Merlin. (I got so far before I had to use names T-T)

    After the others had left, it was time for the less appropriate questions.

    "So how has Mr. Bones been? He seems to have become a lot more active this year." Asked Dumbledore.

    "As always, he shows beyond excellence during class and tries to help those struggling while I overlook the class. In all honesty it feels like having a second Professor when I hear him helping other students and a fellow master when I grade his homework." Sighed McGonagall at the fact that such a student wasn''t in her house.

    "Ha. The boy is an annoyance I wish I could get rid off. He seems to take p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e in giving ridiculous amounts of homework to spite me when he feels like it." Responded Snape.

    "And it appears it has only happened to you again Severus." Said the headmaster with a chuckle.

    "But how has he acted outside of class?" He then asked to hear what he truly wanted.

    "Impeccably would be the word for it. Since the beginning of the Exchange as it now known to students, he shows no exclusion to anyone who doesn''t dislike him. He aids anyone who needs it. Studies seriously. Spends time with his friends as they improve one another. Or simply learns from and helps Poppy during the weekends or during Quidditch games." Explained McGonagall.

    "Aside from from the incident with Mr. Flint and my personal feelings on the pest, he is rather unbiased. The incident with Ms. Travers demonstrated that. He was willing to stop bullies from other houses and his own to help one from a house which is openly hostile to himself. No smart, but fair at least." Partially agreed Snape.

    "Thank you both for your opinions. You may go back to begin your break as well." Said the Headmaster, dismissing them.

    As they left him alone he was lost in his thoughts.

    ''So different, but so similar. Extraordinarily gifted, popular with students and professors, lost family and strong. He has also experienced what dark magic can offer a person. Very dangerous variable, especially with Harry joining the school next year. What to do?''

    -Back to someone people actually care about.

    "Have a good break guys, we''ll see you on the trip back." I said to my two friends as they left with their families.

    I then noticed my aunt and Susan waiting for us.

    "Hey aunt Amelia good to see you again, you too Suz." I say with a hug to each.

    "It is good to see you happy and healthy as always Aedan. Now properly introduce the pretty young lady behind." She said with a small smile.

    "Yes ma''am. Victoria, as I''m sure you guessed, this is my aunt, head of house Bones and of the DMLE, Amelia Bones. The little cutie beside her is my cousins Susan. Aunt Amelia, Susan, this is my friend Victoria Travers." I introduced everyone properly as requested.

    "It is a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to meet you Madam Bones." She said with a light curtsy. "Thank you so much for allowing me to stay with you for the Hollidays, you have no idea how helpful this is." She then thanked her sincerely.

    "You''re welcome dear. If it''s anything as Aedan summarized then you are more than welcome in our home." She replied with a smile.

    "Hi!" Jumped in an excited Susan." So you''re spending Christmas with us?"

    "Um. Yes I am. It''s nice to meet you Susan." Replies Victoria awkwardly.

    ''Seems like she doesn''t really know how to act with younger kids.'' I thought to myself in amus.e.m.e.nt.

    "Are you dating big brother?" Was then heard, making her freeze and me cough.

    "Cough, cough. No Suz, I''m not dating Victoria. She''s a friend and needed a place to stay for the holidays, so be nice. Treat her like an older sister." I replied to little sister.

    That made her have stars in her eyes.

    ''Looks like she''s excited at the thought of having a big sister. Why does that make me sad?'' I thought to myself getting a chuckle then sadness.

    "Alright, I think that a good enough introduction. If anything else needs to be said you can do it at home. Tilly is excited to have someone new to look after. She says you are too easy Aedan." Interrupted aunty still smiling at the kids acting like kids.

    "Why does that feel like an insult and a compliment?" I said to myself after hearing that.

    "All you have to do is make a big mess and she''ll be happy." Said Susan.

    "Yeah, but then aunty will kill me. Not worth it." I answer.

    While me and Susan chat with one another Victoria is confused at what to do until I turn around.

    "What are you waiting for? Can''t leaving without our guest." I say to her.

    She finally snaps out of it and follows along.

    We got to my place and got a tackle hug from Tilly.

    "Hey Tilly, missed you too." I say with a laugh.

    "Tilly is happy the young master is back. The young master always makes the house happier." Exclaimed our little elf with her ears twitching in happiness.

    "Thanks Tilly, glad to be back too." I said with a smile.

    She lets me go and grabs mine and Victoria''s luggage to put in our respective rooms.

    "Basically you can go pretty much anywhere. Individual rooms just need permission from the owner, obviously avoid aunty''s. The home office is where I will spend some of my time everyday to do my duties as heir. The library is free to use, but don''t mind the notes I some of them, I wrote corrections when I was younger until Aunty got me notebooks. We have our magical garden in the back, just wear the gloves and be careful, I know you can handle yourself with plants. If you have any questions about them you can ask me, Susan or Tilly. Everyone has breakfast and supper together with aunty, with lunch being a bit looser but generally together. And if you want to go out we just need to get permission. Oh you can use your owl to order anything you want or need and feel free to ask Tilly if you need something." I narrated.

    "You''re helping your aunt manage the house!?" Exclaimed Victoria in surprise.

    "Yeah. She''s been taking care of me and Susan on top of her job and lordship, so I wanted to help her out. I did a great job and she''s been letting me handle a lot more as time goes on. Plus with my little box she can even send some doc.u.ments over to Hogwarts." A say with a smile.

    "And you said Susan the 10 year old can help me if I want to go see your garden?" She then asked curiously.

    "Who do you think takes care of it while I''m away?" I reply. "I started the thing because I love the subject and wanted to grow my own ingredients, Susan got curious so I taught her, but since I''m away most of the year it basically became Susan''s. She got really good at it too." I add acting like a proud big brother.

    "You really care for your family don''t you Aedan?" Then asked Victoria with a sad smile.

    "Yeah, i do. I owe a lot to them for taking me in. But no need for that face. You might not have the best dad, but you can find your own happiness later if you find the guy who makes you smile instead of the guy who gives you money. Hell maybe he ends up being both." I say with a grin, getting a small smile in response.

    "Just don''t give up on yourself and find what makes you happy. Not for anyone, but for you. And when you find someone who accepts that, you''ll be fine." I add to encourage the girl.

    "I will try." Was her answer.

    "Good. Now let''s try and have some fun!" I proclaimed as I took her outside.

 Chapter 36 - Ch. 36 Holidays and Reports

    As the break began in earnest for me and Victoria, it took her some time to get used to things

    The eating schedule was mostly fine as she adjusted to it. She liked spending time in the library when I was busy, but was fl.u.s.tered by Susan when she wanted to do things together, it was funny to watch. What weirded her out was Tilly actually. The thing with living within a death wanker family is that they tend to treat magical creatures even worse than they would muggle-borns. So her seeing our really energetic and happy Tilly really threw her off. She was helpful, concerned, determined and proud of her work. It couldn''t be further from the house-elves she''d seen in other noble families homes. She actually came in the office one day to ask me some questions about our family home.

    Knock knock.

    "Come in." I say without looking up from the paper.

    "Are you too busy to talk?" Asked a slightly nervous Victoria.

    "Nah it''s fine. This is a project I''m overseeing and I''m just making sure everything is on track." I said to relax her.

    "That''s good, just wanted to ask some questions." She said with a sigh.

    "Shoot." I say simply.

    "How come your house-elf is so..." she started asking but couldn''t figure out the right way to say her question.

    "Enthusiastic?" I try to help her finish it.

    "Yeah! She''s always trying to make sure everyone''s ok, looking for work, preparing food, drinks or whatever. She keeps asking if I have everything I need or if anyone needs anything done." She then says.

    "Ah. I get it. You''re not used to seeing a happy house-elf right? You''re used to seeing them afraid, meek, basically broken, slightly insane, or self-harming right?" I ask to confirm to which she nods.

    "Well it''s pretty simple. We treat Tilly like family, or a friends, or assistant, or like a maid, or pretty much a combination of all of them. We gently correct her on how we like things and praise her when she does the right ones, with some rewards she likes when she goes above and beyond. So instead of a slave we take for granted, we try to provide an environment which lets her thrive, which in turn makes the best environment for us. Do you kinda get the idea?" I explained.

    "I think so. It''s basically keeping her happy and healthy in exchange for the best result." She replied.

    "It''s a cold way of summarizing it, both essentially yes. We just care for her and want her to be happy. It just so happens that she''s happy taking care of those who care for her." I slightly correct her, but she''s not wrong.

    "Makes sense i guess. My other question has to do with those notes you talked about, the ones in the books downstairs. How old were you when you wrote those?" She then asked curiously.

    "I think it was around five or six, right before I had started formal tutoring. I got into reading everything in the library and tried to make improvements based of what I had read alone. If I go back to them now I''ll probably correct my corrections, but there are still some nice pieces of information in those. The notes in my room are real good though." I say to her whilst reminiscing a bit.

    "You wrote those at the age of 5!?" Exclaimed a very surprised Victoria. "I''ve never thought about the stuff you wrote even now!"

    "I think that''s a reason not many people have actually noticed a lot of the things I''ve corrected. The mindset was already set from their families viewpoints and commonsense. I read those with the ability to memorize pretty much all of it and had an outsiders viewpoint, hence an objective correction. It''s actually what convinced my aunt to get me some proper tutors." I explain to the girl.

    "I want to see those notes!" She then demanded with fire in her eyes.

    "Sure, come on. I''ll put this on hold for a bit and introduce you to them. There''s a lot, but I modified my room to let me organize everything without filling it up with shelves." I say while getting up and walking to my door.

    "Welcome. You''re the first girl in here. Really didn''t expect it to be you." I say with a little chuckle to myself.

    "Oh, who''d you expect then?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Dunno. First girlfriend would have been my guess." I stated with a shrug to which Victoria gets stunned at my answer.

    "Alright come here." I say to snap her out of it.

    "Right the shelves are set to Ancient Runes due to that being the latest project I''ve finished working with. It''s currently shelf four on the subject. I have two dials; one for subject, the other for the shelf number. The lower the number, the older the research and notes. Pretty easy to understand right?" I turn around asking to see her following along.

    "Wait. If what you said is true. Then don''t you have at minimum 12 shelves in there!? How''d you fit them all?!" Exclaimed Victoria as she thinks about how many subject are taught in Hogwarts.

    "I get where you have your minimum, but after understanding divination to a point i let it go since I don''t have any gifts in the art and spending so much time to see possibles futures isn''t my thing. I also don''t have anything on muggle studies since I decided to simply experience it first hand and study their own knowledge. This was after I had noticed any books on the subject was either over a hundred years behind the actual thing or completely idiotic." I explained to the the girl.

    "So you started with ten shelves then?" She asked to be clear.

    "No." I answered to her surprise. "Because instead of those two I studied Dueling, warding and Healing. With Curse-breaking on the side to understand both sides of warding perfectly."

    "So it''s actually 13 minimum!" She finally understood.

    "Well yes, but I think it''s closer to 40 now. It''s not just filled with my notes, but also with good books on subjects, with solid information or theories, practical advice or to serve as good reference points to understand my own theories. Everything is categorized chronologically for my notes and alphabetically for the actual books. Some of my theories or ideas were disproven so they''ve been crossed out, I''ve also crossed out completely false or misleading information in the books." I explained my system to my guest who''s mouth hung open.

    "How does it work?" She managed to get out.

    "Basically a very large space expansion on the wooden surroundings of the shelf, assigning specific codes to all the shelves so that they respond to the dial, modified summon charm to make them come and leave to their designated spot in the expanded space. Pretty nifty. Got the idea from a muggle movie about the future." I explained in a very simplified manner.

    "And you''re giving me permission to read all of these?" She then asked doubtfully. I mean who would let others just read their life''s work?

    "Of course! Knowledge is meant to be shared. If you can think about improvement for my ideas and results feel free to take one the the empty notebooks and write. I love seeing new ideas!" I answered with a bright smile, stunning the girl.

    "You can either read here or anywhere else, but I''m gonna go back to work now." I said, leaving the girl alone.

    The biggest project for me was the creation of a lumber production area, made using the daisugi method of lumbering, with every piece originating from a single tree. I''ve talked to Geri, who is still in training, and got her advertise the job to trustworthy werewolves. Their pay would be about 40 galleons a month. The pay was calculated by taking into account the Wolfsbane potion, which is still expensive to produce even with some adjustments and the production of some of the ingredients, the living quarters offered, meals and properly prepared underground area to silently transform in. Even then it was leagues beyond what any werewolf would get paid for any work, most time they get paid in Wolfsbane potion. They have to sign confidentiality agreements added into their contracts and be taught the way to do the job from the experts we hired from Japan, but they will have stable jobs after this. The forest is growing well under the prepared conditions we set for the cedar trees, with no issues cultivating the trees with magically accelerated growth.

    My reports from the Micheal side were also promising.

    The first being the potions shop, Breaking Grounds apothecary. The appearance of so many modified or simply improved potions in the shop stunned those that bought from the store. The ministry had a field day to test everyone of them and when the news broke that everything worked as was indicated, well it sent waves across the potions making world, the market and the ministry itself as they doubled their efforts to find the elusive Micheal Folster. Due to our outstanding product at very reasonable prices, it had been approached to supply potions to St. Mungo''s which was accepted, but it would take time to set up the proper production line, hire and screen new employees. People were trying to argue against so many new potions being introduced into the market, but they were simply drowned out. Some important families were trying to make trouble for the shop but everything was taken care of by greasing some hands. Two can play this game and even after all my investments on this side of things, my bank account is quickly growing to be the largest in magical Britain.

    The Herald is slowly getting its name out there, with extremely accurate news, reliable coverage, credible sources and fact based reporting. It''s not nearly as popular as the Prophet, but it is building its own influence. I''ve planned to make the bigger expansions of readership when the Harry Potter canon begins properly.

    My ingredient farms, Natural Cultivation, is finally up and running. At the moment it is not selling anything of the market, since I am in need of a lot of ingredients, but I am paying for them myself. The employees have been trained in the growing of a single type of herb for each plantation, spreading the knowledge out, even without counting on the magical contracts they''ve signed stating that even if they leave, they can never use or spread that knowledge without mine, Scott''s or Madam Chambers say so.

    Fortress Protection added another ten recruits to their roster. After some proper training under Oliver, three were considered to be at hit-wizard level, and they were assigned in the vicinity of the FIRM center and the Breaking Grounds as protection against potential property damage or harassment. Oliver has been very happy with the facilities I''ve prepared.

    Ms. Elaine Summers training has been doing very good as well. After I''ve basically outbid the prick trying to get her to quit, I got her back on active duty and she''s been a role. I''ve been giving her some support by purchasing information from the goblins and helping her chose safe but impressive targets to boost her career.

    Finally the FIRM center is becoming a stable welcoming ground for any Muggle-born trying to find a stable job in either my businesses or with a few others around Diagon Alley that had agreed to hire some more hands. These wizards and witches were quite happy to have a pension system we put in place like the muggle world, they had seen many old wizards and witches loosing everything and did not want to end up like them. The center has also been a good first contact point for muggles new to the wizarding world, helping them understand this side properly.

    Mr. Scott said the safe houses I had wished to purchase are all ready to be warded properly, which will have to wait till summer. My investments on the muggle side were doing phenomenal. He had take the liberty to purchase some buildings in Diagon Alley and reserved one for the Bones family, since I need one to display my magical creations. He also informed me he was undergoing some training with Oliver after getting my consent, to sharpen himself. It had thrown him off when I revealed that the Dork Lord still lived. He''d also mentioned that he and Geri were starting to get along properly, but there was still some distance between them before it could be called trust.

    So with an evil grin I decided to startle her. I crept closer until I was next to her.

    "What are you reading there?" I asked in her ear. You should have seen her jump and heard her yelp. It was priceless.

    "Don''t you knock you bloody git!" She yelled in anger and embarrassment.

    "It''s my room, didn''t think you''d still be here." I replied trying to keep a straight face.

    "Doesn''t matter if it''s your room or not. You knock next time someone might be in it!" She fired back angrily.

    I could see this was going to be an impossible battle, no matter how right or logical I was, so I took the better part of valor and surrendered.

    "Alright, I''ll knock next time." I said as I rose my hands up in surrender.

    "Good." She simply said letting me off the hook.

    "Now tell me. How the bloody hell did you come up with all this stuff? I can''t fathom it. You wrote and made things that wizards haven''t thought up with centuries of living with magic, but a prepubescent child without a wand does all that and I''ve just scratched the surface. I can''t understand." Said Victoria looking completely defeated.

    "I get why you''re feeling what you''re feeling. The reason I believe I can do so much is simply because I don''t think magic is anywhere near perfect or in its final form. No spells, recipes or methods have reached perfection in my mind and something can always be improved, you just have to find out what." I try to explain.

    "Teach me." She replied.

    "What?" I couldn''t believe what I had heard.

    "I want you to teach me how you do all this. I want to create my own spells like you do and be the best I can be." She answered with determination.

    "You''ll need to understand that you won''t be able to do everything I can, even if I teach you. My magical reserves are frankly ridiculous for my age and give me an unfair advantage. Knowing that, do you still want to learn from me?" I asked, making sure she knew what she was getting into.

    "Yes." Was the answer. But that one word held a fire that would not be swayed.

    "Alright then. I''ll try to hammer the basics into you by the time the breaks done." I said, accepting her resolve.

 Chapter 37 - Ch. 37 Holiday Warmth

    After agreeing to teach Victoria the way I handle magic, my first step was fixing her beaten and battered body. Malnourished, beaten, incorrectly fixed, heavily strained and badly maintained. Needed to fix that. So before Christmas came i decided to talk to the girl.

    "Alright. I know that you want to jump right into how I do things, but i need to talk to you about your body first. I probably know its current condition better than you do. I don''t know how or when the injuries happened and they are for you to know, but I know how bad it is at this moment. So I want to fix everything. Without the strong body you will have a lower cap for your magic. In the end it''s your decision." I say calmly to my new friend.

    "If I agree to it, what is the treatment course?" She asks to understand before agreeing or rejecting.

    "I''m going to start on the fractures, incorrectly healed bones and sprains in your body. This will take a day as I will selectively remove the bad bones, followed by skelegrow. I''ll also fix the areas of concern. You would be unconscious for a whole day in order to not feel the pain. Following that I believe a month of nourishment potions will fix your issues in the area suitably. I will also make you do physical exercise to gain the necessary muscle mass for a girl your age." I explained to the girl.

    "So I sleep for a day, drink some potions and exercise? Sounds easy enough. Let''s do this." She declared.

    "Easy but tedious." I replied with a small smile. "So let''s get started. We''ll do it in the guest room. I''ll inform aunt Amelia, Susan and Tilly you''ll be out for the day and that you''ll begin treatment." I informed the girl.

    "Alright. I''ll trust you to do this just because I know how pervertedly brilliant you are. If you mess up I''m getting revenge though." She declared as she laid properly.

    "I promise you''ll feel better than ever after You wake up." I said with a reassuring smile.

    With a wave of my hand she feel into a deep sleep. I quickly got to work by specifically vanishing the damaged bones in her body, and unlike that idiot Lockhart I''m almost a master in the field. With that quickly done, I use my wand to finely control the potion down her throat to avoid her choking on it. I then quickly move to heal the various surface injuries, sprains, scar tissue and any other injuries I could find on the girl. I did my best to make sure not one scar from the abuse remained. She didn''t need the reminder.

    With all of the immediate treatment done, I let out a breath of relief and let myself relax. It took a good amount of focus and energy to fix everything in a single day, but I think it''ll be quite worth it. The only problem left was the malnourishment she had suffered, but after a month that''ll be fixed and with exercise she would experience a good growth spurt.

    A day later, an excited Victoria came downstairs for breakfast and actually rushed me. I was startled because I didn''t expect it, leaving me unsure about how to react because I wasn''t feeling any negative emotions from her and I was sitting at the table, so if I tried to react quickly I would either tumble to the floor or flip the entire table, so I was stuck in indecision. But surprisingly she hugged me.

    "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I haven''t felt this great in I don''t know how long, thank you so much Aedan." Said was saying quickly.

    "No problem Victoria." I say with a wry smile at the situation. I catch Susan giving me a wide grin and aunty looking at the scenario with a smile.

    "Now come on. Take the potion Tilly has for you and grab some food, you''re going to want to eat something after drinking it." I say in my best doctor voice.

    I didn''t lie, potions never taste good. They can smell or feel good due to their effects, but don''t taste good. So after chugging it like a champ, she had a weird look on her face and immediately sat down to eat.

    A few minutes later I spoke up.

    "Now that you''re done eating I''ll explain a bit how things are gonna go. Until after Christmas, which is tomorrow you will be recovering from the heavy burden your body was under as you were healed. This will be a time to let your body and mind unwind. So no intense studying or exercise will be done. This is my order as your attending healer." I say seriously.

    "But you promised to teach me how you do magic." Replied Victoria with reluctance in her voice.

    "I did and I will." I reply. "But you need to understand this well Victoria. You are human. And humans have limits, wizards and witches are not exempt from this. We can push the issue back or mitigate it for a time, but all humans will snap after a certain point. Your body and mind at this moment are very close to that limit. You need some time away from stressful thoughts and let your body recover by using less magic for a few days and doing something fun. For that I invited James to go out with us and tour the muggle entertainment venues today. Something I''m sure you''ve never done. It will do you good and let you bond a bit more with a member of the group. Christian will not be joining us since his parents took him to Greece in their hunt of older creatures living there." I explained to the girl patiently.

    "Alright I get." She sighed not hiding her disappointment.

    "Don''t you worry, I''ll properly drill you in my ways after Christmas and we have another 3 and 1/2 years to learn from each other. Not even mentioning after since we are friends. There''s no rush for this." I say with a smile.

    "Ok, ok. You can stop with the convincing." She said with a small chuckle.

    "You''re going to love the muggle games! They''re so fun! And those movies are so cool to watch!" Finally spoke out an excited Susan who couldn''t hold it in anymore. "You have to take me with you, please big brother!" She beg with her eyes turned at me.

    I gotta say she knows how to get me to go along with her.

    "Only if aunty agrees." I answer deflecting the cuteness to the big boss.

    "Alright fine. Tilly will chaperone while hidden to protect you all. I know you can take care of yourself very well Aedan, but this is for the safety of others as well." Relented Amelia, but was laying down her own deal.

    "That''s perfectly fine aunty." I answer with a smile.

    I had to get Tilly to buy some proper muggle clothing for Victoria quickly because as a born and raised pureblood, those were not things she owned.

    I wore a simple pair of jeans, grey winter boot, white long-sleeve shirt, with a nice shearling jacket. But when Victoria came down I did have to do a double take. Tilly got her nicely fitted jeans, with a pair of knee high boots, warm looking white shirt and long black winter jacket to match her hair. It really gave of the feeling of ''I''m better than you''. It was impressive.

    "Well now, Tilly really knows her stuff. That look actually makes me feel like you could be nobility. Don''t know why we still have to wear those robes all the freaking time, so impractical and it''s hard to take someone in bright purple robes, fumbling around in them seriously." I said, trying to make her smile for two reasons.

    "Haha, thanks. Now you can see my greatness!" She proclaimed in fake haughtiness. And I know it''s fake, because although she has pride in her lineage, she doesn''t like rubbing in the faces of others. She wants her results to prove she''s better.

    "Yes noble lady. Now will you let this lowly peasant accompany you?" I asked in a over-exaggerated manner.

    "You may escort me and lady Bones." She said continuing the skit as my cute little sister runs down the stairs in her fluffy white jacket and boots, looking very much like a bunny.

    "Let''s go big brother, I can''t wait!" She exclaimed very energetically.

    "Yes yes, don''t worry we are going." I say with a laugh.

    "See you later aunty, we''ll be back a bit after supper because of the movie." I tell her.

    "I know. Have fun and be careful. I know you''re used to the muggle world, but Victoria is not. If she get into trouble out there, you get into trouble in here. Understood young man?" She said with a glare, but I know it''s cause she cares.

    "Yes Madam Bones." I reply with a salute.

    It was fun introducing muggle arcade games to Victoria, mostly because she tried to keep her ''above-it-all'' aura going, but after we got her to play she quickly became very competitive in many of the games like air hockey and overreacted quite cutely to some of the video games when she lost. She also demonstrated that witch or not, every woman has the instinct to shop for clothes, shoes and makeup. So i let her do as she pleased with Susan as I chatted with James. I talked to him about my plan to use data I obtained through my dissection of many brooms, data on the firebolt which should be ready a year earlier with my funding (that was until I gave the creator some new ideas on the matter), and my studying of a chasers needs and roles during the game, to create a specialized broom for the position. The firebolt will be the ride of choice for Beaters and Seekers, but this broom I was designing will be the best of the best for Chasers.

    Me and James chatted while the girls shopped, that was until it was time to go to the movie. Since we had Susan with us, the future Christmas classic Home Alone was chosen, an it brought laughter and tears to the girls eyes, while it brought nostalgia for me.

    After that we said goodbye and Merry Christmas to James, headed home with happy hearts.

    Christmas Day was a very relaxed affair. We woke up lazily, ate good food and enjoyed some time together as a family, making sure Victoria felt included. As for presents; James sent me some works of fiction and an orphaned wizard who goes to magic school (no idea how he found that very prophetic book), Christian sent some books on Mediterranean plants he''d found in Greece, Amelia got a very nice set of robes for more formal occasions and even Victoria had bought a nice shirt she had found on our trip yesterday.

    Returning the favors to everyone; James got my new guide on how to enchant, Christian actually got one of Sol''s feathers, Amelia got my desk-work quill, Susan a brand new pair of gardening gloves with her initials on them, and I got Victoria a vanishing box that I made from some of the wood I hadn''t used for my prototypes, making it link to mine, James'', Christian''s and Amelia''s.

    Everyone was happy with what they had received and I think Victoria almost cried of happiness at being able to experience such a warm and caring break. Where people care for each other, are thoughtful of one another and simply want those present to be happy.

    I really love my family.

 Chapter 38 - Ch. 38 Training to Hogwarts

    As I promised, it was time to start Victoria''s training. It started with some physical training in the morning, with very basic strength and stamina exercises, with a lot of stretching. Of course her starting point was very low, considering she''d never actually done anything similar, but she still ended wheezing on the floor covered in sweat. So a nice shower and breakfast with her potion to satisfy the girl and we began her studies.

    Victoria did take Arithmancy as an elective, so at the very least she has some basic in the subject, the problem being aside from that most pureblood families are shit at math, because no one teaches the subject. I don''t want to target just purebloods on this, because no actual wizard family teaches anything remotely close to muggle schools since it is deemed unimportant. Makes no sense whatsoever, getting children into elementary schools or kindergarten would have many Benefits: not having to take care of them during the day, learning about the muggle world, getting some freaking common sense and actually getting some basic education (enough ranting, back to Victoria.) But I gave her work to complete, books to read, notes on the subject I''d made, as well as homework to be completed on her own by the next day. She was taking it like a fish in water.

    I was able to make her reach 4th year level in Arithmancy by the time the break was over. I''d given her a copy of my list of modified basics for her to study and understand, basically the list of First year spell I used to have fun in class, with clear instructions and indicators on what parts were changed. I''m actually thinking of publishing the book before the next year as it would serve as an excellent foundation for those truly trying to learn how to use the subject. It''ll be fun to see the reaction of people if someone as young as me does it. You know what? It''s a good foundation for my future, it''ll give the image that the Bones family has a genius and I''ll be able to give a light push in the direction of progress.

    Coming out of my thoughts, I looked at the panting Victoria on the ground, drenched in sweat from the drills I put her through.

    "Haa, haaa, haaa. How... are you not... even sweating?!" She said between deep breaths.

    "I''ve been doing these exercises since I was 4, of course I''m ahead of you in them." I answer with a grin on my face.

    "Prat!" She then proclaimed. "But honestly, I looked at the exercises you''re doing and I can''t picture many people can do them."

    "It''s because people can''t. Even very determined muscle enthusiasts will not be able to do my regiment." I answered truthfully.

    "Wait what?" The surprised Victoria said.

    "I''m not expecting you to do what I do. That''s my own decision. I''m just getting to healthy levels of stamina, strength and muscle mass for people our age. It would do wonders if you continue to exercise all-year round, moderately of course. Helps you stay healthy, strong and slim." I explained, turning away from my training standards.

    "Yes, yes healer know-it-all." Replied the exasperated Victoria.

    "Alright, after the shower, potion and meal, I have a little gift that I think you''ll find extremely useful in Arithmancy." I then say with a smile.

    "You came up with something ridiculous again, didn''t you?" She asked with a sigh and a raised eyebrow.

    "Not me this time. Someone I invested in came up with it and think it''ll be a very popular thing, even if some families try to block the thing." Answered with my slightly evil smile.

    "Aaah. You''re smiling like the devil again." She commented with a sigh.

    "No idea what you''re talking about. Now shower time!" I replied with an innocent face.

    After said shower and meal I took out a small rectangular device.

    "What is this thing then? What you were talking about?" She asked examining the small plastic device, with numbers and symbols and an empty screen.

    "That my dear Victoria, is a calculator. A muggle device which lets you do easy or complex equations through the pressing of the buttons." I answer while turning it on. "You see, you enter the formula like so, and use the commands here to add the variables you wish to use and voila, an answer to your quandary." I demonstrate.

    I didn''t even have a chance to react as she grabbed my collar.

    "Why didn''t you give me this thing before!? And how is it working? I thought muggle artifacts couldn''t work around magic." Questioned Victoria.

    "Good questions. The first answer would be that I needed to give you a certain level of knowledge in mathematics and Arithmancy for you to actually learn the craft and not be over reliant on the little beauty. The second is that the creator used Runes to protect the device and power it, letting it operate in the magical world. I actually added some features to give a list of almost every basic spells numerical representation into the calculator as a crutch for beginners." I explain to the curious girl.

    I''m not going to tell her I created this thing during the first part of the school year, that''ll give away my secrets when Micheal Folster reveals them at the FIRM center today. Plus I didn''t use my binary runes, only currently existing sets, so it won''t be traced back to me. It was honestly pretty straight forward to find the right Runes to form miniature wards to protect the tech and power the device. I think the only reason no ones done this before is the ''muggle things are beneath us'' mentality and ''muggle tech doesn''t work near magic'' one. Both easily proven false.

    "This is really going to help Aedan, thanks. But where did you even find the inventor?" She asked curiously.

    "You know that new information center in Diagon Alley?" A questioned her back.

    "Yeah, some kind of muggle-born help center, or newspaper vendor, or bookseller or something." She answered using a vague recollection.

    "Well the founder wants to improve the image of muggle-borns, so he was working on bringing some of the tech to the magical side. I found out and invested in it because I think it''s a brilliant idea." I explained using a plausible story. Not fun lying, but it''s not a bad one.

    "Wait, you found that Folster guy!?" She said surprisingly.

    "Well it did cost a bit, but I''m pretty good friends with the goblins and they helped me find out, and since I actually wanted to help the guy it went well." I say with a shrug.

    "You''re friends with goblins!?" Was her next shock.

    "Yeah, their king gave me this ring as a token of friendship." I answer simply. "I honestly don''t get why wizards are always thinking they''re better than everyone. Goblins have all their money, they are the best artifact smiths, they never truly lose during their wars and they are strong warriors with their own magic."

    Seeing no response from the malfunctioning Victoria, I simply put the calculator in her hand and went inside to start doing some heir work. It took her a few seconds to realize I was leaving and followed inside the house to begin testing her new tool.

    Let''s just say she was very enamored with the thing and wouldn''t let it out of her sight for the rest of her stay.

    The break ended on a good note, Susan was sad as always for loosing companionship during the year and it didn''t help that she got attached to Victoria. But it was going to be the last year since she would come to Hogwarts next year as well.

    We said our goodbyes and found a compartment to wait for my bro''s.

    James was the first to find mine and Victoria''s cabin. He looked at me with wild eyes, which surprised me since he is usually a calm and m.a.t.u.r.e guy.

    "Aedan, did you really make all those things in the book you sent me!?" He asked very excitedly.

    "Um yeah. Thought you''d enjoy a proper introduction into the field of enchanting, plus I think having a third opinion on my broom project will be useful." I answer slight late.

    "It''s brilliant! I looked through a bunch of different books on the subject and yours is the best basics book by far!" He says, acting very much like my own head of house.

    Before he could continue though, Christian burst in with a very similar look to James'' a few moments ago.

    "Aedan, where in the world did you get one of those!?" He asked a bit out of breath.

    "You mean the feather? Don''t you remember? I introduced you to her at the beginning of term." I answered with a weird look on my face.

    "Right! I forgot about her." He said facepalming himself.

    "Hahaha! How do you forget about that!?" Said James as he burst out laughing at our friend.

    "Hey! It''s not that I forgot! The surprise just over-excited me is all. And who just send something like that as a Christmas gift? Honestly!" He said, trying to hide his embarrassment.

    "Ok! One of what!? What are you two laughing at?" Finally asked Victoria as her patience ran out from being kept in the dark.

    "Wait, twinkle star here didn''t show you? You went to his house for the entire break!" Asked Christian incredulously and lacking tact.

    "Not really hiding her. I just let her do her thing unless I want to ask for help or I''m giving her a reward." I tried to explain, ignoring the teasing.

    "Her?" She asks with narrowed eyes.

    "One sec." I say as I sweep the room with magic, seal it, enforce it and make sure no one can see, hear or know about what is going on in the room.

    "Sol!" I say as my lovely familiar bursts into the cabin through her flames and lands on my shoulder to rub her head on me.

    "This is Sol, my beautiful girl. She''s been with me since I was a kid, part of my wand is actually made from her feather, and I sent Christian one of them as a gift." I say as an introduction to Victoria.

    "Sol, this is Victoria. She''s a friend so try to be nice ok?" I say to my very intelligent girl.

    With a small trill she goes to the completely shocked Victoria and lands on her l.a.p to get a good look at her. My friend isn''t sure what to do and looks at my direction, but I simply motion for her to pet my feathery girl. With hesitation she starts nervously petting Sol on the back, until she starts slowly getting more comfortable and gently rubs her with a childlike smile.

    "Yeah, it''s an experience getting to pet her the first time. Nothing quite like it in the world." Declared Christian with his own smile.

    "Yeah, it was pretty surreal to pet the legendary immortal bird that''s for sure." Agreed my other friend.

    I just look on with a smile as all my friends share their happiness, and start talking about their holidays. Apparently the Wards almost fell into a Gorgon sanctuary on their trip, which would not have ended well, but it was fun overall. The Calaway''s had a very muggle Christmas with a family gathering, good but boring for the younger members. And so we chatted until we reached Hogwarts for the last term before the canon began.

    ''I''ll need to finish all of my preparations soon'' I thought to myself as the station came into view.

 Chapter 39 - Ch. 39 Time of Creation

    The school year begun in earnest, with students struggling with their homework, well except for me and my friends since they all have my handy homework quills, and with OWL and NEWT students feeling the pressure mounting on them.

    The Exchange, as it was now officially known, was still doing good. It is quickly becoming a bastion of inter-house relations, a place of self-improvement and to honor the positive values of Hogwarts such as hard work, learning, kindness, and loyalty.

    My friends were very keen to learn my modded spells, since their values were greatly improved as a result. James and Victoria were more than happy to break them down and try to get inspiration from my pieces, while Christian was happy to simply learn them and incorporate them into his skills. I also got James a calculator, which surprised him greatly, but he was thankful for. Victoria is still undergoing her potion regime and physical training with me, making her look and feel incomparably better than before.

    There were a few bumps at the beginning of the year regarding Victoria, mainly due to her joining in the Exchange when the rest of her house was against it. It left her alienated from a good number of them, but no one dared to bully her after how i had dealt with the previous two groups of bullies I encountered. One ended with a group in the infirmary, the group of girls from before the break ended up loosing 100 points for each participating house and detention for the next month, on top of having their parents notified. This made some people upset at me within the house, but I''ve gained more than enough points on my own to offset those lost, but it still left other houses angry at me for some time. Slytherins were a bit at a loss because of it though, since on one hand I''ve beaten them up, but on the other I defended one of their own against people from my house. The Exchange itself was a bit awkward for some time with her presence, but since she is rather straightforward and takes her time to help those who need it, people realized that she was a generally good person, just a bit intense. She was just a younger McGonagall basically, strict but she wanted to help.

    With the bumps on the road passed after about a month, the time to make my designs come to life arrived.

    I first started to make some of the muggle technology usable around magic. Now, I had already figured out how to do so for the calculators, the simplest piece I would enchant magically, helping me greatly. My plan was to introduce useful and entertaining devices, and avoid anything too drastic. I do not want to be targeted for being too extreme, from old families or ministry. I have plans for 4 pieces: calculator, voice recorder, Discman and GameBoy.

    The voice recorder had some different quirks which needed to be fixed to work properly around magic. It obviously needed to be protected from magic and have a properly regulated rune battery, but the hard part was getting ambient magic from interfering with its ability to record sound. So i basically made a small scale magical energy filter to protect the area where it hears the sounds, while improving its ability to catch sound waves.

    The portable CD player was a small mix of both of my previous projects. Had to make sure all the buttons would work properly after everything was protected. The sound had to travel through the headphones, which I enchanted as well to make sure everything would work properly. From what I could tell, cd''s were perfectly functional, but the wizard world still used those old fashioned gramophones and records, making any music wizards listen to unavailable in the required format. So I''ll have to remedy that.

    The game boy was trickier. I had to make sure the buttons worked, the screen was fine, the sound wouldn''t be affected and the game cartridges could function without messing with the enchantments on the GameBoy itself. A really hard challenge to make everything fit properly, but a satisfying one. Took me a month and a half of trial and error to properly make the thing work.

    Before the end of the year, I now had a good amount of merchandise to sell in the FIRM center. Calculators, Voice Recorders, CD players, headphones, CD''s, GameBoy, games, rune batteries, command runes for muggle parents and I would be able to create a great number of jobs to fill the needs for the basic product, the enchantments and selling the stuff. Overall I believe it will have a good effect on the Magical British economy and help people learn a bit more of muggle culture.

    And so I made plans with the ever competent Scott. We invested into getting a contract with the muggle manufacturing companies using a tech company as a front, which I will actually sell the un-enchanted versions in the muggle world to avoid any issues. If it works great, if not I''ll have to see if I should just confund some people. We''ve now started to build the enchanting center and have begun to look for employees through the FIRM center, which is becoming a good place to look for jobs as I establish new companies, and advertis.e.m.e.nts in the papers. I''m going to transfer Mr. Whitcomb from the center and put him in charge, since new employees were introduced and are taking care of the center itself, I can take away some of the management pretty comfortably. From our estimate, we should be able to get merchandise out before the Holidays.

    The rest of my time was spent focusing on my binary runes. I spent a lot of time trying to get it right and being stuck at the last hurdle. I just couldn''t get it to work properly. I was missing something in them to make my Runes as powerful as I wanted them to be. But, everything clicked when I remembered magic itself is manipulated through intent above all things. It is why accidental magic happens, why we can cast silently or wandlessly, and how magic started anyway. I was too worried about turning binary code into a valid rune language that I forgot to put the intent behind them. After that joyful bit, I was able to use my new success and recreate the vanishing box and desk-work quill properly, with some fun defenses and counters added to it, in the hopes of stopping others from tampering with them or replicating them. My businesses for these two were already in there preparation stages, and with me finishing my code, employees could start learning the exact pieces needed for the product. After they''ve been strictly sworn in of course. Scott actually found me a very skilled runes expert who was very willing to be in charge of the facilities as long as the pay was good and he could learn my code. I had no problems with it so we gained another extremely competent muggle-born.

    I''ve also started to organize my notes and research into proper books. I think I''ll publish them after the basilisk debacle, when I''ve finished my OWL''s. My results will give me quite a bit more legitimacy to my work. Being too young does attract problems. But aside from that, I''ve decided to call the store where I''ll sell my two inventions BonesWork, after the family and all. The vanishing box will have different models: basic will be a simple one with limited protection from tampering or wear and tear, advanced which will be bonded to the user or permitted individuals and with good protection plus a warranty, and deluxe which will be finely crafted and inlaid with either gold or sliver, nearly impossible to tamper with, great many protections and everything the advanced does. That way normal families can get one and the snobs can feel superior with theirs. The quills will simply be similar how the quill stores work. The better the feather, the more expensive, and the more expensive the better the enchantments.

    My friends had progress of their own as well. James was quite surprising since he''s being nominated as one of the leading figures within the charms club. His skills and creativity towards the subject have worked wonders for him, and this will basically guaranty his presidency for the club in the following years. He was really excited and our little group of four had decided to celebrate his success by treating him in Hogsmeade, with Butterbeer and food aplenty. We did find out that our dear James, along with a lot of boys, was rather fond of Madam Rosmerta and would blush constantly around her. Hehehe, ammunition.

    My wilder friend Christian was fitting in quite well as a chaser and making a good name for himself as a natural in the wizard sport. Although our team did extremely well during the cup this year, we still found ourselves in close second as Slytherin team was able to crush Hufflepuff with a point difference we couldn''t make up. Although he was down at not being able to win, we still tried to cheer up the guy, and with a Phoenix helping comfort a creature manic, it was very quick.

    Victoria has changed drastically since returning from the break. Due to her new routine of exercising in the morning with me, she''s been able to start building up more muscles and improving her energy and positivity as it makes her feel good after finishing. This coupled with her finishing the potion regime I had her under, she''s hit quite the growth spurt and was able to start filling out areas a girl undergoing puberty tends to fill out. Her height was quickly passing others, well except for me since at the age of 13 I stand at 5''7, but it made her very happy to be growing like she was. She''s stopped pressuring herself to surpass me in everything after seeing, in her words, ''just how perversely brilliant and dedicated'' I was towards magic, but instead she has made me a sort of goal. Something one should aim to become as a witch or wizard. Being with friends also helped her come out of her shell more, as she jokes around with us, participated in our debates, becomes active in our studies as we help each other out. I am overall, very happy with her progress.

    And so the school year came to a close. I was monstrous as always with O+ across the board, Victoria had a good amount of O''s as well, but her performance at the beginning of the school year dropped her grades. James was good as well, getting himself O+ in Charms and Transfiguration, but potions, herbology and Astronomy were giving him some troubles. Christian was nailing Herbology and CoMC as he got O+ in those and EE in his magical classes, but almost failed history and potions.

    The Ravenclaw table was very happy this year, because we had finally stolen the house cup from Slytherin. Even with the lost points from the bullying accident, we were still able to squeeze by to win the House cup. It''s was interesting to see so many bookworms celebrating the event in the common room, the night before departing. I decided to have a bit of fun and put on a light show using lumos in ways that left my housemates speechless. Even Christian was a little surprised at what I could do with it.

    And so ended my final year of studying without anything going wrong in the castle, you know, except for the new DADA professor every year, but that''s besides the point. A few more months and the golden trio will arrive. Well the golden boy, the one who knows what to do, and Ron.

 Chapter 40 - Ch. 40 Respect is earned

    As the school year ends and everyone heads to the Hogwarts Express, me and my friends are walking together and chatting about summer plans. Christian''s parents usually just kidnap the guy for the summer and go wherever unusual plants and creatures may be found, he says they''re going to Australia this year, but from what I know, normal Australian creatures dangerous enough, can''t imagine the magical ones. James will be spending his time at home mostly, but his family will also be taking a trip abroad, apparently to America. But Victoria is nervous about her summer as she will be stuck in her abusive home. So as we found an empty cabin, I lock and conceal it.

    "Alright, Victoria I have a few things to give you and say before you head home." I turn towards my friend.

    "I know the situation sucks so I will leave you with a goody bag." I say as I pull out a pouch from my pouch.

    "This contains various subtle tools which can help you during your stay. The first is for when your father drinks. It''s a set of candles designed to lull to sleep person or calm a person an enraged one, with its pair to be used in your own room in order for you not to succ.u.mb to its effects. You can light the sleep inducing one anywhere and the sent will spread throughout the house, hence stopping any acts before they can even happen. This necklace is a personal ward stone I''ve been working on. This side is made to send healing pulses when magic is consciously supplied and simply saying ''comfort'' to it, while the other side serves to give a very sneaky protective layer on your body to protect you from harm, so if you fake it he won''t know you aren''t hurting. The third is that we''ve temporarily given you the authority to call for Tilly when you need food or supplies. Fourth is this, a modified book to store what you need to hide. And lastly, I''ve gotten permission from my aunt that if anything too drastic occurs or you feel something very bad is about to happen, you can use this letter to escape to my place." I explain very seriously.

    "Thank you Aedan." She says as she wipes her moist eyes. "Thank you for worrying so much, it means a lot."

    "Oh c''mon, you''re making us look bad for not helping her out too." Lamented Christian.

    "I do feel bad, but I can''t give you a letter to visit. I''m from a muggle family and it could make things worse. But if you need to escape and have nowhere to go, here''s my address. We''ll be gone for the last two weeks of July, but I''ll be home all summer after." Said James, ignoring our wild friends lament.

    "You traitor!" Exclaimed as a result.

    "Thanks you guys. It means a lot. And I know you won''t be able to help because of your parents Christian, don''t worry." She answered with a giggle at Christian''s actions. "I''ll just hold it against you for a year or so." She added with a deadpanned expression, to which he immediately over reacted.

    But this lifted the heavy air in the cabin and we could talk and laugh until we reached Kings Cross.

    We said our goodbyes and separated. I went home with a happy Susan and a lightly smiling Amelia. When we got home, there was the over excited Tilly and a wonderful meal to celebrate my vacation and outstanding results. Aunty couldn''t be prouder that I''ve been an O+ student since I got there.

    My official projects, regarding the opening of BonesWorks and it''s current products, are well underway. Everything has been done to the book and through ministry approval. My two original products have been certified by the ministry''s testers, and my personal wards are being reviewed later this summer due to its recent development. I mean, I know it''s good, but this is under the Bones family name, so I will follow the law and respect my aunts authority in this area. I do feel guilty keeping her in the dark about the Micheal Folster stuff, especially since I''m bribing people to certify my products without alerting some wealthy and important supremacists. The cedar forest is now functioning extremely well, a second and third have been started to meet expected demands for the vanishing box. The werewolf communities were incredibly thankful for this opportunity, where they can get respectable jobs, under an honorable family, with proper pay, care and respect from their employers. Word quickly got out and many wished to lend their skills which are ignored because of their conditions. This lead me to hiring many for the production of my quills and the procurement of materials. Because of all this, Geri was crying tears of joy and gratitude while repeatedly thanking me the last time we met up.

    I was told that her name was also getting some more value since this has happened. It hurt her prestige when she swore to follow me, but with the results of her decision being so overwhelmingly positive in trend, her name is becoming respected again.

    For my other personas projects, I decided to summon the original twelve people who have been in charge of the various businesses and have a luncheon at ''my'' house. With a letter to Mr. Scott Cross everything has been arranged. It was organized to be a simple meal, where people in charge could discuss various bits of information, brag to each other, get to know one another more. Everyone showed up to it, i mean why wouldn''t they? I''m their boss, benefactor, supplier and founder, it would mean something very happened if they didn''t.

    "It is good to see you all again after a very productive year from everyone. I want to thank you all again for agreeing to create so many projects with me and not dismissing me due to my age and lack of true experience. And I must also thank you for managing the parts all of you have been assigned to magnificently." I opened after everyone had finished with the excellently cooked food.

    "Please Mr. Folster, it should be us thanking you. Thanks to you, me and my wife can work in every journalists dream; a newspaper they can publish the truth in, not just try to sell copies. Although we cannot compete with the Prophet at the moment, I have no doubt we can achieve it in the future." Replied Mr. Cromwell, the man I had put in charge of the Herald.

    "Julian is right. It''s been refreshing not having to do those crap stories to fool people into thinking everything was alright." Agreed his wife.

    "Yes, I hope it can continue be so. I''ve actually had an idea to employ the ghosts residing across England to gain interesting bit of lost history, haunted areas, gossip unknown to any but them. It could prove to be an interesting addition to the paper. If you think the idea has merit I hope it can be adopted." I say pitching my idea.

    "That''s brilliant Mr. Folster! We could get the ghosts and tempt them by giving them something to distract them in their stagnent lives or deaths." Exclaimed the usually quiet Mr. Stone.

    "Yes, I will certainly try to implement it." Murmured Mr. Cromwell as his gears were turning.

    "I would also like to extend my deepest gratitude Mr. Folster. You have allowed me to finally achieve my dream of becoming a master potions maker. Thank you." Interjected Mr. Mathews.

    "It was my p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e Master Mathews. Your ideas were perfectly in line with my ideals to help push forward our stagnating community and as a bonus, It was through the work of a brilliant Muggle-born. Helping get the recognition you deserve was basically my duty. Oh before I forget, I have new notes for the shop. Some for potions and the others for your machines as they gave me some inspiration. You are free to do as you wish with the information. Ignore it, use it, or even improve on it. I await to see you climb further." I replied with a smile.

    "Please. I cannot let you call me Master in Good conscience. You are without a doubt an equal in the field, as such please call me Timothy or Tim Mr. Folster." He said in a rush.

    "Then it would seem you must call me Micheal then Tim." I replied with a calm smile.

    "Thank you Sir. Micheal." He answered with tears in his eyes. I decided to let the man address me as he did. I''ve earned his respect and will not insult his pride in stopping him.

    "Although Mr. Mathews is more emotional than me, I must still express my deepest gratitude Mr. Folster. You have given me my title back and let me be at the forefront of new Herbology, unseen in the world yet. The farms you''ve given me to manage are soon to be running at peek production and we will begin to sell our harvests into the market. And If you would permit it, I would like to call you Sir. Micheal as well. Although young, you are certainly a genius without match and have earned my respect." Said the matronly Madam Chambers.

    "I would be honored to be called such by you Madam Chambers. You are a woman I admire greatly. I''ve also gotten a new set of notes for some rare plants. I''m sure you''ll enjoy them and possibly use them to reach new heights." I say to the woman. And I do genuinely admire her. She has been through a lot in her life and still, she is here, moving forward.

    "Oh, I adore your notes! And please I cannot let you call me Madam. Melody will do." She said with stars in her eyes at the thought of new notes.

    "You are certainly impressive sir. Micheal. The facilities you''ve built for me are beyond top-notch. You''re also supplying top of the line equipment to every employee to ensure maximum efficiency. With your help and Miss Geri''s, we now have almost fifty men trained properly. Although the minister is continually cutting the Auror department, with the help of Miss Summers, we''ve been able to get 19 people into the enforcement divisions. And they are reporting that they have been greatly productive." Added Mr. Gunn. He was actually the first to call me sir. It has to do with the fact that he knows what I''m trying to prepare, for when V-dog comes back and the fact that I was able to best him in combat, not duel. He was impressed and I earned his respect.

    "That is very good Mr. Gunn. I wished we could get more people into other departments, but it has been hard. I will also be setting up a second training ground, in a more public manner for you to use with less secrecy. It should help you recruit more members and you can simply bring those you believe are trustworthy to the secure site for in-depth training." I say to the man, which gets a nod to show he understands.

    "Actually, Mr. Micheal. There have been a few people from other departments who have shown some interest in the things advocated by the center. I think I could convince them to help with that." Said the playful hit-wizard Elaine.

    "That is brilliant Elaine. Thank you for that information." I say to the woman.

    "My p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e. Gotta do something to earn my keep after you got me training, equipment, information, promotions and got that f.u.c.k.i.n.g creep off my back." Said the girl nonchalantly, but I know she is very thankful.

    "Your time will come Elaine." I say seriously.

    "Ms. Holmes. I believe Mr. Wall will be more than enough to handle the FIRM center now that more staff has been hired and more administrators are present. I will want you to be in charge of being the contact point for these employees and hope you can help more Muggle-borns get jobs in the ministry through them." I say turning to the very well endowed woman.

    "Ufufu. It will be my p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e sir. Micheal. I will see if any of my old friends in the department of transportation will be willing to hire anyone." She answered with a small smile.

    "Thank you for taking this job." I say with a slight bow.

    "I guess it''s finally my turn then?" Said Mr. Wall. "The center is doing well. We have a steady flow of people who know they can look for proper jobs. Some businesses in the alley have actually put some adds that they are looking to hire as well and I''m currently holding talks with some out of country industries to see if they could participate as well. I believe that the center will be too crowded if we continue to sell the paper and add in the gadgets you and Mr. Norm will be providing." He said while indicating to Arthur Norm, the skilled enchanter and runes expert who has recently joined.

    "I agree with you Mr. Wall, that is why a venue has already been prepared for the Herald on it''s own. A place for it to grow properly. I will repurpose the space it is currently occupying to host classes. These will be for people trying to improve themselves, gain skills to get jobs, and in the summer it will mostly serve to allow children from muggle houses to be able to practice and learn magic legally. I will also try to get experts in various fields to hold seminars, but that is for the future." I say already two step ahead of the issue.

    "Then it seems I truly have nothing to worry about sir. Micheal." He answered with a grin.

    "Now then. Mr. Norm there is no need to be worried or nervous, I wish to know if anything will be required or if anything can be improved regarding the production of the enchanted muggle tools." I say facing the final and newest member who should have something to report.

    "Yes sir. Thank you for your time everyone and it is a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to know sir. Micheal has so many other competent members in his circle. I hope I can help in whatever form I can and for those who don''t know me, I am Arthur Norm and I will be in charge of the Muggle Toy Box. It will be a company with the goal of introducing small but useful pieces of the mundane side to wizards." He said with a slight bow to everyone. "There have been no issues with the supply chain and facilities you have provided Sir. Micheal, and the employee training is going quite well. Everything is on the schedule we have established with Mr. Cross." He reported as if I was a general.

    "That is very good. But please let me know if there are any issues. I will not be upset. I would be more upset if a problem was hidden and bigger problems emerged later. I want to produce the best we can give. No need rush it either, if delays happen they happen." I said to the man who nods with a thoughtful expression.

    "Now. I have two announcements. First is that I want to know if anyone finds a suitable candidate for my next venture, which involves the introduction of apartments to wizards. It has already been employed in France and I think it would help the many homeless in our society, create more jobs, help muggle-Borns settle themselves in the wizarding world better and possibly help create more wizard communities in Britain. Secondly, I''ve received an interesting invention from a like-minded person. They are called vanishing boxes, a tool which shall be introduced to the public before next year. It serves to instantaneously send messages to others holding one. This person has crafted these to be used as a means for either important or urgent news within your charges to reach me or Mr. Cross wherever we might be. These will only be able to communicate with each other so that no one can intercept or tamper with them." I say having Scott hand them out to everyone.

    "I believe that is all. I think I will make this kind of meeting a yearly event. Until then I hope you all great success and progress in your goals. Thank you for your time everyone." I announce to conclude the luncheon, allowing everyone to leave.

 Chapter 41 - Ch. 41 Final Preparations

    With my businesses up and running properly, it was time for me to finish preparing myself for the coming troubles at dear Hogwarts.

    My magical cores surpass McGonagall and Snape''s in amount of energy stored, produced and the speed at which I can wield, my final estimates being at nearly double of theirs in those departments. The magical strength is equal to them though and that limit will not break until I find out how to go through to my third magical maturity, to step into the domain of Dumbledore and Voldemort.

    With my cores not going to progress for a while without a good catalyst, I believed it was finally time to add two new options to my ever growing skill set: becoming an animagus and finally enchanting my knife, which I''ve put off doing until now for two reason. The first was for me to do proper research into flight enchantments and second was to plan out how the enchantments would meld with the pre-existing magic of the knife itself.

    The animagus process is long and annoying, but I didn''t have the time to go around the world in search of groups famous for their skills in the subject. So I''m stuck with the British one.

    My skills and abilities are more than enough to make things work, I was just wishing for a less time consuming method. And so, on the next full moon I stuck a mandrake to the roof of my mouth with a small sticking charm so it wouldn''t move and lose my progress. Everything else was already prepared, just needed to keep the leaf in my mouth for the next month. Yaaaaayyy.

    During that month I decided to spend some time helping Susan prepare for Hogwarts since she is quite nervous about the upcoming year. It doesn''t matter who you are, going at a boarding school at the age of 11 is something you''ll get nervous about no matter if you already know a lot about it. It''s just how children are. They worry about making friends, fitting in, missing their families, not wanting to disappoint or fail. These are thoughts most children will have until they experience it for themselves. But, I''ll be there until she''s fourteen, so if anyone bullies my sister they will suffer.

    Aside from that, I had plenty of spare time to work on my knife. The beautifully crafted combat knife, with its Phoenix engraving, ruby eyes and comfortable leather wrapped hilt. As perfect as always and I expect nothing less from a goblin made product. My plan at this point is to link it to the ring I received as a sign of friendship from said goblins i received when I got the name Bones-crusher from them. It''s made of the same materials as the knife: goblin silver and ruby. This will allow me to form a very strong link between the two objects since they even went the extra mile and used silver of the same vein and pieces from the same ruby. The knife will receive some of the enchantments typically found in brooms such as the flight, acceleration, brakes, control system and anti-tampering protections. I have already modified them for the knife itself, taking into account the weight, aerodynamics, center of gravity and material. I will also add enchantments not typically found on brooms as well, such as notice-me-not and shrinking charms. I tried to test the fidelius charm, but I couldn''t make it work. Imagine a knife people can''t see or remember unless told about it by a single person. It was sadly not meant to be. Everything regarding the magic was calculated before hand and all that truly remained was to make and adjust it. The ring will serve as the controller. I used a base of the firebolts extremely s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e response charms, mixed in some of my quills minor legilimantic abilities, to make a hybrid system that is linked to my mind on a minor level. I will not allow it to have true access to my mind, since that would leave a back door into my defenses. It will simply activate when the thought command ''bolt'' is directed at it and receive orders from there.

    To make sure nothing was rushed or done wrong, I spent a week slowly weaving the layers of magic into the knife. Interconnecting everything into one perfectly enchanted hidden weapon, to serve as one of my aces when danger truly arrives.

    It took a few tries to get the flight working perfectly, since knowing how something will react in theory is very different from the real thing. But after it was done I was able to put In my add-ons one at a time. Until a week later a knife hovered in front of me, awaiting my command. It stably floated, no fluctuation, no unwanted rotations or tilting. It was waiting in the air perfectly.

    I made it go back into its sheath on my left arm, headed downstairs and out to the backyard. Aunty was still at work and Susan was at the Abbotts again, so I could freely set up some targets and make them float. With but a thought, my knife flew out of its resting place without a sound. If I wasn''t expecting it, I might have actually missed it. It was that quick and subtle. It was simply cutting through the air as if it wasn''t there as it pierced the centers of all my targets in quick succession, all hitting the bullseye.

    "YES! Hohoho yes! It feels so good when a project like this gets such magnificent results! Almost no better feelings in the world!" I yelled out in satisfaction. I mean can you blame me? Everyone''s felt that wave of relief after a paper or exam. Imagine that, but times 50 at least.

    Tilly just took a glance out the window and returned back to her work. She''s seen this kind off scene a lot with me around. I create or improve things so much that she''s gotten used to it. But she did notice that I''d seemed more excited than usual.

    It had an almost instantaneous burst of speed of at most 90 m/s, for which I added a modified cushioning enchantment to the sheath to offset, but it''s hard to control at that speed so I will most likely not use the max often. It''s piercing power is ridiculous and I used dragon hide and leather to test it out, as well as a variety of magical creature parts to thoroughly understand it strength, but nothing could stop it and only slowed it down a bit at most. This is not even mentioning that there isn''t a scratch on the knife and that after I''d figured out my limits in controlling the knife perfectly, It was a result that could bring tears to a weapons fanatic.

    I am not ashamed to admit I was very giddy for a while because of my new toy.

    I still had some time before my month with a leaf in my mouth was over, so I decided to buy a few things as Micheal Folster. Nothing too weird, just a few creature reserves. You know, like the one with Dragons in Romania and a few around the UK itself, a few Hippogriff breeders and some Acromantula farms. I''m also currently negotiating with some Veelas to set up a protected territory in Britain and I tried to talk to some proper vampire families, but nothing came out of that one. Centaures are too prideful and reject humans because of the constant oppression they have to deal with and their own beliefs, so no go there. But an interesting little project started brewing in my head as I talked to a colony of Merpeople open to setting up a home near the isles of Scotland, in exchange for the area and help in legitimizing it, I''m hoping to have them farm aquatic herbs of various kind and form an exchange system.

    Look, I like creatures and non-humans, don''t judge me. Plus I''m sending my acquired creature homes new wards and protections for them to set up. It''ll stop muggles from finding the places and the creatures they hold. This will help slow the over killing of magical creatures for ingredients or because they were spotted. I''m also trying to sponsor laws to help the protection of creatures through ministry officials. So that''s how I spent my month.

    After the month was over I could finally move on to the next steps of the animagus process, involving me putting the leaf in a crystal vial that bathed in pure moonlight and adding a hair. Then I had to add a silver teaspoon of dew from a place that neither sunlight nor human feet have touched for the next week, while also adding chrysalis of a Death''s-head Hawk Moth, then storing it in a dark and quiet place until the next electrical storm. Ok small break here, but who the hell figured out all this crap and how? I mean it''s ridiculous. It''s a thought that comes in my mind a lot when I work with potions with long brewing times, but this is still weirdly specific. Sigh. Back to the process, I started to get up at sunrise and say ''Amato Animo Animato Animagus'' as needed before exercising, doing it at sundown as well and I felt the recorded second heartbeat, so at least I''m on the right track.

    I had to wait for half a month before an electrical storm arrived. I used Sol to flame us both over to it in a rush and took out the now blood red potion for its container. I placed my wands tip over my heart and chanted ''Amato Animo Animato Animagus'' once again then chugging the potion. The fiery pain spread through my body as I could feel it trying to change me. It was painful to be sure. But I looked down on this amount of pain as my heartbeat doubled. I had suffered through much worse and remembered every moment. I stood proud and resilient in the face of this transformation. I suddenly felt a third heartbeat in my c.h.e.s.t and grinned at what this signified. But suddenly my body started to change. My clothes started to meld into me and hair started to grow out of me. I was forced to bend down as my hands and feet changed into large paws, with strong claws accompanying them. I felt my head and bones change as I slowly became the predator I seemed to be. As I stood on my new paws, I felt the strength in my legs, the sharp claws in the earth, my eyes being improved even further. I took everything in and let out a victorious roar, since I had become a mountain lion! Not only that, but my Whampus cat parts influenced this form as these eyes boosted my Legilimency and my spell resistance was enhanced.

    After feeling the changes in my body, I reverted to my human form flawlessly. I then focused of the third heartbeat and started to change again. This time wasn''t nearly as violent as the other. I became smaller, my arms slowly turning into wings as my clothes turned into feathers, my feet becoming claws, my mouth into a beak. I felt myself become lighter as my transformation was competed. As it ended I took a second to check myself out and with a sharp cry I realized what my new form was: Golden Eagle. One with reddish-brown feathers, golden tail feathers and sharper beak and claws. It''s seemed like my bond with Sol affected the transformation as well because I felt like I could lift a person or two. A far cry from her ten, but it''s downright impossible for normal birds.

    With a very excited heart, I stretched my wings and learned how to fly as a bird. And after an hour of doing so I have to say it''s intoxicating to have that feeling freedom. I''ve flown on a broom sure, but this is so much better. You feel the wind through your feathers, let yourself be carried by the breeze and control your flight through minute changes in your wings. It was brilliant.

    So I returned to my home with a wide smile on my face and a happy heart at my achievement.

 Chapter 42 - Ch. 42 Unexpected Meetings

    After obtaining my animagus transformations, I spent the rest of the holidays training or researching. With my Arithmancy, Herbology, Potions, Runes and Transfiguration projects for mastery finished, and the books I plan to publish for all of them except the last are ready to be copied and printed, I feel quite happy. I decided focus on my projects to get my name out as a Healer and Warder next, while working on the broom project. I''ve actually got sketches and enchantments written down already, but it''s going to take a lot of time and testing to get everything right.

    Aside from that, i was handling my duties as heir very well, with aunt Amelia handing out most of the work for me to take care of, letting me gain experience as a lord as I do. In addition, the impending opening of BonesWorks and the introduction of my creations to magical Britain was making me feel a bit busier than usual. I was spending time between home and the store in Diagon Alley to get as many things ready before I had to leave for the school year. I''ll have to see if I can get permission to leave for a day or two in order to attend the opening.

    It was during this time that aunt Amelia actually brought something which surprised me.

    "Aedan, you will be attending a gathering of Ministry officials with me this Saturday. Empty your schedule and prepare yourself properly for the event. You will be introduced to society as the next Head of Noble house Bones." She plainly said during supper.

    "Cough cough cough! Wait what!" I exclaimed in surprise.

    "That was rude to do at the table. Be sure to keep your manners properly during the evening." She simply said.

    "Why now? I''ve been the heir for a year now and you''ve never even mentioned anything like this." I say still recovering from the bomb my aunt dropped.

    "Sigh. I honestly don''t care for these matters. I would rather you continue as you are now, simply taking care of the house in peace and building up your projects. But the nagging of those old houses has passed the reasonable threshold and are almost harassing me to engage Susan to one of them, so they can absorb our family. They''ve all assumed she is the next head because we''ve never announced you or the fact that you''re almost the head already." Explained Amelia. She looked both angry and tired at the thought of this annoyance.

    "Those bastards want to take my little sister and steal our things do they?" I then said while narrowing my eyes and coming up with some nasty surprises.

    "Aedan!" Interrupted aunty.

    "Oh right. Those respectable Lords and Ladies wish to discuss the possibility of keeping the blood of Britain''s wizarding world strong, whilst also aiding in the strengthening of the position of noble families in our dear community by pooling our assets together. How''s that for political speech." I responded by saying exactly the same as before, but politely so that everyone can smile at the fact that they want our money and to have one of their inbred idiots i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.e my sister in the future.

    "Aedan please." She said with her hand massaging her forehead.

    "I will play nice with the slimy gits. Don''t you worry aunty. I will not give them any means to harm or harass our family." I say to the woman.

    "Alright, I believe you and know you will be able to act properly." She said after a bit.

    So the rest of the week passed me bye as Tilly was very excited to dress me up. I couldn''t for the life of me wear the robes she kept throwing my way, but from what I know men''s fashion also has the option of wearing some Victorian era suits. So I took the option and I chose a black three piece tailcoat suit. No hats will be worn because my hair itself is decoration enough, with it''s almost glittering silver locks and small rivers of gold hidden from casual observers, it''s hard to find anything that can match it. Since it is fairly long, almost reaching the middle of my back, it was decided to tie it up into a proper ponytail and letting a bit of my hair frame my face to show it off and bring attention to my blazing eyes. (Hairs kinda like Akira Hayama from food wars, but without the hair in the middle of his face.)

    And so I stand in front of the mirror which reflects an attractively muscled adolescent, in a well fitted suit showing off some of the aforementioned muscle, with what would have been a flawless face if not for the scar crossing the flame-like eyes decorating his visage and the hair made him appear almost ethereal. Looking very real, but at the same time fleeting.

    "Damn I look good. Lady Death really did handle it properly." I said with a moment of narcissism. It did hurt a lot to get this though, so gonna try to be positive about this.

    After my little bit of narcissism, I went downstairs, received a complement from my cute sister and off we went.

    We simply took the Floo to get there, fast and easy. You just need to Scourgify yourself after arriving to get the ash off. The venue itself was quite nice. The ceiling looked like the twinkling stars, tables were properly set with actual silverware and black table cloths. It seemed like the food would be served like how Hogwarts does it, but in the mean time people were chatting to each other.

    The minister was there of course, since this was his event. I saw many department heads and members of important families. I was broken out of my observing by a portly man with neatly combed gray hair, wearing robes fit to formal occasions by wizard standards, looked to be past 50.

    "There you are Amelia, there you are. It is a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e for you to join this year. To what do we owe the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e?" He asked in a jovial tone. He looked a bit red and I assumed he might have either drank a bit too much, was embarrassed by something, or was simply so unused to quick physical activity and was trying not to look like it. He took a look at me with curiosity in his eyes, due to my looks and the fact I came with the head of the DMLE.

    "Hello Minister. Thank you for the invitation." She said with a slight bow. "I am mostly here tonight to introduce my nephew Aedan to the more influential members of our society. He is the true heir of the family as he was Edgars son and has been recognized." She then answered to fill the mans query. "Now Aedan, this is Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge. He was sworn in last year." She then said to me.

    "It is a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to meet you for the first time Minister." I the said politely and with proper manners. "I am Aedan Micheal Bones, Heir of House Bones and I will be beginning my fourth year at Hogwarts once term starts."

    My introduction got a bit of attention since most people didn''t actually know of me. The students at Hogwarts would probably not mention me because I was never announced as heir, making me less important in the eyes of the nobles, and I''ve been active in academic ways so i might be mentioned in regards to that. But I''ve never done or said anything directly linking me to my house so most people just kind of forgot I was related to Amelia. I''m not like some little daddies boy who will enroll this year, you can''t talk for a minute without bringing up is family.

    "I didn''t know anyone survived that!" Exclaimed the minister in shock as he was trying to contemplate the implications of my presence.

    "I was very fortunate to have survived that horrible day." I say with some ''sadness'' in my voice. "But I have been even luckier to have my aunt take me in and raising me and my cousin as she did. I have always been thankful for that." I add with a smile.

    "Quite, quite. I hope you enjoy the evening Amelia, young Bones." He replied absentmindedly as he left.

    After that short meeting,we head to out and start mingling with some people. I was introduced to Rufus Scrimgeour, current Head of the Auror office and, if everything goes according to canon, the next minister. He was interesting in his own way, as spending most of your a.d.u.l.t career hunting dark wizards tends to do, making him like Moody but a lot less paranoid. Aunty also introduced me to others whom she worked with or was from her department. It seemed like we were staying away from people whom i know for a fact she can''t stand. People like Lucius Malfoy who were confirmed Death Eaters, but got away through the ''Imperius defense'' and bribery, and who have ministry officials in their pockets. If they come over I feel like she''ll try to arrest them for a litany of crimes. Can''t lie though, I kinda want to see one of those guys jump into her path and see how it goes.

    The evening was going quite well for the most part. We mingled, I was introduced to the important members of the community and the food was good enough. That was until a sickeningly sugary voice was heard from behind me.

    "Hem, hem. If I could take some of your time Amelia." The voice that anyone who read the books or watched the movies would know said. I used my impressive Occlumency to stop any emotions from appearing on my face, forcing my body to stay relaxed and my face to hold its polite smile. Because of what I know of the woman i might kill her too quickly to think about it properly if I don''t. She is someone I''ve actually had investigated by both the goblins and my own people to find out if she''s really that bad, and let''s just say that she''s worst than what people think. Apparently she even made dedicated blood purists back away from her with her ideas. That tells you something about a person.

    "Senior Undersecretary Umbridge. To what do I owe this interruption?" Asked my aunt, clearly not happy to see the woman. Honestly who is happy to see the toad? She is a short squat woman resembling said animal, only paler. She had a broad, flabby face, a wide, slack mouth, and little neck. Her eyes were bulging and pouchy, and in her mousy brown hair was in a short style. And even here she was wearing that ungodly amount of pink, for someone who''s eyes were overdeveloped like mine it was torture to see.

    "I wish to speak to you about you hiring those werewolves and housing them together. This cannot go on. They will attack anyone around them like the beasts they are. If you do not dismiss them on your own, then the bill I''m currently petitioning will do it for you." She said with casual racism like it couldn''t be said any other way.

    "I am sorry to interrupt aunt Amelia, but if the Madam Undersecretary has an issue with the choice of employees, surely she should speak to me no?" I suddenly spoke up, trying to remain polite.

    "And how so child?" She replied with that f.u.c.k.i.n.g voice.

    "Simply because I''m am the one who is in charge of the project and the one who recruited them." I state.

    "You let a child hire a bunch of beasts without interfering!?" She then questioned Amelia like I wasn''t really there.

    "Why ever not? Aedan made sure everything was according to the laws in place. Every werewolf under our employment is registered. They are doing even more than what they were hired for. Remarkable work efficiency and results have proven their worth." She answered with the data I''ve given her and from what she observed from her own inspections.

    "That is true Madam Umbridge. And on the point of them being a risk due to their condition, it has already been solved by using some of their pay to purchase Wolfsbane potions we provide and letting them stay in reinforced rooms for when they change. For the last year, not a single incident as occurred with our system in place and they simply have two days less of personal time to allow them to recover from the full moon." I add to drive back any argument she had against our business.

    "This cannot go on! You are employing half-beasts when there are plenty of true wizards who could be hired!" She said in an increasingly erratic manner.

    "But hasn''t the FIRM center in Diagon Alley been doing that already? From what I''ve seen, people who are actually seeking jobs have been able to reliably find them through its services." I reply innocently.

    "That horrid place is giving all those jobs, which should go to true wizards and handing them out to those unworthies." She squeaked out as her face was reddening.

    "I simply can''t understand what you mean by unworthy Madam Umbridge. From what I''ve gathered, the center lends its assistance to those who''ve either had trouble getting jobs in our community or wish to find better ones. What''s unworthy about that?" I asked, knowing full well how I''m leading her to her limits. I want her to blow and say her true thoughts. I might also have used a subtle form of legilimency as we are talking to loosen her restraints.

    "Those half-breed mongrels and mudbloods don''t deserve to even have magic, much less to have jobs in our world! They should be registered and banned!" She said loudly as she finally snapped, making a lot of people get quiet.

    "How could you say that. You are the Undersecretary of the minister. Lycanthropy is a disease, and one that can be managed completely if one knows how. Our own business is living proof of that. And how dare you use that word to slander good men and women. My own mother was a muggle-born who bravely fought against You-Know-Who and from what I''ve been told your own mother was a muggle, so how could you just insult these women?" I said with injustice in my voice.

    "I AM A PUREBLOODED WITCH! And your filthy-" she started yelling as she had snapped at my comment on her birth.

    "Take the Undersecretary away! It would seem like she''s had too much sherry!" Ordered Fudge as he finally noticed how bad things were going, sadly stopping me from really killing her career and besmirching his with it.

    "Let is go as well Aedan. This evening has turned distasteful." Said aunty as she walked away.

    But on our way back she looked at me as we were walking.

    "You did that on purpose didn''t you?" She then asked.

    "Knew you''d figure it out." I say with a bright smile.

    "That is dangerous Aedan. Even though she is a horrid individual, she is still Undersecretary and can make a lot of things happen." She said trying to half caution and scold me.

    "Don''t worry about her. Worry about what I can do to her." I say with an ever increasing grin.

    "What do you mean?" She responded with curiosity.

    "I could''ve have basically ruined her career tonight and drag the minister through the mud with a bit of manipulation and a small mention of her mother. Imagine what I can do when I''m actually trying." I say with my face looking more like a scheming devil.

    "And what would be considered trying?" Aunty asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "I have a nice folder of information about the Madam and every single bit of info would get her kicked out of her post if used right. Hell, some might land her in Azkaban, but neither will happen at the moment since Fudge wants her, hence she is protected. But if she bothers me then I''ll set her life on fire." I finish with my evilest grin.

    "I think I may have created a little monster." Replied Amelia, almost pitying the toad at this point.

    "Whatever do you mean aunty dearest? I am a true angel." I reply with a pure smile and honest face.

    That gets her to smile as we reach the Floo and head home.

 Chapter 43 - Ch. 43 Paper and Train

    After that night, many families had misgivings about associating with the toad. Her hatred and racism were far too open, leaving her direct boss scrounging for support and some of the families with loose morals were there to do so. Of course none of this made it into the prophet, but luckily enough a certain reporter for the Herald was present at the dinner. He just so happened to have a voice recorder I had made. And just so happened to have been nearby at the time. And the event just so happened to have been published.

    ''RACIST MINISTRY?''

    By Darius Stone

    Being the the reporter selected to cover the ministry ball, hosted by Minister of Magic Cornelius Oswald Fudge, I was present during the entire evening of the 24th of August. The dinner was a fairly standard affair, with many families of great importance in our wonderful country, coming together to hopefully help lead the ministry to a brighter future.

    It was going well, until the Minister greeted one Amelia Bones, current Head of the department of Magical Law Enforcement, and she introduced her young nephew, Aedan Micheal Bones, currently recognized heir to Noble House Bones and student at our very own Hogwarts. This seemed to shock the Minister as he soon left with a distant look on his face.

    I am sure, dear readers, that you do not need to be reminded of those dreadful years before The-Boy-Who-Lived defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Truly horrible times. But in my humble opinion, it would seem that the Minister was shocked that the son of the previous head of house Bones, Edgar Bones, a noted and respected man, acknowledge as one of the best in his generation, known resister of Death Eaters and their master, and who unfortunately fell along side almost all of the Bones family half a year before the celebrated fall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, lived.

    Some time later, Madam Undersecretary of the Minister, Dolores Umbridge, approached Madam Bones about her families new and anticipated store, which has already been covered by both the celebrated Daily Prophet and this very paper, for the innovative products which will be revealed in a short time and their progressive hiring of people afflicted with Lycanthropy. Madam Umbridge seemed worried about the potential risks the afflicted employees could represent for many.

    But shockingly, not even one such case has happened from the Bones family employees!

    Even more shocking was the fact that 14 years old Aedan Bones, was publicly admitted to be the creator and head of the project known as BonesWorks and its products!

    That''s right! Such a young man is in fact the creator of the highly anticipated Vanishing Box and Deskwork Quill! Truly he shows that he shall have a bright future ahead.

    Many people were shocked at the revelation, but the Madam Undersecretary seemed unsatisfied with the employment of those suffering from Lycanthropy. She first called such people Beasts and half-beasts, referring to witches and wizards who have never had the choice to do anything but to suffer under symptoms that anyone could be infected by, as less then human. This escalated further as Heir Bones was continuously trying to reassure Madam Umbridge that even if they weren''t hiring ''true'' witches and wizards as the Undersecretary stated, the currently known FIRM center was already doing so and that many without employment were finding it there. This seemed to irritate the Madam as she called those who were being helped Unworthies. And upon the adolescent Bones trying to understand who the Madam Umbridge was referring to she answered, if you will forgive the following language, that half-breed mongrels and mudbloods were undeserving of being allowed to use magic, much less be part of the magical community.

    That''s right. The direct subordinate of our representative, the Minister of Magic. A man who campaigned under the slogan ''A fair deal for wizards who deal fair with Muggles'', was yelling at a child trying to improve the situation of suffering individuals, that anyone not of wizard descent or having partial non-human blood should not be allowed to be a true witch or wizard.

    The Minister forced the Undersecretary away before the situation worsened even further, but I must ask you ladies and gentlemen. Is this what you truly want out of your representatives and officials? To have someone with so much reach and influence on our country with such extreme values. I for one am disillusioned by the current state of affairs and am starting to worry a bit.

    Hopefully more initiatives like the FRIM center and the ones young heir Bones are working on will help stem the tide.''

    "Well that went well. Hope this''ll help sell some more papers and make some people question the Prophet a bit for not reporting on such a public event. I really want them to try and harass us over this, cause if they do I can release the recording we have through an interview on the Wizarding Wireless Network. That''ll really f.u.c.k their reputation." I say to myself while musing on possible retaliations.

    "Anyway, back to the task at hand." I say while getting up from my chair and putting the paper down.

    I''ve been spending a lot of time in Diagon Alley to prepare for the opening of the store. I wanted to make sure everything was going to be ok once I left and that all employees knew how to sell the products, as well as the ins and outs of all the models and options.

    Everything was moving along quite well. The store was going to be a lot cleaner and nicer than most wizarding stores. It would have the aesthetics of a muggle store, but made of wood. I even designed small runes that emitted light with a proper control system and power source. It was neatly organized and was set up to properly display the two current products. Only the first floor of the building was being used at the moment, leaving space for expansions later when I create more things to sell here.

    As the last days of my summer slowly slipped away, Susan was getting nervous at her impending departure and I was still busy between the store, heir duties and Micheal shenanigans. Until the 31st of August snuck up on me and it was time to get ready for my own departure as well. With nothing left that I could do, I went home and relaxed for the evening.

    The next day arrived and it was finally going to be the start of the canon for me. I know it should have started about a month ago for Harry, but I hope nothings been changed.

    As we arrived at Kings Cross in style once again, Susan got even more nervous and clung to me as if she would get lost.

    "It''s alright Suz, you don''t have to worry. All you have to do is find your friend Hannah and you''ll be fine. You find an empty cabin. you''ll hang out together for the ride and hopefully make some new friends. There are no reasons to be nervous. You are a smart, kind and courageous girl, the others will love you." I say with a calm voice and reassuring smile as I pat her head.

    "You can''t just cling to me or you''ll never get to have the adventures awaiting for you at Hogwarts. You''ll be able to see me almost every meal and you can always come and find me cause I always have time for my little sister. You can also come and get some help at my Exchange." I add to excite and reassure the girl of eleven.

    "Ok. I''ll try to find Hannah." She said after taking a deep breath. "Thanks big bro, and thank Aunt Amelia, I''ll send you plenty of letters through the Box." She said as she hugged us both and ran off.

    "Why does it feel like I''m giving her away?" I asked mostly to myself.

    "Oh Aedan, aren''t you a bit young yourself to be thinking that." Teased aunty as she heard this. "But you did spend a lot of time alone together. Sigh. Please continue to look after her, I know it must be hard on you since I can''t always be there, but just make sure she''s alright." She then said with a slightly sad look on her face.

    "I''ve never thought of being there for Susan as a burden aunty, more like a sacred duty." I say with a smile. "But I''m wounded. How come you aren''t worried about me?" I say with fake sadness.

    "Because unlike you, Susan can''t demolish trained Aurors, break metal with her b.a.r.e hands, shrug off stunners or simply flay another''s mind with a look." She answered with a smirk.

    "You are so cruel aunty, making me sound like a monster. I''m still just an innocent teenager at heart." I reply with mock hurt.

    "Yes yes. An innocent teenager with the name Bones-crusher." She then said offhandedly.

    "Haha, ok you win." I then respond as I break out laughing in defeat. "But yeah, I''ll make sure Susan is safe and sound." I reassure her as I give a hug.

    I head off and try to find an empty cabin, but surprisingly I found Victoria. Usually I''m the first here due to my aunt getting us to the station ahead of time so she can go to work.

    "Hello to you our snake matron." I greet with a grin as I came in.

    "Good day to you as well o mighty Silver Raven." She replied with her own grin.

    "How''s your summer been? Any issues with that problem? You didn''t mention anything or come over, but I still worried." I asked as I sat down, showing my concern for my good friend.

    "It was ok. Your candles stopped him every time and you guys letting me use Tilly made it tolerable. I couldn''t impose anymore on your aunt since things were a lot better than before." She said trying to look ok.

    "We don''t think of you as imposing on anyone Victoria. We just worry about you, plus Tilly has been really happy to have more to do, so we didn''t really feel like we were doing anything." I say, trying to reassure and make her smile.

    "Thanks Aedan." She said with a truly happy smile. "Thanks for caring so much."

    "Anytime."

    A few minutes later, our resident Hagrid showed up.

    "Hey you two, having fun all to your lonesomes?" Burst in Christian with his usual energetic appearance. He looked wilder than usual as his messy hair grew to be almost shoulder length. Kinda reminded of Harry in his fourth year, but wilder. He also grew a few inches and he was starting to gain some muscle due to his parents almost forcing him to live in the wild.

    "Very funny you little prat." Replied Victoria with a smile.

    "Just checking up on our lovely snake princess." I say nonchalantly.

    "Yeah sure. Anyway! I''ve got to tell you guys what I did this summer. It was great this time!" Christian then said excitedly.

    "Wait for James first, don''t want you to retell the thing just for him. He should be here soon, I feel him coming closer." I say as I used my other senses to feel for my other best friend.

    "I still can''t get over the fact that you can feel everything around. It''s so unfair. No one can prank or sneak up on you!" Exclaimed Christian in admiration.

    "Wait you can do what?!" Said the surprised Victoria. "How''s that even possible? I know you''re beyond a simple genius, but this is beyond even that!"

    "Shit, I forgot you were there!" Said a panicking Christian as he looked at me with worry since I''ve never told Victoria about those rituals.

    "What do you mean by that?" She asked. But the her eyes widened in the realization that he know something she didn''t. "What are you guys hiding from me?" She then asked as she narrowed her eyes.

    But at the moment James reached our cabin and opened.

    "Hey guys, how were your... What going on in here?" He said as he noticed the atmosphere.

    "Sigh. Christian opened his big mouth and Victoria wants to know. Should I?" I explain simply and ask my two friends.

    "Christian, really? Couldn''t keep it in?" Asked a slightly judgmental James.

    "It was an accident! I just got used to her hanging out with us and forgot that she didn''t know!" He tried to explain.

    "Will you prats tell me what you''re going on about already?!" Yelled an irritated Victoria.

    "So yes or no?" I then ask the two.

    "Although it''s been a relatively short time, Victoria is loyal and trustworthy. We also know her situation and now she''s heard too much to just ignore this. So I''m for it." Said the ever thoughtful James.

    "This is my fault, and although she can have a venomous tongue, she is a good person. So yeah, i think she should know too." Agreed a sorry looking Christian.

    "Alright then. Victoria, this has something to do with the Death Eaters, but know that you are my friend and I will never hold things your father or family have done against you ok?" I start off by saying to make sure the girl does not overthink. And with a determined nod I begin my tale once again.

    "It all started when I was 4..."

 Chapter 44 - Ch. 44 Destiny is a bitch

    After my tale was told, Victoria wasn''t sure about what to do. She felt a bit sad that she wasn''t told before, but she also understood that we haven''t been friends for that long and telling her this was a great show of trust. She felt guilty for her previous thoughts about me in first, second and halfway through the third year, having judged without knowing anything. Sadness for what I''ve experienced was also present, thinking of how any other child would have long since died. And she felt guilt for the relief felt at the fact I wasn''t this powerful naturally. She didn''t like feeling this but it is simply human nature and she finally understood why i see myself as a monster more than a perfect genius. My strength, looks and power all come from a truly dark place, but i accepted it and tried to do the best i could with.

    "Victoria, I''m saying all this not for you to feel bad about yourself or for me, but so you can understand me better. The past is always behind you, but the future you chase will pave what is left in it. All that matters is if everything I leave behind is worth it. And in this case, I have suffered a lot of pain and lost much, but today I have a loving family, good friends, knowledge, strength, confidence, happiness, drive, dreams, goals, hopes and fun. I will never forget what was lost, but I will not let it drag me away from what I''d wish to gain." I say to my downcast friend. I don''t want her to do anything, just accept it.

    She looks at me in the eyes. Her dark green meeting my blazing red-gold. For a minute we simply stare in each other''s eyes, neither wavering, before she slowly closes hers.

    "All right. Thank you for telling Aedan. Then from now on, you guys can call me Tory." She declared to our confusion. And noticing it she explains. "That''s the nickname my mom had for me before her accident and only she''s ever said it, so I thought that since you shared something so personal I should respond."

    After being stunned for a second, me, James and Christian smile at each other nod, before saying in unison.

    """Hey Tory!"""

    And having goofy grins on our faces due to her now red face.

    "You guys better not tease me about this or I''m going to make you all suffer!" She said while trying to hide her embarrassment. Which only made us laugh more, until we finally stopped to not go past the point of good humor.

    "Thanks Tory, for accepting me and sharing some of yourself." I say with a bright smile. It seemed to have stunned her, hearing my honest thanks and seeing my smile, because she paused for a second.

    "Ye-Yeah, no problem at all Aedan." She answered with a bit of stumbling. And the two watching this had growing grins on their faces. That was until Victoria noticed and her eyes turned into a predators.

    "So you two think this is fun to watch?" She said in a dangerous tone. "Then I''m not helping you two in potions for the next month."

    After hearing that bit, both of their smiles vanished since they were both crap at the subject and Snape made it worse. They could only get Acceptable because of our Slytherin friend here. So with a smile I look at the two begging for her mercy and then turn my gaze, avoiding looking at them. It''s not like I need her help, but what''s the point of jumping in front of a snakes mouth for no reason and tempting fate.

    The comedy routine went on for a bit until someone tried to open the door, but since it was locked they started knocking. Taking this chance to escape, Christian rushes to open it, but when he did we could hear a girl speak in a very matter-a-factly tone.

    "You all know you aren''t allowed locking the cabins. It''s against the school rules." We heard her say before even saying hello or excusing herself for intruding.

    "Yeah, but who''s going to do anything? We aren''t in the school and there''s almost no supervision." Replied Christian casually. Everyone knows you aren''t supposed to lock the cabin, but plenty of people who wish for a peaceful trip do it. If they really don''t want people to lock the doors they would have simply removed the locks or enchanted them.

    "It doesn''t matter! Rules are rules!" She then said, getting offended at the fact Christian was so dismissive of the rules.

    "Then what about basic rules of etiquette and social interactions? You come and intrude on our conversation, start trying to lecture your seniors and then get them get offended at how the reality of hundreds of adolescent witches and wizards aren''t obeying rules when there is no supervision." Cut in a huffy Victoria, getting annoyed at the rude girl.

    "Now now you two, i think the little first year has had enough." Said James as he wanted to stop the two from making the girl either cry or burst out in rage. Christian would yell and Victoria would verbally annihilate her.

    I chuckle a bit at the three of them before getting up. Christian notices and decides to let me handle it as he sits down and Victoria doesn''t continue to berate the girl.

    "Well, I think it''s about time we hear from her the reason why she wanted us to open the door, no?" I say to the three calmly as they now turn their attention to the girl.

    It was interesting to see one of the main characters from the books and movies alive in front of me. Hermione Granger, greatest witch of her year, would have been the generation, but I''m here. There was the long mane of brown hair, looking as uncontrollable as written, her clear brown eyes, slightly too large front teeth, but she looked like the young Emma Watson too. And so I give the the calm and patient smile I give to all those who either ask for help or wish to learn from me.

    "So young miss, to what do we owe the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e of you seeking to enter our cabin with such an entrance?" I say, teasing her a bit. But to my surprise she wasn''t embarrassed, she was simply staring with an open mouth and wide eyes at me. And my friends noticed.

    "AAaannnd. Yup she''s gone." Declared Christian after taking a look.

    "Did you really have to ruin the poor girl? She never seen you so you appearing with that smile is just unfair to her." Joined in Victoria.

    "I must admit that you do forget that you are very attractive to women Aedan. Should have taken it easy on the girl." Finished off James.

    "It wasn''t on purpose, I was just trying to help out and know the reason as to why she came in the first place. It''s weird that a first year is knocking on doors in the first place, even weirder is that she''s so far away from the first year cabins." I try to defend myself. During our little exchange Hermione finally snaps out of it and blushes heavily at the fact that she was so openly stunned and staring.

    "Um. I was wondering if anyone had seen a toad. One of the other first years lost one." She finally said through her embarrassment.

    "See! Actual reason and solvable problem." I get to say to my friends.

    "You''ve still broken her." Replied Christian, hitting where it hurts.

    "Cut me some slack man." I cried out.

    "You must suffer for your crimes, corrupting such a young girl. Tsk. Tsk." Responded Victoria in a chastising tone.

    "Sigh. Anyway. Do you know the toads name?" I ask Hermione as I give up defending myself.

    "Huh? Oh! No I don''t! I''ll go get the boy looking for it!" She said quickly as she ran off.

    A minute or so later she returned while I was still dealing with the teasing, with who I''d assumed was Neville Longbottom. A bit shorter than average, chubbiness displayed by his cheeks and round face, slightly buck-toothed, short brown hair and green eyes.

    "You must be the boy who''s toad the girl is looking for yes?" I ask, knowing full well, but I mustn''t look I do.

    "Erm, ye-yes." He answered nervously.

    "There''s no need to be nervous, I just want to help you find it. If you want, you can introduce yourself and you will need to tell me the name of said toad." I say in a reassuring voice and calm smile.

    "M-my name is Ne-Neville Longbottom, it''s nice to meet you." I introduced nervously.

    "It''s a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to meet you as well Neville, I am Aedan Bones. Now if you could please say the name of your toad, I''ll have it in front of you in a moment." I continued to gently encourage him using my calm voice.

    "His name is Trevor." He finally said.

    With a wave of my quickly drawn wand, I silently cast accio and stretch out my other hand. Within seconds the toad flies to me and I catch it.

    "Here we are. One Trevor the toad for one Neville Longbottom." I say with a my still present smile.

    "Trevor!" He exclaimed in surprise and happiness. "Thank you." He then added with gratefulness in his voice and Hermione noticing what I just did, had stars in her eyes.

    "It was no problem whatsoever Neville." I say with a chuckle at both of their behavior." Before you leave however, I would like to extend a helping hand. You have gone through a lot at a young age, much like me, so if you ever need help do come by the Exchange. You can ask any of your seniors where and when it happens, and if you end up in Ravenclaw I''ll bring you there myself." I say as I hand the toad over to the boy. And I do mean what I say. Because of that stupid prophecy, he lost any semblance of parents and was raised by his grandmother who, although she is a powerful and influential witch, was broken by her son and daughter-in-laws fates. She pushes the image of her son onto her grandson and chastises him when he does not excel in the same areas as he did. Meanwhile the boy had to grow up with insane parents, as they cannot even remember him. It was also done by the same Lestrange bitch who killed my family and kidnapped me. Destiny is a bitch and she made many children suffer for her so called fate.

 Chapter 45 - Ch. 45 A story come to life

    After a slightly confused but happy Neville and a very curious but shy Hermione left, I was free to return to my friends.

    "Why''d your invite the chubby kid? He doesn''t look that bright. The other one though looked like she''d want every bit of knowledge in that noggin of yours." Said Christian with some curiosity as I sat down.

    "I''ve got to agree with best boy on that. It''s a weird choice. You usually don''t stretch out your hand to people, it''s more like you wait for them with open arms." Added Victoria.

    "Now you two, there''s no need to question everything Aedan does. He simply said that he would welcome him to the Exchange. It''s not like he proposed to tutor him exclusively or train him in combat." Said James.

    "But it''s still weird. So what gives?" Asked my wild friend, not letting me go without answering.

    "This has to do with his parents and I do not think it appropriate to tell others before he can chose to say anything on the subject or not." I answer with a sigh. "It''s just a similar situation is all."

    That in itself can let them know a few things, but the details will not be said. They understand that this is not something an outsider should be prying into, so they let it go.

    "Anyway, we should get ready. I think we should be arriving soon." I announce to the group.

    Half an hour later we were seated at the welcome feast. It seems like things were proceeding according to the storyline. I see that Quirinus Quirrell has returned to take the DADA position and wears his ridiculous turbin. I decided to give him a minimum of twice as much homework as I do Snape. Wonder how that''s gonna make the pasty git in his head feel. I also focused my senses to the group of first years outside the door and heard the scene of Draco being rejected by Harry and Ron being afraid of fighting a troll due to his brothers joke. Which is funny when you think about the fact that, if everything happens as in the books, he will have to.

    They entered the Great Hall and like every year, the eyes of all students and professors were on them. It was then that I spotted a head of messy black hair hiding the famous scar and round glasses in front of remarkably green eyes.

    ''I now get why everyone always mentions those eyes, really nice green. But. I can''t imagine the mistreatment he''s getting at those supposed relatives. I''ve helped Victoria to recover from longterm abuse, but he seems to be incredibly worse.'' I thought to myself after really seeing the boy.

    A set of diagnostic spells would be need to understand the full extent of the damage, but just from what I can see it''s bad. From his hands, wrist, collarbone and clothing I can see clear signs of a very bad case malnutrition. Although is eyes are full of wonder, I can spot the twitch in them as they feel various gaze on his person, signs of an overs.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e child, most likely due to prolonged physical and verbal abuse. And if the Dursley''s are anything like they were in the books, constant psychological abuse and conditioning have probably stunted his confidence, his ability to either display or utilize his intelligence, a fierce hunger for meaningful human connections, great need for freedom and probably a hidden d.e.s.i.r.e for strength. A few of those are probably why the hat thought he''d do great in Slytherin. But just this makes me disgusted at Dumbledore''s choices. So many other options could have been taken, but he chose this. If everything I''ve guessed and observed are true, then it''s already of freaking miracle he didn''t develop an Obscurus!

    I had to activate my Occlumency to stay calm, mostly because I empathize with the boy. His life is so full of loss and pain until he comes of age. But I cannot interfere too much. I need the story to stay as it should. This is the only way for me to know exactly what will happen and how to take advantage of it. I can probably help his grades through my Exchange without any issues, it''ll help him out without changing anything. I''ll have test the limits of how much I can improve his situation. I might have to secretly mess with those peoples minds, but it sucks i can''t do anything too direct yet because of Dumbledore. If he finds me messing with his plans it will not end well for me right now. I''m not strong enough yet.

    I was broken out of my thoughts by the Sorting Hat singing his tune. It was like watching the movie as the scene happened, except with a worse view. First up was Susan''s best friend Hannah Abbott, who ended up in Hufflepuff like the canon. Susan was second, but I''d wondered if my being here would change her too much, or if she''d still go in Hufflepuff but be better than the original. She looked over to me as she sat down and I gave her a reassuring smile, which relaxed her. My answer soon came as she stayed true to the original and joined her friend at the badger table.

    ''I''ll have to get James to look out for her.'' I then thought to myself.

    Everything went well, Draco in Slytherin with his two imbeciles, the two of whom I''ve genuinely wondered how they passed each year. Hermione and Neville in Gryffindor, and when Harry was called forward the hall fell silent to let the whispers be the only thing heard, as everyone looked at the small boy stepping forward. As Gryffindor was announced the entire table went mental in celebration as the twins chanted about getting him, a visibly relieved Harry hurried over, McGonagall had a small smile on her face and Snape had an even deeper scowl than usual. The sorting ended with Ron following the rest of his family into the lions den. I honestly think the only reasons Draco and Ron are in their respective houses is because their families basically brainwashed them into believing they had to be in those houses. But what can you do? There exists many forms of discrimination, and it doesn''t matter at who it''s targeted towards, since it is almost always providing destructive results.

    Dumbledore stood up and said things which made people wonder if he was completely senile. Although he tries very hard to give off that impression and I do really believe he''s missing some things in there at this point in time, i know that isn''t the case for his four words this year.

    "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

    Each word represents the less pleasant sides of the houses. Nitwit for Ravenclaws sense of intellectual superiority. Blubber was for Gryffindor as the house of the strong looks down on those lacking in the area. Oddment for Slytherin''s rejection of anything that isn''t wholly wizard. And Tweak for Hufflepuff as they look down on themselves and fail to see their own worth. These mostly represent my own issues with the system in Hogwarts as a whole, but without thinking about it this way, he gives off the air of a weird but friendly grandfather figure. I know he cares about people, but this man is so lost in the future and his own plans for it that he almost loses the present.

    After that, the feast truly began. New housemates introduced themselves to each other and to some of their seniors. I seemed to be getting a lot of curious gazes from our new first years, but I simply give them a smile and a nod, making them look away in a panic from being caught staring. During the feast, I spotted Harry rubbing his scar in pain as he looked at Quirrell, confirming the presence of that egg looking dipshit in his turbin. On a side note, does Ron really have to eat like a complete animal? Even the twins know how to eat better, so how the hell was this allowed in the Weasley household? It''s like Rowling hated the kid, until she married him to Hermione and the girl never divorced him after getting hitched.

    As the feast ended, the food disappeared from our plates and satisfied students were rubbing their stomachs.

    Dumbledore stood up and gave his usual speech, until he said his famous line.

    "And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

    You know, cause making hundreds of magically gifted teenagers and children curious about some supposedly deadly part of an ancient castle, with defenses a talented first year could break through is a splendid idea. Yes indeed. You do know how much of a miracle it is that no one was killed by the damn Cerberus they put in that room right? Their only known weakness is their inability to stay awake in the face of music, but there are so few of these creatures that almost no one knows of this. Not even Voldemort knew about it until he got Hagrid drunk and gave him a dragon egg. Otherwise it''ll take a team of Aurors to even try and subdue the thing.

    But with that insane taunt over with, it was time to head to our house dorms. I got the best room again naturally. And I sent a message over to Susan through her own box.

    ''Congratulations on getting into Hufflepuff Suz, I know you''ll do great there and make many friends in the years to come.

    Be sure to not loose your confidence in yourself and keep working hard to improve in the ways you d.e.s.i.r.e. Helga Hufflepuff wasn''t only known for her kindness, but also her relentless determination to achieve her goals through hard work. It isn''t just the house for those who''ve been leftover as people claim. It is the house of the loyal and hardworking.

    I love you lots and hope you''ll take good care of yourself.

    Have lots of fun learning and exploring, but do actually avoid that room the Headmaster mentioned. It does actually contain deadly things and I hope you find yourself not testing this.

    P.S i have a very close friend in Hufflepuff, and I''ve told you about him before. James Calaway is the great wizard, with kindness and perseverance. If you get into trouble, you can always look for him.''

    With that sent. I was finally able to lay my head down and rest. It was a weird experience seeing the story come to life. And I''ve got at least seven more years of this. Gotta continue preparing, because things will be getting more dangerous.

 Chapter 46 - Ch. 46 As it was written

    The new school year began with some excitement for the students as The Harry Potter was now attending, but people realized they had to pay attention to their own classes instead of him quickly. While I was just being my usual self and helping my classmates.

    As usual, it was time to set my goals for the school year.

    1. Continues my mastery projects. Being halfway through the subject I want to effectively master; Herbology, Transfiguration, Potions, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes being done. I now have Charms, DADA, Dueling, Healing and warding left. Honestly speaking, I''ve almost figured out how my Warding project is going to work. It''ll be a new type of defensive wards, made to block unauthorized entry from non-human magic as well as the standard one, effectively stopping house-elves from being able to appear in any place they wish. I''ve started my preliminary research into my healer project, with me already having reduced the cost, figured out how to make it with cheaper herbs, strengthened it, reduced the brewing time of Wolfsbane remarkably with the help of many willing werewolves and also made it so one only needed to take a dose the day before and of the full moon for the potion to work. I am now working on a vaccine for Lycanthropy, but I am unsure if I will be able to form a complete cure at this moment. As for Dueling, well I was sadly rejected from reforming the dueling club last year due to the ministry greatly frowning down on it, which is what I expect from the since it stops the number of more dangerous individuals, but with Dumbledore supporting this sentiment going against his own philosophies as a teacher, just so he can stop another potential Riddle, made it impossible. But hell, what do I know? It''s not like having more people capable of using their wands for something other than cleaning their houses would be useful when maniacs like Voldeshorts show up. Instead of the club, I asked aunt Amelia to let me train with a few Aurors forced into desk work and going to Fortress Protection to practice fighting multiple skilled ennemies at once. So this year will have me focus on those three.

    2. Work on the new broom I''ve been designing. I''ve been choosing, modifying or straight up creating the charms and enchantments the broom will be under for a while now, and I think I''ll start doing some tests soon. I think I''ll ask James to join me since he is very interested in the subject of enchantments and this could serve as good practical experience. While Christian can serve as our tester.

    3. Properly train my friends to defend themselves. I''ve given them advice, tips and helped them master spells, but they aren''t prepared for battle and certainly not for the years to come. I can''t let them go on like this as dangers continue to rise up. So I''ve decided to introduce the RoR to them and train them in it.

    4. Help the golden trio in subtle ways. Although I do not wish to mess with their paths, i believe I can help from the shadows. For Harry, I want to hopefully fix his many health issues first and help him reach his potential physically at least. I believe Dumbledore probably forced Madam Pomfrey to hide the results of her diagnosis from the boy because, knowing her very well from my time there, she would have forced him to stay in the infirmary or even send him to St. Mungo''s for healing. I might suspect he Confunded her or wiped her memories to achieve this, especially if she noticed the soul fragment in his scar, but I''ve got no proof. If they come to the Exchange I''ll also help them out as I do with everyone, but knowing Ron, he might actually make Harry stay far away from anything that involves work. I''ll also want to see if I can help with the troll, it was a miracle everyone got away without injuries or dying.

    5. This is going to be my riskiest move this year, because I''m going to try and look into Quirrell''s head for information on the dark arts. Due to my enhancements and practice, I am, most possibly, the strongest Legilimency master alive. I think I can subtly enter his mind to understand the Dark arts more and use that information to properly create my counter spells. If this works, it''ll give me decades of experience and knowledge on the subject, saving me a lot of time.

    With my list set for the year, it was time to get to it. I''ve noticed that the events are unfolding as they should after about two weeks of being back, with whispers of Snape picking on Harry specifically already happening.

    Quirrell on the other hand is really annoying as a teacher, even more than I thought he would be with the stupid stutter, heavy smell of garlic in the classroom, his cowardly act and refusal of letting anyone do any actual practice for what he teaches. It really annoys me, but I''ve been able to slowly but surely infiltrate his mind in manner slightly similar to how Horcruxes slowly take over someone in direct contact with them, but I''m simply making a backdoor into his mind, not changing or actively doing anything in it. It was great when I found out I could, since Quirrellmort''s Occlumency defenses were jokes. My theory on the subject is that Quirrell never practiced the art before and with him being possessed, it made him unable to fundamentally grasp it, while V is in a soul state without many of the defenses he thinks he still has and his broken soul weakening everything even further. But, this as allowed me to burrow into their combined mind without being noticed and asking specific questions about curses or magic encountered in the Dark Arts, allowed for the every memory regarding the subject to be triggered and form me to make them mine. I turned the most feared dark lord of our time and made him my educational ressource.

    With such a thorough source of information, my time in that class became very fulfilling. Just to clarify, I''ve absolutely no intention of ever using any of those spells, but I will use them to create my own. One of the reasons people turn to the Dark arts is their allure, the quick way to gain power. But what if someone made spells completely nullifying their advantages? What would be left for them to be proud of I wonder. I can''t wait to wreck those stupid bastards.

    During this time, Harry''s first flying lesson came and so his becoming the youngest seeker in a hundred years also happened. Many were excited and Christian, who was on the Ravenclaw team, wanted to see how the famous boy would play.

    On a side not, an amusing little event happened at the Exchange with the arrival of Hermione. Now, the room has been getting recognized both officially and unofficially as a sort of sanctuary, with no mocking, discrimination or bullying allowed from the participants. Some recognizable students have also started participating regularly, such as Cho Chang who was the first to come, Percy Weasley likes to study here with his Girlfriend Penelope Clearwater, Cedric Diggory enjoys the atmosphere here and likes to learn and help others, Oliver Wood wanted help to keep on top of his homework due to his duties as Quidditch Captain making things difficult. There was actually a small group of Slytherin students who sneakily joined in and they were shocked that I take my promise of inclusion very seriously. I was currently helping a few OWL students prepare themselves and showing them the study guides I had made for each subject, to which they treated as if I handed them holy objects. It is pretty funny to see them react like that. That was until the door swung open and a heavily breathing, bushy haired girl stood there. A lot of people looked at the sudden intruder since it was rude to open a door like that, which immediately made her turn red when she realized what she did.

    "It''s alright everyone, you can go back to whatever you were doing. She is simply someone very excited to learn and was overenthusiastic, nothing wrong with that." I announce to let her off the hook quickly and approach her since she froze at the door.

    "Well then, it seems we meet again. And from the current trend, you appear to have a fascination with opening doors in interesting manners." I say to the girl with a chuckle to myself and a small smile. But seeing her face burning so hot that it was surprising steam didn''t come out of it, I chose to be the one to speak again.

    "That was just a little joke Ms. Granger, don''t worry too much about it. Now what can my Exchange do for you?" I reassure before asking a question I know the answer to, but I ask anyway.

    "I, um, that is to say I. I want to learn everything you can teach me!" She finally got out with her face still red as a tomato.

    "Haha! Is that all?" I ask with a good laugh. "Well unfortunately that''s not really how the Exchange works. It''s more of a student help center than my own personal class. Students from every year and any house can come to find a good place to study or do homework, find help from others to improve either said homework or their own skills, others come specifically to aid others and I try to keep order and peace, whilst aiding whoever I can." I explain slowly to make sure she understands.

    "So I can get help from seniors anytime!?" She realized with stars in her eyes.

    "I will have to warn you that everything done here is voluntary, no one can be forced to give or receive help and you must understand that. If you ask and are rejected, you must not pester the person and the reverse is also true, since you cannot force someone to learn from you. It is a space made to let people freely choose to receive or give help." I warn the girl and make her have a thoughtful look on her face. Well that was until she realized something.

    "Wait! You know who I am!? And did you say ''my'' Exchange?!" She exclaimed in shock.

    "Well of course I know your name. You didn''t tell me on the train so I simply paid attention at the sorting ceremony. And yes it is My Exchange, since I''m the founder and creator of the room, alongside my friends who decided to support me." A reply with a smile.

    "Ah! I''m so sorry! I forgot I never introduced myself properly! I know it''s late and you already know, but should I still do it?" Rambled the now very worried and nervous Hermione.

    "Well, although I''ve introduced myself to Neville, I''ve never done it specifically to you either, so we''re even I guess." I interrupt her with my smile growing a bit more. "I am Aedan Bones, a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to make your formal acquaintance." I then say with a slight bow and the proper manners of a noble heir.

    "Um, Hermione Granger, but you knew that. It''s a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to meet you too." She said with her face back to being red.

    "Well Hermione, what can I help you with?"

 Chapter 47 - Ch. 47 Time to Train

    As depicted, Hermione''s thirst for knowledge is like no other, really making you marvel at the fact she''s in Gryffindor. Maybe that''ll help some of those stuck up members of my house get off their high horses.

    She came every time the exchange was open and constantly asked questions to whoever was willing to answer, which most of the time ended up being me, since I was the only one with knowledge regarding every subject in Hogwarts at a level close to or surpassing the professors.

    At first she was very nervous talking to me. Always avoiding my eyes. Looking away when I notice her staring at me for a bit. Almost whispering her questions and constant stuttering. It was honestly cute to watch her struggle so much just to ask a question. But as I answered each question patiently, satisfying her curiosity or helping her find her answers, she became more comfortable with my looks and started to realize the amount of knowledge I gave out was miles ahead of other students. I could give simple explanations of esoteric subjects and in-depth analysis of beginner level material.

    Outside of the exchange, she sometimes comes to ask questions or asks for help in finding books to answer them on her own. I am always happy to help and I know that if she develops as she did in the books, that she would be a sort of kindred spirit when it comes to the magical world.

    Susan also shows up from time to time, and i help her with her homework and practice, making sure she''s handling everything well. She making some more friends and finding new interests while at Hogwarts, but Hannah Abbott is basically her sister and that doesn''t appear to be going to change. I''m happy she''s adjusting well.

    Tonks was also showing up more often, since she was now dealing with being a NEWT student and even wanting to be an Auror, which I''ve always been supportive of and tried to help her with. I''ve been helping her outside of class, to get a better understanding of potions, spells and plants, while also helping her develop her skills as a Metamorphmagus in order to give her an edge.

    But I had other things to do. And it was time to show my friends the RoR. So during the first weekend of October, we agreed to meet up. Although they had questions, I had told them it was a good surprise and they simply held their curiosity in check. As we stood near the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy and I walked in front of where the door would appear, they finally couldn''t help it.

    "So why have you decided to met here and why are you walking back and forth?" Asked our dear snake matron Victoria.

    "Give me a moment and all answers shall be revealed." I reply with a grin.

    "You''re just being a prat now. We waited almost a week with you keeping mum about it. It''s really bothered me and stopped me from being able to concentrate properly." Jumped in wild boy Christian.

    "I must agree with Christian on this one Aedan, you have gotten me quite curious." Said our little saint James.

    But their eyes widened as the door appeared in front of their very eyes. I grin at them and motion to follow me inside. And after everyone comes in, the door closes behind them and they can finally see what''s in here.

    "A dueling room?" Asked Victoria in surprise.

    It''s not odd that she thinks that''s what the room is since that''s what I asked for. I wanted a place where we could duel and train in the art. So the room provide a ring made for dueling, training dummies, books on the subject and old protective equipment to safely train against one another.

    "But i thought dueling was banned at Hogwarts. You even tried to get the club reinstated but you were rejected by the Headmaster." Said James with a confused look and tone.

    "Doesn''t matter! This is wicked! Is this what you wanted to show us?" Asked the excited Christian.

    "Yes and no." I answer. And after looking at their faces demanding an explanation, I simply oblige.

    "First, this room isn''t just a dueling room. It''s called the Room of Requirement, or the Come-And-Go room, or the Room of Missing Things. It is a special place in Hogwarts that shows itself in this corridor when one is in need of it and fills your requirements. I required a place to train and practice Dueling, so the room provided all of this." I answer with a wave of my arm.

    "Wait! You mean to say that if I wanted a place to practice magic, this room would set up the perfect place for it?" Asked Victoria to confirm. With Christian just being blown away by the possibility and James waiting quietly for the full explanation.

    "That is correct Tory. This room would change, although you''d have to leave, walk back and forth three times whilst thinking about wanting such a place to get it. There are some limits. No food or drink can be produced. Nothing produced by the room can be taken outside of it. And no one can use the room for anything else until the current occupent is done with it. Those are all the ones I''m currently aware of." I explain.

    "That is fascinating. I wonder how this place was made." Wondered James to himself.

    "It''s gotta be the founders! No one else could make a place as crazy as this besides them." Declared Christian.

    "I do believe they are partially responsible at least. But I also believe the castle itself is responsible for how magical the room is." I interjected.

    "What do you mean O Silver Raven?" Asked Victoria jokingly, but wants to know my theory.

    "It''s simply because you can''t actually find any traces of enchantments in or around the room. It can circ.u.mvent some of the wards of the castle. It responds to requests. No such room has ever been recorded in any book I''ve ever read. And from my stay and usage of the room, it appears to at least have basic sentience. So my theory is that one or more of the founders, my money''s on Rowena, built this room in secret, to initially serve as a multipurpose testing ground. Need a potions lab? Need Rune making equipment? Need a practice area? Need a testing ground? You want it and it can be set up. But with generations of the castle being exposed to the magic of the never ending flow of students, Professors, elves and even the lay lines the castle is built on, it changed the room into being what it is today. A room to help those in need. The idea come from the existence of Peeve in the castle, who is supposedly the representation of the collective mischief of the students given form as the years pass." I say as I finish my theory.

    My friends had thoughtful looks, but they decided to simply agree. They''ve only just been introduced to the room, while I''ve obviously known about it for some time.

    "So, how long have you been using this place then?" Asked Christian and making the other focus on me.

    "Well, you know how I had to hid during first year to get away from being mobbed? And that no one could find me? That''s because I stumbled onto this place, decided to study and train in it while hiding. And it just became a regular thing for me." I lie to them. That''s the reason I could come up with for me knowing about the room for so long and explaining the times no one could find me.

    "What else are you hiding from us Aedan?" Then asked Victoria with a smile that did not reach her eyes.

    "I, um, I have a map of the castle that can show everyone." I then answer coming clean about another one of my toys.

    """You have what!?""" They exclaimed in unison.

    "Well I needed a way to tell where people were when I wanted to either explore the castle after curfew or come to this room without people knowing about it, so I made this map. It taps into the school ward for monitoring, I added a modified Homunculus Charm and some various bits and pieces to show me everyone in real time." I explained carefully, without actually lying. I just didn''t mention the original.

    "How could you not have shown me this thing. It brilliant! Can I study it a bit?" Asked my usually calm friend.

    "So you can see where we are every moment of everyday can you?" Asked Victoria from behind me in a dangerous tone.

    "All I see as the names of people and their locations, I swear!" I tried to explain to gain some mercy.

    "That''s wicked! You''ve even got a bunch of secret passages. We should totally use these to get to class quicker." Commented Christian as he focused on whatever grabbed his attention.

    After a few minutes of grilling by Victoria, while James and Christian played with the map, I could finally get back on track.

    "Alright, so I brought you three here to start training you in combat." I declared.

    "How come? It''s not like we are likely to get into any fights." Asked my gentle friend James.

    "I disagree. Learning how to fight is always better than being stuck without it when you need it. This is a dangerous world and we need to be prepared for that. I''ve always found it odd that a school designed to prepare us for the future never involved combat or healing even." Responded Tory thoughtfully.

    "I think I''ll take you up on that. Mum and Dad keep bringing me to more dangerous places as I''m getting older and I''d like to be able to protect myself at least." Agreed Christian. Some people wonder why he is in Ravenclaw, but he is incredibly knowledgeable in his preferred subjects. His intellect isn''t something I would question, he simply studies things others don''t generally consider to involve much in the way of intelligence. He knows that if he continues to study beasts, he will have to know how to put one down too.

    "James, I know you are a very kind and caring person. We all really like that about you. The problem is that there are bad men and women in our world. Dangerous creatures or hostile non-humans roam in it too. And not to mention that, in our country at least, there are many important families who view muggle-borns such as yourself as an insult to the very word wizard. As much as I would love for us to just learn what we wish and live in a just and happy world, we don''t and I can''t lie and say the dangers aren''t there." I say to my friend in a very serious tone. I can''t force him to learn to fight, if he decides not to, he will simply be excluded. But I want him to be safe so I try to convince him.

    "I know Aedan. With just what you and Tory have told me I understood that this isn''t a fairy tale and dangers lurk just beneath the surface. But I want to know why you want us to learn now." He asked with his eyes meeting mine.

    "I''ve heard some troubling things from my sources and my own deductions regarding many events aren''t helping me see a good picture either. I cannot tell you about these deductions yet because I have no conclusive proof, but if they turn out to be true, our community is in for troubled times and I don''t want to lose any of you. So I will train you the best I can, making it so even if we are not together, we shall all make it through hell or high water." I answered with a grave tone.

    He looked at me to understand my reasons and test my determination in this matter, before finally nodding in agreement.

    "Thank you James. And thanks to the both of you. I''ll do what I can and the rest will be up to you." I say to my three close friends.

    And so began the training of some of the best combatants Hogwarts had ever seen.

 Chapter 48 - Ch. 48 Trolls are Overrated

    As the month moved on, my friends began to realize just how much of a monster I really was. They trained in combat three times a week minimum and not once have they ever come close to breaching my defensive spells, without me even dodging yet. But this didn''t make them want to give up, they wouldn''t be the people I trust and cared for if they gave up so easily. Their fires were lit and they were determined to make me fight them now properly and it helped to push them further and further. They understood that their spells weren''t truly mastered through battle. Most people don''t realize how shit their aims are until it''s too late cause they''ve only practiced their magic in stable environments. But what happens when both you and your target are moving quickly and spells are being fired at you? Most people become unable to even put up a fight, that''s what happens. And this realization made them contemplate just how magic should be used in combat and how to cleverly apply minor charms or jinxes to form deadly combos. I let each of them study and understand the art of combat in their own way, finding the path suited for only themselves.

    The rest of the month quickly flew by with my days filled with classes where I helped other students or spent time working on my projects from theoretical points of view, and my nights filled with the Exchange, training with my friends, researching or testing a variety of enchantment or ingredient combinations. And soon enough it was Hallowe''en. (For some reason, wizards write it slightly differently.)

    The castle was a very festive place, since every holiday gives way to various decorations present in its halls and nowhere is more decorated than the Great Hall. The enchanted sky was made to look the most spooky as thunderous clouds roared, with usual candle replaced with floating carved pumpkins and with live bats flying around. Great pumpkins from Hagrid''s patch were carved and decoration the hall, coupled with the torches and decoration to give off the quintessential Hallowe''en vibe. The food was all themed, with many being made from pumpkin, which I''m not that crazy about but I''ll still eat it, cauldrons full of wizard candies and the typical fall harvest fruits everywhere.

    It''s not usually my type of event in all honesty. I''m the guy who prefers reading at home than go to a party, but I need to be here today in order to make sure nothing unexpected happens.

    As the feast was going on, I noticed that even though Hermione interacted with me and my friends quite a bit in the last two months, she was still absent from the feast. I felt bad for the girl but, from an objective viewpoint of typical eleven year olds, it makes sense that they don''t want to make friends with someone who always tells them what to do, and it''s even harder for boys to accept her because she is better than them at pretty much everything. It doesn''t excuse bullying though.

    Everyone was having a pleasant evening until Quirrell finally burst in through the doors of the Great Hall, running to the head table and yelling in his fake panic.

    "Troll! Troll in the dungeon! ...thought you ought to know." And he fainted for dramatic effect.

    The entire hall burst into a panic for some stupid reason. There''s more than 400 witches and wizards with literal weapons available. The most powerful wizard alive is at the head table, with very skilled witches and wizards next to him. Although the younger kids can be excused, everyone fifth year and above is able to at least attack with enough strength to hurt or slow down the stupid brute. This is why I hate mob mentalities.

    "Silence!" Yelled out Dumbledore as he stood up. This effectively stopped everyone in their tracks.

    "Prefects will lead students back to their house dormitories immediately!" He then ordered. And I don''t know if he actually forgot that Slytherin dorms are down there in the dungeons, or he doesn''t really care, or even that he somehow already knows the troll isn''t there, but the decision is still a stupid one and the only reason I can understand for him making it is to let Quirrellmort do has he wishes and Dumbledore tracking him.

    As everyone was slowly leaving, I noticed the two kids I was tracking myself finally leave and run for the girls bathroom. I myself then proceed to slow my pace as I make my way to the back of the line and cast a notice-me-not and some glamour before bolting after them quickly enough for no one to notice my disappearance, even with my very eye catching features. Everyone was just too worried about the troll.

    I ran towards the bathroom and I could unfortunately smell the horrid creature before I could see it, making it really suck to have superior senses at the moment. As I rounded up the corner, I just caught a glimpse of the two boys unknowingly locking the troll into the girls bathroom, you know the one Hermione is currently crying in. So I kick myself into overdrive as I yell.

    "You two numbskulls just locked a f.u.c.k.i.n.g troll in a small room with an eleven year old!"

    As they hear my yell, they finally realized it, but by then I''d already arrived and could hear the frightened scream of Hermione meeting a troll.

    "F.u.c.k this!" I declare as I rip the door of its hinges and point my wand at Hermione and create a shield to protect her as she tries to dodge the trolls club, only to notice that no crashing sound of the impact was heard and opening her eyes in surprise at the shield. I then take the opening left by the trolls confusion to launch a powerful modified Confringo at its hand wielding the club and following with another at the back of its knee, forcing it to let go of its weapon and kneel in pain as its knee and wrist were almost shattered and blood pooled under it. I quickly use wandless magic to bring Hermione to me with her yelping in surprise at suddenly being forced to fly towards me. I grab her and let her go outside the bathroom where Harry and Ron are standing slack jawed.

    "You three back away in case it does something i can''t predict in blind rage!" I roared as I turned around to face the troll.

    I quickly transfigure the ground into titanium chains and tightening them until the brute cannot move its legs, but it then tries to grab its club with its uninjured hand, only for me to blast it too. I then send a concentrated severing charm at its eyes, blinding it completely and finally lifting its club, smashing it in the face with the force of truck (he would know), while letting him free from my chains and sending the thing flying out of the bathroom due to the impact of the blow itself.

    I step out the destroyed bathroom slowly as I clean my robes of the bathroom water and troll blood, while repairing minor tears that occurred when I was running.

    I finally got a proper look at the troll, or what''s left of it, as the adrenaline was leaving my system. It had stood at 12 feet tall, with lumpy grey skin, short but strong legs for its body and I think the head was small for the body, but that thing was almost squashed completely by the club so I''m not sure.

    "Are you three ok?" I then ask, just to make sure. But it seemed that they were too shocked by what just happened and were only staring slack-jawed at me, then the troll and then back to me.

    "Um, hello? None of you got hit on the head right?" I then say as I wave my hand in front of their faces.

    "Huh? Oh yes! I mean no! We didn''t get hurt." Finally said Harry, which in turn snapped the others out of it.

    "Well that''s good, I did hope to not mess up." I say with a grin.

    "Is it- is it dead?" Then asked Hermione, still very much shaken by the event. The question getting all three of them looking at me.

    "Yes it is very much dead. If anything gets up after its head gets turned into that mess over there, then it just wouldn''t be fair. But I can tell you now, it''s dead and gone. It will never harm anyone ever again." I declare, trying to reassure the girl. I want her to be clear on the fact that it is dead, because this will certainly traumatize her for a while. I also wave my wand at her to sterilize and heal her cuts and bruises with a few spells.

    "Thank you." Was quickly said quietly.

    They were about to ask something else when the sound of our dear professors rushing here could finally be heard.

    "Now you three, I will do most of the talking. You''ve done absolutely nothing wrong and no one can blame you for this event. So please try to keep calm while I explain everything to the professors, ok?" I say and ask, to which they hurriedly nodded.

    As the furious looking McGonagall approached the four of us she finally asked her question.

    "What on earth are you thinking off!? You all could have gotten killed! Why aren''t you all in your dormitories?!" She asked with cold fury in her voice, while Snape was looking at the troll and a quick look of shock appeared on his face as he looked at me.

    "Professor it''s all-" Hermione started saying before I raised my hand in front of her and gave her a smile, stopping her in her tracks as she remembered what I had said.

    "It''s very simple Professor. Hermione has had a very hard time since coming to Hogwarts, trying to fit in with her peers. But due to her excellence and the incorrect way she presents herself to others, she has been suffering from bullying within her own house. Something I''m sure you must be aware of Professor, since I''ve heard you are very proud of having such a talented and hard working witch in your house. And since Hermione looks up to you as a role model, I''m sure she''s brought this up to you before." I then start with my signature calm smile and tone, as I take a few shots at her conscience, which immediately work as she is left looking very guilty.

    "Well, as a result she found herself in bathroom trying to comfort herself during the feast. As the announcement of the troll supposedly being in the dungeon, something very far away from this area as it would require a famously imbecilic troll to get up here through the moving stair, something which even those who live here have trouble with at time, and walk down a few hallways to reach this bathroom mind you. With that in mind and knowing Hermione didn''t know of the troll, these two young men wanted to warn her and bring her to the dormitories as was ordered, only to find the brute entering the bathroom." I explain the reason as to why the three are here.

    "And why are you here then Bones?" Sneered Snape as he was trying to make my life more difficult. I think three time the homework will be good punishment, which means six times for Quirrellmort~.

    "That''s very simple Professor. I myself was worried about Hermione as I see her closer to a little sister than a junior, since she is the same age as my younger cousin whom I treat as such and has been very actively participating in my Exchange. I saw the two boys going after her and decided to make sure everyone would make it back to their dorms safe and sound." I replied with a smile, just to piss him off more.

    "And what happened to the troll?" He then tried to bring up.

    "What about it? It''s dead." I then stated with a slight tilt of my head.

    "Of course I can see it''s dead you impudent know-it-all! I want to know how and why it is dead!" He then hissed at me.

    "Oh! I thought that was obvious. I killed it." I simply stated in ''realization''.

    "You did what!?" The exclaimed McGonagall.

    "Oh and I''m also invoking right of conquest." I added with an afterthought. "I''ll have some people bring it out of the castle by tomorrow."

    "Who would believe a boy defeated a troll?" Snorted Snape.

    "Are you trying to stop me, the Heir of the Bones family, from rightfully claiming my spoils as the victor Professor?" I then state with narrowed eyes and no more emotions in my voice as I''m daring him to try it.

    The tension that question produced silenced everyone present as we had a stare down and he tried to force me to yield through some legilimency. I scoffed at the insulting attempt and retaliated, making him break first. And as he was about to snap at me, an elderly voice finally resounded.

    "Of course not Mr. Bones. You will of course have full rights to the trolls body. I do hope you find many productive uses for it." Said the headmaster with his ever present grandfatherly smile and slightly jovial voice.

    "Thank you for clarifying headmaster. I do not want to bring up legal charges against my own teacher, especially against such a skilled potions master, over such a matter." I respond with my smile back on my face.

    "That is good, Hogwarts would still be your home for a few years to come and it will be good to not create unneeded strife." He nodded as he accepted my response.

    "Then if that is all, I and the kids shall excuse ourselves and return to our dorms as was requested. I hope you all have a pleasant evening." I say as i guide the kids away from the scene.

    "That would be for the best. I hope this incident does not affect you all too much. We will figure everything out, so you children can sleep in peace." He then said i a reassuring tone.

    "We will do that sir. But there''s a few things nagging me about the situation." I say before leaving.

    "And what are those dear boy?" He asked with curiosity.

    "It''s a few minor things about how the crisis was handled, nothing major. My first point of confusion was why everyone was ordered to go to their dorms when the Great Hall had everyone in a safe and defensible position, with all professors present to keep us protected and the Hall itself possessing very powerful defenses on its own when activated? My second is related, it being that even if we ignore the first, why were Slytherin house ordered to go to their dormitories located in the dungeon where the troll was supposed to be and how that was safer than the Hall? And lastly, it is how that symbol of idiocy was able to make it into the supposedly safest place in Britain undetected by the wards, spells, ghosts, paintings, teachers, elves and yourself, until the professor supposedly in charge of teaching us how to defend ourselves from such dangers runs into a hall full of children, screaming his head off about the creature and then fainting, with this resulting in it almost getting the chance to kill three students, one of whom is an heir to a ancient wizard family, another being from a old line as well and the last being the best of her year." I ask everything in a lighthearted manner.

    I can see the smile on Dumbledore''s face vanish, McGonagall finally gets how badly everything was handled judging from the look of horror on her face and how impossible the situation is and Snape shoots Dumbledore the stink eye as he also realizes his entire house was almost sent to meet the creature face to face. Quirrell just fainted again for no reason, just gonna ignore the idiot.

    And with that said I left with the golden trio following behind me as their own gears were turning.

 Chapter 49 - Ch. 49 Hogwarts Abuzz

    I got the golden trio back to their dorm without anyone seeing me, but before I headed back I saw they wanted to say something.

    "What''s up firsties?" I ask with a grin.

    "Thank you so much for saving me Aedan!" Said Hermione with her face being back to red when looking at me.

    "Haha! No problem at all Hermione!" I responded as I ruffle her bushy hair. "Like i said, you''re like a little sister and I would know cause I basically raised one. If you could be friends with her that''d be great too, but no need to force things."

    "You were wicked! I didn''t know anyone could take on a troll like that!" Then exclaimed a star struck Ron.

    "Well, that''s because people can''t." I answer and get a confused look.

    "I''m different from most people and I''m kind of perversely gifted in magic. Every spell I used was one modified through Arithmancy to be stronger in various ways. My studies in magizoology allowed me to thoroughly understand the troll and my in-depth combat training helped me put the two together to earn such a victory. I don''t want you three getting the wrong idea about fighting trolls alright." I explained and warned. This made Ron quiet down as he couldn''t even imagine how much studying and training it would take to do what I did.

    Hermione though understood what I said and had both stars and fire in her eyes.

    "But still, thanks for taking care of the professors for us. I don''t even want to think about Snape would''ve have done. But are you going to be ok? You kind of questioned The Dumbledore." Asked a worried Harry.

    "If the man couldn''t handle being questioned then he would have left his posts a long time ago Harry, don''t you worry about that." I answer with a smile.

    "Now! You three head into your houses, but do be warned that you''ll probably get a lot of questions. You can tell them what happened, but keep quiet about the talk with the professors or at least keep it to the bear minimum. Also, be prepared for many to doubt you since a 4th year destroying a troll is not something many wizards will accept, but there''s no need to care or defend me. I''ve been dealing with people since I got to Hogwarts due to my looks and grades. Oh and if you ever need some help with homework or spells, my Exchange will always welcome anyone. Hermione knows where and when, so you can ask her." I say in a reassuring and calm manner as I gives each of them a hair rub.

    "Alright then. Goodnight to the three of you and Hermione, you are safe. That beast can not harm you. Do not fear it, make it a source of determination to grow and be better next time." I advise the hard working girl as I leave.

    -in an office filled with paintings of old men and women sleeping.

    "We have to talk about this Albus! Everything Mr. Bones said was true! The worst possible choices were made when we handled the situation. If any of this reaches the parents or if Mr. Bones just sends word of this to his aunt, we could find ourselves under a lot of scrutiny." Said McGonagall in a slight panic.

    "I know Minerva, I know. But the past cannot be changed, so what can we do about this?Harry, Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger have all seen and heard everything and knowing their house, they are certainly being interrogated about their whereabouts. It will have to depend on what they say." Answered Dumbledore with a sigh at the debacle his scheme has led him into.

    "There might be another issue Headmaster." Carefully said Snape.

    "What is it Severus?" Asked Dumbledore curiously.

    "The Bones boy is very skilled in the mind arts, both offensive and defensive, and unfortunately I may have tried to influence his mind when he was being disrespectful." He answered trying to phrase things ambiguously.

    "By Merlin''s beard Severus. You used Legilimency on the heir of a noble house! If he knows he could have you arrested! He is the nephew of Amelia Bones for Merlin''s sake! How could you do this!" Shooter an outraged McGonagall.

    "Calm yourself Minerva." Interrupted the Headmaster.

    "But Albus, this is a serious issue!" She responded trying to get a solution out of the man.

    "Minerva. It will be alright." He said with a now weary sigh, but then looked at Snape.

    "Does he know?" He simply asked the man.

    "Yes" was the simple answer that came out of a very unwilling man.

    "Very well then. It seems I must meet the boy sooner rather than later." The old man finally declared. "But we will have to see the effects of events during the next few days before we do anything."

    "Severus, Minerva, please make sure everything is secure and no such incidents happen in the immediate future. I will take care of Mr. Bones." Finally instructed the Headmaster.

    -Back to our regularly scheduled POV

    I snuck back into my house dorms to find most students went to their rooms since there was nothing they could do. So they did the only thing Ravenclaws ever do, study. Except for Christian who was waiting for me.

    "So, hows was your adventure?" He asked with a bit of sass in his voice.

    "Oh don''t be like that mate. I only snuck out to go and get Hermione. She was crying in a bathroom from getting bullied and I wanted to make sure the girl got to her dorm safe." I explained to my friend, and since he knows me, he understands that is a very likely reason for me disappearing.

    "So why''d it take so long?" He then asked.

    "Well, it seems the troll had a similar idea." I answer awkwardly.

    "Morgana''s Tits! Is the girl alright?!" He exclaimed in shock.

    "Oh she''s all ok. She had a few scratches and a good scare but she''s ok. But how come you don''t ask your best friend if he''s ok after encountering a troll." I say with fake sadness.

    "Like a troll could beat you! You could probably beat it up bare-handed! You think I''ll be worried when you could use your magic?" He replied with a snort.

    "You make me sound like a monster." I then answer in ''despair''.

    "That''s cause you aren''t far from it." He teased.

    "Nooooo!" ToT (this explains it all)

    "But seriously. What are you going to do? The whole school is going to know about by tomorrow." He asked worrying about me for real right now.

    "Honestly speaking, in the long run it''s either going to mark me as a powerful and deadly wizard, the prophets probably gonna run a Skeeter article on how I''m the next dark lord or whatever and when have I ever given a shit about what people think of me? Honestly speaking, if people in Hogwarts who''ve ever interacted with me suddenly think I''m the next dark lord because of one stupid article, then good riddance. Second long term effect would be that it''s just going to be taken as an over-embellished story people will forget about within the year. Short term will be a lot of debate of the validity of the story, some people believing because of my previous demonstrations of knowledge and ability, and others trying to smear dirt all over my name as they take whatever chance they can to soil my image." I systematically answer my good friend.

    "Sometimes it''s really reassuring how you can just break down possible results like that. Makes me feel like I overreacted and lets me see some stuff clearly. But the article might be an issue." Says my relieved, but still slightly worried friend.

    "I''ve got an answer for that already, don''t you worry." I say while patting his shoulder. "Now let''s get some sleep."

    After a good nights rest, it was time to see the result of my actions. I had already sent a message explaining what happened to Tory and James before going to bed, so they would be kept in the loop and learn about it from me. It also stops me from getting into trouble with them.

    No one in my dorm knew yet because no one noticed my absence and the our house ghost, the Grey Lady, doesn''t talk to anyone. So I headed to the Great Hall with Christian after our morning run, him for Quidditch and me for fitness, to grab some breakfast. When we came in everyone turned to look at us, making Christian have a wry smile and i just keep smiling calmly as we head to our table. I notice Victoria and James have the same expressions as Christian, while the golden trio look guilty, to which I just give them a warm smile to reassure them it was ok. But like I said to Christian last night, I''m really used to being stared at.

    The professors were also looking at me with curiosity, except for Snape who was almost giving me open hostility. I think I''ll make that 4 times the homework for him and 8 times for Quirrell~.

    So for the next two weeks, the story of me obliterating a troll while protecting the boy-who-lived circled around Hogwarts. The professors tried to contain the story, but like that''s going to work.

    The responses were pretty much within my expectations. With those either jealous or hateful towards me trying to smear my name and reputation as some sort of lying, power hungry and violent man. But the overwhelming response by the female student body was crushing anyone who dared attack the not only ethereally handsome, intelligent and kind guy, but he was now also incredibly strong and protective too. There was apparently a few, shall we say, female friendly books being distributed amongst the girls at Hogwarts, and Victoria got her hands on one and couldn''t look at me straight for the rest of the day.

    The Exchange was doing even better now that I had proven my magical skill and strength in such an overwhelming manner. More people wanted to get practical advice and help in understanding their classes, which also ended up creating an influx of people to help the younger kids and for peers to help each other. It was a great bit of publicity.

    So far, the story hasn''t been caught by the Prophet. This is most likely due to Dumbledore messing with the owl deliveries to ensure the news wasn''t leaked out and put the school in trouble. But I''m honestly surprised I haven''t been called to the old man''s office. I''ve shown tremendous intelligence, drive and ambition, with a now clear display of power and some issues with how things are handled. Thought I''d finally wrung enough alarm bells in the mans head. I''ve even interacted with Harry and left a very favorable impression, the biggest alarm for Dumbledore in all likelihood.

    ''But I guess he''s waiting for things to cool down a bit and until he has a firm grasp on the situation and an understanding of whatever plans he thinks I have.'' I thought to myself about the Headmaster.

    ''Oh well, not my problem wether or not he''s paranoid. Time to work on that broom.'' I then think to myself as I pump myself up.

 Chapter 50 - Ch. 50 Meeting the old man

    When the buzz about the troll incident was fading and the excitement for the Quidditch season was rising, I was finally free from being the center of attention.

    Only two things of importance happened during this time period. I gifted the body of the slain troll to the goblin king as thanks for his constant support and friendship, something considered to show great care for another as I sent the corpse of a strong enemy defeated in single combat. He was so honored by it that he offered to smith me a full set of armor, which I had to decline, but I did ask him to make me a set of transformable bracers. The idea was to make a pair of extremely spell resistant bracers which covers the back of my hand and forearms, capable of being in the form of a fitted metal bracelet which would be bonded to me completely, almost making it a part of me. Let''s just say he was very interested with the challenge and was raring to go. Second interesting event was the golden trio showing up to the Exchange. Apparently Harry had been busy with Quidditch practice, trying to get used to the brand new sport, and Ron just dreaded having to do any work, so it took Hermione a lot of convincing to get them there. When they showed up and i noticed the two looking around with curiosity at the place, while Hermione was trying to explain the various rules and opportunities. I decided to welcome them in.

    "Hey you three finally made it. Thought you didn''t like me or something." I say in a chuckle. It made Harry look awkward because he felt bad about not coming sooner, Ron just kept looking around and Hermione was back at being fl.u.s.tered when seeing me.

    "Welcome to the Exchange." I say with an wave of my arm, sweeping across the room. "The one place in Hogwarts made by students to help students, with positive results on grades of pretty much everyone who''s participated."

    "Is that a practice range?" Asked an unsure Harry.

    "Why yes. It''s where people who know how to fire some combat spells do actual practice. We''ve also got an area to practice the less combative spells over there." I answered the boy.

    "He''s right Harry. It''s been very helpful to be able to practice spells here, since a lot of the seniors here are very helpful as long as you ask politely." Chirped in Hermione, finally breaking out of her silence.

    "I''m sure Hermione has talked about this place at great length already, so I''ll just assume you have a general understanding. But this is just a student help center, where students help students to improve themselves." I say to the trio with a smile and I was about to continue, but I was interrupted by Ron.

    "What are those slimy gits doing here!" He hissed aloud ironically enough.

    A lot of people in the room froze at hearing that and saw me standing next to them. All present knew full well my feelings about this subject and understood I would take care of everything, so they got back to whatever they were doing after shooting a glare at Ron.

    "Ron! You can''t say those things here!" Said a now very tense Hermione because she knows my rules too.

    "But there are snakes here!" He tried to defend himself.

    "Yes there are. And why is that an issue?" I then ask the very biased boy.

    "They''re all gits and will turn dark as soon as you give them a chance." He Declared.

    "That is a very biased and unforgiving viewpoint Ron. From your statement, we should then lock up anyone who joins Slytherin house." I then say seriously to the boy.

    "Obviously." He just answered without even thinking about it.

    "Did you know Merlin himself was a Slytherin." I simply drop a bomb on the boy and his shocked expression was funny to see.

    "Yeah. The wizard everyone swears to, the most respected and powerful in British history, was a Slytherin and according to your views Ron, he should have been locked as a child for being sorted into that house without any other reason." I continue to the slack jawed trio. "It''s not bad to have ambition, hell i have quite a bit myself, but my thirst for knowledge is much greeter. But a lot of people have been put into Slytherin because the hat knows the consequences if it doesn''t. Those kids will be disinherited, or beaten, taken out of school or sometimes even ended dead if not put in that house. Something you should honestly sympathize with because, honestly speaking, what would your parents do if you weren''t in Gryffindor?" Making Ron be a bit angry at my comment, but he can actually imagine the scenario of his mother yelling at him for it.

    "This place accepts anyone from any house and every year. No one is rejected unless they bully, judge or look down on others. If any of you have a problem, I''m not stopping you from leaving, and I''m not making others leave for you." I simply declare. "Oh and Harry, even your captain comes here to stay on top of his homework, I''m sure it''ll help you keep on top of yours too."

    "What?!" He was very surprised by that revelation.

    "Yeah, Oliver is over there by the bookshelves right now, getting help on his Transfiguration assignment." I say as I point to the guy and make the trio look over.

    "So, if you need any help, ask someone who''s free, look at the ressources provided, or even ask me since I''m pretty much here to do that and keep the peace here." I say as I left the trio to there own devices.

    The three of them sat down to start working with a very unwilling and uncomfortable Ron. From that day on, Harry would try to come to the Exchange more often, but because of his friend Ron''s constant rejection of working and any place with snakes in it, he was finding very difficult to come at all.

    A few days after they had shown up, I finally received the call I was waiting for. Dumbledore finally called me into his office for a chat. As I reached his office door and was about to knock, he decided to be cliche.

    "Come in young Mr. Bones." Sounded his elderly voice from behind the door. But when I got in, he wasn''t even at his desk.

    Without the headmaster, I decided to take a good look at the famous man''s office. The interesting circular room was filled with a variety of enchanted devices and alchemy tools, making little sounds or movements. I could see the portraits of the various Headmasters and Headmistresses who had held the office before, sleeping in soundly. I stopped the sorting hat and finally came Dumbledore''s own Phoenix.

    "Well, I think my Sol looks better than you. Her eyes are prettier and her feathers look like they feel much better to the touch." I say to Fawkes, to which he responds with an insulted chirp at the comments.

    "Oh you don''t agree do ya?" I then asked the bird, teasing him and getting the Phoenix equivalent of the cold shoulder.

    "You don''t have to be so imm.a.t.u.r.e you know. You''re an immortal bird and you''re acting like a kid. My Sol is much better, acts like an elegant lady." I continue and I swear the bird stuck its tongue out at me.

    "It seems you''ve met Fawkes, and are quite comfortable with him" said the headmaster as he finally showed up from wherever he was observing me from.

    "Just comparing yours to mine." I reply lightly.

    "And your assessment?" He asked with his childlike curiosity.

    "My Sol is much better." I nod with certainty.

    "Well, it seems you are very proud of your own Phoenix." He replies with a smile, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

    "Yes I am. She the one closest to me." I reply to the mans statement.

    He paused for a second, which I''m guessing has to do with the fact him not questioning the man knowing i have a Phoenix and that it should be secret for me since I''ve never shown it off.

    "Why don''t we have a seat and we can talk about why I called you." He gestured towards his desk. We both sit and get comfortable before the headmaster started.

    "Lemon Drop?" He offered politely.

    "Sure, why not? I prefer strawberry flavored ones, but lemon isn''t bad either." I say as I pop one in my mouth with no hesitation. This surprised him greatly apparently and I could guess why. With Snape acting like a douche version of Batman and McGonagall have being so serious all the time, I doubt either of them have ever agreed. Flitwick might''ve taken a few, but that''s it.

    "Not enough people enjoy a good lemon drop these days." He says jovially as he takes one himself.

    "True, too many people can''t find joy in their lives and a little bit of candy can always bring a smile to their faces." I agree with the light conversation. "But I think it''s about time we get to why you''ve called me here Headmaster. I doubt it''s for us to exchange opinions on candy." I then seriously say.

    "It''s nothing too important my boy. I just thought it was about time I meet the boy most professors in the school have been calling the best we''ve ever had, and from your results it''s hard to deny it." He stated with his grandfatherly smile.

    "So that''s how it''s going to be is it?" I sighed at the mans predictable response.

    "Whatever do you mean dear boy?" He asked back.

    "I know of you too well to believe what you''ve said Headmaster, and would have respected you more if you had spoken straightforwardly about the real reason you called me up. But you''ve decided to try and play this mind game to let my guard down and make me feel comfortable around you." I answered a bit harshly, which he almost completely brushed off.

    "And what reason do you believe you are here for them?" He responded with his smile on his face and twinkle in his eyes.

    "Because you are scared of the past repeating itself." I stated plainly.

    The headmaster immediately lost any trace of his smile. He now looked very serious and I felt him brush against my Occlumency defenses.

    "It seems Hogwarts professors have a habit of trying to attack and read the mind of its students. I pardoned Professor Snape the first time because I know the mans nature and his past, he his a very intelligent man and knows danger. But now the Headmaster himself is trying to look into the mind of noble heir and I think this is getting a bit too much no?" I said in an ice cold voice.

    "You truly are gifted in the mind arts, my boy." Said Dumbledore quietly.

    "I had to be to stay alive Dumbledore." I responded, loosing my respectful use of his title.

    "Yes, yes you did." He answered with some sadness in his voice.

    "So is this all you''ve called me up here to do? Give me candy and try to break into my mind? Because if so, I believe this conversation is over and I''ll have a formal complaint about the school and it''s practices by tomorrow." I say with a cold voice while standing up.

    "Please Mr. Bones, let me explain." Suddenly asked Dumbledore.

    "Explain what exactly? You know everything I''ve told Moody about my imprisonment from when we met at St. Mungo''s. I know enough about you to know why you''ve called me here. So what''s there to explain? I can put two and two together myself you know." I replied quickly.

    "Then would you please tell me what you believe you know? There might have been a misunderstanding." He tried to say.

    "A misunderstanding you say?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow.

    "Yes. I do not want you to get the wrong idea my boy." He answered, trying to reassure me.

    "Oh, so I''m misunderstanding you by assuming you see me as potential sequel to Voldemort." I say in a light tone of realization, causing everything in the room to suddenly get quieter. Leaving Dumbledore frozen completely unsure how to respond to answer he clearly didn''t expect.

 Chapter 51 - Ch. 51 A Talk

    The room was filled with tension, as Dumbledore stared at me in disbelief. He couldn''t understand how I could have known about his doubts or about his relationship with Voldemort himself. No one should know until next year at least.

    "What do you know my boy?" He finally managed to get out, trying to keep his grandfatherly tone.

    "You know you can talk to me like an intelligent person right? You aren''t the only one capable of thinking things through and investigating things one is curious about. I get why you''d think that honestly, with pretty much all a.d.u.l.t wizards being completely useless and the ministry being stuck up it''s own a.s.s since the war." I tell the man.

    "My apologies then, I shall call you Aedan from now on alright?" He replied calmly to my slightly aggressive tone.

    "That''s fine then, I also apologies for losing my temper a bit Headmaster." I say back, calming my mind to prepare for the talk ahead.

    "Why don''t you sit down and we will start this meeting properly this time." He gestured with a calm smile on his face instead of his grandfatherly expression.

    "Let''s." I answer as I take my seat once again.

    "Now if you could tell me how you can to this conclusion of yours Aedan." He started off politely.

    "You know about pretty much everything I went through before His fall right?" I ask to make sure.

    "Yes, Alastor informed me about you and your experiences. I am sorry you had to go through so much, at such a young age. But I must ask how you knew he would tell me?" Asked Dumbledore with sadness showing on his aged face.

    "That part is pretty simple. After I''d regained some freedom at my aunts, I decided to learn more about why my parents had been killed and to understand why I had to go through what I did. My search led me to a certain order my parents were part of, alongside many prominent witches and wizards who believed in fighting against the encroaching darkness. Your order Headmaster. And in my search, I found that the Auror Alastor ''mad-eye'' Moody was a member of said order. As well as James Potter and Lily Evans, Harry''s parents, and the now insane Longbottom''s, Neville''s parents. But I knew for sure you were informed when I received the glasses, pretty big clue that one." I start off by explaining.

    "Hm. Yes I do believe it would be. And I assume that is why you were also very open about your ownership of a Phoenix in my office as well." He said understanding my actions and reactions so far.

    "Exactly. I knew you knew, so what''s the point of hiding it?" I responded with a shrug.

    "But now I still wish to know how you deduced my own worries about you Aedan." He pressed on.

    "Well that one has a bit of a build up to." I say while scratching the back of my head a bit.

    "Please. We have plenty of time Aedan." He gestured for me to begin my tale.

    "Alright. Since you know what happened to me, you know that I was forced to be a part of two rituals." To which he nods." Well I wanted to learn about those responsible and the one they served, so I investigated. I hunted for clues, for stories, hints and evidence. And then I found out a few facts. Voldemort, obviously being a fake name, but I tried to track his past anyway and finding nothing before the 60''s, when I could find traces of him building up his following before the war. But I couldn''t find any mention of a man claiming himself to be the heir of Slytherin himself before then. This led to a study on any and all mention of the Salazar himself, letting me find a peculiar passage about a secret chamber built in our very school, which happened to have supposedly been opened by one Rubeus Hagrid 50 years ago." I say as I weave my tale. Can''t straight up say I read about the both of you in a book during my previous life now could I? I''ve also actually had this stuff investigated and I have a very securely sealed journal recording everything.

    These are all actually things that can be investigated if one has the drive and ability. And I have both. Making Dumbledore very contemplative, thinking about my train of thought.

    "But you obviously didn''t believe in that accusation I assume." Stated the headmaster, urging me to continue.

    "Of course not. Anyone who knows the man wouldn''t believe that Hagrid, a half-giant who loves animals a bit too much, would ever harm another person unless provoked. He''s basically the archetype of the lovable giant. But I was curious about the other party involved. About a student who convinced everyone that a man raising a spider and wasn''t even a pureblood, would want to be or even knew what the heir of Slytherin was. It was simply moronic and it was only because too much attention was put on Hogwarts after the death of Myrtle that the incidents stopped." I reply with a scoff, which actually got me a smile from Dumbledore.

    "Yes, poor Hagrid has had a hard life, which is why I offered him his current position. You see, I also believe the man to have been innocent, but unfortunately I wasn''t the Headmaster in those days and couldn''t protect him." He said with a sigh.

    "Yeah, but the debacle pointed me to the one who supposedly caught Hagrid. The most intelligent, charismatic and skilled wizard of his generation. A man who should be known for his great abilities and could have very well ended up becoming the next minister, but actually vanished. I found some evidence he tried to become a professor, but was rejected and since then no one has held the position for more than a year. Then he, for some reason, worked at Borgin and Burkes for a while, but then disappeared after the then famous murder of Hepzibah Smith, who claimed to be a descendant of Helga Hufflepuff. His age seemed to match my approximate estimate of Voldemort''s own, with his disappearance and His own sudden appearance matching up almost perfectly, leading to growing suspicion. So I investigated Tom Marvolo Riddle. He displayed perfection at school, but was raised in a orphanage in London itself, where it was reported at the time of his childhood that strange events were happening around the boy and others being traumatized. I hunted down the name Riddle, finding a few pieces of interest. A muggle of the same name, was murdered and one Morfin Gaunt being incarcerated for the crime. A family who would just so happened to claim to be the heirs of Slytherin, with a gift for parseltongue running in the family and three of them being alive at the time: Marvolo, Morfin and Merope Gaunt. One died in Azkaban, the other has his name being carried on in Tom Marvolo Riddle and the last seemed to have died around the same time he was born. Forming a picture of the early life of one Dark Lord, the son of a muggle and a squib. Ironic isn''t it?" I finished my dialogue off.

    "Extraordinary Aedan, simply a marvelous bit of investigation and deduction. It is exactly as you''ve said. You''re missing a few key reasons and motives, as well as backstory elements to events. But you''ve correctly answered a questions so many have not even bothered to really ask themselves. Who is Voldemort? No one cared enough after his fall and everyone was too frightened by him to find out when he was alive." Clapped Dumbledore in delight. "But why would you believe that I would see you as a person who could become like him?" He then asked, very curious at how I would answer.

    "A few key similarities in all honesty. I am undeniably brilliant. This isn''t a fact or up for discussion. I could have taken my NEWTS in my second year and aced them all. I am only staying here because I like being with my friends, like helping others, the professors give me to advice based on experience and I have plenty of time to work on my projects. I am very popular amongst the student body, showing great willingness increase my reputation. I''ve experienced the dark side of magic and have gained much from it, probably making you believe i could be tempted by it. I hold a good deal of ambition, but it''s in almost the complete opposite direction from Tom''s. I''ve also lost my parents, but I have a loving family and don''t really care for that one. And finally, I am very powerful, not just amongst my peers, but in the wizarding world itself. I am the image Riddle tried to present of himself for the entirety of his school years." I summarized very efficiently.

    "So you understand the similarities between the two of you and do not shy away from them. You seem to be proud of yourself for being as such. Why?" He asked directly this time.

    "That''s actually the problem I have with you Headmaster." I then said to his surprise.

    "What do you mean?" He asked seriously due to the direction the conversation was now going in.

    "Because I''ve also investigated you." I answer calmly.

    "And with the same fervor you''ve investigated Tom I presume." He then sighed in realization.

    "Yes headmaster. I''ve investigated pretty much all people I''ve deemed important. I had to prepare myself and did not want myself or the people I care for to get hurt again." I reply seriously.

    "At least you are very different from Tom in that aspect. You know and feel love. Something he could never understand. But back to your previous statement. Why has your investigation led to you having a problem with me and my point of view?" He finally asked.

    "Because you believe certain things are your mistakes and that you should bear the burden for them and atone. Your thoughts regarding people have been heavily skewed by that belief headmaster." I answer with some sympathy.

    "And by that you mean...?" He said, hoping for clarification.

    "Because of your special relationship and bond with Grindelwald, an event I am sorry to remind you of and the subsequent conflict that emerged from its result, your view of the world was twisted. You''d hoped to stop another from losing themselves along their journeys as he did. But then you experienced Tom Riddles growth into a.d.u.l.thood and following rise as the new Dark Lord, making you feel immense guilt at the naive hope that you could have stopped it and that everyone of his crimes are somehow your fault. But this strengthened your viewpoint. Making you believe that you are responsible for the decisions of these men, and those who followed them. That you are the one who must stop them or fix them somehow. That you must prevent the rise of another at any cost and could not ''fail'' again. You''ve made yourself look so far ahead of any potential problem, that you have forgotten to look at the present Headmaster." I finally answer the now weary looking old man''s question fully.

    "You''ve truly investigated in depth Aedan." He stated sadly as his memories were triggered by my answer.

    "I know it isn''t pleasant to hear sir. I am sorry for reminding you of such unfortunate events. But you have forgotten that for all your strength and knowledge, it is still their own decisions. You can try to guide them onto the path you believe is right but, at the end of the day, they may not see that path as the one right for them. It is both the greatness and horror of free will. But each person choses the path they take. Others can only show them another one and attempt to convince them to take it, but it must ultimately fall to each individual to chose and live with the rewards and consequences of that choice. Others can feel bad, guilty and accountable for it, but it is never truly their fault. And the reason I disagree with your statements is because of the path I want to take is so different." I explain to a very tired, but now thoughtful man.

    "And your path is?" He asked.

    "I want to help develop our stagnating world." I state with confidence.

    "You must forgive me Aedan, but that goal is very similar to the two you''ve mentioned, making me worry." He responded.

    "Yeah, but the difference is that I don''t want to be like them and my meaning is different." I answer.

    "What is your definition of help then?" He followed up with.

    "I want to give a new direction for magic to develop. I want to make new solutions for diseases and injuries thought impossible to cure. I want to push our understanding of muggles to a new age and integrate their increasingly evolving technology into our world. I want to ignite a passion into the hearts of witches and wizards, to make them want to improve themselves, learn about the world and even make it better. I want to learn and discover. I want to help our country recover from the damages the last wars have inflicted upon us. I hope to spark a renaissance within the magical world and want to fill it with wonders for the next generation!" I declare with fire in my eyes at my dream. My hopes. And my goals.

    "That is why you are hiring werewolves for your business?"

    I nod.

    "That is why you''ve created your exchange?"

    I nod.

    "That is why you wanted to open the dueling club last year?"

    I nod.

    "That is also why you help others and display your brilliance?"

    I nod.

    The Headmaster then begins to think. I wait patiently in silence for the man to finish. And as each passing minute elapses, I can feel the change in him. He gradually changes from the weary old man, beaten by time and guilt, back to the man deemed to be the next Merlin.

    "Thank you for your time Aedan. I am very thankful you''ve been willing to speak to me today. It has been most illuminating. Please do not worry about me and return to your classes." He finally says with a kind smile as he excuses me.

    I stand up, give the man a short bow and leave.

 Chapter 52 - Ch. 52 The Cannon Continues

    My talk with Dumbledore was nerve wracking to say the least. It is very hard to lie in front of the man, Occlumency or not. It does help that I only lied about how I deduced my knowledge from clues I''d found, and that I don''t have to tell him about my past life. But I do believe he will at trust and/or believe me enough that he won''t think I''m going dark. I also hope he won''t shut me down if I''m ever trying to start something in the school again. I''m going to have to keep an eye out to see if this changes things. I personally think Lockhart is still going to show up as DADA Professor because the world still believes he''s competent and I honestly don''t give enough of a shit about the idiot. He''ll busted by the end of the year anyway, with Lupin his most likely successor due to the bill Umbitch is trying to push through, which I''m going to use to my advantage to show how stupid the ministry is and boost the Heralds reputation. Then I''ll just change the law.

    I had returned to my class a bit weary, but I could soon find my rhythm again.

    A few days passed and it was now early November. The damp and cold weather of the UK amplified during this time of year, and with it the Quidditch cup would begin at Hogwarts once again. Now. I can respect the skills required to play the sport. I will support my friend and the team he is playing in, I mean I''m trying to make a broom custom for his position. But the rules of the game are completely unbalanced. No time limit. No score limit. Things only end with the snitch being caught and the thing is worth 150 points, almost always rendering the work of everyone else on the team worthless. So unless Christian is playing, I don''t really care. Unfortunately I wanted to make sure everything played out as canon, with Quirrell cursing the broom, Snape trying to counter it, Hermione stopping it in a funny way and Harry swallowing the snitch. I''ve got a nudging suspicion Dumbledore might have made that happen so the kid could get some confidence, but I''ll wait and see.

    Luckily enough, everything went properly, and it turns out that the Headmaster did make the snitch a bit easier for Harry to catch and stopped the Slytherin Seeker from getting while Harry clung to his broom for dear life, but the swallowing was completely accidental. During the game though, Woods was still hit by that foul the troll face committed, so I had to check him over and take care of his injuries, but he wasn''t going to wake up for the next few hours so I sent him to the infirmary. A quick look over to see Harry wasn''t sporting any injuries from his tumble at the end and gave a hardy congratulations. With my duties done I simply left and returned to my own devices with Christian who came to check out the new Seeker''s skills. He wasn''t terribly impressed with his actual skills and felt annoyed someone tried to mess with the kids broom, but he also admitted the kid was a natural at the sport.

    The trio was actually coming to the Exchange less than before and I''m guessing it''s because they''re researching Nicholas Flamel. In the meantime I''ve been continuing the combat training for my friends and they have been improving at very quick pace. Christian is developing a very unorthodox style of combat, by using his athletic body to constantly move while throwing debilitating jinxes and hexes, forcing openings to strike quick and hard. Victoria is a more refined fighter, using quick and efficient combos to leave opponent struggling to ward off her assaults and letting her dispatch them if they fail to do so. James had some issues actually taking down opponents as he focuses a lot more on defense and restrictions, preferring to work as a supporter, but was really getting good a smothering his opponent through sheer defensive prowess. I still don''t need to move, but it''s getting harder and harder to use spells only for my defense.

    With no more events until Christmas, I was free to tinker away and use my personal doc.u.mentary on the dark arts to learn everything I could. Brought to you by Quirrellmort, the best and darkest channel since 1991.

    But before the holidays something surprising happened, I was rushed by the golden trio as I was locking up the Exchange alone. Harry looked nervous, Ron had an odd look like he always did around me and Hermione was nervous and determined.

    "I don''t see you three all that much anymore. How come you''re so keen on coming to the Exchange when it''s over?" I asked with a chuckle to myself.

    "Well we had something we wanted to ask, but it''s kind off a secret." Said the very bad liar known as Hermione.

    "Oooh. I love a good secret project. I''m working on three this very year!" I answer excitedly. Getting some surprised looks in response from 2/3 of the audience and a scoff from 1/3.

    "Wait you''re working on things outside of class?" Asked the more learned of the trio.

    "Why yes. But since we are going to be sharing secret projects, let''s do it where they are going to stay secret shall we?" I say as i reopen the Exchange room and usher everyone in.

    "So we wanted to ask-" started Harry before I raised my hand.

    "One seconde Harry. It''s always good to make sure your secrets stay secret." I say with a small smile as I wave my left hand to close and lock the door, while using my wand in my right to cast privacy and detection spells. Resulting in Hermione freezing as she was the only one to understand what was happening as usual.

    "That was silent casting, they don''t teach that till 6th or 7th year! And did you do magic without a wand!? At the same time as you did some with your wand!?" She questioned in disbelief.

    "Hahaha! I did tell you before that I''ve already finished everything that could be taught at Hogwarts and then some no? But to answer you questions, it''s yes on all counts." I answer with a bright smile at the limited knowledge the boys possess and Hermione being utterly speechless.

    "What so special about that. Kids use magic without a wand all the time and loads of wizards do spells without saying them?" Grumbled the red-head.

    "Don''t be daft Ronald! Intentional and controlled wandless magic is incredibly difficult, much less used silently while doing other spell work. I reckon only Dumbledore can do that." She explained.

    "Wait. You''re as good as Dumbledore?" Suddenly spoke out Harry in shock.

    "Goodness me no." I say.

    "Ha! See? No way he could be as powerful as Dumbledore." Exclaimed Ron like he somehow won something.

    "Certainly true. I''ve not gone through my third maturity and he''s had decades more experience. So although I should be above Professors McGonagall and Snape, I am still quite a ways away from Dumbledore''s level." I simply say to the trio.

    "What!" Almost shrieked Hermione. "But they''re Professors!"

    "Yes, and they are the strongest magical combatant in the school alongside with Professor Flitwick. I don''t believe I can outdo them in their respective fields, but I am much more well-rounded than all of them." I responded.

    "Flitwick?" Questioned Harry with a weird look.

    "Oh, don''t judge on his appearance and pleasant personality Harry. He is a master duelist and has won so many championsh.i.p.s they asked him to give rising duelists a chance at winning. If you ever found yourself in his office, you''ll find it full of trophies from his golden days." I then inform the boy.

    That information actually surprised the three more than my opinion about my standing in the castle.

    "But back to the more interesting matters at hand. You tell me your secret project and I''ll tell you one of mine." I say with an excited grin.

    They look at each other for a while and finally come to a decision regarding the matter silently.

    "Well it''s like this. We have recently been trying to figure out what is being guarded behind Fluffy." Started Hermione as she spoke carefully.

    "Fluffy? You mean Hagrid''s Cerberus?" I ask them with ''surprise'' in my voice.

    """you know it?!""" The trio exclaimed.

    "Well yeah. I''ve been visiting Hagrid since first year with some of my friends. My friend Christian and I really like magical creatures and the man has more experience than many experts in the field. The problem is that he forgets everyone else isn''t as strong as himself and doesn''t understand why creatures which can''t harm him are classified as dangerous. But back to Fluffy. He''s really well trained and I''ve played with him before, but if he was sent into the castle to guard something, it''s gotta be serious cause there''s only one known way to get past his species." I explain with smile.

    "Yeah, that''s actually what we''ve been trying to figure out. We think something really valuable is hidden there and Snape is trying to steal it." Started to explain Harry, but i interrupted.

    "Wait a sec!" To stop him in his track. "Why does it sound like you''ve been into the place the Headmaster said would be certain death and how did you even get in? And why do you believe Snape wants whatever is in it? He probably helped in preparing its defenses." I question, already knowing the answer.

    "We didn''t go there on purpose." Bem.o.a.n.e.d Ron.

    "Yeah it was an accident after Malfoy tried to get us into trouble, then the stairs moved and we ended up there without knowing." Supportes Harry. "But we saw Snape limping after Hallowe''en and we think he tried to get past Fluffy and got injured." He continued

    "And whatever is down there has to do with Nicholas Flamel. I''ve been looking everywhere for famous wizards of our times, but I can''t find him anywhere. And well, you''re the smartest person in the castle we could ask without getting into trouble." Then explained Hermione, sounding hopeful and nervous.

    "Thank you for the compliment and at least some of your trust Hermione." I answer with a smile. "And the reason you can''t find Nicholas Flamel in any of those books you''ve been looking at is simply because he isn''t a wizard of our times. He is currently well over six hundred years old and the only known maker of the philosopher stone." I answer with a smile.

    "Over 600 years old!?" The three exclaimed in shock.

    "That must be what is hidden behind that trapdoor!" Then said Harry with certainty.

    "Yeah, but if it is then I don''t really see a reason for Professor Snape to steal it." I add.

    "What? Why?" Questioned Ron.

    "Well because he is a brilliant potions master, a shit teacher and house leader, but a brilliant potions master nonetheless. I''m sure he''s given you all his little speech he gives every year about bottling fame, brewing glory and stopping death right?" I ask and get nods. "Well he''s not joking about that. Being a potions master makes it very easy to make a lot of money and if you''re a good one, you can keep yourself alive for a very long time. And Snape isn''t exactly near death, so the delaying of death brought by the elixir of the stone should hold minimal appeal. So do be careful of pinning everything on him immediately or you''ll miss other clues to find your culprit." I finish by saying.

    This does make the kids think for some time, but I can see from Harry''s surface thoughts that because of Snape''s behavior, constant harassment and the misunderstanding from the Quidditch game, that he''s still convinced about him being the culprit.

    "But, since you''ve told me about your secret project. You three now get to chose one of mine. I''ve got three categories: Safety, Quidditch and Healing." I say as i break them out of their musing with a grin.

    ""Quidditch!"" Answered the two brooms for heads.

    "Healing!" Tried to say Hermione, but realized she''s been outvoted.

    "Sorry Hermione, you''ve been outvoted and this was apparently a democratic vote." I chuckle as I talk to her. "Well my project related to Quidditch is that I am currently developing my own broom, specialized for Chasers and I''m about to start the testing phase with it. If everything goes according to schedule, I''ll be able to start really selling them by your third year, alongside another new broom I''m sponsoring. They are going to make waves I tell you." I answer proudly, getting surprised looks.

    "I didn''t know you liked Quidditch Aedan." Said Hermione.

    "Well not really. Don''t like the rules of it. But one of my best friends is a chaser for our house team and i want to support him. So I''m making a broom!" I explain simply.

    They look at me with both admiration for my reasons and questioning how my mind works for going so far. But with their original question answered, they could leave satisfied.

    Nothing else happened as the plot stopped progressing even if I''ve let them know about the stone in advance. So the winter Holidays quickly arrived at Hogwarts once again and it was time to head back home.

 Chapter 53 - Ch. 53 A Christmas Report

    With the break upon us, my friends and I board the Hogwarts Express once again.

    I was able to convince Victoria to join us again, not wanting her to spend a miserable Christmas with only her father around. Although reluctant, she was happy i insisted on it, with only her pride stopping her from really showing it, but i knew.

    We reached Kings Cross as we chatted about our winter plans and apparently, the Wards decided to visit some family instead of creature finding. And James will be the same as last year, making him available for some fun. As we got off and separated, I could finally see aunt Amelia, at the sight of whom, Susan ran up for a hug. With a warm smile on my face I also gave her a hug.

    "Thank you for letting me stay over again Madam Bones. I appreciate a lot and i hope I can have a wonderful time like last year." Said Victoria at the first opportunity she had.

    "Of course dear. I worried about you during the summer alongside Aedan, but you insisted you were fine in your letters so I didn''t force the issue. If it wasn''t for that, I would have made this young man go get you." She answered and tried to loosen Tory up with her response, making her look very grateful. After which we head off.

    "You know your aunts great right? She''s kind of my a role model." Victoria whispered to me as everyone was walking to our transportation.

    "Yeah. I know very well. That''s why I love her lots. Although she''s very busy, she''s still basically mine and Susan''s mother. You picked a pretty great role model." I whispered back.

    "What are you two whispering about back there?" Then asked aunty as she noticed us.

    "Just about how great you are aunty." I reply with a bright smile.

    "Still good at flattering people with that face of yours I see." Was her answer, but a smile was on her face.

    We got home comfortably and with Tilly being even more excited than usual this year because Susan had been away and Victoria was visiting again.

    "I''m going to your room. I really want to look through your notes again." Declared Victoria as soon as she was done unpacking.

    "You''re free to have at it. I''ll be doing some business in the office. I''m basically the head of the house in all but name, and that comes with unending paperwork. So glad i made those quills. Oh yeah, there''s a few new ones added to the shelves, do give them a read if you want to." I say as I head out of my own room.

    As I sat down at the desk i started going through the official doc.u.ments for the Bones family.

    The usual holdings of the house are doing well and are showing improvements after using my advice to better their businesses. The reconstruction of the former Bones manner is now formerly underway, with expert salvagers participating in the project in the hopes of saving anything left in the house when it was emptied. The creator of the Firebolt, Randolph Spudmore, is very excited with the progress he''s taken with is masterpiece and is loving some of the suggestions I offered, meaning that this Firebolt might be even better than the original. The production lines and supply chains are already being prepared and we are expected to make an insane amount of Galleons off of this and my own broom.

    Everything surrounding BonesWorks has been going brilliantly. The opening of the second and third cedar forests have gone perfectly. Everything is being run by werewolves, with more than a hundred participating in the making of the vanishing boxes and the deskwork quills, alongside some homeless house-elves we''ve found that had nowhere to go or way to survive. Happy to receive work and to be able to get the magic necessary for them to live, they''ve agreed to take part in the manufacturing. The sales of the two products have been insane, especially since the opening occurred in early November, right before holiday shopping begins. I unfortunately couldn''t go, but Amelia was willing to do it on my behalf. There has actually been some difficulty keeping the shelves stocked at the moment, which will inevitably slow down once most people get a box. But the ministry itself will be a constant source of business for the quills and I''ve been negotiating a deal for them to purchase a set of official boxes for ministry officials, in order to send official doc.u.ments and urgent matters to employees or department heads without flooding their personal ones. I''ve even got foreign ministries wanting to set up my store in their countries at the moment, but I need to stabilize the situation here first. It has been great to see the Galleons flood in instead of constantly flowing out. Amelia has been very proud of me for achieving such success.

    Now for the unofficial reports. My personas businesses.

    Starting with the Breaking Grounds Apothecary. Tim has been going from strengths to strengths. With improvements to his machines and the set up of three new manufacturing centers, he''s been able to supply St. Mungo''s with every potion they could need. He keeps introducing the modified potions every so often to maintain the edge of the store over others. A few masters have joined the store as they''ve seen the potential it has displayed and wanted to take up the challenge it was founded on. Make a better potion and well will celebrate you. And with many taking up the challenge, boosting the shops reputation, profits and recruitment of talented individuals, It has quickly been becoming a Mecca for potioneering within Britain. We''ve also apparently received some complaints about the constant flow of new potions giving extra work to ministry officials, but we''ve taken the opportunity to get more muggle-borns into the department in charge of verification and certification, killing two birds with one stone.

    Natural Cultivation farms is slowly coming to dominate the market as they''ve begone selling a massive amount of rare and difficult to obtain ingredients at a constant pace to not devalue them. Under Melody''s watchful eye, they''ve started three more farms around the Uk and have been trying to obtain an entire uninhabited island to transform into a paradise for Herbologists. Madam Chambers also took the opportunity to bring in other experts under her wing to help oversee the other farms and work with her to achieve her massive project. This has resulted in a massive amount of jobs, helping many in desperate straits no matter the origin. We now had squibs, half-bloods, people with non-human lineages, some sentient creatures and even four purebloods working in the management of the business. Of course every one is sworn to secrecy. The underwater farm with the merpeople tribe has also been getting some traction. We had to give some pushes in the ministry and do a lot of work to set things up, but we''ve been able to get the tribe to assist and learn from us. Hopefully it''ll be up and running by the summer. What was the most surprising moment reported was that a group of centaurs would want to be involved in the herb island project if it is implemented. It took some negotiations since they are a very prideful people, but we don''t look down on them and Melody actually wants to learn about their understanding of herbology. So it was agreed that if the project happens, they will be able to live there in peace whist also being able to use the herbs they require, in exchange for their knowledge on herbs and their assistance in maintaining the island.

    For Fortress Protections it''s been slower. Not because of any issues, but because we''ve been slowly selecting trustworthy individuals and training them to Auror standards. The rest of the people have been hired as hidden security for some various shops and businesses, while also always having a patrol hidden in Diagon alley to protect my businesses. The most important development for the company was that I let them be ordered by the darker side of our community in secret, letting them gain proper experience and giving us eyes and ears in new places. We''ve also developed a secret detention facility for when it becomes necessary, alongside a public office and shady office under the name of dead moon mercs for the different clients. I''m actually planing on having Geri Greyback take charge of that playing field as soon as her training is done. She will train her own team, of her choosing, alongside some members from our legit side and be a hidden card to play.

    The FIRM center has been doing a wonderful job. The new merchandise has made it self-sustaining and allowed for them to hire individuals to give the seminars I wanted to have. The muggle technology did face a good amount of feedback, but the fact that it was only working properly and in some ways improved by magic, placated the witches and wizards egos enough to stop any issues from blowing up. Muggle-borns and half-bloods swarmed to the products offered and word of the calculators getting out and it''s function made wizards across the globe look at the center like sharks looking at prey. Fortunately, they''ve started making deals to open up production lines for these new products in various countries, with the profits being split between me and the center. People other than Muggle-borns are starting to get active in FIRM activities, helping the message to stop treating those who come from non-magic origins like second-class citizens.

    The Herald is still progressing nicely overall. They received a nice boost after the Umbridge debacle during the summer and their readership has grown as more people are slowly becoming aware of its intelligent and accurate reporting. The gossip Ghost column as given the paper another unique selling point as unknown or forgotten stories and places are being shared with Britain.

    And lastly, my various creatures reserves, farms and sanctuaries are doing great. With new land bought in the surrounding areas to expand everything under protection, the new supplies to control, maintain and safely manage the creatures, alongside the new wards and secret keeping tools, have brought tears of joy to the workers there. They''ve also been very keen to follow my order to commence breeding the lot. There has been too much killing of magical creatures in the world and I want to bring them back from the brink. And I believe that with my abilities, I can do so and keep them a secret from muggles.

    With everything handled, it was time for me to relax and enjoy my break with my family and friend.

 Chapter 54 - Ch. 54 Broom and Incident

    The break was a lively affair. Susan was happy to be back home and was spending a lot of time in the herbology garden, tending to her favorite plants. She''s also only realized how advanced and incredible the place is after receiving Hogwarts lessons on the subject. She didn''t know before because this way of doing things was all she knew, as she learned it as her starting point, so the revelation was funny to see. The fact that she was also learning how unique and actually brilliant I was, due to now having a point of comparison was also nice. She now appreciated the knowledge I''ve been giving her since she was young and wanted to work harder to catch up to me in some way. As a loving older brother, I wanted to do everything I could to support her goals, so a made her copies of my notes, guidebooks or good published books on the subjects of Herbology and Potions, the areas she felt most comfortable.

    Aside from Susan''s realization, Victoria has been getting some one on one training with me.

    "Haa haaa haa! Let''s keep going. I want to be able to cast that battle Transfiguration spell before the holidays are done." She declared during her live combat practice.

    "It can help if you''ve broken the ground already. For example, using a bombarda to obscure my sight can serve a dual purpose, as it breaks the ground and loosens the earth, letting you transfigure the ground in an easier fashion. It''s basically using the spell to create an immediate trap and makes for a good combo involving limiting your opponents sight, movement and reaction time." I advise my very determined friend.

    "Yeah, I''ll try that." As she got her breath back. "Bombarda!" She shouted as she pointed her wand at the ground near my feet, trying to surprise me. Too bad for her, I have both extraordinary reflexes and I can feel what''s around me without seeing it. So I just completely blocked her attempt as the chains came towards me and I turned them into mud.

    "Good try Tory. On pretty much anyone else, that would have been worked splendidly." I applauded.

    "Damn, still can''t get you!" She exclaimed in frustration.

    "You can''t get me with three of you. What''s been telling you it would work when you''re alone?" I asked to tease her.

    "Get over here you wanker and I''ll show you how much I can do alone!" She shouted back at me, getting me a good laugh in response.

    With another half-hour of training, she was finally able to pull off the combination fluidly, but it would take some time for her to truly be able to change the ground into her weapon.

    Aside from practice, she''s also been able to ask me in-depth questions on everything troubling her in our advanced learning sessions. But a lot of my modified spells need a large amount of practice to replace the standard forms. Say if you learn a standard stupefy, you''d need to overwrite your understanding of the spell by learning its arithmantic equation, then understanding the parts I''ve modified, then you''d need to calculate the changes in your mind after getting used to them on paper, ending up with the need to practice over and over again to ingrain it into yourself. I haven''t found a way to learn them in a simple manner yet and that''s why I''m not forcing Christian to learn everything, he just doesn''t have an affinity with such heavy mathematics, so he focuses on some spells he''s interested in and works intensively on those.

    James came over twice during the holidays and both times we worked on making the new broom. We''ve agreed on a sleek black design, with a silver alloy blend for the metalwork, made by the goblins like the original Firebolt. It would remind some of the upcoming nimbus 2001, but this was miles ahead of it in term of performance and its look was less decorative. Due to my collaboration with Randolph, and an agreement with the man to make them together as a brand, I''ve saved time by getting the custom enchantments for the Firebolt. James was really excited to see the cutting edge of the industry and spent hours studying them when he was home. We spent an unknown amount of time discussing the needs of the chaser and their role on the field. We even got Christian involved with that discussion without letting him know about the broom. In the end we decided to focus on maintaining a slightly lower level of speed, to focus on subtle movements to allow for better fakes, doges and maneuvers required of the position. We are also completely revamping the comfort and weather/wind protection to reduce drag and help maintain player stamina since it is the most active position in Quidditch. We''ve also decided to up the acceleration to make it more versatile and hopefully making this broom more appealing to Keepers too. So we got to work. I used my goblin contacts to set up a proper supply for the metalwork, used people in the woodworking industries to obtain the testing material I would need and was workshopping everything else with James.

    Victoria has no interest in this project of ours and just shook her head at her two friends talking to each other excitedly and only saying ''boys'' before walking away.

    But, did you know testing a developing broom involves a lot of crash landings? I mean, it''s not like I expected it to go well on the first try and it was great that I was able to make a flying stick, but it was really surprise when it just stops listening to me in mid-air. So lesson learned on that one; fly lower until you know it works. Luckily, I wasn''t that high and an arresto momentum was all that I needed to land safely. Victoria did find it both amusing and terrifying. She was scared at first, but it later became a story to tease me about, since it was one of the rare times I''ve ever made such a surprised face. But aside from that, steady progress has been made in the making of the prototype.

    With the house being full of life and happy, hardworking kids, aunt Amelia had a very satisfied smile during her break. She saw her niece and nephew growing to be such good kids, and that relived her greatly. She always worried that she hasn''t been there enough due to her duties in the ministry and even now, I''m the one who''s handling the houses paperwork, making her feel guilty, grateful and happy I care about her enough to do it. I even caught her talking to an old family portrait of when her, my father and Susan''s father were younger, with who I presumed were my grandparents behind them. She was drinking and venting about her worries, talking about what''s been going on and that we''ve been doing good, and she cried a bit because she missed them and felt guilty she wasn''t able to help them that night. The only thing I knew I could do at the moment, was to let her vent. Everyone needs to let things out at one point, just to lighten their burden and they don''t need anyone to interfere. So I left her be and quietly returned to my room.

    What was less pleasant was the unending teasing I got from Victoria and the weird smiles I got from aunty and Susan after they saw the pile of chocolates and candies I received this year. I get a good amount every year yes, but it more than doubled this year. The worst part being that the senders wrote letters of admiration or proclamations of love without signing their names and the girls read them out loud to tease me. It was nightmarish.

    My innocent time with my family was interrupted soon enough though. An emergency message from Oliver said they had captured a few men trying to break through the wards i had set up over all my businesses and personal properties. Like hell I was letting people destroy my things and buildings without making them work for it, and it also served as anti-theft protection. They were taken down after they started to bombard the FIRM center instead of my other holdings, meaning they probably held anti-muggle views and took enough of an offense that they wanted to destroy the place.

    This was a serious enough matter, so I decided to head there personally. I used Sol to quickly travel to the Alley and headed to the center. The building was completely fine, with my wards being more than enough to stop three idiots trying to vandalize the place.

    "Sir Folster! We didn''t expect you so soon!" Said one of the members of Fortress.

    "This is an important matter. I wished to see the twits brave or stupid enough to do this." I say seriously to the man. He nods and leads the way. We head inside Fortress Protections official office in the Alley, where people can come to hire what they need. Bringing me to an underground room, hidden from plain sight, with three men are chained in holding cells.

    "You''ve done a very good job. All of you. As is stated in the practices of the Fortress, you shall be rewarded according to level one accomplishments. You may chose your rewards from the appropriate list." I say with an authorities voice.

    """"thank you sir!"""" Was the response of those on duty.

    Incidentally, what I mentioned was a system me and Oliver put in place to motivate members beyond their pays. The lowest being level one, but even that requires above perfect handling of duties, to level five, requiring immense merit during service.

    "I will be handling the interrogation. If any feel uncomfortable you are free to leave. If any wish to see how legilimency can break an man, stay and learn, because it might be you suffering through this in the future and it is always good to be prepared." I then announce. None of the men present budge an inch. They knew what I meant. Many dark wizards liked to toy with their prey.

    "Alright. Then let us begin. I don''t have all night and I want to get this over with. I''ve heard you took the appropriate evidence and it is being developed yes?" I ask.

    "Yes sir! The photos are being developed by Brook as we speak and we have recorded the entire event." He confirmed, as everything was handled according to protocol.

    "Good." I simply say.

    "Now you three gentlemen are not going to have a pleasant time. You see I hate using my gifts to harm others, but for you three I think I''ll make an exception. I mean, it''s not every day I get three gift wrapped death eaters to work on." I say with my devilish smile appearing on my face.

    "We were found not guilty!" Yelled out the smallest one.

    "These three are death eaters!?" Exclaimed one of my men. All three turned with fire in their eyes. Pretty much all members of Fortress have suffered at the hand of these inbreed barbarians calling themselves nobles.

    "Oh yes, you were surely excused." I agree with them with a light voice. "But honestly, do you really believe being excused by incompetent, corrupted, biased, stupid and rushed old fools will actually let you off the hook from everyone? Because if you do, then all of you are bigger imbeciles than I could have thought."

    I approach the smallest man first, with a gentle smile and shining eyes. He starts trying to struggle and fight the chains he''s in. Trying to get away from me.

    "No! No! Stay away from me! Stay away!" He shouted in growing panic.

    "Such a brave little death eater you are. So brave and courageous when you attack the weak and helpless. But when in front of those stronger than you, you cower like a blithering baby." I say in an almost motherly tone, causing the man to start shivering.

    "Now look at me little death eater. Look at me and remember what you really are." I say as our eyes meet and he freezes in horror.

    The man stiffens as his brain is being forcefully broken into, analyzed and his entire life is laid b.a.r.e. A few minutes later of him silently screaming, with tears and horror in his eyes, I finally let him go. He immediately collapses and assumes the fetal position as he shivers uncontrollably.

    "Well now Mr. Gibbon, you truly are a piece of shit. But now I must pay attention to our other guests. Mr. Crabb and Mr. Goyle, shall we begin?" I say with a pleasant smile as I turn towards them.

    A dozen minutes pass and the three are now lying on the ground trembling. I had gotten everything I wanted and what I saw disgusted me. These men were truly vile and did not deserve to be alive, much less hold any positions of importance. But I needed them alive for now. They were going to be used to create a stir in the ministry. I removed any and all memory of me and replaced it with another member of Fortress, simply changing the face they would remember since I wanted to play in the shadows for now.

    "You all know what to do now. I want them detained and to file for a trial as soon as possible. I don''t want to give those gits any time to mess with things. These bastards will go on trial. I''ve heard Edward Tonks wishes to be active in the FIRM center, he is a skilled lawyer and wishes to be a skilled barrister, so contact him and offer him to be our legal representative. We have everything we need to put them away. If palms need greasing I''ll take care of it. Dismissed." I order as I set everything in motion.

    ''Let''s see how much this''ll rattle the cage.'' I think to myself.

 Chapter 55 - Ch. 55 Shaking the Ministry

    I immediately head back home after the interrogation. I needed to be there before my aunt got the news of the three ''ex'' death eaters committing a crime targeting a muggle and muggle-born helping initiative center. She would jump on this without remorse and try to get them locked away in Azkaban for sure, but she''ll make sure to tell everyone first.

    Even after I had left, i knew how things would be handled. The proper authorities will be contacted, those under my wing anyway. The DMLE will be notified, they will take them under protective custody and copies of the evidence will be handed to them for the trial. There will be a grace period to notify members of Wizengamot and prepare the trial. Evidence will be checked. Witnesses will be called. Barristers will be either brought forward or assigned. And the dirty deals of the incredibly corrupt Wizengamot will be taking place, but let''s see who can by off more people shall we?.

    From what I''ve learned during my little walk through the mind of the death wimps, it was that one Lucius Malfoy who planned this little event. He was upset that the FIRM center was taking away the cheap labor sources he had been employing for his businesses and that Micheal Folster, little old me, who is assumed to be a muggle-born due to his activism, has been buying some of his businesses. So he ordered the senior boulder twins and the man with a monkeys name, to torch the center and try to make ''mudbloods know their place'', in his words. And the three lacking in brains, money and influence, and being retainers of the man since he used his money to get them off their charges 10 years ago, became the perfect expendable pawns. So now I''ll have to see if he''s going to try and get them back, or will he realize how much evidence there is against the trio and he will cut them off to run like he usually does.

    By the next morning I could hear aunty rushing all over the place, but thanks to my vanishing boxes, she can already get everything rolling before she even leaves the house. Apparently she was livid that the Herald got news of this before she did. Understandable since they are linked through me and I wanted everyone I could reach to know about this. Every detail has been given with undeniable evidence to back it up, making it so anything trying to go against the report would appear to be defending the trios hate crime. This would indicate that whoever acted against the Herald at this time, would effectively be saying they support the actions taken by the three ''death eaters'' and that they believe muggle-borns shouldn''t be part of the magical community and that wizards should dominate over everyone else.

    And you know what? The Prophet actually tried this shit. Without even paying attention to the evidence presented, they were so rushed that they posted a defense saying that these respectable members of distinguished families couldn''t have possibly done such an act, ending with them jumping into an obvious pit. I got so many requests to respond from the editor in charge of the Herald, Mr. Cromwell and his wife, that my box was having some delays. I was more than happy to take that open shot at the net, let me tell you.

    The following day was the Herald''s response and it quadrupled the sales of the paper within the day. With my boxes becoming widespread, it''s been a lot easier to share information between wizards and this allowed for people to realize incredibly quickly how many holes and how flimsy the Prophet was at the moment. This was something very new to the wizarding world, making people used to being able to manipulate information easily and getting the public on their side incredibly surprised, but for someone coming from a time almost 30 years into the future, this was an incredibly common occurrence. I made the Herald take advantage of this and had them bury the Prophet in this matter. It was painted as a tool for rich families to manipulate the information given to the people and they couldn''t fight back, simply because we got evidence regarding this times bribe through our spies in the Prophet. Making them known as unreliable when it comes to this type of important legal news and forcing them to shut up or loose even more of their reputation.

    This resulted in the ministry being flooded with letters of complaint by Half-blood and muggle-born wizards, upset that the official news source of the ministry was trying to help known bigots who just committed a hate crime. People who were helped by the center, liked its goals, enjoyed it products and were grateful for its seminars joined onto the pill on.

    This helped my aunt push the trial through, because there was so much public outrage over the now open corruption this case displayed, forcing the Minister to act. The last blow against any tampering came when the Herald suggested the request of the trial being broadcasted of the WWN, to ''help'' the ministry assure that there is no corruption within the Wizengamot and that the trial will be fair. And man did Fudge jump on it like a starving man in front of meat. He doesn''t even realize that he''s being lead on by my paper to distance himself from the very families he''s been trying to be friendly to since he became Minister. We''ve even been inflating the mans ego and pathetic pride, as he his being touted as a minister for true justice and a man standing against hate crimes, giving his overall approval a jump up.

    Elaine has informed me that two attempts to silence the captives have been made already and she managed to collect proof, but no evidence as to who ordered it. This was posted by the Herald as well and with praise for the fine work Elaine has been doing for the last year as well as her upright character in face of corruption.

    The results from this event so far have been phenomenal for me. I''ve increased awareness and the influence of the Herald greatly. The Daily Prophet took a massive hit to its reputation due to their rushed defense of death eaters and their now visible corruption, effectively ruining the papers reputation for at least the next year. I orc.h.e.s.trated the distancing of Fudge from his bad influences by forcing him to go through with the trial and painting him as a man of justice and racial equality. I''ve given the public a moral figurehead to know and respect, setting the foundation for Elaine''s future achievements. And I have now not only made it impossible for the trial not to be held, it will now be broadcasted to the wizarding world of Britain at least and those inbreed bastards are going to go to Azkaban.

    On a side note, aunt Amelia has been running around looking very happy with everything helping her have this trial, more a predators happiness when it spots a prey then the warm fuzzy happiness, but happiness non the less. Perfect evidence, eye witnesses, no corruption possible, no delays, the suspects are in proper protective custody and the minister has openly supported it instead of dragging his feet as much as possible.

    The entire series of events forced the Wizengamot to hold the trial within a week of the incident and capture.

    A day before the trial i decided to talk to my aunt.

    "Aunt Amelia, can I ask you something?" I say politely.

    "What is it Aedan? You know I''m very busy with what''s happening at the ministry right now." She tried to answer patiently, but I can hear how rushed she really is.

    "I would want to witness the trial." I answer directly.

    "You what?" She answers, slowing down to really listen to him now. "Why?"

    "Two reasons. The first is because it is an incredibly impactful trial and i want to see those bastards get at least a piece of their just deserts. The second is because I will be the Head of House Bones in a few years and will be required to participate in the assembly soon. This will be extremely valuable experience to have for my future duties, to see a ''corruption free'' case as they''ve been calling it." I answer with a serious face and tone. "It might also be good for Victoria since she is still the Heiress of House Travers, and I think it''ll help her too. Plus she looks up to you and I think she''d love to see you at work." I then add with a smile.

    "You are right Aedan. You and Victoria are old enough. And you''ve already proven yourself in a hundred different ways. But are you sure about this? You will see people at their worst during these trials." She asked me out of concern.

    "Aunty. I''ve already seen people at their worst a long time ago. This is the worst being put away." I answer with a steadfast expression.

    "Yes, yes you''ve certainly seen the worst." She agreed with her voice almost a whisper.

    "Then alright. I''ll bring the both of you to the trial. It will be crowded since it is a very important trial in the eyes of the ministry and the people, and you aren''t the proper head yet so you can''t take that seat, leaving the two of you in the back." She informed.

    "That''s plenty aunt Amelia, thank you." I say. "Now I''ve taken enough of your time, good luck at work Aunty. Knock ''em all dead." I add with a hug.

    She leaves quickly through the Floo and I then inform Victoria about what''s going to happen tomorrow.

    "She actually agreed to let me come too!?" She responded in a very surprised voice.

    "It is a good thing for the both of us Tory. We are heirs after all, plus she loves you too. You just have to hold your fan girl inside of you when the trial is happening." I say with some teasing.

    "Prat." Was her response with a shoulder punch. "But thanks Aedan, for trying to help me." She then said sincerely.

    "No problem Tory. You''re my friend and I care about you now and in the future. This really isn''t much." I say with a small smile.

    But the response to that statement was quite shocking to me. She rushed at me so suddenly I couldn''t think of how to react and hugged me.

    "I mean it. In just a year you''ve probably helped me more than anyone except my mum. So thanks a lot Aedan. And I will find a way to help you in the future." She said as she hid her blushing face in my c.h.e.s.t.

    It took me a second to answer because I was a bit overloaded in my senses. I felt her soft body through our clothes, I could smell some of her perfume clearly with my enhanced senses, smelling lily of the valley and hints of fruits like oranges and gr.a.p.efruits, and I could feel her silky black hair tickle my neck a bit. When I could finally snap out of it, I gently lifted my arms and gave her a hug back.

    "No problem Tory. No problem at all."

 Chapter 56 - Ch. 56 An obvious, but important result

    The next day Victoria and I got ready and dressed ourselves properly. She decided to wear a set of formal robe, mostly black, but with green embroidery and accents to match her eyes. She came down and looked like an imposing young witch. I decided to wear a proper grey three piece suit, but I''ve changed my hair color to black like Victoria''s, hiding my scar and changing my eye color to green as well. I was basically making us look like brother and sister, to hid the fact that I''m attending the trial. The reason for that is because I have some level of fame due to BonesWorks and I''ve only appeared in a public or social event once, and I got Umbitch to lose her shit at it. So I''m prime gossip material.

    "Your hair looks nice in black too apparently." Victoria said with a small teasing smile.

    "Jealous? I''ve been told my hair is unfair to women." I tease back. "But those robes look good on you, brings out your eyes." I add an actual compliment to the young lady.

    "Why thank you." She responded with pride in her voice.

    "You two ready? If yes, let''s go. I have to be there early to make sure everything goes well. No one will mess with this trial." Asked and declared a very determined Amelia.

    With a nod from the both of us, we all Floo to the ministry.

    We come out of the fireplace with practiced ease. We''ve all been to the ministry before, but seeing so many fireplaces constantly letting wizards walk out in a flash of emerald fire is always interesting to watch. The starry ceiling and black tiles make the entire hall quite sleek, especially for wizard standards. But that statue of magical races looking up to wizards in admiration has always made me frown, even if I can''t show it. Honestly wanted to melt it down. If they want to be proud of being wizards, there are many other ways to make a statue about it, but no. We''ve got to piss off any other species that might visit.

    We quickly move past the entrance and have our wands checked in. The man is surprised at my unique core combination of Phoenix heart feather and Whampus cat hair, but there were no troubles anywhere, especially with Amelia Bones guiding us. Anyone annoying or delaying her today is not going to have a pleasant time.

    We made our way to the elevators and boarded alongside 5 others. A few got off at different floors, but it seems the two older wizards were heading to the trial. As everyone exited the elevator, we quietly walked to the bas.e.m.e.nt room of Wizengamot.

    It was a rather cramped room for the amount of people who were going to be present, with the seats of Wizengamot members arranged to see the accused from every angle and the chief warlocks seat above everyone else as they are the ones mainly asking the questions. Dumbledore was excused due to his known bias on the matter of death eaters and the ministry was trying desperately to give off a sense of fairness. Fudge had enough sense in him to not be directly in charge of proceedings, not wanting to be blamed by his usual allies, hence Amelia Bones was going to act as Chief Warlock today. Go aunty.

    As time passed more and more member of the court began to trickle in, everyone of the dressed in plum-colored robes and sporting an elaborate W on the left side. Pretty much all of them were old wizards and witches from important families or/and positions. Quite a bit of overlap in those departments.

    "It''s no wonder a lot of people answer that the average in here is 87 on the W.O.M.BAT''s." I whisper quietly to Victoria. Getting me a giggle and a shoulder punch for making her do so.

    As the room filled out, security members positioned themselves around the room. Reporters almost fought amongst themselves to get in and the broadcasters for the WWN set up their equipment.

    ''I should try to improve the radio system or introduce tv''s if possible.'' I thought to myself seeing the Ancient looking recording equipment.

    And finally the trial would begin.

    "We are here today to commence the trial of Mr. Vincent Crabb Sr., Mr. Gregory Goyle Sr. and Mr. John Gibbon against the representative of one Micheal Folster, Scott Cross." Opened aunt Amelia in a dominating voice.

    The trial itself was set up with the barrister responsible for the trio representing them fully, unless questions needed to be asked to one of them specifically. Meanwhile, Mr. Edward Tonks will be trying to push for the maximum punishment for the three of them. He was apparently extremely excited when he heard he''d be brought in as our legal consultant if he performs well. It also made his day when he got so much evidence against the idiots.

    "On the charges of attempted property damage how do you plead?"

    "Guilty."

    "On the charges of reckless endangerment how do you plead?"

    "Guilty."

    "On the charges of attempted murder how do you plead?"

    "Not guilty."

    "On Attempted kidnapping how do you plead?"

    "Not guilty."

    And so the debate began. The defense wanted to get away with paying a fine for the property that would have been damaged and the endangerment, avoiding Azkaban itself. The only problem with the defense was the evidence we had on the three of them. The man could fight hard, that''s certain, but he apparently hasn''t heard the evidence on the recorders and I''m guessing it''s because no pureblood knew what the things were. They are so anti-muggle that never bothered to learn anything about them. A few might know about firearms and know they can block them with magic, cars are know, telephones and radio, but that''s about it. They know f.u.c.k all about the constantly developing tech and have probably squashed any mention mention of my magic adapted tech from everyone near them.

    "I would like to call in Mr. Gibbon for questioning please." He announced.

    A minute later, he was brought in by an escort of hit-wizards, with the Aurors around the room ready for action. He was sat down and strapped in.

    "Mr. Gibbon, you have pleaded not guilty for attempted murder and kidnapping. Is that correct?" Ted began by asking.

    "That''s right. I didn''t try to kill or take anyone, just wanted a bit of fun." He answered with a grunt.

    "Is that so? Then do you know what this device, which your barrister was supplied with, is?" He asked with a growing smile.

    "No idea what that muggle contraption is." Gibbon spay back.

    "Well that''s very unfortunate. That is because this is a voice recorder introduce in the FIRM center after it had been properly modified to work in our world. It serves to record the voices and sounds heard around the device and to able to replay them at a later time." Explained Edward. "And the reason this has been acknowledge by the court as evidence, it is because the security hired to protect Mr. Folster''s businesses all carry these devices on their person at all times, alongside each team having a camera in their expanded pouches. This is to gather evidence of wrongdoing against their clients and prove the trustworthiness of their agents. And this very device recorded a very interesting conversation between you and Misters Crabb and Goyle Sr." Explained my barrister. It was nice of him to advertise my product and security company in that explanation, I might get a bump in business after this.

    But as I was thinking happy thoughts, Gibbon clearly knew what he was referring too as his face paled. In a moment of desperation he lunged at Edward as he was about to press a button, trying to stop him or get the device. Hit-wizards immediately drew their wands at the man and prepared to sling some spells, forcing him to give up as the trios voices started playing.

    "Now you know the deal you two. We go in, torch the place, take down anyone in the way and bring back at least one person. If we don''t, we''re not going to hear the end of it by that pompous git. Hell, he''ll probably use the Cruciatus on us." Resounded Gibbon''s voice.

    "Hmph" grunted another person.

    "We know Gibbon. Shut up." Came Goyle''s irritated voice.

    "What do you two troll brains know? That''s why I''m in charge of you two." Gibbon replied with a lot of disrespect.

    With only that little clip presented to everyone in the room and heard by anyone listening on the radio, it sealed their fate. That was before photos of the three of them were distributed as they were trying to break into the center with very damaging curses and some recordings of their intent to use some unforgivables to relieve stress after they had succeeded.

    "I do not think we need to hear anymore Mr. Tonks. I will now call for a vote to find the defendants guilty on all counts." Announced Amelia.

    Almost everyone in the room raised their hands to pronounce them guilty, with only a small minority trying to stem the tides.

    "You have hereby been found guilty of all charges laid against you. Due to the fact that no one has been hurt and no extensive damage has been done despite your intentions and efforts, your verdict has been agreed to be reduced to a degree." She said with some reluctance as she glared at some members whose faults this is apparently. "You are sentenced to three years in Azkaban for the crimes of attempted property damage, kidnapping, murder and reckless endangerment. With the amount which would need that have been paid if the property and it''s contents had been destroyed taken straight from your vaults!" Declared Amelia as she smacked her gavel.

    A very scared Gibbon was escorted out of the room and the members of the court left in a bit of a hurry. Victoria and I simply waited in silence together, waiting for aunty to come and get us. But I was able to think during this time.

    ''This was good. Lucius is going to lose is pawns until i graduate, while also forcing him to swallow the fact that I''m buying his creature related businesses and holdings. But I wonder if it''s destiny that they will be released in three years. Becoming free just in time for the return of their lord a few months after.'' I thought to myself curiously

    ''I doesn''t matter, I''ll be ready by then and they won''t know what hit them.''

 Chapter 57 - Ch. 57 Back to the daily grind

    We met up with aunt Amelia after the trial, about which she seemed to be happy at the results but also annoyed by them. I could guess why, but I think it''s mostly because the three of them were active death eaters during the war and she really didn''t like how a good amount of them got away through money and bullshit defenses, so she wanted to really get them with this chance. In a sense, what got in her way was that I was too thorough with the protection of my businesses and properties.

    As we all returned home in silence, we were all thinking about what this trial might mean for those involved.

    I think Victoria might be thinking about her father. A man she knew was a true death eater, who gave up most of his wealth to stay out of Azkaban and who would continue to practice ''proper pureblood behavior'' if he had the chance. Her serious and sad face was giving her away.

    Aunty was walking a bit lighter. I think it''s because she was able to get death eaters behind bars and suffering by her order and it lightened her guilt a bit.

    As for me, I was thinking about how to capitalize on this. I think I could try and market the voice recorders for the law divisions, but I also believe I can market them for students. I''m thinking of opening a branch of FIRM pretty much to sell the muggle tech and toys to kids during Hogsmeade weekends. I''ll try to advertise Fortress Protections excellent performance, Elaine''s handling of security and the minister for a clean and fair trial in the Herald to move forward on some plans.

    My only issue with all this is that I''m worried for the Crabb and Goyle currently spending their first years at Hogwarts. Although they became death eaters in the future, it''s pretty much because they haven''t known any other way of living. And I don''t really want to ruin their lives as a result of sending their dads to Azkaban. But I really don''t know what to do. It''s not like the two will come to the Exchange and with their actual intelligence I don''t think they''ll make any in-depth analysis on the self-destructive nature of the death eater cause.

    With those thoughts going through my head, we finally reach the fireplaces and Floo home.

    The next day the Herald come out with everything i had requested. It was very much the truth and every word was supported by evidence, but it was still a slight manipulation as it pulled attention from other contributors.

    I sent messages congratulating everyone on their stellar performances across them board and sent them some bonuses. It''s not like anyone will say no to some cash when they''ve actually earned it. Plus it makes people a bit happier.

    That was the last event of our winter break and like clockwork, it was time for me, Victoria and Susan to be on our way.

    At Kings Cross, Susan said her goodbyes and ran off with her best friend Hannah, while I was giving aunty a hug and Victoria was thanking her once again for letting her stay and feel so welcomed.

    We also headed into the train and found a cabin to wait for our other friends. The two of which apparently meet each other outside the train because they came in together. We talked about our holidays for a while as the train got going, until Christian brought up the trial.

    "It was a big deal wasn''t it. I mean, it brought back all kinds of unpleasant memories for my family about You-Know-Who. Death Eaters on trial once again, for trying to attack a help center." He said with some excitement in his voice.

    "But I don''t really get why they would try to do this. I mean they were clearly under orders from someone judging from the recording you sent me Aedan." Wondered James aloud. And yes I did send him a recording because I knew the guy wouldn''t know about what was happening and I wanted to keep him up to date.

    "It''s simple enough James. It was probably the patron of all slippery bastards, Lucius Malfoy. Father of the little daddies boy fancying himself the prince of Slytherin. He''s infamous for never getting his hands dirty and having a lot of ministry officials in his pocket. There''s also rumors saying he''s got blackmail on a good amount of board of directors for Hogwarts. And the only time he was ever on center stage was when he was being accused of being a death eater, for which he spent half his fortune getting himself and others out of." Answered a disgusted Victoria.

    "Yes, Lucius Malfoy is a very sneaky and careful man. He was supposedly a lieutenant amongst death eaters. But the thing is that he never really puts everything in one basket. He always leaves himself a way out. And he now basically owns a part of every decision making body in Britain. Problem with that is because he has so much dirt on so many people, he''s become someone almost impossible to touch. Plus, because he never does anything directly, true evidence is hard to get against him. That''s probably why they didn''t even try in the trial, they would never allow Malfoy to be put on trial unless he was caught red-handed doing something unforgivable." I added myself.

    "But why do it?" Asked James in return.

    "That has to do with business and bigotry James. Business because from what I''ve gathered, the FIRM center has moved cheap laborers away from noble owned businesses, to other sponsors who offer better conditions and pay. And bigotry because as an assumed muggle-born, Micheal Folster has been buying a lot of creature farms, which Noble families typically own and operate to show their wealth and prestige, rubbing them the wrong way. So since a muggle-born is responsible for making their business drop and their prestige taking a hit, he probably decided to teach him a lesson by torching the place, killing those who tried to stop him and kidnapping someone for blackmail." I explain as someone more involved in all this noble nonsense than my friends.

    "That''s ridiculous!" James exclaimed.

    "100%. But the problem is that he can get away with it and he knows it. He knows how to wiggle around the rules to do what he wants, and when he can''t he just brides or blackmails someone. And that''s without even thinking about all the laws helping purebloods get away with shit by simply paying fines." I agree with my friend. But then I saw Victoria shifting a bit with a look of guilt flashing across her face.

    "And just so you''re clear, none of this involves you Tory. You are an actual example of what a noble truly is. You have courage to step forward and smdo what''s right. A will to fight and never yield to threats or defeat. You are intelligent and willing to learn. You work hard for what you believe in and are always ready to improve. And you are loyal to those who''ve earned your trust and will not betray them when they are down. Never doubt that about yourself." I say seriously to the young woman.

    "He''s right Tory. You''re nothing like those gits and I''ll beat anyone who tries to say it." Said Christian while shaking his fist.

    "They are right Tory. I mean, how many of those people would even talk with me properly, much less be so close to me like you are." Simply pointed out James.

    "Thanks guys. Sorry about that. It''s a s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e topic due to my father." She said looking very relieved at our support.

    With our little heart to heart done, we simply return to chatting to one another about little adventures, funny family moments or new bits of knowledge. We kept going until we finally reached Hogwarts again.

    A few days later and the castle was bursting with activity once again. From what I remember of the canon, Harry should have received his invisibility cloak and one of the deathly hallows handed down through the Potter family, all the way from the Ignotus Peverell or so they say. He should have also have found the Mirror of Erised, which Dumbledore should have moved and made it his own defense for the stone.

    My days continued to be productive as I took everything I could from the man who has been the deepest into the Dark Arts, in the modern age anyway. I looked at what he''s been through and experienced. The things he''s learned during his travels and how he made the Horcruxes. The defenses on those things were nothing short of brilliant, but the reason he used objects from the founder is actually twofold: the one mentioned in the canon and the practical one. It was mentioned in the canon that Riddle saw this castle as his first home and that after being stopped from becoming the new DADA professor back then he cursed the position. Dumbledore thought that Tom also decided to use artifacts from the founders of the school to show a twisted superiority over them and tarnish their legacy in some form. The practical reason behind his choice is that each one holds powerful Magics or has residual energy from founders and some fading enchantments, serving as power sources to maintain the soul and power the defenses on them.

    But that did give me ideas on how to deal with them. Because now that I know everything about them, i believe I could probably reverse engineer them and cleanse them of the souls and their curses. And luckily for me, a certain Diadem just so happens to be hidden in the castle. But unluckily for me, it''ll have to wait till next year at least. No way in hell am I messing with a piece of the Dork Lords soul when he''s in the freaking castle. That would be mental.

    On an other note, i forgot that because of the jinxing incident, Snape would referee the Quidditch games. How weird is that? The man spent his entire schooling being bullied by the most popular player of his generation. And now he''s the ref. That''s just some weird karma. But that''s also the day Harry ''confirms'' beyond a doubt that the man is guilty, when he threatens Quirrell about the stone.

    You know, for a spy, I kinda doubt his skills when he doesn''t notice Harry following. But if he just doesn''t care then it''s simply weird.

    ''Now if I remember correctly, Norberta should be born pretty soon. How should I handle this?'' I think to myself about how much to involve myself in the canon.

 Chapter 58 - Ch. 58 Ones D.e.s.i.r.es

    With the Golden trio being completely sure Snape is the one trying to steal the stone, i decided to do a little checking up on it myself. I wanted to see the defenses a bunch of first years could get through and if Dumbledore actually got the mirror to act like he said it did, or if it was just to boost Harry''s confidence like most of his plans this year.

    So one night, as winter was ending and the warming breezes of spring blew on the castle grounds, I made my way to the room of ''certain death''. Still a horrendous decision to basically taunt the students into checking the place out.

    As I reached the door, hidden by my perfect combo of disillusionment, scent removal and sound blocking, with my map and my senses activated just in case, I check for sensory charms around the door. Not surprisingly, Dumbledore had left an alarm charm to let him know who goes into the room and give him an image of said intruder. Snape had his own on there too, still a paranoid and distrustful individual.

    I couldn''t just break the spells since that would obviously alert them that someone else is trying to get in. So I use my wand to delicately form a ''hole'' in the spells, using it to temporarily lift them up like a curtain without breaking them, allowing me to step in without alerting anyone.

    As I closed the door, a very loud growling could be heard from behind me. I simply smile at the sound. I turn around after checking if any other spells were present to detect anyone and remove my concealment.

    "Hey Fluffy it''s been a while since I played with you. You poor thing, getting locked up in the castle all year." I said in a happy voice to the giant three-headed dog in front of me. That got me a growl as it recognized me but stayed near the trapdoor.

    "Oh don''t be like that. I brought your favorite~" I say as I reach into my bottomless pouch, making his ears perk up a bit at my words and drooling a bit more.

    "That''s right, got my hands on dragon steaks!" I say as I pull out the very big piece of meat, almost immediately making the Cerberus stick out it''s tongues and wag it''s tail, getting me a chuckle. It''s not like I wasn''t going to be prepared since I know the dog and the rest of the defenses.

    "Here you go buddy! I''ve got one for each of your mouths." I announce as I threw two more slabs of dragon meat to the giant dog. And while he is eat happily, I take out the harp I brought in my pouch and enchant it to play his favorite lullaby. I have to get past him but I still like the biggest puppy in existence, so favorite food and song.

    He passes out with a satisfied expression on all three of his faces and i jump down the hatch, landing into the devil snare. Easy as well for me, but I don''t have any of this plant in my personal gardens, so I just took some to transplant later as I light up the room.

    I make it to Flitwick''s room of keys and with a quick animagus transformation into my golden eagle form, I catch the key and head to the next trial. No way I''m touching that suspicious broom.

    For McGonagall''a giant chess board, I started the game and just destroyed the ennemies entire side of the board, effectively making it so they can''t play and winning. Who said I had to act like a weak first year and play fair? F.u.c.k that.

    Quirrellmorts trial was with a troll protecting the door. I just concealed myself as soon as i smelt that horrible odor and snuck past the sleeping idiot. I mean seriously, it''s a troll. If it''s got nothing to do and gets feed plenty it''ll just sleep and shit. It''s a horrible choice for protecting anything. Hell! The thing will probably forget or not know it''s protecting anything.

    It was now time for the last test before Dumbledore''s, Snape''s. He used potions knowledge and logic to really stump any wizards trying to get in. Logic being the single biggest thing lacking in this side of the world. They are simply so used to magic being able to make anything a possibility that they don''t question things or try to find logical explanations, simply accepting it. But to someone like me who can deconstruct spells at speeds beyond anyone I can think of, not even sure the headmaster could compete with me in Arithmancy, breaking down his fire was simple. So I just make a temporary hole for me to walk through.

    And with that, I arrived at Dumbledore''s test. He supposedly enchanted the mirror to give the stone to those who knew of it, but didn''t want to use it, effective blocking volderell from getting it. But this got me thinking.

    ''I know of the stone, but do I want to use it? Even on an unconscious level, do I have an urge or d.e.s.i.r.e to use such a tool?'' I ask myself in silent contemplation.

    ''Thinking about it step by step, I don''t think I want to.'' Was my answer to myself.

    ''Money is something I''m making and spending constantly, but I''m making so much and it''ll only keep increasing in the future as my businesses gain more renown. So the metal to gold isn''t really an interesting thing for me. At most it would be useful for me to trade with goblins. And it''s second selling point being the elixir of life is a grey area for me. I''m not even sure how long my life span even is at the moment. My first thoughts on the subject would be that I would have a reduced one due the the intense burdens of the rituals I had been through. But then i bonded with Sol in such depths that our lives were intertwined. I know that if I die, she will follow. But I don''t know if she has a similar effect on me and she''s an immortal bird. I don''t know if she''ll increase my life span with her unending life force. Or I''ll gain the ability to somehow flame myself back into a baby when I''m dying. Or if nothing changes at all. But at the very least, even if nothing''s changed, I''m 14 and I''m really not interested in simply not dying when I get old. I get not wanting to die and living for longer, but I''m not interested in living as an old man for 500 years.'' I thought, going through the points of interest for most people.

    ''Leaving me with only studying the principles of the stone to attract me. I will admit I have some curiosity towards an alchemically created stone, capable of ignoring basic laws of exchange and can create a liquid to extend life. It would be interesting to say the least. But do I really want to?'' I thought to myself over and over until my answer came.

    ''No. This could be used as a reference point, but I do not want it. If I ever have a stone, it shall be one I made through my own hands and skills. This has nothing to do with what I could gain. This would hurt my pride in myself and my abilities if I try and take Flamel''s work and use it for myself.'' I concluded.

    And so I step forward and place myself in front of the mirror.

    ''I show not your face, but your heart''s d.e.s.i.r.e huh. Let''s see what I''ve got.'' I think to myself.

    What I saw had nothing to do with the stone. I saw myself in a vastly different wizard community. In a time when they embraced the usefulness of the world around them and jumped off of it to head even higher. I see people driven to understand the world like never before. I see people burning with d.e.s.i.r.e to learn. Hogwarts once again becoming a true bastion of learning and child development. Creatures and non-humans living in peace and chatting with witches and wizards in an grand exchange of culture and knowledge. Then the scenes fade. I see an older me. I am taller and more m.a.t.u.r.e, with a well tailored suit showing my well chiseled body, my hair in a loose ponytail to control it, no glasses covering my burning eyes. I had a gentle expression as I watched two young children, one girl and boy with ash colored hair running around a wondrous looking Diagon Alley. But I noticed I wasn''t alone, as I walked arm in arm with an elegant woman, wearing a light green robe which couldn''t hide her curves, letting hints at her physical endowments come through, with jet-black hair hair loose over her shoulders and deep green eyes looking tenderly at the children as well.

    But suddenly the images stopped and I felt something in my hand.

    ''Damn, that is a tempting mirror. But I''m thankful I could experience it. There''s a lot to gain from knowing ones d.e.s.i.r.es and it looks like I''ve got some pretty grand ones all around, but I''m glad I didn''t seem to have any hidden d.e.s.i.r.es for domination. On the other hand, the headmaster is really a genius when it comes to this stuff.'' I think to myself with a sigh of relief and reluctance.''

    I look at the red stone in my hand and feel a tug of temptation again, but it was only that. I then analyze how Dumbledore''s intent defense worked and found it was a brilliant application of the intent warding, the same one I put around the Exchange.

    Taking a few notes to compare and maybe use later, i put the stone back in the mirror and walk away.

    I quickly make my way through the trials in reverse and reach where Fluffy is still in a happy dream land, with his tail wagging in his sleep.

    I then decide to set up my own protection under the cover of Snape and Dumbledore''s. This is effectively letting me have a subtle means of tracking anyone coming in the room, as anyone who''d notice the spells would focus on the other two and miss my own thinking it wasn''t important or dangerous.

 Chapter 59 - Ch. 59 Broom, Cure, Egg

    After my night visit to the stone, I began the testing for my new broom. It was coming along quite well, with the control system for it becoming better with every test, while maintaining the targeted speed. James and I where talking about ways to improve the broom itself and he suggested something I just didn''t really think of until then.

    "So if we want the best control possible, would it be doable to add the same ability you put in your brand of quill?" My saintly friend asked, startling me greatly as my mind raced at top speed to simulate the possibility.

    "How did I never think of it! It''s my invention but I got stuck on the existing enchantments!" I shouted as I jumped up from my seat.

    "We gotta test this out now! I''m going to start breaking down the enchantments and try to compound the legilimency and control spells! It''s going to make the most s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e control enchantment in history!" I yell as I drag my friend to help me in this.

    It resulted in an entire week of the two of us working like men possessed to work out the proper mix of the two and make it a working bit of magic. This one work was going to take the Quidditch world by storm!

    My second project of the year appeared to have hit a roadblock. Like all those before me, I just couldn''t figure out how to stop lycanthropy more than I already have using the modified Wolfsbane potion. I shortened the amount of times one needs to take it from a week in advance to just a day before and after. I cheapened the thing with my new combination of herbs and creature ingredients to get the same effect. I''ve made the ingredients more available and helped set up a much better manufacturing system. But I can''t figure how to do anything further. Every combination I try to suppress the lycanthropes pathogen, which is responsible for the violent transformation, changes in brain chemistry and the contagious nature of the disease, only leads to similar effects to what I''ve already created. I''ve recorded the results down, to create alternatives just in case a recipe is lost or its ingredients overused to extinction. But I''ve been stuck.

    I''ve discussed it with my colleagues and even with Geri to try and help me find a new path for this.

    Geri was very willing to help in any way possible for my work. She wanted to give her people a new lease on life and was thoroughly convinced she could find that through me. I''ve already proven that multiple times already, gaining her loyalty even without her oath. I already released her of it, but she''s still insisting on calling master sometimes. Feels like I''m around a mix of house-elf and faithful hound sometimes. So she''s very willing, but she isn''t educated properly. The training she''s undertaking is making her into a warrior, leader and agent of my will, but not a scholar.

    My friends actually had just what I needed as I talked to them during lunch one day.

    "I am sorry Aedan, but I''m not that good on werewolves. All I really know on the subject is what you''ve done and said. Wizards have been trying to find ways of culling or imprisoning them for too long and no one wants to help them like you do. Even the previous Wolfsbane was incredibly poisonous if a slight mistake was made." Said Tory with a sorry expression.

    "It''s alright Tory. I''m just trying to see if talking to others could help spark some ideas or give me a trail to follow." I reassured her gently.

    "I do have to agree that this isn''t my field of studies. You know how bad I am with Herbology and Potions Aedan. But have you studied the changes when they occur? It would be very dangerous, but it could help. I also don''t doubt you could find willing volunteers due to your businesses." Said James thoughtfully, trying his best to find me anything to work with.

    "It was a thought, since I''ve been working with blood samples, analyzing and recording the changes happening as they transform could be helpful. Only problem is that it would pause anything I could do till the summer and then wait for the next full moon." I answer a the possibility.

    With more time passing as my friends try to help me out of my jam, an unexpected input was thrown in.

    "Werewolves transform because of the moon right? Maybe it has something to do with that more than the virus." Offhandedly said Christian. But those words struck me like lightning.

    "Say that again!" I hurriedly said to my friends.

    "Eh?" Was his surprised response at my sudden outburst.

    "Say what you just said again." I said seriously.

    "Well they transform because of the moon right? And the stars and moon were important in many rituals. We learned that in Astrology. So what if you look at that too?" He replied unsure of what his Hail Mary attempt would make me do.

    I stood up and ran out of the Great Hall, only shouting back a thanks as I bolted.

    "I guess I helped." Christian said in surprise at my actions.

    I went to the RoR and threw myself into the research.

    ''How come I don''t think about astronomy? Even with all the errors in wizard knowledge about the stuff, they''ve studied it effects on magic continuously. It''s one of the oldest fields of magic in existence. Bad Aedan! You limited your thinking to wizard levels. Got to do better, gotta think outside the box more.'' I berated myself in my mind.

    It took me two weeks to figure out the right combinations to possibly counteract lunar rays and hopefully block its effects on the virus, effectively rendering it inactive.

    I then began brewing samples like a madman, only ending my little rampage when I had 23 different possible brews. I''ve sent the recipes to Tim as Micheal, since I wanted him to prepare 5 doses of each by the summer. I would then ask for volunteers from willing werewolves to help in the testing of the possible vaccines I''ve made. I''ll ask Geri to talk to them and explain, while Scott will draw up contracts to secure their livelihoods in case of accidents, with all terms and conditions specified so that everyone knows what they are getting into and can be properly prepared.

    Meanwhile, it should be about time for the golden trio to visit Hagrid. I want to see a dragon hatch, so I''m gonna go with Christian. It''s been a while since we visited the man with everyone being so busy with classes and training nowadays, not mentioning our individual projects. James is studying enchanting pretty much whenever he can, Christian has been very busy with Quidditch training, and Tory has been very taken with Transfiguration and Potions lately, but she won''t tell us why yet. She said it''s a very personal project and wants to do it on her own, but she thanked all of us for offering to help so much. I felt a bit sad she wouldn''t let me help her, but it is her decision and I should respect that.

    So I went to hunt for my wild friend. I found him hanging out with James in the Great Hall since the both of them had a free period. So I headed over.

    As I got near them I greeted the two.

    "Hey mates! How you been since I went on my rampage." I say cheerfully.

    "Oh ho? Our resident genius has graced us with his presence." Replied Christian as he teased with a grin.

    "How were the results? You left so suddenly that we just didn''t know what to do. And then you were basically muttering to yourself and writing ingredient combinations for the last two weeks, not even paying attention in classes. I''m surprised you didn''t blow up a cauldron in potions." Asked my caring friend.

    "It was hilarious seeing Snape''s face as he realized you were making a better potion than he ordered without even paying any attention! He looked like he was forced to swallow a bucket of troll piss!" Laughed Christian at the memory.

    "Damn I really missed that?! Maybe I should do it more often." I said with shock.

    "Now now, no making the professors depressed Aedan. I know you can match and probably surpass them in their own fields, but there''s no need to rub it in. And yes, even with Snape." Interject James.

    "You''re no fun little Saint." Teased Christian as a result.

    "Rather be no fun then mostly likely asked to leave the castle." He answered.

    "Meh, if it takes the git down a peg then I''m for it. But whatcha doing down here? You usually spend most of your free time working on your projects." Asked my less polite friend.

    "Well, I''ve just realized we haven''t gone to see Hagrid much this year and i kinda feel bad for that. The guys given us a lot of stories and information of creatures, so I thought we could visit now that my cure can''t progress until the summer, I''ve finished another project and I just need to get the tuning right for the last one." I explained to my two friends.

    "I''m down." Simply declares Christian in agreement.

    "Hmm, the man is rather welcoming and can tell interesting stories, but I''m afraid I''ll have to decline today. This happens to coincide with the Charms club president training me to take over the club next year, so it''s not possible for me." Politely answered James.

    "That''s too bad, but we''ll give him a hello on your part." Quickly said Christian.

    "Alright then, let''s go tonight lordling of the wild." I say with a grin.

    "Right with you o mighty Silver Raven." Replies my friend with a grin as well.

    And so, with goofy grins and excited steps, we leave a James shaking his head at our exaggerated behavior as he also stood up and went to take care of his own business.

    The rest of the day passed quickly. So Christian and met in secret after dark and I hid the both of us magically.

    We walk out of the castle and head for Hagrid''s hut, which is very small for a half-giant, but I guess someone the ministry considers to still be a released criminal can''t live too well. One without enough money or influence to buy their silence anyway.

    As we approach the door I could here some low voices in the hut.

    ''Wow, I guess my timing is spot on. The trio is in there.'' I thought with a smile and then knock on the door, making everyone in there fall silent.

    "Hey Hagrid it''s us. Came to talk about some cool creatures my parents and I saw last summer and Aedan says he''s got great news for ya!" Says my friend loudly.

    We hear some sounds of movements and a Hagrid wearing a very large apron opens the door.

    "Now''s not a good time for ye tah visit." He says nervously.

    "Oh c''mon Hagrid, I could hear you''ve got guests." Replied my friend.

    "You''ve got a new creature don''t you Hagrid?" I then questioned the Half-giant. I know because of the canon, but the man is a horrible liar and he acts like this when he knows he''s doing something that could get him in trouble. Problem is that he just can''t stop himself when it comes to creatures.

    "I''ve no idea you''re talkin'' about!" He loudly declared, really trying to hide it.

    "Oh please Hagrid. We know you too well. You even tried to introduce us to Aragog and we didn''t say anything. Why are you trying to hide this one?" Asked a bemused Christian making Hagrid hesitate.

    "Oh alright. Come in quickly." He finally relented.

    As we came in we spotted the trio.

    "Well, hello there Harry, Hermione, Ron. Didn''t think you guys had interests in usually dangerous creatures." I greet the three to their great shock.

    "What are you doing here?!" Exclaimed Ron in shock, but disapproval and rejection were in that voice and expression.

    "What? Can''t be here Weasley? We''ve been friends with Hagrid for over three years. Why wouldn''t we come see him?" Asked Christian a bit aggressively.

    "Woah there Christian, I''m sure there''s a reason for that tone." I say to calm my friend. He really doesn''t have any patience for Ron''s extreme rejection of anything having to do with Slytherin, even those who accept them. And with Tory being our close friend, Christian gets defensive.

    "You too Ronald! Can you not act like a rude prat for more than 5 minutes!" Scolded Hermione harshly. "I''m so sorry about that." She then apologies profusely.

    "It''s no problem Hermione. I just hope Ron can one day learn that not everything is as black and white as he thinks it is." I reply with a chuckle.

    "So I''m guessing whatever''s in that cauldron jumping around is today''s beastie." I state to the room with a curious glance.

    "Um, I didn''t know you knew Hagrid that well." Suddenly said a shy Harry.

    "Don''t you remember what i told you before the holidays?" I then ask I surprise.

    "You mean when we asked you about Nicholas Flamel?" Harry asked as he tried to remember the rest of that conversation.

    "You did what!?" Shouted Hagrid.

    "Why are you so surprised Hagrid? Nicholas Flamel is a great wizard and it is good that people study the man. They probably saw his name alongside our famous Headmaster''s chocolat frog card and wanted to know more about the man. Problem was that they didn''t know how old he was so they were looking in the wrong place." I lie to the man with a chuckle. Making the three have a weird look on there faces.

    "Oh is that all? So''ry about that." He replied awkwardly due to his outburst, since I appeared to not know about the stone.

    "Now where was i? Right that talk! Well I told you guys how I''ve played with Fluffy before, so that would mean I know the owner well enough to be allowed to play and take care of him no?" I then say with an amused smile as their faces turn to ones of realization, then a sheepish smile from Harry.

    "Right, sorry about that." He then apologized as he scratched the back of his head.

    "Oh no worries Harry, no worries. I''m guessing you had a lot on your mind and focused more on what you asked about instead of a story of me playing with a dog." I say with a chuckle.

    "So what''s in the cauldron Hagrid?" I asked to get to the point.

    "It''s er, it''s an egg." He answered really trying to hide it, even now. Unfortunately, that was more than enough for my wild friend to realize what it was.

    "Bloody hell! You have a live dragon egg!?" He exclaimed in surprise as the rest of the huts occupants froze.

 Chapter 60 - Ch. 60 A grieving mother

    Hagrid''s hut was silent, except for the egg currently tumbling in the cauldron, no one was making a sound.

    "I don''t know why everyone''s so nervous for. I mean as long as you don''t try to raise it and get it to the proper caretakers everything''s fine. If you don''t, which I really wouldn''t suggest, you''ll have to go Azkaban when you get found out. Obviously we wouldn''t do that to you Hagrid, your our friend too. But you do realize just how hard it is to keep a very large, flying and fire-breathing lizard hidden right? Can''t exactly keep it in your hut, your place is really flammable." I say trying to cut the tension.

    My words relax the trio, but saddens Hagrid.

    "Aedan''s right Hagrid. As much as I love creatures, and trust me when I say dragons really aren''t an exception, this is something you really shouldn''t do. It''s not like Fluffy. The only way a dragon''s ever been tamed is with training akin to torture and I know you would never do that." Added Christian.

    "They''re right Hagrid. You could go to prison for this!" Agreed a very nervous Hermione as she thought about the consequences, which are very serious.

    "We could get my brother Charlie to do it! He works on a reserve in Romania!" Exclaimed Ron.

    But before Hagrid could try to refuse, the egg started to act up. He hurriedly took it out of its cauldron and laid it on the table. The egg danced about as whatever was inside fought to get out. Then the egg basically exploded and the newborn dragon could be seen. She had a slightly brownish-red coloring to her scales, with bony wings quite large for her body, a long snout, horn stubs and bulging orange eyes.

    At that moment Hagrid fell in love with her as if it was a puppy and Malfoy, whom I''ve been waiting for as I kept my sense up, suddenly left to tattle like he always does.

    "That''s a Norwegian Ridgeback!" Exclaimed Christian.

    "My brother works with those! Sending it to him in Romania would be perfect!" Exclaimed Ron.

    "Oh, I couldn''t bear an'' leave lit''le Norbert alone." Was Hagrid''s response as he was petting the dragon which was constantly trying to bit his enormous fingers.

    "Hagrid! You know how much trouble you could get in for this!" Squeaked out Hermione in horror at what the man just said.

    "But look at ''im. He thinks I''m his mum." Was his really bad counter-argument.

    "Well then Hagrid, it appears my own good news should help speed up this discussion." I announce getting everyone but Christian''s attention, since he already knows.

    "Since my family businesses have been booming lately, I''ve invested in a certain reserve for dragons in Romania alongside a fellow creature lover. I know how much you love dragons so i wanted to invite you to visit it for the summer. Thought it would have been a nice thank you for everything you''ve told us over the last few years. But now, as Ron suggested, it would be good to send it over to his brother quickly. You can then visit little Norbert in two months max. What do you think?" I asked the very torn half-giant.

    "You reckon he''ll be alright?" He asked very hesitantly.

    "He''ll be fine Hagrid, they''re all very good at their jobs and I''ve been helping them better the environment a lot." I reassure the man, only barely getting a nod of agreement.

    "Splendid! I''ll get in touch with my friend and the reserve. Ron, would you be ok asking your brother Charlie to come pick him up quickly? I dont know the man and I''m only one of the owners, so asking for someone directly can be met with refusal. And I''m sure all of you would much prefer someone you knew and trusted to handle things." I say to Ron and the rest.

    "Yeah, alright." He agreed feeling reluctant now that I had asked.

    "Good. I''ll take care of that and you three will arrange things with Charlie. Now with that settled I think everyone should head back to the castle, don''t want to get caught out past curfew." I said to finalize everything.

    "Thanks for the unique experience Hagrid, I guess I''ll see you next time. Be careful Norbert doesn''t burn your hut down by accident." I say as I step out with a reluctant Christian and the trio.

    "Do you three have a way back without being spotted? It''s dangerous to walk around at night." I then ''ask''.

    "Yeah we''ll be fine." Answered Harry.

    "That''s good. Have a pleasant night everyone and I hope everything goes well to get Norbert to a proper home." I say as I wave my wand over me and Christian to conceal us.

    "See yah firsties, and don''t be a prat about this Ron." Christian couldn''t resist saying as he disappeared from their sights.

    "They can turn invisible?!" Exclaimed the shocked Harry.

    "That''s a disillusionment charm! It''s fifth year charm and a very advanced application of it. I can''t even tell where they are and I can''t hear them!" Hermione explained to the two as usual.

    And hearing that little bit, we left the three alone to head back to the castle.

    "That was great, but really wish the prat wouldn''t be there." Exclaimed Christian as we returned to our common room.

    "Yes Ron can be rather extreme, but all I can do is show patience. If he doesn''t change then I''ll simply treat him politely but with proper distance." I sighed in response. Even I''m getting pretty annoyed at his obvious actions. Honestly, he''s worst than Malfoy with the discrimination.

    "But never mind him, gotta write some messages. The reserve doesn''t have a box yet so gotta use the owl for that and my friend has one but it''s late, so I''ll wait till tomorrow." I say as I stretch a bit.

    "Alright, goodnight then Aedan. See you in the morning for our run?" He asked.

    "Yeah no problem. Meet you at the lake." I answer as we head to our rooms.

    I got up to my room and contacted Scott to send my request over to the Romanian reserve. And the next morning I went out early to send a message using Artemis, then joined Christian for morning exercises. With everything I could do taken care of, all that was left was for the canon to take place. I convinced Hagrid to let the dragon go, got Ron to call his brother over, made the kids handle it, and I know Malfoy will try to get everyone into trouble, but will McGonagall honestly believe I''m involved in this because Malfoy says so? Ha! Doesn''t help his case that I''m not going to do anything else, so I''m not gonna be there when the kids give away the dragon.

    With everything in its place, I spent the week in quite a relaxed manner. I spent time with my friends relaxing, studying and training together. I''ve been tinkering with my broom when I had time since I''ve officially finished my elf magic ward and the werewolf vaccine will not be able to undergo further development until the summer.

    It wasn''t until Madam Pomfrey called me to the infirmary that I remembered something kinda funny happened in the week between Norberta''s birth and her handing over to Charlie: Ron gets bit by her venomous little fangs. So I headed over to the infirmary to have a look.

    "What do you think Aedan? It looks like either an infection from the bite or an extreme allergic reaction to one, but Mr. Weasley insists that a dog bit him." She asked me while shacking her head.

    "Hmm. I don''t think it''s an allergic reaction. But from the size, it should be a small creature or large insect, i''m leaning more on the side of infection or maybe a bit of venom." I reply, making Ron pale a bit.

    "Possible. I''ll go look through some more uncommon bites and records of past matrons to see if anything similar has happened. You will make sure Mr. Weasley doesn''t get worse." She ordered as she left.

    A minute later she was gone.

    "So Ron, guessing you got bit by Norbert right?" I ask, but not really.

    "You knew!?" He asked, apparently surprised at the fact.

    "Of course I knew. I''m a healer, a creature enthusiast and I know about the little fellow, so of course I''m going to recognize the bite of the little guy." I answer with a role of my eyes.

    "Then why didn''t you say anything? What are you trying to do?" He eyed me with suspicion.

    "Because Hagrid is my friend and I don''t want trouble for the man. If anyone hears about what he has then he will be in deep trouble, especially due to his past. It''s much better to keep everything quiet for a week and let the rest be handled by professionals." I answered seriously while examining the bite.

    "Right." Was his only drawn out reply whilst i finished looking a the poisoned bite.

    "So what do you want to do about this?" I ask the boy.

    "What do you mean?" He asked as he gets cautious again.

    "Well I can cure this in about 10 minutes. All I need is to whip up the proper antidote and let your body expel the poison, letting you leave within the day. But if I do that, Madam Pomfrey will question me about what the bite was and I''ll have to explain it to her. I won''t be able to hide anything from her because she''s too experienced in the field and will be able to tell if anything doesn''t add up." I explain to the kid.

    "Then what good are you? You''re just trying to get away like a snake." He murmured.

    "That''s not very nice Ron. I''ve shown a lot of patience and understanding with you during the year, but you keep being increasingly rude towards me and my friends. I don''t know why you are doing this but it has got to stop. I will stop the spread of the venom and contain it. I will also give you a painkiller and anti-inflammatory to deal with the swelling. With this in place and the small dose you been exposed to, your body will develop natural antibodies towards the poison within a week and fight it off." I say seriously to the disappointing boy.

    "In addition, you have shown excessive levels of rejection and discrimination towards innocent fellow students so, in accordance to the rules, you are no longer welcomed to the Exchange." I then announce.

    "Ha! You think I want to be in that nerd room with you slimy snakes!" He responded with venom ironically.

    "I hope you can change one day Ronald, because right now you are acting worst than Malfoy does around Muggle-borns." I simply said as I left and gave Madam Pomfrey my counter measures against the poison. Leaving a speechless Ron in the infirmary.

    After that event, everything else went well. Harry and Hermione were left to deal with the dragon. The weekend came and they were able to hand it off to Charlie. Malfoy got in trouble, then Harry and Hermione. So just on schedule the forbidden forest event should happen as well.

    The only problem was Hagrid sobbing in his cabin about hoping his baby didn''t miss his mother and that it was just temporary. So I did the sensible thing. I left the grieving mother alone.

 Chapter 61 - Ch. 61 The Saint, The Beast, The Queen and The Raven

    Until the exams I started spending more time helping my friends improve in combat. They''ve reached the point where I need to use more creative defensive spells to fully defend myself now, using transfiguration to create sand and use it to absorb incoming spells is one of the most effective defenses one can come up with but it is incredibly difficult to pull off due to the nature of transfiguration. The reason I do this is for the three of them to become used to dealing with these situations. So that when they meet one of the actually powerful death eaters or even their lord in the future, they will be able to use this experience to fight. They''ve all made me very proud with the massive progress displayed throughout the year. Even James has started to figure out his own true combat style as he was inspired by my overbearing defensive capabilities. Whilst Christian choses the dynamic approach, utilizing his trained body to minimize on actual defensive spells and focus on attack with clever usage of common or modified charms, jinxes and curses, while throwing some plant magic into the mix. Tory has actually been displaying an excellent bit of magical strength for her age, making me believe she might reach her second magical maturation by 17, as she displays difficult bits of magic to restrict and break down the opponent as she goes for the kill.

    Outside of my friends, it seems Harry and Malfoy have seen Quirrellmort feeding on a unicorn and have been quite stricken by the event. I do have an issue with this scenario in general though. So you have Draco Malfoy, heir of his family with most of the board of directors in their hand and the ministers ear, Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lives and rightful heir of house Potter, Neville Longbottom, heir of his family as well and a grandmother on the board of director, and Hermione Granger, most brilliant and dedicated witch of her age, all being sent in the deadliest place at Hogwarts with only one Hagrid and a wimpy dog. My question involving this scenario is, what the hell was Dumbledore thinking allowing this to happen? Hagrid even split them up and let Draco and Harry hunt for something or someone attacking unicorns on their own. How the f.u.c.k did he see this one go in his head? I have respect for the man, but this is one of those times where I really doubt the him and question the senility claims.

    Can''t really do anything. The only way I could have tried to do anything was to stealthily follow them into the Forrest, somehow stay near them without being noticed for extended periods of time while avoiding the creatures living in there, then somehow protect from Voldemort without them seeing me. Much easier to just let shit happen as they should, with the centaurs interfering. I really want to just kill Quirrell, but I''m with Dumbledore on this one, even if his method is mental and way too indirect, because Harry needs help to get over the abuse he''s suffered and the confidence will go a long way. He also needs to learn about Voldemort because he will face him and I''m not messing with a confrontation designed by destiny. Nothing has ever ended well when someone tried to mess with true prophecies.

    But for now the trio would have no new adventures. Simply because students were feeling the pressure as exams were nearing once again and professors were giving even more homework than before, making many panic at the sudden need to learn everything they were taught during the year in a few weeks.

    This was also the busiest time for me at the Exchange. Since I am pretty much the only person that doesn''t need to cram like crazy right now, I''ve been doing my best to help with the limited amount of people who were already confident enough and weren''t kicking it into overdrive. But in general, I was focusing on those who came to the Exchange regularly. I wanted to help those who put continuous effort and not just bail out anyone who waited at the last minute whilst goofing off the entire year. I just didn''t have the time nor manpower to cram a years worth of knowledge in unwilling brains. The best I could do for them was to give them the study guides I made for people in their situations, so that they can focus on the more important parts of their years curriculum, and at least won''t repeat a year.

    Now, Hermione during this time is quite a different beast. She insists on trying to learn every detail of what was covered in her classes and in the assigned books like they are holy teachings of the one true god. This coming from someone who probably met the closest things to gods. She''s apparently tried to drag her two very unwilling victims here, not that Ronald could get in anymore, but then I simply gave her a copy of the guide so the two can try to pass at least. But I did do what I could to help the girl, focusing on the practical aspect of things since she''s done more than enough prepping in the theoretical.

    I was also watching the most V-TV i could, since Quirrell would lose his subscription soon and I won''t be able to bum off of his account for much longer. I was able to learn way too many Dark Arts from the guy, making me wonder if he even remembered how to preform normal magic. Even his defense for Slytherin''s locket was a dark potion, I mean common mate, don''t just ditch your foundations. But I did find out that the man didn''t find more power from the dark arts, they found an outlet through him. It''s a key difference in my opinion. This is why i now believe that although Voldemort is a lot more lethal than Grindelwald, with his philosophy and methods, the latter his more dangerous because he made the dark arts his while retaining his brilliance. The simplest comparison I can think of would be the differences between the Joker and Lex Luthor.

    For me, exam season is a breeze, and with Victoria being even better than the top of her game should also have absolutely brilliant results. My two other friends are very specialized thought. They will receive beyond outstanding results in their chosen fields, but can be more average in the other. Thanks to me though, they should be able to get either O or EE in their weaker classes.

    What has been interesting during this period is that we''ve all received notice as a group, not just because of me this time. James, because of his gentle looks, his wavy shoulder length sandy blonde hair, clear blue eyes, calm and peaceful demeanor, coupled with his magnificent displays of spellmenship, future presidency of the Charms club and activities in the Exchange, has been nicknamed the Saint of our group. Christian, because of his always untamed black hair, spirited blue eyes, direct behavior, explosive play style during Quidditch, his extensive knowledge in all things nature and how he handles magical creatures, got to be The Beast. Lastly was Tory, with her striking features, jet-black hair with slight waves hanging around her shoulders, deep green eyes, prideful and noble atmosphere, showing excellence all-around, while also being willing to help others, got to be The Queen. My nickname has been shortened as a result of theirs too, becoming The Raven, after Rowena apparently.

    All of my friends have been getting their own group of admirers as they continue to grow in skill and their actions keep speaking for them. Even those who do not like us have had to acknowledge us. In the end, making every house have someone worth admiration in. Hufflepuff has their Saint, Slytherin has their Queen whether they like it or not, Ravenclaw has their Beast, Gryffindor has the-boy-who-lived, and then there is me above them all through sheer skill, intelligence and personal achievements.

    The effect of this has been mostly contained to people treating us as a sort of unapproachable group when we are together. It''s been funny to watch my friends experience what they''ve been teasing me about until now. It''s been a blast getting some payback. They''ve complained for some bits, but they also think it''s nice that people are recognizing their efforts and results. And by results i mean that each of them have basically been helping students all the way up to sixth year in their favored subjects, whilst I cover everything else.

    And know with exams over and done, it was time for the final events of the first year canon to begin. It was time for the trio to challenge the trials. Piss easy for me, but close to deadly for most students somehow.

    It was easy to tell when this was happening because I could see all of the actors getting into place on my map. Quirrellmort headed to the room and triggered my notification spell as he began his true attempt of the stone. Some time later I say trio follow along in a hurry. After that, I saw Dumbledore appear in his office and head over as well. As he reached the place Hermione ran out and met him, then he heads in as well. Quirrell''s name fades away from the map, indicating that he''s died and Voldemort has escaped the man''s body, Harry was victorious and the stone remains safe like the story.

    As I saw Dumbledore reach the battered boy, I put away my map and leave my dorm, heading to the Infirmary.

    ''It''s time for another chat with Dumbledore.'' I thought to myself as I walk.

 Chapter 62 - Ch. 62 Chats for the Summer

    I arrived at the infirmary ahead of Dumbledore and was having some small talk with Madam Pomfrey about some rare injuries, diseases and maladies as a way to have an excuse for being there and actually get information on the subject. Win-win.

    Dumbledore arrived in a rushed manner and laid Harry on the bed and explained that Harry had stoped someone from trying to steal what was being protected on the third floor. He avoided Quirrell and the Stone, and Pomfrey didn''t ask since she was too busy fussing over Harry. Dumbledore had a sad expression on his face as he reached to pull out his wand, but then he finally noticed me waiting off to the side and froze in hesitation for what to do. He knows I''m very strong, especially my mind and if I''m guessing correctly about what he''s going to do, then he can''t do it against me without a fight breaking out.

    But then i surprise him by lightly gesturing for him to go on as I wait. With a hesitant expression he waves his wand over Madam Pomfrey''s heads, casting a powerful Confundus Charm over her to heal Harry but only remember the new injuries and ignore the old. He then looks at me with uncertainty and I simply gesture for us to head out to talk.

    We walked and headed for Dumbledore''s office before we can finally speak.

    "Why did you not question my actions Aedan?" He finally asked.

    "Because I already know why you did it Headmaster." I answered evenly.

    "What possible reason could you think I have to force poor Poppy to be subjected to such a spell?" He asked with guilt all over his face.

    "Your definition of Harry''s safety." I answer again.

    "My definition is it? And why do you say these words Aedan? What do you know of Harry''s situation?" He now asked seriously.

    "I could tell a lot from the first time I saw the kid Headmaster. From the very first day I saw him walking into the Great Hall, I noticed so many things wrong with him. You know I''m a healer Professor, Poppy has probably reported to you my progress in the field. I''m a healer in all but tittle and near master at that." I answered the man with a sigh as I continued. "Clear signs of almost extreme malnutrition, with his face, wrists, hand and collarbone showing me everything I needed to know about that. Signs of continuous physical abuse could be gleamed from how he was behaving subconsciously near large groups of people, due to his bodies automatic reflexes to people''s eyes and sudden loud noises. But it wasn''t until he took part of my Exchange that I noticed psychological abuse as well, since I could see the kid was smart, but he was stopping himself from learning without even knowing it. The evidence I could tell from simply observing him showed he''s barely treated as a human with his muggle relatives, much less like family." I say as I finish my explanation, after a slight pause I speak again but this time with a cold anger in my voice.

    "If they are anything like I''m guessing they are, then it''s pure luck Harry didn''t develop an Obscurus." Resounded my voice as my power hummed in the air.

    "I did not want to leave poor Harry there, but it is the only way to assure his safety until he is 17. As long as that place is his home, he will be safe." Said Dumbledore sadly, imploring for me to understand.

    "That''s why I said it is from your definition Headmaster. That place is not a home to Harry, it is a prison cell with abusive wardens. It is a place which will beat him, oppress him and take advantage of him in every way possible. And after experiencing Hogwarts, there is absolutely no way the kid will ever think of that house as his home, or the people responsible for his abuse as actual family." I say to the man coldly.

    "But there is no choice. As long as his blood lives on that house he shall be safe." Was still his only reply, not budging an inch.

    "Then how about this Headmaster. I will heal Harry over the course of the summer. I will do what I can for him to have a pleasant or at least manageable summer while still living with those people. And I will even make an oath so that I''ll keep quiet about all this if you want." I then propose to the headmaster, calming my anger and trying to be rational.

    "Why would you do so much for Harry, but still agree to let him live in that place?" Asked a curious Dumbledore. And he''s right to be since it is very contradictory.

    "Because i empathize with Harry. The only difference between us is that I''ve escaped my jailers and have healed. I want to help him get the same chance. It''s the very least the kid deserves after being put trough so much." I answer sincerely. "And I trust you have your reasons Headmaster. I do not approve of what you did at all and even hurts your image in my eyes, but I know you at least have a reason. It''s just like this years events, I know everything was done by you."

    "So you knew. How much?" He asked with a slight sigh, but his expression improving from the pure guilt it showed before.

    "Pretty much everything I think. The Snitch, the trials, The Forrest I''m not sure about, I''m pretty sure you''ll help Gryffindor win the house cup and Quirrellmort." I listed simply. But that last one did stun him.

    "How?" He asked and i knew what he was referring to.

    "Sir. I have some of the most s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e senses in the world and I am an incredibly powerful mind art practitioner, I could sense something was wrong with Quirrell from the beginning. It felt incredibly dark, so I extremely carefully took a peek and saw a second mind in the man, His mind. So I made sure he wouldn''t notice and left. I then paid close attention the man''s actions and noticed everything he did. Tried to make Harry fall, tried to get everyone''s attention with the troll to get the stone, going out into the Forrest and his final attempt today." I explained to the increasingly shocked, impressed and worried old man.

    "You entered his mind?" He asked quietly.

    "Only Quirrell''s for a moment since he couldn''t put up any defenses due to his cohabitant." I answered.

    "You knew about the stone?" He then asked with curiosity again.

    "Well, I got curious at what Tom would want so bad he attacked Gringott''s and now possessed a teacher to get. So I made my way through the trials, and honestly the difficulty made it really obvious that it was made for Harry instead of defense, only yours would actually stop the man." I answered with a bit of a friendly jab, trying to improve the mood.

    "I was quite proud of my choice. So what did you think of it? And more importantly, how did you find out what was in it?" With a little chuckle of pride and curiosity as he asked again.

    "Well I know this sounds bad, but that''s one of the thoughts I picked up when I was in Quirrell''s mind, it was all he was thinking about. But as for getting the stone, that actually required a bit of soul searching." I explained carefully.

    "And what was the answer you found in that search?" He asked expectantly, slowly regaining his more energetic appearance.

    "I found what I truly d.e.s.i.r.e, and I was happy with what I saw, but the stone was not part of it. The reason is simple: my pride will not let me use the easy path made by another. I will make my own path to reach my dream or it would be worthless." I declare with certainty.

    "As for the mirror, it was a very clever piece of intent warding and enchantment. Do you mind if i either use it as is or modify it in the future Headmaster?" I asked with a smile.

    "Please do. I am curious as to what you will come up with." He chuckled happily after the heavier conversation.

    "So I have your consent then?" I asked to have the final conversation.

    "Yes. I will be in your debt if you could heal poor Harry and keep this a secret. You have shown that you can do so and i trust in your abilities Aedan. It will be quite the show when you reveal the depths of your abilities to the world." He responded with a smile.

    "That is what I''m counting on. I will make people believe and support me through sheer ability not dominance. And thank you for your trust headmaster. I will keep quiet to Harry about many things, as you have. I will simply try to give him a productive summer with some pleasant memories if possible. And make those muggles lighten up on the kid." I say as I get up from my seat.

    "Please do. It seems i must write to them about this as well." He said seriously as he saw me out.

    With everything settled with the Headmaster I head to see Harry in the infirmary.

    I arrive with Madame Pomfrey done treating the new injuries and a pile of get well soon presents nearby.

    "Oh Aedan, done with your talk with Albus?" She asks still slightly out of it.

    "Yeah, the headmaster just asked me if I could check up on the kid during the summer. You know, to make sure he has no lingering injuries or hidden ones flaring up." I lie gently to the matron.

    "Oh, that''s very responsible on his part. I guess he''s finally understanding the importance of proper care." Was her happy answer.

    "I''ll wait for him to wake up so I can talk to him about how it''s going to work. I''ll also take care of the infirmary while I''m at it. So you should take a break Poppy." I say gently.

    "Oh thank you Aedan. So useful to have such a responsible and skilled student helping around. You know what to do if you need my help." She said loosening up a little as she left.

    So I waited for Harry to wake up. A few people wanted to talk to him, but seeing that he was still out of it they simply left their gifts with the others.

    "Well look who''s up. Feeling ok?" I ask with a bright smile.

    "Um yeah. Professor what are you doing here?" Then asked Harry.

    "I''m here because I know you will have questions. And don''t worry, young Aedan happens to know everything. Quite the extraordinary young man as always." He said in a chuckle.

    "Thank you Headmaster, always nice to hear from the second coming of Merlin." I reply with my own chuckle.

    "Yes, they do love those kinds of titles don''t they? But now Harry, what is it you wanted to ask?" Smiled Dumbledore as he turned his attention back to Harry.

    This was the canon questions, about the stone, Quirrell, Voldemort, why he couldn''t touch him, Snape and some other miscellaneous questions until he was satisfied.

    "But what are you doing here Aedan? And if you knew about all this, why didn''t you do anything?" He asked me understandably confused.

    "I''ll start with the second, that being that after seeing the Headmasters defenses, i simply believed Quirrellmort wouldn''t be able to get the stone." I answer simply.

    "Quirrellmort?" He asked with a weird face.

    "I was rather curious about that as well. You used the term in my office earlier." Interjected Dumbledore in innocent curiosity.

    "Well you know, it was Voldemort in Quirrell''s body so Quirrellmort. No ones afraid of such a ridiculous name are they? Never could understand why people would give the c.u.n.t the satisfaction of fearing his name. There are so many ways of messing with it without triggering the taboo. I actually made a game of it when I was a kid." I answered with a cheeky smile.

    "Hahaha! That there is. I wish I would have thought of it earlier." Agreed Dumbledore as he gave a hearty laugh, while Harry had a small smile on his face.

    "It has been too long since I''ve been able to laugh like that. Thank you Aedan." Said a nostalgic Dumbledore, losing himself in happier times.

    "No problem Headmaster, no problem at all." I reply with a knowing smile.

    "Ah, but onto your first question Harry. I am here to inform you that I shall be visiting you during the summer to fix the frankly saddening amount of damage your body has suffered in your life. I will do everything I can to make you as fit and healthy as every other kids your age, maybe more. The Headmaster and I have also decided to give those muggles a reminder of what being family actually entails. And i shall also try to help you experience a bit more of a proper life if possible. The Headmaster has decided to trust me enough on that." I explain in a gentle voice, as I learned to do with patients.

    "You''ll what? You''re going to help me with the Dursley''s? But why do you even care?" He asked with hopefulness in his eyes, as the possibility of not going back and living like he''s not supposed to exist.

    "Because we''ve lived through very similar things Harry. But the only difference is that you''ve been left alone for too long and I want to help with that." I answer warmly and sincerely, because it is true. The only difference was that I''ve suffered extreme pain and torture for a relatively short period of time, whilst he has been suffering continuously for years under horrid people.

    "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." He kept saying as tears of relief flooded out of the boys eyes.

    I look over at Dumbledore to see the look of sadness and guilt he''s showing as he finally realizes just how bad this situation has been for the boy. We look at each other and nod in understanding of what we''ll do.

    "Alright Harry, it''s alright. We''ll make proper plans after you''ve returned. And I''ll come over as early as I can ok. So I''ll need you to be brave for a few days while I handle everything on my end." I tell him to prepare and encourage the boy.

    "Yeah alright. Sorry about that Aedan." He said as he was embarrassed due to his display.

    "Don''t be Harry, it is good to let those feeling out from time to time. Now rest up properly, nothing else is going to happen till tomorrow''s feast, but I''m sure Ronald And Hermione will want to visit you anytime now." I say to the kid with a warm and reassuring expression.

    "Alright. But thanks again." He said as he laid back down and closed his eyes with a relived mind.

    "The let''s get started Headmaster." I say to the old man besides me.

    "Yes, it seems like I''ve overlooked this for far too long." Responded an angry Dumbledore.

 Chapter 63 - Ch. 63 A Promise

    Everything had been settled when it came to Harry and the day passed. Everyone was gathered for the end of year feast, with the Great Hall decorated in Blue to celebrate Ravenclaws winning of the House cup again, and Slytherin being a close second. My housemates we''re celebrating in a lively manner, but here came Dumbledore to rain on their parades. And yup, just enough points for Gryffindor to swoop in from third place and win it all. This caused my house to become half depressed and half angry at Harry and his friends, Slytherin became even more unhappy since they not only lost, but now the cup went to their rival house, and Hufflepuff was just siting looking a bit out of it, but nothing had changed for them so they didn''t really care. With only one house really celebrating the end of the year, the feast ended and students went to the Hogwarts Express once again.

    As my friends and I walked to the train, people noticed and decided to make a path for us. I was walking at the head of the group, standing nearly six feet tall at 14, with clear muscle shown through my casual black t-shirt and jeans, shinning silver hair and flame-like eyes, appearing very attractive to most female students. Victoria walking at my side, she wore a green blouse to match her eyes, letting her black hair cascade over her shoulders, with a pair of nice black pants, and an aura living up to her nickname of The Queen. Christian was wearing jeans and an unbuttoned red-black flannel shirt, showing his own growing muscles which could be glimpsed through his white t-shirt, with jeans and hiking boots, walking in a completely relaxed manner as he looked at the sky. And James was greeting politely those he recognized as we walked, with him wearing a loose white shirt and beige pants, coupled with his gentle aura, it really made him feel like a saint.

    We made our way to an empty cabin under everyone''s gaze and it wasn''t until we had entered the train did the students snap out of the trance which made them part before us.

    As the train ride back to Kings Cross was underway, we chatted about the year, our summer plans, upcoming OWL''s next year and just having a nice time together before going out separate ways for the summer.

    Before we got off the train, I gave Victoria a new supply kit, to make sure she could protect herself from her father without him being the wiser and made sure she knew she would be welcomed to my house anytime. But I had also prepared a little something extra.

    "Tory, I also want you to take this." I say seriously as I hand her a small box.

    She takes it in her hands with curiosity, looking at me with me almost emerald green eyes, suddenly making me a bit embarrassed as I remembered the mirrors images. She opens it with a gasp and closes it quickly before staring at me in shock, looking for an answer.

    "It''s made to protect you. I asked a favor from some friends of mine, then I made the enchantments and put the runes on it myself." I explain, trying to stop myself from getting nervous.

    She then opens the box again and slowly takes out a beautiful silver necklace, with finely interwoven chain almost looking as if they were a semi-fluid piece of silver, a twin pair of snakes with little diamonds for eyes were attached to it, coiling themselves around a beautifully polished piece of emerald, protected by said snakes as their small heads rested on the two poles of the stone.

    James'' eyes widened in shock at the necklaces and Christian stood up abruptly at the sight of it.

    "That''s goblin made jewelry! That thing looks like it costs thousands!" He shouted without thinking, making Victoria look at me with a torn expression.

    "Tory. I want you to have it. I asked a friend to make it and he was happy to do so. I imbued it with the protective Magic''s I knew: Occlumency defenses, physical protection, intent detection, emergency shield and lastly it''s a portkey set to come to my ring." I say to her gently. "If you are ever in trouble, it can bring you to me and nothing will stop it. And no one will be able to take it from you, until you decide to reject it." I say gently to the now very emotional girl.

    "Merlin''s balls mate." Quietly said Christian, completely blown away.

    "Aedan, wouldn''t this burden Victoria''s conscience?" Asked James as he was thinking about her pride and stubbornness.

    "This was my own decision. I care about you and want to do everything I can to stop you from coming into harms way. If you believe it is too much you just need to give it back, but I will give you the other emergency portkey linked to my house, that I''m not arguing about. It''s always good to have back up plans." I say to reassure the girl. "I''ve actually made three of them, one for each of you, just in case."

    "I...I..." she was trying to say her decision but was stuck. It was an incredibly beautiful necklace and an amazingly thoughtful gesture, but this was so foreign to her that she froze.

    "Tory." I say gently, making her look at me with a jump as I said her nickname.

    "I decided to do this on my own. All that is left to decide is if you accept my will to protect and help you stand against the world itself if need be, or wish to do so on your own, proving your will and strength to them all. There is no shame or rejection of anyone, not even yourself, in choosing either. Take a breath and hopefully you can find the answer You want." I say with soothing voice and warm expression.

    -Going to be in Victoria''s head for a bit.

    I takes a breath a silently contemplated his actions, words and intent. I looked between my three close friends, the people who pulled me away from that lonely and painful place, and I see them waiting for my choice. My pride wanted me to reject such a gift, but I just couldn''t turn it away. I can now see just how much he wishes to help and protect me. This is something I haven''t been able feel since mother was struck by that curse so long ago now, for someone who would help me simply because they were by my side. Not for anything, but because of who I am to them.

    I am not insulted by the gesture, not in the slightest. I know him. I know he would never stifle my growth, nor chain me down. Everything he ever does his try to help those he cares for, to make it possible for them to soar far above others.

    But i also know it''s unusual for him to go this far. Like he said, he made the portkeys in other forms, so why did he do so much just for me?

    I don''t know what to do. I know I care for Aedan. Ever since I first saw him, his long silver hair, the cute face he had in first year, those blazing red-gold eyes, the air of confidence and safety he gives off. And even now, as he continues to grow, his face has slowly changed from cute to handsome, his height continues to climb above others, his muscles are clearly visible to onlookers and his voice is just so comfortable to listen to. He is so brilliant I felt despair when I tried to chase him down and prove myself better than him. I acted rudely and tried to show how much better I was, but when my housemates started to blame and bully me for not surpassing him, for not taking him down by any means, laughing at my fathers actions and insulting my mother, he was the one who stood in front of them and lifted me up. He showed me what is was like to feel others caring for me again, to feel what a family is. He gave me knowledge no one else in the world ever had before. He introduced me to his friends, soon enough letting me be one of them as well. He took his time and effort to heal me and try to protect me from the one you should be doing the protecting. He just keeps on giving and giving, and I just want to be able to do something back for him sometimes.

    So with a lot of emotions running through me, I managed to ask with a stressed voice. "Why?"

    I saw him hesitate, I see the nervousness in him. It''s very unusual for him to be nervous. He is always there, standing like an immovable pillar of support. Always calm, cool and collected in the face of others. He becomes excited when he makes a breakthrough or makes something new, almost acting like a child. He can be strict and courageous when he defends something he believes in. But being nervous only happened once before, when he told me about all the horrible things he''d experienced in his childhood. When I heard that, I wanted to give the boy a hug, but we only knew each other for so long and I couldn''t keep my pride down long enough to show such emotions in front of him. But he could finally speak.

    "I did some soul searching this year. Do you guys know the Mirror of Erised?" He asked to begin his explanation. He always does this around others, trying to help them know more and share knowledge around. But after seeing all of us shaking our heads, he continues.

    "It''s a mirror which has been housed in Hogwarts for some time at least, and I happened to find it during one of my excursions through the castle. It is designed to show ones deepest d.e.s.i.r.es, even those one didn''t know or those one feared in themselves." He explained to our surprise that such an object can exist. To see ones greatest d.e.s.i.r.e take form in front of you would truly test one spirit. But then we all looked at him to wonder what this had to do with the situation.

    "The mirror is a very dangerous tool. I can understand why in my research of it I found a warning, that it offers no wisdom or ideas about how to reach that d.e.s.i.r.e manifested, and that many have wasted their lives away in front of it, unable to pull themselves out of the fantasy they see. But to me it was an enlightenment and a relief. You see, I disagree that it doesn''t offer anything, I believe it teaches about the self. And the reason this is important is simple: it taught me I had another d.e.s.i.r.e within. Something which could match my dreams to push the magical world further. And that was to see it happen with another." He explains seriously, but near the end he was using the gentlest voice I''ve ever heard from him as he looked into my eyes.

    Looking at me with those striking eyes that seem to look at my very soul. It took me a few seconds to register exactly what he just meant and when I did, my face immediately started burning up. I felt so many emotions racing through again, but this time it just felt so good. The happiness, relief, excitement, a bit of worry, and somewhere in my logical part ,I was trying to hold everything back, but that couldn''t help for more than a second before tears of joy leaked out.

    The guys started panicking, even James, since they have no clue how to handle a crying girl. Aedan was trying to apologize, Christian was trying to tell a stupid joke and James was trying to comfort me.

    "I''m not sad you idiots. I''m happy." I said as I the tears away, with a smile at how foolish the respect members of our group just acted.

    "But you cried!" Responded Christian, totally oblivious.

    "That''s enough Christian. I think we should leave these two alone to talk for a bit." Declared James as he dragged the wild boy away. Closing the door behind them and letting me and Aedan be alone.

    He was fidgeting a bit, but it was cute seeing the ever brilliant and imposing Aedan Bones, acting like a nervous kid his age in front of me. I couldn''t help but giggle a bit, making his ears turn red.

    "So I wanted to give you this to protect you until then." He said shyly. "And, um, the main reason I wanted to make it perfect was because it comes with a bit of a condition."

    "What condition?" I asked carefully, my happiness immediately dropping a few notches and my own nervousness rising as my heart thumped madly.

    "I don''t want people to know until graduation. Until i can live on my own and hopefully be able to have you there." He answered with some hesitation and fear over my response. He kept looking at me, trying to gauge my response.

    "Why? Are you ashamed of me as I am?" I tried to hold back, but it hurt hearing the guy I liked didn''t want others to know if we were in a relationship.

    "No, I''m am and always have been very proud of you. This is because my plan involves making my name resound in every corner of the magical world. To help push it forward in the right direction without violence, this is a necessity. The problem with that is the fact that the attention and criticism I will receive will be massive, and I don''t want to pull your life down with mine because of it. I want you to be able to stand proudly and never doubt the fact that you are the one I want and the world will never question it due to your own abilities." He explained seriously. It helped a lot and made me happy. He knew how I was. I will vehemently reject those trying to help me for impure reasons and my pride will not let me be someone only known for being associated with someone else. I will never accept being given everything, it must come from me.

    "Thank you Aedan, for caring so much." I say, my voice closer to a whisper, but it relieves him.

    "I''ll take that deal. You will be mine and I will be yours. And when we graduate, the world will have no choice to accept it and see two people, not just you." I finally answer with my own feelings and determination.

    "But I have my own condition." I then state seriously.

    "Name it." He responded, sounding ready to fight even a dragon at the moment.

    "You put it on me." I then say gently as I turned around to hide my red face and lift my hair up to show my neck.

    I let my hair down and touch the beautiful emerald with my fingers, a smile spreading on my face.

    We felt the train come to a stop and we both jolt out of it and see the station outside our cabin window.

    We then look at each other and I decide I should at least do something for him, doing so much and taking this step for me.

    Without giving myself time to think properly, I quickly lean forward and give him a kiss on the lips. It only lasted for a second, but when I realized what I had done, my face felt like it was the hottest it''s ever been.

    So I immediately stood up and grabbed my things before turning around and looking at the completely stunned Aedan.

    "That''s to seal the deal. You can''t take it back now, even if you wanted to." I say quickly and rushed out due to embrass.e.m.e.nt, leaving Aedan as he slowly reached up to touch his lips.

    -Back to Aedan.

    ''They were so soft and sweet.'' Was the only thought that went through is completely paralyzed thought process.

    And then James and Christian showed up to grab their stuff, only to see me unresponsive.

    "Well, from the goofy smile on your face, I can see you captured the Queen. Or more likely she captured you." Joked Christian with a good laugh.

    "Congratulation Aedan, I hope you make her and yourself happy. The two of you fit well together." Was James supportive comment.

    "Ah! Yeah, thanks." I finally responded as I snapped out of it and grabbing my own stuff.

    I couldn''t find Victoria anywhere on the platform but, with the thought of the necklace and the kiss, I was still smiling as happiness spread through me.

    ''I''m glad I came to this world.''

 Chapter 64 - Ch. 64 Meeting the Dursleys

    I left the station in a daze, getting weird looks from Susan and Amelia. Aunty asked if anything bad had happened, but Susan obviously didn''t know. And so they just let me be.

    We got home and I just headed into my room. As I lay in bed, Sol felt my emotions through our link and decided to check up on me. She flew over and landed in front of me with questioning eyes. Seeing how I didn''t notice her, she decided to nip my ear.

    "Ow! Sol? Why did you bite me?" I yelled out as a result, effectively snapping me out of it.

    But of course she couldn''t talk, but I felt some annoyance and worry at how I was acting.

    "Oh, that. Well something really good happened and I just couldn''t really believe it went that well. So I was just kinda out of it I guess." I tell her as I pet her soft head, getting some cooing in response. I then decided to spend some time just petting Sol, like I did when I was a kid and she seemed to enjoy the nostalgic attention I was giving her.

    So I just passed the time until Tilly called me for supper. I went downstairs and joined my family. They were giving me some questioning looks as to why I acted weirdly on the way here, but I was ignoring those.

    After dinner, I went to the office to handle my duties as usual.

    A few idiots tried to make trouble with some of FIRM associated stores, but that was resolved through the security each have hired. It seems those paying attention to the business side of things have noticed the trend of increased quality of product and manpower by going through my own companies. On the whole, the economic impact of muggle-borns has been increasing a lot and many having difficulties in other countries are coming here to find work under my initiatives. It also seems that the summer workshops for students are also going to be up and running soon, with advertis.e.m.e.nts going out in the Herald and the Prophet.

    For BonesWorks, it has been going from strength to strengths. The werewolves who originated in Britain and who''ve come from abroad, willing to register and work under me legally have increased dramatically due to fair contracts and conditions. With the information spreading, people who just want to live normal lives, even with lycanthropy, are coming to my manufacturing, production and delivery centers for my products. With my personal defense runes cleared for production, it''s been a good chance for people to find jobs under the Bones. It doesn''t have an explosive market yet, but establishing my brands reputation before the return of Voldemorty and his merry men will make sales explode at the time.

    The most important news for me is that my testing facility has been built. It took a few months to secretly have it constructed, but we''ve finally built a secure site for me to test the lycanthropy blockers I''ve come up with. With fifty rooms built to withstand three times the amount of force healthy and strong werewolf is capable of producing, safety equipment, emergency containment and fully prepared operation room in case of catastrophic rejection occurs. There has been an amazing amount of people willing to participate in the trials. Only werewolves in my employ actually know about the improved Wolfsbane that I''ve developed, with that and Geri''s support, many want to help in developing this vaccine. Generous conditions have been offered for such risks, I''ll be there for the entire testing period, alongside some former healers who''ve been infected by the disease and haven''t been able to work in the field due to the risks they pose to patients. They''ve been a remarkable help for my employees since they''re all werewolves, making them thankful for being able to do what they love.

    Within the week, everything I had to take care of on my hand was handled. The full moon would happen on the 15th of June since I didn''t miss it this month, and everything is ready.

    It was now time to visit Harry and by extension the Dursley''s.

    I had to explain to my aunt that I would be helping Harry accommodate better to the magical world since I had a good amount of interactions with the kid during the school, my fantastic grades and reputation helping the Headmaster recommend me for the position. To which my aunt bought hook-line-and-sinker. I hate lying to her, but if she knew what was really happening, she would probably flay those muggles alive in rage. Death Eater/voldycunt made orphans are a very sore spot for her.

    I simply decided to flame to ''Micheal Folster''s'' home located near Little Whinging. From there I got Scott to drive me to number. 4 Privet Drive. It was a nice ride since I let Scott buy things for his own uses and the car was one of them. Now, since I come from 30 years ahead, I''m used to a sleeker model of car than the ones currently available. Honestly speaking, most of them look like boxes on wheels to me. But Scott is into cars, said it''s in every man''s blood to want a powerful machine to ride. So I allowed him to even import a car to add to his collection, Might as well spend my ever growing amount of money on something, cause at this rate I''ll be the youngest Billionaire on the planet. But let''s just say he almost converted me when we were riding this sweet 1964 Shelby 289 Cobra, with dark blue paint and rocking the double white racing stripes. Feeling the wind in your hair while going down the freeway was brilliant, even if I''m used to flying on a broom. Just doesn''t feel the same. I think I''ll get my license to drive these puppies in a little over a year.

    "So why are we headed into town Boss? I know you do business pretty much all over the country, but that place is pure muggle." Asked Scott as he was driving.

    "Simple, i made an agreement with Dumbledore and a promise to the-boy-who-lived." I answer and I probably should have been gentler about revealing that cause Scott swerved a lot from the news. "Watch the road you idiot! Don''t want to die on the way there!"

    "We''re going to see The Harry Potter!?" Was his response.

    "I''m going to see him. No one can know I''m in anyway related to you or the Folster identity yet. So you''ll be disguised and leave right after you drop me off." I order the man.

    "Yes Boss!" He replied. Although he has weird habits, he''s extremely capable as my aide. That''s why I let him enjoy himself when he isn''t doing anything for me. Pretty sure he had a hot-tub installed somewhere on the property, but I haven''t really taken the time to look around for it.

    We reached Privet Dr. and I hop out of the car to continue on foot.

    ''This place is so plastic.'' I thought as I walk along the street in a casual white T-shirt and jeans, with my hair in a high ponytail since I had to stop from flying everywhere during the drive.

    But it''s really horrendously overdone in this suburb. Everything is almost exactly the same, from the houses, to lawns, to decorations. It''s so ''ideal'' would be the word to describe it. It is a picture of what was sold to be the ideal life for a common family to have in the 80''s & 90''s. But whatever, I finally reached number 4. The infamous house of the Dursley''s. Let''s see how I can play with these cowardly and jealous ''people''. So I knock on the door.

    A few moments later it opened and I saw an extremely overweight child with blue eyes and dark hair.

    ''That must be Dudley. Looks like a much fatter movie version of the kid. Must be before the diet.'' I thought.

    "Who are you?" He asked rather rudely while eating a chocolate bar.

    "I should be a visitor your parents are expecting, please notify them." I responded with a smile that didn''t reach my face.

    " MOM IT''S FOR YOU!" He shouted into the house and left.

    And then came Petunia Dursley, looking like she did in the movie, but with the same eyes as Harry, showing her relation. Much to her dissatisfaction I''m sure.

    "Who are you? I''ve never met a young man such as you." She asked with suspicion.

    "I am the one the Headmaster has warned you would come Mrs. Dursley." Was my simple reply. As a result of my words, she paled noticeably, probably fearing what I would do.

    "You seem afraid. Probably should be after what you''ve done to the kid, but I''m sure you''ll be more than happy to know i am not permitted to use magic here, so rejoice. Now it would be better to head inside to continue this conversation no? Don''t want the neighbors knowing you aren''t ''normal'' now do we?" I said with I bright smile as she let me in.

    It was then that the last member of the family exited the living room, Vernon Dursley. It does seem like most people are mixes of movie and book descriptions because the man is a blonde and although he was considered beefy, it looked like mostly fat. As he was about to ask something he saw me and stopped.

    "And you must be Vernon." I say with a smile again. "Let us talk in the living room shall we? And please bring Harry down from the room you''ve locked him in."

    "Who are you to order me around in my own house?!" He bursted out in outrage as his face was turning purple in anger.

    With a sigh I take off my glasses and put them away, then I slowly open them as they start to resemble raging flames and my usually concealed predatory aura exploded out, stopping the two from breathing.

    "I am someone not nearly as tolerant as Dumbledore you pathetic excuse for a human being. If it was up to me, I would have had all of you incarcerated for severe cases of child abuse and neglect. I would have made your lives a living hell for putting a child who''s already lost so much in his life, through what you have done. You have no idea how horrible what you''ve done to the kid was and you don''t care because you, Petunia, are a twisted and jealous child with an inferiority complex, and you Vernon, are a tiny minded imbecile. What you''ve done to Harry could have easily led to him developing an Obscurus, an extremely dangerous and deadly magical entity born in children who are abused into suppressing their magic. It would have killed everyone in this town you call a home. Now shut up and bring Harry down. I will then tell you what is going to happen and you will have no choice in the matter. If you are clear nod and go get the boy." I ordered with pure venom in my voice.

    Petunia couldn''t run to get Harry fast enough, and as I put my glasses back on and calm my aura, Vernon''s legs lose their strength and was forced to sit on the couch, with pure terror on his face.

    The woman hurried back with a confused Harry, likely due to the way she was acting. He saw me and looked happy due to what we had talked about. He entered the room and I gestured to sit near me. As he did I couldn''t help comparing myself to him. Black vs silver hair. Red vs green eyes. Tall for my age vs short for his. Muscular and fit vs thin and damaged. It honestly angered me seeing the boy acting so fearful and hopeful.

    "Harry, you have nothing to worry about. Everything will be handled shortly, just don''t be surprised about how I''m going to act. You aunt and uncle need a firm hand." I whisper to the boy in order to prepare him. He nods and waits.

    "Now. Harry has suffered tremendous abuse under you. Because of Dumbledore''s request, I''m not having the two of you arrested right this instant. But my passivity comes with a cost. I don''t care if you ignore Harry, but he will no longer be your servant! He is your nephew for you Merlin''s sake! You will simply need to give him three meals a day and let him in and out of the house, that''s all you vile people need to do. Simple no? In exchange, Harry will be spending most of his time away from the place. Isn''t that great for you? I will be inviting him over either to my home or outside during most of the summer, actually reducing the meals you''ll need to provide to the boy down to two. Exciting isn''t it?" I say to these people with sarcasm and disgust.

    "But if he tells me you''ve abused him, locked him in his room, stopped him from contacting either me or his friends, or that you punish him because your baby whale or for anything that isn''t actually Harry''s fault... I will scramble your brains until you beg me to let you pamper the boy." I declare as I use a bit of legilimency to make them experience some of the pain I had, making them scream out in shock.

    I stand up as they flinch at my movements and simply turn to Harry.

    "Go grab your wand and owl Harry, I have everything else you''ll need at my house." I gently say to the boy who hesitates slightly, wanting to ask some questions but i stop him.

    "I''ll answer your questions after we''ve left alright?" I simply say, making him nod and run upstairs.

    I wait a bit and he comes back down with Hedwig, still a beautiful snowy owl she is.

    "Alright then. We shall be off. Lovely talking with the two of you. I hope for your sakes it doesn''t have to happen again." I say with a bright smile and walk Harry out of the house.

 Chapter 65 - Ch. 65 Let the healing begin

    I brought Harry outside and we started walking towards an emptier area of town.

    "Where are we going?" He suddenly asked.

    "Just need to head somewhere muggles won''t spot us. Can''t let them see us disappearing now." I answer with a smile.

    "Ok. Um, but what did you do to them before we left?" He then asked curiously.

    "That Harry, was an application of a less practiced magical art known as Legilimency."

    "Legili-what?" Was his confused response.

    "Legilimency, is the ability to enter and attack the minds of others. What I did to the pile of blubber with a mustache and the shrew was very simple, I forced one of my own memories into their minds and made them experience it." I explain to the kid.

    "A memory made them that scared? What did you show them?" He asked in shock, not realizing that if that was their reactions, the memory mustn''t be pleasant.

    "That is a very personal bit of my past Harry. I just used a small clip to give them an idea." I reply with less of a smile this time.

    "Oh. I''m sorry, didn''t think it through." He apologized sheepishly.

    "I understand Harry. Ah, this alley will do." I say suddenly as I enter said alley. I then take out a steel chain and stretch out my hand holding it to the kid.

    "Grab onto this and don''t let go of either it or Hedwig. It''s going to feel weird, but its the quickest way to get out of here without breaking many laws. And these ones can''t be detected." I say with a little grin.

    "We''re breaking laws?!" Was his very shocked response.

    "Hahaha! I''m teasing you on this one. No way my aunt would let me set up an illegal portkey to our house, she''s the head of the magical law enforcement and damn strict when it comes to these things. It''s just for this time. I''ve got other ways to get you over to my place next time." I laugh as I explained. He gives me a little glare but grabs the chain and the familiar feeling of being pulled by your navel occurs, sending us off.

    We landed in the middle of the backyard, me on my feet, Harry on his b.u.t.t and Hedwig complaining about him dropping her cage upon landing.

    "First couple of times leave people with a hard time landing." I say to reassure the kid and give him a hand to stand up.

    "Welcome to House Bones Harry. It''s simple, but it''s home." I introduce with a warm smile.

    "You have a nice garden." He said as he looks around the place.

    "Thanks. Started it when I was 6. I wanted a place to practice Herbology, but after I started going to Hogwarts it basically became Susan''s." I say with a nostalgic smile, remembering little me and Susan playing in the dirt.

    "Wait. Susan, from Hufflepuff?" He asked in surprise.

    "Well yeah. We''re cousins, but we grow up like siblings. You know Aedan Bones and Susan Bones." I explain with a little smile a the kids thoughts.

    "But you don''t look anything alike!" He tried to justify, never having noticed.

    "Well to be honest here, have you ever seen anyone who looks like me?" I ask with a chuckle in response, effectively leaving him with no answer.

    "Well enough of that. TILLY!" I shouted for the house-elf.

    "Yes young master Aedan?" She popped in and said.

    "Tilly, this is Harry. He will be coming here frequently this summer. Can you bring his owl to where Artemis is please. Also a good lunch for the two of us would be lovely, and if Susan wants to join all the better." I say to her.

    "With p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e!" She replied excitedly as she began her tasks.

    "What was that!?" Asked Harry again in shock.

    "That is a House-elf. Beings who need the magical energy of wizards or magical dwellings to survive. Unfortunately, through centuries of this happening in noble houses, they''ve become a slave race in the eyes of many and horrible treatment became common. We treat her like family but that''s still how she acts, no matter what." I explain with some reluctance in my voice.

    "But for now let''s get you a proper meal. After that I can get a good look at you and start healing you properly." I declare as I lead the boy into the house.

    He was looking around the place with very curious eyes, this being the first wizard home he''s been too since the Weasleys haven''t brought him there yet.

    "Might As well introduce you to the house while we wait for the food." I say to the kid who nods back.

    "Here we have the common room, like the dorms it''s used for relaxation, reading or light work in a peaceful environment. The fireplace is connected to the Floo network and since I''m pretty sure you don''t know what that is I''ll explain quickly. It basically a mean to travel near instantaneously from one connected fireplace to another by calling out the destinations registered name. For example, if you wanted to go to Diagon Alley, you would grab a handful of the powder, step in the fireplace and yell out Diagon Alley as you threw it into the fire. It has to be set to its Floo Fire first, which is bright green, so don''t just walk into any burning fireplace and it has to be connected by the ministry." I explain to be boy as he marvels at magical means of travel.

    "Next is our home library. It mostly filled with history and law books because of my aunts interests and job, but I have every Hogwarts subject and then some in my room, which I''ll show you later."

    "Then we have the dining room over here, connected to a kitchen I don''t suggest you enter unless you want to make Tilly cry a lot. If you ever need anything she''ll be ecstatic to get it for you, believe me on that. I know because of your upbringing you''ll have a lot of problems doing that, but take it slow and try to get over it. It will do you some good." I say gently.

    "Upstairs we''ve got the various bedrooms, mine, my aunts, Susan''s and the guest room. You''ll be able to go in and out of mine pretty freely, but you know better than going into the others I''m sure. The last room is the home Office, which I spend a fair amount of time in, so if ever you''re over and I''m not anywhere else, just knock to find out if I''m there." I finish with a smile and a small flourish. "Once again, welcome to house Bones."

    "Thanks for having me" he responds shyly.

    "And now, lunch!" I announce just as Tilly pops in to say it was ready.

    After a nice meal with the two kids, Susan chatting a lot and Harry becoming more comfortable due to her presence, things felt better. I had asked Susan to not bother me until supper because I was going to deal with something personal with Harry, and as the good little sister she is, she agreed without any fuss. Good girls get head pats.

    So I set up everything i need in the guest room.

    "Alright Harry. I''m going to run diagnostic spells on you to understand exactly what the damage is. There is absolutely no need to be afraid or embarrassed about any of this. You are the victim of horrible people and I''ll make sure you can be the best you can be." I reassure with my healer voice.

    I tapped his head with my wand and my face immediately went cold. Harry noticed.

    "What''s wrong?" He asked nervously.

    "I should have castrated the fat piece of shit and shoved that witch you call an aunt into her oven." I declared in anger, shocking the boy with my anger. I took a deep breath and calmed myself.

    "Sorry Harry. Seeing these types of things is a bit of a sore spot in the family. Bad memories." I say with an apologetic smile.

    But I had every right to be angry. Incorrectly healed bones in his arms, hands and multiple ribs. Numerous bit of scar tissue throughout his body. No vaccinations for muggle diseases past those required at the age of five or magical vaccines either. And when I looked at his core, it was under constant stress due to the protection his mother imparted to him, making it larger than average by a great deal, but lacking in energy. If this keeps up it''ll be a miracle if the kid goes through a second maturity in his lifetime. He''s lucky being at such a magical place like Hogwarts offset the damages for the upcoming years, but this isn''t a good thing.

    "Ok Harry. This is going to take more than a day to fix. Your body is very week for someone your age and it''s a good thing we''re doing this before you hit puberty properly, let''s you hit a good amount of potential. I''m going to start by fixing all those badly healed and damaged bones in your body. To do that I''ll use a spell to make the specific bone vanish and use a potion called Skelegrow to bring them back in perfect shape. Now the process isn''t pleasant and i can''t do too many at once, so you will be unconscious when the potion is taking effect and you''ll be coming back tomorrow to fix the rest of it. After that, I''ll work on the scar tissue in your body and we will start you off on a regiment of nutrition potions to deal with the rather severe case of malnutrition you''ve had to endure. Being at Hogwarts is helping you gain weight, but not make up for the losses you''ve suffered your entire childhood. They don''t taste good at all, so drink them once before breakfast and supper to get rid of the taste and still take the required doses. And unfortunately for you, that''s going to last all summer. I''ll get Tilly to leave them on your nightstand everyday. She will also be the one to bring you here from now on."

    "Alright. Thanks for doing this then. I''ll do my best to do as you ask." Said a grateful Harry.

    "No problem kid. Plus, these are my modified version. They''re already reducing your recovery time by four months." I say with a smile as I ruffle his hair.

    "What? Really? You can modify potions?" He asked I surprise, becoming a common reaction for the kid at this point.

    "Yeah, Im actually going to release a few books after my OWL''s next year. It''s going to make quite the bang." I say with a crazy grin, getting him to smile at my enthusiasm.

    "Alright. Get on the bed and try not to get surprised too much as some bones disappear. They''ll be back by the time you wake." I say as I got my magic spells rolling.

 Chapter 66 - Ch. 66 A Night of Wolves

    So began Harry''s time with me as his healer. I was able to have all his bones and scar tissue in order by the end of the week, after which i gave him the weekend off. During which i scheduled him round trips to Diagon Alley and arranged for him to attend the various seminars and practice rooms at the FIRM center, to help him complete his homework, learn some new and interesting things by different instructors. He looked like he was really looking forward to it. Being able to spend his days in the magical world, away from the Dursley''s. Speaking of those living embodiments of shit stains, it seems they''ve really taken to my recommendations. They just give Harry a proper meal in the morning and evening when he''s there and just ignore him, while Harry spends his time in his room enjoying learning about what he could and writing to his friends. Much better than ever for the kid. I''ve also handed him some guides and notes, to help him along properly, as well as the muggle-born guide. Might as well help the guy not be totally clueless about the world.

    The reason I sent him away for a while was because the full moon was coming this Monday, and I need the weekend to do my final preparations. I''ve even convinced aunty that I''ll be heading over to my workshop to put the final touches on my latest prototype. Which isn''t technically a lie, the broom has basically been finished, just needing a full gauntlet of tests to make sure everything was perfect. So for the next few days I''ll be able to focus exclusively on the lycanthropy vaccine. I want to tell her, but the way I''m doing things can put me in a great deal of danger and she''d never let me do it if she knew. But I had to do this. It would help the thousands suffering from the disease and help them be free of its chains if I succeed.

    So on the Monday evening, I arrived at the facility and stood alongside healers and guards afflicted by Lycanthropy, but who''ve taken the Wolfsbane. They will serve to protect me if every defense gets breached, and since they already have it there''s no risk for them in that area at least, but it''s different story for me. Everyone present here knows I''m trying to do something which would help all of them, and they are prepared to risk their lives for me to succeed in one more miracle, one beyond the potion I''ve already given them.

    The rest of those here are the fifty brave volunteers, willing to test my various vaccines with their bodies on the line, in hopes of an even better tomorrow. They have not taken any potions or medication in the last month, making sure that the only variables present will be from their own bodies. I have men and women of every age above 17 to get the most inclusive data we can get, with 25 for each biological gender. Everyone was paired to a recipe and since I only have 23 variants, 2 pairs will be used to test the most promising recipes as a third group. Each and everyone of them will go through a full transformation, with every violent tendency intact. This is why we took so many safety precautions.

    Standing in front of everyone present, i stepped forward. Although I am young, my bodies growth and my abilities make people treat me like an a.d.u.l.t, and they respect me for the results I''ve achieved. I stand before them and let the majestic aura of the Phoenix within me soar as I speak.

    "All of you present are those brave enough to take this risk with me! You are the ones who''ve suffered through our unjust community! From which they would cast you out because of a manageable condition who anyone could receive. But you stand proudly! Here and now! Ready to take a step and laugh in their faces! To stand before those who''ve written every last one of you as nothing more than beasts due to their own ignorance. To stand before those whose weak resolve made them avoid fixing the issue and instead choosing to persecute those suffering from it! You are men and women I am proud to know! Because you face what so many fear! With me! And with each other!" I yell out to all those present, giving them the fire to pull through tonight, to see the bright tomorrow.

    "And for this I have one thing to say to all of you!" I announce seriously.

    "THANK YOU!" I shout as I bow my head to them in respect.

    And as i got up, I could see the raging flames in their eyes. Ready to make this night a historic one.

    "Everyone, begin the injections and separation procedures as scheduled. We will see the path forward after tonight, and it shall come at the hands of everyone here!" I turn around and order in a commanding voice.

    "YES SIR!" Was the combined response of every man and woman in the facility. With practiced ease, everyone quickly lined up in their assigned pairs, wearing their numbered enchanted bracelets. They were made to stay on the person even as a werewolf, letting us identify which recipe they were injected with in case something went wrong. They were simply numbered 1-23, and everyone was wearing there own. Every single pair walked forward without fear, receiving their versions and following the guards to their solitary cells, awaiting their transformations like warriors ready for the battlefield.

    After everyone was locked in, with every lock and protective ward activated, with no issues reported across the board, the guard and healers also put themselves into the large isolation room for their transformations. This was just in case even one of them somehow has a bad transformation. We were taking no chances on any sides. Everyone knew the importance of today and no one wanted to be the person to ruin it.

    And so everyone waited in silence, for the moon to rise. Everyone had already brought books they''d like to read while waiting in their cells, so people could wait without getting bored. They were also given some CD players and a few albums for them to help their nerves. Like I said, I tried to cover all angles.

    But what everyone waited for in excitement and dread had finally arrived. I could clearly see the guards and healers going through their transformations, as they slowly become the hybrid of man and wolf. But thankfully everyone had full control and no mishaps had occurred, letting me unlock the door and waiting for them to join me.

    It was a surreal experience to be surrounded by people in their wolf-like form, making my human side want to back away instinctively. But my bestial bloods squashed that feeling and I stood straight and proud amongst them.

    "You all know what to do. Be at the ready. If the worst happens, I open the door, you restrain and I apply the antidotes after the number is identified." I ordered cleanly, getting barks of acknowledgement.

    So we all waited. We could hear the growling and howling of various werewolves. Some were simply growling, but seeing no one and only smelling werewolves due to my sent being hidden amongst the more than twenty surrounding me, most either tried to hurt themselves or sleep. For those trying to inflict self harm we simply threw a potion which releases a knockout gas strong enough to affect werewolves and seal the room so it doesn''t spread, effectively stoping them. There were simply calm werewolves, waiting as if they were given Wolfsbane. Some became even more aggressive, bashing there bodies at the door trying to get out, resulting in them getting a double dose of knockout gas. An interesting result was when the transformation didn''t happen physically, but the brain chemistry still changed, ending that one with some gas, but also a note because the two with this one had the same result.

    The really exciting part for all those present was that the two most promising recipes were working as intended! Six of the volunteers have been experiencing no change at all. The sight made the guards howl out in triumph at the scene and I swear I saw some crying. I immediately took blood and saliva samples. I need to see what was happening right now, so I ran to my lab to run tests. Knowing that those I left behind could handle things and if they can''t they''d immediately come and get me.

    All the results were proving to be fantastic. Both of the formulas were effectively stopping the activation of the virus in the bloodstream, the one causing the physical and mental changes, and the ones in the saliva, one of the modes of transmission for the virus along with some secretion glands near the claws. Meaning that at least for tonight, we''ve effectively completely stopped the werewolf transformation with a single injection the night of the full moon! Now we only need to see how long the effect stays in the bloodstream and work forward from there!

    The rest of the night passed as we made sure every volunteer would be safe from the test and themselves. And only when the last person changed back into their everyday selves, with clothes on after being distributed, did we open the doors to let them all out. Everyone gathered, with many looking weary and sore.

    "Everyone! You have all done everything we could have asked. You have risked your lives and made it through. Everyone of you has more than earned what you were promised, and we will hold some tests daily to see if the injections led to lasting effects." I informed properly before getting to the exciting news, with those behind me were fighting to hold in.

    "And! I am extremely happy to announce that two of our recipes have achieved the d.e.s.i.r.ed results! We had six of you who did not undergo their transformations at all!!" I announce with excitement.

    At the realization of what I just said, cheers erupted from everyone present as they hugged each other in joy at what that signifies. It means that at the very minimum, with just what they know so far, they can completely suppress their transformations with a simple injection. This led to an incredible celebration amongst the close to eighty werewolves present today. With people laughing and dancing as music played, with some crying in joy at the preliminary success.

    I let them celebrate as much as they wanted. I told the healers what to do next and that I would begin planing for the next phase of testing next month, as well as follow-up testing on everyone of those volunteers to make absolutely sure no damage was done.

    But when I left, a relieved smile spread on my face as my hard work had actually paid off.

 Chapter 67 - Ch. 67 Summer progress, Blackbolts birth

    After that initial success, I began to study and adjust the two successful recipes. The next step was to make them long lasting and to accomplish that, the trick was to maintain the effect of the injections while fusing it with the effect of the blood regeneration potion, in an effort to make the body produce the lunar energy blockers on its own. The end result should hopefully be the continuous creation of the blocker for an extended period of time, hence lengthening the effect. That''s the theory anyway. So I began the testing phase while the original volunteers will be strictly observed for the next year minimum, for side effects or unexpected changes in their transformations. Extra attention will be paid to the successful six, to know what is going on in their bodies every step of the way, and the reports being sent to me.

    With the trial for this month over, I began having Harry over a few more times during the summer, making sure he was progressing properly, giving him some nutritious food on top of the potions, getting him to exercise more and helping him with his homework.

    "So how come you''re making me exercise? I already do it for Quidditch and it''s not like it helps with magic." Questioned Harry one day as he was catching his breath.

    "That''s actually incorrect Harry." I respond. "You see two things happen as wizards get older: Magic increases in the body and the body toughens thanks to magic. Meaning as we grow older, gain more experience casting spell and/or live in magical areas, our bodies increasingly absorb more magic and refines it to improve our own. But magic needs to be contained within the body, hence it passively toughens the bodies of witches and wizards to endure it. That''s why Quidditch as such a low mortality rate for such a dangerous sport, or we have people still being spry well into their 90''s or 100''s, and why you don''t really hear of people exploding because they have too much magic." I explain to the boy, simplifying the matter greatly.

    "Um alright, but what does that have to do with me exercising?" He asked, not seeing the full picture yet.

    "Well Harry. If a body needs to be stronger to contain more magic, can you think of a benefit if your body is already stronger?" I ask to let him ponder. I''ve been asking these types of questions during his visits to help him get over the psychological blocks over his intelligence. I ask him brain teasers, if he''s right he gets a small reward like a fun spell or some candy, and if he''s wrong I simply gently explain the real answer and praise him for his effort. You know, positive reinforcement of the d.e.s.i.r.ed behavior to counteract the negative reinforcement those sc.u.m put him through. And it''s been showing some results.

    "Would it let you absorb magic quicker?" He asked, unsure of his answer.

    "Very good Harry. Yes it does. Another benefit is that it helps during duels and combat a lot. Not being there when someone casts a spell at you can often be the best defense. I mean take the killing curse. They say it has no defense, but they heavily telegraph its casting, even V-cunt couldn''t get around it, so dodging is good to know. You still need to be very brave to face the curse in that manner, but this is an extreme example." I answer the kid as I ruffle his head lightly, with him smile shyly at the praise.

    "So on the topic, here''s your first actual combat spell. My modded Expelliarmus. Made it stronger, faster, more accurate and with slight course correction. Perfect for a young wizards self defense." I say with a smile as he gets excited at the reward.

    "Wicked! Your going to teach me to fight?" He asked excitedly as he look at me expectantly.

    "I''ll get more spells into you first and beef your muscles up more, then we can learn to fight. But for now I''ll teach you some spells and get you to practice on stationary targets and moving ones. Baby steps need to be taken before you can start going properly." I answer to the boy who gets a bit disappointed, but then perks up when he hears he''s going to learn more magic.

    This was the general manner in which my time with Harry went during the summer. I also decided to take him and Susan out to the movies or a fair for him to have fun over the summer, even getting Hermione involved in the fun since Harry could write to her. Harry thought it was unfortunate Ron couldn''t make it, but he still had a great deal of fun. The kid really needed more of those kinds of memories.

    Interestingly enough, Harry would still experience Dobby trying to stop him from going to Hogwarts, getting a warning from the ministry, but because of my threats the Dursley''s can''t really do anything to the kid anyway. But at least the scene with the floating cake didn''t happen this time, helping mitigate the anger. After which Harry would thank me for everything I had done for him this summer and headed to the Burrow. After I arranged for him to receive the rest of his potions of course.

    But that''s a bit later in the summer, going back to my activities before the school year.

    My businesses were continuing in their upward trends, becoming the dominant forces in their fields. Breaking Grounds Apothecary was treated as the potion holy land in Britain. Having developed a reputation on their incredible products, extremely popular competition they offered, and their constant unveiling of new products with every single one doing exactly as they say. I got a report saying even Snape went to the place to submit his own work and was approved.

    ''Wonder how he''ll feel when he finds out it''s mine?'' I thought to myself with a smile when I heard about it.

    Natural Cultivation Farms has become The producer of magical herbs in the country, partnering and absorbing various other producers, introducing some of the innovative cultivation methods I''ve designed, successfully staring the underwater farms with the help of the merpeople, and now beginning the formation of the Herbology paradise island project with the help of the Centaurs. The FIRM center has become an established landmark in Diagon Alley because of their products and multitude of services. They''ve been helping hundreds find jobs or improve themselves, whilst helping the image of muggle-borns and spreading the accurate information on them which others have tried to bury. The Herald has been becoming the official rival of the Prophet, with thought provoking articles, insightful commentary, interesting stories, unbiased viewpoints (for the most part), and the fact that they even sometimes question about me, their owner, helps people think better about them and me by coincidence, because I don''t do anything to stop them.

    BonesWorks products are universally approved by pretty much everyone so far, even the darker families. They are purely magical products, made by a genius of an established wizard family, owned and founded by its heir, from magical Britain and offer incredibly useful products. The only thing they aren''t comfortable with is that I employ mainly werewolves, but even their arguments and comments about that are loosing a lot of traction because of our track record. No incidents of werewolves losing control in almost two years. It''s unprecedented in modern magical Britain that so many of them gathered together and none have done anything remotely bad. There has actually been a decline in overall criminal activities in Britain as well as a great rise in the economy due to the increasing number of productive members of the community. I am literally changing the views people have on werewolves the more time passes with absolute success. And the best part is that my employees are actually policing themselves because they don''t want to ruin things for everyone and lose my support. People have tried to introduce aggressive or unstable werewolves into my businesses and current workers have caught every single one of them and notified my managers.

    Overall I''ve slowly but surely been shifting the mentality of witches and wizards in the country. They are being exposed to bettering living conditions, products and supply. Reduction in crime and boost of the economy. Better news coverage and information. And all of this stems from muggle-born owner and operated businesses, and from an established family''s business operated by werewolves. These facts are what will change the ordinary witches and wizards views on all groups involved slowly but surely. With the ultimate goal of having them experience a sort of cognitive dissonance with what they are being told and believe, compared to how things are and have been happening.

    It is a large scale populace mentality change, but it must happen to move out of this medieval mentality influential families have tried to enforce for centuries now. And I believe this will happen through my efforts.

    The rest of my time this summer was spent in a few ways. My first is that I continued to test the vaccine properly. We''ve held the second round of testing with a new batch of volunteers, not wanting to take any chances to obtain clear results, and keeping the original successes under observation. The six from the last months test were put in the facility as well, but were not given any new doses to see how long the benchmark recipes will last, with the rest getting the new versions to increase the effect duration. The results were spectacular, with the 6 not experiencing anything so far and the rest also having a perfect passing rate. It means that so far, everyone injected with the brew have accepted it and only further test and observations will be needed. We''ve built a second facility to observe the progress everyone is going through, with Geri in charge of security for both now. My second project was finishing off the broom completely by running it through a battery of tests with James looking at our work with me. We tested the endurance, speed, maneuverability, toughness and everything else we could think of to the extreme. We then analyzed it thoroughly to see what the damages were after such rough tests. We were very satisfied with our results.

    "Next is to make the official version isn''t it?" Asked James with an excited smile.

    "Yeah, and make Christian use the thing during the season. Wether he wants to or not. I''m not letting the guy not ride our baby." I agree with a goofy grin.

    "Christian will agree without a doubt. He knows us. He knows we would never do anything to hurt him." Replied my saintly friend, not taking his eyes off our hard work.

    "We better get started. I want to make sure this broom knocks the socks off everyone at Hogwarts, then the world." I said, stretching myself to prepare for the process of making the broom.

    "But what is its official name be?" Asked a curious Christian.

    "It''s going to be the brother of Randolph''s Firebolt, so we agreed on making it a sort of brand. The name of this beauty is Blackbolt." I say to my friend with an excited smile.

    "A fitting name indeed." He nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 68 - Ch. 68 Canon fight, original end

    All my goals before Fifth year had been achieved, with the minor exception of the vaccine, but that is something which will undergo enormous amounts of testing to make 110% sure of every effect it will have, making it a long term project. The plans regarding it involve proper testing and data collection for the next two years before submitting it for approval, with proper observation and data collecting for the next 5 minimum. After that, it will be standard operating procedures to keep track more loosely unless someone wishes to dedicate themselves to it.

    The school year was nearing and Susan was excited to go back to Hogwarts, to be with her friends and learn more magic besides my special ones. She says it stops her from getting weird looks when she does the spells differently. Made me sad when I heard she didn''t like my spells, but she assured me that she liked them but didn''t want to always get it ''wrong''.

    But there was a rather large surprise came with my letter this year: a badge with the words Head Boy. This confused me greatly. Not because i wasn''t expecting a badge, I would be surprised if I didn''t get the prefect badge this year honestly. But shouldn''t the Head Boy/Girl be in their seventh years? Aunty was both ecstatic and confused when she realized it as well. Then I noticed an additional letter.

    ''Dear Aedan,

    I know you will be confused over this matter, as you know full well how the prefect and Head Boy/Girl system operates. But let me assure you that the badge now in your possession is rightfully yours. I had to discuss it with the Board of Directors, but your stellar academic record, remarkable displays of ability and leadership due to your Exchange, and your unbiased views and actions in school were more than enough to prove that you are the most deserving student in Hogwarts. Your work and results outside of school have probably helped influence the decision of the board as well.

    I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer.

    Yours,

    Albus Dumbledore.''

    My aunt and I read the letter over, after which she just burst out with pride and gave me a big hug.

    "That''s the first time in centuries it wasn''t a seventh year getting the head boy position! I''m so proud of you Aedan!" She said excitedly.

    "Yeah. I really wasn''t expecting that." I answered hugging her back. It''s nice when she loosens up like this.

    Susan came in wondering what was happening, then she joined aunty in congratulating me. Tilly popped in feeling worried at the noise, but left excitedly as she went to prepare a celebratory feast. The house was filled with merriment that evening. Aunty also talked to the family portrait after some drinks, crying and laughing as she did, sharing the news to those she missed.

    After that Dumbledore bomb, I decided to make sure everything was still happening as it should. So I headed over to Diagon Alley, waiting for the Weasleys to come do their shopping. I''m just spending time doing some preparations for the year, and yes Lockhart is coming and yes I''ve read his stupid books. They are appalling as biographical works, but mildly entertaining when I read them as works of pure fiction at least. The guy is still a total ponce though. It''s the first time I''ve seen such narcism. But whatever, It''s not like I''ll listen to the idiot.

    A few day into my wait, I then saw a group of nervous red-heads looking around in a hurry.

    ''Guess Harry messed it up even after I told him how it works. Probably should''ve let him try it once, but then he wouldn''t spot the Malfoy''s, whom I''ve also spotted as all of them, along with Hagrid, came out of Knockturn Alley one after another.

    ''Good to know I''m not f.u.c.k.i.n.g things up too much so far. All that''s left is for the pansy to sneak the bloody horcrux to little Ginny.'' I thought as I observed the situation from afar.

    It was hilarious to watch two grown-ass wizard men start a fist fight in a book store. They''re just so bad at it. But before all the commotion, I was able to confirm Ginny getting the journal, so with my goal met, I decided to intervene.

    "Well isn''t this a sight. The great Lucius Malfoy, fighting like a muggle. Wonder how the paper will spin that bit." I say loudly enough for everyone to hear me.

    Most people stop panicking and look at me, the one who dared openly mock the Malfoy lord. But then they see me. Standing at 6''0, wearing a light, black colored robe over a similarly black undershirt, contrasting my flowing silver hair and flame-like eyes, finely chiseled muscle visible through my shirt and pants. They parted way to let me reach the brawling pair, who seemed not to have noticed my entrance. I saw Hermione being shocked at my presence, Harry was happy to see me, Molly and Ginny Weasley didn''t know who I was, but Percy was curious, George and Fred were excited to see me in action, and Ronald had a very ugly expression on his face.

    As I walked to approach the two, the fight suddenly escalated as they both went for their wands, to the shock of everyone present. So in that moment I channeled some magic into my legs in a practiced manner and burst into a blur as I take Arthur''s wand from him before he can noticed me, and garb Lucius'' wrist to flip him completely by forcing him into an awkward position and then sweeping his feet with enough force. I heard the gasps of the spectators as I ended the fight then and there, with a wand in each hand, a stunned Arthur and furious Lucius on the floor.

    "How dare you assault me brat!? Do you know who I am!?" Was his furious response to events.

    "I know very well who you are Mr. Malfoy." I reply evenly. "You are a very rich man and you have the ears of many important people. But do you know who I am?" I asked back as he stood up in rage.

    "Why should I care who some mixed-blood bastard is?" He spat back out with venom.

    "Oh you should really care. Simply because of who I am and who my aunt is. Because if she found out what you were about to do in Diagon in Alley, in front of so many witnesses, you''d be joining some old friends in a very happy place by next week." I reply with a true devils smile as the statement immediately sent a shiver down his spine.

    "And who is this aunt of yours? You would be able to get me in trouble with her? How preposterous!" He scoffed as his head cooled a bit.

    "Amelia Bones." I respond with the brightest smile.

    Lucius'' face paled noticeably as he realizes just how bad this is.

    "Right! I forgot to introduce myself properly to you. My aunt would kill me if I didn''t show proper decorum to such a distinguished lord." I suddenly say as I properly perform a nobles greeting. "It is a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to officially meet you Lord Malfoy, I am Aedan Bones, heir of Noble House Bones. May we have a long and pleasant relationship." I finished with a polite smile which did not reach my eyes.

    He couldn''t respond. He knew just how eager my aunt would be to take him down for the slightest law breaking. And a duel in broad daylight, in the middle of a crowded Diagon Alley was definitely something she could use. So although I humiliated him in my takedown, I did him quite the favor and he knows it. So he now has to show either proper decorum and get payback later, or be angry now and leave in a huff. But he is smart, and very slippery, I know what he will pick.

    "Then I will have to thank you Heir Bones, for mediating mine and Arthur''s disagreement. Come Draco, let''s go." He said with no emotions on his face or in his voice as he simply departed after snatching his wand back from me.

    With that it was over and people quickly dispersed, I''m guessing they really wanted to tell the people they knew about this one.

    After everyone left, I turned my attention to Arthur Weasley, a man who apparently loves muggles but never tried a c.o.n.d.o.m.

    "Here you are Mr. Weasley. I hope you can at least do such things in a proper venue next time. I hear muggles have many fighting competitions, maybe there would be a good place." I say with a chuckle as I hand his wand back to him.

    "Ah, yes. Thank you for that. But are you really Madam Bones'' nephew? Not many have seen him, I knew his parents and you look... different." He hesitated to say.

    To which I show him my Heir ring and answer. "A lot has happened, but yes I am her nephew. I was actually here to work on some stuff at the store. I''m almost finished making a new product, it''ll be great." I say with a smile. "Then I heard and saw the commotion." I say with a teasing grin.

    "Yes, me and Lucius are usually at odds with each other to explain lightly." He replied awkwardly with some embarrassment.

    "I get it. The man has a dark past, present and probably future. But at least try not to fight him in a public area next time. He is a total prick, but an influential and dangerous one." I said seriously. "And don''t worry about my aunt, I''m not telling on anyone. Just said that to make him sweat." I add with a grin.

    "Thank you for that. Now I better get back to my family. It looks like Molly might hurt me more than Lucius has if I don''t hurry." He said with nervous chuckle. And with the look on the woman''s face, I can''t blame him.

    I said a quick hello to Harry, Hermione and Percy, who although has a stick up his a.s.s, I''ve gotten to know well enough in the Exchange. The twins were energetic as could be due to the sight of father Malfoy on his a.s.s and were shaking my hand in an over exaggerated manner for the fun of it. I introduce myself to little Ginny, who looks up in awe at what I did, finishing with just a polite hello to Ronald, whom continues to be a prat.

 Chapter 69 - Ch. 69 A surprise, but a welcomed one

    ''Of course that little event from yesterday made the papers. I''d be surprised if it didn''t. But does the Prophet not realize how hurtful it is to their reputation to run such an obviously biased story?'' I ponder to myself after reading its and the Heralds version.

    Honestly, the Prophet actually ran a piece on how violent Arthur Weasley is, as he started the fight when Malfoy offered to help him buy his children better than second-hand equipment. And then come my bit, a story about me coming in and double-teaming the man into submission. That one made me laugh.

    ''Who writes these things? It''s not even a Skeeter article, no wonder they''re ok with the c.o.c.kroach''s writing. I mean they had at least a cameraman at the scene, due to that guy wanting a picture of Lockhart. Did they just ignore the guy?'' I laughed to myself.

    The Herald on the other hand had a reporter on the scene since the building they run out of is in the alley. Then add photographic evidence of the two brawling, my intervention was fully captured, flip and all, and me standing between the two of them with their wands. It reported that the event was both men''s fault: Lucius for continuously mocking his foe and talking about pureblood superiority at the sight of a young muggle-born girl, with Arthur not being able to hold his temper properly and throwing the first punch. I on the other hand, am being treated as some kind a valiant and promising heir, ready to intervene between an erupting duel without magic due to my age. I didn''t even ask them to do that too!

    ''That picture of me flipping Lucius is awesome, think I''ll save it for when I need a smile.'' I thought as I cut it out to preserve it.

    Well, I was happy until aunt Amelia came home and gave me one hell of a lecture for what I did, since it did put me in some danger and brought the ire of Lucius Malfoy. But after that she said she was glad I wasn''t hurt and that I did the right thing by stopping people from getting hurt without harming anyone. I can''t be mad at her because she just worries about me and Susan, so I just gave her a hug and thanked her for caring.

    The summer ended nicely and we were finally on our way to Kings Cross. We said out goodbyes to aunty before Susan and I went to find a place to sit.

    I found a nice cabin, but before I could get all my stuff ready, Victoria came in. We''ve been talking during the summer, keeping each other updated and helping each other out on our projects, but it''s the first time we see each other since the break started. I was stunned because she seemed to be a blooming flower to me. She was wearing her usual mix of black pants and green blouse, with the necklace I had given her shining brightly around her neck. Her jet-black hair flowing down her back with light waves in them, her outfit couldn''t hide her growth as she was becoming a woman, letting the necklace lay in developing mounds and her curves showing nicely, she was becoming more and more enchanting as her noble demeanor was offset by her charming beauty and emerald green eyes.

    -Victoria POV

    I wanted to quickly find a cabin to talk to Aedan face-to-face before James and Christian showed up. I knew that Aedan always came early because of his aunt and that if I came at the same time I would have at least 20 minutes to talk to him. I''ve been using the box he gave me to talk to him, but its just not the same without hearing his soothing voice or feeling that familiar heat near me.

    He got taller, I''m 5''7 but he''s still almost a head taller than me. His white t-shirt was tight as it couldn''t hide his almost perfectly developing muscles, not bulky like those muscle heads, but like a warrior or predator, sleek, powerful and efficient, and hot. As he heard me enter I could see his broad and firm straightening, with his mesmerizing hair tied in a loose ponytail flowing down in the middle of it. When I could finally see his face I was lost in it. The delicate features he had were blending perfectly with his development into a man, looking like the true Adonis in my eyes. Then I met his intense eyes, the eyes unique to him and only him. The eyes which could show me unyielding determination and care.

    We lost ourselves into each other''s eyes and I don''t think I wanted it to end.

    But Aedan was always one to be able to step up.

    -back to Aedan

    "I am happy to see you looking so well Tory." I said gently as I closed the door and obscured it, before taking her into my arms for a hug. "I know we wrote to each other a lot, but I missed you." I then whisper in her ear.

    She hesitated a bit before hugging me back and burying herself in my c.h.e.s.t.

    "I missed you too." Came her quiet and muffled response, leading to a tighter hug.

    We just enjoyed each other''s embrace until she finally gave me a small tap and I let go. And when I do, I see her blushing face trying to suppress a smile due to her pride.

    "Come, sit down and we can relax a bit before the guys come." I say gently as I place her trunk in the overhead storage. She nods in response and sits. I quickly store her things and sit beside her as she is trying to regain her composure.

    "I''ve got some good news I haven''t been able to share with you because I wanted to tell it to you in person." She started off seriously. "I am officially the female prefect for my year!" She proclaimed proudly.

    "Congratulations Tory! It couldn''t have gone to anyone more deserving of it than you. You are without a doubt the best witch of our year, must less Slytherin." I praise the girl sincerely as I get her to blush a bit in happiness. "Do you know who else it will be for your year?" I then ask.

    "No, they didn''t tell me in the letter. But I''m honestly not expecting much from anyone in my year, they''re all so stereotypically Slytherin. It makes it so easy to guess how they''ll act. Bias towards the house and punishing anyone they don''t like anywhere else." She answered with a disappointed sigh at how blatantly stupid they act.

    "That''s alright. You do what you believe being a prefect means and I''ll support you the whole time you do so." I say gently as I give her hand a squeeze. This made her blush come back again at the intimate contact, only letting her give a nod in response.

    We spent some time quietly enjoying each other''s presence, until I could feel the familiar auras of James and Christian, making it us reluctantly stop before they arrived. I lifted the magic on the door and windows, before they would see it.

    "Hey there you two. How''s your summer been?" Came in my energetic friend.

    Christian was also growing rapidly during the summer. He looked around 5''10, with a good amount of muscle for someone our age. His black hair had been neatly trimmed since last I saw him, letting his increasingly sharp features come into focus, with his energetic eyes pulling people in. He was wearing camo pants and combat boots, with a green tank top, looking like he just came out of a tour in the jungle.

    "It''s good to see you again Victoria, I''ve been spending some time with Christian this summer so I know how he''s been. But how have you been Tory?" Said our gentle friend.

    He was also growing quick, but was shorter than Christian due to him not exercising as much and focusing more on academics, standing at 5''8. His frame wasn''t muscled, but it also wasn''t skinny or fat, being healthy would be the common ground between the three. His sandy blonde hair had grown a bit, almost reaching his shoulders, his face was becoming one of a kind man, with his soft features developing alongside his strong jawline and his blue eyes always giving off their welcoming gaze.

    "I''ve been good you two. I''ve also heard about you and Aedan James, but where did your parents take you this time Christian?" Tory asked with a small smile.

    "Oooh. We went to the Amazon rainforest this year. It was pure survival as we were looking for forgotten, supposedly extinct, or new species! It was great man. My old man taught me how to hunt and survive." He informed us excitedly.

    "Now there''s something I never expected to meet: a survivalist wizard." I say with a chuckle.

    "Although that does sound like it''ll give you much to tell us about. Unfortunately I will be too preoccupied with my new duties during the ride to hear them. So if possible do tell me at the castle." Said James with a small sigh.

    "That''ll have to go for me too, I''m guessing you''re a prefect as well James." Added in Victoria.

    "Should have guessed you''d be one as well Tory." He replied with a knowing smile.

    "Merlin''s breeches! You two are also Prefects! Me too!" Shouted a very excited Christian, whilst I smiled at what I knew was going to happen.

    As my friends were smiling at the revelation, Tory suddenly paused.

    "Wait a second. No offense here, but how is Christian the Ravenclaw prefect when Aedan is there?" She asked, sparking looks of realizations on the guys'' faces, immediately looking at me awkwardly.

    "Haha! No need to worry you three. Dumbledore gave me another thing to do. Let''s get changed and head over to the prefect carriage." I declare with a laugh.

    As we walked a lot of people recognized us and peeked our of their cabins as we passed.

    "But if you are not a prefect Aedan, how are you going to be allowed in?" Asked James with some worries.

    "It''ll be fine James, I''m better than a prefect." I answer, confusing the three. But they know I''m not going just to cause trouble, so they choose to believe in me.

    We arrive at the carriage door and enter.

    It was quite different than the rest of the train. The Hogwarts express is generally filled with individual cabins everyone chooses to travel in. This carriage is actually a large lounge area, with comfortable seating and furniture, looking like a high class private train car from back in the days, but with more seating areas and no bar. It was primarily red in color, matching the trains paint job, but darker in shade. The furniture was Victorian in style, but very well maintained, with wine red coloring for most of it. And scattered around the room were small tables to put your food or drinks on, which could be obtained from the house-elf assigned to the carriage.

    Inside we find 22 students our age and older, 21 other prefects and the head girl for the year. I recognized Penelope Clearwater from my house, she started as prefect last year, and Percy Weasley, currently dating the former, somehow. The Head Girl this year was a Hufflepuff surprisingly, turning out to be someone I knew from the exchange. Her name is Helen Dormant, an aspiring historian, hoping to find lost history of the magical world once she left the school. She was rather average in looks, with shoulder length brown hair, brown eyes, a pair of glasses on her nose, and no outstanding physical features. But since she is in her position, it more than proves she''s shown great skill and character to reach it. Her looks mean nothing if she is the best for the job.

    "What are two fifth year Ravenclaws doing here?" Suddenly asked one of the Slytherin 6th years.

    "Aedan, Christian, I know you two are close friends, but you can''t bring guests here." Penelope jumped.

    "No worries Penelope, everyone that should be here as arrived, so I suggest calling this meeting to order." I reply with a bright smile.

    "No we can''t. The Head Boy still hasn''t shown and it''s near the scheduled time. What is he doing?" Interrupted Percy. Judging.

    "Who says he isn''t here?" I asked as I pull out my own badge with a grin, making everyone''s jaws hit the floor in shock.

    "No way that''s possible! You''re a fifth year!" Yelled the seventh year Slytherin prefect.

    "Hahahaha! By Merlins wrinkly sac mate, you did get a better assignment from Dumbledore!" Exclaimed my wild friend as he burst out laughing.

    "It would be nice if you told us these things in advance you know? I do like being in on jokes." Said James as he shook his head.

    "Made me worry for nothing, I''m going to let you have it." Simply said Victoria.

    "Still worth seeing everyone''s faces!" I proclaimed, readying myself for her punishment, but not yielding to my d.e.s.i.r.es.

    "So if you can name a better person for the job while discounting the years then let me hear it." I then challenge those present. But the thing is that all the prefects outside of Slytherin have been coming to my exchange and know just how good I am. Putting aside my age, I am the best candidate for head boy without a doubt, even if their prides sting a bit as a result.

    "Ha! I can beat a brat like you in my sleep!" Shouted the same seventh year from earlier.

    "Why is it that every time I meet a Slytherin other than Victoria it''s always an idiot with no understanding of his own abilities, or place? You guys always believe yourselves so important and that''s mainly because the headmaster felt sorry for you all." I say to the room.

    "Shut up. We are the true future of the magical world!" He simply raged on.

    "Did you know the special treatment of Slytherin is allowed so that the other three houses don''t take revenge on you for what most of your parents did to others during the war?" I asked aloud, silencing everyone immediately.

    "Then I''ll ask something else. In what way are any of you even fit for the house of the cunning and ambitious? Most of you act like brain-dead bullies, incapable of expressing original thoughts since you''ve been brainwashed by your parents and force those who are actually capable of being true to Slytherin ideals to conform to your might makes right philosophy." I then press the teen.

    "Honestly, what ambition do most of you have when you don''t even have your own goals? Everything you are and think was hammered into you. Most of you have never thought about the question ''who am I?'' Because you are afraid of the answer. You know that without that precious last name of yours, you are nothing. You are an empty being, filled with someone else''s words, spitting out someone else''s poison and following someone else''s will." I speak out as my magical energy starts to pressure those present in the room.

    "So don''t stand and in front of a true man and bl.u.s.ter! Because you are naught more than some else''s puppet made to spout hate and are not worthy of doing so!" I declare as the teen falls back in fear.

    I then retract my energy, letting everyone but my friends gasp for air.

    "By Merlin''s knickers mate. That was bloody awesome." Exclaimed my wild friend in awe.

    "That is certainly one way to cow the opponent into defeat. But you could have gone a bit easier on the guy." Said a slightly concerned James.

    Victoria actually came closer to me and leaned into my ear to whisper.

    "That was really hot. You''re off the hook for earlier because THAT is how my man should be." In a really s.e.xy voice, before she went back to her place with a straight face.

    With a smile on my face I then turned to the rest of the carriage.

    "Alright, now that the objections have been dealt with, let''s begin the meeting." I declared with confidence.

 Chapter 70 - Ch. 70 Self-reflection

    The rest of the meeting went fine after the Slytherin prefects learned to keep their traps shut when someone else was talking. My role is to basically oversee the various prefects and make sure they are performing their duties properly, or at least well enough without making more work for the professors. I have the ability to punish them if they go overboard and rescind distributed punishment if deemed too much. Helen and I also have to write reports to the board of directors and if need be, to attend a meeting.

    So before everyone left to patrol the train, I decided to address everyone.

    "Before you all go I wish to say something. Although I personally believe in treating people in general fairness, I also understand that the nature of houses will inevitably lead to biases. I know that some people here are capable of being by the book, but I also know people who will favor some and punish others based on personal preferences. I cannot stop you from doing so because that is how Hogwarts is by its very nature. But I will say this, as long as you keep it in moderation and act reasonably, I will tolerate your actions. Thank you for your time." I say as I dismiss everyone.

    "Why did you say that? It''s almost against our duties." Asked an annoyed Helen.

    "Because I cannot change the fundamental system Hogwarts was built on, so i must do what I can from within its construct." I answered. "But tell me Helen. You are a passionate historian, when in human history has fairness ever been true?" I then asked the girl.

    The question leaves her mouth opening and closing as no answer could be correct.

    "Because being human leaves biases whether we want to or not, and so no true fairness can exist. The best we can do is equalize the playing field. That is precisely why I''m not trying to enforce perfect fairness, only limiting the bias each possesses." I explain to her simply, seeing she wouldn''t be able to answer the question.

    I left the carriage and started patrolling myself, wearing the Head Boy badge on my c.h.e.s.t with some thoughts going through my head.

    ''It really wasn''t like me to go so far against the guy. I felt aggressive in the face of being challenged. Like I was an alpha being threatened. This merits investigation. I don''t want to lose control of myself like this. Even if they have twisted views, they deserve a chance to better themselves. I''ve only acted like this when I felt someone had done horrible things or when I was in battle, this being neither. I''ll have to be careful.'' I thought seriously to myself, feeling some guilt over the matter, even if my friends didn''t judge me.

    As I was coming back from my rounds, a very stressed Hermione ran into me and bounced off, falling down as a result.

    "Are you ok Hermione?" I ask as i give her a hand.

    "I''m so sorry about that!" She said extremely apologetic, until she noticed who she bumped into. "Aedan! What are you doing here!?" She said in surprise and embarrassment because of what just happened.

    "It''s no problem Hermione, you are quite small and light compared to me. I was more worried about you. So are you ok? No bad landing?" I asked nicely.

    "Yes, I mean no, I''m ok." She quietly finished as she talked nervously and with a blushing face.

    "That''s good, but why aren''t you with Harry and Ronald? Don''t you three usually spend the ride here together?" I asked, hoping to hear what I expected.

    "I can''t find them anywhere! The rest of his brothers and sister are here, but Ron and Harry who were just behind them aren''t on the train!" She explained in a panic.

    "Calm yourself Hermione. The barrier at the station might have locked them out for some reason. I''ll send a owl ahead to the Headmaster to inform him and as long as those two didn''t do anything crazy, they''ll go and pick them out." I tell the bushy-haired girl.

    "Really!? But why would he believe you Aedan? We''re just students." She said, going from excited to bummed in record time.

    "Well, I am Head Boy, so this happens to be something I''m allowed to do." I answer with a grin.

    "How can to be possible?! Don''t you need to be a seventh year to be Head Boy?" She asked being very surprised.

    "I was deemed to be the best candidate, so I was chosen." I simply replied. "Now I''ll go send that owl, you can go and find a cabin to relax a bit in." I say as I pat her head.

    The rest of the trip went fine, with only a few students going overboard and with Percy constantly hunting down his two brothers.

    We got to Hogsmeade and boarded the Thestral drawn carriages to the castle where the usual fanfare was happening. The sorting was as predicted with only Ginny, Luna and Colin Creevey being of actual importance this year according to the canon. I''ll do what I can to protect Luna from bullying and hopefully she''ll be able to make friends.

    Harry and Ron haven''t shown up to the feast, but they should be getting punished for the flying car debacle. After the meal was done, the song was sung, it was time for prefects to guide the new students to their dorms for the next seven years. As the Head Boy, I stayed behind and made sure everything was happening according to how it was supposed to, as well as making sure no one was left behind accidentally.

    With my first days duties taken care of, I head towards Ravenclaw tower and enter my own room.

    It was time for my yearly tradition: the listing of goals.

    1. My Mastery Projects. With Potions, Herbology, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Transfiguration, Warding, Dueling and Healing taken care of on my list, it was time for Charms and DADA. For these two, I''ve planned to create two new spells: one offensive for DADA and one defensive for Charms. I already have an idea of what I''m aiming for, it will require a lot of time and effort to bring them to life.

    2. Make Voldy''s useful memories my own. I want to be able to use his extreme knowledge of the dark arts against its practitioners. This path is vile by its very nature. It slowly taints the soul itself, increasing ones affinity with its magics by changing the person slowly. It turns the person into being more ruthless, easily angered, prone to extreme actions, and most importantly it makes you more dependent on the dark arts. It slowly turns you into someone relying on it for all of your skills and strength, making you a conduit for it to come into the world. When I describe it like that, it''s like the path has a sort of sentience, but it''s the best way I could describe its influence on wizards.

    3. Make sure no one dies this year. I don''t want to rely on believing the story will happen without fail and that no one will die this year. Everyone of the petrification victims were lucky to not have been killed by its gaze or bitten by the basilisk during the year and I want to keep it that way. Plus I have my own advantage against the snake, like not needing to use my eyes to see it.

    4. Continue to help train my friends and if the dueling club is reopened this year, I''ll try to salvage whatever Lockhart does with it. I want to help others learn how to defend themselves and I''ll do it with anyone who wishes to learn. I believe Professor Flitwick would actually love to teach the subject, he was constantly denied by the Headmaster and gave up on it, but this is the perfect chance to make it happen.

    5. This ones new. I want to make sure I''m ok. After that aggression I felt on the train I''m worrying about myself. I fear it''s between two possible causes: Voldemort''s memories or my rituals. It might be a side effect of me spending too much time inside the maniacs head during last year, or it might be that even if I''ve never used dark arts, seeing them through the maniacs memories was enough to change me somehow. The seconds would be that one or both of the creatures I''ve assimilated has started affecting my behavior to be more animalistic. If I had to guess, it would be the Whampus cat parts of me, due to their predatory natures and having actually been infused with some of its parts. The Phoenix is a lot less likely due to their more peaceful or aloof nature''s, and being considered creatures of the light will usually indicate milder temperaments.

    ''I hope it''s nothing too serious. I don''t want to do anything I''ll truly regret. But I still want to achieve my goals and dreams, and I''m not letting this get the better of me more than it already has. I will master and improve myself, I will not be controlled by some bits of a madman, dark arts or an animal. I am Aedan Bones and I will be victorious, whether against Voldemort or myself!'' I think as my determination rises to met this new challenge.

    With my yearly ritual over, I turn off all lights in the room and go to bed.

 Chapter 71 - Ch. 71 Getting the year started

    The next day saw the start of pretty much my whole year understanding why fifth year students are always extremely stressed, that being because the professors kick it up about four notches above what they were accustomed to. Still no problem for my group, especially with our homework quills and our cooperation when it comes to helping each other.

    I knew that nothing should happen until Hallowe''en, with Mrs. Norris'' petrification being the first incident. So until then I wanted to get a few things out of the way; giving Christian the Blackbolt and asking a favor from Dumbledore.

    Even with his new prefect duties, Christian was still participating as the best chaser on the team. There were even some rumors about him being captain next year, but knowing the guy he''ll refuse that post. Christian is many great things, but he knows he''s not someone capable of actually leading people in a discipline manner. He lives too freely and doesn''t like forcing himself unto others, even in a team sport.

    James and I decided to call him to the Quidditch pitch during our first month back, bringing Victoria along. Even if she wasn''t interested in Quidditch or brooms in general, we still wanted to see the fruit of her temporarily secret boyfriend and best friends efforts with her own eyes. No matter your feelings on the sport, two students developing such an advance broom is incredibly impressive.

    So we waited until Christian came running into the pitch.

    "Hey mates! What did you guys want to talk about? And why here? I know you guys support me, but I know none of you are actually into Quidditch." He questioned while scratching the back of his head.

    "It is very simple Christian. Aedan and I have a gift for you which needs to be used here." Answered James with a smile as he tried to hid his own excitement.

    "We''ve been working on this for a while so that you''d know how much we support you in your passions, like you do with ours. And it was fun making it." I say with a bright smile on my face.

    ""So we present the Blackbolt!"" We say in unison as I take out the broom from my pouch.

    I present the sleek black broom, with goblin-made silver and completely customized enchantments.

    Christian takes it in his hands as if he''s holding a newborn baby.

    "You guys made me a broom?" He asked emotionally as he looked at it, lightly c.a.r.e.s.sing it.

    "Mostly Aedan, but he brought me into the project and we worked on it together when I could help." Answered James very happy with how touched Christian felt.

    "Well what are you waiting for? You''re only going to know how grateful you should be after flying the thing!" Suddenly yelled Victoria at our wild friend, snapping him out of it.

    He then mounted the broom in one swift motion, not doubting the two of us for even a second, and kicked off the ground to suddenly shoot right into the sky while giving a surprised yelp.

    "Show us how a real Quidditch player flies Christian! Show us why you''re The Beast of Ravenclaw!" I yell out to him excitedly.

    He seemed to have taken my word to heart as he begins to not so much fly in the sky, but dance in it. His movements were so fluid that when one ended the next had begun. He weaved through the hoops, in the stands and through the sky. Performed complicated maneuvers and dives. Flying around the sky like he owned it, until he finally came down and ran up to me and James, hugging us both with all his strength.

    "You guys are the greatest friends i could ever ask for! You made me the best broom I''ve ever ridden. And I''m sure it''s the best out there too. Even if it''s not, it doesn''t matter because it''s the best to me. No contest!" He declared really trying hard to tell us how grateful he was for all of our efforts.

    "It actually should be the best broom for chasers out there. That''s what we made it for. It might also be the best so keepers, but I''ll have to wait on that. But this brooms sibling will be the best for seekers and beaters." I explained to the guy.

    "What do you mean? There''s another broom as good as this one!?" Asked a surprised Christian.

    "Aedan partnered with a man setting out to make the best broom in the world, so he got together with him and they both made their own brooms. They will be sold as a new brand to completely crush any other out there. The manufacturing should be underway already and sale will begin next summer." Explained James with a sense a happiness seeing such a successful result.

    "Yup, and this is the very first Blackbolt. It has the identification number 0, because the others will all be made by others and this shall be the only one made by its creators." I added proudly.

    "First my necklace and now that broom. Are you trying to make everyone fall in love with you?" Sarcastically added Victoria with a teasing smile.

    "I love you, but only like a brother. I''m saving myself for someone special, so I''m sorry but I can''t accept your feelings. I''ll keep the broom though, it did nothing wrong." Was Christians response as he did his best to look apologetic as he talked.

    "Why you little bastard? You planning on breaking my heart?" I jokingly answered, getting a laugh out of him.

    But as he laughed I approached Tory and whispered into her ears.

    "I''ll show you just who I love next time we are alone." Getting her to turn an impressive shade of red as she fidgeted on the spot, letting me get a good laugh myself at her reaction and a pinch from her soon after.

    Suddenly Christian spoke up seriously.

    "I know i joke around a lot, but seriously thank you guys. I''ll do my best to answer the support you''ve shown me with this. I''ll fly circles around those chumps and make everyone drool over the broom you''ve made me." He said with a very determined face.

    "We know you will Christian, but you''re our friend, no need to stress yourself out. We just wanted you to be able to have as much fun as you can up there." Replied our saintly James.

    "We know you''ll do our efforts proud mate, so fly. That''s all we want. For you to fly with our broom supporting you." I added with my own gentle smile.

    "You guys can make people cry with your level of brotherhood, it''s actually touching." Said Victoria with some teasing, but we could tell she was feeling emotional.

    My second task before things went sideways this year, was having a chat with Dumbledore, something he''s granted.

    During the last weekend of September I walked to his office.

    "Sherbet Lemon." I say to the gargoyle protecting the stairs and head up.

    As I reach the door, I here the old man call me in.

    "Aedan, please just come in." He said with his jovial tone.

    So I enter and join the Headmaster as he was reading some doc.u.ments at his desk.

    "It is quite rare for a student to request a meeting with me, and even stranger for you to do so when nothing urgent is happening. So what is it that you need help with Aedan? Or what is wrong?" He asked with his usual curiosity.

    "This as to do with a serious problem I''ve noticed with myself Headmaster." I answered gravely.

    "How serious?" He asked, losing his jovial tone.

    "I believe it has to do with what I experienced as a child." I answered straightforwardly.

    "What has happened Aedan, tell me." He gestured to go on in order to understand.

    "I''ve been experiencing bouts of aggression and volatile feelings going against my usual philosophy and ideals. They come when I feel challenged on a personal level or feel some levels of anger, clouding my judgement and leading me to act in a predatory manner. I strike at weak points or fears in a persons mentality and almost break them down. Thankfully nothing physical has really happened, except for that incident with Arthur and Lucius, but that was a light one with it only influencing my choice on how I would handle it, and nothing after that." I tried to explain in detail what I''ve deduced during the last month of self-reflection.

    "That is serious for someone of your physical and magical prowess. If you lose yourself in that feeling it could be dangerous. So why did you come to me? You are undoubtably brilliant and you must have ideas on the matter." Accurately guessed the headmaster.

    "I believe this is happening because of me going through puberty, with my physical and hormonal changes causing a reaction or activating the beast parts integrated into my body. So I need to know the two rituals they put me through. I need the doc.u.ments on it to understand exactly what they did to me and stabilize it. This is the best way I could come up with to fix this as quickly as possible." I answer with full honesty.

    "This is dark magic Aedan, very dark indeed. I do not want you to go through this path." He said with clear concern over the idea.

    "I never wanted to go back to anything that has to do with that place either sir. But there is something wrong happening in me and the answers are in my past. What they did to me was unpolished and my survival was a fluke, and me surviving the second one was a downright miracle. But I need to know what they did wrong to understand how I can make myself right. So I am asking you Headmaster. Will you help me fix myself?" I finally ask the man, with hope in my eyes.

    It took some time as the Headmaster was thinking deeply about my request. I was asking him to help me study a very dark path of magic: blood rituals. A path to great power and even greater costs. But he finally gave me his answer.

    "I will Aedan. Like you''ve told me before, I chain myself to the past and fear it being repeated. Prove to me you can break that fear of mine Aedan. You are the one who''s already shown me my mistakes, prove to me this will not be one of them." He answered sincerely.

    "Thank you Headmaster. I swear to you that I will not fall to what I will find nor myself. I swear to you!" I answered with unyielding determination.

    "I will wait to see you triumph." Was his response as he gave an encouraging nod.

 Chapter 72 - Ch. 72 A glance behind to walk forward

    Dumbledore was able to quickly get me the data from that old demons experiments. I''m guessing people have a hard time stopping the man when he actually wants to do something.

    ''Maybe all those ridiculous titles have some uses after all.'' I thought has I held the doc.u.ments. ''Alright I''ve got a promise to keep to him and myself, let''s get started.''

    But as I studied the journals my stomach turned. The man was absolutely mad. Ravings about helping the dark lord, strengthening the lord, improving his followers, sacrificing any amount of filth to pave his path. The man was insane. I thought only Bellatrix and Crouch Jr. had this level of devotion to the man, but it seemed I was wrong. This was true worship and every page contained his thoughts.

    ''The dark lord has seen my work. He believes as I do, that they are the true future of magic.''

    ''My lords ritual was another success. He has gained even more strength through his sacrifice of giants. Another excellent step forward to make the ultimate wizard.''

    ''Hahaha! The lord has finally reached that old fool Dumbledore''s level. He took nearly three decades less than the senile bastards.''

    ''The lords strength is unmatched! He strikes fear into all now. Those filths in the ministry, rejecting my work and brilliance, Ha! My lord showed them what true power requires. He is the only one true enough to magic to want to go further!''

    ''Finally! Finally the lord has recognized me as a trusted servant! I can stand at his side! He''s given me that gift! Me! The one people had dismissed and despised for my ideas and goals! I''ve become the hand of the most powerful wizard in history!''

    ''The lord has granted me an opportunity, given me the chance to do his great work. He wants to become more. He doesn''t want to be compared to the likes of Dumbledore. He wants to leave him in the dust! He trusts me. He knows my devotion. He trusts my skills. I now have the honor of creating my lords next ritual. I will not fail him! I will make him a god amongst men!''

    ''The lord has assured my safety, truly a just lord. He''s ordered the others to bring test subjects and materials to me at the Lestrange manor. I will begin my true research soon. The research I failed to complete because those old fools in the ministry kept finding me! All those years of running and hiding. I will give my lord the strength to kill them all! Make them kneel in front of me, either begging or dead!''

    ''So much progress. Finally a good use out of mudblood filth. Being useful to their betters. For once they are helping magic take steps towards its ultimate goal.''

    ''I''ve finally deciphered what kind of ritual my lords body would accept: beast empowerment. The Whampus cat is said to

    be one of the most dangerous magical creatures in the world. It will make my lord untouchable. The greatest legilimens to ever live, given the gifts of the creature! He will make anyone he wishes bend in fear before his very gaze!''

    ''Useless mudblood trash! None of them can handle my genius! What is the use of bringing so many inferiors when the lord he so far above them! I need better quality.''

    ''The lord granted me my request. A child. From noble descent, seemed to have already been magically endowed. A little genius in the future he should''ve have been. If only his stupid father and mudblood mother didn''t fight the great lord. He might have become such a faithful servant after the bitch was slaughtered like the animal she is.''

    ''I''ve done everything I can. If the boy doesn''t live I will need a.d.u.l.t volunteers. The children aren''t worthy of my genius.''

    ''It worked! The boy lived! He absorbed everything the Whampus cat offered. It''s strength, defenses, unyielding spirit, eyes and power. His power exploded, but he didn''t. I need to study him. To train him to be loyal to the lord. A weapon of his will. That is what he shall become.''

    ''Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why did the eyes not work?! He should be perfect! But he is blind! My perfect work is ruined! I need to know why!''

    ''The boy is resilient, but it makes it fun to break him. To have such a bloodline at my mercy is intoxicating. I remember that bitch Amelia hunting me before I met the lord. Oh how I relish being able to play with her kin. His screams are wonderful to hear. I sometimes bring him up, just to relieve some stress.''

    ''No other test subjects have even survived the ritual after the boy. Everyone of them implodes from the magical energy. I asked the lord to find me more gifted magical children, and he is willing to give me some half-bloods. The boys survival proved the ritual is worth it. Strength far beyond his age. Resistance to physical and magical attacks. It''s almost like cutting through tough hide rather than skin, but it lets me really slash the boy without fear his death. Improved recovery. Explosive upgrade in magical power. If only he could see! He would be perfect!''

    ''No no no no no no no! The dark lord cannot be defeated by an infant! That is not possible! I know he lives! Waiting for his loyal servants to find him! I will bring him back! I will make a ritual to make him the immortal he is!''

    ''Unicorns are only a stop gap measure, not a true rebirth. It seems I need to use the only known immortal species. I need a Phoenix. Difficult, but with my success the lord will never supposedly fall again. He will always be.''

    ''We''ve found an egg. But now those dogs of the ministry are on our tail. I must not fail. They cannot stop me from bringing the lord back!''

    ''I have found the way to force the egg to make a person go through a rebirth! They shall be reborn completely cleansed. As perfect as they can be. Time to begin the test.''

    ''All failures! None of the trash even had ashes left! The only one left is the boy. He his stronger! He is resilient. He will survive again! I can feel it!''

    That was the last entry from his personal journal. Guess he didn''t have time to write down anything before he was taken down by the Aurors. The f.u.c.k.i.n.g bastard deserved so much worse than Azkaban.

    But the flaw which is currently affecting me is that he wanted to infuse the spirit of the Whampus cat. But he also wanted to bend me to the will of his lord. It was a foolish decision, but in his twisted mind I''m guessing he wanted to create a devoted soldier. Someone who is unendingly loyal once broken in. But it is now making me fight against those trying to challenge me on an instinctual level. It means that when I experienced his so called ''rebirth'', everything that hadn''t clicked into place from the first ritual could then fit perfectly as intended. So I received my eyes and the spirit of the beast.

    Luckily for me though, is that the demon didn''t expect the Phoenix to hatch through the ritual as well and bond our lives together. From what I understand, it shared its essence with me in that moment and suppressed the violent and animalistic tendencies in favor of the serene behavior phoenixes possess, while keeping the focused and determined aspects of my predator side.

    I had a few thoughts on the subject and I decided to dive into them quickly.

    I ordered book after book on everything I could find about Phoenixes and Whampus cats. I would know them inside and out. I''ve also asked the Headmaster about his own extensive experience with Fawkes as a reference point and took a lot of time observing Sol. It did make me feel better when she was around, calmer.

    ''I might need to carry her around more until I can get a handle on things.'' I thought to myself when trying to beat this dilemma.

    But my time was well spent. It doesn''t happen often anymore that I single-mindedly focus on one project. I''ve even pushed aside my mastery projects because nothing is more important than this right now.

    Dumbledore was even willing to go a step further and provide me with books on rituals that had been taken out of the library and some he obtained for me. I was really grateful to the man for his help, because my progress was explosive without the delays. I was calculating theories and possibilities with a fervor. I was trying to balance myself out again because puberty did throw me off. It mainly because of the more aggressive nature found in men, as it resonated with the predatory instincts hidden deep in me, letting it affect my subconscious decisions.

    I am not at all excusing my behavior though. Even if it was influenced, it was still my actions. The only times I didn''t really regret my choices was when I spoke to Dumbledore and the Dursley''s regarding their treatment of Harry. But I''ve felt that I was too harsh on Ronald and the Seventh year Slytherin prefect who''s name was Troy Yaxley, from a sacred twenty-eight family.

    I actually decided to apologies to the guy, even if it makes me look weak in front of him and end up with me getting challenged. So after a prefect meeting, I decided to talk to him.

    "Troy, I would like to talk to you about what happened in the train last month." I spoke to him calmly.

    "What about it." He asked with bravado, but I could see clear signs of him being nervous. Twitching body, increased eye activity, quicker breath, forming perspiration and higher pitched voice.

    "I want to apologize for my behavior and extreme words. You were justifiably upset at someone younger and seemingly weaker or less experienced than you being in charge and I irrationally lashed out at you against my better judgment. So I am sorry." I sincerely said to the teen.

    He didn''t seem to expect that from me, not after my display of power and authority. It was simply because like I said before, Slytherin has had a might makes right policy for a while now. To many in the house, what i did should be expected of a leader. Showing pure power to oppress opposition.

    "Look Aedan. I''m not sure if I should really be angry at you because of that." He started of awkwardly. "Because even though the words were shocking and infuriating at the time, they were right. I never thought about what I wanted to be really. I never gave a thought at what my old man taught me or what I wanted to do with my life. I may be a jerk, but I''m not brainless like a lot of my house. If I was I wouldn''t be a prefect." He said with wry smile to himself.

    "But I still went way too far. So if you want to challenge me for the position I''m sure we can come up with a fair competition to prove my qualifications." I offered to make up for my behavior.

    "Nah. You gave me a lot to think about. It''s my last year here and I want to figure some stuff out. But you''re doing fine. You''ve been policing things and actually have been reducing some of the extreme behavior from all the houses. I know you don''t do favoritism, so I''ll believe you for now. But thanks for stepping up like that." He answered with a sigh in his voice.

    "Thank you for that Troy. I hope I can build on it and not make everything get worse. I hope we can have a productive year together then." I said as I put me hand out in front of him.

    "Same to you Bones. Hope everything goes well." He replied as he gripped it and shook my hand.

 Chapter 73 - Ch. 73 Shot through the Hart and you puke slugs

    While I was diving deeply into ritual magic and my past, the story kept going regardless.

    I found out that having Gilderoy Lockhart as a professor turned DADA into more of a theatre class. The man wasn''t stupid enough to try and look like pixies were something difficult to handle in front of OWL students. He was a narcissistic buffoon, but he knew when to put on a show. So he tried to ''teach'' how to handle various situations by re-enacting some of his so called adventures. This made Christian and I cringe at how inaccurate so much of the crap coming out of his mouth seemed to be. He couldn''t tell a yeti and Sasquatch apart. He thought you could talk your way past a reanimated corpse puppet. And I think he said he made out with a banshee and you have no idea how ugly and dangerous those things are. It was honestly shocking just how much misinformation he was cramming into people who wanted to actually succeed in the class.

    So what I did was open the Exchange an additional evening every week, to do a ''focused review'' of what we were taught. I phrased it quite carefully to make the living ken doll think it was basically a time to appreciate his books and stories, when I''ll instead be teaching actual defense of the dark arts.

    My ''review'' class was actually getting a lot of attention. My mastery in the subject was clear, with plenty of understanding of the material and experience in teaching I''d obtained through tutoring during my Exchange, I was making up for a few years of shoddy teaching in the subject and raising its importance in the eyes of many who''d lost hope in it. An unexpected assistance came from Hitlermort, giving me a masters outlook on the dark arts themselves, furthering the depth of my lessons. Within a month of having started, even Slytherin students had started coming with Troy as a leader of the groups. It was nice to see all houses represented. I even thanked the guy for coming.

    During the actual class with the plastic man though, I kept receiving some hidden glares from the man. I didn''t really know why though. That was until I had enough and simply went into his mind to find out.

    I never want to be in that man''s mind ever again.

    I didn''t know that when one reaches such a high level of narcissism, it could be considered a mental defense. It was horrifying in that man''s head. Everything was about him and anything happening had to involve him looking better in front of everyone. He lives in his own delusion regarding his actual abilities and believes himself be to a very competent wizard. It is only when that mentality is challenged that he remembers his actual skills. This should explain why he cowered at the pixies or gets awkward when he vanished Harry''s bone, or when he tried running away when his bluff was called.

    When I shook off the disgust I felt from being in the man''s mind, I found that the reason he was glaring at me was because of my looks. The man felt threatened by my physical appearance and youth. He was jealous of my hair, envious of my body, mad that less girls in my year were staring at him because of me and the only reason he wasn''t harassing me out of petty jealousy, was that he genuinely believed that my ''review'' was all about him.

    It was just stunning to see just how far gone the man was. But as long as he doesn''t annoy me too much, I won''t send him my pile of evidence against him to the Herald.

    Apart from that, the usual Hogwarts activities were starting.

    James having taken the presidency of the Charms club, was doing his best to bring some new challenges to the club by introducing enchanting. He wanted to get students to look further than just Hogwarts'' curriculum and this was his favorite. We also came up with some interesting puzzles to test their skills and minds, letting them experience a more flexible use of their spells.

    Victoria was constantly being annoyed to join the potions club due to her more than fantastic grades in the subject. She''s the only other student in the castle to get an O+ in the subject apart from me. But she was always rejecting them. It came to a point that I wanted to ask her why she did this. She could be making me friends and pool their ideas together to improve, but she chooses not to. From the way she is turning them down, it is not anything based on her pride, but something is more important to her.

    So I decided to pull her aside one day after the Exchange was over. I told the guys to go on ahead.

    "What''s wrong Aedan? It''s not like you to just want to talk with me. So openly anyways." She asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "I''m just worried about you Tory. You seem to be isolating yourself and not interacting with anyone outside our group or when you''re doing your prefect duties." I answered her with tenderness in my voice.

    "I just don''t have time to play nice with others. My project is too important to me." She replied with a hard look on her face.

    "Then can you at least let me help you? Even if it''s just sending you materials or books I think could help you. I don''t want to see you struggle so much on your own." I say gently, getting her expression to soften a lot.

    "It has something to do with my mom Aedan. I just want her to be normal again." She then said with a very sad expression.

    "So that''s why you throw yourself into potions, transfiguration and charms. You want to be a qualified healer!" I exclaimed as I finally understood what her goal was.

    "My father would never let me study the art. ''A pureblood does not serve other'' he says. But I can''t give up on her Aedan. She''s the only reason I haven''t run away. I don''t want me leaving somehow making my father take it out on her." She said looking very alone at the moment, with a heartbreaking, self-depreciating smile on her face.

    I couldn''t help myself and hugged the hard working girl.

    "Then I''ll help you. That''s what you want to do, then nothing will stop you." I declare as I stroke her smooth hair.

    I let her go and look directly at her.

    "I''ll talk to Madam Pomfrey. With me having learned everything I could there already, I''m sure she''d be glad to have another gifted student interested in the art." I then inform her of my little plan.

    "What? She won''t just teach me how to do the stuff. Why would she even do it?" She tried to deny through her own logic.

    "I know Poppy Tory, and she''ll be very happy with you. Plus you''ve already got a proper healers temperament. You can be strict and commanding, but also gentle and supporting. And you''re the best witch at Hogwarts." I proudly state, getting her fl.u.s.tered at my straightforward complement.

    So, without letting her try to talk me out of it, I went to talk to Madam Pomfrey. It took a bit of convincing, but she did agree that I could more than match her as a healer and that Tory would be very suited to the role. She finally agreed to take her under her wing if she passed the tests she would administer. If she passes then great, but if not she will have to wait until after Hogwarts to properly learn. Of course my girl aced that test, her grades not just being for show. And her having me teach her a lot might have helped a bit.

    She was so happy that she gave me a hug and peck on the cheek. So i say any effort was worth it.

    Christian was also beginning his Quidditch practice. He apparently hasn''t told anyone what kind of broom he was using or where he got it from, while maintaining an improved performance, but nothing anywhere close to what he could do with the thing. He wanted it to be a big surprise when he starts to really fly with it.

    But it was during this time that I remembered the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams would have their argument. Draco having joined the team in the stupidest fashion, through money, even when he could have done so through skills has he is actually a competent enough seeker.

    So i decided to be ''accidentally'' patrolling the area.

    I saw the two groups standing off against one another, so I drew near. Until I finally heard Draco say his iconic line.

    "No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood." He spat out.

    It instantly caused a fight to break out due to him using the word. The twins lunged at the boy in fury, making troll face and his team intercept them, but then Ron did the stupid thing of trying to curse someone with a broken wand.

    "You''ll pay for that one Malfoy!" He shouts as he pointed his wand at the boy. But with the loud bang and a flash of green, Ron flew backwards just as I got close enough.

    "What is going on here?" I shouted, getting everyone''s attention. Seeing no one stepping forwards I decide to speak.

    "Draco. You do not have any idea of the weight and implications behind that word. You repeating it simply because of your father is going too far. You will have two days of detention with Mr. Filch for that. Weasley Twins! Although what he said was reprehensible, it does not excuse fighting on school grounds! 30 points from Gryffindor. 10 from Slytherin for supporting a flagrant act of blood supremacy." I declare with a loud voice.

    "You can''t do that!" Shouted some Slytherin''s whilst the Gryffindor''s were also unwilling.

    "I am Head Boy! I have every right! Both sides have faults and both will have the fitting punishment. The principle offender will get the punishment he deserves and I will not play favorites with the rest!" I declare once again.

    "Draco! If you do not show up for your assigned detention then I will be forced to penalize you even further and bring up your removal from the Quidditch team if it happens a third time after that. Is that clear!" I then strictly tell the boy.

    "Yes." He hisses out through clenched teeth.

    "Good! Saturday and Sunday evening with Mr. Filch. Now Harry and Hermione bring Ronald to the infirmary immediately, I''ll fix him up in a moment." I order the two frozen second years as their friend vomits slugs all over and Colin Creevey takes pictures.

    "Slytherin was indeed given permission to use the pitch today however. Hence Gryffindor was rescheduled to have it in two days instead and no changes will be permitted again. This was the accord between professors McGonagall and Snape." I inform the teams as I take my leave and head for the infirmary.

    I arrive at the infirmary quickly and give a bucket to Ronald so he doesn''t continue to let out slugs all over the place.

    "Alright, just aim in here for a bit. I just need to get some Treacle Fudge in you and you''ll be right as rain." I say to the boy quickly as I''m browsing through the stores of quick remedies.

    "Looks like we don''t have any that aren''t past date at the moment." I say to myself.

    "Harry. Can you take the note I''ll hand to you and the galleons to Artemis and send her to Honeydukes for a quick purchase of Treacle Fudge for me? It''s in Hogsmeade so it should be quick." I asked the boy, since the shop is a maker of the stuff.

    "Sure thing Aedan. She''s in the owlry right?" He asked as he took both. With my nod he took off.

    ''He''s looking much healthier than last year. That''s good.'' I thought as I saw his energetic run.

    "Why fudge? How''s that going to help?" Asked Hermione, her curiosity getting the better of her.

    "Well that''s pretty simple. It''s the quickest, easiest and most pleasant way of curing poor Ronald here from the Slug-vomiting curse he unfortunately casted on himself." I answered her.

    "What are the other ways?" She asked, wanting to know more.

    "Most of them involve brewing some pretty nasty tasting potions, which would take at least an hour to make. Another would be to feed him the root of a slug eating plant and those tend to fight back a bit. Maybe some Murtlap blood could also make him stop since they do enjoy a good slug as well." I responded, covering my bases, with a even paler Ronald at the mention of the solutions.

    So we talked about why that happened and how to fix it, until she brought up the important question.

    "So, um, why was everyone so upset? I get that Draco probably said something awful, but don''t know what it means." She asked cautiously.

    "Harry should be back in a moment, so I''ll explain it to the two of you when he gets here ok? It does involve him slightly." I say as I''m casting a few charms on Ronald to help the passing of the slugs ease up.

    "And I know you don''t like me Ronald, but it''s better if they both hear it. You already know of course, but do be careful with how you react next time. One should only resort to their wands if no other course can be taken." I say to the boy calmly as his unhappy look fades a bit.

    Then arrived a panting Harry.

    "I''ve sent it. Should arrive here pretty soon." He said as he caught his breath.

    "Thank you very much Harry. Now please join us because Hermione asked an important question, and I''d like for the both of you to hear the answer." I say to the boy as I gesture for him to sit.

    "Before I start, have you or how far are you into the muggle-born guidebook offered at Gringotts and FIRM center?" I asked the two.

    "Oh, it was a fascinating read! Although it was slightly disheartening to read some of those facts, it was very educational." Answered a very pleased Hermione.

    "Er, I didn''t get that far in it. Mostly till how the ministry works." Answered a slightly embarrassed Harry, since I did give him the book.

    "Alright then. I''ll start with what Draco called Hermione. The term Mudblood is one of the most horrible thing one can call another in wizard views. It is used to say that muggle-born witches and wizards have filthy blood and are corrupting the wizarding world by being allowed into our world." I clearly explain to the two. Getting a gasp from Hermione as she realized how mean that is and Harry clenched is fists because he didn''t know and would have tried to hit Draco if he had.

    "The term was popularized during the war as pureblood supremacy sentiments erupted from some established wizard families, becoming common parlance between death eaters and their lord. Not all old families followed suit of course. The Weasley family is the biggest example, but those same families call them Blood traitors in response. Mine and Harry''s fathers, both lords of respectable houses, married muggle-born witches and fought against them till the end." I inform them gently.

    "My father was from a noble house?" Asked the surprised Harry.

    "Well yeah. The Potter house has been a respected house in the wizarding world for a long time. The only reason they weren''t considered part of the Sacred Twenty-eight as they call them, is because your family has always viewed the whole blood supremacy as the crap it is. I''m not going to go through all my evidence on the matter, but it''s a good thing for you to know. And you are the only known living descendant of the family, probably the rightful heir as well." I explained to the very stunned Harry and Hermione.

    As Artemis arrived through a window I had left opened, I thank her with a treat and grab the package.

    I then take a piece of fudge and turn to Ronald.

    "Alright, this won''t be a pleasant sensation cause I have to force it through the slugs that keep appearing, but after a few seconds you''ll be all good." I say to the red-head.

    So I force the fudge into his mouth and use my wand to get it past his throat as he gags a lot and finally make it to the stomach. And after a few moments he can finally stop belching slugs.

    "Thank Merlin''s hat that''s over with!" Exclaimed one relieved Weasley and making two kids excited.

    "Didn''t know i was a hat, but you''re welcome Ronald." I say with a chuckle to myself, interrupting the excitement the trio was feeling.

    "Ah, thank you for taking care of him." Hermione quickly said.

    "Yeah thanks Aedan." Harry added.

    "Thanks." Ronald begrudgingly said.

    "Before I go, I have two things to say." I start to get their attention. "First it that you''ll be free to go right after i just do a quick check on you and that you should limit your use of magic until you get a new wand. Second is that I''d like to apologize for last year. I feel like I had been too harsh on you Ronald and if you''d like, we could have a talk next time you come to the Exchange. No need for an answer, just think about it." I say, then perform a check up under questioning gazes of Hermione and Harry, before nodding and being on my way.

 Chapter 74 - Ch. 74 Helping the kid

    With the first months of the school year coming and going as they usually do, Hallowe''en once again came around. I don''t know why JKR decided to have something ridiculous happening twice in a row on that day, but it''s a bit forced no? Wizard horror stories happening on Hallowe''en. Bah, oh well.

    So the yearly pumpkin overloaded feast began once again. It seemed that the cabinet I had put in the place of the vanishing one i took was a fit replacement,since the golden trio wasn''t here and neither were the ghosts, meaning the death day party was happening with them experiencing its wonders.

    As the feast ended and everyone returned back to their dorms for the night, I decided to head to the second floor corridor quicker.

    As I step on the splashing floor, due to the flooding the basilisk caused when it got out the first time, and I finally reach the trio.

    "What are you three doing up here?" I ask, not letting them know I already knew.

    ""Aedan!"" He exclaimed 2/3, with all three freezing in place.

    Then I looked at the wall they were looking at.

    ''THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.'' Was written in what appeared to be blood and Mrs. Norris hanging on the torch bracket, petrified.

    ''So it begins again little Voldy. But you really can''t think of anything original? You already pulled this crap last time.'' I think to myself with a mental sigh.

    "From the looks of horror I''m guessing it wasn''t you three, right?" I ask them and get furious head nods in return.

    But as I was about to speak, students flooded the corridor as they returned from the feast, making the trio''s face turn pale.

    And then when he arrived, Draco had to act like an idiot again.

    "Enemies of the heir, beware! You''ll be next, Mudbloods!" He said with a proud smirk on his face.

    "Draco Malfoy! That is the second time I''m catching you using that word. Three days with Mr. Filch!" I declared making his smirk disappear in an instant.

    Then we all heard a voice we recognized.

    "What''s going on here? What''s going on?" Filch said as he made his way through the crowd.

    When he finally spotted his cat, he lost it.

    "My cat! My cat! What happened to Mrs. Norris?" He shrieked at his lost. Then he spotted Harry. "It was you! You murdered my cat! You killed her! I''ll kill you! I''ll kill-" he shouted as I got in front of Harry making him pause just in time for Dumbledore to arrive.

    "Argus!" He authoritatively said. "Come with me Argus. You too Mr. Bones, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger." He said as he looked at us.

    Then Lockhart tried to insert himself like usual. "My office is the closest Headmaster, feel free to use it.

    "Thank you Gilderoy." Simply answered Dumbledore.

    So the four of us with the Headmaster, Filch, Snape and McGonagall headed to the narcissists office. And yup, full of moving portraits and pictures of himself. All of them hiding in fear at being caught doing their beauty routines. I mean seriously, even the paintings are going through them.

    The Headmaster along with his two trusted professors analyzed the cat, as Filch was crying in the corner and Lockhart wouldn''t shut up about stupid stories he''s spouting to try to make himself look better. Meanwhile the kids are looking extremely nervous in their chair.

    "You three haven''t done anything so don''t worry about it. Everything will be fine, especially since she''s only petrified." I say to the trio as they relax a bit at my words.

    "Mrs. Norris isn''t dead?" Said Filch suddenly as he heard my words. "But she''s all stiff."

    "Headmaster." I simply say.

    "Mr. Bones is correct Argus. She is still alive. Although I cannot say how she was petrified, she will be fine just as soon as she''s given the correct potion." He calmly explained to the man.

    "Then ask him!" He yelled, pointing at Harry.

    "Mr. Filch, complete petrification like that is the work of very powerful dark magic. Even some professors wouldn''t be able to cast this, much less Harry." I defended calmly.

    "Mr. Bones is right-" tried to assure Dumbledore.'' Before being interrupted.

    The conversation went on as canon once again, with Filch revealing he was a squib and Harry not knowing what that was. Until Snape finally came in and tried to take Harry off the Quidditch team for the hell of it. Dumbledore rejecting the man. Then he turned to Filch to inform him she will be cured quickly due to the school having Mandrake plants. Lockhart trying to steal some thunder again, but drawing Snape''s ire. The Headmaster then dismissed everyone but me. The professors gave him a questioning look which he ignored, and the trio looked at me worriedly until I reassured them with a smile.

    "What do you think Aedan?" He asked when everyone had left.

    "The death day party is easy enough to know about. Plus the timing might be bad, but even if they wanted to head to the feast they wouldn''t m have made it for the food." I answer.

    "True enough, but I''m asking about the chamber. You know about Tom and his time here. You know what I''m asking." I replied while looking serious.

    "Yes, but with no further proof it is hard to say anything. It might even be a completely new student who was inspired by the event and ideology. Or an extremely distasteful prank. All I know is caution will be key." I reply, hiding my foreknowledge.

    "Further evidence will be needed, yes. I will ask you to keep an eye on matters amongst the students. And please keep an eye on Harry and his friends. They tend to find trouble." He said with a small chuckle at the misadventures they tend to experience.

    "Will do Headmaster." I reply with a knowing smile.

    "Before you leave, how has your private matter been doing?" He asked curiously and with concern.

    "I am making good progress Headmaster. I can''t thank you enough for helping me. I have a few possibilities so far and I''ll send you a copy of what I come up with for you to review." I answer with gratitude in my voice.

    "I''m glad these old bones can still help the youngsters." He replied with a warm smile.

    "If that is all Headmaster, I''ll head back to my house. I think many students will be alarmed due to tonight." I say with a small bow.

    "Goodnight Aedan. Good luck as well." He said in response.

    For the next week the school was abuzz, with only the message and the cat being the center of everyone''s attention. Everything spreads quickly when a place is full of gossipy teenagers. Professor Binns decided to fill people in on what the Chamber of Secrets was, making a new wave of speculations happen.

    Then came the first Quidditch match of the year, Gryffindor and Slytherin. Always them. Rowling really didn''t care for the other two houses much did she? All she did was make one Diggory die the only year he was noticed, a sorta Asian girlfriend and everyone''s favorite unique Ravenclaw. Who I''m pleased to announce has been coming to the Exchange and has avoided being bullied, mostly because of me and Christians interest in the girls different pursuits when it comes to knowledge. Her and Christian were really getting along well. The rest of the people from other houses were pretty much a one and done scenario.

    Whatever, back to the game.

    Dobby basically tried to crush a lot of Harry''s bones again. Malfoy was playing like an idiot. Slytherin was flying much faster due to their brooms, but Gryffindor had skills. Finally Harry managed to snatch the snitch, winning the game and still getting the broken arm.

    As he fell onto the ground, I rushed out to do my job before Lockhart can try to make it about himself again and f.u.c.k up the kids arm and night. I''ll still send him to spend the night, but at least he won''t be suffering through Skele-gro.

    "Hey there Harry. Try to hold still and I''ll have your arm fixed up in a moment ok?" I say to him calmly. It helps reassure patients when their healer appears calm and in control, good thing to be when your doing this stuff.

    So with a wave of my wand over his injury, the bone snaps back into position and mends itself beautifully with a shout of surprise because of the sound by Harry.

    "There we go kid. But you''ll have to spend the night in the infirmary. I did fix it, but this is to make sure and Madam Pomfrey will not be happy if I don''t make you go after an injury like that." I order him with a smile, to which he nod with a funny smile. It hurt, but he was overall happy they had won the game.

    "Too bad i didn''t reach the boy first. I would have healed him up in an instant as well. You remind me of a young me Aedan my boy. You might even come close to my abilities one day." I heard the purple clad nitwit say from behind.

    I help Harry up from the ground and then turn to the ken doll.

    "Thank you Professor, I was only doing what Madam Pomfrey trained me to do. Now if you''ll excuse me, she''ll want to take a look at the kid and double check my work. Good day Professor." I say with proper respect and my business smile.

    "Ah yes, certainly my boy. One must always make sure they are in perfect health Harry. It is very important to not worry your fans." He then said with his ''signature'' smile.

    "I''m sure Harry appreciates the advice, now let''s go." I say and guide Harry away.

    "Do you actually respect Lockhart, Aedan?"

    "Ha! Merlin''s walking stick no! He''s even worse than Quirrell at teaching and the man had a second face, with that horrendous stutter. Why do you think I made my ''review'' sessions? It''s to teach some actual DADA to everyone." I answer the kid.

    "What? Really? Hermione and Ron thought you were a fan!" He said with a surprised look, almost causing me to vomit blood as the Chinese would say.

    "I''m certainly not a fan, but if even they thought that, then the name was a good choice. Makes the idiot think I''m talking about him, instead of knowing I''m teaching what he''s supposed to and making him look even more useless." I reply with a small smile.

    "Oh. Brilliant then. Do you mind if we come too?" He asked in realization.

    "No problem at all Harry. But do warn Ron. I have a good amount of Slytherin students who also participate properly. They listen well and actively try to learn. I don''t want his bias against them to cause friction." I say with some concern.

    "I''ll talk to him about it. I''m sure that if they don''t do anything he''ll be able to focus on your class!" He said excitedly.

    "I hope so Harry. It would do him some good to meet some decent people from the house." I answer to his excitement.

 Chapter 75 - Ch. 75 Itâ€™s time to du-du-duel!

    That night, Colin Creevey was the first human victim of the year. This set unprecedented worries through the students, with the prefects and I trying to rein in everyone''s fears. Quite difficult when no one knows how this is happening. Well except from me, but you know I''m not telling.

    But it was at this time that the announcement I was waiting for finally happened: the dueling club was being reinstated to help students feel safer. Unfortunately, it was still Lockhart in charge of it for now.

    ''It''ll be fun to see him get knocked on his a.s.s by one of the three most powerful combatants at Hogwarts.'' I thought with a smile on my face after seeing it.

    "I don''t think I''ll go. Honestly speaking we are way above anything that they would teach at the club. Even more so if that idiot is in charge." Straightforwardly informed Tory.

    "I must agree that it would be a step backwards for us. I''ll focus on my own club instead and try to teach them there." Said James.

    "Yeah... I wouldn''t able to let loose and that''d be pretty boring, so I''m not going. Only way I''d go is if I get to beat that blowhard." Added Christian.

    "That''s more than fine. Was just wondering what you guys thought about it. The idiot aside, I''ve thought we needed this kind of club for years now and I''m not letting him ruin it. If he can''t handle it, I will." I declared to my friends, to which they grin at the possible ass-whooping that peac.o.c.k of a teacher might get for standing in my way.

    "You''re tempting me to come and watch now mate." Said The Beast.

    "I must say that the man''s ego could use some suppressing." Agreed even The Saint. Apparently Lockhart tried to ''help improve'' the charm puzzles we had made, which ended up with two of them exploding and another attacking a student somehow. He''s then become pretty much the only person in the castle James doesn''t tolerate.

    "Kick the fool down until he begs for mercy. Thinking himself so good looking when he can''t even begin to compare to you in any way." She declared coldly.

    "You know I love you guys." I say with my devils smile, getting theirs in return.

    Someone looking at himself in the mirror lovingly suddenly felt a bone-chilling shiver run through his body.

    The evening scheduled for the club arrived soon enough, with many students present. There was a good amount of fan girls unfortunately, but many wanted to learn the art. Then Lockhart came on the stage with Snape and made all of the guys frown at the sight of him.

    "Gather around, gather around! Can everybody see me? Can everybody hear me?" He started off with as a means of making himself feel important again.

    Everything else was happening as intended. Snape sent him flying into the wall. He lied again. Then they started to hold duels between all the kids and boy was it horrendous to watch how badly these two twits were teaching the art. No teaching of basic defensive or offensive spells. No one checking skill levels. Nobody supervising most of the duels happening all at once. Letting Ron fight with a broken wand his asking for trouble and Neville will never be able to fight properly with his fathers wand. So they ended up with a room full of hurt students, capable of only taking hits as their defense. Not great.

    So I immediately started to run around healing students everywhere. Some noticed and started approaching me for healing. I was ticked off at the two cunts so I spoke out.

    "Maybe an example of defensive spell work would help students more than the offensive ones Professors!" I yelled out.

    "Ye-yes! Excellent idea my boy! Who shall we bring forward to demonstrate?" He then asked aloud. But seeing a lot of students recovering from this poorly managed shit show, Snape decided to chose.

    And so as destiny designed, it was time for the movies fight: Harry vs. Draco.

    ''I did hammer a good foundation into the kid. Wonder how that''ll make Snape and Malfoy feel.'' I thought to myself.

    "Hey Harry! Remember what I taught you this summer. A proper mastery of the basics will build the foundation for victory. Just do what you know." I shouted to him, getting me a lot of surprised looks, then they looked Harry.

    The kid on the other hand relaxed a great deal and got his head into the game after my little reminder. So he waited for the duel to start with confidence.

    It wasn''t anything grand. Malfoy only had half baked knowledge about the subject, letting Harry dodge his badly aimed spell and make him fly to the end of the stage with a good Knockback jinx. Snape forced Draco on his feet, but this time he was embarrassed so he tried to send out his most complicated spell: Serpensortia. I mean, if it was a large snake sure, or even if he conjured it near Harry''s feet. But the kid let a wimpy snake just appear almost as far away from Harry as possible and looked proud about it.

    Unfortunately, Harry decided to talk to the snake, letting everything run its course and making everyone think that he is the heir of Slytherin because of his Parseltoungue.

    With that event effectively stopping the clubs activity, I decided to approach Dumbledore in taking over with Professor Flitwick, whom I''ve already convinced to help with this. He was actually quite a bit upset that he wasn''t already in charge and that the Headmaster let the idiot head up the club. So together we went to talk to him.

    "Hello you two, I can guess why you''re here. The club?" Dumbledore started off with a jovial voice.

    "Yes Albus. You know I dream of teaching students the dying art. It would have helped so many survive the last war and I''ve regretted not teaching it ever since. But now you let another do it and I cannot sit still." Said my very determined head of house.

    "Headmaster, I was there during the club. I spent more time healing the students then the time they spent teaching them. I want to make it a proper and respected club. Hogwarts has already lost far too much and it has honestly been difficult to claim we are the best school in the world anymore." I sincerely add on.

    "I know very well about this. But the Ministry is bent on curtailing dueling. It is difficult to argue against it." He said with a sigh.

    "It''s actually not anymore. It would have been maybe two years ago when they controlled the only media outlet, but with the Herald becoming increasingly popular I had an idea." I say, making both of them perk up.

    "Ho oh! And that idea is Aedan?" Asked a now very curious Dumbledore.

    "It would be to get them to print this article of mine." I respond with a growing smile as I handed the parchment to the Headmaster, while Flitwick watched with curiosity.

    Dumbledore reads it with a small smile as he does, before handing it to my house head to read.

    "How can you be sure they will run it?" He asked with the smile still on his face due to my certainty.

    "They owe me a favor and it''s a great piece of news for them. They can edit it, but this is going to make a lot of people...excited shall we say." I responded with a grin.

    "The Minister will be caught quite off guard." Added Dumbledore with a chuckle.

    "And with no time to verify what we are doing, plus if he doesn''t want people to dislike him, he won''t be able to stop us. Plus I''m actually thinking the older families would be in favor of their progenies learning more things. I think if things go very well, it might take a few off of your back Headmaster." I finished up my proposal.

    "Oooh! This is brilliant Aedan, simply brilliant. Intelligence and cunning used perfectly. If this works I''m awarding you 40 points!" Exclaimed my now very excited Professor.

    "I will permit your taking over the club then. Filius will be the head and Aedan shall most likely be it''s president. I wish you both good fortune in your efforts." Declared the Headmaster seriously, but with a smile at the end.

    "Thank you Albus. I will not let this opportunity go to waste." Replies an almost tearful Flitwick.

    "I''ll do my best to live up to my promises." I said with a slight bow.

    The professor and I then leave together, but suddenly remember something and head back in quickly.

    "There''s something else Aedan?" He asked a little surprised.

    "A report about something important that happened during the club sir. It''s about Harry." I said seriously.

    "Is he hurt?" He asked with concern.

    "No, but he appears to be a parselmouth. This will isolate him until these events are resolved Headmaster. I thought it would be better for you to know quickly." I answered.

    "Hmm. I understand. You are not going to do the same as the rest I assume." I said with a raised eyebrow.

    "I''d actually be more interested in teaching him how to us it properly. I''ve heard the best healers in India use parseltoungue spells, boosting the effect of the healing tremendously!" I replied excitedly.

    "I had a thought you''d think something like that." Dumbledore responded with a chuckle.

    "It''s a sign of dark magic in Europe because they never looked outside of it to see other uses. If he could learn it, he would be able to save a lot of lives." I say with a small smile of my own.

    "Indeed. I won''t stop you, but it would be very difficult to get such knowledge as it would be closely guarded. But if that is all, you are free to go Aedan." He nodded and gestures for me to leave.

    I nod and head out.

    ''It''s time for Hogwarts to learn how to duel!'' I thought to myself with a smile as I returned to my room in order to prepare.

    ''It''ll be fun to see how the article will go tomorrow.'' I then thought with my smile turning into a little devils.

 Chapter 76 - Ch. 76 A real Dueling Club

    The next day as me and Professor Flitwick finalized how the dueling club would work, the Herald was being distributed across the country.

    ''MINISTRY HARMING OUR FUTURE DUE TO FEAR?

    by Martha Cromwell

    For centuries Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has been our proud establishment for young witches and wizards of any origin to learn the wonders and intricacies of magic. We have studied in those hallowed halls, made friendsh.i.p.s that would last a lifetime, found the loves of our lives and many have sent their children to attend as they had before them.

    We are proud to believe they will receive the best magical education possible in the world.

    But is that true?

    Is Hogwarts truly the best educational institution available in the world?

    We have researched this fact intensively and what we have found is almost shocking.

    Let us start with the current educational curriculum available for students at Hogwarts. As almost all of you know, there are 7 subjects required for every student before their OWL''s: Astronomy, Charms, Defense against the Dark Arts, Herbology, History of Magic, Potions, Transfiguration and Flying during ones first year. These are the foundational blocks any wizard builds himself upon. Then we are offered additional choices to broadened our horizons by being adding another two of 5 subjects: Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination or Muggle Studies.

    These are all of the current subjects available to any students currently attending the ill.u.s.trious school.

    But here is something most people have never known, which is that the Ministry of Magic has slowly but surely eliminated advanced fields of studies from Hogwarts original availabilities. That''s right. Ever since the school has received the title of the best school in the world, it has slowly been forced to limit its classes due to Ministry pressure through ''suggesting'' certain classes to be unnecessary, making cuts or even sometimes embezzling the budget designed for classes they disapproved of.

    Did you know that less than one hundred years ago, Hogwarts was also a training ground for aspiring healers? That''s right. Students who''s wishes in life were to heal others could study it with the proper grades after passing their OWL''s. This has been identified to be the leading cause in the decrease number of new healers available since becoming one has become increasingly difficult without proper training.

    More recently, Dueling has been under attack in our country. Something the school once offered to students as well. It was a means to help students compete in legitimate ways, akin to the Quidditch cup, and better themselves before coming into a world that holds many dangers. Dangers we are told to ignore and others want us to believe don''t exist, but are there whether we like it or not. These students who had learned how to duel, later became prominent members of our proud Hit Wizards and Aurors. The very people who protect you and me from dark wizards, criminals, maniacs and even more petty offenders. But they are also cutting back on the proper funding and maintaining of these forces as you read this.(for more on this subject, head to p.12)

    That is not all. Alchemy was removed. Enchanting was removed. Warding was removed. Artificers studies were removed. And to be honest, muggle studies has become a joke at the school. Have any of you ever been in a muggle area? How many so called ''horseless carriages'' line the streets? We have not updated the curriculum in the last 150 years!

    All of this is because the Ministry was afraid of not being in control. They were afraid driven and motivated youths would bring too much change. That the magic learned would make them ignore them or not work with/in the Ministry. So they slowly brand difficult or harder to monitor studies as dark. Choke out anything they can''t and still they continue to sell the idea that our children are getting the best education in the world?

    Uagadou teaches alchemy, wandless magic and proper animagus courses. Durmstrang teaches proper dueling. Beauxbatons holds enchanting and alchemy classes. Mahoutokoro teaches Dueling, enchanting and ancient Magic. Ilvermorny modernized it''s courses, includes more divination schools, self-transmutation and dueling. And many of these teach children starting at the age of 7 instead of eleven.

    So how is that we still hold the tittle of best school in the world when our own Ministry smothers the potential out of our children? When lifesaving courses are stamped out by greed and fear? And can you live with this ladies and gentlemen?

    Because I believe it is time to give our children a better future than what he could have. We have already lost enough in our country. Don''t let us lose our future too.''

    ''Well then. If that''s the version that made it into the paper, I wonder how bad the original was.'' I think to myself after reading Martha''s article. She is one the my original twelve, but I also know how vocal she can be about issues. That being why her husband is in charge, since he can calm her down usually.

    Putting down the paper after I was done with it, I noticed a fair amount of people actually reading their own copy of the Herald. Some Slytherin''s had some too. A lot of people thinking about the classes and chances that had been offered. And since that was the case for the kids, the reaction of the parents will be interesting to see.

    ''I''ll set up an account for Hogwarts itself to fund the reopening and supplying of classes. I think it''ll help the schools reputation if they show actual results.'' I thought as I planned on pushing things a step further.

    This is actually a seed I''m sowing for the future. Simply because I can change what happens with the country, but to make true lasting improvements, it needs to come from the next generation. And so this seed, if fed and watered properly, will hopefully grow into a tall and sturdy tree.

    For now I do what I can from within Hogwarts and today it involves the true dueling club. A place for people to learn and hone themselves against their peers and instructors.

    Professor Flitwick was announcing his taking over of the dueling club during each of his classes that happened before the next weekend, while I also announced that I would be the current president of the club in the Exchange. So the word got out pretty fast that this time was going to be a real dueling club. One supervised by one of, if not, the most successful dueling champions in modern times and presided by the best student in the school.

    It was announced that it would be happening during the weekends and that for our first day, the professor and I would be holding an exhibition match between the two of us to demonstrate the true heights the basics can reach. He had already tested my skill and we were excited to have some fun against one another.

    That created a whole new kind of buzz in the castle. A student vs Professor match! The very thought was exciting. Plus it was between an ex-champion and a student no one knew the true limits of. Apparently the twins have already started a betting station on how it''ll turn out.

    Finally the day of the exhibition arrived. There were so many people wanting to witness an actual duel that we had to hold it in the Quidditch pitch to accommodate everyone. Not that all these people wanted to learn how to duel, but it was an exciting event in the middle of much fear. It let them forget and enjoy magic again.

    "You''re really gonna fight Flitwick huh mate?" Asked Christian not quite believing what was going to happen.

    "Not really a fight. It''s more of a showcase of what people can achieve with proper spell use. So we''ll be sticking to charms and jinxes, mostly trying to show skill and creativity in combat. We''ve also decided to limit dodging. So I''m not going to use my modded spells or battle transfiguration." I responded casually.

    "Still, you should be careful Aedan. The man was a champion for good reasons." Cautioned James.

    "We agreed to not show a true victory or defeat. We''re aiming to showcase what the pinacle for a student should be." I reassured my kind friend.

    "It''s still great that you''re going to be showing off a bit. You almost never attack when you fight us." My little Queen pouted with fake anger.

    "I''ll be sure to wipe the floor with the three of you next time then." I replied with a chuckle.

    "You really gotta tempt the man don''t you Tory?" Asked Christian shaking his head.

    "Someone has to. Not like you and James will." She replied with a grin.

    "Alright you two, I think that''s enough playing around. Let''s just wish good luck too Aedan. It''s about to start." Mediated James calmly.

    "Good luck mate. You''ll do great!" Excitedly said Christian with a hard pat on my back.

    "You are the exemplar for the students, give them something to follow." Peacefully said James.

    "You are the greatest in the school by far, show them why you are undisputed." Then declared Tory with a predatory smile.

    "Haha! Thanks guys. I''ll see you in a bit." I say to them all as I walk onto the pitch.

    I can here the roaring cheers of all the excited students. The applause and chanting.

    "RAVEN! RAVEN! RAVEN!" Could be heard all over the stands as they stomp their feet rhythmically and chant my nickname.

    I walk in my standard Hogwarts Robes, with my hair tied in a loose ponytail as the wind makes it flow behind me. I wave my hand high, greeting the students and get a massive cheer in response.

    I finally reach Flitwick at the center of our outdoor dueling ring.

    "Quite exciting isn''t it? It reminds me of the old days, when one could fight for such glory and prove ones skills in single combat." Said the Professor with a nostalgic look on his face.

    "Let''s give them a proper show of what that means sir." I reply with a smile.

    "Yes. Let''s!" He said excitedly.

    "Welcome everyone, to this very exciting event! Today we will hold a demonstration of how far dueling can take an individual, even with the basics. You will have the former seven time dueling champion, charms Professor and head of Ravenclaw house: PROFESSOR FILIUS FLITWICK! And his partner for this event. Head Boy as a fifth year, founder of the Exchange, slayer of last years troll, undisputedly the best student in Hogwarts: THE RAVEN HIMSELF, AEDAN BONES!" Was the very energetic introduction from Lee Jordan, who usually did the quidditch announcing, as the whole crowd bursted with excitement.

    Then the professor and I turned to face each other, raise our wands as if swords, then bow in respect to each other. The crowd fell into silence as we walked away from each other and set ourselves in proper dueling stances. I will be doing standard practice instead of my personal stance due to this being a demonstration.

    "3! 2! 1! BEGIN!" Resounded the opening countdown.

    Although I am quicker in general, the professor''s smaller limbs allow him to get the first shot as his motions are considerably shorter than other wizards, forcing me to start a chain of spells starting with a counter to his disarming charm, then moving into my own and finishing with a trifecta of stunners. The Professor easily defends my counter attack through deflection and even redirecting the last one to shoot back at me, starting his own quick fire spell chain, as I''m forced to block and deflect a clever series of mildly debilitating jinxes intended to limit my vision, distract me, slow me down or disable me temporarily so he can go for the finisher, ending with a quick one-two involving a stunner to make me block in an awkward position and a disarming charm to finish it. I play along with the man''s plan as I raise my wand high for my block, getting a gasp came from the audience at my impending loss, before I strike downward with a severing charm aimed at the spell itself, causing it to split in two and starting my counter attack with me shooting an out-and-in combo starting with an incarcerous to impede the man and shooting quick jab like stunners right behind them twice, before suddenly switching to a leg-lock, disarming and Full body bind charms combo to rush him at the end. Although rushed, the Professor deals with everything I throw at him. We then started to throw spells back and forth at each other, getting into a strange rhythm with each other, until we fired disarming charms at each other and formed a connection as the two beams of red competed against one another, pushing against each other''s spell until we both shoot our spells upward to separate them. And since we were at the limit of what basic dueling could afford, we decided to use our dramatic finish as we simultaneously pointed our wands at each other and casted bombarda, causing a rather spectacular explosion in the middle of the ring, dust to fly up and a good excuse to end the duel as a tie.

    Although the ending was planed, everything that happened during the duel was dependent on each other''s actions, leaving only that final blast to not be a surprise for us.

    And as the dust settled, the spectators saw that both Filtwick and I were now out of our designated spaces, meaning the duel was a tie.

    "AND IN AN INCREDIBLE FINISH, THE DUEL IS A TIE!" Lee announced, but it was only a second after the announcement that cheers erupted from everyone.

    They came to see a duel and they got one. They saw exactly what they wanted to learn. They saw what even the basics of dueling could accomplish in the hands of masters. They had no doubts that a single combo from these two would leave them in defeat. And that''s when they are holding back!

    So they cheered for the display.

    And now they knew Hogwarts had a real dueling club.

 Chapter 77 - Ch. 77 Club Rules

    The entire castle was feeling very alive right now. Many became very interested in the club, but there was a limit to how many people we could reasonably accept, so it was made to be by first come, first served. We would basically accept a certain amount of students from each year first, and if some years don''t fill the given spots, they will be redistributed to the lower years. It was the fairest way we could think of.

    Unfortunately, it was around this time that Justin Finch-Fletchley was found petrified alongside nearly-headless Nick. This made the castles lively atmosphere go down the drain very quickly and more people than ever were convinced Harry is the heir attacking everyone.

    ''Even when I make such an explosive event happen, it''s still him getting petrified huh. Tom must have done it on purpose to draw eyes to Harry so that he can continue without any scrutiny.'' I thought to myself as I heard the news.

    With that, the golden trio was pretty much spending all of its time away from everyone else. Hermione even stoped coming to the Exchange because of some funny looks, but one cough from me made people remember how things worked.

    But, I was rather pleased when the kids approached me about the situation. Made me feel like they were trusting me more

    "Aedan, could we talk to you please?" Asked a fidgety Harry.

    "Of course Harry. What''s up?" I asked with a gentle smile.

    "Could we talk somewhere more private?" He clarified, not comfortable talking in the hallway.

    "Sure, let''s head to the Exchange. No ones there right now." I say as I lead the way for the very serious looking trio.

    A minute later, we were inside the room.

    "I don''t get to see you much anymore, but I guess that could be understood. But if you do need help you can talk to me." I said with a little chuckle.

    "Um, Yeah. Professor Dumbledore said you''d probably be one of the only other students who doesn''t think I''m the heir. But he didn''t explain why. Even I know I''m suspicious because I can talk to snakes." The kid said, looking very down on himself.

    "Mate cheer up. We know you aren''t the heir." Tried to comfort Ronald.

    "He''s right Harry. You were us the whole time, so how could you have even done it?" Tried to explain Hermione.

    "I for one must say I''m quite jealous of your gift Harry." I suddenly said in a jovial tone.

    The three of them looked at me in utter shock and surprise.

    "You what? You''re jealous of me being able to talk to snakes?" Questioned Harry.

    "But that''s mental! Only the darkest wizards could talk to snakes! Only they would want too! Ah, no offense Harry. I know you''re a good guy." Shouted Ronald, before realizing his friend was stuck with it.

    "Why would you say that Aedan? From what I know of you, just talking to snakes wouldn''t really interest you." Asked the curious Hermione as the other two waited for my answer.

    "It''s very easy Hermione. It''s because I''m the heir of Slytherin." I say with an evil smile and threatening voice.

    That caused them to go pale in horror and get very nervous. Until i burst out laughing anyway.

    "Hahahahahaha! You should have seen your faces! That was priceless!" I say between laughs.

    "That wasn''t funny!" Yelled out Hermione, feeling both annoyed and relieved.

    "Not to you, but at least it cut the ''I''m carrying all the world woes'' vibe around Harry." I say casually, getting a surprised look from the kid. "But yeah. I really don''t for one second believe Harry is the heir."

    """Really!?""" They exclaimed all together.

    "Well yeah. Honestly, just your alibis are rock solid with witnesses for every attack so far. Kinda hard to attack people when you''re in front of others." I simply say, making the three get a look of realization on their faces.

    "Then why do people still think it''s Harry?" Asked a confused Ronald.

    "Because people will latch onto the easiest possible reason for something to happen Ronald. It is human nature. And unfortunately, witches and wizards do it even more." I answer with a sigh.

    "But surely someone must have thought about it like you did." Exclaimed the girl in disbelief.

    "They might have, but then they are cowed into following the masses opinion on the subject through peer pressure. It is very common nowadays. Only for people with either loyalty towards you, the courage to denounce falsehood, the intelligence to know it is false and the cunning to prove it, will see the situation more clearly." I explain with a smile. "The rest are those who''ve decided to not think and just follow the flow of events, just as many have done since humans gathered into large numbers. It is simply how most of us are."

    "What kind of idiots are those?" Snorted Ronald.

    "You don''t realize it do you Ronald?" I asked the boy calmly.

    "What?" He said with a confused look.

    "You and your family do the exact same thing." I answered plainly.

    "I dare you to say that again!" He shouted standing up in anger.

    "Calm down Ron! I''m sure Aedan will explain why he said that!" Quickly shouted Hermione.

    "Yeah. He isn''t the type to just insult people like that. Just let him explain." Added Harry, as they succeed in getting a very huffy Ronald to sit down again.

    "Thank you. This isn''t an insult, just an observation for you all to be aware that you do it too. Your family Ronald, is just a very clear example in my eye. To prove my point. Do you really think all of your family really fits into Gryffindor or were they told that''s were they fit?" I ask the boy serious.

    "Of course were Gryffindor. Weasleys have never been anywhere else!" He shouted without thinking.

    But that wasn''t the case for Hermione.

    "Actually Ron, I think i see what Aedan actually mean. It''s not that he believes our house isn''t good, it''s just that your brothers are very different from one another and should have fit into other houses ideals much better." She said very seriously, thinking about it objectively.

    "What!?" Was Ronald''s very surprised response at their groups brain.

    "What do you two mean?" Asked a curious Harry.

    "Well, just think of Percy. Does he act like the brave of heart, daring or chivalrous sort to you?" I ask, immediately shutting Ronald up. "Of course not. He''s clearly a Ravenclaw by nature. Then how about the twins? From what I know, Fred is more of the prankster between the two and George loves to make the pranks. The former would fit more in the house of the cunning and the later with the intelligent. And you yourself Ronald actually hold many traits deemed to be valued more in Slytherin than you would admit, being ambitious and of pureblood descent. I know you hate me saying that, but it''s just true." I explain, getting some very thoughtful looks at what I just said to the three. Ronald looking very lost.

    "Then why were they all put into Gryffindor? The hat must have seen something to put them there?" Asked Hermione, hitting the very important question and making the boys look at me for an answer.

    "That is because it was its only choice." I reply with a sigh, then looked at the red-head. "Tell me Ronald, how would your mother or father react of any of you made it into others houses?"

    "She''d go mental and probably pull us straight out of..." He couldn''t finish the answer because it dawned on him what I was trying to say. It dawned on all of them.

    "You''re saying the hat put them there because they wouldn''t be able to stay at Hogwarts otherwise!" Exclaimed Harry this time.

    "Indeed. The hat looks at who you are and then some possibilities of your future at Hogwarts. So it puts students in the houses where they''ll be able to get a proper education, learn lessons, have the best future or even just survive in. Hence why so many wizards families are almost exclusive to one house. It''s because the child would be pulled out of school, disinherited or maybe even flee or kill themselves. It does the best it can and the rest is up to us. That is why I said your family does the same thing. They are so ingrained into the idea that Gryffindor is the house of the good and other houses show you aren''t truly good, especially with Slytherin being full of evil. A thought most of the wizarding world enforces on a bunch of children." I finish with a sigh.

    The three were truly thinking about what I had said. It was complicated, and challenged their understanding of how they viewed the world so strictly as good and bad. But it would help them m.a.t.u.r.e if they can learn from what I said.

    "To be fair, there are plenty of gits in Slytherin. But there are intellectual bullies from my house, peer pressure enthusiasts in Hufflepuff, and some overzealous ''defenders of justice'' from yours. So try to judge the person instead of the house or origin and you''ll be fine. As simple as that." I say with a smile, making them relax a bit.

    "But back on topic. I got two more reasons why the Headmaster and I don''t believe Harry is the culprit. First is that this has happened before, when Hagrid went to school here and was expelled, the rest is his story. The second being that your best friend is a muggle-born and you were raised in the muggle world, so when in the world would you even learn about any of this stuff and why would you care? Last year when you were busy trying to stop Quirrellmort? Or because you suddenly want to be evil? I think not!" I declare with a smile. "So try not to let it get to you. Your innocence will be proven soon enough." I say with me ruffling his hair.

    "Now get! I have to prepare for the dueling club." I say as I guide them out of the room.

    "Right! Can we participate?" Asked Harry with some excitement.

    "I have no problem with it, but you''ll have to sign up in time. Ronald would not be allowed because his broken wand is just too dangerous to others and himself, sorry. And I don''t really think Dueling is Hermione''s thing." I say in response, getting understanding looks from the three.

    They thanked me for the talk and headed to have whatever adventure laid in front of them.

    On my end, I posted the established rules for being a member of the club and some changes which would occur because of it.

    1. Any duel on school grounds must take place in the dueling club, with proper supervision.

    2. One can only duel members of the same designated skill level to encourage proper improvement and discourage others from crushing aspiring duelists.

    Members will be tested upon admission into the club and separated into various levels: Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced and Expert. The results will not be tested on year, but skill.

    3. A supervisor and referee must always be present.

    Any duel will require designated supervisors to oversee it and have a referee to ensure fairness. Any tampering or interference with the two required officials will lead to fitting punishment and automatic loss. Supervisors and referees will be designated amongst responsible and skilled members of the club. Any head of house can fit the requirement for a supervisor if the conflict has been deemed important or severe enough.

    4. All official club activities will be happening on Saturdays and Sundays, 7:30-9:30 pm.

    Any other use must be approved by the club supervisor, president or head of house/Headmaster.

    5. All official junior dueling rules and regulations will be followed strictly.

    If any student is found intentionally injuring, maiming or using excessive force during duels, they will be punished severely and may be forced to leave the club.

    6. Monthly tournaments will be held to examine a members progress within their classification and if he/she is ready to advance to the next level.

    At the end of the year, the best student will receive an award for outstanding dueling prowess.

    7. Any Hogwarts student is welcomed to enter the club.

    No House is to be excluded. Any with a problem with that has been warned. Any harassment of fellow club members is strictly forbidden. This is a club to learn the art of dueling and hone oneself against peers of any age or house.

    ''That should be good enough to get things started in a proper direction.'' I thought with a nod as i posted the club rules.

 Chapter 78 - Ch. 78 Christmas

    The school was in a mixture of excitement, stress and fear at this point.

    The duel club and Harry became the only talked about topics for students. I did announce during the Exchange that I didn''t believe Harry was the heir, with a few facts to prove my opinion, which did convince a fair amount, but the rest of the castle chose to stay their course.

    Another bomb was dropped during the first Ravenclaw Quidditch game of the season. Christian ridding on an unknown broom, completely crushed any defensive effort against him and constantly stole the quaffle from the opposing chasers. He was single handedly breaking their spirits by effortlessly dancing through the sky and ripping apart any resistance. The sight brought smiles to mine and James'' faces, even if his house was getting demolished. After the game ended with an overwhelming victory as the new seeker Cho Chang caught the snitch, everyone wanted to know where he''d gotten such a broom.

    "Of course you''ve never seen this broom before! Our very own Raven and Saint made it to show their support for me! They said that next year public sales would begin with another broom called the Firebolt. Until then, watch out for me and Blackbolt!" He declared proudly.

    The answer set a wave of responses towards me and James. His house was as peeved as they could manage against the gentle guy, but he explained that it was mostly my project and that I wanted him to help cause he really loved enchanting. Plus he''s their houses best student, and he''s too nice to be mad against.

    It was also decided that we would only accept 6 students from every year for the duel club. It would make things even and it would become increasingly difficult to manage anything more than that honestly. Ronald wanted to join, but after my warning that without a proper wand he couldn''t participate, he finally decided against it. Harry wanted to, but he didn''t want to face the constant judgment people showed when he was around. It wasn''t Hermione''s thing, even more so when the two boys weren''t into it. James decided to keep to his plan about teaching stuff during the Charm club. Victoria would actually be an on-site healer for practice, and sometimes join in on the fun. Christian joined because he wanted to push himself further and thought it was a good chance to face different people.

    Unfortunately for everybody who did join, the club wouldn''t begin official activities until after the winter break. It would let us make proper training and dueling areas. We decided to expand two separate abandoned classrooms in the bas.e.m.e.nt and remodel them into proper club space. I decided to fund the project as Heir Bones. Using it as an investment to improve the future quality of Hit Wizards and Aurors for the DMLE. That move got me a little mention in the paper actually.

    So without anything eventful happening aside for that, the break arrived for everyone.

    What I found great was that Victoria was going to be staying at my place for the holidays again. It''ll be nice to be able to relax with her a bit.

    We were on my bed, as the two of us were embracing each other. I could feel her soft lips against mine, out tongues intertwined as if they didn''t want to separate from each other, twisting and snaking around each other as we enjoyed the sensation. My hands were roving over her beautifully developing body. Her soft skin was trance inducing to the touch, her shapely and perky b.r.e.a.s.t molded themselves to my hand when I massaged them, getting m.o.a.ns of p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e as I did. And when I groped her nice, round a.s.s, it felt like I just couldn''t let go. She was doing the same to me. She felt the contours of my face, moving down to my perfectly sculpted c.h.e.s.t as her fingers lightly c.a.r.e.s.sed my pecs and slowly feeling every one of my abs. When she waves of p.l.e.a.s.u.r.es as my own hands wandered, she gripped my back and felt around it too. We shared our hunger for each other as we made out more and more, taking off almost all of our cloths as we did, ending with me in my boxer, barely hiding my impressive erection, and her m.o.a.ning in only her black laced p.a.n.t.i.e.s as I kissed every part available to me.

    We separated for a moment and stared at each other''s bodies. Her body was still growing, but it was more beautiful than any models I had seen in my past life to me. The curves which showed of her hip and lightly muscles stomach, her smooth but strong legs, and her c.h.e.s.t proving her own arousal as her light pink n.i.p.p.l.es stood up on their own. She looked at my body made for combat with yearning. My tightly packed muscles in full view and her fingers feeling my scars, adding to feeling of being a man who had been tested and triumphed, with my loose hair flowing down my back and over my shoulder almost making me look wild and untamed.

    We could see the d.e.s.i.r.e in each other''s eyes, and as we were about to touch our last pieces their was a sudden knock on the door and we both bolted upright in surprise and hurry. We both quickly looked for our clothes and were trying to put them on at record speed as the steamy atmosphere disappeared.

    "Who is it?" I called out.

    "Young Master Aedan, it''s Tilly. I am so sorry that Tilly is such a useless house-elf, but she can''t come into the young masters room and had to knock. Tilly is so ashamed, but the mistress won''t let me be punished." Cried out a very depressed Tilly. But that is my fault, cause when our session was starting, I kinda threw down one of my elf blocker Runes to not get a sudden interruption.

    "It''s not your fault Tilly. I was testing my original rune and it''s made to stop elf magic. I didn''t know you would need to talk to me so urgently. It''s not your fault ok." I said to the house-elf through the door.

    "It''s not Tilly''s fault?" I could here her perk up in hope.

    "No. It''s not Tilly''s fault at all. My rune just did a very good job." I said and as I noticed Victoria was dressed but with her hiding her bra quickly, I cracked the door to see a now very relived Tilly.

    "Ooh, the young master is just so naughty! Making poor Tilly think she was a bad house-elf with his new rock!" She then said in a scolding manner.

    "I''m sorry Tilly. I''ll tell you next time I''m testing them alright?" I said with a small smile and an apologetic tone. "So how come you wanted to come in?"

    "The mistress said it''s almost time for breakfast and then to open the presents." She informed after remembering why she had came and quickly left to continue with her duties.

    I looked at Victoria with a wry smile which she matched and we then dressed ourselves properly. But before we left i approached her.

    "Too bad. I already had my favorite present right here." I said as I gave her a deep kiss, leaving her face flushed and a little breathless.

    "Mmm. It is too bad. I was just about to unwrap a large present myself." She responded with as she gave me a very seductive look and walked away, tempting me with her swaying h.i.p.s.

    I shook my head with a smile and followed after her.

    The breakfast was a warm affair as usual, with Susan excitedly talking about how cool it was that the dueling club was happening and that my new broom was awesome. She somehow managed to not mention the whole petrification thing which was odd, but I myself didn''t want to worry aunt Amelia so I kept quiet. Aunty did keep giving some sort of smile to me and Victoria though, causing her to blush and me to smile wryly at the woman''s ability to tell what we were doing. Susan stayed oblivious though, as far as I knew anyway.

    The gift giving was pleasant as we made each other happy. Victoria got me a beautiful leather notebook, made from dragon leather and enchanted to be water proof and fire proof. I got her an old copy of an Ancient healing spells and remedies book I successfully tracked down, getting a nice reward a bit later.

    ''Wonder how The trio is going to feel about the gifts I sent them?'' I thought to myself as we finished opening all the gifts.

    -in the Gryffindor common room.

    They opened their gifts from family and friends, when they noticed three more presents under the tree. Ron curiously grabbed them and was surprised.

    "It''s for us!" He said aloud.

    "But who''d send us presents? Especially now?" Asked Harry with some confusion.

    "Maybe it''s someone trying to pull something. Be careful." Said Hermione, thinking it might be a prank.

    "It says it''s from Aedan Bones. All three of them!" The added Ron as he found the sender and intended receivers.

    "Aedan sent a present for us? Really?" Asked Harry as a happy smile spread on his face.

    "Yeah mate. This ones for Hermione." He said as he handed the bushy haired girl a medium sized box.

    She opened it with curiosity and saw a note and a notebook.

    ''Dear Hermione,

    Knowledge is the key to many solutions, but creativity can let you solve them all. This is a copy of a book I will be publishing during the summer. It''s a bit advanced for you since you haven''t taken Arithmancy yet, but I think you''ll enjoy it.

    Your friendly senior and fellow know-it-all,

    Aedan Bones.''

    She read the message out loud and opened the book as quick as she could. Flipping through page after page. What she saw confused her, but she read some descriptions and realized what this was.

    "This is a book filled with modified spells! He improved every spell in this book and I think there''s at least every spell we''d learn in first and second year in it!" She shouted in great shock, to the two boys who became slack-jawed. They then looked at their own presents.

    Ron went first, he knew that he and Aedan had a more distant relationship than what Harry and Hermione had with him, but he was still excited.

    He opened it and saw a note, an envelope and and book. Although he was curious, he decided to read out his note as well.

    ''Dear Ronald,

    I know we''ve had bumps, but we can always improve. I know you wish to be able to do great things. I also know your family has many difficulties. But I hope these small gifts of mine can help you take a step forward. If not only for yourself, then for those who wish for you to succeed as well. A bit of effort put in the right place can change a great many things in this world, and in yourself.

    Yours, a senior who hopes you can duel next year,

    Aedan Bones.''

    He put the note away and opened the envelop first. Inside he found a voucher for one custom wand made by Ollivander, available starting July.

    "He got me a meeting to get a custom wand." He whispered to himself in a stunned manner.

    "That''s great Ron! You''ll finely get a new wand! Now open the other part!" Exclaimed Harry as he was happy for his friend.

    "Oh right!" Snapped out a dazed Ron as he took the wrapped book.

    It looked less like a formal book like Hermione''s and more like a personal notebook. So he opened it to see what it was about and on the first page he saw a title.

    ''Beginner to advanced dueling: how to fight like a true badass by Aedan Bones.''

    He flipped through it and found easy to understand instructions and training for how to become a true dueler, capable of standing proudly amongst them all. And at the end was a message.

    ''This is to inspire you Ronald. I made this to give you a chance to achieve dreams one sometimes believe they can''t achieve. But if you can follow this training guide, I can at least guarantee that you''ll make everybody proud of who you become, even yourself.''

    Ron actually felt very touched that someone would take their time and put in effort just for him. He rarely experienced this kind of focused attention because of how large his family his. His older brothers all got proper support and showed splendid results. Bill and Charlie were stars in Gryffindor when they went to school. Percy is on track to become the perfect ministry employee. Fred and George are always doing they''re own thing and getting into trouble or pranking him. And Ginny got all the attention because she''s the youngest and the only girl. But then he was there. Almost always overlooked and always an afterthought. It felt nice to have someone look at him and say you can be great too, here''s how to do it and the proper tool to do it with.

    Seeing his two friends get such perfect gifts from the senior who always seems to be helping Harry, he had high hopes for his own.

    Like the other two, it came with a book and a note.

    ''Dear Harry,

    You''ve been through a lot in life like I have, making me want to help you. You are a bright and kind boy, but you are lost and the turmoils of your life often leave you scrambling. I hope my gift can help you a bit. It is meant to show you that some curses are actually gifts that you just didn''t know how to use yet. So don''t give up, because better days will come. Take it from someone who knows.

    Yours, a senior who guides those who are lost,

    Aedan Bones.''

    Harry felt a strange connection when he saw that even someone as gifted and bright as Aedan suffered in his life as well. He already knew that they''d lost their parents in very similar manners and suffered at the hands of others. He''s never went into any details, but he''d seen some of his scars and it was enough to give him a hint.

    Harry then opened the gift and saw an old book, written in a weird lettering. He tried to read it out loud and found that its title was ''Healing for the gifted ones''.

    "Why did you suddenly speak in parseltongue Harry!" Then exclaimed Ron from behind me.

    "But I just read the books title. I didn''t even see a snake! How could I be talking to one!" He exclaimed in his defense.

    "Harry! Open the book to see if there''s anything to explain it." Suddenly interrupted Hermione.

    Agreeing, he quickly opened the book and saw a second note, which he opened in a hurry.

    ''Hiya Harry.

    I realized I never told you why I''d be jealous of your ability to speak parseltongue, well this is why. This book is one of the only translated copies of spells written in the language. All the way from India these are. These are all healing and protection spells said in the snakes tongue. It is more powerful and more effective. This is what I meant when I said a curse is sometimes actually a gift. In India people with your gift are the most respected and powerful healers. I hope this helps.

    Aedan.''

    "Harry, this book is impossibly rare. I can''t even guess how he got it or even how much such a thing would cost." Said a blown away Hermione.

    "There are loads of parselmouths in India! How come we get all the nutters and they get the healers?" Exclaimed Ron.

    "He got this... for me?" Harry asked aloud, not really believing it.

    "I think he wanted you not to just believe you were a freak Harry. He does that doesn''t he? Always tries to give people the best path they can take." Said Hermione to the boy with a gentle smile.

    "Yeah. He really is great isn''t he?" He then said to the others as they nod in agreement.

 Chapter 79 - Ch. 79 How to make money and memories

    But with the holidays came my bi-annual report from all of my ventures.

    My legitimate face has been doing well. BonesWorks has been stabilizing in the market as many look to it for work supplies and communication needs.

    I am actually in the middle of completing negotiations with the other ministries in Europe: France, Italy, Germany and Bulgaria. They want to have my stores products available urgently. I think I underestimated the appeal of my deskwork quill, it''s been even more popular than the vanishing box. This requires extensive negotiations about some incentives they offered and the fact that I need to build my own logging supply to have everything connected to each other properly. I also give priority employment to those in need of it, so they need to accept that, but it''s not so hard after seeing the data I gave out. And to avoid any future annoyances like the next ministers trying to renegotiate when my facilities are set up there, or if they start being d.i.c.ks after voldycunt is back, I made them vow on the ministry itself when we signed the contract. I basically assured that as long as my business runs fairly and legally, they can never take it. And if they even try and mess with the legally part, that will not end well for them. Just stopping greedy dumbasses before they happen.

    The vaccine testing has shown extraordinary results so far. We''ve seen no signs of rejection from any volunteers so far and the excitement over this has been very high. Three of the original successes have also started to transform again after 4 months of not taking any sort of potions and the others and the other 3 lasted 5 months, making the bench mark results phenomenal. We have also found that only one of the original test recipes had noticeable side effect in those injected with it, but it was only an increase in aggression even during the day for about a month after they had received it, after which nothing has happened.

    The production and advertis.e.m.e.nt for the Firebolt and Blackbolt were already underway. The various ministries of the world were already going through with tests they would put it through to certify the brooms officially and let them be sold and ridden legally. Some are already trying to place advanced orders for the brooms and we''ve been contacted by the department of magical games to sponsor teams in the UK. I''ve been delegating that to Randolph since he is the one who wanted his name to ring out within the world of brooms and Quidditch.

    My other sides businesses are showing great signs as well.

    Breaking Grounds has started to expand in other countries and begun with France. I think Tim wants to show off over there a bit because they rejected his ideas there too. We''ve been getting many people challenging our potions and it has created a boom within the industry, especially when an even better reward was set for the creation of new potions. Waves are constantly happening in the field as people are traveling to find new grounds to break. It made me happy that such things were happening.

    Natural Cultivation has meet great success in all of its projects involving magical beings. The Merpeople run underwater farm has been going well, with a steady supply of aquatic herbs and material exchanged for whatever they would need. We''ve built up a proper relationship of trust between our farms and their tribe, which has apparently allowed them to grow well since they''ve done so and some other merpeople have voiced a d.e.s.i.r.e to join in. The centaur helped Herbology paradise island has slowly but surely shown progress. The centaurs and our herbologists are starting to show respect for one another as they interact more with each other, and since none of this involves messing with fate, they are usually fine with talking. They''ve requested some more herbivores be introduced to the island as well as some predators in the hopes of forming a proper ecosystem on the island, but we''ve been negotiating that one. You need to be very careful when you introduce animals to new environments. I really don''t want the project to end up being like Australia''s cane toad infestation.

    Fortress Protection and Geri''s own underground merc force The Dark Moon, are making quite the name for themselves. I''ve told Oliver that he should try and branch out of the country, which led us to Egypt and Bulgaria. We''ve decided to focus on Bulgaria because it would give a true battlefield test for anyone stationed there, allowing them to fight Dark wizards, dangerous vampires and werewolves, foreign wizards, general criminals and creatures. It will forge them through fire. Geri''s forces will focus on Britain. I want her to be my eyes and ears in the underground world, while helping me with the werewolves I''ve got employed. Both are making a good amount of money, but I''m letting Dark Moon keep it as they need dirty money to not look suspicious, while I can just fund Fortress if anything happens. There was a funny incident where Dark Moon was tasked to attack a business protected by Fortress, ending up with Geri and Oliver having to plan out how to basically make a movie fight happen between their two groups.

    The Herald has slowly surpassed the Prophet in terms of sales and subscribers, something everyone was very happy to celebrate. Its reputation was just too solid compared to the many years of corrupted reporting the opponent has been putting out there. It doesn''t help that we''ve taken in almost every actual journalist, editor and writer who actually wanted to do solid journalism from them. Of course we make sure everything is up to standard. I would rather have less to say than bullshit in the Herald. We also accept donations, but if anyone tries to influence the content then get out. Advertis.e.m.e.nts are welcomed, but we will research your product so make sure it is good or it will end up being the opposite of an ad. I''ve actually sent my editor-in-chief Julian two stories for him to print out on my word: Lucius blackmailing the board of directors and Lockhart being an outright criminal. Just waiting for the right moment.

    The Muggle Toy Box has actually been an interesting thing to read about. It''s the only business I''m not completely involved with because of its very nature. Arthur Norm would be it''s head researcher as he brings himself and likeminded individuals, to follow in the steps I''ve taken with the CD player, Calculator, Voice Recorder and GameBoy. So they''ve been tinkering with more technology to bring to the wizarding world. They are currently working on home game consoles/functioning TV, portable radios and better cameras. I''m looking forward to what they do.

    The FIRM center will hold off on its expansions until my other businesses can establish themselves in the targeted countries. It will then do what it can to recreate some of the effects felt in Britain, but every one has its own history and political which will certainly make things difficult. But my dreams lay in magical Britain, and if things get great here, then it should set an example for others.

    Overall, as I spend money to invest in my businesses I am still making more than I''m spending by a lot. Even if I calculate all the salaries and benefits I offer across the board, my vaults keep filling at unbelievable speeds. I even made some goblins jealous at how much gold I was making.

    As everything was basically on auto-pilot for me anyway, I decided to spend more time relaxing with my family. I only have 2 1/2 years until Voldemort returns and I want to make happy memories with everyone properly.

    So I spent some time helping Susan finish her homework quickly and took her out with Victoria to have fun on the muggle side of things. I used a credit card under Scotts name to really experience muggle luxury. I took the girls to high-end stores for them to buy as they please. Brought them to a spa which they absolutely loved.

    ''I don''t remember if I''ve ever heard of a wizard spa. With the beauty products and proper enchantments one could make a place of otherworldly relaxation.'' I thought to myself as I was getting a massage.

    After that I brought them to have a high class meal for the novelty. It''s not like we were out of place too. We were wearing new designer clothes, were properly educated magical nobles, except for Susan who was still less m.a.t.u.r.e, Victoria and I had auras of nobility and superiority making many treat us properly even with our age. It was pretty interesting seeing nervous shopkeepers or waiters in our presence, I could feel Victoria get a bit giddy at the sight. Like predator before its prey. The supper was fantastic and we decided to head to the cinema to finish the evening off. I kept giving Victoria sneaky kisses or grabs, which she reciprocated playfully as we watched the movie. Felt a bit wrong doing this during Aladdin, but I just kept the mentality of being ahead of my time since Netflix and chill isn''t a thing yet.

    It was a wonderful day of luxury for the three of us and I got a smile from aunty when she saw how happy the two girls were.

    I spent time with Amelia simply talking. We would sit in the common room and talk as she drank some Firewhisky to relax. Talk about school, the Ministry, some funny events in both, scandals, rumors, memories of when Susan and I still lived at home, and I let her talk about the lost members of the Family. She talked about my uncle and aunt, Susan''s father and mother, how they were when they went to school, fell in love and got married before the war. She told me about how they would bravely stand against Voldemort and even during those times he wasn''t afraid to live. He was so happy when Susan was born that he tried to thrown a party apparently. He sounded like a fun guy. She also told me stories about my parents, whom I obviously didn''t know, but I respected, so I listened and memorized their tale. It was one of love and struggle to marry due to mom being muggle-born and dad being the heir, until they convinced my grandfather to accept their feelings and then I came along as the next generation. But she also told me about how she felt about the order of the Phoenix as her glasses of Firewhisky got to her.

    "Although Dumbledore is a brilliant and powerful wizards, he is too respected. And when he and his order decided to never kill the death eaters in combat, many Aurors and Hit Wizards followed suit. This resulted in the death eaters almost never losing any of their numbers for long and making casualties rise in the Ministry and even his Order. And to my great regret, that was my last conversation with my brothers. I argued that things were getting worse and to keep going as we were would only led to all of us dying, but neither were budging so i stormed away. They followed the man and believed in him until death. And I''ve always regretted not being able to help those two fools. I just hoped I could do right by you and Susan, but I''m always gone and nothings changed. I''m always away when i should be here, treasuring all that I have left from them." She started to get too emotional as she was tearing up in frustration at herself.

    "You know Aunty, I know you sometimes talk to their portrait. But I want to let you know that although there were times when Susan and I could feel lonely, we never believed you were doing wrong by us. We were the ones who felt guilty for putting so much strain on you. We were so thankful for you being there to take us in and loving us that we wanted to do something for you. That''s why I took over most of the duties of a lord. That''s one of the reasons why I''m hell bent on making BonesWorks name resound in the magical world. It''s why I''m so openly showing off, to make you see how well you raised me. Susan herself is well on her way to becoming a potions master in all honesty as her grades and abilities in the field are beyond fantastic. So please don''t blame yourself. Fights will happen, but you''ve more than shown how sorry you are Aunty. We love you and cannot begin to say thank you enough for all you put yourself through for us. And if I can be completely honest, to us you are the closest thing to a mother we can imagine, so look at who we become because of you and feel proud, and never ashamed. Because we will never let you be ashamed of us." I say as she starts to have tears of gratitude, relief, happiness, fulfillment and probably with a lot of memories behind them, running down her face as she lets everything out properly.

    "Thank you Aedan. And just so you know. You and Susan are very much like my own children. I love the two of you as well." She said gently as she wiped her tears away and we silently kept each other company.

 Chapter 80 - Ch. 80 A Valentine

    With my time with my family coming and going quickly, and a few private sessions with Tory, it was now time for the three of us to return to Hogwarts.

    From what I can remember, the golden trio should have made the polyjuice potion since I saw them in Myrtle''s bathroom so much on the map and sneaked into the Slytherin common room. I''ll check to see if Hermione is half cat at the moment.

    I caught up with my two other friends in the train and Hogwarts was once again in sight as we returned to our home away from home.

    The first thing I did when I got back was head to the infirmary with Tory. She wanted to say hello Madam Pomfrey since she is her healing instructor and thought it would be polite to do so, while using the same excuse, except that I''m more of a former protege turned colleague. But yeah, time to see kitty Hermione.

    We walked in and immediately Poppy was on us.

    "Ah! Aedan, Victoria, come and help me with this case. I don''t know what Ms. Granger has done to herself, but I want your opinions on the matter." She said as we approached the bed with the curtains drawn.

    She revealed what was essentially a human shaped cat. It had the general height, frame and body type of Hermione, but the facial features were almost completely like a cats. Hermione was know covered in hair, with a cats nose and eyes, with the cat ears so many wish for, but it just wasn''t cute like this.

    "Morgana''s locks, is that the little girl you''re always helping Aedan?" Said a very surprised Victoria.

    "Hmm. It would appear so. I know I told you to be creative during the holidays, but I didn''t think you''d take it this far. You''re even giving me firsts now." I said with a little chuckle to tease the cat girl. Which seems to work as she groans with embarrassment and fidgets as she wants to hid her face from someone she genuinely admires.

    "Any ideas Aedan? I''ve tried everything I could think of, but nothing''s working. And just like Mr. Weasley from last year, she is adamant that she doesn''t know what went wrong." Madam Pomfrey explained in disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e.

    "I have a few thoughts, none great. Madam Pomfrey, do we have any cases on either human-transfiguration or botched animagus attempts?" I asked with a serious face.

    "Hmmm. Maybe. I think I remember something like that being mentioned in 1865, or was 1685? I''ll go check the records." She muttered to herself before making her declaration and leaving quickly.

    "Tory, this is going to be a private talk and I''ll fill you in later ok? I need to have a honest chat with the girl." I say gently as I turn to her.

    "Alright, but if you don''t tell me it''s going to cost you." She answered with a grin.

    "Thanks. Don''t worry I''m not tempting fate." I reply with a chuckle as she nods and departs.

    "So. Polyjuice potion with cat hair. Not the best course of action to turn oneself into an animal." I simply stated with a smile and get a look of utter shock.

    "How?!" Was all she managed to ask.

    "Obviously because I know such a useful potion in, out and backwards. I''ve even improved it. Took way too long to brew. But yeah, that''s besides the point missy. Very illegal and how''d you even get the ingredients in the first place?" I say in response and ask a question I know the answer to already.

    "Got it from Snape''s stores." Murmured a very ashamed Hermione.

    "Impressive and very gutsy. Now I know why he was being an extra large git before the holidays. Gave him eight times the amount of homework for that." I say with a large smile on my face.

    "You can''t say that about a professor!" She exclaimed in horror.

    "Oh don''t get me wrong. The man is a true master in potions, but he''s a shit teacher and acts like a git." I say with an even larger smile.

    "So, since this was very illegal, and very dangerous, what should I do with you Hermione?" I asked her half-seriously.

    "I deserve what happened to me. This why you shouldn''t break the rules. I made such a stupid mistake." She said with her ears down and sounding like she was about to cry.

    "You do realize that I said I brewed the potion all the time right? I told you I was doing something technically illegal myself." I say, getting her to perk up but be confused.

    "I''ve also said I''ve improved it right? Well i also did it for the reversal potion. I was trying to figure out Thief''s downfall, but then I got inspired. So are you willing to be my first true tester of my polyjuice eraser?" I asked with a smile while fishing out a bottle from my bottomless pouch.

    That was half a lie. I did actually study thief''s downfall. I received a sample from the goblins as we were doing business and showed interest in the stuff. It''s so useful. Dispels any control, disguise or cloaking magic. Washes away any potions effect on a person body. I got it from the king for my birthday when I was 10, and boy were they surprised when I improved its complexity even further and boosting its concentration. So it was now twice as difficult to decipher and they only needed to use half to get the same effect. I also used it it improve the polyjuice removal potion, but I made this one specifically for the situation.

    "Really? This will turn me back?" She asked hopefully.

    "This ones got an 80% chance, but if it doesn''t work I''ll just have to brew a cat specific reversal potion and that''ll do the trick." I reassure the girl

    She hesitantly took the potion in her hands, took a deep breath and chugged the whole thing like a champ.

    With a look of disgust at the taste one usually has when drinking potions, her body slowly started to change. Her fur was receding, the cat ears disappeared, her eyes and nose returned to their usual shapes and colors. And finally Hermione was back, so I gave her a mirror to check herself out. She took it with some fear, but looked at herself after a few seconds and was relieved to see herself.

    "Thank you Aedan! I''m so glad I won''t have to look like that until it wore off." She said gratefully.

    "No problem Hermione. It''s impressive you brewed the potion without blowing yourselves up, but try to do it properly next time alright? And as a heads up, don''t think about stealing from Snape again. He is a very cautious man and has most likely put up a lot of security after he''s found out someone stole from him." I advise seriously. She nods furiously in agreement.

    "Alright. I''ll go tell a fake reason I could change you back quickly, Madam Pomfrey will check you over for a while, but you should be able to get out in a day or two so sit tight." I say as I ruffle her bushy hair playfully and take my leave.

    I explained that it was an advanced version of self-transmutation to increase ones abilities temporarily, but a mishap happened. Fortunately I am very skilled in the field and was able to get her in order. With that story in place, I left and started the rest of the semester. From what I know, no new attacks will happen for a while, so normal school time.

    The most noticeable change for me was obviously the dueling club. Professor Flitwick And I took turn overseeing the two rooms we had decided to renovate for the club. One was the dueling arena. A room filled with standard fencing-like dueling platforms surrounding a real dueling ring, with each one properly warded to stop stray or deflected spells, and with some spectator or guest seats for people who wanted to watch or wait for their friends. The second was a practice room. It was kind off like the RoR''s version when I started practicing. We had a dozen moving practice dummies, a shooting range for accuracy and spell strength training, bookshelves filled with materials on the art and I actually got a pensieve with a collection of dueling memories from an old dueler who had passed away and who''s things had been auctioned off. I was in charge of mostly teaching and supervising the kids from 4th year and below while the professor gave more advanced lessons in the art to 5th year and above. It worked well since I was old enough and respected amongst the younger kids, especially after that display we did, as it had giving the kids a lot of respect for the basics.

    And so with a new addition to my schedule, I settled into my routine. Splitting my time between training, classes, friends, Exchange, club and ritual magic research. The last one getting me some good results as the possibility of success rose the more I polished it, making me believe I should be able to present the finished form by the end of the year to the Headmaster. I made the man a promise and I would keep it. I was developing an impossible ritual for anyone else to actually survive unless they were like me, life bonded with a phoenix. It was in nature, a neutral ritual and hoped it would help the man not reject it instinctively.

    Harry actually came and thanked me for my gift, saying it made him feel a lot better about his parseltongue and that he promised to study it when he was good enough to learn the spells in it. Ronald was the biggest surprise for me. He became very determined to follow the training advice I had written in my book for him. He started to run in the morning and put some effort into preparing his body to duel properly. To encourage his efforts, I often went with Christian to support the kid and help him persevere. Christian''s opinion still wasn''t good about the kid, but it was improving as Ronald kept trying. It is always helpful for someone like Ronald, who''s always been forgotten and finally finds something he''s willing to strive for, to be encouraged and have the idea that what he''s doing is good reinforced.

    Time passed and people began to think that the troubles plaguing the school were finally over, so with Lockhart telling everyone he somehow was responsible for it stopping and Valentine''s Day the next day, he decided to do something ridiculous like he''d done in the books: he dressed dwarves as Cupids and got them to sing and/or deliver messages. I for one was wondering where he''d gotten them. From what I knew, Dwarves are native beings from Germany, so how''d he do it? And how in the world did he convince them to do this crap?

    I was honestly annoyed at his behavior. It was even more annoying when they kept coming after me in waves, so I confunded them and made them believe all those letters were for Lockhart.

    ''He should like getting the attention right? Plus these girls never write mine or their names in these things. Always preferring to describe some physical characteristics and I''m certain the Narcissist will believe these descriptions will be about him.'' I thought to myself.

    I''d actually invited Victoria to the RoR to give her my Valentine''s Day gift. I had bought a large unpolished emerald and transfigured it into an amazingly detail rose made of the precious stone. Every bit of it was polished until the light hitting made rays of gentle green come out of the flower, the petals were all perfectly formed, looking so thin and delicate one might think they''d be able to pluck one, it even dance to movement or the wind as if a real flower. It was a true Emerald Rose I had enchanted to be near unbreakable, protected from most spells and it could even lightly give of a source of green light if one tapped it and said ''viridi lux''.

    "It''s beautiful Aedan, and emeralds are becoming a bit of a theme with you aren''t they?" She lightly teased with a tender smile as she c.a.r.e.s.sed the rose.

    "What can I say? I love your beautiful green eyes Tory and I believe that emeralds are their only match." I say as I lift her chin up gently and gaze into her eyes.

    "That is probably one of the cheesiest things I''ve ever heard." She giggled, but was happy with her mans compliment. "But you still deserve a reward." She said with a seductive smile.

    We then proceeded to make out in the RoR for the next half-hour, not caring about anything else but the taste of each other''s lips as we groped every part of one another''s bodies. But as much as we wanted to go further, we restricted ourselves to that much. Having a full on n.a.k.e.d make out session would be impossible with us needing to attend our duties and the need to keep our relationship secret for now. So although we both yearn for each other, we are also calm and understanding individuals. That''s one of the reasons I try so hard to be there and give her the best I can. I know how hard what I asked of her is and i feel guilty. So I show my love how I can.

 Chapter 81 - Ch. 81 Trust

    With that annoying and good day passed, it was time for the years crescendo to begin. Harry was becoming twitcher the more time he spent with Riddle''s diary, Ron wasn''t too worried, and Hermione was close to figuring out that a Basilisk was the creature responsible for the attacks in the school.

    To prepare for the inevitable confrontation, I had Scott send me a clear recording of a roosters cry. It won''t kill the giant snake, but it should cause fear and pain. I''ve also asked Sol to give me a few tears just in case someone gets a dose of Basilisk poison.

    My days passed busily, but peacefully. My weekdays were filled with polishing my ritual, teaching dueling, running the Exchange, holding my DADA ''review'' class, and fulfilling my duties as Head Boy. Because no new incidents had occurred, students were no longer fearful and the norm returned to the castle. With the dueling club in place, conflicts became a lot more controlled. The fact that people could now challenge each other legitimately, gave a valid outlet for students to pour their grievances against one another. It reduced bullying, some types of rule breaking were reduced, it boosted many students d.e.s.i.r.es to learn more skills in class and outside of it. As a whole, the dueling club has had a very positive impact on the quality of life in the school.

    On a side note, our idiot of a DADA Professor still believes my ''review'' is all about him. It''s becoming increasingly ridiculous to watch the man strut around like a majestic peac.o.c.k, when he''s basically a gilded chicken at most. He was also over the moon at receiving so many letters during Valentine''s Day that he decided to cut homework for a week, and since his homework assignments are usually all about how he defeated one creature or another, it was nice to have to do them. Even if I cheat with my quill.

    Time passed, and it seemed that as May finally came along, it was time for things to begin.

    The castle had once again been struck with fear as Hermione and Penelope Clearwater both became petrified. I could have stopped it sure, but this will let Harry follow the clues he''s meant to. These adventures do more than make him learn about his and Tom''s pasts. They teach him how to hunt for clues, look for secrets, heal his psychological trauma''s and reinforce his positive qualities. They are things that he needs to face in order to grow into a proper chosen one. I know I''m acting like Dumbledore, but I''ll at least do what I can to help him along the way more.

    Some time after this new attack, I received my notice that the years events would end soon.

    "Aedan Bones, the Headmaster wants to see you." A sixth year students from my house told me during my Charms class.

    "Alright. Sorry Professor, I''ve got to go." I said to the mini professor.

    "Oh, I think I can handle teaching without your assistance. You go ahead and have a nice chat with the Headmaster." He answered in his happy tone of voice as usual.

    I left quickly after giving Christian and Victoria a nod to tell them it''s ok before I did.

    Arriving at the man''s office door, I knocked. I don''t get many chances to actually knock on the door since he always tells people to come in when they reach it, or I just go in when called for. But I could sense people and it wasn''t good to be impolite.

    "Come in Mr. Bones." Invited the old man in a lighthearted manner.

    ''Mr. Bones huh. So that means he doesn''t want people to know our friendly relationship and that these are people he doesn''t really trust. Also means I have to be polite and formal.'' I thought as I opened the door.

    As I expected, the Minister had come. He was wearing quite a ridiculous outfit today: a pinstriped suit, a scarlet tie, a long black cloak, and pointed purple boots. Under his arm he carried a lime-green bowler. He looked very nervous to be here.

    "Hello Mr. Bones, thank you for coming so quickly." Greeted the old man with a smile.

    "No problem at all Headmaster. It is good to see you again Minister. We haven''t had the chance to talk since that ball a year and a half ago. I hope we can speak to each other more in the future, especially with my shop providing so many supplies to the Ministry itself." I say with a smile and ''sincere'' tone, the one for politics.

    "Ah, yes indeed. The ministry has been very happy with your products. Even helped with my work don''t you know." He said awkwardly as he didn''t know how to face me.

    ''Understandable since the last time I was near the man his Undersecretary almost lost her job and he looked like he''d seen a ghost when I was introduced.'' I thought as I looked over the cowardly man.

    "What I can I do for you sir?" I then ask as I turn my attention back to the Headmaster.

    "It seems the Minister wishes to take Hagrid into temporary custody since he is said to be the one responsible for opening the Chamber 50 years ago-" Dumbledore started to say.

    "You can''t tell this to a students Albus!" Interrupted a very nervous Fudge.

    "No need to worry Minister, young Mr. Bones actually already knows about this. He is exceedingly bright and researched it on his own." Reassured the Headmaster with his grandfatherly smile.

    "I understand. The Ministry cannot allow this to keep happening so they want to prove that they are on the issue. Truly the right political move. But surely you won''t send a man, who was pardoned and has lived the last 50 years without any law breaking, to Azkaban just for safety reasons yes? This seems to be an unjust punishment when no evidence points to the man." I said with a ''troubled'' tone as I look to the minister. "How would it look to the people? The Ministry can send you to Azkaban at any time because of a past offense, with no trial or evidence as a precaution. The backlash would be tremendous."

    "Wha-what do you mean? The Ministry can''t be seen doing nothing!" Fudge nervously raised his voice as his face lost all color at the picture I just painted for him.

    "Of course it can''t Minister. I am completely on your side here." I answer seriously as I ''reassure'' the man with a kind smile. "But we can ask the man to cooperate peacefully and send him to a secure environment until evidence of his guilt or innocence has been collected. This way the Ministry is doing what it can in its investigation of the issue and you will appear just as you uphold fairness."

    "Yes...yes! That is perfect! I get what I need to keep those people of my back and you, Albus, won''t have to worry about the man. But where could we put him? The only cells in use are in Azkaban." Pondered the minister seriously because this would actually be the best for everyone right now.

    "I''ve heard that Fortress protection has holding cells and I''m sure if they are simply compensated for the issue they will be more than happy to cooperate. I''ll even ask a contact I have in the company to see if everything could be handled properly." I finally say as i give him the final push.

    "Yes! That would be perfect! Should I contact Madam Bones for this?" He then asked. That is actually a proper thought since it should logically be her that has the connection.

    "I will be more than enough. And I''m sure the Headmaster would be more than willing to help in this matter Minister." I say with a bright smile as I write a message and send it through my vanishing box to Scott. A few moments later he says it will be arranged.

    "And there you have it. Shall we sirs?" I say politely.

    "We shall Mr. Bones." Replied a happier Dumbledore. He also knew how much better this would be than Azkaban, and I made sure to tell them that the man was a friend, so they should treat him more like a guest than inmate.

    The three of us walk to Hagrid''s Hut, arriving quickly enough due to the Minister really wanting to get this over with. So they knock on the door and explain the situation to him.

    "Not Azkaban?" He asked in fright when he understood where this was going. He''d been there once, and no one wants to experience it again.

    "No, not Azkaban Hagrid." Reassured Dumbledore. "Young Mr. Bones has helped arrange a more suitable place for you to be in precautionary custody. As long as you cooperate peacefully you will not go anywhere near Azkaban, you have my word."

    The half-giant looked at me disbelieving what he just heard.

    "You''re a friend Hagrid. I can''t just let you go to that horrid place for something you didn''t do back then and certainly not now." I say gently to confirm the situation.

    "Oooh, thank you Aedan. You have no idea how horrible that place is!" He gratefully said as relief washed over him.

    "No problem Hagrid. I just hope we can resolve this issue once and for all. I''m also thinking that if Hagrid is once again innocent it shouldn''t be too much to ask for him to be allowed to carry a wand again, right Minister." I say, startling the both of them. "After all, he was falsely accused last time and it should have already happened.

    "Ye-yes, of course! No issue at all! Just a quick permit." He hurriedly answered.

    "Wonderful! So don''t you worry Hagrid, everything will be fine as long as you just cooperate ok?" I say to the large man.

    "O'' course I''ll do it! No way I''m no'' doin'' it." He exclaimed as he was almost crying.

    He instantly began to be condescending, greatly angering Hagrid with his presence and he was about to gleefully inform the Headmaster of his stupid success, but I decided to mess with him a bit.

    "Lord Malfoy! Such a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to see you again. I haven''t seen you since last summer and I''ve so wanted to talk business with you. After all, you are one of the ric.h.e.s.t men in Britain." I say ''enthusiastically'' as I greet the man.

    He instantly lost his sneer as he became displeased at being reminded of what happened.

    "What are you doing here young Heir Bones?" He asked through almost gritted teeth.

    "I''m just helping the Headmaster and Minister talk Hagrid into going into precautionary custody since he is my friend and I am Head Boy. But I must say I am surprised at your presence. You''ve always said you disapproved of the running of the school, so I am sure you''ve come to reassure the students that additional security measures are going to be taken yes? I''m sure the ill.u.s.trious Lucius Malfoy has come to protect all the students currently studying with his own son." I say with ''enthusiasm'' as I''m rubbing into his face that he''s doing something stupid and putting his own son in danger. Because even if he can''t stand Dumbledore, he can''t deny his strength and the safety he brings to the school.

    "Of course." He replies with a very harsh glare towards me before turning his attention back to the Headmaster and taking out a piece of parchment. "This is an order of suspension signed by all twelve of the school Governors. I''m afraid we feel you''re losing your touch. How many attacks have there been now? Two more this afternoon, wasn''t it? At this rate, there''ll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts, and we all know what an awful loss that would be to the school."

    And so Fudge and Hagrid began to argue about the stupidity of the decision until I spoke up.

    "Surely you''re not just taking away the most powerful wizard in Britain and not assigning anyone to replace him. The Governor''s truly care for the school and would never do such a thing without a proper plan in place, right Lord Malfoy? You must have talked to my aunt about assigning some Aurors. Or took at least a squad of hit wizards to patrol the halls. Or even hired protection from the new defense agency Fortress Protection. Because if not, as a student, Head Boy and Heir of a noble family, I will have to have the decision investigated and properly explained. To take away the Headmaster in a time of crisis, without any actual back up to fill the gap, would be foolish beyond measure and I would have to lodge a formal complaint with the board and Ministry for gross mismanagement of one of the most important institutions in our country. I will only be able to assume they are compromised and bring legal actions against the endangerment of the student body instead of its betterment." I say to the man with ''indignation'' and ''righteousness''.

    Lucius looks at me with downright hatred, Fudge with scared witless at the confrontation and Dumbledore is very serious at the moment as he thinks.

    "That will be enough Mr. Bones. If it is the Governors wish that I step aside, then I will of course step down." Dumbledore said as he looked into Malfoy''s grey eyes. "However, you will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." He added as he looked to where Harry and Ron were hiding for a split second.

    "And Mr. Bones, I trust you will continue to perform excellently." He said with a smile at me as Malfoy lead him away with a sneer.

    ''Really, like father like son. Both are obsessed with bringing down their own targets. No matter how stupid they act or what they have to do.'' I thought as I saw the gloating git.

    "Of course Headmaster. Everything will be as you left it when you return." I reply with a knowing smile.

    He nodded and left with Lucius, and Fudge leading Hagrid away after he loudly said: "If anyone wanted ter find out some stuff, all they''d have ter do would be ter follow the spiders. That''d lead ''em right! That''s all I''m sayin''." To the Ministers great confusion, but he just shrugged it off as he left.

    I just smile at the man''s ''subtlety'' and I almost laugh when he yells out that someone will have feed his dog.

    After everyone was leaving, I waited for them to get out of earshot and looked right where the two were hiding.

    "Good luck you two. I''m sure you''ll figure it out." I say with a bright smile as I exit the cabin and head back to the castle.

    ''Almost time for the final act.''

 Chapter 82 - Ch. 82 Little Voldy

    The next few days were incredibly tense. Most professors were incensed by the moronic actions of the governors. Although they added some security, it was only making matters worst. They weren''t even actively looking for anything, just locking down the castle to make it look like they''d be able to stop whatever was happening. Honestly, if they wanted to help they should have just added the security and left Dumbledore, but no, the idiots had to be blackmailed or are so pathetic that they couldn''t report Lucius threatening them. Honestly. It''s kind of sad.

    During this time, I was observing the movements from Harry, Ron and Ginny. The two boys went ahead and headed into the forbidden forest to meet Aragog. I actually followed them in my eagle form to make sure they wouldn''t get eaten by spiders, but the Ford Angelica they had crashed at the beginning of the school year saved them as written. This meant they now knew Hagrid wasn''t guilty for sure and that something else was responsible for what happened 50 years ago. Although Ron was completely horrified of the spiders, he still did better than I thought he would and instead of completely losing his wits, he was able to very nervously stand his ground.

    To the great relief of the student body, it was finally announced that the Mandrake Draught was finally going to be ready and that everyone would be cured of their petrification shortly.

    I watched and waited.

    I saw that the boys finally went to the infirmary, but as they finally get the answer they were looking for from their petrified friend, ''Ginny'' had finally moved. The new and most frightening message for everyone had been written.

    ''HER SKELETON WILL LIE IN THE CHAMBER FOREVER''.

    I had to take charge and make the students return to their dorms for safety reasons alongside the prefects. My own friends had become worried about this, but I couldn''t inform them. Yes they were strong, and getting stronger, but that is only relative to students. They would want to go after the beast, but they would die and I couldn''t let that happen. I could only train them more and once they''ve grown, then we will fight together.

    As I returned to my map, I finally saw the Harry, Ron and Lockhart head to the girls bathroom together. I knew I wouldn''t be able to see when they reach the chamber of secrets, but I asked Sol to keep an eyes on Fawkes and bring me to him after he''d left. An easy, efficient and downright fantastic way to make an entrance.

    But I knew what should happen. Even if Ron has been better, it is still completely reasonable to get distracted by a humongous snakeskin. And soon Lockhart would destroy his own memories. On that note, I''ve already told the Herald to run my two articles. The one about how Lockhart ''achieved'' so much, and how Lucius blackmailed and threatened the school Governors. I was going to get rid of half of those embezzling bastards, and that was what Lucius has on the blackmail victims. These people were talking away the money meant to educate the magical children of Britain. This will really hurt their authority. Honestly, only maybe three of the governors are actually interested in having the school run properly.

    ''I don''t care about Lockhart anymore because he isn''t a problem now, i just want people to realize what kind of man he is. But it will be fun to watch Lucius squirm, especially since as a result of his actions, a girl was almost immediately taken into the Chamber.'' I thought to myself with the devils smile in excitement.

    Then I was broken out of my thoughts by Sol''s appearance in my room.

    ''It''s about time. Let''s see what a Tom Riddle a year older than me can do.'' My smile widened even further at the thought.

    "Let''s go." I said to Sol as she grabbed my raised forearm and flamed me to the chamber of secrets.

    "Voldemort, is my past, present and future." Said the still handsome 16 year old Tom Riddle as he showed the origins of his future name.

    "You think I would keep my filthy muggle father''s name forever? I, in whose vains runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself, through my mother''s side? Did you think i would keep a filthy muggle who abandoned me before I was born, just because he found out my mother was a witch? No, I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak, as I had become the greatest sorcerer in the world." He proudly said to Harry.

    It did truly shock him when he had heard of Voldemort''s true origins. Abandoned in an orphanage, to grow up to be his parents and so many others killer.

    "You''re not." Harry said quietly as anger raged in him.

    "Not what!" Snapped an annoyed Riddle.

    "You''re not the greatest wizard in the world. Sorry to disappoint you, but the strongest in the world is Albus Dumbledore. Even when you were strong, you didn''t dare try to take over Hogwarts. He saw through you in school. And even now he frightens you, wherever you''re hiding these days-" Harry responded with bravado, but was interrupted.

    "Dumbledore was driven out by the mere memory of me!" Hissed the future dark lord in anger.

    "Not as gone as you might think!" Hoped Harry as he yelled.

    Before Tom could respond, the musical call of Fawkes resounded as he flew into the room and dropped the sorting hat at Harry''s feat. Harry felt like he was no longer alone, even if he didn''t know how the two could help, he felt braver. But Tom began laughing.

    "So this is what Dumbledore sends his greatest defender? A songbird and an old hat." He said in ridicule, but stopped quickly as a bright light suddenly burst out in the chamber and flames appeared out of nowhere, startling the two boys.

    Out of it walked a tall teen, wearing nicely tailored school robes perfectly showing is warriors physique, long ethereal silver hair hanging loosely to his h.i.p.s, a pair of flame like eyes which almost seemed like true fire, and an aura of a predator and true nobility forming a feeling of absolute awe.

    Aedan had arrived.

    "Not only those two little lordling. He trusted me!" He declared with authority.

    -Back to True POV

    "Aedan! You''ve got to help! Ginny''s going to die! That''s Voldemort! He''s the one responsible for what happened this year and to Hagrid!" He yelled out in great hurry.

    "We already knew he was responsible, only how was the question. But we''ll talk about that later Harry." I said calmly to the boy.

    "You! How are you here?" Asked a very surprised Tom.

    "Right, you''re here too." I said plainly like I forgot about the guy. I mean it always fun to ignore people who always see themselves as the most important or best thing since sliced bread.

    "How dare you ignore my presence. The heir of Salazar Slytherin. The greatest wizard who ever lived!" He hissed on predictable rage.

    "Pretty easily considering you''re quite delusional for a soul fragment. Can you even use that wand you took from Harry properly?" I simply mock the over inflated teens ego with a grin, getting Harry''s jaw to drop.

    I didn''t even get a response since he was feeling too humiliated and decided to fire a severing charm straight at me, which I just dodged.

    "Oh, is little Voldy not capable of shooting real spells in this form?" I say in a motherly tone, getting more spells thrown at me.

    "Aww that''s adorable. He doesn''t know how to fight properly." I keep dodging as I mock him.

    "No proper aim, sloppy technique, no power, boring combinations. No wonder the only thing you''re good at is the dark arts nowadays. It''s the only thing that made you any good at magic." I say, completely enraging the guy. It was pretty funny since I''m just dodging casually and he seemed to have forgotten about the Basilisk in his rage.

    "Look at you, not even able to think properly and you call yourself the greatest. I''m a year younger than this version of you Tommy boy and I''m still far above you." I add as he suddenly pauses and turns towards the great statue of Salazars face.

    "Harry, he''s about to bring his little pet out, so can you pull out that sword shining from the hat on the floor please. You''ll also need to stand behind me and not peak ok? I''ll take care of everything." I ask the boy nicely as he quickly does as I said, grabbing The Sword of Gryffindor and then running to stand behind me.

    Just in time as the Basilisks finally exits the mouth of the statue and Tom gains control of it through his parseltongue. I simply close my eyes and feel everything in the entire chamber in clear detail. To me, the world simply lost all color, retaining only the details I drew in my mind. Basically a black world were everything is drawn in a white pen, a reverse manga if you will.

    "Ha! Potter won''t be able to save you now! It only obeys me! Shiver in fear at Salazar Slytherin''s mighty creature!" He yelled out proudly, with some madness in his voice.

    "You do know i came down here knowing it was here right? And that I''m not stupid like you?" I asked with a mocking grin.

    "You dare mock me! You insult his great legacy! And you think closing your eyes will protect you?" He spat out in rage at my indifference and words.

    "Sigh. You''re really pathetic you know that? 50 years and nothing new or different to show for it. I know your a piece of soul preserved in the journal from that time, but I was still hoping for some form of progress. Also, how did you go from looking like that to a moldy egg? You honestly look ridiculous nowadays. Well whatever. Lumos." I simply said as an all encompassing light somehow burned Tom''s eyes and caused the Basilisk to reel back in pain.

    ''As I thought. A creature hibernating for 800 years, only being let out at night and never seen any light level more than its underground chamber would be very s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e to it. But Tom''s a soul, so how does that work?'' I thought with a smile as the question popped into my head.

    And as everyone was distracted, I finally used my enchanted dagger and shot it right into the mouth of the thrashing creature, immediately making it shoot through its brain, rattle around and killing it. I made it fly back into its sheath in the blink of an eye as any fluid stayed behind due to its great speed and a loud crash could be heard as the basilisks body collapsed with its mouth still open in pain.

    "Harry I need you to stab the now dead Basilisk in the roof of its mouth. You need to coat the blade with poison to destroy the diary. That should save Ginny and get ride of Volderling over there." I instructed calmly.

    It took him some time to process what happened. Understandable since the terrifying and extremely dangerous Basilisk, was dead in mere moments in front of me. But he still nodded and ran towards it resolutely.

    "Nooooooo! How dare you! How dare you kill Salazar''s beast! I will kill you, you filthy half-breed!" He shouted in absolute hate as he stared at the snake.

    He shot spell after spell, trying in vain to hit me as I could see through him immediately.

    ''I doubt this was his actual strength as a student, it''s far too low to get the best grades ever before I came along. And it also seems that it did hamper him a lot to not learn proper dueling during his time at the school. But let''s finish this farce.'' I thought to myself. I did want to see how I actually measured against Tom when he was in school. I knew it wouldn''t actually be a challenge because of all my gifts, but I wanted to see his magical skills. And I had. Now it''s over.

    "That''s funny coming out of the mouth of the son of a muggle and a squib." I say with a chuckle, making him freeze at what I just said. One of his darkest secrets. Easily letting me disarm him.

    "Well that was easy. Thanks for showing me what your were in school. It gives me a benchmark." I say with a grin.

    "How did you... how dare you!" He started to yell, but in that moment Harry pieces the sword of Gryffindor through the diary. "Aaarrgh!!! Noooo!!!!" He then screamed out in horror and pain as his form collapsed and the diary spirit was no more.

    After a few moments Ginny woke up and started confessing and profusely apologizing for everything she''d had done. Harry not being poisoned was just there in a daze as the young girl cried in his arms.

    "Hug her and make her feel safe you dunderhead." I whispered to the boy as I borrowed Snape''s favorite word.

    He did so with some embarrassment, but he was soon getting the hang of it. I then turned my attention to the Basilisk corpse and approached it. Taking out my specially prepared vials I took all the venom the creature had in it, filling up over thirty of the things. I then took out my knife and very carefully extracted its eyes, avoiding any damage on them.

    ''I timed my appearance perfectly to not let Fawkes ruin these beauties. Not letting them go~'' I thought while doing the work.

    "Um, Aedan what are you doing?" Asked Harry, surprised at my actions.

    "Don''t you know how rare this stuff is! I''ll be able to do so many fun experiments with this!" I say with a lot of excitement, something Harry has actually gotten use to during his summer visits. He knows how I am around new things.

    I finished getting the urgent parts and back away from it''s corpse.

    ''I''ll come back for you later.'' I thought with a smile. I then cleaned my robes thoroughly and turned to the two kids.

    "Let''s get Ron and head on out of here shall we. I''m sure Dumbledore will have returned to the castle by now." I say with a bright smile and happy tone.

 Chapter 83 - Ch. 83 Ordinary Wizarding Level

    Before I let Harry and Ginny go, I had something to say to them.

    "You two, I need you to promise me something." I said to them seriously.

    They looked at me, then each other, then back me and nodding.

    "I don''t want you to tell anyone I was here tonight. You can tell Dumbledore when you''re alone with him, but no one else. I wasn''t here at all. I spent my night in my room. Any and all rewards will be for you and I honestly do not mind that. My own reward will be the Basilisk. That''s what I want you two to promise. Can you do that?" I asked seriously as I looked into their eyes.

    They hesitated of course. They were good kids and knew how to be grateful. They were also too honest for their own good though.

    "But why? You took down a Basilisk and Voldemort." Asked a very confused Harry.

    "That''s the very reason. I do not want dangerous people to know what I can really do. No one can know I am that dangerous myself. I want them to believe I am an extremely skilled student for now. Maybe after next year I''ll be able to really show what I can do, but not now. So, can you promise to help me?" I asked again.

    This time they both nodded, although reluctantly.

    "Good. Fawkes will be able to get the four of you out of here with ease. And yes I knew about Lockhart as well. I''ve got Sol. No mentioning her either you two. To anyone. Dumbledore already knows since we''ve discussed grooming tips on the matter." I instruct the young Gryffindors.

    "See ya kids." I say as Sol and I are enveloppes in flames and disappear.

    So with a flash I was back in my room.

    "It was fun messing with the egotistical brat version of Voldemort. I will need to work hard to get through my third maturation do so with the real one. Only two years left. But first, let''s demolish the OWL''s." I say to myself as I pet Sol and give her treats as thanks for helping me tonight.

    I get out of my robes and get a well deserved sleep after having to deal with canon events all year.

    ''It was so much easier to just have school. How did all the kids that had to deal with this crap happening their entire education even make it through it?'' I wondered as I drifted to sleep.

    I made it to the Great Hall with Christian after our morning exercises. Ron did understandably skip today, due to last nights stressful events, his sisters mortal peril, family issues and general relief that it was over made one very tired. And during breakfast the morning paper came to bring even more of a storm across Hogwarts.

    ''GILDEROY LOCKHART: FAME STEALER EXTRAORDINAIRE.

    LUCIUS MALFOY: THREATS AND BLACKMAIL

    MICHEAL FOLSTER FUND FOR EQUAL EDUCATION''

    Three big pieces of news were plastered on today''s edition, grabbing the attention of all readers.

    The first story would be familiar to anyone who knew about the canon. It was about how Lockhart went around the world and listened to tales of valor and heroism, got all the details he could from the people truly responsible and then wiped or modified their memories of the events in question to take all the credits for them. Is barely average OWL levels were dug up and low achievements at the NEWT levels as well. Every major flaws in his books were pointed out, leading to the complete dismantling of any credibility they contained. The only good thing happening for the man was that he was now basically a special aids receiver. He was almost like a child and would likely never recover or know about all this.

    The second really brought a smile to my face.

    ''Lucius Malfoy has been found threatening fellow governors of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to remove current Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore from his post due to a personal vendetta against the man. Although a past student, Lord Malfoy seems to hold a deep obsession against the man, leading to suspicions that the accusations he was later acquitted of after the war have more merits than originally thought.

    Due to his illegal actions and the endangerment of students directly following said actions, he and and four other governors have been removed from their posts due to embezzlement. The Ministry has been taking many steps to better the quality of the schooling our children will receive in the future and these actions are in direct confrontation of these goals, as well as being morally reprehensible. Although the now former governors will only need to abdicate from their positions and reimburse the school in full if capable, and if incapable they are to sell their assets to fulfill the requirements, Lucius Malfoy is in much bigger trouble. The man is facing time in Azkaban due to the overwhelming nature of the evidence against him and the number of plaintiffs. He is also being obligated to compensate the families he''s threatened and notably the Weasley family, who''s daughter was put in life threatening danger immediately following his dismissal of the Hogwarts Headmaster.''

    ''That''s going to light a fire under his a.s.s for a while. Especially if he tries to do the same crap to make his problems disappear, he could make is troubles even worse with that. But I''m not sure who''s going to dislike the compensation more, him or Arthur. That''s going to be interesting to hear about. Have fun you disgusting excuse for a human being.'' I thought with mirth at the article.

    The last one had to do with my persona opening a vault exclusively for students with difficulties to purchase at least standard quality robes, books, equipment, ingredients and companions. The goal was actually to make an even starting ground for everyone. No one would be inferior in their new school, with only of rich students being able to splurge on better quality goods. Basically they would be given a few lists of proper quality goods they can pick from and are permitted to buy using the vault if their situation makes it difficult to afford everything. This is purely to help anyone who believes they could use a hand, with the spirit that these same students helped through this, would then help others in the future. The Herald was lauding his actions, but it was a really good thing since Hogwarts just didn''t have enough money to do this, whilst I had too much.

    And if the bombs that the Herald dropped weren''t enough, the Headmaster declared that no exams would be occurring due to this years events, a good reason was for the petrified students, and that Harry, Ron and Hermione would get a awarded with special service to the school for solving the crisis. Thankfully my name wasn''t mentioned.

    But unfortunately for most of my year and the seventh years, OWL and NEWT exams could not be cancelled. So there were still students cramming as if their lives depended on it.

    Thankfully for them, I had taught most of them proper DADA, the dueling club sparked new interests into Charms, Jinxes and Curses, and the Exchange was open just as it always was. It felt quite nice to see things I did helping others.

    Then the two weeks of exams finally came.

    All the written tests were pieces of cake, and I had some much time left from answering everything, so I decided to also improve the correct answers to pass the time and have some fun. I didn''t worry about my friends at all for this part simply because we always study together. We challenge each other to better our knowledge in our strengths and weaknesses. We don''t look down on what another doesn''t know, we explain it and better each other. And I''m certain they will knock the socks off their examiners. I on the other hand, will make them feel awe.

    My chance came during practicals. In Charms in decided to enchant every testing apple in the room and put on a full broadway musical dance and song routine instead of just making one apple do whatever they wanted. It was fun to watch as it actually relaxed some people, but it made others get more nervous as they compared themselves. For Transmutation I just kind of made everything vanish one at a time in very quick succession and brought them back just as quickly, while also making some new things to vanish once I was done. In Herbology I creatively transferred devils snare, and then I accelerated its growth in a controlled manner to form a deadly bench. Defense against the Dark Arts just had me conjure a fully corporal Patronus, using my cat one because that''s the animagus transformation I decided to make public when i go for masteries. And the last exam for the week, Ancient Runes, I used that little trick Tom used to write in the air and made the correct symbols stick to the walls of the exam room to expand it on the spot, making the examiners look at me in true awe at my mastery of the subject.

    Then came the second week. And did you know you didn''t have to attend the class to attend the exam? You just need to have studied it and be confident in succeeding it. It''s actually one of the parts I like from the wizarding system. If you can do it, do it.

    It started with Potions, testing us on a variety of recipes, letting me improve all of them almost beyond the level of what they could even call the same potion. Care of Magical Creatures was just fun for me as I got every creature presented to do tricks for me before they were taken away. Astronomy needed everyone to fill a blank star-chart using the provided telescopes, so I took some time boosting the telescope and wrote down the spell on my test paper, then started writing twice as many celestial bodies as everybody could see on it. Divination was trickier to get distinctions on since I wasn''t a seer and couldn''t improve what we were taught, but I demonstrated skill and accuracy with an extra 6 mediums of divination outside of crystal balls, tea leaves and palm reading, such as Cartomancy, Astrology, Fire-omens, Xylomancy, Chinese fortune sticks and Numerology. Arithmancy just had me fulfilling almost everyone who studies the fields wet dreams: casting modified spells left, right and center. History of Magic had a formal debate over topics, in which I even made the examiners rethink their understanding of events. And I was actually the one helping the examiners understand things in Muggle Studies. That last one was basically immortalized by the students for decades to come, even if many muggle-borns could achieve this if they look outside this magical world. Funny though.

    With Gryffindor as the winners of the house cup again due to the 200 points Harry and Ron each got, even if Christian led our house to victory in the Quidditch cup.

 Chapter 84 - Ch. 84 Steam and Fire

    With the important testing done, the entire student body was finally able to relax for a couple of days before leaving for the summer.

    Victoria and I took some time to hide away in the RoR to get our fill of private time before the break.

    The room was very useful you know. Although the stuff it fills the room with is usually pretty dated, some quick repairs and cleaning spells and they''re good to go.

    The reason I''m bringing this up is very simple. We requested something from the room, and it did what it does best: fulfill the requirement. Our requirement was to have a place to get hot and steamy in. So it decorated the wall in dark red curtains, dimmed the lighting and put a double bed and some couches in the room. All of which I fixed and cleaned before I brought her here.

    And so we lied on the bed, entangled with each other as we hungrily removed each other''s robes. Our mouths forming an unbroken connection as we felt around each other''s bodies, passionately intertwining our tongues as our breathing got rougher. We tossed and turned as we felt each other and her m.o.a.ns started filling the room as she enjoyed my lips c.a.r.e.s.sing her increasingly exposed body. Soon almost every piece of clothing laid around the bed we were on, leaving us with only our u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r. I now know that her body looked even better than during the holidays to me. We''ve had a few private encounters, but nothing as far as this since the break. But as she laid there, in perfectly fitting dark green bra and p.a.n.t.i.e.s, I looked at her smooth white skin, her bountiful c.h.e.s.t bouncing up and down with her rough and excited breathing, lightly muscled stomach showing her care and determination for herself, the soft but firm t.h.i.g.hs clenched together, all together to form the beautiful young woman I loved.

    So I hungrily lowered myself into her embrace once again as our lips formed a bridge between us. Our hands touching our almost n.a.k.e.d bodies. Mine fumbling a bit as i remove her bra, to free the soft and plentiful rewards underneath. I immediately started fondling her perky t.i.t.s, forcing her to m.o.a.n in p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e as i slowly massage them into being s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e to my touch, making every small motion send shivers of p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e run through her. And as i slowly made her mind feel only my touch and tongue, I reached her last piece of clothing.

    She looked at me in surprise, but with an extremely red face looking at the burning d.e.s.i.r.e in my eyes as I see hers, she shyly nods. I slowly taking off her now moist p.a.n.t.i.e.s, to heighten the anticipation the both of us felt, until I could finally admire every last bit of her. A second later I lowered my head to met the unexplored region and start to p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e her wet folds. Slowly starting to c.a.r.e.s.s her smooth p.u.s.s.y with my tongue as shots of p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e burst through her body, making her m.o.a.n and arc her body in response. I toyed with her now erect c.l.i.t, making her gasp at how good it felt, circling my new little friend with my tongue, as I added my fingers into the mix and explored deep into her cave. She twitched, m.o.a.n.e.d and moved at the new and extremely pleasurable sensations, as something from within her built up more and more, until she suddenly screamed out in l.u.s.t as she came and released an even greater amount of her juices in mouth.

    Breathing heavily, looking at me with loving and l.u.s.tful eyes she suddenly jumped at me as I let her push me down. She got her hands on my own last piece of defense and looked at me.

    "My turn." She declared with determination as she pulled my boxers off quickly.

    Not expecting my fully erect member to be just as eager as she was and giving a small slap in greeting, making her yelp in surprise. But as soon as she saw my little brother, she gulped at its imposing sight. Standing at more than 9 1/2 inches, perfectly balanced girth with its length, and slight curve upwards, it sometime made me have the thought that Mrs. Death might have been a bit too thorough.

    "How is every part of you perfect?" She asked under her breath, not breaking eye contact with my impressive d.i.c.k.

    Without waiting for an answer, her warm and wet tongue started c.a.r.e.s.sing my shaft as she moved all over her new acquaintance. The sensation was wonderful as she gently and thoroughly made sure it was properly given attention. She then gently enveloped the head into her mouth, as I felt the warm sensation take me in and making me groan. Using her salive to coat every part she could reach, she used it to slowly start to bob her head up and down my sizable friend in a clumsy manner. It was cute and extremely arousing as I saw her desperately try to get more and more of my d.i.c.k into her mouth, like it was the only thing in her world at the moment due to extreme excitement. I could feel my tip slowly go further as she pushed herself to give me more p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e, adding her own hand to stroke my shaft. In a few minutes I couldn''t take it anymore as my own c.u.m arrived and I g.r.o.a.n.e.d in p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e. But then Tory surprised me as she stubbornly kept s.u.c.k.i.n.g every drop of the massive load pouring down her throat.

    She stood up triumphantly, with slightly tears eyes at the effort, but a smile on her face.

    "Not as bad as I thought." She stayed as she cleaned the little bits she missed. "Ready for round two?" She then asked with a very excited smile.

    "Advantage of my life bonded Phoenix: almost unlimited stamina." Was my own response with a grin, pushing her underneath me as I began to return the favor.

    Letting ourselves lose any notion of time as we explored each other''s bodies in d.e.s.i.r.e for one another.

    Maybe about two hours later, Victoria was breathing extremely heavily as she snuggled up to her man.

    "You weren''t kidding... when you said... unlimited stamina. You beast." She said between breaths, but with a satisfied smile on her face.

    "I would''ve thought you had it too, if you didn''t collapse like you did." I replied with a grin.

    "Yeah... I really wanted to do this. Haven''t been... spending much time alone." She said with a slightly sad smile on her face.

    "I know and I''m sorry I''m putting you through this." I say feeling very guilty.

    "I understand. I just have two parts of me fighting a bit, that''s all. I just want to be there beside you, proudly and unquestioned." She said with a sigh.

    "I know. And I''ll be there every step of the way." I say as she nods and pulls her n.a.k.e.d body even closer to me.

    She then looks at me with a mischievous look on her face.

    "Round 12?" She asked.

    "You''re on!" I declare as I role over her and start making her putty in my hands.

    That was how we just spent most of our day. Getting every bit of pent up d.e.s.i.r.e and longing out of our system before the long summer break. Letting the both of us leave the RoR with satisfied smiles on our faces and lighter steps.

    Well for me anyway. Tory is having troubles walking as her legs keep trying to give out under her. Almost like she got hit by a Jelly-leg curse.

    The day passed and it was time for me to inform the headmaster of my perfected ritual. After delaying my planned progress for an entire year and focusing solely on this project, i had designed a ritual to solve my growing predatory instincts. Although I have kept a very firm grip on my feelings and emotions ever since I''ve realized my problem, it still needed to be solved.

    So I reached the Headmaster''s office and patiently waited for him to come. Thankfully only waiting a few moments.

    "Aedan, a pleasant surprise. I must say that from what Harry has told me of the events, you are hiding a lot more skills than I had thought." He said with a lighthearted tone and a small chuckle to himself.

    "It''s always good to have others avoid knowing your full strength. But I was prepared for what was down there a month ago, i just didn''t know where the chamber was or how to get there so I waited. Also Tom was obviously weaker than he was when in school, so Harry might have had a skewed perspective." I reply humble.

    "I''m sure he was. And I believe you realize what truly happened down there and what the diary truly was." He said to confirm.

    "A Horcrux, and obviously he didn''t only make one." I answer with disgust at the thing. I knew exactly how these were made and it sickened me to think how twisted one had to be to make one, much less eight-ish like Voldycunt.

    "Yes, indeed." Replied the man, but he seemed to age considerably at the moment.

    "It is still not your fault Headmaster. Tom made his own choices, even back then. You could only try to dissuade him. His own l.u.s.t for power and recognition, as well as his pre-existing views on life and magic made him do what he did. You did what you could." I say to help the man drag him out of his funk.

    "Haaa. Thank you Aedan. It is good to be reminded of that from time to time." He answered with a sigh to release his feelings.

    "Now, what have you come to tell me?" He asked to get to my reason for visiting.

    "I believe I''ve finished designing the ritual to fix my issue." I say as I hand him the finalized version.

    He reads over my work, but he increasingly becomes worried.

    "Aedan my boy, this could kill you." He worriedly said.

    "Honestly, it could. But this is the only way of completely eliminating the problem. The spirit of the Whampus cat is influencing my subconscious and instinctive actions, I can''t just suppress it as it leaves a potential resurgence. I need to get rid of it for good." I reply seriously.

    "But to go this far?" He tried to understand why I made it this way.

    "Yes. I will make my Phoenix parts completely absorb the others presence. Hence it will undergo an evolution to become more than it is now. It is me going a step further than how I survived this one." I explain as i tap the scar over my heart.

    "But Dragon Fire Aedan. This seems excessive." He kept insisting.

    "It''s the only fire strong enough to boost Sol''s strength and help me get through the ritual. I''ve calculated it, and the only flames I know of in existence that could help would be 4 other Phoenixes flaming in unison or Fiendfyre. I''m not tainting my soul for this and good luck finding three other Phoenixes and marking them listen to you. So yes, I will use four different flames from dragons to form the fuel of the ritual." I reply with great determination.

    "It was actually inspired by a feat Grindelwald achieved, with him strengthening a phoenix trough magical flames." I say gently.

    "Yes, i remember the day." He nostalgically replies. "Alright then. But I will not let one of my students undergo this trial alone." He finally said seriously as he approved.

    "Thank you sir. The ritual will be planned for my 17th birthday. Everything will be in my favor then. True magical maturation, the 7th day of the 7th month, with a child born on the 77th year of the century. Everything will be decided then. And I shall not let it be the end of my path." I declare as if a ruler.

    "Let us make sure of that my boy." He kindly supported.

    And with a nod of understanding I wished him pleasant holidays and left his office.

    "Truly a remarkable boy. Let us hope he succeeds. The world will need a new light once I''m gone." Dumbledore said to himself as he looked into the nigh sky, unheard by even the portraits in his office.

 Chapter 85 - Ch. 85 Hit List

    The year ended and everyone was once again heading back to their homes for the summer. Christian was once again going to be in the wilderness, exploring with his parents. James was actually doing some volunteering at the FIRM center and was planing to attend their seminars. Tory was in a tougher situation, but she was planing to use all that she had learned this year, under me and Madam Pomfrey, to understand her mother''s coma more.

    We said our goodbyes and wished each other productive summers, as well as promised each other to exchange OWL results. They were betting between each other about their results, with no one doubting mine at all.

    I gave my aunt a strong hug when I saw her on the platform along with Susan, then headed home.

    My work at home went well as I went over my summer reports. Since everything was going well and only the name recognition and popularity increased for most of them, nothing new happened much.

    Breaking Grounds was growing rapidly in France as they were shooting down their adversaries and critics through sheer competence and skill. We even believe the French magical hospitals will soon request to be supplied by us after the stellar performance and prices we''ve offered to St. Mungo''s.

    Natural Cultivation was seeing progress in all of its projects. The Merpeople settlement was growing and so was the farming operation for the aquatic herbs. It has been sparking a good amount of cultural, social and intellectual knowledge exchanges between our peoples. The island project has been steadily moving forward with an increase of respectful interactions between my people and the Centaurs as well. From what I''ve been told, there''s the possibility of an allied tribe joining the island to form a true refuge for those centaurs who wish it. I''ve even sent them some more modern astronomy tools which many seem to have appreciated.

    The Herald is now almost crushing the Prophet. With us publishing the news about Lockhart, Malfoy and myself so quickly and properly, it shot us ahead of the competitor significantly. The Ministry has approached us about the situation, but without any causes, they can''t do anything. And if they somehow tried to just shut down my paper, they would certainly hear about it from all our subscribers. I''ve actually been pitching a project to start another news show to help spread the use of WWN.

    FIRM has been getting more influential as more people frequent the center for its services and opportunities, getting behind the idea of actually making those not of pure magical descent truly accepted. And removing so many laws letting pureblood families get away with so much. Even those with magical being blood have been gathering under this banner and pressure has started being exerted on the Ministry to address the issue. I''ve tripled security around it to prepare for those who will inevitably try to cow us through fear.

    Elaine Summers, our Hit Wizard, has said that due to our help in her apprehending Malfoy and so many others during her investigations, her record has shot through the roof and she had been offered a promotion to be a captain, hence having her own squad to order and mold. It was filled with loyal and expertly trained individuals, all of whom began to wrack up achievements, furthering her status within the department. Even aunty has mentioned her repeatedly as a shining example and an inspiration for many young witches. I actually investigated that last one, and it turns out that because she is an attractive woman, with skills and some fame, she''s gained a bit of a fan club, which stunned the lady in question.

    Sherry Holmes, who has basically become my spymaster, as reported that we now have eyes and ears everywhere in the ministry except for the department of mysteries and the ministers office. We''ve even had some Aurors joining in as they''ve liked what we''ve been doing and want to do their jobs properly even if Fudge is trying to screw their department. I''ve tasked her to investigate those who supported Voldemort from inside the ministry during the last war, giving her the excuse that they were unstable elements and I wanted to keep track of them.

    The Muggle Toy Box has made some nice progress and they believe that the new cameras they''ve enchanted should be able to start production before Christmas. The radios will take more time and the game consoles are just frustrating them at this point.

    I''ve gotten word from Scott that he might have found a builder for me and has been in the process of thoroughly investigating the man, as well as preparing a proper contract. We will have to see if he''s the right man.

    Fortress Protection has officially expanded into Bulgaria. When we thought it would be a good proving ground for our men we were right. Within the week we had three separate groups trying to raid the office, every single one were brought down or killed, with only some more serious injuries being reported. We''ve started to slowly push our ring of influence by getting hired immediately as support for the local ministry''s severely lacking forces. We are actually considered as hero''s amongst many locals near the branch office for the protection and stability offered by our presence. As a result, we''ve seen a sharp increase in ability amongst our men and even local recruits inspired by our performance.

    BonesWorks itself has gotten a huge wave with both new brooms now officially being sold in store. They have literally resulted in Quidditch enthusiasts to drool over them. We are already receiving orders from around the world in the hopes of obtaining even one of these insanely expensive brooms for the national teams by next years World Cup. Our store has already agreed to be a sponsor for the U.K. teams, but will only provide one of each model for the two teams which will qualify to represent our country. Anything more will have to be purchased by players or others.

    The vaccine was still going strong, and we still had no one from the extended duration formula experience any change or side effects yet. This has brought widespread celebrations amongst those who knew about it and have felt so much pride in being a part of such an achievement. They wake up every day hoping it would keep working properly, that no side effects popped up, that their tests would give nothing but good news and that this was what everyone was looking for. A true solution to manage Lycanthropy. They weren''t blind enough to believe in a cure, even I''ve straight told them i could not even begin to challenge that problem without an original strain of the disease or definitive and absolute knowledge about how it was truly started. This was me doing the best I could.

    The rest of my plans at the moment revolve around my impending OWL results. I know I''ve aced all of them, I''m not doubting that at all. I''m just waiting for them to release my four new books and stir up magical communities properly. Practical Arithmancy: A step towards true mastery, Runes for a modern age, Potions beyond Potions, A Herbologists guide to growing wild plants. Each with information and practical applications which will rock people''s understanding of magic. It will be fun to see them try and disprove everything with how easy I''ve made it understand and accomplish. Even got some very, very excited feedback from Hermione on how fantastic the Arithmancy book was, and even with her incredible intelligence, she''s never taken any courses on the subject but was already able to cast lumos variants already.

    Unfortunately, it was now time to follow reality. With Geri finally trained and ready, with her loyal and skilled men in Dark Moon Mercs, it was time to remove filth poisoning the future. I will leave the important ones alive. I could have killed the entire Malfoy family already, but I will keep the man alive as I slowly choke the man''s importance and wealth. He might be filth, but his son still has a chance. Pettigrew and Crouch Jr. are too important to Voldemort''s return, so I''ll need to carefully plan my actions next year for the rat, and I will need to keep my d.e.s.i.r.es to rip the man who was responsible for my days in that cell apart until the right time. But so many are prey easy to kill right now, only Tory and Theodore Nott''s fathers will be spared for now. Although they are trash and I would immediately kill them for what they''ve done

    , I need to wait until Tory is 17 and I''ll make sure to involve her in the decision at the time, and I want to give the Nott boy at least some kind of chance. He''s one of the few who comes to the Exchange too.

    So I headed to the ''Folster'' residence and summoned her to have a talk.

    As I sat in front of a crackling fireplace, on a comfortable lounging chair, reading a new book on ancient forms of magic, I was interrupted by Scott.

    "Boss, Jenny is here." He informed me politely.

    "Jenny?" I asked curiously at the man with a raised eyebrow.

    "*cough* well, she really likes the name you''ve given her, and well, we work a together a good amount so I started calling her Jenny." He said as he avoided my gaze.

    "Hope you two don''t cause any trouble then." I said with a knowing smile.

    "Boss I swear it''s not like that!" He tried to defend himself to his 15 year old boss.

    "Not like what Scotty." Then came a relaxed female voice from behind him, making him jump a bit.

    "It''s nothing Jenny." He answered way too quickly.

    "Scotty huh." I simply smirked at the man.

    "Booossss. Please don''t do this to me." He lamented at how he was digging his own hole due to my simple remarks.

    Fortunately for him, Geri stepped up for the man.

    "It is nothing master. Simple exchange of nicknames. Jenny for me and Scotty for him since Scott is already too short." She answered.

    "Carry on then. I''m quite happy to see you two get... friendly, as long as it doesn''t affect work go wild." I say as my smile grew.

    "Boss!" Was the embarrassed man for being teased by a teenager.

    "Thank you master." Was a very polite response from Geri, but happiness could be seen in her eyes.

    "Haha! That was fun to do, but I have orders to give you Geri and thank you Scott, but you''ll be dismissed from these ones." I say with a chuckle, but turn serious at the end.

    ""Understood."" Was their immediate response.

    They''ve been with me as my aides for almost three years. Although Geri was training for two, my work for the improvement of her people, training and fulfilling work have earned me her absolute loyalty. While Scott has been following my orders and seen my ever expanding circle of influence and power first hand, never giving him any reason to doubt as he his extremely well rewarded for his work and is invested in the success of my work. Coupled with my personal strength and genius, they''ve become my closest confidents.

    "What are your orders master?" The now kneeling Geri asked with respect,

    I''ve tried to get her to stop calling me master I swear. She wouldn''t even accept sir when we are not in public. I even released her of her life bonding vow, but she went straight back in proclaiming herself my servant.

    "First, how many of your men do you truly trust in the Dark Moon?" I asked simply.

    "15 of the 41 are absolutely loyal to me, and the rest have a variety of traits stopping them from doing so master. I''ve even employed the legilimency you''ve taught Scott and I to make sure." She answered while still kneeling with her head down.

    "Hmm. Too little. I''ll get Oliver to lend you a few of our trained Shadows for this task. I don''t want any doubts or evidence." I inform the woman.

    The Shadows being the men who''s loyalty are completely with Oliver and myself, as I''ve trained many of them personally for theirs and my own experience. Usually when i sneak out during the night or officially schedule it. They''ve all be sworn to secrecy about my identities and all are practitioners of Occlumency.

    "As you will master. What is your order." She answered without any hesitation.

    "Although I have many dreams and ideals for the future, I still see reality and the present for what it is. It is time to remove some of the poison corrupting our homes." I say as I dance around the subject.

    "Master, you mean? It''s time?" She asked as she raised her head and looked at me with some excitement in her eyes.

    "Yes. I will give you a list. Kill them, remove their immediate family if they are in the way. No evidence. No witnesses. No failure. Everything must be taken care of discreetly and no one must connect anything to you or me." I order with the tone of an absolute ruler.

    "Your will shall be done master!" She replied as shivers of excitement ran through her due to my command.

    "Avery, Carrow, Jugson, Macmair, Mulciber Sr, Selwyn and Yaxley will be priority targets. I''ve also given you a list of other notable dark wizards, savage werewolves following Fenrir and other beings currently plaguing the country. I want them to believe a sort of vigilante is attacking criminals the system is not catching, not just death eaters." I instruct as I hand her a few lists.

    "And once this is done. We shall rid the world of Fenrir. He as stained it for far too long." I say darkly this time as the fire made shadows dance on my face.

    "It shall be my absolute honor to do so." She replied with intense flames burning in her eyes.

    "You have a year and a half to accomplish your orders. Properly plan everything. You will have all assets you require from everything I can provide. Money, weapons, poisons, potions, tools, information, men or even alibis. You know what to do from there." I say seriously as I look down at her.

    "Your command was given. These men are as good as dead master. They just don''t know it." She answered with a vicious smile.

    "Good. Now go!" I order.

    She immediately departs to begin my little cleansing.

    ''It''s time to clean the board a bit'' I thought as I got up and returned home.

 Chapter 86 - Ch. 86 Orders and Results

    An unnoticed purge had begun in Britain. Geri was a very talented individual. Even without ever going to Hogwarts due to her father, she was able to become among the best of the of the werewolves. She was a true beast when it came to combat, due to her ridiculously trained instincts and specialization in the field. So I rounded out her skills as a magical combat. Made sure she knew how to fight and just ditched standard coursework in favor of my true combat magic. Spells I''ve designed for maximum effectiveness and lethality. And the number I created only grew the more I took from Voldemort last year. I made the dark arts useless to me by simply making better spells from the light or neutral systems. And I taught them to her. I took her instinctive combat and had her taught systematically as well. Trained by her life, honed by expert, taught by my own hands. I probably turned her into the most lethal woman alive.

    But I am not a monster. Everything she learned she chose to. I gave her opportunities and she chose to make herself my hidden blade. If I trained Oliver Gunn as a true warrior, to fight on the frontlines and help me defend this country, then she is my assassin. Through it all however, I made sure not to turn her into an emotionless tool. I would never walk that path. Scott and I showed her how to live in both worlds. Introduced her to leisure activities, hobbies and places to have fun in. Let her experience what it''s like to be a normal woman or witch. I didn''t want a tool, i wanted someone I could trust and who would chose to fight for my vision.

    And now it was time for her to use that sharpened edge for my will.

    Within the week I received her notice that she had started subjugating some less dangerous individuals and busting a few drug ring or illegal potion markets, while silently getting rid of my designated targets. No priority targets were to be attacked yet. She would follow my orders to make sure it would not seem like there were actual targets.

    The Ministry hadn''t really caught any wind of this, simply because they don''t care about some criminals disappearing. It happens all the time. And we got Elaine some nice arrests simply because those arrested just thought hit wizards did it.

    We made people from the dark side of the wizarding world think that the Dark Moon mercs were either doing missions or waiting for one just as they had before by using polyjuice potions and scripted contracts. Investigated every target thoroughly, then neutralized them in perfect manners and made sure to conceal the participants appearances, heights and weights by constantly rotating the members in action. Not letting anyone even come close to identifying any of the mercs or shadows.

    It was quick, efficient and deadly when required. Everyone acted like trained professionals.

    The reason I had Geri target people outside of Death Eaters is basically two fold: muddy the waters and reduce ennemies.

    The muddying of the water is fairly easy to understand, I don''t want people to know I''m doing this. To achieve that result, we are either framing other groups or individuals by copying their M.O, targeting groups with known rivals or ennemies, or simply having them disappear. Therefore making the underworld think they''re taking each other out for as long as possible, and hopefully having them helping as misunderstandings grew. I could already see some movements hinting that it might happen. We''ve also added actual law enforcement in the mix as Elaine and her team are given credit for some takedowns, and I''ve actually gotten her to do a few to add more variables into the equations. All of this, then helps mask the movements of Geri as she goes for real targets.

    The reduction in ennemies is clear as well. Voldemort didn''t just take over and impose martial law on magical Britain with the help of like 30 known followers. He used dark wizards, dangerous creatures, ministry traitors, and all the bigots he could find. So I''m going to severely limit who he can even enlist, to either hamper or completely derail his attempts at growing his power. So killing criminals and dark wizards who could be tempted through rewards or threats is an excellent idea, which also helps with reason one when done properly.

    My order to take down priority target families if they are in the way is something I struggled with for a long time myself before steeling myself to include it. I''ve thoroughly investigated every one of the death eaters I''ve given the kill order on.

    The Carrows were a pair of i.n.c.e.s.tuous blood supremacists who supported Voldy during the first war. Although they didn''t look for him due to truly believing he had died, they were amongst the first to return to him, showing their loyalty to him and the ideals they hold.

    Both generations of the current Avery family have been staunch supporters of the egg since their school days, the elder being a member of the Knights of Walpurgist. Extreme loyalty and bigotry, no idea how they are not in Azkaban.

    Yaxley was a man very skilled in the Imperius curse, making him dangerous for most people, and he managed to avoid Azkaban after following the same pattern as the Carrows.

    Jugson was pretty much just one of those wizards with connections to a dead noble family who fought for V, but was young and wasn''t particularly noteworthy so he avoided Azkaban, even if he was a purist and joined up with the man soon after his return.

    While his son is in Azkaban, Mulciber was one of the very first Death Eaters, making him have a very obvious history of atrocities and somehow avoided following his son. I think he might have pushed all his crimes on his kid.

    Selwyn wasn''t actually a death eater during the first war, simply because he was too young. But from what I found, the man dreamed to be one. He a fanatical blood-purist and is already active in the magical underworld since he''s been a suspect in many muggle killings.

    Warden Macnair is an easy case. One of the first Death Eaters as well and is excited by thoughts of being able to kill other beings. He got away with the Imperius defense, and if that wasn''t bad enough, he got a job at the Ministry to satisfy his urges legally.

    Almost none of these men have families, because they would need to find women just as bigoted as they are, which is hard since Bellatrix isn''t here to pop out new death babies with Voldycunt. So they mostly live alone with only one having a son living with him, who''s also a death eater. The only reason the command was given is just in case they have distant relatives over, and believe me, any relative who would live with one of the people by choice is no angel either. But just to be sure, even if they are absolute monsters, I avoided those with clear families like Malfoy, Nott and Travers, while Goyle and Crabb are still in jail.

    So with a timely release, the five above will most likely show up for the man''s resurrection.

    The rest will die.

    And the only reason the others are spared is because they are safe in Azkaban or are too important at the moment. Everyone else is expandable for me.

    With my order already taking effect, I was free to do as I wish until my OWL results showed up.

    So I decided to go pick up Harry. Since he didn''t join the dueling club, his skills haven''t had a chance to develop more, but I''ll whip him into shape. I get that Dumbledore wanted him to experience ''love'' in some twisted form or another, but never teaching the boy how to properly defend himself was just hoping for the best.

    This made it time for my second visit to number 4 Privet Drive. I hope those pigs don''t say anything too bad, because i might lose some control again if they do.

    "Yo Boss! Here for another drive?" Scott asked as I arrived at the house.

    "Yeah, to Harry''s neighborhood. Same deal as last time." I say to the man with a smile.

    We got into a classic mustang this time so Scott could ''introduce me to having real muscle under me'' as he said. It is a cool experience to be able to ride these cars I had only seen or heard about in my last life. They each have a unique experience.

    I quickly reached the Dursley household and knocked on the door.

    The one to open it was a very frightened Vernon this time.

    ''Is it me, or is he getting fatter when the families supposed to be dieting in ''support'' for the baby whale they call a son.'' I thought when I saw the man.

    "Hello again Mr. Dursley, it has been too long. Can I come in? I''ve just come to check on Harry and bring him out for the day. I think the same arrangement as last year will do, don''t you?" I say with a bright smile, helping the man snap out of his horror.

    "Yes yes, of course." He mumbles in agreement as I walk in confidently.

    "I''ll just be in the living room while you get Harry." I say politely this time. "It seems you''ve gotten a new car as well. Promotion at work? I''m sure you''re very pleased. I hope you haven''t let it go to your head and started to oppress Harry again. That would be less fortunate." I say in my still polite tone as I make the man start to sweat.

    Everyone knows what type of man he is. He would try and imprison Harry in the house and stop any possible leaking of his ''weirdness'' to not risk his image.

    But soon enough Harry came downstairs after Petunia and Blubby locked themselves in their rooms.

    "Aedan! Why are you here?" The growing kid asked to me in surprise.

    "Well I thought you''d like to continue with the same general thing we did last summer. A bit more advanced of course, but it''s up to you." A say with a kind smile to the boy.

    "Of course I''d want to! I''ve got so much to ask!" He said immediately.

    "Of course you do. Go get the usual and we will be off." I chuckled as the kid rushes upstairs.

    "Just so you know Mr. Dursley, summer homework is just that, homework. The kids just have to write things they learn from books like any other school. It''s simply a different curriculum. So as long as you just let everything that has to do with it in Harry''s room and just make it so it doesn''t exist in your mind like you already do, no one will ever know and no troubles will come. Easy no?" I say to the man as I give him a pretty obvious hint at how to act during the summer.

    Harry now rushed back down with Hedwig, assignment list and wand, looking at me with anticipation.

    "Thank you for your hospitality. I will be off now. I believe that how things went last summer was the best for everyone, so no one should have any issues with the same happening now. Have a pleasant day." I say as I walk out with Harry.

    And when we got far enough he could no longer wait to ask questions.

    "How did you kill the Basilisk?" Was his most urgent one.

    "A special tool a prepared due to its magic resistant nature. Actually why I wanted the beast, I''m currently getting a duster coat made of its leather and dragon leather. It''ll be perfectly suited for combat." I answer patiently.

    "Really?! That''s brilliant!" He exclaimed excitedly.

    "Maybe I''ll save some for you and get a coat made for your own 17th birthday. You should''ve have pretty much stopped growing by then." I say as the thought passed trough my head.

    "You''d do That? But why?" He asked with some happiness, but not understanding.

    "It never hurts to have one more person wanting to give you a gift. It''s a little belief of mine." I say in my own jovial tone.

    "Wicked. Thanks Aedan." He said sincerely.

    "Well it will be in another 4 years so no need for thanks now. What were your other questions then?" I asked the boy to sate his curiosity.

    "How could you beat Voldemort so easily?" Was the next big one.

    "Couple reasons. One is that I am actually very strong, knowledgeable and skilled. The second was that at the age of 16, Tom Riddle had no experience in dueling, whilst I can take on three Aurors at the same time when I''m following proper dueling rules. Three is because I got in his head so badly it reduced his abilities to think, plan and stopped him from properly using his skills. And lastly it was because of the very nature of his presence; it was only a part of him using Ginny to survive, hence a lot weaker than the actual Tom of the time." I explained step by step.

    "Wow." He simply answered. "Oh right! How did you even get into the chamber? The entrance needs a parseltongue, it had collapsed behind and you appeared in a burst of fire. How d''you do it?" He quickly asked, excited for the answer.

    "Phoenixes have the ability to travel through space by utilizing fire as a medium. It works similarly as apparition, something you''ll learn in an optional sixth year course offered at Hogwarts and need a certification for due to its risks, but a lot less restrictive. No one really knows how to block a Phoenix, and those who are bonded to one like Dumbledore and I, can use their gift to travel alongside them." I patiently inform the boy.

    "Can I get one then?" He asked with stars in his eyes.

    "Unfortunately not. Fawkes is actually the only known truly domestic Phoenix until you reach Asia I believe. With no one knowing about mine of course. They are incredibly rare and bonding with one is near impossible. Not sure how the Headmaster did his, and mine is extremely personal, so no asking about that." I say with an amused smile as Harry gets disappointed.

    "Alright, no mopping. We are hidden enough so grab the chain. You remember how this works." I then tell him as he nods he prepares.

    The familiar feeling tugs at us and then we land in my backyard.

    "Your doing better Harry, barely stumbled on the landing. I''m sure Hedwig appreciated hit." I say with a grin.

    "Well then, let''s get started." I excitedly announce as I drag the kid inside.

    So began a peaceful month for me. I taught Harry and Susan, letting them do their homework as I advised them. Got him into a routine of proper workouts and taught him more on dueling and defense against the dark arts. While Susan was more focused on potions and Herbology. I also handled my own duties as the heir, and started working on my Charms and DADA mastery projects again.

    And all the while, the result of my orders were making many in the underworld afraid as conflicts were erupting and people were disappearing. But no one noticed that one Mulciber had quietly vanished.

    This was my routine for the next month, until an owl arrived one day with an envelop.

    ''It seems like the OWL results are in~'' I thought to myself happily.

    But even I wasn''t expecting the results.

    "Haha! Even better than I thought I''d get!" I exclaimed in happiness.

    ''Ordinary Wizarding Level

    Passing Grades:

    -Outstanding (O)

    -Exceeds Expectations (EE)

    -Acceptable (A)

    Failing Grades:

    -Poor (P)

    -Dreadful (D)

    -Troll (T)

    Aedan Micheal Bones has achieved:

    Ancient Runes: O++

    Arithmancy: O++

    Astronomy: O+

    Care of Magical Creatures: O+

    Charms: O++

    Defense Against the Dark Arts: O++

    Divination: O+

    Herbology: O++

    History of Magic: O+

    Muggle Studies: O++

    Potions: O++

    Transfiguration: O++

    Due to Aedan Micheal Bones'' display of skill and knowledge, thought impossible to reach at his age. He has been recorded to have already surpassed examiners in their understanding of the subject matter and awarded special grades and automatic qualifications to undertake NEWT testing for O++ graded subjects.

    Congratulations on your great success.

    Professor Griselda Marchbanks

    Governor. Wizarding Examination Authority

 Chapter 87 - Ch. 87 Happy Day

    Even for me, the results were a bit ridiculous. 4 O+ was already mind blowing to pretty much everyone. Hell one of them would be enough to peg someone as the next prodigy in that field. But those were my lowest grades. I''ve never seen O++ recorded anywhere before. And I got 8.

    "What''s wrong Aedan? I heard you yell from the common room." Asked a curious Harry.

    "Ha! I think I just made history!" I answer with some pride.

    "What? How?" He confusedly asked as he looked at me.

    "Check out my scores for my OWL''s." I just say with a grin as I hand the letter over.

    Harry reads through the paper but the his eyes widen and his jaw hung open. He looked from the letter to me, then back to the letter, then back to me.

    "Yup." I just say with the biggest grin I''ve ever made.

    "I didn''t even know you could get an O+. Much less an O++." Said the now dazed Harry.

    "Never heard of them either. I think they made this one up because I just did too much for just Outstanding with distinctions. Hermione is going to break when she hears there are now two grades above outstanding." I say to the boy with a hearty laugh.

    "That does sound like Hermione." He admitted with a smile at the image in his head.

    "Bro! Why are you laughing so much!" Yelled Susan from outside since she was tending to the garden.

    "Suz! Come and see how even the Ministry acknowledges the awesomeness your big brother has!" I yelled out excitedly as I wanted to show off to my little sister.

    She rushes to the door as she takes of her Herbology gloves and takes the letter.

    "Haha! You broke through the roof big bro! Congratulations! You''re still the most awesome brother in existence!" She happily yelled out as she hugged me.

    "You sound like you doubted me! For that one you get punishment!" I say in mock hurt and anger as I grab the threw her up in the air, causing her to giggle uncontrollably.

    I''ve done this a lot, and even if she''s almost a teenager i can still have these moments with her because we''re close. She can be free around me and act spoiled.

    Harry watches how we act and smiles a bit with a shake of his head. He''s seen me pamper and care form Susan a lot before. But there was also some sadness in his eyes, since he also wishes to have something like that. Someone who would care and spoil him a bit just cause their family.

    That was until Susan and I noticed the boys melancholic mood and mischievously looked at each other before nodding.

    "Hahahahahaha! What? Hahaha! What are you doing? Haha!" He tried asking through his laughter.

    "You looked stuck in the bad thoughts Harry." Started Susan.

    "And that''s how we take care of those thoughts in the Bones family." I continued.

    ""We make each other laugh."" We finished in unison.

    "What?" He asked completely not getting it.

    "You aren''t the only one who''s lost someone Harry. Both Susan and I only have aunty left for a reason." He said gently.

    "Yeah, but we were lucky to have each other and aunty, oh and Tilly." Added Susan.

    "Everyone in our family''s been through the feeling of loss. But we don''t want to lose ourselves in it." I continued softly as pat Susan''s head, making her smile a bit more.

    "And if we can''t get out of it ourselves, we help each other to do it and smile again." She finished the explanation.

    "It''s easy to focus on what we don''t have, what we''ve lost, or what others have gained. It makes you focus on the wrong things in life. Everyone has had happy moments, times they''ve smiled without restraint, people who''ve warmed their hearts. It''s all about which one you choose to dwell on. I think it''s one of the true keys to happiness." I say to the kid as I ruffle is always messy black hair.

    "So try to remember the good things, it might just change you''re outlook when you need it." I finish gently.

    "Hehe. You always try to help others bro." Said a happy Susan, with a bright smile at having such a brother.

    "Only those who need and accept it. Can''t always help everyone and the key is to accept that. But i believe i can help you Harry. So stay strong. Even if your life didn''t start off well, the future is for you to shape. So keep walking with hope and dreams in your heart Harry, and find that reason to smile everyday." I finished as I take my hand away from the kids head.

    "That was more serious than i intended, so let''s have fun by making a show with magic!" I declare as I took out my wand and started casting creatures made of light, dancing around us and exploding in colorful manners.

    The two weren''t nearly skilled enough in that area of magic, although Susan might be able to make something akin to muggle fireworks through potions, so it turned into a one man light show.

    It did however get the kids smiling.

    ''Even with all I''m doing in this world, this is what I love about it. It can just be filled with so much wonder.'' I thought to myself as I made my Phoenix Patronus fly around the two, letting them laugh as the feelings of happiness and safety envelops them due to it.

    With a pleasant afternoon over, aunty arrived at the house looking a bit tired. We then proceeded to have supper with Harry today, getting him to eat some proper food instead of that stupid diet crap. Although the kid has been growing well, putting on some muscles and weight, we still don''t want him to go through it.

    He''s basically been only spending his nights and sleeping over at the Dursley''s, but I''ve reassured Dumbledore about the secret modifications made to the houses safety measures and that secrecy is the best defense, since only those people and my family know he''s here most of the time. Ron and Hermione know, but they promised not to tell and they don''t really know the potential danger he''s under. Plus, who would be crazy enough to attack the home of the of head of the DMLE? We have Aurors protecting the house, on top of the wards, and her personal skills as well. She can still compete with active senior Aurors at her age! So unless people have a death wish or a dark lord backing them, no one would dare even try to get into the place. Plus it''s not like aunty doesn''t understand and keeps this under wraps. That and she also feels like Harry is a lot like me and Susan, so she has a soft spot too.

    But during supper, it looked like Susan couldn''t hold it in.

    "Aunty, Aedan''s OWL results came in today!" She excitedly burst out, getting me to smile a little at her behavior.

    "Oh. And how did the go Aedan? As good as you believed, or have you slipped up somewhere?" She asked with a little tease.

    "I believe I did pretty well." I reply as I hand her my letter, while Susan giggles and Harry is looking at my aunts reaction with a smile of anticipation.

    As Amelia reads, she becomes even more shocked than she thought she''d be. So much so that her mouth opened slightly and she dropped the fork she was still holding. Making it almost fall on the floor before I just use a bit of wandless magic to lift it up and put it back on the table. No one noticing cause the kids were waiting to see her next actions and Aunty was not computing.

    "Is this real?" Was all she managed to ask in almost a whisper.

    "Yeah. As far as I know, those are my Ministry certified grades. Came in with a Ministry owl and everything." I replied with a gentle smile.

    "Then all I can say is that I am unbelievably proud of you Aedan. I am proud that all of your hard work has born fruit like this." She said with the gentlest expression I''ve ever seen on her face.

    "I told you aunty. You did right by us. Now I''m going to make the entire world know it." I reply softly the our mother figure.

    "It doesn''t matter if they know. I know and that''s enough." She replied, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.

    I saw the looks from both of them and smiled.

    "Tilly." Then said Aunty, as the little house-elf appeared. "Prepare Aedan''s favorite deserts, his success deserves at least some celebrating." She commanded to a cheer from the kids. Cause although the food is always great, desert is a rarity in the house due to Aunty being a bit strict on the stuff.

    So that night was filled with happiness all around, we even got Harry to stay the night today just because it was too late and we didn''t want to test his houses tolerance on these things.

    The next morning itself, after breakfast and getting the kids set up, I finally ordered to begin the stocking of my four new books at BonesWorks and Flourish and Blotts.

    ''Let''s see how they''ll react shall we?'' I thought with a smile of excitement.

 Chapter 88 - Ch. 88 Summers Events

    With my orders given, it was now only a matter of time until the wave I wanted to create right now happened.

    It will take time. The books need to be read, tested, proven and then praised. Following that will be its spread, then recognitions, and fame.

    ''The with the quality of the books, the advertis.e.m.e.nt I''ve paid for in the papers, and the time needed for journalists to get more information, I estimate that around Christmas they''ll bust down my door.'' I thought to myself as I''m working.

    As I agreed with my friends before the break, I sent them my results and received theirs.

    ''I think I might have helped them a bit too much'' the thought went through my head as I chuckled.

    Christian got two O+ for Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology. EE for potions, Divination and History of Magic. But O for Charms, Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts.

    James was one subject better, with O+ in Charms, Transfiguration and Ancient Runes, due to his passion for enchanting and spells in general. EE in potions and Herbology. But O for Arithmancy, History of Magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts.

    Victoria had the best grades aside from me, with O+ in Charms, Potions, Transfiguration and Arithmancy. And O''s in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Ancient Runes, History of Magic and Herbology. I was extremely proud of her achievements.

    All of them were still shocked that they made a new grade just for me, but they''ve been my friends for years now, they know it''s completely reasonable. From their point of view anyway.

    Christian though would now be teased relentlessly due to him having the ''worst'' grades amongst us. The reason lies in the fact that he excels in things outside the classroom. He''s the best combatant from my three friends, even if Victoria has more power and spells, he has a true sense for fighting. He''s one of, if not, the best athletes at Hogwarts and has been receiving offers from professional teams already. He is a trained and experienced survivalist, and knows how to really use his knowledge of plants in the wild. And he has actually faced the creatures learned about in Care of Magical Creatures.

    James, Tory and I know all this. Christian knows we know. It''s all just good natured fun and competition between the four of us.

    On a side note, James has been getting employment offers as well. Businesses involved in enchanting have been trying to get the guy, especially broom makers. Because he was officially announced as a participant in making the Blackbolt, they''ve really been trying to get the me and him. He''s rejected these offers because he believes he isn''t good enough to truly do this. So I''ve arranged something unique for him. I gave him an opportunity to learn a path to making artifacts and learning a totally different way to enchant objects: Goblin smithing. This was difficult, but they''ve agreed, due to my relationship with them, to test James. If he fails that''s the end, but if he passes he must make an unbreakable vow to never disclose any techniques taught to him by the goblins. Everything else will be up to him.

    Tory has said that she''s making progress on figuring out what''s really wrong with her mom. She thinks that it wasn''t really a bad curse that''s got her this way, since the trauma is actually more similar to the Longbottom''s case than any existing curses effect. She''s been keeping me posted, but that discovery has been making me think of very bad possibilities. But I''ve sent her books on mental traumas, psychological injures, brain damage and some muggle medicine books to use as reference. Tory will understand the uses of these materials. Although she still believes that being from an old and established house does allow you to be better, that is only if of actually use the ressources available and put in the proper effort to be better. And I''ve taken her out to experience the muggle world repeatedly, so she understands that they have made great progress and are not to be underestimated anymore.

    And apparently, Christian is going to meet Newt Scamander this summer, since his parents are avid animal and nature lovers they''ve known the famous man for a while, and now they want to introduce their prodigious son to him. This should be an amazing opportunity for him, simply because Scamander is The magizoologist. He literally wrote the book. So I hope he can learn a lot from the man.

    Anyway, time moved on.

    Harry''s birthday was celebrated with us this year and gifts from his friends came in.

    Ron was in Egypt, his family still won the Daily Prophet Draw and decided to use it to visit their eldest who works as a curse-breaker for Gringotts over there. It always struck me as odd. The man has 5 children attending school, forced to make do with second-hand everything, but he blows all the money on a trip to see another son. That was in the original story anyway, so he''s lucky i started my fund and got Ron a proper wand, still not sure how that bit with Lucius needing to compensate the man has gone though. The good thing about this is that I won''t have to do anything and Sirius would learn about Peter as he did in the Canon. But, poor Percy isn''t Head Boy this time around because of little old me, who''s still got the badge. So he''s stuck as prefect for his last year, hence less smug in his pictures.

    Ron still sent over a Pocket Sneakoscope, something that is actually pretty useful to have around. It inspired me to enchant my heir ring to detect disguised or untrustworthy individuals later because of it. And you''ll be pleased to know it laid on the table doing nothing around my family and I.

    Hermione had a family trip to France, and said she was envious of Ron due to the history of the country he''s in. She sent over an entire broom servicing kit, with instructions and everything. It made the kids eyes light up.

    On the subject of brooms, when he found out I had made my own alongside another by a partner, he really wanted to try the two brooms. I told him it would really make any other broom he''s ridden feel worse in comparison, but he was adamant. I think that''s the most excited I''ve ever seen him, followed by the most d.e.s.i.r.e he''s ever displayed. He really wanted one. Unfortunately, they were insanely expensive and after I explained why he understood. So he''s never asked for one, he''s too good of a kid, plus if things go right he''ll get one anyway.

    Back to presents, I got him a proper dueling wand sheath. Enchanted to be just like mine. Susan got him a plant which is supposed to help others relax, Amelia got him some new clothes, and Tilly made his favorite foods. Hagrid sent him the infamous Monster book of Monsters. It tried to snap at Harry when he wanted to open it cautiously, but I firmly grasped it and stroked its spine to calm it down. I then taught the kid how to treat the informative little creature in order not to have any issues with the thing.

    The Golden Trio also agreed to meet at Diagon Alley for the last week of the Holidays, which he actually looked at us before we reassured him it was more than fine and agreeing.

    Everyone also got their Hogwarts letters and supply list around the same time as Harry''s birthday, so shopping was planned to be done soon as well.

    Then the news of the most hated criminal still alive, Sirius Black, had escaped from Azkaban. No one but me knew how he escaped, but everyone was in a frenzy. They still considered him to be Tommy boy''s right hand and the reason behind the deaths of Peter Pettigrew, James & Lily Potter, as well as over a dozen muggles. So they informed the muggle government about the man''s escape and a manhunt was started for him.

    No one would find him of course, due to his nature as an illegal animagus, but they were turning Britain inside and out.

    Aunt Amelia has had a lot of pressure put on her as the head of DMLE, and has been stressed for a while now. She has been very relieved that she knew exactly where Harry was and that he would be safe in the house, especially with me around. She knew my skills and so did most of the senior Aurors. Her worry was that Sirius would still very much like to try and kill Harry for his ''old master''.

    But unfortunately for Harry, some time later, he learned Vernon''s sister Marge was coming to visit. He had actually been lightly traumatized by the horrid woman. He had written to me about what to do and if he could come over, but I had to reject him this time because he couldn''t be away from that house for so long. So I gave him the advice to head to the Leaky Cauldron ahead of his friends if worst comes to worst. I would go and find him if it comes to that, but he should try to tough it out for the week.

    I knew it wouldn''t end well, but I also knew it was my chance. My chance to meet Sirius Black. So I got Oliver to prepare and keep an eye on Harry with extreme vigilance, and wait for the man to appear. No killing or maiming was permitted. The man was innocent and he trusted and respected me enough to obey the order that went against his own knowledge. I simply asked him to bring Sirius to our fully secured base. The true heart of my forces and be kept there. They knew he was an animagus and his form, so everything was prepared.

    As predicted, Marge was a horrid human being as well. Resulting in the funny bit of unintentional magic causing her to swell like a balloon.

    But being very scared of what he just did, worried about the Dursley''s reactions and that he believed to have gotten himself in a lot of trouble at the Ministry because of using magic, he ran after taking his things. He remembered what I had told him and also how to use the Knight Bus, so he properly flagged it. But it did not arrive until he saw a large black dog, staring at him intently and when the bus suddenly arrives it had disappeared, so he boarded the train and left.

    On my side of things though, I finally got the message I was waiting for from Oliver: Black has been capture as per your orders.

    I immediately stood up and dressed myself properly to meet the man. I wore a proper black three piece suit, modern muggle style not wizard, with a red tie, before changing my appearance to Micheal Folster''s. I still couldn''t reveal my identity, but I believed I can say Aedan Bones has a relationship with him.

    ''Time to meet the infamous prisoner of Azkaban then.'' I thought as I used my private portkey to go to The Fortress, the companies heavily fortified headquarters.

 Chapter 89 - Ch. 89 Sirius Black

    In a very very spacious underground area, hidden from the rest of the world, was a room that was used during peaceful interrogations. Well, peaceful to the cooperative and a nightmare for the less so. It was nearly identical to modern police equivalent, the only difference was the darker lighting, the smooth stone walls and the magical protections lightly humming as they worked.

    In it, was a man. He had shaggy matted hair from it not being washed or cut in so long, sunken face and skinny body because of extreme living conditions, wounds around his wrists and ankles, and was only wearing an old and tattered prisoners uniform.

    This was the Sirius Black as he sat in his chair, his head resting on the table as he was still stunned from his capture.

    "Do it." Came my calm order to Oliver as he waved his wand over the man silently, ready to immediately put the filthy Sirius down at any moment.

    In that instant, Sirius bolted up and tried to stand up to defend himself. Even if he''s half delirious at the moment and is ragged, he is still a very experienced and clever man. He figured out how to be an animagus in school, helped create the marauders map, fought in the first wizard war, escaped from Azkaban, evaded all his pursuers and kept doing so until his death sparking the second war. But unfortunately we were more than prepared as he was completely attached to the chair he was sitting in, with it also being basically part of the floor, so we watched him struggle with all his might as he looked at me and Oliver in something close to insanity.

    "It is an honor to meet a true combatant of the fight against Voldemort. I had wished I could welcome you properly. Let you rest and recover, but I know you would not trust me, nor would you wait due to your target." I say calmly to the aggressive man.

    My words got his attention, stopping him from thrashing around as he did, and making him look intensely at me. With those eyes showing his mad determination to reach the rat.

    "Sir, he''s just going to try and finish what he started. Look at him. He''ll do anything to end the boy." Oliver said, disapproving of the very fact I''m talking to the man. He''s told me himself that he would end the man for the betrayal he''s done.

    "He would indeed do anything to finish what he had started all those years ago. Isn''t that right Mr. Black?" I asked the man in my deep and calm voice, as a corner of my lips raised itself.

    "I''ll kill him! I''ll kill him for what he''s done!" He yelled out in mad fury.

    "You see! You should have let me end the bastard as soon as i caught him sir! He''s going to kill the boy-who-lived." Oliver exclaimed as he readied his wand, hoping for my command.

    "You are missing a key element Mr. Gunn." I say without taking my eyes off the disheveled man.

    "What? What am I missing? The man was his follower! He betrayed everyone!" He proclaimed.

    "No. Someone did betray everyone, but it wasn''t you was it Mr. Black?" I simply say, as I guide both men.

    "But if not him, then who?" He finally asked the right question.

    "You know?! You know the rat? You know he''s alive?" Finally exclaimed Sirius as he understood what I was hinting at the whole time.

    "It seems you are ready to listen Mr. Black." I say with a small chuckle.

    "You know where he is? Tell me?! I''ll kill him for what he''s done!" He yelled out energetically again.

    "What rat? Sir I need you to explain things right now." Oliver finally said as he looked at me.

    "Oh, he means it literally and metaphorically. There is a man, Mr. Black, Mr. Potter and one Mr. Lupin, knew since their Hogwarts days. They were friends, trusted each other, and got into mischief together. These friends were all animagus, illegal of course as you''ve seen from our Mr. Black, and that friends form was a rat. Rather fitting when you think about what he''s done in his life. And when the Potter''s went into hiding, they used the Fidelius Charm, with one of these three friends as the secret keeper. This is the main reason why even Dumbledore thought Mr. Black here, someone closer to a brother to Mr. Potter, was the traitor and why everyone believes so." I calmly tell the tale to a stunned Oliver and a now quiet Sirius.

    "But who was that then?" My man finally asked.

    "One Peter Pettigrew, secret keeper of the Potter''s, former member of the order of the Phoenix, and the Dark Lords spy in their midsts. A truly cowardly man who has faked his death and hidden from the world for the last 12 years. Isn''t that right Mr. Black?" I say with a small smile at the nearly broken man.

    "How? How can you know that?" Sirius asked very weary of the man who seemed to know everything. That knew about things only he should.

    "I have a very intelligent young friend currently in Hogwarts. He told me of this. He figured it out. He found your map, traced it back to you and your group, but found the name of a man who should be dead on it since two years ago. My only assumption is that Pettigrew either didn''t know how to conceal himself from the map, or believed that no one knew how to open it. But when you broke out, he informed me of what he knew and what you were most likely to do, so I ordered your capture. I wished to speak to you and hopefully prove the innocence that should rightfully be yours." I slowly explain to the man.

    "If you want to help, then you''ll point me to where the rat is, give me a knife and let me gut him where he stands!" He yelled out savagely.

    "And how would that help you or young Mr. Potter?" I asked simply, making Sirius shut up and calm down immediately.

    "Wha-what do you mean?" He asked nervously.

    "From what I understand of your relationship with the Potters, you are most likely his godfather yes? Mr. Lupin has his ''issues'' and would never accept the role with his personality. But you were like a brother, so the most obvious choice." I start off with in my smooth voice.

    "Yes. I am supposed to be his godfather. I was the one who was supposed to be there." He very regretfully replied. "But because of the rat! That was taken away!" He suddenly yelled out, using his broken reasoning.

    "And you will let him take it away again i see." I declare straightforwardly, making the man freeze.

    "He needs to die for what he''s done!" He tried to argue.

    "Do you know how young Harry has lived without any of his fathers closest friends, all his fathers family passing away and no one who could properly raise and protect him?" I ask him in response, shutting him up instantly again.

    "No, you don''t. That''s why you wanted to see him. That''s why we could predict where you would go." I say to the very quiet man.

    "From what my young friend from Hogwarts has told me, it has been a miracle the boy didn''t develop into an Obscurus." I inform seriously.

    Any possible blood or color from Sirius'' face drains away in an instant. He knows what that means. He''s from a most ancient and noble House. Of course he knows.

    "Lily''s sister is a petty and jealous individual. She suffered through an immense inferiority complex because of her sister. So she rejects everything that could represent her. She twisted every memory of the sister she once loved dearly, until they were all tainted. And she married the worst kind of muggle for a wizard to know. One who completely rejects anything that does not fit in his idea of what the world should be like. Small minded, short tempered, violent and tyrannical against those weaker than himself. Everything to distance herself from the world Lily had introduced her to." I informed him to get a better picture.

    "How do you think killing the rat and getting thrown into Azkaban is going to help anyone better their lives? How will that help Harry? What do you think James & Lily Potter would like to see in this world? Their friends trying to kill each other? Or having them help and protect their child?" I ask the man, sending him extremely deep into his thoughts.

    Seeing as no response was given I spoke up again.

    "I am not asking you to forgo your hunt or forgive. In fact i want to help you achieve this. But I want you to at least consider capturing the man instead of killing him. That is all." I say and wave my hand in his direction, freeing him from his chair.

    "Wha? Why are you doing this? You have no reason to?" Sirius asked, finally realizing that I have no actual reason to do this. He sees that I have trained and experienced men. He knows I have at least this private facility. My personal intelligence and my network are excellent as well. But I''m too young to know and have all these things. I am suspicious.

    "There are too many evil men loose in the world, and I don''t want one of the good ones to rot where they should be." I answer with many emotions in my voice as I look to the ceiling.

    "I will provide you a place to shower and feed yourself properly. We will also provide you with clothing and offer you a choice of wand we have confiscated if you do not have access to one. We can also help you reach Hogsmeade. But after that will be up to you." I say as I order the still quiet Oliver.

    "This is simply a choice. You can follow some of my men and they will take care of everything as I''ve ordered. Or you can simply leave and do as you wished anyway." I said without a care in my voice. It''s simply because it is his choice and if he refuses my offers I''m not losing anything.

    He was quiet for a while as he was thinking about everything I had offered him, talked to him about, and informed him of. I could see some rationality return to his eyes.

    "You said a kid figured all this out. Who is he and why do you believe him?" He then asked unexpectedly.

    "He''s a very smart kid and the world will soon realize that fact. His name is Aedan Bones, nephew of Amelia Bones, the current head of the DMLE. He''s also the son of one of your former colleagues from the Order." I answered with a chuckle.

    "Wait! That kids alive! But the entire family was killed by the time we got there!" He yelled out in surprise as he remembered the scene of the massacre.

    "Oh yes, the kid''s very much alive. Very unique appearance though. I think you''ll be able to tell when you see him." I responded with a smile.

    There was another pause as the man looked at me seriously.

    "I''ll take the offer for food, clothes and a shower. The rest I''ll do on my own. This is my duty." Sirius finally decided with fire in his eyes.

    "Very well Mr. Black. Oliver if you could arrange everything please." I ordered the man besides me.

    "Right away sir." He said respectfully as he left.

    "Then I shall be going as well Mr. Black. I hope you will make the best decisions you can and hope to see a future where you are a free man." I say with a smile and turn around to leave.

    "Wait!" He suddenly shouted.

    "Anything else Mr. Black?" I asked with curiosity.

    "You know me and everything that happened, but I don''t know you." He said seriously.

    "Ah! How could I have been so rude. I am Micheal Folster, a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to meet you." I say politely and with a small bow.

    "You already know who I am, but Sirius Black, same." He said as he held his hand out.

    I raised an eyebrow at the sight, but shook his hand the next second.

    "I hope your hunt is fruitful Mr. Black." I say as I look at his clearing eyes, still burning in determination.

    "It will be." I responded with absolute certainty.

 Chapter 90 - Ch. 90 Progress of Prodigies

    After my talk with Sirius, I headed back home and saw Hedwig holding a letter.

    ''Hi Aedan,

    I know you said to try and tough out aunt Marge''s visit, but I just couldn''t take it when she was insulting my parents, so I accidentally inflated her in front of everyone. The Minister said I''m not in trouble, but he was acting weird and wouldn''t tell me why.

    Anyway, I''m in Leakey Cauldron like you suggested and I plan to get all my shopping done then wait for Hermione and Ron.

    Harry.''

    I gave Hedwig a few treats and let her fly back to the kid.

    ''It really did happen huh. Well everything should be on track at the moment, I''ll just have to see how Sirius handles the year now that he has some rationality.'' I thought as i folded the letter.

    The next day I decided I should visit the boy, in order to keep my word to him.

    I showed up in a casual white t-shirt and jeans, with a loose ponytail. I didn''t do anything fancy or difficult, but I kept getting stares of wariness, amazement, jealousy and l.u.s.t. I could feel them, but I''m just use to it but on a grander level at Hogwarts.

    I casually sat at the bar and just drank some butterbeer while I waited for Harry.

    When I was almost done my drink, the kid finally came downstairs.

    "Aedan! You came." He said as he rushed towards me.

    "Well yeah. Not everyday stuff like that happens. Happy they didn''t do anything against the accidental magic. They shouldn''t generally though. It''s uncommon for people over the age of eleven, but it can still happen at intense moments, It''ll happen all the time in younger kids. So the Ministry is actually used to taking care of things. They mostly care more when intentional magic, casted through a wand or other means, is used on or around muggles." I explain to the kid.

    "That''s a relief. So are you gonna bring me back? You said I should at least spend my nights there." He asked, hopeful to hear a good answer.

    "No. It can''t happen during this summer anymore, but you did enough. I know what type of people they are and it seems like I''ll have to talk to them again. Anyway, it''s only about a week away from the 1st, so just relax here while you can and wait for Ron and Hermione." I say as i ruffle is somehow always messy hair. Although he never admitted it, I can always see him relax a bit when I do it.

    "That''s brilliant." He said with a sigh of relief.

    "Yeah, so you''ll have the week off basically. You''ve done your homework well, practiced and trained during the summer, so just relax and have a bit of fun in the wizarding world." I say with a bright smile to the boy.

    "Really? Wicked!" He cheered in a small celebration.

    "Alright, well since I''m here I was going to check the shop. It''s been a while because I''ve been focusing on opening the second one lately, so this will be good." I say with a chuckle at his reaction.

    "Can I come too?" He asked when he heard.

    "You want to see the brooms again don''t you?" I said with a knowing smile.

    "Yeah. I can''t help it. They''re just so good! How are you so good at everything?" He exclaimed with some envy.

    "A lot of studying, trial and error, training, support, ingenuity and drive." I answered the kid seriously. "So come on, I now have to prepare the bucket you''ll drool in on top of checking the place out." I tease as I got up and paid for the Butterbeer.

    "Hey! I don''t drool over it!" He tried to defend himself in embarrassment.

    "Hahaha! Say that to the puddle you left last time." I joked with a hearty laugh, with a slightly red Harry following me.

    The week quickly passed for me since I was working on a tricky project the whole time. I needed dragon fire for my ritual, and there''s no way in hell I''ll be able to have four dragons simultaneously breath fire around me. To even get to that step I would need four dragons in extremely close proximity to one another, so gotta work around that.

    I''m basically making a container and preserver. The first part is pretty easy for me. Just use a strongly protected metal box which activated an immensely powerful suction when a great source of heat nears it. Then you seal it and done. But what''s hard is that I need to maintain the fire, so I need a way to keep dragon flames going for at least two days. One day to have someone go to the dragon and collect some fire and the other to properly prepare in a calm and steady manner.

    It was then once again time to depart for Hogwarts. Susan and I said our goodbyes and boarded the Hogwarts Express.

    I quickly found an empty cabin and properly put my stuff away. I sat down just in time for a beautiful Victory to come in, wearing a simple dark green summer dress, which hugged her nicely developed curves, with the necklace I had gotten for her still holding its prominent position around her neck, her black and slightly wavy hair resting on her shoulders, emphasizing her noble feature and beautiful emerald eyes.

    She quickly stowed away her things, locked the door, obscured the windows and pounced on me.

    "I missed you." She said softly as she pressed her lips on mine hungrily, as our tongues greeted each other.

    "I can tell. Now let me show you how much a missed you." I responded after getting a small breather and having my turn on the offensive.

    We continued for about a sweet half-hour until I could feel our friends reaching the platform, forcing us to separate. Now they know we are together, but we don''t like doing this kind of stuff in front of them and it helps to keep it a secret.

    Our two friends joined us and we talked about our summers to one another.

    "You guys wouldn''t believe how great the Scamander''s house is. They''ve got an entire reserve in his bas.e.m.e.nt filled with a bunch of different beasts. It was so fun to play and take care of them all. He''s even invited me next summer to learn from him again!" Said our very energetic Christian.

    "That''s great mate. Learning from The Newt Scamander is a dream for any magizoologist, I''m sure it''ll help you tremendously. Might even get the new grade I created on your NEWT''s next year." I say as I pat his back.

    "Yes, from what I''ve read about the man he is truly close to his creatures and believes for the betterment of their care. It will do you a lot of good to be around him and not just following your parents in the wilderness." Said our Saintly James.

    "He''s even participated in the taking down of Gellert Grindelwald back in the day. So he should have a lot of interesting to stories to share. I''ve also heard he''s not really welcome in America due to him somehow losing a bunch of creatures in New York or something." Added my Tory.

    "Yeah he''s the best. So what about you guys?" He asked with a bright smile.

    "Aedan was incredibly generous as he''s given me the opportunity to start learning Goblin Smithing arts. I''ve begun learning many things which I''m unfortunately unable to say due to a vow, but this has been incredibly fulfilling. They like that I am respectful and talented. Though they do wish I was a bit more bloodthirsty apparently. Oh, did you know they call Aedan Bones-Crusher in their city?" He suddenly asked as he explained his summer, getting my two other friends to very quickly look at me for an explanation.

    "It''s nothing, just a goblin name I received when I was a kid. I participated in a fighting tournament to get more experience and they stubbornly wanted to experience my full strength and test their trained bodies against my fist. So I did proper punches and ended up breaking the bones of anyone who wanted to challenge me." I explained embarrassingly.

    "Hahahahahaha haha Ha! That''s great! Why''d you never say anything? Oh! Is that why you always look like you''re trying to be careful and gentle?" Realized a laughing Christian

    "Yeah, if I''m not careful with most things I''ll break them, so I''m always paying attention to everything around me." I said while scratching the back of my head.

    "Hmmm. Sounds like you could be quite the beast." Seductively whispered Victoria in my ear, causing my imagination to run wild for a bit.

    "But yes, it was a wonderful summer and i now get what that ring of yours mean. It frankly unbelievable you are a true friend of the goblin nation. And I was told to pass you a message Aedan." Continued James.

    "From who?" I asked curiously.

    "They wouldn''t tell me, but they said that they are almost ready. Do you understand it?" He asked with a calm curiosity.

    "Oh I understand it alright. That''s very exciting news indeed." I say with a very excited smile.

    "So what''s almost ready mate?" Asked a very curious Christian.

    "A special piece I ordered. Looking forward to the finished product." I replied with my smile still plastering my face.

    "So a new toy then?" Added in Victoria.

    "Something like that. I''ll show it to you guys when i actually get it." I reply, to which they nod.

    "What about you Victoria? Any progress?" Then asked James to our female member.

    "Yeah I''m making headway. The books you sent me have helped tremendously Aedan. I couldn''t have possibly guessed that muggle medicine was so advanced. I was very happy that you kept sending me the things I was looking for. It probably saved me a decade of researching minimum because we haven''t studied the brain nearly as much as we should. We haven''t studied much of anything that really happens inside of us as we should. It has opened a completely new door for me and my magic." She excitedly explained as she looked at me with tender eyes.

    "Anything I can do to help." I say as I squeeze her hand.

    "That''s so sick! Tory''s becoming a super matron, James is going to be the best enchanter in existence and I''m going to be the best magizoologist on the planet! So what were you up to to shock the world this summer O mighty Raven?" Asked Christian in an exaggerated manner.

    "Aside from my grades, I''ve become an animagus and I''ve released four books to really rattle how things are at the moment." I say as if it was a simply matter.

    "You''re an animagus! You''ve got to teach me! Pretty please mate." Suddenly begged Christian.

    "I would also like to have that ability, but have you registered yet? I haven''t heard of any new animagus making the news." Asked a concerned James.

    "And knowing you, those books are going to make quite the splash aren''t they?" Asked Victoria with an excited smile. It always gives her immense pride and happiness when her man shows his immense abilities, because even him showing a hint of what he can really do is enough to shock everyone. It also excites her to know he can rock the world so easily.

    "To go in order: yes I can guide you, I''m actually mentioning it because I want to help you all become ones as well, no I haven''t registered yet because I wanted to do it with you guys, and of course my books are going to cause a splash, I''ve been preparing for their release for years." I answer with pride.

    "You''re still the best mate!" Happily said Christian.

    "I wonder what animal I would turn into?" James questioned himself.

    "Another skill to learn is never a bad thing." Tory said mostly to herself.

    "Usually your animagus form will be hinted at by your Patronus." I say to the three of them.

    Victoria actually has a Hippogriff so it could be tricky, Christian is a wolf, and James is a freaking dove like the nickname wasn''t enough.

    ''It will be interesting to see the final result of their transformations'' I thought to myself.

    "Alright, I think we chatted enough, we are all prefects and whatnot, so let''s get changed and head to our carriage." I declare to break everyone out of their merriment at the thought of becoming animagi.

 Chapter 91 - Ch. 91 Dementors

    My friends and I all got dressed and headed to the prefect carriage, with pretty much everyone being the same except for the fifth years joining in as prefects, and only Cedric Diggory was a truly familiar face. The rest were pretty much all people I''ve noticed in the Exchange, but have not really gotten to know. Cedric is very active as a helper and I''ve taught him more than once, hence why I know him more.

    I nod towards the handsome teen and then face the rest of those in attendance.

    "It is good to see everyone again and I extend my welcome to all new prefects joining us this year. I have met most of you before, either in the Exchange or the Dueling club, but just in case I am Aedan Bones, a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to be working with all of you this year." I say as my opening lines.

    "As most of you know, I believe in the equality of all houses and that one should judge on actions and character instead of the house. But I also understand the inherent bias cultivated by Hogwarts'' division of students. So my oversight method shall remain the same as last years. Some favoritism is to be expected, but I also expect proper punishment when it is due. Minor abuses of authority will be tolerated to an extent, but heavy handed methods will result in disciplinary action. Aside from that, try to help students feel good about being at Hogwarts and help our fellow residents interact peacefully with one another. If all else fails and conflict is imminent in your opinion, arrange for a duel to properly let students work through their issues in a controlled manner." I say commandingly to everyone present. They all listen seriously, because unlike last year, every one knows about a fraction of my skills as president of the Dueling club. I''ve also cultivated prestige amongst the students, so even members of Slytherin house have grown to at least acknowledge my abilities.

    "The troubling thing is that I''ve received notice from the Headmaster that there will be some unpleasant challenges involved with helping manage students this year. He believes the Ministry might enforce some hard-handed methods to protect students from Sirius Black." I say with utmost seriousness.

    "But why would Black even come to Hogwarts?" Asked Cedric.

    "They believe Harry Potter would be a target. They see Black as having an extreme obsession with the boy who defeated his former master. So the Ministry is almost certain that he will try to reach him in the place everyone knows he spends most of the year." I answer the Hufflepuff teen.

    "So what kind of measures are they thinking of implementing? Do you know Aedan?" Asked James this time, feeling a bit worried.

    "The Headmaster didn''t have any notices or requests from the Ministry when he sent the letter, so all we know is that the discussions were ongoing within the Ministry. I''m personally hoping the will assign Aurors or at least Hit Wizards, but the current cabinet has been cutting the funding and recruitment for those offices. I think the only person to have been recruited in many years has been Tonks who graduated two years ago. And I really hope they don''t chose the worst option." I say somberly.

    "What''s the worst option mate?" Asked Christian, making everyone look at me with some nervousness at my answer.

    "Dementors." I simply answer without any emotions.

    "That''s insane! The Ministry would never let Dementors be near the school." Exclaimed Percy.

    "That is the worst choice I can think of Percy, and one I really don''t want them to chose it." I respond to the guy, calming him down a bit.

    "Well anyway, I want the seventh years to partner up with a fifth year and show them the ropes on patrolling the train properly, sixth years can pair up together and start any time." I instructed to the group, ending the meeting.

    So everyone was currently patrolling. I was with Tory as we walked through the carts. People tended to stop what they were doing and start staring at us in some sort of awe due to the aura we exude together. She is The Queen of Slytherin. Unchallengeable, proud but ultimately kind. She is a true noble. While I am an overwhelming person. I know that very well. Tall, strong, good looking, intelligent, good character and my own aura akin to a king due to my Phoenix and Whampus cat parts. It makes people subconsciously behave in front of us.

    As the rain outside the train fell and we neared Hogwarts, we started to slow down steadily until the train came to a complete stop. Then the lights usually illuminating the train dimmed until they finally went out.

    The darkness and our lack off movements were causing students to panic because this has never happened before.

    "Everyone stay in your cabins! We will handle the situation and find out what is wrong! You will then be informed accordingly. Do not run around like headless chickens and stop us from understand what has happened or add onto the chaos! Everything will be fine." I yelled loudly and with authority, causing the entire place to quiet down and let us work.

    Then the part I was waiting for finally came. The temperature started dropping, as the wet windows slowly became covered in frost. And a hovering cloaked being entered the compartment. All students who noticed it went quiet from fear of the creature. They know what it is. A Dementor!

    "They really did it." I mutter underneath my breath.

    "We can''t let it even touch a student! Those abominations are reserved for the worst criminals, how dare they let them come anywhere near children!" Spat out an angry Victoria.

    "Yes, the quicker this is done the better." I say to her as I step up and approach the creature.

    "The one you are looking for is not here. Leave or die." I declare with no room for opposition.

    There is no negotiation. No debate. No choice. No alternative. Leave or die.

    It did not leave. The creature feels too many emotions on the train. So much to feed on. It cannot relinquish such a feast.

    "You have made your choice. Now you are done." I decreed as my wand is raised and an all encompassing with light envelops and warms the hearts of all those on the train. With quiet steps my Whampus cat Patronus appears and attacks the Dementor in front of me, causing it to release a horrible howl of pain and unwillingness as it disintegrates it into nothingness. Meanwhile I let out pulses of positive energy to attack any and all Dementors on or around the train. One death as a warning and this as proof of power.

    I looked over the now quiet compartments and loudly announced using sonurus.

    "To all students, the Dementors have been pushed back. We will resume our journey momentarily. All prefects are to check in on every student. If anyone was attacked by one of the Dementors they need to be given some chocolate immediately and taken to Madam Pomfrey at our arrival. We shall receive an explanation for this outrageous situation at the castle I am sure, so for now at least try to stay calm. Help those affected. And prepare for our arrival at Hogwarts." I ordered authoritatively.

    "You know I always love when you show off." Whispered my Tory.

    "I''ll show off something different later. But for now we have our duties to attend to." I whispered back to her and got to work.

    It took a while to get all the students sorted out, but with all the prefects and students given clear and precise instructions, everything was going better.

    After a gathering of prefects in our carriage, i understood what happened pretty much in every part of the train, letting me give out a fresh set of orders. I also said that if someone mocks another for their reactions to being attacked by a dementor, then they are to be welcomed and face one as well.

    For the rest of the ride I fulfilled my duties as Head Boy and let our new Professor Lupin take care of Harry.

    Soon enough we reached the castle and students could finally forget about the trains events while enjoying the feast.

    But after said feast, Dumbledore explained that the Dementors are to be present outside the school grounds to hunt for Sirius. He also stated that they have been specifically ordered to not enter school grounds.

    And so with complicated hearts, the students were sent to their dorms to rest, recover, and prepare for the start of a new school year.

    After finishing the last of my duties, I also returned to my room and started to write down my years goals.

    1. Finish the Dragon Fire Containment tool. This is my absolute priority. It needs to be done by the end of the year, no other results will be accepted.

    2. Continue working on Charm and DADA mastery spells. With all my other chosen subjects to achieve a mastery ready to go, with all projects completed. These two are the last ones. I''ve already built a good framework for the two spells and with the Dementors present this year I believe they will be perfect test subjects.

    3. Up combat training for my friends. I need them to be at at least senior Auror level before the next year in order for them to be prepared. Christian is the closest, only needing to add more spells and experience, while waiting for his second maturity. Victoria is only a step behind the guy due to her instincts and experience being lower than him, but she will be very powerful in the future. And although James is the ''weakest'' combatant, he''s also the toughest to take down due to his fighting style being heavily defensive. So I need to get them polished.

    4. Make sure Sirius is exonerated, but Peter escapes. That is my aim for this years canon. The last two years I didn''t mess with things too much, but I just can''t not help the guy and help Harry at the same time. The plan involves gathering too much evidence so that they can''t deny Pettigrew is alive and that Sirius is innocent. I have a few ideas on how to accomplish my goal, but I need to be careful of Hermione''s time turner and might need to use my own to counteract hers.

    5. Teach everyone I can the Patronus Charm this year. This will help keep students safe, help their DADA grades on OWL''s, boost morale in the school and help in the future when Voldy takes them all under his wing.

    With my goals written down, it was time to ready myself for the days ahead of me with a good nights sleep.

 Chapter 92 - Ch. 92 Finding Successors

    The year began with a slightly gloomier atmosphere around Hogwarts. Student were obviously feeling the stress of being back in class and having homework, with that going double for OWL and NEWT students. But the presence of the Dementors seemed to bring an atmosphere of helplessness to the castle.

    So to combat this feeling a little bit, while training my monstrous control and endurance, I decided to let my Patronus fly around to comfort students impacted the most. It''s presence helped alleviate the dreadful feelings one could feel due to the many Dementors surrounding the school.

    This new year also brought changes to my groups schedule, since we were now studying for NEWT examinations next year. Christian obviously kept Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures, but also chose Astronomy, Charms, Transfiguration and Defense against the dark arts. He couldn''t continue Potions due to not reaching Snape''s requirement of only accepting Outstanding for his NEWT classes, ditched History of Magic as quickly as possible because of the mind numbing boredom he had to endure for the last 5 years, and divination was useless for him so he didn''t continue it either.

    James was in about the same situation. He continued with Charms, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Transfiguration and Defense against the Dark arts, but dropped Potions, Herbology And History of Magic.

    So neither of them technically qualified as Aurors in the future, but they would still be able to more than challenge anyone of them.

    But Tory was flawless in her exams. She obviously continued Charms, Transfiguration and Potions to further her own goals, while adding Herbology, Defense against the Dark arts, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. She only dropped History of Magic because it was useless to her and I could teach it better, with much fewer flaws and had more material she could go through if she ever needed to.

    My side of things were pretty much the same, I just continued in the classes I would actually get my masteries in. So Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Charms, DADA, Herbology, Potions (much to Snape''s loathing), and Transfiguration. Yeah, even I dropped History of Magic since I already know more than the ghost teacher, and better too. So there was no point in wasting time and trying to distract myself from the boredom anymore.

    On a side note, apparently I think only Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster are aware of my record shattering grades because of a few looks I''ve gotten from her, but she simply treated me impartially as before. That meant I could continue on as usual, even if they can''t really teach me anything per say, their lectures and experiences allow me to get fresh insights into subjects and spark ideas into my mind. That is one of the reasons why I chose not to graduate early with my grades. The others being my friends and next years events.

    The Exchange opened as it did every year now and had succeeded in becoming sort of an established sight in Hogwarts. I was very proud to have made this sort of place, where anyone is welcomed to join and learn. No one tried to hinder it anymore due to the complete fairness for any who wish to come in and improve. The only issue is that I will be leaving Hogwarts next year and I don''t want the Exchange to just be a product of my time in Hogwarts, I want it to be there to help students long after I leave. So I began to look for a successor of sorts, with someone in mind already for the job: Cedric Diggory. He is smart, kind and pretty much impartial. He is by far the best candidate to take over and manage the Exchange. And honestly speaking, it''s not like he''s going to die anymore. I mean, even if I didn''t need to participate I doubt he''d be considered a better candidate than any of my friends. So I''m not particularly worried about the guy dying next year.

    With my number one candidate chosen, I decided to approach the guy. He was currently chatting with some of his friends in the courtyard, relaxing between classes.

    "Hello Cedric, I would like to speak to you in private for a little bit if that is fine with you." I requested politely to him. My sudden arrival made everyone freeze.

    "Me? How come?" He asked very surprised. It is understandable because I don''t really interact with people unless it''s during classes or my extracurricular activities.

    "I have an offer for you." I reply, making the teen seriously look at me.

    "Alright then. You guys go on ahead." He nodded and told his group of friends.

    We headed to the Exchange for privacy, making sure no one could overhear.

    "So what''s up Aedan? This really isn''t like you." Asked a curious Cedric.

    "What do you think about the Exchange Cedric?" I simply ask back.

    "Eh? Oh. It''s a really wonderful concept and Hogwarts needed a place we''re students can mingle properly. It also helps a lot of people and promotes hard work and effort, so I think it''s brilliant." He answered honestly and with a smile on his face.

    "Yes. I really wanted to help others. But I''m worrying about it now." I say with a sigh.

    "What''s wrong? Is someone trying to shut it down?" He asked seriously.

    "No no. Nothing like that. Thank you for caring though. But I''m worrying about it''s future." I reply with a chuckle.

    "What do you mean?" He confusedly asked.

    "Next year will be my last Cedric, and I worry about what will happen after me and my friends leave Hogwarts." I clarified for the teen.

    "Ok. So what''s your plan? And why talk to me about it?" He realized and asked.

    "Simply because I want to groom someone to take over and maintain the ideals of the Exchange." I say as I look directly into his eyes.

    "You want a successor? Wait a second! You think it''s me?!" He understood in utter shock.

    "I can think of no one better Cedric. Kind, smart, skilled, hard working and unbiased. You are exactly the kind of person I would love for students to be. And I have always paid attention to the happenings in this room, so I know how you are here at least and that''s enough for me." I explain with a smile.

    "But I''m not nearly as smart as you, or as strong as you, and I don''t have the same feeling of confidence you give off too!" He tried to deny. It is understandable to be worried, I am too much to follow up on.

    "You see, that doesn''t matter to me at all. I don''t want you to become me. I wanted someone with good enough grades, skilled enough in magic and kind enough to help others, those are my requirements to oversee this place. I want someone who can let the spirit of this place carry on after I leave, not replace me." I say honestly to the teen, making him think seriously about my response.

    "Can I think about it?" He asked, unable to come to a decision at the moment.

    "Of course Cedric. But do not pressure yourself too much. You are my favorite for the position without a doubt, but I also have other options in mind if you decide that it is too much for you. To me it is good that you are hesitating, it means you are giving it proper consideration." I reply kindly.

    "Thanks." He said with a small nod and left to think about my answer.

    With that discussion done, I got going on a few other projects. One of which was to start my friends on their paths to becoming animagi. They now all had a mandrake leaf stuck to the roofs of their mouths, letting them experience the weird feeling and have begun to chant every morning and evening.

    I''ve also started to push them further now for combat training and using more modded spells. I''m not going nearly as far as I can, but this is a level where they fell great pressure but it''s still manageable. It is the right level to stimulate growth. And they''ve finally begun to learn proper Occlumency. Tory had defenses already due to her family, but they weren''t anything special so I helped her remake them properly.

    The Dueling club was doing well, and this year Ron was finally able to join. His physical condition was a lot better than when he started following my guide, and he looks like he kept putting effort in during the break, making me glad he had done so. So as the president of the club I started to welcome everyone.

    "Welcome everyone, to our Dueling club. Most of you I know from last year, but for our new members and first years, I am Aedan Bones. Professor Flitwick And I founded this club to help students learn the noble art of dueling. We have strict rules on how to behave yourself inside and out of the club. If any believe these rules are made to be ignored you will be very rudely awakened." I say seriously as I speak. We don''t want people to believe they can just ignore the conditions which they are to uphold as members.

    "This year will be a bit different than the last for one major reason: I will be looking for the future leadership of the club amongst those present. Next year will be my last and I wish to leave this club in the right hands, hence I shall be observing all of your spirits, hard work, skills, personal improvement and characters. I will announce my decision at the end of the year and personally coach them next year. That is all." I announce, causing a wave of rumors and possibilities to spread throughout the castle as they try and guess who it could be.

    I have also announced a special class for this year due to the presence of Dementors and the obvious dangers they pose to the student body. Instead of the ''review'' which served to counteract Lockharts shit class, I would now hold Patronus lessons. Anyone who wants to learn this difficult Charm is more than welcomed to join in, and since it isn''t a destructive spell it can be practiced until they drop.

    A week after my announcements started flying around the castle, Cedric came to find me when I was closing the Exchange one day.

    "Aedan, I''ve made my decision." He told me with a look of pure determination.

    "Oh?" I raised my eyebrow as I look at him.

    "Yes. I''ll do it. I''ll be your successor and keep the Exchange going." He said seriously.

    "Thank you Cedric. And you don''t have to worry, I''ll warn everyone and coach you for the next two years to make you feel more confident." I comfort him with a gentle smile.

    "Alright. I''ll look forward to it." He nods and with our little chat done, we head to the Great Hall for food.

 Chapter 93 - Ch. 93 How to be a little bitch

    With time passing and everyone having proper classes, it was around this time that third years would start their electives.

    On the day Care of Magical Creatures was set to occur for third years, i decided to follow Victoria to the infirmary. I justified it by saying I knew Hagrid was very excited to follow his dream of being the Professor for the class, so he was going to show them Hippogriffs which might not end well, and an unsaid reason I let her know through my eyes.

    Now Hippogriffs are great, the only problem is a lazy, pampered showoff, who can''t take it when Harry does anything remotely better than him. And instead of improving and showing himself to be better through accomplishments, he only tries to sabotage, mimic or disparage anything that Harry does.

    So when I saw a very happy Harry flying across the school grounds and plane over the Black Lake, I knew it was almost time.

    And ten minutes later, a rushing Hagrid carrying the m.o.a.ning p.u.s.s.y known as Draco Malfoy came in. Now I like giving everyone a chance but he doesn''t even try to change. He''s so obsessed with being better than Harry because he got rejected in first year that he then blinds himself to any opportunity to actually become better than him. I''ve repeatedly invited him to the Exchange and I told him when the club was recruiting people, but he stiffly rejects the first due to not being able to be a twit to the head boy, and just expects to have a spot saved for him in the club.

    "My goodness Hagrid. What happened?" Asked a stern madam Pomfrey.

    "Draco ''ere got too close tah Buckbeak. Offended ''im bad and got swiped. You''ll fix ''im though right?" He explained then asked nervously.

    "Of course. Lay him on the bed. Everyone else out!" She ordered quickly, forcing Draco''s groupies out.

    "Hagrid, don''t worry. Honestly speaking we all know how jealous and petty the boy is. If anything happens I''ll help you out and this is a class with risks, so your job is protected from idiots unless they are actually crippled or killed ok. But maybe stick to things around unicorn level for third years. They''re cool and we''ve got plenty." I try to comfort the half-giant.

    "Yeh think so? I just wanted to do a good job. It''s me dream y''know?" He replied nervously.

    "I know Hagrid. How about this? Me and Christian can help you plan some interesting creatures to show off for every year. You know a lot about so many so focus on that. Just gotta learn that the kids are a lot more delicate than you alright." I say as I pat him on the back.

    "Alright, thanks Aedan." He nodded gratefully.

    "Alright now go. We''ve got this, but you''ve got a class waiting for you Professor." I say to cheer him up a little.

    After he left I could hear Madam Pomfrey chastise the boy.

    "Oh keep quiet Mr. Malfoy! Plenty of people come here with worst results from pranks than this little scratch." She said sternly.

    "Be quiet and stop being a mommy''s boy you little prat. Or I''ll stupify you so we can work." Coldly said my lovely Tory.

    He immediately shut up in fear of the two women. Madam Pomfrey cause she gives no shits about who you crawled out of, and Tory has very firmly established herself in Slytherin through strength and ability.

    It was a medium sized cut, but that is actually the lightest possible result I''ve ever heard of for pissing off a Hippogriff. Buckbeak mostly got the kids cloths and only the tip of its claws reached the boy, so all of this m.o.a.ning was quite pathetic.

    "Well now I know why you''ve never joined the dueling club Draco. If this scratch is all it takes to put you out of commission then you wouldn''t last long and I do so worry about how your daddy would react. He might try to shut down our club for not treating his little boy like the special prince he is." I said to him with a ''kind'' smile and ''caring'' voice, making Tory stifle a laugh and Poppy to suppress a smile.

    Draco on the other hand had a humiliated expression. He had wanted to get in the club, but the spots were already filled. He had also tried to bully or bribe people into giving their spots away, but was caught and lost 40 points for his house. That put a stop to his actions very quickly. And now he''s being mocked for his actions.

    After he was fixed up by the two women and I checked the injuries myself, he was free to go. There were no poisons or infections, no potions used, no curse or dark magic, so just fixing his arm was enough.

    But then, the little twit showed up surrounded by people ''caring'' for him with his arm wrapped up in gaze and in a sling. That means the the boy got the stuff himself and made the sling without anyone knowing, just to get attention and feel special. It was honestly pathetic to watch.

    Although Victoria really wanted to give the boy a beating, she also knew when to hold back. This was mostly because he wasn''t actually hurting anyone right now, just being pathetic. So we spread the word around the three other houses of what his injury was really like, making people almost laugh out loud at the boy and looking at his acting with concealed ridicule. Apparently Draco thought this meant people were paying more attention to him and believed him, so he laid on his act extremely thick.

    On an other topic though, everyone was happy to have the good Professor Lupin teaching DADA, as he was finally a competent teacher with a deep understanding of the subject. Some people were even comparing my ''review'' from last year to his classes, the only difference being that I just didn''t have the time to go through everything for every individual grades in the time I had.

    "Hello Professor. Do you have some time to talk?" I asked politely.

    He was like the movie representation of the man, but his robes were shabbier, his light brown hair showed hints of grey through them even though he was too young for it, and he always looked ill and exhausted as they were the symptoms of a werewolf.

    "Mr. Bones, this is a surprise. You do not strike me as a man who has any questions for me. So what is it you need?" He asked in return with a tired but happy smile.

    "Well, I am honestly here to ask how you are. You''re entire demeanor screams that you are not feeling well. So although you are a true expert of the field you teach, it worries me." I say with worry in my voice.

    "Oh, no need to worry about that. An old illness is all. I''ve got it under control." He says with a chuckle at my worry.

    "It is true that it can be controlled. Is Professor Snape helping you properly? I know you and him have a history?" I asked kindly. But those two questions made him jumped immediately.

    "How do you? What do you know?" He asked very guarded now.

    I just wave my wand to close the door and cast a muffling spell on the room, this level seemed to surprise the man.

    "Please don''t think I mean you any harm Professor. But for the first question, it''s a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to meet Mr. Moony of the Marauders." I say with a small smile.

    "Ha! You found the map. Do you have it? It is a very dangerous tool in some people''s hands." He said with great surprise, but also seriousness.

    "Yes, Mr. Padfoot is at large at the moment, but I''m not worried about him." I say with a calm smile.

    "So you know that too. Why didn''t you tell anyone?" He asked with a sigh, but with curiosity.

    "Same reason you never told anyone the man was an animagus." I simply answered.

    "You truly are as impressive as the Headmaster said." Commented the impresses Professor.

    "Why thank you Professor Lupin." I say with a chuckle.

    "But will you turn it in? I know Dumbledore said he trusts you greatly, but this is regarding Harry''s safety." He then asked with all seriousness.

    "Unfortunately, I passed it on to people who would truly live up to your groups spirit of mischief and i know not if even they still have it." I answered honestly. Not telling him about my copy, no one can use it except me and I made some for everyone in my group too.

    "That is unfortunate. But I must still have you another question. What else do you know of me?" He asked, but this time there was timidity, and fear in his behavior.

    "We both know, why must you ask?" He respond softly.

    "So you know. What are going to do? Spread it around the castle and drive me out? Or is this blackmail? What is your goal with telling?" Asked a now very weak spirited Lupin.

    "You truly don''t know do you? Where have you been hiding that you don''t know such big changes?" I asked in return, with a very soft voice.

    "What don''t I know?" He questioned, sounding beaten.

    "The Bones family is the largest employer of werewolves in the world most likely. They''re involved in every step of the making of the products sold at BonesWorks. Except the books and goblin metals anyway." I explain gently.

    "What!? But what about the anti-werewolf legislation? And what about the registry?" He asked in disbelief.

    "They''ve all agreed to be registered under their term of employment, and we provide them with stable work, dorms, food, pay and a new Wolfsbane potion I''ve improved and I''ve published the recipe of in my new book. We have pretty much every werewolf who is willing to do honest work under us at the moment." I explain to the shaken man.

    "I didn''t know, but that still doesn''t explain why you still have them with the new legislation." He tried to understand.

    "Why should I give a shit about what the most bigoted bitch in the wizarding world tries to do? Our contracts protect our employees for the next ten years. As long as they don''t break any of our agreements they will be fully protected as our employees. Plus honestly, I could dismantle that piece of legislation in about a week. But I need to be the lord Bones to do so without implicating my aunt and forcing her to face off against the minister''s f.u.c.kbuddy." I say proudly and viciously.

    The professor just looks at me in shock.

    "I just came to ask because the recipe I put out improves the cost of the potion, the production difficulty is lowered, and it takes less time for it to be effective with only needing to take two doses to take effect. This isn''t for debate, it has worked for over 1000 werewolves from across Europe for the last three years and without a single incident." I inform the man seriously.

    "What!?" Was all he got out, mainly due to his jaw trying to hit the floor.

    "Yeah, just need to buy Potions beyond Potions, turn to page 37 and bam. New Wolfsbane. Every recipe has been certified too." I say proudly.

    "You really are like Dumbledore said: unfathomable." Sighed the man, with a smile on his face. "But thank you for letting me know. I''ll inform Severus. He probably didn''t want to buy a students book, but if what you said is true I think he will now." He added a little amused at the thought of Severus being outdone by a student.

    "No problem Professor. I hope it helps. You''re a really good teacher and your situation is more than manageable." I reply kindly.

    "Yes. Now if that''s all, I seem to have an urgent need to visit our potions master." He said with a smile on his face now.

    "Of course sir. Good luck." I simply answer with a knowing smile and left.

    But when I had come out, I heard a disturbing rumor that Lucius Malfoy came and is demanding the head of the beast which ''nearly killed'' his son.

    "That little bitch." I murmured under my breath as my strength leaked out a bit.

 Chapter 94 - Ch. 94 Digging a pit

    When I heard the news I immediately headed to Hagrid''s hut.

    I apparently arrived just a bit after the golden trio as they are trying to get a sloshed Hagrid to open up.

    "Aedan! What are you doing here?" Said Hermione as she noticed me first, getting the boys to turn around in surprise.

    "Sorry, questions in a bit." I say with a little smile on me lips, then turned my attention to the door.

    "Hagrid I told you to tell me if the daddy''s boy made any problems and that I would handle it! So if you don''t open up this damn door I''m breaking it and dragging you outside to talk after I douse cold water over your head!" I shouted at the man inside the house, completely stunning the trio.

    ""You''ll do what?"" Questioned Ron and Harry as Hermione malfunctioned seeing what was basically her idol acting like some sort of hooligan.

    "I''m giving you till the count of three! One! Two! Thr-" I was counting down when the door opened and I immediately took a potion out of my pouch, uncorked it and forced him to drink by making it fly into his mouth and making the container vanish, whilst leaving the liquide in my control to force it down his throat, making him very surprised and cough as soon as it was over.

    "Aedan! What did you do!?" Exclaimed the worried Harry.

    "I''m not dealing with a wasted half-giant again, even if he''s my friend. That will sober him up right quick." I say to the trio who are trying to catch up with the events, while Hagrid''s is feeling the effects of the potion. It has to be extra extra strong to work on the man, so not a pleasant experience.

    "So what are you doing here?" Asked Ron.

    "I was one of the people responsible for checking Draco''s little scratch, and I told Hagrid that if the prince was going to make trouble with his daddy I would handle it. But the guy just shuts himself in and starts drinking! So that''s what he gets for not trusting me to handle it." I say with a little huff at the end, as the three of them understand why I was acting like I did.

    "Why''d you shove that ''orrible stuff down me throat!" Complained Hagrid.

    "Punishment for not letting your friend help you out. Now sell me Buckbeak immediately!" I basically ordered.

    """"What?!"""" Everyone else shouted in extreme confusion.

    "Sell me Buckbeak and I''ll be able to use loopholes to protect him, but he must be in my possession. You''ll be assigned as the caretaker for him and have my permission to use him in your lessons, hence making me the one responsible for any issues that occur because I''m the owner." I explain, making the guys blank, but the clever girl got it.

    "That''s brilliant! You''re using laws to protect nobles and their property against a noble trying to seize it!" Exclaimed our Hermione.

    "Yep, now sign this. I got this made as soon as I heard about the incident. It''s a contract dated to the day it happened, indicating that one Hippogriff, known as Buckbeak, tamed and trained by one Rubeus Hagrid, has been the purchase of Heir Aedan Micheal Bones. All you have to do is signed, I give you the money and I can crush Lucius at his own stupid game." I explain to the half-giant, who is reading the paper in disbelief.

    "That''s brilliant!" Harry exclaimed in amazement.

    "You should look up your own stuff too Harry, because I think you forgot that I told you that you were the last Heir of an ancient noble family. Might want to check on that next time you''re at Gringotts. Let''s you use a bunch of laws if you know how to play with them." I say to the now teenage Harry.

    Then Hagrid just started crying, surprising even me.

    "Hagrid... are you ok?" Carefully asked Hermione.

    "Just like Dumbledore yeh are! Yeh help me even when I make a mistake!" He said as he was bawling his eyes out.

    "Hagrid this isn''t your fault. You tried to get students interested and showed a proper example trough Harry. But a teacher can only do so much for a bad student sometimes." I tried to comfort the man by saying this.

    "He''s right Hagrid. Malfoy''s a git. We all know that. I mean, who just runs up to a Hippogriff? Honestly." Agreed Ron, saying something actually helpful this time.

    "Yeah, and Aedan''s Aunt is the Head of the DMLE. He knows the laws almost inside and out from studying with her. He''ll beat Lucius in any court case." Added Harry since he has learned more than a little bit about our governing body from staying at my place.

    "So what are waiting for Hagrid? Sign the paper." Excitedly reminded Hermione.

    "Right, right... and, there, yeh, go. Signed yer contract Aedan. So Buckbeak''ll be fine?" He asked hopefully.

    "Yes Buckbeak will be fine Hagrid. And so will you." I reassured with a bright smile as my plan to play with Lucius again is taking form.

    "Thank yeh Aedan." Sincerely said Hagrid.

    "No problem Hagrid, we''re friends and I told you I''d help with this. No way am I letting the prat get such a beautiful creature executed." I say with a smile.

    "Know let''s prepare a right proper lesson plan for everyone. It''ll be interesting, but appropriate. It''s almost everybody''s first time handling creatures. So you gotta start with some smaller, cuter critters and build yourself up to the big guns alright?" I say with an energetic smile.

    So with the help of Hermione, while still taking Hagrid''s opinion into account, we managed to have a good outline of how the semester can go. We have a concrete plan for the next two months at least, and Hagrid agreed to run interesting opportunities passed either me, Christian or Hermione so he doesn''t get a bit too carried away and hurt his reputation as a teacher too much. I also told him it''s ok to make mistakes, but you have to avoid repeating them. He has to take some of what the students say into account and hammer in what they need to know even if they complain. This is especially important around magical creatures. You need to know exactly what you are doing when around them, because all of them have ways to defend themselves and harm others. Except for the mighty Flobberworm I think.

    So with that done, I started to prepare everything to crush Lucius and turn the tables on the man completely. So I got Draco''s incident report from both Hagrid and Madam Pomfrey. I got my eyes and ears to monitor Lucius'' activities to catch any and all evidence of his bribing and/or blackmailing again. Then I also asked Christian to see if Mr. Scamander would be able to help in some way. He his a famous wizard, world renowned magizoologist, and he has a soft spot for Hippogriffs due to his mother apparently having been a breeder. I also notified my aunt about my little plan to harass the Malfoy snake, and she was quite excited to see her nephew f.u.c.k the man over. I love my aunt.

    After that incident, something interesting happened: a canon event.

    A Hogsmeade visit was scheduled on Hallowe''en day.

    Harry couldn''t come of course, and I think the reason Dumbledore never brought up the fact that he could sign Harry''s form was because he wanted him to spend time with Remus. It let him learn about his parents, how they were in school, and he was teaching him how to fight Dementors like the canon. So although Harry will feel excluded, it''s overall better for him to experience this, and it helped appease the guilt Remus felt due to the past.

    But the event I mentioned wasn''t this.

    After the pumpkin infused feast ended, everyone returned to their dormitories. But it was now impossible to open the Gryffindor dorm because the Fat Lady had been attacked and fled.

    And Sirius Black was responsible.

    ''Now this is both expected and not. The man should be more rational about what to do with Peter right now. I pointed out everything his decision would affect. But it looks like his loyalty to the Potters and his d.e.s.i.r.e for revenge are making him irrational in his pursuit of the rat. As far as I know, he should be hiding in the Shrieking Shack during the year since no one goes near the supposedly ''most haunted site in Britain'', I guess I''ll go introduce myself later.'' I thought to myself after the event.

    The whole castle was immediately put on alert.

    Teachers, Penelope and I were paired to search the castle for the man, but he had vanished as quietly as he had come.

    Students were put in the Great Hall for their safety tonight, with everything provided so that they could at least sleep.

    The Dumbledore motioned for me to join him and his trusted teachers: McGonagall, Snape And Lupin.

    "Why is Bones participating Headmaster?" Asked a sneering Snape.

    "Because Aedan''s insight and intelligence are beyond marvelous, as can be attested by myself and Remus." Answered Dumbledore with a calm smile.

    "The boy knows nothing of the situation. How could he? It is before his time." Disagreed the potions master.

    "I will assure you Severus, that he seems to know plenty of the matters of the past." Replied Remus with a smile. "And the present." He then hinted.

    "Hmph." We all know who did that.

    "Are you sure Albus? Mr. Bones is still a student, even with his grades." Asked a concerned McGonagall.

    "He is more than a match for any teacher in the school Minerva and we have had many illuminating conversations in his time at our school." He answered jovially, with his eyes twinkling a bit brighter.

    "I do know enough. For example Professor Snape, how are you enjoying my book on potions? I think it''s pretty nifty." I asked with a devilish grin.

    He just glared at me in response.

    "I''ve read your books as well Aedan, and they were simply brilliant. I am very happy that such a student is in our school." Complimented the Headmaster.

    "Thank you very much sir. They are the compilation of my foundations. And I hope they can help others as they build off of their own. But shall we discuss what it is you wanted?" I thanked him and attempted to return the conversation to something more productive.

    "Mr. Bones is right. How did Black even get into the castle undetected? He even escaped Azkaban, but even with the Dementors he makes it through. So how?" Asked Minerva very seriously.

    "Perhaps someone helped him, from the inside? An old friend perhaps." Snaps hinted none too subtly.

    "I trust no teacher at this school would help the man into the castle to harm a student Severus." The Headmaster said as he denied Snape''s jab at Remus.

    "We have not been friends in a very long time Severus, as you well know. But thank you for your trust Headmaster." Replied Lupin to both men.

    "You''re opinion Aedan?" Then asked Dumbledore with an expectant look in his eye as the three Professors turn their attention to me.

    "Black is no fool. I''ve researched him after his breakout and found evidence showing his intelligence. He is also plagued by being unable to control his emotions, hampering his abilities. But he is a Hogwarts alumni. He knows that today is Hallowe''en and that, like every year, we have the feast. So he picked the perfect time to sneak in. While we had minimal weariness and defenses, by using his very intimate knowledge of the castles secret passages most likely. But with all his planning and cunning, he somehow doesn''t remember that his target wouldn''t be in his dorm and that he couldn''t get in without the password? That makes me believe he might also have other goals." I say seriously, trying not to say anything that will break the current situations balance between canon and changes.

    "And Professor Snape, I know your relationship with that group is strained to say the least, but at least keep an objective point of view about the man''s abilities." I added to stop the Professor from denying my analysis just because he has a complex.

    That made him scowl even more.

    "I told you he know more than enough Severus." Chuckled Lupin a bit.

    "Hmmm. You might be right Aedan. Alright, everyone is dismissed. Sirius will not strike again tonight, but remain vigilant." Dumbledore then gently ordered.

    "What about Potter? Should he be told?" Asked Snape before leaving.

    "No, let him sleep. For in our dreams we enter entirely our own. Let them swim in the deepest ocean, or glide over the highest cloud." Replied the Headmaster as he looked at Harry with care.

 Chapter 95 - Ch. 95 Emotions at Hogwarts

    The attack on the Fat Lady left everyone in the castle twitchy. Every shadow moving or rustling noise made people dread Sirius Black attacking them. People even began to move in groups to make themselves feel safe.

    In the meantime, the dueling club members were pushing themselves harder and harder. The threat of Sirius Black lit a d.e.s.i.r.e to not fear the man and improve to defeat him. Many people dream of glory, and his capture was in the mind of the more courageous, ambitious or c.o.c.ksure. We made sure to tell them the man''s actual abilities of course, we don''t want kids to march to their possible deaths because they thought they were all that. But many of the younger members were pushing themselves to prove to me they were the next leaders of the club. I had a few people who were impressing me in the age range I was aiming.

    What made me happy was to see the growth in Ron''s character. Although homework and studying were things he still dreaded to do, he was training with the difficult setting from my guide and achieving great results. He also started dueling some Slytherin students who showed themselves to be reasonable people.

    Outside of the club, the other two members of the trio were having varied experiences of the year so far.

    Harry was seeing death omens everywhere because Sirius just couldn''t not look over the boy. He felt like he was missing out by not going to Hogsmeade. Annoyed that teachers were acting like over protective nannies. And embarrassed that he was mocked for fainting near Dementors. He actually came to me to talk about some of his problems, which was interesting to experience his trust.

    "So what do you think?" Asked the sullen boy.

    "Well, the Hogsmeade visit has never really been a big thing for me honestly. I mostly go because my friends enjoy being out of the castle and think that if they don''t make me I''ll stay cooped up all the time and work on my projects. Which is a fair assumption in my case. So can''t really sympathize with you there buddy, sorry. The death omen thing though is highly subjective, not helped by Professor Trelawney. In all honesty, you could pass her class by predicting your own misfortune and death. You''ll still need to know how to do it properly for the OWL''s, but any other test or assignment you can BS with her. The only reason she has the job here is because she is a true seer." I was explaining when Harry interrupted me with a question.

    "A what?" He asked in surprise.

    "I guess you haven''t gotten that far yet. But a seer is someone who makes true prophecies of the future. This is not like the possible events we can predict through various mediums like crystal balls and tea leaves. This is a future that will come to pass. The Professor just so happens to have inherited enough of that gift from her grandmother to be able to do so." I explained calmly.

    "She can actually tell the future! But she''s so weird. Even Hermione can''t take her seriously and she worsh.i.p.s teachers." Said a blown away Harry.

    "Yes, that''s not very surprising due to her stiff mentality. Divination is just not for the girl. I studied it in depth to achieve the results I have, and it is just annoying to me." I admit to the kid.

    "Even you Aedan?" He was surprised at the reply.

    "Yeah. To me it is not really worth it unless you have a special affinity for it, or for an art involving it. And I do not have it. That''s why for most people the course is just the ''I don''t want to learn Arithmancy or Ancient Runes'' class." I say with a chuckle.

    "I get that. I get why you like those subjects yourself Aedan though, you''re beyond brilliant in them. It''s just not my thing." He nodded at my opinion.

    "Thanks Harry. Now about your Dementor problem. It''s most likely because they sense your constantly raging emotions. Although it might not sound nice, because of your upbringing and your time here at Hogwarts learning about your past, parents, foes and magic, you are overly emotional. You do not have much control over yourself. I am in no way blaming you Harry. You have been thrown into a world which will constantly look at you in judgment and admiration for the day you lost everything. Add to that the fact that information is being withheld because of your s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e disposition to yours and others emotions, it frustrates you. But this turmoil is exactly why you are so appealing to those hollow creatures. They are so empty that they d.e.s.i.r.e emotions of any kind to fill that void, and you are just so full of them that you could be considered the most tempting meal in Hogwarts." I explain in a calm and soothing voice, to let him know that it''s ok and that it is all understandable.

    "Ok so I attract them, but why do I faint? Others got attacked, but they don''t react like I do." He asked wanting to know. He doesn''t want to believe it''s because he''s weak.

    "That Harry, is because of what you''ve experienced in life. You have been through great loss, loneliness, sadness and pain. The loss of your joy by the Dementors brings forward the very worst memories we have. That''s is why they are the jailers for the worst criminals we have. They constantly make you live through your worst memories. And for you it is so overwhelming that you lose consciousness." I answered the boy sympathetically.

    "Is there anything I can do? You said when you announced a class on a Charm, that it would protect the caster from Dementors. Can you teach me?" He asked hopefully.

    "I can''t do one on ones to develop you as fast as you wish in those classes Harry, but I know Professor Lupin would be very willing to do so. I''ve talked to the man and he was planing to help you in this area." I answer by giving him a path forward.

    "Really? Then I''ll go talk to him now! Thanks Aedan!" He shouted as he ran to find the man.

    I chuckled at his still imm.a.t.u.r.e behavior and relaxed for sometime after that talk.

    Hermione was doing fine so far as she was trying to handle the full Hogwarts coursework. It''s pointless to try and even do it since you can just do it like I did, meaning studying the subject on your own and taking the test. But she is very stubborn in odd ways.

    My friends were in the swing of things as well.

    Christian was prepping for the Quidditch season, participating in the dueling club and helping Hagrid with his course planing. James was overseeing the Charms club, studying enchanting on his own and using the RoR to practice his blacksmithing like his instructors told him to try and do. Victoria was spending all her extra time training with Madame Pomfrey, being a medic for the dueling club, or studying the muggle medicine books I keep getting her. That''s not mentioning keeping their grades at the top and the training they get from me in combat and Occlumency.

    I was making good progress in all three of my creation projects. I''m in the middle of testing a few different ways to maintain the dragon fire after it has been captured. One involves getting flame catalysts from the same species and having them be channeling magic to the fire continuously, another involves finding a proper fuel for it to burn, and another is messing with the time inside the sealed box to just preserve it. My DADA spell is making great progress, but my Charms one has been slower due to the complexity of its principles.

    But the month of October had to pass, letting November take its place. And with it Quidditch season was upon us once again.

    Now, usually the first game of the season is Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. But somehow and for some reason, Draco is still wrapping his arm up like an idiot and this is for some reason, is enough to make all the matches change from their usual format. I really don''t get the school sometimes. They could have just replaced the idiot. It''s not like they haven''t had enough time to do it, not like they didn''t have the chance with their tryouts either. This is the type of laissez-faire attitude that makes me question Dumbledore sometimes. He just doesn''t crack the whip enough.

    Oh well. So now it''s going to be Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff just like in the canon. During torrential rain and a f.u.c.k.i.n.g thunder storm too. Playing a sport in the air. Ridding on brooms with metal on them. And the game only ending of a tiny golden ball is caught. With the entire audience somehow being on board with being soaked while watching the game. Crazy fools.

    But at least my friends became animagi with the arrival of the storm. They had to go one at a time to make sure nothing would go wrong though. Christian was first as he became a true wolf, with pure black fur and electric blue eyes. He was lean and well muscled, shiny coat and larger than average size for a wolf. James was second, as he also followed the pattern of his form being the same as his Patronus. He became a pure white dove, but with blue eyes as well. Victoria was the one we were most curious about due to her rare Patronus. Her transformation took longer than usual, but surprisingly she didn''t transform into either half of a Hippogriff. Neither and eagle nor a horse. She was a true lioness. Strong, proud, fierce and noble. Her lioness form had some darker fur near her head and her emerald green eyes were also maintained. It truly fit her. And so I shifted into a mountain lion myself and helped them all get used to their new forms.

    On a little side note, Tory really liked how close our transformations were and would constantly cuddle as a lioness. It was a weird kind of good to hear my girlfriend purring though.

    We enjoyed ourselves until Victoria and I had to go to the Quidditch pitch for the game. I still served as the on-site healer and today was going to have a lot of injuries due to the weather, so I got Tory as my assistant.

    We were both almost constantly moving to get players back on their brooms and in the games, which s.u.c.k.e.d because of the rain, although some nice looks at Victoria made me feel a little better. She on the other hand. was experiencing what was basically an ER situation for the first time, but with her being who she was, she kept her cool and moved quickly and with purpose. It was a great experience for her.

    Then I saw the moment I was really waiting for when Cedric, as the captain and seeker, went for the Snitch and Harry quickly chasing him. Then a bolt of light struck the golden ball and transferred itself into the handsome teen, causing him to become stunned.

    ''Man are these reckless people lucky enchanters invented so many protections for this sport.'' I thought when I saw it.

    Has Cedric fell back towards the ground, he pretty much got out of it, so he was able to stop himself from crashing, but didn''t have control of his body yet due to the shock.

    Harry took this chance to chase the snitch himself, but unfortunately the Dementors couldn''t resist the sumptuous feast the game was presenting to them. So many emotions in one place was basically a lighthouse in the dark for those parasites.

    "Headmaster! Dementors are here! Use a Patronus!" I yell out. Making the entire pitch notice the presence of the creatures above us, just in time for one to get Harry and make him lose his consciousness, falling off his broom.

    "I''ve got Harry! The Dementors are yours!" I shout and receive his unspoken agreement as he takes out his wand and shows everyone what a Patronus can achieve.

    While I make Harry gently land, Dumbledore''s Phoenix Patronus takes flight as waves of positive emotions washes over the entire pitch, forcing the Dementors back.

    ''I can cover the train, but I''m still not on this level.'' I thought to myself with a sigh of admiration for his strength.

    The old man was not happy about this, he was actually quite upset actually and the Minister was not going to have a pleasant time.

    But I had to take care of Harry. He wouldn''t be waking up soon, so I took him to the infirmary to rest.

    "Tory I''ll run to the castle to bring the kid up quick and come back. You got this?" I asked seriously.

    "I''ve got this." Was her determined answer.

    "Alright, i believe in you and I''ll be back in 20 minutes. You know what to do if it''s too serious anyway." I say with a nod and take off.

    ''What are the odds the nimbus 2000 still crashes into the whomping willow?'' I thought as i ran in the rain with the unconscious Harry.

 Chapter 96 - Ch. 96 Sirius Break

    With Harry in the infirmary, Gryffindor lost their first game of the year and somehow the nimbus still ended up falling into the Whomping Willow. And with Poppy being who she is, she forced Harry to rest in the infirmary for the weekend in order to recuperate for his encounters with Dementors.

    But with that over with, the next two months we''re passing by as peacefully as possible. When one wasn''t getting affected by the hooded parasites anyway. Which Dumbledore was furious about when they came on the school grounds, making the Minister apologies profusely for that one. He knew how bad it would look if the papers got a hold of this news. ''Dementors attack the-boy-who-lives at Hogwarts'' would be an absolute nightmare for the man.

    What pleased me greatly about two weeks before the break, was that I figured out how to maintain the dragon fire sealer. I ended up going down the time enchantments route by analyzing the Time-turner in my hand and minimizing the similar effects to within the box, instead of letting the entire world be affected. I basically made a mini time loop activate once the box has sealed the fire. The loop lasts half a second and is active continuously after something is introduced within it. The only down side is that the product becomes a one-time use item. It can last about three days, but once that time is up the enchantments and runes get completely used up and are rendered useless.

    Although it was a one and done item, it was still an impressive little piece of equipment. It''s unfortunate I can''t sell these to muggles, it would help a good amount of people who are in line for organ transplants get the best they could. But with that line of thought, the illegal side of things might get more aggressive with their ''acquisitions'' too.

    But with a finished prototype, i had it delivered to Scott. He would arrange for the testing and send me feedback on the performance. We are going to be using a common welsh green for the test, since I own most of the reserve and it the easiest dragon we could quickly arrange to test on. Hopefully it works well.

    The break was just around the corner now, and I decided it was time to visit the Shrieking Shack. I wish to talk to Sirius about his actions and make the proper setup without being overt.

    So one night, I decided to quietly approach the Whomping Willow guarding the passage to the Shack. It was fairly simple to recognize the knot on its trunk and immobilize it, my grades in Herbology not being just for show.

    I made it through the narrow passage and came out to see the interior of Remus'' old place. Just like any abandoned home, which used to house a werewolf transforming, the place was just decrepit. I don''t know why Sirius didn''t make his stay more comfortable. You know, a little cleaning and repairing wouldn''t go amiss. The place was covered in dust, with broken furniture laying around, boarded up windows, tattered walls, unhinged doors and some good old fashion claw marks.

    I used my senses to feel around, and sure enough, the big dog was upstairs. I''m sure he''s noticed my presence and is waiting in ambush too. He might be a bit unhinged at the moment, but he''s also desperate to catch the rat. Desperate not to go back to Azkaban. And desperate people are some of the most dangerous beings in existence.

    So I walk up the uneven steps, calmly and confidently. And before I enter the room Sirius was hiding in I stopped.

    "Hello Mr. Black. Mr. Folster told me you had come as I thought you would. So can we talk civilly or do I have to subdue you first?" I asked loud enough for the man to hear me through the door.

    After hearing nothing still, I sighed.

    "Subjugation it is then." I said with a hint of disappointment as i draw my wand.

    I open the door and as soon as I walk in, the man on the run shoots a full body bind from behind where the door swung to. I shift my to the side and use my dodges momentum to completely turn towards the man and deflect a disarming and stun chain off to the side with ease. The man was an aggressive and confident fighter. He tried to overwhelm in terms of attacks by forming spell chains. He struck with jelly-legs curse, disarming, stunning then incarcerating charms, finishing his rush with three consecutive stunners, making me quickly defend myself with dodges, deflections and a severing Charm to slice the conjured ropes right in the middle as I deal with his stunners and copy Professor Flitwick''s little trick from our showcase as i redirect his last spell at him. I used this as my own opportunity to counter attack, since the man was the type to become more aggressive as the fight went on, overwhelming his opponents until he wins, I needed to break his rhythm. So what I did in the in the brief moment he had to defend was to blow all the dust in the room against the man, then shooting debilitating jinxes to dim his vision, slow his reaction time and fatigue him while he was dealing with the dust, which he tried to wipe from his face whilst keeping himself on the move. My jinxes hit, but for him nothing changed so he thought they were duds, until he opened his eyes to see my own stunning spell nearing his head quickly, forcing him to duck, and only then noticing my knockback jinx did he try to roll away. Unfortunately for the man, he did what I wanted him to do. With his vision hampered, sudden weariness and his thought process delayed a bit, he didn''t realize I lured him near the window. So with him in position I shot two quick disarming charms and then shot two spells at the man. But seeing them miss, Sirius thought I made a mistake and immediately tried to go on the offensive again, but when he moved his wand arm it was completely restrained my the now moving curtains. With a surprised shout, the rest of his body was getting wrapped up by the fabric and I disarmed the man as it finished making the Sirius Black burrito.

    The man now wrapped up on the floor like a blunt was trying very hard to wriggle out, but he could barely move his hip and knees to flop like a fish. Made me chuckle a bit, getting a glare in return.

    "Hello Mr. Black, I really didn''t want to have to fight you, but you wouldn''t believe me so here we are. I am Aedan Bones, a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to meet you. And I must say that your unfortunate incarceration has not dulled your skills much, but it has wrecked havoc on your body. I can help with that if you wish since even Madam Pomfrey has admitted my superiority in the field." I say politely to the man as he lay on the floor.

    "Yeah right. Beaten by a kid and says my skills haven''t rusted." He murmured sulkily.

    "Please don''t be so down. I do train with three senior Aurors regularly enough. You are actually very skilled and I can see why you aimed to become one in the past. Aside from your hot temper, you would have made a fantastic Auror and I''m sure my aunt would have loved to have you in her department." I say with an honest smile.

    "That was in the past." He said sadly to himself almost. "But how long are you going to leave me on the floor like this?" He then suddenly said as he wiggles disapprovingly.

    "That was punishment for attacking me even after Mr. Folster told you about how I know of the truth." I say with a light scolding tone as I wave my wand and break the spell.

    The now free man jumps off the ground and shakes himself off.

    He looked a bit better than when I saw him last. His skin was less pale, his eyes more focused, his hair had been cut in my facility and he wore a black duster coat with a warm shirt of the same color, sturdy jeans and outdoor boots. He was still skinny due to not being able to eat much while on the run, he needed a bath but this wasn''t exactly a livable house, and his body language was still wary of everything has it hadn''t regained its confidence.

    "That''s better. So why did you come here kid? And how did you know I would even be here?" He questioned as he was really getting a good look at me.

    "The latter is because I know of Professor Lupin''s situation, your school days and how it was managed back then. The former has to do with how you''ve been handling things." I answered simply.

    "Professor now. I wonder how happy he feels to be able to do it? He always was the gentlest of us." Asked Sirius as he was stuck in his nostalgia.

    "He''s doing better, especially with the new Wolfsbane recipe released recently." I say with a bright smile.

    "That''s good. But why do you care how I''m handling things? It''s none of your business. This is between me and the rat! And nothing is going to get in my way!" He declared as his irrational thoughts came forward.

    "First problem is twofold. Your presence is causing Harry''s own emotions to be in turmoil. You appearing as a large black dog and everyone telling him it''s a grim has made the kid feel like death is approaching him, that being because of you as well."

    "Why would he think that!?" Exclaimed the man in disgust at the idea.

    "Because to him, you are his parents betrayer, your are the hand of the dark lord, a vicious criminal responsible for the deaths of thirteen people before your imprisonment and everyone thinks you want to finish what He started, planting the idea into his head." I explain seriously to Sirius. (Or Siriusly if you will.)

    He was silent as he thought and become very dispirited when he realized that his best friends son thought he wanted to kill him.

    "Why didn''t you tell him anything? You obviously know the truth and are close enough to him to know how he feels?" He finally asked, with some accusation in his voice.

    "Harry is a very emotionally driven kid." I reply with a sigh. "How about this? So what would you and and James do in a situation where your parents betrayer was near you and you could have a free shot at him?" I asked the man before me.

    "Go after him ourselves!" He replied instantly, but realized the problem with that quickly as well.

    "Precisely. Do you think that a 13 year old wizard, who wants nothing more than to find the man responsible for his parents death would just think rationally about the situation? No. He would try to catch the rat himself. He would confront a lying, scheming and cowardly man, who would hid has a rat for twelve years. A man who, besides his nature and inferiority next to his past friends, could easily take care of Harry and his friends if he felt the need to or simply scurry away and hide like he usually does." I explain to the man.

    Although he doesn''t want to admit it, I am right. Harry would do just that and try to take on the man himself without involving any truly capable people.

    "It doesn''t matter. He will know everything after i catch the rat. It won''t be too late then." He said with some sadness and determination .

    "I would actually like to help with the clearing of your name." I say as he perks up a bit at the thought.

    "How?" He asked seriously.

    "I have two things here to obtain concrete evidence of Pettigrew being alive." I answer as I took out two objects from my expanded pouch.

    I lay a voice recorder and a camera on the table.

    "This is?" He asked after looking at them.

    "These are new products that came out in recent years. That is a new model of camera based on modern muggle ones, enchanted to work perfectly in around magic. Capture Pettigrew, restrain him and take some pictures so that in the extremely unlikely event he escapes you have proof of him being alive and well. They can''t be older photos either because this baby is being released as we speak. And this is a voice recorder. Same origin as the former, but it lets you record any sound in its range. It can record for about 4 hours continuously and is more than good enough to record every sound that happens in this room. I''m sure you understand the uses." I say with a prideful smile.

    "He won''t get away from me!" He simply said intensely.

    "Mr. Black. This is to assure your freedom no matter what happens. If you decide to underestimate how desperate the rat is to get away from you, then you will regret when he escapes. This will make it so it doesn''t even matter if he escapes. Any of his tricks will only lead to him living a bit longer as he becomes the hunted man. Until he is recognized as the traitor. And you can then actually be there for Harry." I end softly.

    He struggles for a while. He is too sure of himself. Too aware of how much better he should be than his former friend. But he also knows how cowardly he is. The rat won''t stay still when Sirius nears or catches him.

    "Alright fine. I''ll use your muggle contraptions. It''ll probably make my mother turn in her grave anyway." He finally agreed.

    "Thank you Mr. Black. I''ll show how to use them to assure you freedom." I say with a happy smile.

    I spend a few minutes making sure the man knew how to use both. I also gave the man some proper food and drinks, a few polyjuice potions with different looks, some money to buy supplies, things to keep himself moderately clean and some clothes.

    "You really are prepared aren''t you?" He said mostly to himself.

    "I don''t think you''re complaining about it when it''s benefiting you." I reply with a smirk.

    "Yeah Yeah, thanks kid." He said a bit awkwardly, but still gratefully.

    "No problem Mr. Black. Before I leave though, I have a question." I say to the man seriously.

    "What''s the question?" He responded curiously as to what the kid who figured out everything about his past and the present wouldn''t know.

    "Did the Potters write a proper will before going into hiding? Something explaining their reasons and last requests?" I asked the man.

    "Yes. The day before they hid, they went to Gringotts to have it kept there... you don''t mean?" He started to answer when he realized why I asked.

    "It''s always good to have a few plans in motion." I nod with a devilish smile.

    "Why do i feel like anyone who goes against you won''t ever end well?" Then asked Sirius with a shiver running through him with excitement at the fact I''m helping him, and some dread at the thought of me ever being against him.

    "Because I make sure they don''t." I replied with the smile growing wider.

 Chapter 97 - Ch. 97 Preparation

    My talk with Sirius being over with and what I could do at the moment finished, I headed back to the castle and prepared for my departure.

    Christmas is always a good time in my house, I also get a good amount of time alone with Victoria, which is a big plus nowadays.

    As usual my friends and I all went together to the train, we kept getting a lot of attention along the way. Christian is the wild teen, sports star, dueler, with bestial appeal to a good amount of girls in castle as his muscles developed and his face is maturing from cheeky kid to strong man. James is calm and collected now, a far cry from the nervous and scared disposition that he had during 1st & 2nd year, but he has been developing a much fitter body with my training and his smithing, giving of a m.a.t.u.r.e and reassuring aura to people, as his gentle looks make many almost swoon. Victoria is turning into quite the bombshell and that''s not just cause she''s my girl, with her thick robes unable to hid her very m.a.t.u.r.e body, long slender legs, flawless skin, enchanting eyes and prideful aura, a true combination of beauty and deadliness, the Queen of Snakes. While I walk ahead with confidence, my long ethereal silver hair in a loose ponytail, a body made for combat, handsome face and burning red eyes, with my own aura finding its balance between the warrior, scholar and ruler.

    All of us are the peaks of our interests. Charms, Transmutation, DADA, Potions, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. And we constantly push further to improve ourselves.

    We take our time during the trip to monitor students and make sure no one was going too crazy, which is easy since even if we are glorified, we still spend a lot of time around others. This makes us more approachable individually, resulting in respect not just idolization.

    It was peaceful since Harry wasn''t here to somehow cause an accident with his mere presence, so we got to Kings Cross in a leisurely manner. No Dementor attacks this time.

    My two guy friends separated from Tory and I, saying there goodbyes and well wishes. I meet up with Susan and head out to find Amelia waiting for us, showing a relieved and happy face. I did feel a bit ignored during the reunion though because aunty and Tory started to chat excitedly with one another, but I was also happy they got along. They are both strong and proud women, so it''s nice they aren''t clashing.

    We got home and unpacked quickly. Susan wanted to go see her favorites plants and Tory was making herself at home in my room, browsing through my notebooks. While I had to do work.

    And that rightful owner was at a desk, doing paperwork.

    But what I''ve read has been a bit surprising honestly.

    Breaking Grounds is branching out to Africa apparently. I am actually in favor of this move, simply because I want the people there to pool their knowledge together and show me new and exciting potions. With so many cultures and traditions passed down throughout the continent, and making the shop near Uagadou to catch more eyes, it should bring in many interesting things. Although we will be very different than what they are used to, I hope they can start an exchange of ideas.

    Natural Cultivation has expended the aquatic farms by having more Merpeople join in the project. This has sparked interesting results as the place is becoming one of the true colonies in the world, with the jobs and trade to support it properly. Our interactions with Centaurs have also gone swimmingly, with a dozen or so of our Herbologists actually becoming friends with the tribe working with us. Two allied tribes have also agreed to join the project, furthering the creation of a true Centaur home. We''ve also finished negotiations and agreed on which creature species would be introduced. We have the creatures which will help pollinate plants, maintain healthy life and death cycles, the proper predators, river fish, insects and prey. That was an extensive bit of planing involved and it is finally moving forward.

    Fortress Protection is becoming a true home for Heroes in Bulgaria. We sent more men and women from our standard forces and Shadow forces, joined with new trainees to gain experience and help them grow quicker in true combat, resulting in overwhelming local support. In maybe two years, we predict that the branch office will be completely self-sufficient and that it would no longer require constant assistance or supervision. It''s been damn impressive to hear that we are legitimately helping the magical government stabilise the country.

    Sherry Holmes informs me that we now have ears in the Ministers office itself, and in a few prominent noble homes. I don''t know how she got the second one, but she is really taking to her role. I''ve also been using her to get all the dirt Malfoy has on so many people, giving a very thick dossier of strings i can pull, adding my own pieces even he doesn''t know about. We''ve also been making proper connections through our agents, and good old fashion bribery is useful as well. We''ve also identified a list of Voldemort supporters in the last war, pureblood supremacists, and easily influenced individuals, waiting for the proper time to use it. And the best part is that none of this is connected to me, or even Miss Holmes.

    The Herald is the most read newspaper in Britain now, and we''ve decided to start opening offices in other countries such as France, Egypt and Bulgaria. It will take much longer to develop, but with my other businesses present as well, it will help them along a bit. My own paper has actually requested an interview with me as well, which kind of made me laugh. They were so respectful too, trying to coax me into agreeing. Which I did, because it''s actually something I''ve been waiting for. And they''ve finally opened up a new radio channel for people to listen to, with it including muggle music, news report, interesting gossip and fun prize giveaways.

    Like I told Sirius, the Muggle Toy Box will be releasing it''s new camera, and the Radio they managed to get working, adding some more merchandise, but that''s about it there.

    My Vaccine has currently gained its benchmark as well. My extended version as allowed for a year and a half without any transformations or issues amongst all of its first recipients. 18 full months of protection with a single injection. Even if I''m the maker, I couldn''t help but smile at the report. We are now testing second round of injections to see if results worsen or if any side effects crop up.

    Geri though has proven herself my hidden blade. No one knows she exists. No one knows she is on the prowl. And no one has noticed the disappearance of Mulciber Snr, Yaxley, or Jugson yet. Three loyal little death eaters disappearing in the night, with dozens of others joining them as a result. She has informed me that Macnair is currently awaiting a job from the Ministry so he''s usually there, making it too risky to outright kill him for now, Selwyn is too small time right now to be able to find him in the chaos, and the Carrows will be last because they''re always together, mostly f.u.c.k.i.n.g each other. By default making the Avery father and son next, since the old man is near is death anyway and the son is on the move a lot, giving us many chances.

    All of this was brilliant news to me. With the free reins and support I provide to my partners, they help build the foundations for their own goals, further developing what we built together. I now have a self-sustaining and expanding network of information, supplies, muscle and influence. While at the same time continuously making money, helping the situation of multiple magical being races and improving the situation of many people in the process.

    And I decided to use my web of influence to prepare myself in my f.u.c.k.i.n.g with Lucius.

    I got the dirt on everyone in the disposal of dangerous creature panel deep in my pockets, wrestling control from Lucius without him knowing. And with that, I made them agree that Buckbeak was my property and they had no right to be involved hence the trial there was cancelled. The I used a few strings in the department in charge of notifying Lucius of this to conveniently lose his letter of notification. And got Wizengamot to schedule a trial against the Lord Malfoy for defamation, wrongful seizure of property, false accusations, bribery and blackmail. And I made sure he doesn''t know by keeping the members of the trial to people who hate the man, done by bribing his usual allies to just not be there since it is ''only a case about a Hippogriff and beneath them to care''.

    So to recap: cancelled his attempt to kill Buckbeak without him knowing, set up a trial against him without him knowing, stacked the bench in my favor like he usually does and removed his allies.

    ''It''s so adorable that he thinks he''s the only one who can play this game. He doesn''t even know there''s another player too. I''ll need to get an early exam to make the trial date, but I can''t wait for the summer.'' I thought to myself as my devils smile was so prominent you could almost see the tail and horns on my shadow.

    -Somewhere in a s.e.xless married couples bedroom, a man suddenly woke up in sweats due to a sudden nightmare.

    "Lucius? Are you alright?" Asked a groggy woman with mostly black hair except for a streak of gray.

    "Yes I''m fine Narcissa. Simply a bad feeling." He answered dismissively, before trying to go back to sleep.

    -back to Aedan, also in a somewhat s.e.xless relation. (But they really want to fix that.)

    I also sent a new set of orders for Geri and her team to prepare for the capture of Peter Pettigrew. It would pause her work after the Avery''s, but this was important for things to be controlled.

    Finally done with my work, I turned off all the lights and went to relax with Tory for a while.

    ''I did good today, so I think I deserve to have my s.e.xy girlfriend in my arms while we relax on my bed.'' I thought with a happy smile and hummed.

 Chapter 98 - Ch. 98 Front Page Worthy

    Christmas has always been a very warm affair with my family. I always love spending time with Susan, Amelia and for the last few years, Victoria. We relax in the common room and enjoy the falling snow outside by our burning fireplace.

    This year though, I had something to tell my aunt and little sister. I looked at Tory to my right, seeking her permission on something we had discussed the night prior, getting a nod I decided to start.

    "Aunty, Susan, there''s something I''d like to tell you two about." I say calmly, as the two of them turn their attention to me. Aunty with a raised eyebrow and Susan with a curious look on her face.

    "So, for the last year and a half Tory and I have been together. And we talked about it, even though we want to keep this a secret from everybody else, we thought we should at least tell you two." I say gently.

    "I knew you two were going to be together the moment you brought her home." Simply chuckled a smiling Amelia.

    "Yay! That means Tory is actually going to be my big sister!" Was the excited Susan response.

    "Yeah, I kinda figured you knew since last Christmas, but it''s still better to just say it." I responded to my aunt while scratching the back of my head.

    Victoria was being hugged by Susan, feeling very happy to have such a cute little sister in the future. Then Aunty stands up from her chair and walks over to her as well. Now although Tory is a strong woman, she is now standing in front of the woman who is basically my mother, so her boyfriends mother. It''s always nerve wracking to meet the parents of someone your dating. But Amelia just looked at her kindly and hugged her.

    "Do try to look after him. He always runs ahead of everyone and I can''t help worry that one day he''ll get lost." She gently said to the girl her little Aedan chose. She still worries no matter how smart, how strong, or how skilled I am. Because as we see her as our mother figure, we are her children. And no mother ever stops worrying about her child.

    "Of course. He''s not losing me that easy." She replied with pure determination in her eyes.

    "That''s good dear. I know that you two will be fine. Both smart and thoughtful to no end. I''m sure you''ll be more than fine." She gently said to the girl. "I''m also guessing that necklace you always wear is from my naughty nephew isn''t it." She the lightly teased.

    Victoria could only nod as her emotions were racing inside of her as happiness, joy, relief, belonging and acceptance flooded her, making tears of joy flow due to being held by the woman in front her.

    "I told you aunty wouldn''t have a problem with Tory." I say to my girl as I gently help her wipe her tears with a handkerchief.

    After she calmed down, she was embarrassed that she had such a reaction and was feeling a bit shy right now.

    "Bro, you said you''ve been keeping it a secret. But why? You both really like each other and most of the school has been betting on who you''d end up with. Tory is on the top of the list by far." Curiously asked Susan.

    "It''s the twins isn''t it?" I just asked with a wry smile.

    "Yeah, from what I know it''s them." Replied Susan as she innocently nodded her head.

    "Well it''s mainly because we want to wait until we graduate. Then it''s because I''m already pretty famous due to my creations. It''s only going to get worse soon. And Tory wants to stand on her own two feet and be acknowledged for her work, not because she''s with me. I respect her and I also don''t want to do anything which will hamper her path. So you can''t tell anyone at all Suz. Not even Hannah can know." I answered seriously.

    The girl is a bit sad that she can''t tell anyone, but she''s 13 now and knows how to keep a secret. I mean, she''s never leaked the fact that I have a Phoenix, so I do trust her.

    "Just don''t go too far you too. And you know the spell dear." Then said Aunty with a teasing grin.

    That caused me to be a bit shocked at the fact my aunt just purposefully teased someone, while Victoria turned red, Susan understanding as well turned even redder. Everyone''s reaction made her laugh a little too.

    With the announcement out of the way, our relationship was then celebrated by a very happy Tilly, ecstatic that our family was growing and that she had more people to serve. The little House-elf was even humming at the thought of having even more little masters and mistresses to take care of. That made Tory blush quite a bit and it was adorable to see, so I spoiled her quite a bit once we got some privacy.

    A few days passed during our break, Tory and I relax in each other''s arms as we read what we found interesting. That was until it was time for me to go. The Herald requested an interview with Aedan Bones and I didn''t want it to happen at my place, so I decided to head to it headquarters in Diagon Alley for it. I know for a fact that there''s a comfortable interview room at the place. So I gave Tory a quick kiss on the lips, Suz got one on the forehead, and aunty on the cheek as I headed out with Tilly bring me there.

    The Alley was quite busy during the holidays, with many kids back from Hogwarts and families having time off, it led them here to shop or simply walk around. I did have to admit that there is a certain charm to walking around such an old fashioned street with a blanket of snow over it.

    I arrived at the Herald''s building which stood right in front of the FIRM center. The center itself had a steady flow of people going through their offered classes, seminars, activities, job offers and products. It was nice to see it helping people and slowly making them come around on the muggle-born thing. It''s actually been showing good progress as some purebloods have joined and a good amount of half-bloods.

    I entered the Herald to find the reception area looking very clean and organized, almost the same as modern muggle equivalents. With the couches, welcome desk, receptionist, coffee table and some new copies of the paper to read.

    "Hello, how can I help you young man." Politely asked the nice looking brunette receptionist.

    "My name is Aedan Bones, I came here because a journalist named Martha Cromwell asked for an interview." I informed her politely in response.

    "Ah, you''re the Aedan Bones?!" She exclaimed in surprise.

    "Um, yes. Why are you so shocked?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "The maker of everything in BonesWorks? The mysterious heir of the Bones family? The nephew of the Amelia Bones? That''s you?" She questioned enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling.

    "Yes, unless someone else is those things, then that would be me. Got the ring to prove it too." I say as I wave my heir ring.

    "Oh Merlin! Keep calm Sarah. Keep calm." She muttered to herself, while being so close to me I had no choice to hear her. She then looked at me with determination. "Please sign my box!" She the exclaimed as she took out a vanishing box.

    "Oh, that''s all it was. I''ll engrave it. How''s that?" I asked with a smile. She nods her head furiously in response.

    So with a quick use of my wand, a nice Aedan M. Bones was written in elegant cursive in the wood.

    ''Never thought I''d ever actually feel glad I went through those penmanship lessons.'' I thought to myself afterward.

    As Sarah was hugging her newly autographed box, I broke her out of her happy place with a cough.

    "Could you notify Mrs. Cromwell that I''m here now?" I asked with a smile, making her a bit embarrassed at her behavior and quickly getting to it.

    Martha came down excitedly, with her light blonde hair in a loose bun, some signs of lack of sleep around her eyes, but a fire was in them as she looked at me, wearing black womens pants and a blue blouse. She approached me as if eyeing a valuable treasure.

    "You''re Aedan Bones? 6th year at Hogwarts? Bones family Heir? Owner, founder and supplier of product for BonesWorks?" She asked seriously.

    "Yes that would be me Mrs. Cromwell. Ms. Sarah over there has already asked almost the same questions." I answered with a chuckle.

    "You don''t look possible. You''re too perfect looking." She blatantly stated. Most would take her blunt words as an insult, but I know this woman very well, she''s trying to gauge me carefully to know how to get information out of me.

    "Yes my looks are unique, there is a reason but it is very personal and shall never be discussed unless I choose to. Any attempts to dive into the topic will be met with an immediate end to the interview." I seriously responded to the woman''s probe.

    "That bad huh?" She simply said.

    "The worst memories of my life. Also it has nothing to do with the subject of the interview you mentioned." I plainly stated.

    "Right. Follow me." She said as she opened a door to a hallway behind the reception area and guides me to an interview room.

    Like I said, they are cozy. With comfortable modern couches, enchanted properly for maximum comfort, the room being not too bright or hot nor too cold or dark, with a table between the interviewer and the interviewed.

    "Sit, sit. Let''s get started. You know me, I know you. Sorry for out there." She quickly said in an odd order.

    "It''s ok Mrs. Cromwell, I''ve done my research and knew what I was getting myself into before agreeing to your request." I say as I seat with a smile and impeccable manners.

    "Right. Of course the genius prepared in advance. Why wouldn''t he?" She mostly said to herself.

    "Alright then young Mr. Bones, let''s get started." She then said as she looked at me seriously.

    She placed a voice recorder on the table and looked at my expression to see that I knew perfectly well what the device was, so she just began her interview.

    "You are now 16 years old and currently attending Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You have only finished your OWL''s last summer and have started on your path. But the reason I have called you here today is for two reasons: your newly published books and something we found after we looked into you. So let''s start with the books. You released four books on four very different subjects during the summer. They are Potions beyond Potions, Practical Arithmancy: A step towards true mastery, Runes for a new age, and A Herbologists guide to growing wild plants. Unknown to the vast majority of wizards, each of these books are near revolutionary and I''m sure you know that there has been a steep increase in sales for each book. So i have a few questions about them." She straightforwardly stated.

    "How can a student possibly come up with even a fraction of the ideas in these books?" She asked in slight amazement due to what she''s heard by people who could understand them. Hell, even she understood some of the Arithmancy ones and she''s never done any.

    "In all honesty, these are the compilations of my foundations. After I was taken in by my aunt, I wished dearly to improve myself and learn everything I could. So I convinced her to hire tutors in every subject that a wand would not be strictly needed and the tutor could fill in the role for. So I had been studying and experimenting with those four subjects for 6 years before I had even boarded the Hogwarts Express." I answered honestly.

    "And how long had you been working on these books before publishing them?" She asked curiously.

    "Those are the nearly ten years of efforts and learning, brought together into the foundations of what I know today." I answered.

    "So you''re saying this isn''t all you know? This is the basics you what you can do?" She asked incredulously.

    "Yes. I don''t want people to just blindly follow a path made by me. I published the tools they would need to pursue their own futures. Their own interests. And I hope to see people go even further beyond what i have. Because I want to see people strive to truly improve what we have and can do today. I wish to avoid constant stagnation. So I showed people how to really play with potions, the first steps on how to create spells, showed them how to raise new plants, and created a much better rune system to let our fields of warding and enchanting face a revolution." I replied with my ideals behind my books.

    "That is quite the sentiment Mr. Bones. But many are doubting the legitimacy of the work and that it has truly been done by you. I must admit that it does seem impossible. You''re thoughts?" She then asked.

    "I''ll let my grades speak for themselves." I answered to the question.

    "But that is the issue. No one has been able to get a peek at your grades to confirm it. It seems they are determined to hid you. So on the record, what are your owl results?" She finally asks.

    "8 O++ and 4 O+." I directly state.

    "I beg your pardon. But I seem to have misheard you Mr. Bones. I thought I heard you say O++, but there is no such grade." Awkwardly chuckled Martha after a confused pause.

    I simply handed her the result letter I received this summer.

    "If you still doubt me, I''ll give you permission to check with Madam Marchbanks. I would also suggest you look into James Calloway, Christian Ward and Victoria Travers. Their time at Hogwarts will surely help you fill that front page nicely." I reply with a wide smile.

    I didn''t even get a response from the woman as she immediately bolted out of the room while shouting at me.

    "That''s all for today!" I heard as she got further away.

    "I guess I''ll go home then. I wonder how the article will look like?" I asked myself as i headed for the exit.

 Chapter 99 - Ch. 99 Generation of Miracles

    (Yes I took the title. What are you going to do about it~)

    For the next few days nothing much was happening at home, letting me have a peaceful and fulfilling break. Some work due to my status, enjoying my tinkering with my mastery projects, quality family time and enjoying Tory''s company. It was just nice. Especially when I could see her warm smile when we were together, making anything and everything worth it.

    Then one morning, The Herald came in.

    ''GENERATION OF MIRACLES

    By Martha Cromwell

    As we all know, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is the place to learn magical knowledge in our country. Proud to stand as the oldest magical education establishment, with it now having been over a millenium since it''s opening.

    We have been very vocal about our belief here at The Herald, that the standards for education at the school have been heavily cut down by political agendas, mismanagement and corruption. Feeling that the school no longer seemed to deserve the title of ''best school in the world'', we took it upon ourselves to prove this.

    But it seems that members of a new generation are not telling others about these issues, but fixing them instead.

    3 students of Hogwarts, currently in their Sixth years are stemming the tide and pushing to improve this. And this group has been acknowledged by their fellow students as monstrous when it comes to their achievements

    These 3 are beyond anything Hogwarts has seen in students for the last 200 years according to the records. And each members of this trinity is leading the charge in their chosen fields, displaying enormous prowess and incredible academic results. Even the member with the ''worst'' grades amongst them stands far above any other student.

    Christian Ward, son of known Herbologists Giselle Ward and magizoologist Daniel Ward, has been dubbed a prodigy in both fields. His results for both classes in his OWL''s were O+! The first to achieve such results in 100 years. He has travelled the world with his parents since young, immersing himself in nature at an early age. Named the best Chaser in Hogwarts three years running and leading his House to winning the coveted cup for two. He is at the forefront of the newly reestablished Dueling Club, known to be unmatched by any except his own teacher. Although he has arguably the ''worst'' grades of the group, the teen is respectfully called The Beast amongst students for his practical abilities and natural instincts.

    James Calloway, a muggle-born, his known for his in-depth mastering of all formal wand magic. He has been noted to be a participant in the creation of one of the twin brooms standing at the peek of the industry: The Blackbolt. And his grades would make you believe it, even through his humble denial. Three O+''s, with one in Charms, the other in Transfiguration, and the last in Ancient Runes. He has been head of Hogwarts Charm club since the beginning of his Fifth year, and acknowledged as the best in the club since his Fourth. Unlike Mr. Ward, Mr. Calloway is using his time to reintroduce the art of enchanting to the school, sharing his passion with those willing to learn. His peaceful, inclusive and gentle nature, coupled with his willingness to help others, earned him the nickname of The Saint amongst many grateful students.

    The best of the trio is without a doubt Victoria Travers. Only known younger member and Heir of the Sacred Twenty-eight Travers family, she currently holds the most impressive grades ever found in House Slytherin. Half of her tested grades were O+ and the the rest O. She stands above all others in Charms, Transfiguration, Potions and Arithmancy. She has been described to be what any noble should aspire to be: Superiority through efforts and achievements. Along with being said to be the only known student capable of contending with Mr. Ward in duels, she has demonstrated incredible talent in the opposing field of dueling: Healing. Ms. Travers has been noted to be learning the noble art from Hogwarts own matron, Poppy Pomfrey, and has served as a healer for both the Dueling Club and Quidditch matches. She has been described as noble, strong and determined, but also caring and insightful. Her bearing, actions and achievements earned her the nickname of The Queen, demonstrating students respect for her.

    These three students have also been respected Prefects since last year.

    But there is one student who stands above even these three prodigies. He is their leader. Their mentor. Their friend. And the most talented student Hogwarts has ever seen. After combing through every record we could find, no student has ever come close to achieving what he has.

    Aedan Micheal Bones. Heir of the noble Bones family, nephew of the head of the DMLE, founder and owner of BonesWorks, creator of the Blackbolt broom and author of four books deemed as revolutionary by any competent expert we''ve had to evaluate them.

    Young Mr. Bones'' achievements are nothing short of miraculous. According to his record, which he has permitted us to read, he has had O+ in every test and assignment he has ever taken at Hogwarts. He has founded a student help and exchange center built around the principle that all students are welcomed, and that any who wish to improve can do so. It has officially been named the Exchange. The very matron we''ve mentioned earlier, Madam Pomfrey, has openly admitted that she is very proud of her student to have already surpassed her. He is also the one responsible for the reopening of the Dueling club, alongside former champion dueler, current head of Ravenclaw and Charms Professor, Filius Flitwick. As well as the one responsible for funding the new club and supplying it with all its equipment. His looks are almost impossible to fault, his only defects being scarring no one knows how he received. He has shown impartiality towards any willing to accept him, as well as a firm hand towards those who cross his values. He has shown strength, intelligence, wisdom, leadership and cunning with his time at Hogwarts. Mostly likely why he was unprecedentedly assigned as Head Boy in his Fifth year and still holding the title, another unheard of achievement. But here is the final reason why he is unquestionably declared the best by any who truly dig into his time at Hogwarts: Examiners had to create a new grade to give his results justice.

    Ancient Runes: O++

    Arithmancy: O++

    Astronomy: O+

    Charms: O++

    Defense Against the Dark Arts: O++

    Divination: O+

    Herbology: O++

    History of Magic: O+

    Muggle Studies: O++

    Potions: O++

    Transfiguration: O++

    You read this right. O++. Not only did he take every single OWL available, his lowest grade was Outstanding with distinction. He was determined to be so spectacular that he was offered to take his NEWT''s immediately. This extreme intelligence of his, as well as his house, have earned him the nickname of The Raven, leading to comparisons with Rowena Ravenclaw herself.

    Aedan Bones is already doing this. He introduced new means of communications, helped every office job increase their productivity, created one of the two bests brooms in existence, and now he brought out his new works: Potions beyond Potions, A Herbologists guide to wild plants, Runes for the modern age and Practical Arithmancy: A story towards true mastery. If our readers are doubting the qualifications of this young man, don''t. He already stands shoulder to shoulder with the greats in those fields and none who have read his works can deny it. In simple terms, he has shown how to mass produce over a hundred magical plants deemed impossible to before, created and improved dozens of potions including a vastly improved Wolfsbane, created his own highly versatile rune language, and has opened the door to anyone who wants to create or modify magic spells themselves. He is without a doubt a genius.

    And this is why I wish to see the path they will tread, hopefully bringing about a generation of miracles.''

    The news would spread quickly and that was certain. Even abroad this would be explosive. It''s simply because these are standardized evaluations from across the world, with everywhere having its equivalent.

    Tory was beside me, but she was worried about her father finding out about her learning how to heal. He was strictly against any job deemed ''below a purebloods status'', and she didn''t know what he''d do.

    "Tory, you don''t need to worry. Your birthday is the 14th of March, so you''ll be 17 and a fully legal a.d.u.l.t by the time summer comes. You and I can easily find a place to ourselves where he will never be able to stop or harm you again. I myself will be 17 soon after our exams and will get the Lordship, so I will do everything I can to help you and protect the woman I love." I said gently as I gazed at her lovingly.

    She looked into my eyes and relaxed a great deal with my words. She knew her father would try to force her into something, but she wouldn''t care. In all honesty, even as the only one able to inherit the Travers name, she doubted her would let a woman do so. It didn''t matter if she was the most brilliant witch to attend Hogwarts in centuries, since he was a s.e.xist blood supremacist, who believed everything should be controlled by pure blooded lords. The key word being lords, not nobles, hence the women are looked down upon as males are preferred.

    "Thank you Aedan. It helps a lot that your here. I honestly don''t even know how to face my so called father anymore. Every time I make a breakthrough in my research I get closer to the actual issues plaguing my mother, and I get scared at what they tell me." She said with a weak smile, a smile I never want her to have, but it''s there.

    I''ve read her results and conclusions, and they are honestly worst than what i initially believed happened. Things are pointing to years of continuous mental and physical abuse of almost extreme intensity. Her mind was gradually worn down until it decided to completely hid within itself. This is what would have happened if I had spent more time under the ''care'' of that old demon. At one point the mind just doesn''t want to experience the pain anymore.

    "I know, but whatever you decide to do I will be there. Whether you wish to ignore him, get him on trial, take away his lordship, punish him, or even getting rid of him for everything he''s done to you and your mother, I''ll do everything I can for you." I say as I gently hold the usually strong girl.

    Meanwhile, Britain was abuzz as the news of so many genius'' currently attending Hogwarts, with my books flying off the shelves as people wanted to check the truth out for themselves.

 Chapter 100 - Ch. 100 Back to School

    The article itself doesn''t make any direct issues for Tory and I in all honesty. For her the risks and annoyances come from her father, which I am handling by having complete control over his communications, easily done since he doesn''t have a Box. I know how nobles are and they will try to get an engagement arranged between their inbred nitwits and my girl, like hell I''m letting that happen. So I managed the meager amount of mail he would receive and just sent him a bunch of money for the proper engagement between me and her, on the condition it be kept secret until we have both graduated from Hogwarts. He would then receive the other half of what i paid. Although I am a half-blood, I still am a noble heir, with a vast fortune, the best wizard of my generation by far, with connections, and a growing business, making me a very attractive candidate.

    My annoyances are coming from increasingly fanatical mail. As more people read my books, more of them are ravenously asking for explanations and clarifications about how I was able to figure all this stuff out. Academic studies of my ideas and results are already underway. And worst of all, someone somehow got a picture of me and sent it Witch Weekly Magazine. You have no idea of the fan mail I''m getting out of this. And I''m not sure if this is good or not, but Christian and James are also involved in this. There was even a vote held for what type readers preferred. Christian was the wild passionate type lover, James was the gentle and caring type, and apparently i was determined to be the protective and dominating type. Didn''t help when Victoria just kinda agreed to what they said. It really didn''t help that my two friends were turning into attractive men as well.

    What can you do? Tilly was apparently more than happy to go through these letters instead of trying to find things to do. Made her sing a little tune while sorting the mountain of letters. Gotta admit that sometimes their mad d.e.s.i.r.e for work does come in handy.

    But this did give me the opportunity to start communicating with a variety of experts and masters in the fields of potions, Herbology, Arithmancy and Runes. I was building a wide array of academic relationsh.i.p.s. You never know what might come in useful in the future and who will come up with the next great idea. It also helped establish my name as an expert much quicker as well.

    So all in all, not a total loss.

    The holidays ended on an odd, but ok note because of all the attention I was getting, but it was soon time to return to Hogwarts.

    We got to the platform even earlier than usual to avoid any issues, Aunty even went as far as putting notice-me-not charms on everyone. It was for good reasons too since I spotted 8 journalists, 15 prowling witches, and many others were simply on the lookout for any signs of their recently famous schoolmates. So with a quick goodbye, we all went inside the train.

    Sometime later, as Tory and I were enjoying our last bit of time together as a couple for a while, a commotion was brewing outside the train as people rushed towards the platforms entrance. I could here loud voices, some cameras going off, yelling and lots of movement. That''s when we could notice our two friends popping in together, trying to fight their way through the horde of people.

    "Should we go and help them?" I asked Tory feeling a bit bad for the guys.

    "I didn''t see anything except my man, what about you?" She replied with a mischievous look in her eyes as she lay in my arms.

    "You know what? You''re right. I guess I was seeing things outside and should be paying attention to my girl." I said with a grin as I pulled her even closer.

    "Bloody hell! What is wrong with those people?" Complained Christian as he came in a bit disheveled.

    "That is rather unpleasant. Are they going to act like this all the time though?" Questioned a relieved James, now that he doesn''t have to worry so much.

    "Haha! Yeah, you two are either going to have to get used to it, learn how to be stealthy, be so rude or cold they have no choice but to leave you alone, or wait for the buzz to cool down." I answer with a wide grin.

    "Christian I can see acting like a brute, but James is way too nice to even try it. I bet he''d just give the autographs to everyone who asks." Add Victoria with a chuckle.

    "You two could have stopped being in your own little world and helped you know?" Irritably replied Christian with a light glare.

    "You think it''s bad when they see you two? Imagine what''s going to happen if they see me. The only way it doesn''t get 3 times worst is if I cow them into silence and that''s not a good option. That option makes people feel inferior, then they get huffy, then annoyed, and then they slander." I answered back to my friend.

    "Fair enough, but how did you avoid the commotion? Especially with you two coming together. That should have made those people go crazy." Asked James, getting Christian to look at us wondering the same thing.

    "We got here really early and Amelia cast a few concealment spells to avoid getting any attention." Answered Tory as-matter-a-factly.

    "Amelia?" James questioned with a raised eyebrow.

    "We decided to tell my aunt and Suz about us during the break. It went well, plus it''s not like they weren''t familiar with each other." I answered for her.

    "That''s great Tory. First step is getting the in-laws on your side. After that your golden even when it''s his fault." Exclaimed a chuckling Christian.

    "I am happy for the two of you. But are you going to be OK Tory? Your father will most likely see the article about all of us as well." Worriedly asked James.

    "Aedan said he would take care of it and we promised each other to find our own place during the summer." She said tenderly looking at me.

    "Yeah it''s all fine, plus I''m pretty sure we''re going to be engaged soon." I answered with a bright smile.

    """What?!?""" Came their very surprised responses.

    "Aedan, what do you mean by that?" Softly asked Tory.

    "Well, I was worried that with Tory''s excellence being exposed, being a pureblood, your father being how he is and other supremacists being how they are, that I should stop any possible troubles. So I''m currently controlling the mail and floo of the Travers family and I sent him a very nice offer for your hand. And just so I don''t get in trouble, this is to stop others from trying to take you from me in some bullshit legal manner, and I will propose to you properly once we can properly live together." I explain seriously.

    The two guys look at me in an almost impressed manner.

    "And you didn''t think to tell me?" Asked Victoria in a low voice.

    "I didn''t want to get engaged with a contract, so I wanted to keep it a secret until I could do it properly and have a ring ready." I answered honestly.

    It was like being in front of a real lioness as she looked at me with narrowed eyes, not speaking a word. Which in her case, it''s not far from the truth.

    But then she wrapped her arms around me in what was almost an attempt to crush my bones through a hug.

    "Thank you Aedan. You always do these things for me, even giving money to that man." She said as she had her face buried in my c.h.e.s.t.

    "I told you that you were mine. I''ll do anything to keep it that way." I softly replied as i stroked he silky smooth hair.

    So the atmosphere of the cabin was turning pink, while the two guys were there being a bit awkward at basically being forgotten.

    *cough*

    "I know you two are usually well behaved, but this is a bit too much in front of two bachelors." Said James as he broke us out of our moment, while Christian was just shaking his head.

    "Well, I can''t say anything for you James, but I''m pretty sure Christian has some interest in that little 2nd year. Maybe in a few years when she grows up it''ll be you two." Replied Victoria with a knowing smile on her face.

    "Wait! What? No! Luna is like a little sister. Yeah. I just can''t leave such a cute and interesting girl alone so I protect her. Like a bunny even." He defended himself in a fl.u.s.ter.

    "It''s not like thaaaaaaat!" He exclaimed in near despair.

    So we got into chatting about our holidays after that little bit of fun. Enjoyed some lighthearted time together. Made some simple but good memories.

    The the train finally started moving and it was time to fulfill our duties and maintain some level of order in the compartments. It was different this time due to the sheer looks of awe amongst the students that had read the articles about us, or the blushing girls averting their gazes, and some people fidgeting in their seats while they were trying to decide whether to approach us or not. This was all pretty standard for me, but a new experience for my friends. Aside from our new fans, nothing troublesome happened on our trip back. No second Dementor attack either. I''m guessing they are busy looking around Hogsmeade by now. And Harry isn''t here either.

    Anyway, Hogwarts soon became lively again with the hundreds of students returning to its halls.

    I even got a visit from a huffy Harry, complaining about how Hermione got his new Firebolt taken by McGonagall to make sure it isn''t cursed. My only response was very simple.

    "Harry, i know you love Quidditch and have been dreaming about that broom, but are you sure how you are acting right now is fair? You received a very expensive gift, from an unknown person, just when your broom has been broken. It is already suspicious enough, without adding to the fact that Black is on the loose. So tell me, is it fair to treat your friend who doesn''t want you to get hurt or die, like you are now, simply because you will not be able to play with that broom for maybe one game this year?" I asked the kid.

    This makes Harry look down in some shame for his actions. It''s simply because I''m right and he knows it. Hermione just doesn''t want her friend to be hurt. So although Ron is mad at her for the conflicts between his ''beloved rat'' and her cat, Harry should not treat the poor girl like this.

    "You''re right Aedan. I was too happy about getting the broom and hurt my friend who was trying to protect me. I think I''ll go apologize now." He answered in a low voice as he was ashamed of himself.

    "Although it never feels good to admit your faults, it is also right to do so. It will let you grow as an understanding and broadminded person. I am happy if you can sincerely make up with her, you are her best friend after all and it must be hurting her a lot. I can''t help with the cat chasing after a rat though, it''s simply natural." I say to the growing boy.

 Chapter 101 - Ch. 101 Protego Sanctum

    The rest of the school year itself was calm in all honesty. The only extra problems occurring this year were mostly worries from the ''deranged murderer'' on the loose and the gloomy atmosphere Dementors brought to the castle.

    Both were completely understandable from an objective point of view. This is how humans will react instinctively when a threat to their lives and safety is introduced. They experience heightened tension in their bodies to ready themselves for potential dangers, burden their minds to kept constant vigilance, small events can lead to mistrusts, increased number of conflicts due to bravado, d.i.c.k measuring or tense emotions, and weariness because of the constant strain people are under from the above.

    The Dementors seem to constantly suck the warmth from the air and from people, with their growing numbers around the school affecting teens and kids alike. This sense of emptiness has been a constant struggle for students and has become more obvious as people are trying to combat the feeling through various means such as the cheering charm, dreamless sleep potions and binging on chocolate to mitigate the effects.

    Luckily enough for some though, my Patronus class has been helping spread some positivity to Hogwarts as my friends, successful students and even some professors join in to stave the tide of oppression. You could now catch glimpses of a variety of silvery animals flying through the castle to lift the spirit of others, making for a truly magical sight. The rules were even specifically adjusted to allow for the charm to be used within the castle due to its positive effects on the student body.

    The club was in full swing as many were having official duels to blow off steam, resolve conflict or just to better themselves and feel like they can at least put up a fight against Black. Although the pre-OWL students were more affected by the happening of the year, it helped that they had a place like this, filled with skilled duelers.

    The Exchange was basically self-running now, with many older students helping the younger ones and each other, plenty of people trying to practice difficult spells and using my study guides to improve themselves. Cedric has been going from strength to strength under my tutelage, having a qualitative improvement in his abilities to guide others. He saw a rise in all of his grades, his practical abilities and he felt more sure of himself in almost all areas. He actually told me that it was an intoxicating feeling to have such rapid improvements in himself. I have also let him be in charge of the Exchange completely at least once a month to gradually help him feel comfortable with the responsibility.

    In the mean time, the canon was pretty much just happening.

    After his talk with me, Harry broke out of his imm.a.t.u.r.e actions towards Hermione and made up with her, losing any reason to be mad at her when the broom was returned before the kid had to play a proper match. The problem was with Ron. So although he has improved significantly compared to the weak, jealous and cowardly version, he his still quite upset at his ''pet''s'' disappearance/death at the hands of Hermione''s cat. So although he isn''t mad at her for the broom, he''s still upset over how things are going on that front. But at least Harry is acting as a mediator this time around and helping the girl not hurt so much, with Ron giving the silent treatment instead of full on avoiding her.

    Harry''s brain was filled with Quidditch because of his captain, unable to worry about pretty much anything else. Now I sorta understand why Oliver is acting like this. It''s his last year, because of me and my friends, Ravenclaw has been at the top ever since he took charge, they have a good team but have never won, so he worries about his plans to go pro. But this is wrecking the other aspects of his teammates personal lives at the moment and he''s mixing his person goals too much. I just worry that the boy who is supposed to face f.u.c.k.i.n.g Voldemort should probably not be forced to give so much of a shit over a sport, but what do I know about preparing a kid for his future.

    Anyway, although the Gryffindor team has excellent chasers and great teamwork between the twin beaters, Christian could fly circles around them still and kept the score as close as possible. They were unable to pull away from the back and forth score, making it so that Harry has to delay our new Seeker Cho from getting the Snitch. It came to the point where Oliver had to give up on winning by a large margin and focus on the next game instead since they couldn''t pull ahead no matter what they did, so Harry now went after the Snitch actively. Then the idiots from Slytherin in the form of Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and Troll-face tried to sabotage the kid by dressing as Dementors, making him shoot off a nice looking Patronus for a third year, then catching the snitch to secure victory.

    That night however, Sirius made another visit to the Gryffindor dorms and got to the third year rooms in search of Peter. Unfortunately he had already hid himself somewhere in the castle to avoid Black, since he knew Sirius knew he was Ron''s pet. This resulted in a pretty scared Ron as he woke up to find a ''deranged murderer'' slashing his bed curtains in frustration, a severely punished Neville for losing the entire weeks passwords and having them fall into Blacks hands, and the Fat Lady returning to her post with new guards to protect her after the crazy knight replacement was fired.

    This event set off another school wide search involving me, with Snape once again suspecting Lupin, but nothing came of it.

    Time went on, I''m sure that Professor Lupin now has the Marauders map and knows Pettigrew might still be alive. The kids learned that I was properly keeping Buckbeak safe, when Malfoy was taunting them about its impending execution, but Hagrid told them that this was no longer the case because of an official notice from the ministry.

    I might have had the people in charge of the disposal of dangerous creatures write a false statement of guilt and sent it myself to a certain noble house, whilst having further notices of the changes in the case ''temporarily'' lost. The receiver of said false statement never even checked with those who wrote it as he simply believed this was obvious with him holding them by the nuts. It just brings a smile to my face when he was dancing to my tune. Hermione still punched the little wimp in the face though, which just made my little fan heart smile a bit.

    Anyway, the last game Quidditch game of the year happened and by some divine intervention (I blame She-who-must-not-be-named or I might get in trouble~), Gryffindor beat Slytherin with just enough points to win the cup this year.

    Aside from basically watching a combination of the movies and books come to life, while managing my own additions and helping my friends, I''ve had tremendous success in developing one of my final two mastery projects.

    The spell''s name is Protego Sanctum, my Defense Against the Dark Arts project. This is the only existing defense purely against the Dark Arts. It is the complete opposite of Protego Diabolica which is designed to stop the physical body of ones enemies.

    By its nature, the spell is the closest thing in existence to holy magic besides the Patronus. It''s duty is to stop dark magic, repel dark creatures such as Dementors, and provide strong resistance against those steeped into the dark arts. I designed it to work as a quick combat barrier or as a longer lasting protective defense. It''s spell motion should require close combat users to mark the space by pointing the wand and basically drawing it in the air, then using the necessary magic and intent to form the barrier.

    It has high requirements from the user, as no one who hasn''t gone through a second magical maturation will be able to use the spell, and no one who has practiced dark arts enough to have a trace of it on their souls can use this either. The second requirement is the intent behind the spell: strong d.e.s.i.r.es to protect, intense memory when one wished to protect others, d.e.s.i.r.e to repel the dark arts completely and the need to care when casting the barrier.

    But with the strict requirements comes the rewards. From what I''ve tested, this is now the only known spell in existence that can protect you from and dispel the three Unforgivables. That''s right. I figured out a way to stop the killing curse through pure spell casting. I mean, I had about half a dozen sure fire ways of doing it, by conjuring something to take the hit, transfiguring the environment to act as a shield, summon an object to take the hit, etc. The notion that it''s unstoppable was always overrated in my mind. Yes it was the deadliest spell in existence, still is too. You get hit and you''re done, but it''s perfectly defendable when you have some skills. Although this spell can''t purify tainted or dark objects like Horcruxes, it will not permit them within its bounds either and force them out. And due to the intense emotional requirements, it has a degree of sentience imparted by the caster to fulfill its role.

    If you wondered how I tested this, well it''s pretty simple. I still have a certain vanishing cabinet pair linked to Micheal Folster''s home and I invited Oliver over, since pretty much all senior Aurors know some of the dark arts to defend against them properly, and had him shoot the Killing Curse on the shield erected around a dummy. The results were that nothing he tried from what he knew worked. We even got Scott to help us with the Imperius Curse and that''s how we saw that it washes that away too. Unfortunately, because Oliver has used these kinds of spells a bit too much, the barrier offers slight resistance against him and telling me he will likely never be able to cast the spell itself. But surprisingly, Scott was actually able to get a feel for it, meaning he''s never used the Dark arts and has the qualifications to learn the spell.

    ''The Golden trio doesn''t have anyone with a particularly strong magic core amongst them, Harry being the closest to it but the blood wards are using a lot of it. So teaching them will have to wait. My friends should be able to do it be next year or the year after that. Tory has sworn she''s never used any dark arts, finding it the tool of the weak willed and lazy. James and Christian find them abhorrent in general so they also avoid it. The only other requirement would be their cores, and after going through my special training for years, Tory will experience hers on her birthday and my two mates will probably feel it by the time we graduate.'' I thought to myself has I figured out who I should let in on this.

    ''Oh well, that''s for later. For now I just have to finish my exams like I usually do and then it''s time for me to mess with Lucius face to face.'' I thought to myself with a great big smile.

    "I can''t wait." I said with my face transforming into a devilish smile.

 Chapter 102 - Ch. 102 Lucius Bad Day

    -the day of the trial, some asses house.

    Today was a good day for Lucius Malfoy. He woke up to his wife being pleasantly occupied with somethings and not harassing him about their son or declining businesses.

    ''I will one day find that mudblood and torture him slowly. He thinks he is worthy to stand besides his betters? Hmph!'' He thought as it gave him some amus.e.m.e.nt to imagine.

    He neatly arranged his long platinum blonde hair, dressed himself in a proper noble robe and looked into his own cold grey eyes.

    ''Ever since that filthy disgrace of a slave was freed by that conniving little Potter, I''ve had to do all of these mundane tasks. I really must talk to Narcissa about getting a proper one.'' He thought to himself.

    But this wouldn''t put him off his day. Today was good. He would show Dumbledore once again that he is able to control him even now.

    ''The senile old fool thinks I cannot interfere now that I am no longer a governor. I''ll show him by getting rid of his filthy Half-giant pet. First the overgrown chicken which Narcissa insisted died due to injuring our son, then the incompetent buffoon they now call a professor.'' He continued to think to himself, making an c.o.c.ky smile appear on his face.

    So he walked down the halls of his manor, to find a proper breakfast waiting for him in the dinning hall. His wife already sat in her chair at one end of the table, eating in a prim and proper manner. Without a word he sat he did the same.

    "Do make sure that filthy beast that hurt my Draco gets its head properly removed Lucius, or you will hear plenty from me." Then coldly announces his wife as she finished her meal and stood up.

    "Do not worry Narcissa. I have everything under control. Those old fools in the Committee for Disposal of Dangerous Creatures were easy to get a hold of. Even Dumbledore and that oaf didn''t try to save the beast. It is as good as dead." He calmly reassured her of his impending success with a small smile.

    "Good." Was her only response as she left with an emotionless face.

    With a sigh at how used to this married life he is, the man finished his meal and left as well.

    He then met up with an old colleague of his you would say. Back during the old days, the days of the dark lord, Walden Macnair and himself used to work together, he as a respected lieutenant and Macnair as muscle. The man had a penchant for killing. He enjoyed killing those lowly muggles and made it slow, while also hunting Muggle-Borns furiously as the lords old executioner.

    He was dressed in a black executioners garb and hood, with his axe on his shoulder. An axe made to kill creatures, not humans.

    "Macnair." Lucius simply greeted as he looked at the man.

    "Mr. Malfoy. Killing the beast today are we?" He asked in a gravely voice laced with excitement.

    "Yes. Let us depart. The Floo should be open to old fools office." He answered as he guided the man in his home.

    He went to his connected fireplace and tested to see if he could reach the old man''s own, but he was rejected.

    With a scowl on his face he decided to use it to order him to open it.

    "Dumbledore, why is your Floo not open to me? Are you trying to impede me? You know I will bring hell on you if you did this one purpose." Venomously spoke Lucius through the fire.

    "Ah. Lucius, to what do I how the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e?" Suddenly appeared the aged face of the Hogwarts Headmaster.

    "You know perfectly why. Now let us through." Was the sneered reply.

    "Oh, you wish to talk about today''s events. Very well then." He answered with a smile.

    Lucius paused at how welcoming the old man was being, but then thought it was a matter of course. He was Lucius Malfoy and had legitimate cause to being there.

    Both men then used the Floo and reached the Headmasters office.

    He stood proudly before the man he considered a senile fool.

    "This is a pleasant surprise Lucius, but I did not think you would bring a guest." Dumbledore calmly said to the two men. "Lemon drop?"

    "Stop your nonsense Dumbledore. We are here for the beast. So either guide us to it or we will find it ourselves, then put in a complaint for the obstruction of the killing of a beast who''s execution was ordered." Spat out Lucius with a glare, but feeling proud for ordering the old man.

    "I have no idea what you mean Lucius. I thought you wished to discuss something about your own trial today. I am confused as to why you believe Buckbeak is to be executed as well, those charges were dropped months ago. Did you not know?" Kindly replied Dumbledore, not phased in the slightest by the way Lucius threatened him.

    "What did you say Dumbledore? My trial? Dropped charges?" Asked Lucius in a frigid voice.

    "Yes, dear Hagrid received a notice from the ministry. But do you truly not know? As Head Warlock I''ve sent you letters about your trial in front of the Wizengamot today. In fact I was writing you reminder when you wished to see me, since I never received a response." Calmly explained The Headmaster.

    "Do you take me for a fool Dumbledore! I have a letter declaring the execution of the beast right here!" Viciously shouted Lucius as he slammed the letter on the desk.

    "Your letter seems to be missing the three stamps to approve the letter properly Lucius. It seems you are not aware of the proper proceedings for that Committee, but mine seems to have all required stamps. It looks like you accidentally received a copy of the draft which was written before your own charges were brought up." Calmly said the old man after reading the letters over.

    "Preposterous!" Replied Lucius as he looked over the stamped letter.

    With his face losing any signs of emotions, the man took both letters and walked back into the fireplace.

    "If this is a trick Dumbledore, I will have you out of this school and before a trial by the end of the summer." He venomously spoke as a confused Walden watched him Floo away.

    The man rushed through the halls of the ministry, heading towards the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He blew past anyone who tried to stop him.

    ''Those blasted old geezers think they can pull one over me! The seem to forget their place beneath my feet! Groveling in the hopes in don''t tell everyone of their dirty secrets.'' Thought a furious Malfoy.

    As he reached the department, he immediately walked past the receptionist and burst through the door of the Committee''s office. He stood in front of a few elderly members and slammed the two letters in front of them.

    "What is the meaning of this." He asked with a voice that brought chills to the hearers.

    Reading the two doc.u.ments, the old men gave the same response as Dumbledore, that this seems to have been a mistake on someone''s part.

    "And why exactly is the beast not being executed?" Lucius asked with narrowed eyes.

    "We-well you s-s-see Lord Malfoy, the b-beast is p-property of another noble f-f-family and this was done without going th-through them. This case shou-should have n-n-never been in our department in-in- in the first place." Answered a very scared man.

    "What did you say? Which family?" The man asked, almost ready to kill the bumbling fool right this moment.

    "The-the-the-the B-b-b-Bones family." The completely pale man answered.

    Lucius'' face went cold, he didn''t move but was thinking, until someone run into the room from behind him.

    "There you are Lord Malfoy! Why are you here? You''re trial started three minutes ago and if you don''t hurry you''ll be forced to be responsible for every charge. The worst possible punishments too!" Exclaimed a heavily breathing young man.

    Lucius'' body twitched as he heard what was said.

    ''What is happening?!? First the beast isn''t to be executed! Then I''m told it is owned by that irritating woman''s family! And now someone has the gall to push charges on ME!'' Thought the very angry Lord.

    "Which room?" He answered while trying not to kill everybody in the room.

    "Room 5!" Answered the nervous messenger.

    -in courtroom number 5, Level 10 of the Ministry of Magic. Aedan POV.

    I stood there, waiting patiently in one of the two chairs placed behind matching desks, with 17 members of the Wizengamot. Each of whom dislike Malfoy, were chosen by me and are very much in favor of my actions. Aside from the chairs and desks, the rest of the room was basically identical to the courtroom shown during the movies, except a bit smaller due to this place being used for less important cases.

    "Since Lord Malfoy has decided not to appear on time, I can only start without him." Declared the old man in charge of the case. He really resembled a turtle in man form. Long, narrow and wrinkly neck, soft looking jaw, no visible hair anywhere on his head except for the eyebrows and thin body.

    "Now, Heir Bones, you are accusing Lord Lucius Malfoy of Defamation and false accusation against your name, Unlawfully trying to seize and destroy your property, Bribing and Blackmailing Ministry officials. Is this correct?" Listed and asked the turtle.

    "Yes sir." I calmly answered.

    "And has your client chosen to debate these charges?" He then asked as he looked over to the barrister supposedly in charge of Lucius'' case.

    I chose to represent myself, due to my status and approval by the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, thank you aunty, making it possible. It means I don''t have to have an idiot in front of me.

    "My client has repeatedly ignored my attempts at contacting him and has refused to divulge his opinions on the matter. But he should be here any moment now." Answered a sweaty and overweight man in brown robes.

    Just as he said that, a very angry and heavily breathing Lucius burst into the room.

    "Oh Lord Malfoy you made it. I am so happy we don''t have to resort to harsh punishments over what I am sure is a horrible misunderstanding. Quickly, come and sit. We shall discuss this like proper gentlemen." I happily said to the man with a bright smile on my face.

    To anyone not involved, this would have sounded very honest and sincere, but to everyone present it was me teasing the crap out of the man. And boy did it work. I''ve used the exact same way of talking every time I f.u.c.k.e.d with the man and he remembers vividly.

    "This is your doing you little half-blood welp!" Was the mans response, almost hearing his d.e.s.i.r.e to attack here and now.

    "I had to defend myself and my property Lord Malfoy. You of all people should understand a nobles pride. You slander me, try to kill my property, and then I found that you supposedly did some less then legal things to stop me from hearing about all this. I was greatly worried when I heard this from my hired caretaker. But I could not truly believe such an upstanding member of our community could do such things. I tried to contact you, but it was to no avail, hence this trial being my only recourse to deal with such actions. I hope this doesn''t affect our wonderful relationship." I said so sincerely that all of the Wizengamot members were looking at me in awe for my acting, or were trying to hold in their laughter at how much I''m playing around.

    Lucius on the other looked like he was about to murder me.

    "You damnable little-" started to swear Malfoy, but was interrupted by a gavel smacking sound.

    "Lord Malfoy! We have waited for your arrival and continue to do so. Please find your seat so that we may continue this hearing." Strictly inform the turtle man.

    ''Wow, he''s got more balls than I would have thought. Not many people are actually brave enough to talk to the man like that. Should tell aunty, she''ll probably give him a promotion for this.'' I thought with a smile.

    Lucius harrumphed angrily and joined his barrister. The charges were then repeated and the man''s expression continued to drop as he then turned to glare at me murderously, to which I gave him a bright smile.

    "I plead not guilty to all charges! The beast nearly killed my son and I want it dead! This child has no reason nor evidence for any of this!" He shouted angrily.

    "Actually Lord Malfoy, the evidence against you is frankly staggering. And you have not given any sort of counter evidence nor testimony to fight any of the charges laid against you." Plainly stated the turtle.

    "That is because I was never notified of this farce! I learned of these ridiculous charges today and demand that this trial be dismissed on the grounds of not following proper procedures and failing to notify me in the first place!" He angrily responded.

    I smiled really deeply for a very fun reason.

    "But Lord Malfoy, we have a signed and certified acknowledgement of this trial with your signature and signet stamp." The answer came, making the man burst out.

    "That is preposterous! I''ve learned of these proceedings this morning! I''ve never received such a letter, much less signed it!" He yelled out.

    Which is true, but I got a certain little ex-Malfoy house-elf currently working in Hogwarts to help me a little with that. It took a bit of convincing, but he was quite happy to do this and get back at the horrid man. Paid him properly for his work and I am even thinking about hiring the excited little house-elf for me and Tory''s place once we graduate.

    "I am afraid you''re words hold little merit at the moment Lord Malfoy. This is more than enough proof that you acquiesced to the trial and we''re ready to defend yourself." Was the calm reply, shutting the man up immediately.

    "I still claim not guilty on all charges. Let me hear this drivel I am accused of then." He coldly said after a pause.

    "On the charges of defamation and false accusations, Heir Aedan Bones claims that you have attempted to hold his Hippogriff accountable for the actions of your own son and that you have put forth false claims to do so. Mr. Bones has stated that these claims are purposefully harmful to his reputation as a responsible and upstanding businessman. What say you?" Asked my rapidly liked turtle man.

    "My son was nearly killed my his dangerous beast! I demand justice!" He simply answered.

    "But it seems like the evidence collected stated that your own son rushed towards a Hippogriff and tried to mount it, after seeing one Harry Potter doing so with proper instruction from the new Care of Magical Creatures Professor. We have 16 eye witness accounts of the event and the school report. Clearly your son is at fault for recklessly approaching a XXX rated creature." The man cited against the Lucius.

    "It is simply a beast. It has nearly killed a noble heir and deserves death. Plain and simple." He responded back.

    "That argument also appears to be false. The medical record, account of the school matron, her apprentice and Heir Bones were all recorded saying that the wound itself was smaller than an injury students get from some pranks. He was healed within seconds and cleared from the school infirmary. What''s more is that the boy then decide to wrap his own arm and make himself a sling, then complained in the Great Hall that he was nearly killed for weeks. We have over 200 reports of that. But absolutely no evidence of any near fatal injuries." Was the counter argument, leading to the turtle having a small smile and chuckling to be heard across the room.

    "You brat. How dare you!" Then said Lucius as he looked at me with rage.

    "That is simple evidence to clear myself of wrong doing lord Malfoy. You can''t blame me for protecting my interests." I said with a calm smile on my face

    "With no counter evidence or argument, the charges of defamation and false accusations are found to be guilty, with proper compensation to be determined at the end of the hearing. On the charges of Unlawful Seizure of Property you are accused of using the previous accusations to try and kill said Hippogriff through the improper channels, without alerting the owner and without trying to find the proper solutions to your grievances. Your argument?" Said the head turtle.

    "It was owned by that bumbling half-giant fool they now call a professor, not the welp! Nothing was wrong there!" He replied with great certainty this time.

    "According to the ownership at the time of the incident, the Hippogriff known as Buckbeak belonged to one Aedan Micheal Bones, And was on loan as a creature to excite newcomers to Care of Magical Creatures, since the designated caretaker was the current professor for the class." Read out the old man.

    "Impossible!" Yelled out Lucius.

    "We have the certificate of purchase, loan request and permission given by Heir Bones right here. So unless you have anything to disprove these legally binding and official doc.u.ments, you are to be found guilty." Stated the man in response.

    Hearing nothing coming out of the stone faced man, the man in charge simply banged his gavel again to announce his guilt.

    "And now the most serious charges of the evening: bribery and Blackmail. You are accused of avoiding the proper steps to handle this minor incident involving your son, by bribing officials in the Committee for Disposal of Dangerous Creatures and blackmailing those unwilling to follow. We have the records of the money exchange, as well as letter signed by both participants, and witnesses to the threats. The accusations you were found guilty of last year, removing you and several of your former colleagues from Hogwarts Board of Governors, are also setting a clear precedence for such actions. Your counter-argument?" Finally asked the turtle man.

    There was now tension in the room. Lucius stared at everyone present with an expression devoid of any emotions, and his cold grey eyes then landing on me.

    "Lord Malfoy, I truly don''t want this to come between our splendid relationship. So how about this? Instead of compensating me, we have you fund the Care of Magical Creatures course at Hogwarts. You could help further the education of young Magizoologists and atone for these inappropriate actions. After all, you were simply too distraught over your child''s injury, so what better way is there to make sure he is properly taught in the field. Maybe next time he can avoid such a reckless mistake. As for the other charges, we can simply let it rest as a warning and say, if in the next 5 years such a thing occurs then severe punishment can be given. Fair?" I say with a bright smile.

    "Are you sure Heir Bones? These are serious accusations and you could receive much in terms of compensations." Asked the cool turtle gramps.

    "Yes it''s fine sir. Lord Lucius and I are such good friends. I would hate to sour our relationship by such things between us, and I love to help others learn. A win-win." I answered happily.

    "If that is the compensation you deem agreeable as the plaintiff." Responded the judge.

    "That''s good. So what do you say Lord Malfoy? Shall we shake on it and keep our friendship going strong?" I say brightly to the man in front of me.

    If looks could kill, i would have probably died a few dozen times right now. I''m dragging his and his sons name through the mud, making him basically apologize for Buckbeak hurting the idiot by funding a being he despises, who works under a man he hates, and he now has to thank me for letting things end here and shake my hand to say we are friends.

    Everything I''m doing his to his advantage, but I''m doing it in a manner that would make any blood purist, Death Eater, Muggle supremacist pureblood want to vomit blood in anger. It''s great.

    "Of course we are still friends. Thank you for for candor Heir Bones." He said through gritted teeth.

    "Then since both parties agree, the charges will now be settled. You will both sign the contracts provided and the case will conclude here." The turtle declared with a bang of his gavel.

    After everything was done, Lucius couldn''t have left faster if he tried. The man ran past everyone trying to stop him and Flooed away in a flash of green.

    -Malfoy Mannor

    Feeling his magical energy going completely wild with rage, Lucius was breathing heavily as he came out of the fireplace, finding his wife siting there.

    "Is the beast dead then?" She off-handedly asked.

    Lucius just snapped at that moment.

    "I WILL MURDER THAT FILTHY HALF-BLOOD BASTARD FOR TODAY HUMILIATION!!!!" He roared as fragile objects in the room cracked under his wild magic.

    "Lucius!?" Exclaimed the surprised Narcissa.

    But then suddenly, her husband coughed up some blood and passed out in his anger.

    "Lucius!!"

 Chapter 103 - Ch. 103 Controlling Events pt.1

    The day after the trial, I received an interesting bit of news: Lucius Malfoy was confined to his bed due to vomiting blood yesterday.

    "Hahahahahaha Ha haha! I didn''t know that could happen in real life! I think I might have found my new hobby~" I said to myself I a happy mood at how angry I must have made him.

    So with the good news and exams done for everyone, I invited the golden trio to celebrate with Hagrid.

    "Hahaha! Yeh really got teh slimy bastard to pay?!" Laughed Hagrid, ecstatic that Buckbeak is really going to be ok and that his job is safe.

    It''s actually more than safe with me, Christian and Hermione helping the man plan interesting lessons for him and the students. His feedback has been good and he''s been improving as a teacher the more he really takes in our advice.

    "That''s brilliant! That posh git is also going to have to pay for the class he wanted to shut down!" Agreed Ron as he remembered the look on Draco''s face when he found out.

    "But are you sure you''re going to be OK Aedan? He is still a very influential man, and you humiliated him." Asked a nervous Hermione.

    "I played the man like a fiddle and if he steps out of line in the next 5 years he risks Azkaban itself. That''s not even counting the magical contract, my ever growing financial status, widening range of contacts and the fact that I''m inheriting the Lordship from my aunt after my birthday. If the man even tries to start something it will make my day." I answer excitedly, letting the girl relax and sigh in relief. It makes it extra relieving that it''s me saying this and because of my track record too.

    "So Malfoy has to pay for whatever Hagrid wants to do in class?" Asked Harry with a bit of schadenfreude.

    "Yup! So we are going to be able to show a lot more to students next year Hagrid! Might even be able to bring in a dragon like you dreamed of to show the seventh years!" I say happily.

    "Whot? You''d really do that fo'' me?" He half-giant asked feeling touched.

    "We''d have to be careful, but with one of the ric.h.e.s.t men in Britain fully funding it, why not take advantage?" I said grinning wildly.

    With laughter and good cheer spreading through the hut, the five of us celebrated well for the success of my intervention. Then a Hagrid who was crying out of happiness suddenly remembered something and started to look around. He took something out of a container and handed it to Ron.

    "There yeh go Ron, found ''im in my pumpkins a few day''s ago." He said, showing Scabbers in his massive hands.

    "Scabbers! You''re alive!" He shouted out happily.

    "Looks like you owe someone an apology." I say to the boy, hinting towards Hermione.

    But it looks like he did grow more then I thought, since he wasn''t being a sarcastic a.s.s about this.

    "I''m sorry Hermione. I shouldn''t have taken it out on you." He apologized properly, although still slightly reluctantly.

    "Thank you for saying so Ron." Replied a slightly surprised Hermione.

    "It is good that you''ve done so properly Ron. You have shown great growth in character for being able to admit fault honestly. 5 points to Gryffindor~" I announce, getting smiles all around.

    "Can you do that?" Asked Hermione.

    "Of course I can, I''m Head Boy. Plus I let others have biases, I''m sure the Headmaster won''t mind my little favor." I reply with a happy and carefree smile.

    With that settled, the party continued until it was near curfew.

    "Yelp I think that''s enough fun for today. Although I''m Head Boy, I can''t let the three of you stay out past curfew with Black still on the loose. So up everyone goes." I announce with a smile on my face.

    "He''s right yeh know. Bet''er get going. No use get''in inter trouble for my sake." Agreed a slightly tipsy Hagrid.

    So the four of us quickly left, but halfway to the castle ''Scabbers'' wriggled out of Ron''s grasp a bolted in the direction of the Whomping Willow.

    ''So the final act of the year begins.'' I thought to myself as the kids run after it in haste.

    I follow behind them and see the rat being caught right as they reached the violent tree. Harry and Hermione finally notice exactly where they are, but Ron notices the ''grim'' behind them, the three of them warning each other.

    The situation becomes worst for the trio as Sirius drags Ron under the tree and towards the Shrieking Shack. The stunned Harry and Hermione try to follow but I then join them.

    "You know approaching this willow recklessly is not the best solution." I say from behind them.

    "But the grim took Ron!" Nervously shouted Harry.

    "We have to save him!" Agrees a very high pitch Hermione.

    "Never said we won''t. But I''ll show you the proper method to handle the big guy. Christian and I explored pretty much everywhere by our third year and we both like Herbology, so we played with him a lot." I say with a calm smile as I approach the tree and pull out my wand.

    The Whomping Willow notices my approach and readies itself to strike with its branches.

    ""Aedan look out!!"" Was the scream I heard from behind as I pointed my wand at the particular knot the tree has, causing it to freeze in place.

    Having the two kids stunned at how easy I made it look, I turn and smile at them.

    "Now come on you two. Didn''t you want to save Ron?" I say in my smooth and calm voice.

    Snapping out of their stupor, they finally run after me and join up. We walked through the long and narrow underground passageway.

    "Where is this heading?" Curiously asked Hermione.

    "I think I''ve pretty good idea." Responded Harry as we reached the Shrieking Shack.

    "Isn''t this..." started asking a now palling Hermione.

    "Yup." I simply answered.

    "The Shrieking Shack." Said Harry grimly.

    "From the slight blood marks and mud stains, I''d say Ron was dragged upstairs." I simply stated.

    As they enter, they found Ron with a bleeding leg holding onto his rat like his life depended on it.

    His two friends rushed towards him, but then I watched the canon unfold from the door. The reveal Sirius was an animagus, his admitting that his actions led to the death of Harry''s parents and the kids wanting to protect Harry.

    "Well I think that''s enough of that." I say as I finally decide to interfere.

    From the looks on the kids faces, it seemed like they kind of forgot I was there, and Sirius being extra surprised.

    "You? You''re here?" He asked.

    "Yes, hello again Mr. Black. I''m sure you won''t mind if I have a look at Ron''s leg, I''m a proper healer after all." I say with a calm smile.

    "Please. I have gone too far on the boy. I lost some control when I thought of him." He said with some guilt and anger.

    "Aedan! What are you doing?! He''s Sirius Black! He killed my parents!" Shouted Harry in disbelief.

    "No, but he certainly feels like he did. He loved your father far too much to ever want to cause him or your mother harm. He just placed his trust in the wrong man is all." I answered the emotional boy gently as I approached Ron.

    """What!?""" They exclaimed in unison as I examined Ron''s leg.

    "Hmm, could have been gentler. Broke the bone and your fangs weren''t exactly easy on his leg itself." I critiqued the big dog.

    "I usually have a gentle disposition as a dog, in fact James more then once suggested I make the change permanent." Nostalgically answered Sirius.

    "Aedan, what''s going on? If you knew about him before, why didn''t you tell anyone? Why didn''t you tell me?" Asked a hurt Harry.

    "Because I didn''t have any actual proof that the man was innocent until now. And I know what you would have done Harry. You would have recklessly tried to confront the man, forced him to fight you, making you hurt one of the only people in this world who truly wishes for your wellbeing above all else, resulted in an innocent man''s death with no one ever knowing the truth, and the escape of your parents true betrayer." I answered gently as I fix Ron''s leg.

    "I-I-I..." Harry wanted to deny any of what I said, but it''s true. If he had heard anything from me then he would have rushed off head first into the grasp of someone considered to be the most dangerous criminal alive at the moment.

    "You said true betrayer. And that you had evidence now. What and who is it?" Then asked Hermione cautiously.

    "Well, for that answer, might i borrow your rat Ron?" I asked as I put my hand out.

    The trio was shocked as Sirius let me do it. He saw the trust they had in me, plus I was getting him what he wanted whilst letting Harry stay calm.

    "What''s Scabbers have to do with this?" Questioned Ron. I mean, it''s a pretty reasonable question.

    "Everything Ron. He has everything to do with this." Answered the calm voice of Professor Lupin.

    """Professor!?"""

    "Remus! My old friend! I found him. We can finally avenge James and Lily." Excitedly shouted Sirius as the two old friends hugged one another.

    "Hello Professor, if you could just give me a second. The rat is trying to escape. And since Professor Snape has been suspicious of you for a while, he most likely followed you here since you came as well. He knows about everything after all and he would very much love to hand Mr. Black over to the Dementors." I then say to the man.

    "Aedan? Why are you here? I thought you would have apprehended the man on the spot." Questioned Remus.

    "Oh, I knew the man was innocent since after maybe a month of his escape, visited him during the holidays, but I just didn''t have any conclusive evidence yet. So, Ron I just need to show you why a rat, something meant to only live for 3-5 years on average, has lived for over twelve. Why it is missing a toe. And why it is that it has been very scared and nervous ever since the end of the summer." I explained smoothly.

    This was actually enough for Hermione to understand my hidden meaning.

    "You don''t mean? Oh my god." She said in realization.

    "Hermione? What is it? What am I not getting?" Questioned Harry in confusion.

    "Professor, Snape is coming up. Be ready." I suddenly interrupted, getting the two older men ready themselves as the door opens once again.

    "Well, well, well. What do we have here? I told Dumbledore you were helping an old friend into the castle, and now I have the evidence to prove it." Sneered the vindicative potion master.

    "Severus-"

    "Do not make things worse for yourself Lupin." Sneered Snape.

    "Let him be Remus, Snivilius won''t listen. He''s too stupid to understand what is really going on. So if you''ll excuse us, we have grown up matter to attend to." Sirius condescendingly said to his former bullying victim.

    "Try me Black. The Dementors have oh so been longing to meet you. The Kiss. A punishment so horrible one is said to almost lose their own souls by watching, but I''ll do my best to see it through to the end." Responded Snap in a triumphant smile as Sirius'' face paled and fear could be seen.

    "Now, you three can get back to not letting go of all of your stupidity from your school years, or we can actually show who is responsible for Lily''s death Professor." I interrupt the trio.

    Black backs down as he remembers his goal, Lupin relaxes, but Snape stiffens at the mention of her name.

    "Bones. Explain yourself or it appears you will also have to brought in for questioning about helping Black." Coldly said Severus.

    "Of course Professor. So Ron, i really need to have your rat now." I say calmly to the man.

    "You won''t hurt him right?" He hesitantly asked.

    "Honestly, after this you might want to hurt him yourself." I answer with a sigh.

    He looks at me questioningly, but still hands it over as it fights desperately to escape.

    "Now now little rat. Look at me and still yourself, or you shall live through what you fear the most." I gently said as I grasped it, making it look directly into my glowing eyes.

    The rat immediately stops moving and shivers in fear.

    "Good little rat... now become the big rat you really are." I say with a wave of my wand and a small flash of light envelops the rat.

    Its body begins to convulse as it quickly grows, its arms and legs changing into human equivilents, tail receding, head becoming human, until a short man stood before everyone in shock.

    He was same height as the current Harry since the boy was growing up a lot better under me, his thin almost colorless hair was unkempt with a large bald spot on top of it, grubby skin, signs of former plumpness, rat like features on his face, and his breathing quick and nervous as his watery eyes looked around at everyone in fear.

    "Professors, Kids, Mr. Black, I present to you Peter Pettigrew. The rat. The betrayer. The agent of the Dark Lord. The reason for his falls and the reason for the deaths of Lily and James Potter." I say evenly, not showing any true emotions as Black looked at the man with absolute hatred, Lupin was in pain at his former friends betrayal, Snape was a bit lost at the moment, while Ron was freaking out over the implications, Hermione was horrified her guess was right, and Harry looked at the man in disbelief.

    "Incarcerous." I calmly say as I bind the man completely, making slam down onto the floor when he lost balance.

    "Now I believe we can all discuss this like proper a.d.u.l.ts gentlemen. Mr. Black please refrain from insulting Professor Snape habitually, Professor Lupin please make sure the man the doesn''t do anything, and Professor Snape please try to listen to the true happenings of 12 years ago with a cool head. Harry, this will be good for you as well, you can get all the answers you wish for tonight." I say calmly, but with authority.

    Harry nods a bit absentmindedly, Snape glares at Sirius as he glares back, Lupin looks at me in an impressed manner, Pettigrew is shivering on the floor in fear, Hermione is really shocked, and poor Ron is slightly traumatized by the fact some balding middle aged criminal was sleeping in the same bed as him for years now.

    "Let us begin the tale of the Prisoner of Azkaban." I declare.

 Chapter 104 - Ch. 104 Controlling Events pt.2

    With Peter completely immobilized, Sirius was finally able to explain everything that had happened 12 years ago.

    How he wanted to be clever by acting as an obvious target, wanting to make everyone, even Dumbledore, believe he was the secret keeper when it was in fact Peter. He explained how he had cornered the rat seeking revenge, but he cleverly blasted everything and everyone while screaming about Sirius'' betrayal, cut his finger and transformed into his rat form, completely fooling even himself. He told them he had only found out about him when Fudge went to visits Azkaban and he saw a picture of the Weasley''s with rat Peter in it. So he used is transformation to escape from Azkaban. He did keep his encounter with Micheal Folster a secret though, but he did mention his attempts during the year, his meeting with me and the help Crookshanks had been giving him.

    Then through intimidation from his former friends and Snape, after he tried to beg the golden trio for mercy, the rat spilled his guts in his cowardice. I made sure to get the recording and pictures done, can never be too safe.

    Snape even used his legilimancy on the man to make sure. So although he was reluctant to let Sirius go, he was convinced on this matter and making the wrong man suffer for her death was illogical. He would still hate Sirius himself, but not for this.

    Harry had his questions answered as well, Hermione was quieter as she listened to all the explanations and Ron had his leg fixed but still wasn''t over the whole Scabbers/Peter thing. But overall, this helped Harry tremendously has he found the truth and now had someone who was the closest to family near him.

    With this resolved, we started making our way back to the school with a chained Pettigrew being levitated by me.

    We got outside of the passage and distanced ourselves from the Whomping Willow. Lupin and Snape were discussing with each other how to handle things, Ron and Hermione were with me as I guarded Peter, letting Harry and Sirius have their own little talk about the man being his godfather and awkwardly trying to offer Harry a place to live as his guardian.

    I always liked that scene. Simple but heartwarming. But now it was time to deal a naughty wolf who skipped his potion. I mean, it''s not like I didn''t get him the advanced formula, but he still skipped one of the only two potions he had to freaking drink. It''s ridiculous that it also happens to be the full moon. But there he was, Lupin getting hit by the moons rays and starting his transformation.

    Snape backed away and readied his wand, whilst Sirius ran and hugged his friend to try and let him regain his sanity.

    ''Good thing i have backup plans.'' I thought as I bolted straight towards the transforming man. As he was growing and struggling against his friends embrace, i jumped and landed a picture perfect flying side kick in his face, causing him to fall and skid on the ground in pain. Everyone was just stunned as a student just flying kicked a transforming werewolf in the face, but I rushed him as I took out goblin made injector, filled with my werewolf vaccine.

    We had done a lot of tests and found something interesting: it can be used to suppress the virus even after it is fully activated. That''s right, it can stop a rampaging werewolf. If you can inject it anyway. But that''s why I had a dozen of the unbreakable injectors made.

    So with my goblin made needle, I jammed it right into his heart and pressed the button to inject the vaccine as I pinned his arms with my legs. This is the fastest way for it to spread, once again properly tested in a controlled manner. I am very thorough about this.

    With that done, I quickly push off of the transforming Lupin and summersault away from the man-beast.

    Even Snape was slack jawed at what I just did.

    "What did you do to Remus kid! If he gets hurt I''m going to teach you a proper lesson!" Yelled out Sirius in worry and anger.

    "He will probably be the most grateful you''ve ever seen him in about 30 seconds." I answered with a smile.

    "What do you mean?" He asked with narrowed eyes.

    But before he continued, Snape noticed the shrinking Lupin, changing back into human form.

    "How? That isn''t possible." He whispered to himself in shock.

    Sirius heard him speak and turned his attention back to his friend as well.

    "That''s impossible." He also said as he looked up to the moon to check it was indeed full.

    "Explain yourself Bones. Now." Glared Snape.

    "Vaccine blocking werewolf transformation. I''ve been working on it for a long time and this one has been spectacular during testing. 100% success rate, with over 500 hundred willing volunteers. This is quite literally the closest to a cure it is possible to make at the moment. For 18 months after receiving the injection, one is no longer affected by Lycanthropy. The recipients are normal until it is time for the next injection." I explained simply.

    "How is this possible! For millennia the closest we''ve come to was the Wolfsbane potion, which you somehow improved exponentially. But you want me to believe you created a vaccine." Said Snape in disbelief.

    "Look, I can show you my data, facilities, contracts, and recipes later, but let us get the good Professor some clothing. Most people here are underaged." I say as I bring out a fresh set of Hogwarts robes.

    "You just carry sets of clothing with you?" Questioned Sirius weirdly.

    "That''s the weirdest thing to you tonight? I just showed you a solution to Lycanthropy and ridiculous physical prowess, but you think me preparing extra clothes is weird?" I asked back, shutting him up in agreement.

    I walk up to the skinny and scarred Professor, as he wakes up very confused at what just happened.

    "What? How? Where?" He just kept asking.

    "Clothes first Professor, then questions. Although I do respect you, I''m not a fan of men''s nude bodies." I say as I throw the clothes to the man.

    Everyone turns their eyes away to let him dress himself, well except Snape but that''s because he doesn''t believe he''s actually safe.

    "Can anyone explain to me how this is possible?" Lupin then asked as he realizes his transformation didn''t happen.

    "Ask Bones." Snape simply answered as he observed the man.

    "Remus, are you really ok?" Asked Sirius as he worried for his last true friend.

    "Yes Sirius. More than ok actually. I feel strangely peaceful, relaxed and a bit weary." He answered as he was surprised about his own condition.

    "That is just you''re body not having to constantly fight against the virus in your body. They are common effects of it being completely suppressed by the vaccine. Congratulations on being the first to receive it outside of the testing center Professor, but we will have to discuss this later. I will answer your questions, but Pettigrew must be handled immediately. We must also protect Mr. Black from the Dementors and clear up his charges with the Ministry." I say to the man.

    "Yes, you''re right. Somethings are more urgent, but I must still thank you Aedan. You have at the very least stopped me from harming others tonight. So thank you." Remus sincerely said to me.

    "No problem Professor, I am planning on revealing the vaccine next summer anyway." I answered politely.

    "How touching. Now we must go see the headmaster at once." Sneeringly said Snape.

    "Right you are Severus. Now let us all go. This is turning out to be quite the rollercoaster of an evening." Happily agreed Lupin.

    I levitated Pettigrew as he was trying to crawl away like a worm on the ground and started walking with the trio of men. The kids finally snapped out of it and followed.

    "Aedan is that really a cure for Lycanthropy? I thought that was impossible." Asked Hermione with immense curiosity and respect.

    "Blimey, Lupin is a werewolf. But he''s the best Defense Professor we''ve ever got, he''s going to have to leave if this gets out." Worriedly said Ron.

    "What''s so bad about being a werewolf though? It''s not like it''s illegal right?" Asked Harry a bit nervous for Lupin.

    "In order asked, it is not a cure but more of a complete suppressant, yes the Professor could very well lose his job, and being a werewolf isn''t strictly illegal. The problem is that for hundreds of year, werewolves have been dangerous, infectious and incurable. They will turn wizards through scratches and bites, killing most humans before the change can happen. They lose all control of themselves during full moons. And are classified between magical beings and creatures. And with that new anti-werewolf legislation, it''s all but illegal to be one." I explained to the trio calmly.

    "But why? You told me you pretty much hired every werewolf who wanted to work for your business. Why is Professor Lupin treated so harshly?" Asked Harry in confusion and feeling it was unfair.

    "Well because my new version of the Wolfsbanes potion just really started being put in circulation, but that just lets them transform and keep their rationality. The problem is also how they are viewed in our society. I have actually faced a good amount of criticism for my actions. The only thing stopping the ministry from trying to shut me down are my contracts, my results and track record. Unfortunately the Professor was hired after the legislation and is around many children susceptible to Lycanthropy. So one news article and it might even lead to the Headmaster getting into trouble." I explained to the kids with a sigh.

    It plunged them into silence as we all made our way to the Headmasters office.

    We made our way through the castle, which luckily was silent due to curfew and upon reaching the old man''s office, we all found the slightly surprised headmaster at his desk.

    "Severus,Remus, Aedan, Harry, Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger, are those two men behind you who I think they are?" Asked the old man.

    "Black and Pettigrew Headmaster." Simply answered Severus.

    "Oh dear. An explanation of events if you will Remus, Severus, Aedan." He simply said.

    The golden trio waited quietly as the story was told, everyone in the room keeping an eye on Pettigrew. The most cowardly man in the canon was currently having a panic attack from being in front of everyone he betrayed and Albus f.u.c.k.i.n.g Dumbledore.

    "I see. This means I owe you a sincere apology Sirius. It was my own fault for never investigating the truth of the matter. Please let me know how I can make amends for this horrible mistake." Said the now weary looking old man after he heard everything.

    "Headmaster, please remember that not all burdens lie on you. The choices of others will always make them responsible for their results. This time a man managed to fool the world, not just you. All we can do is make sure proper justice is done." I intervened to stop the Headmaster''s bad habit.

    "He right Dumbledore, I never blamed you. Only myself. As long as the Rat gets what''s coming to him then it''s fine." Agreed Sirius.

    "Thank you. To both of you. I shall contact Cornelius immediately. He will want to know about this development." Dumbledore said seriously.

    "I''ll get in touch with my aunt immediately. I want to make sure no one tries to weasel their way out of this. I''ll also call a trusted reporter to put some pressure on the ministry. I want to force them to admit Sirius is innocent. He''s suffered enough and Harry deserves a loving home." I added in as well.

    "That would be good. You have my permission for both Aedan. I trust you know what you''re doing. Severus, Remus, I want you to gather the rest of the heads of houses and inform them of tonight''s happenings. We will lock Peter in the West Tower, make sure he is guarded and that he cannot escape before others arrive." The Headmaster ordered, getting his commanding aura flowing this time.

    "It will be my p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e Headmaster." Said Remus with an excited smile.

    "I will take him to the tower." Answered Snape plainly, but with hate in his eyes for the rat.

    "What about us Professor?" Asked Harry, as the trio waited as they were unsure of what to do.

    "If you three could stay here that would be lovely. You are after all witnesses and very much involved. Sirius and I shall also wait here with you. It will be better that way." Answered Dumbledore with a kind smile, letting the trio relax a bit.

    As everyone got busy with their tasks, I got confirmation from aunt Amelia. She was very surprised, but chose to believe me. She also listened to my advice to prepare every disguise and transformation detection/cancelling tools, potions and devices she could get. I don''t want any f.u.c.k ups.

    ''I have set the stage, the first and second act are through. Let the final act begin.'' I thought to myself as a flash of green occurred in the Headmasters office.

 Chapter 105 - Ch. 105 Controlling Events pt.3

    "What nonsense are you telling me Dumbledore? Sirius Black is innocent? Have you gone mad?" Roared a furious Fudge as he rushed into the office.

    ''Here is the second biggest coward in the canon.'' I thought to myself with a smile.

    Aside from a better outfit, the man looked the same as I remembered. But this time his face was quite red.

    "I am afraid this is the truth. We have young Harry as a witness to events himself. Young Mr. Bones, Two Hogwarts Professors, an additional two children and myself as eye witnesses to the actual culprit. A confession, evidence and the true culprit is currently under guard in the West Tower." Calmly informed Dumbledore.

    "What did you say? True culprit? Evidence? What are you on about!?" He raised his voice again in irritation.

    "That''s very simple Minister." I suddenly interjected with a calm and smooth voice from right behind the man.

    "Ah! Who!?" Fudge asked, clearly startled at the fact that someone was behind him without his noticing.

    He turned around hastily as he wanted to stare down the one who spoke, but then, I am quite a lot taller than the man. He stands at about 5''9, whilst I am 6''3 at the moment. I am a head taller than him, well muscled, sharply tailored school robes and the aura of a ruler. I can be quite intimidating for a man like Fudge, and well many others. So he can only look up to me.

    "It is so good to see you minister. I was sad that we couldn''t greet each other yesterday before or after my trial. But I understand completely. Who would want to see his two friends fighting in court? I am sure you just did what you thought was right to not lose a friend." I say with a bright smile towards the man, as he backs away trembling slightly.

    "Young-young Bones, what a p-p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to see you ag-again." He struggled to say to me. I still don''t know why he''s so scared of me, but whatever. It''s fun to see him like this.

    "It truly is sir. But as the Headmaster said, we have found the true culprit behind the betrayal of James and Lily Potter, as well as the man responsible for the killing of the muggles the night of Blacks arrest. We are just waiting on my aunt to come with the proper equipment to be 100% certain." I said to the shivering man with a bright smile.

    At this time Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout came into the office, letting the Minister back away from me.

    "Is it true Albus? Pettigrew is alive?" Hurriedly asked Minerva, without her usual hat.

    "And he framed Mr. Black all those years ago." Added the worried Pomona.

    "Yes it seems to be the case. We are just waiting on Madam Bones to come and verify if that it is indeed the case. She should be here at any moment." He calmly answered his colleagues.

    "By Merlin. How?" Asked Filius in astonishment.

    "He is apparently an illegal rat animagus, and has hidden himself during the last 12 years as a pet of the Weasley family. Now I want everyone to be clear, this is not in anyway their faults. No one could have possibly known that any man would be willing and able to live as a rat for 12 years. It is only because of this fact that we know of the danger that lurked right next to us." Seriously said the Headmaster.

    It has been pretty unlucky for that family in the last two years. First their daughter gets possessed by a Horcrux, and now a traitorous death eater has apparently been living in their home for over a decade. Not the best of times.

    "You mean, the man who was blown apart by Black, leaving only a finger. He''s alive?" Realized Fudge.

    "Yes. It would seem he removed it himself while exploding everything around him then transformed, to make it look like all that was left was his finger. The exact same finger the captured man seems to be missing." Gravely informed Dumbledore.

    Fudge was about to try and disprove his words, but Aunty appeared with five Aurors in a series of green flashes, with an additional flash at the end letting Martha Cromwell pop in.

    "Where is he? Where is our supposed Pettigrew? And where is my nephew?" She asked strictly.

    "I''m right here aunty. You don''t have to worry or be upset. I am completely fine, the man was a joke to handle. Pettigrew is in the West Tower, waiting for you to check him over. I am sure it would reassure the Minister to no end, known it is truly the right man." I say brightly.

    "I will have a word with you when you get home young man, but I know your skills so my worries were minimal. Now show me to the supposed rat." She commanded with a serious expression.

    "We shall all go. Everybody, follow me." Simply said the Headmaster with a friendly smile as he stood up.

    As we were walking the Headmaster guided us and asked me in a low voice.

    "Aedan, why is Cornelius so afraid of you?" He whispered.

    "I have no idea. He was like that the very first time I met him at a ball. He''s avoided me ever since." I answered truthfully.

    "Hmmm, curious then." Said Dumbledore to himself mostly.

    "Yeah, but funny to watch the Minister of Magic fear a teenager who''s actually been helping his popularity." I say with a little grin.

    I get a little chuckle of agreement and we press forward.

    We arrive at the Towers cell, currently guarded by Snape and Lupin. Aunty immediately gets to work. She uses everything in the book: polyjuice reversal, disguise detection, blood matching tests, wand check (confiscated earlier naturally), forcing his animagus transformation, and was even granted the permission to use veritaserum due to the sensitivity of the issue. And the killing blow was also the Dark Mark on his arms. Everything matched with Peter Pettigrew, supposedly dead, who had received the Order of Merlin first class posthumously. The man who supposedly exposed the betrayal of Sirius Black to the world.

    Martha was furiously writing as we speak, whilst recording everything, the Minister just got as pale as possible, Aunty had a fire in her eyes for having a death eater, and everyone else had a variety of expressions ranging from disbelief to vindication.

    "Minister Fudge, this is Peter Pettigrew. And if he is not, then I can only say that this is beyond any magic we have ever seen. We must bring him in immediately." Gravely said Amelia.

    "You really believe this?" Asked a disbelieving Fudge.

    "We have done everything in and out of the book. If you continue to refuse to accept the answer before you I will be forced to cast a vote of no confidence and move to prosecute without your approval." Sternly stated Aunty.

    "Surely the Minister praised for his fairness and justice would not let a guilty man roam free while an innocent rots. This is your chance to show to everyone that you truly stand for justice. You would even rectify the mistakes of the old administration when they are presented to you. Imagine the confidence people would feel about you Minister. It would be a brilliant move." I smoothly add, gently coaxing the man with his d.e.s.i.r.es to remain in power. Painting the scene he wishes to see.

    "Yes, yes, of course I stand for justice. Madam Bones, we will transport this man immediately. I will want him in Azkaban by next week. We will show everyone what fairness is." He stuttered a bit but managed to say with a straight face.

    "Minister, I do believe the Dementors have also done their purpose. I see no need for them to remain on the grounds now that Sirius Black is innocent and that you have your culprit." Added Dumbledore with a slightly jovial tone.

    "Why yes of course. They will be gone by tomorrow. Let us go. We will need to go through Hogsmeade. Don''t want the man to pull anything by using the Floo." Agreed the Minister and then ordered.

    The Minister, Aunty and her five Aurors swiftly restrained Pettigrew and took him away. They wanted to make sure nothing wrong would happen.

    Martha had everything she could get from tonight, she then decided to leave through the still open Floo in Dumbledore''s office.

    After that, we were left with only Hogwarts staff and students.

    "It would seem everything shall be solved soon and Sirius will be a free man. For the time being I will let him rest in the infirmary while having Poppy give him a thorough check. Aedan and Harry, I wish to see you two in my office tomorrow to discuss a few things. Tonight though, I will talk to Severus and Remus. There are a few things I wish to ask. That will be all everyone, dismissed." He calmly stated to those present.

    All nodded and proceeded to head back to their respective sleeping areas.

    I went back to the Ravenclaw tower and sat at the highest seat offered, looking in the direction of Hogsmeade, just in time to see a few barriers getting erected and flashes of lights occurring.

    ''Looks like things are going as planned. I am really sorry Aunty, but I need Pettigrew free for everything to occur as I know it. I need to be in control until next year at least.'' I thought to myself with some guilt.

    -3rd Person POV, Hogsmeade village.

    As the Minister was rushing to get back to the Ministry, hoping to end this nightmare of his as quickly as possible, he was followed by Amelia and her men escorting Pettigrew.

    The seven of them were able to drag the begging and whimpering traitor to reach outside the barrier of Hogwarts, and as they reached Hogsmeade, a barrier suddenly appeared around them.

    "Ambush" yelled one of the Aurors before a shower of spells erupted everywhere.

    One of the Aurors was down in the first volley and the rest were now struggling. The Minister has be hit by a light severing charms, just to make him hurt and bleed, followed by a stunner before he could even react. Amelia was completely protecting herself and ruthlessly striking back against the unknown foes. The six standing were desperately fighting back against such a well organized assault.

    ''Master''s aunt really lives up to the hype.'' Thought the leader of this group as she witnessed a few closed calls amongst her men.

    Two more Aurors were no longer able to defend themselves against the 360 degree attacks and lost consciousness as well. At this time, a knockback jinxe hit Pettigrew and a severing charm ''accidentally'' cut through his bonds, giving him his freedom. Before Amelia could do anything about it, the rat scrambled to one of the downed Aurors wand and tapped his head, transforming him back into his animagus form and running away.

    "Damnit you whoresons! Show yourselves and face me like men you cowardly bastards!" Shouted an enraged Amelia.

    "We are not here to kill anyone Madam Bones, but you have earned our respect for your skills. We were simply sent to ''teach someone that his betters are still there'' as the employer put it. We were simply the messengers. With the message delivered, we are done here." Said one of the attackers using a spell to his their true voice.

    "Damnit!" Spat out Amelia as she began checking her men and the sorry excuse for a Minister on the ground.

    -back to Aedan.

    I received a message from Geri that her special assignment was completed perfectly. Peter escaped and a false trail was laid.

    ''Looks like everything went properly. If everything goes perfectly they''ll think a pureblood family hired someone to scare Fudge. If not, they''ll think some Death Eaters somehow got wind of their movements and targeted Peter. Nothing can be traced back to me anyway and with Harry confirming Trelawney had her second prediction, I''m almost certain little Wormtail will find his old master.'' I thought with some satisfaction at how everything went tonight.

    ''Now all that is left for me is tomorrow''s talk, which I think I know what it''s going to be about, and next year.'' I then thought with a little sigh.

    "It will soon begin. Let''s see how you handle me Voldemort, because I will pay you back for what I was put through. I will slowly grind you and you''re lapdogs to dust." I declared to tonight''s full moon as my eyes glowed intensely.

 Chapter 106 - Ch. 106 Harrys Future

    The last day of my sixth year came.

    ''Last night was eventful to say the least, but it ended well. Now just gotta figure out the Sirius situation.'' I thought as I headed towards the Headmasters office.

    I reached the old man''s office and simply walked in to find him and Sirius there.

    Sirius looked a bit better now that he wasn''t on the run and had hope. Looks like he cut his mangy hair to be just below his ears, bathed enough to get rid of the dirt and grime, his grey eyes held happiness but also hints of nervousness, his facial hair trimmed like in the movies and his outfit replaced with some simple black robes and pants.

    "Ah, Aedan you''ve come. Good, now we just need to wait on young Harry." Kindly welcomed the Headmaster with a happy smile.

    "Of course I came Headmaster, you asked for me." I simply reply with a little eye-roll and give a nod in greeting to Sirius which he gives back.

    "Yes I know, but it is still good." Said the chuckling man.

    "But I am honestly surprised you wanted me here at the same time as Harry and Mr. Black. I thought you would want a private discussion over matters, for them and me." I honestly said to the old Professor.

    "Hmm, that would usually be the case yes. But, today''s discussions will involve you in a not so insignificant manner, so I thought it appropriate for you to come as well. We will have our own discussion another time." Answered the old man with a kindly smile on his face.

    "So it''s going to be about that situation is it?" I just ask plainly.

    "Yes, it is about it." He simply nods in acknowledgement.

    "Why does it feel like you two are on the same level and I''m just a spectator." Suddenly asked Sirius as he watched the exchange.

    "My apologies Sirius, young Aedan and I simply have a favorable rapport between us, making us used to each other." Said the Headmaster as he realized we were being a bit rude.

    "I am sorry as well Mr. Black, just understanding the situation I find myself in at the moment." I also apologized calmly.

    "I''m not insulted, it was just surprising to see you, Headmaster, interacting with a student like that. You usually just act mysterious or kindly lead them towards something." Casually responded Sirius with a dismissive wave of his hand.

    "Well, young Aedan is the most gifted student to ever walk these halls. And he also has particular views on life and the world which I find quite engaging." Happily replied the Headmaster.

    "Thank you for the compliment sir. I do gain a lot from your experience myself. Always good to discuss ideas with a gifted mind." I reply with a smile on my face.

    "Most gifted ever yeah? I saw that article about you and your friends. Did they really make a new grade just for you? Sounds a bit much." Questioned Padfoot skeptically.

    "If you had seen my OWL''s you would understand. I even spent most of my time teaching the examiner during the Muggle Studies one." I answered with a chuckle myself.

    "I heard it was quite the sight. I was told you had a most interesting piece for your Charms exam as well. An entire musical song and dance routine was it?" Asked the joyful Headmaster.

    "Yes, I was inspired by a muggle musical and thought it would be fun to reenact it using the apples provided." I answered with a happy smile at the memory of everyone''s faces.

    "You did that? Sounds like a right laugh. You ever thought about going into pranking? I bet you''d be unrivaled." Tried to tempt Sirius with a surprised laugh.

    "Do try not to make our best student follow your example Sirius. Besides, you already have a pair more than willing enough to take up the mantle." Lightly scolded the Headmaster.

    "Yes, I do believe Fred and George are more than enough when it comes to pranks at Hogwarts. I think I''ve even heard them talking about opening up a joke shop. Those two being brilliant as they are have tempted me into investing." I add on joyfully.

    "Oh ho? I would like to meet those two then if they have both of your recommendations." Said a now curious Sirius.

    With some small talk between the three of us, a knock finally came on the door.

    "Come in Harry. Come in." Welcomed the jovial Dumbledore as the teenage Harry walks in.

    "Hello Professor, you wanted me to come." Said a slightly nervous Harry.

    "Yes. I think we will need to have a discussion amongst all those present." He answered with a gentle smile.

    "Alright." The kid just nodded.

    "As I told you last night, I was made your godfather by James and Lily, making me your legal guardian as soon as my innocence is restored. So with that, a few things need to be decided." The slightly nervous Sirius.

    He seemed to really be hoping to be able to look over Harry, but he''s still scared of rejection due to guilt. Even after the discussion last night.

    "Is this about living with you?" Asked an excited Harry.

    "Yes Harry. This is about your living arrangements and some things which need to be said." Answered Dumbledore with a bit of a sigh.

    "Aright. But if that''s the case, why is Aedan here? I mean, I''m really grateful and happy that you helped me so much during the last two summers. They''ve been the best I''ve ever had, but it doesn''t seem like this involves him much." Asked a confused Harry.

    "That is because young Aedan has a more objective view on this matter. He knows my reasons, as well as your circ.u.mstances and both of your d.e.s.i.r.es, so a perfect moderating influence." Explained Dumbledore.

    "What do you mean Dumbledore?" Asked a now cautious Sirius.

    "Well, This has to do with why even though my family and I were more than willing to shelter Harry during his summers, I had to bring him back to those horrid muggles." I decided to answer for the Headmaster.

    "You said it''s because I needed to, for me to be safe. But you never explained properly." Then came in Harry, remembering my words on the topic.

    "What do you mean?" Asked Sirius with narrowing eyes.

    "When Lily sacrificed herself on that night all those years ago, she also activated a very old form of magic. Her powerful love and d.e.s.i.r.e to protect Harry formed a protection on him which allowed him to survive Voldemort''s visit, leading to his scar. This protection is still there, and will continue to be there until he has become a man. But he needs to be around his families blood and home for it to work." Explained the Headmaster.

    "Basically, as long as Harry''s ''home'' is the one with his only living blood relative, Voldemort or his fools can''t touch him. He''s safe. But he needs to live there." I summarized quickly.

    "What?! That''s why I had to live with them! That''s why I never knew anything!" Exclaimed the hurt boy for not knowing.

    "Yes Harry. I could offer no better protection than the love of your mother. I could not risk it. So I left you with your aunts family. I am truly sorry for the pain this has put you through and that is why we are here. To discuss the future." Said a truly apologetic Dumbledore.

    "You left him with her? She hated Lily and James. She didn''t even go to her own sister''s wedding! Lily was so distraught over it we had to comfort her for days!" Roared an angry Sirius.

    "You have every right to not approve of my decision Sirius, but what could I have done? The boy needed to be with his family. He needed to at least grow up normally. And with Remus unwilling to raise Harry due to his condition and you in Azkaban, I could not leave him to anyone I could trust." Explained the old man.

    "Aedan, you knew?" Asked a blindsided Harry.

    "Yes, I figured most of it out after I checked you over in your first year. I confronted the Headmaster and he agreed that things could not go one as they had, so I did everything I could to give you a proper place for you to feel welcomed. But I also promised that this conversation would be for the Headmaster to decide on when it should be held, so I did what I could. That''s the reason why I had you return to the Dursley''s even though I hate them, and why I could never let you go out on your own." I explained clearly to the boy.

    Although he did feel a bit hurt that I hid these things from him, he can''t be angry at me because I have done everything I could really.

    So although it was a slightly bitter pill to swallow, he understood.

    "Yes, I saw that in my way of keeping you protected Harry, I forgot to keep you safe. I am sorry for almost wasting James and Lily''s sacrifices." Apologized the old man again.

    "So what now Dumbledore? You can''t seriously think I''ll be letting Harry live with those people do you?" Asked Sirius after calming down a bit.

    "This is what we are all here to discuss. My hope is that Harry can truly be safe. And even though it is the most unpleasant option, living with his aunt is still the best protection I can think of unfortunately." Answered Dumbledore with a weary frown.

    "I can keep him safer than any ward can, plus the Black properties are all heavily protected!" Countered Sirius with passion.

    "You mean I get to choose?" Asked Harry in between the two men.

    "Yes Harry, you get the choice. But I would like to hear your voice in the matter Aedan. You know my reasons, Sirius'' as well, and know Harry well. What is the best in your opinion?" Asked the Headmaster, making everyone look at me with a variety of gazes.

    "I believe that I could actually help secure Harry''s safety away from his blood now Headmaster, but this would have to happen after some things were done." I answered calmly and with certainty.

    "Oh? What do you mean? You found a stronger defense?" Asked the Headmaster with true curiosity.

    "I managed to create a new form of protection. It is the purest defense spell ever made, rejecting all forms of Dark Magic and creatures. I believe that with a little tinkering, I could make it into a self-sustaining ward to stop Him and his followers. I''ll give you my notes on this later sir." I answered simply.

    "How marvelous. A completely new spell." Said the man in a jovial tone.

    "Yes, it can even stop the three unforgivables." I say with a grin.

    "Impossible!" Yelled out Sirius, also leaving the Headmaster stunned.

    "Unforgivables?" Asked Harry in confusion.

    "They are the vilest of the curses one can cast at another. The Imperius curse, the Cruciatus curse, and the Killing curse. The last of which is impossible to block." Answered Sirius at the question.

    "You can try it yourself later. But it has very strict requirements." I add in.

    "Remarkable. But you mentioned other things would need to be done?" Asked the Headmaster, getting things back on topic.

    "Yes sir. First is that Mr. Black would need to undergo extensive physical rehabilitation. 12 years of Azkaban will not disappear over night, with Madam Pomfrey informing me of your physical condition making me certain of this. The second is that a proper living space needs to be secured for the two of you. All Black properties you are likely to have access to have been nearly abandoned since the war. You will also need to have proper finances and/or employment to ensure you can support Harry. And I will need to have someone else ensuring you are raising Harry, not the image of his father. You are too emotionally compromised in this area Mr. Black, and it would be detrimental to Harry''s own development if you constantly pressure him to be the man." I say as i explain my own conditions and requirements.

    "If these conditions can be met, I see no issues letting Harry live with you. But until then, his life would be in a constant state of danger with you." I plainly state, letting my own logic ring in their heads.

    "I do believe these are more than reasonable conditions to ensure Harry has the best possible arrangements. And I am more than certain Remus would be willing to help you raise him, cooling your passion a bit." Nodded the Headmaster.

    "But Harry will still have to deal with those muggles!" Sirius said as he tried to deny my words.

    "Honestly hasn''t been that much of an issue due to me taking Harry to my place for most days. But we certainly need to have a talk with them because of last years incident. Don''t we Headmaster?" I countered, whilst also asking the old man.

    "That we do Aedan. But I think we should ask young Harry what he thinks. He has heard all of our opinions on the situation and should be allowed to decide for himself the way he would like to live." Agreed Dumbledore, but threw the decision to Harry.

    "Sirius, are you really ok? I know Aedan, he''s helped me recover too. But do you need time to heal?" Seriously asked Harry.

    "Of course I don''t need any..." He tried to deny, but looking in the kids eyes he faltered. "Oh alright, yes. I do admit I probably should see a healer, but it''s nothing. I can easily make do." He admitted but still tried to look strong.

    "And you have a place for us to stay?" Asked Harry once more.

    "House Black has many places to stay in, so of course I have one. They might need a bit a fixing and I should get my wand back to get in, but apart from that I''m sure we''ll be fine." Tried to reassure Sirius.

    "I won''t be a burden on you right?" The kid then asked shyly.

    "Never. And even if you were, I would gladly carry that burden for you. I couldn''t do it before, but I''ll sure as hell do it now." Answered a determined Sirius.

    "Alright. Then get healed up and ready, then you come take me away from my aunt and uncle. I''ll be fine for one more summer as long as I know you''ll be taking me away after that." Declared a determined Harry.

    "Harry are you sure? I can more than take care of you now. You don''t have to worry about me." Sirius attempted to persuade the kid by saying.

    "No Sirius. I don''t want to only be a burden. And if I am, I want it to be as light as possible, so get yourself fixed up and then help me. I''ll be counting on you." He said with a brave smile, stunning the passionate man.

    "I am proud of you for making such a m.a.t.u.r.e decision Harry. I''ll make sure your summer will be just as good as the last. Plus, the Quidditch World Cup is happening this summer and as a major sponsor of the national teams I have tickets for any game I d.e.s.i.r.e." I say with a large grin on my face.

    "Really!!?" Exclaimed a now starry eyed Harry, getting a chuckle from the Headmaster.

    "I can easily take him to the cup myself." Mumbled Sirius as he saw the excitement Harry felt.

    "Then Mr. Black, i sincerely hope you can recover physically and economically so you can take Harry yourself. I know he would love to share this event with you." I say with a gentle smile.

    "Then I guess that shall settle things quite well. I am happy we could come to an arrangement. Aedan, I will like to see this new spell of yours to understand your confidence in its abilities. Sirius, I shall be helping you clear your name and have you admitted to St. Mungo''s for treatment as soon as possible. And Harry, you have done good, thank you for not holding everything against me, and I believe Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger should be eagerly waiting for you in the Gryffindor Common room." Declared the Headmaster, letting the three of us know that this meeting was officially over.

    "Well then Headmaster I will prepare everything on my end and see you on my birthday as agreed. Mr. Black, I hope for your speedy recovery. And I''ll see you in a few days as usual Harry." I say as I excuse myself from the office.

    ''That was easier than I thought. Now to prepare for next years events and my ritual.'' I thought as a made down the castle halls.

 Chapter 107 - Ch. 107 Summer Reports

    After my talk with the Headmaster, I walked back to meet up with my friends before the end-of-year feast. Unfortunately for me, that led me to getting grilled for a while by grumpy guys and an angry girlfriend.

    "How could you go ahead and do all that without us mate? I would have totally been there to catch that rat f.u.c.k.i.n.g traitor!" Shouted Christian, upset i didn''t take him along.

    "You could have told us Aedan. Although we aren''t as strong as you, we are by far the best combatants outside the professors." Agreed James, not enjoying the feeling of being sidelined.

    "Hmph. Mighty Raven thinks he''s all that because he got called our leader does he?" Glare Victoria, actually being angry at me this time.

    "You guys, this wasn''t a moment when I could get anyone. We were celebrating my win at Hagrid''s Hut, which I had invited you all for, but rejected might I remind you. Christian you said you wanted to test out something against Professor Flitwick, James you said that something was happening in the Charm club, and you Tory just didn''t really like the idea of celebrating there so you made me promise to take you out another time. So don''t blame me that you missed out on the dramatic reveals." I defended myself.

    "You should have still told us." Argued back Christian.

    "I didn''t have the time. Ron got dragged away by Sirius, his leg was broken and bleeding, the two other kids were going to try and get past the Whomping Willow through sheer recklessness, and then things just kept happening. I didn''t have time to sit down and write something for you guys and wait for you to show up." I countered again, this time making all of them stop and sigh.

    "Look, we know that. But we also know you Aedan. We just want you to trust us with your ideas and theories on the situation. You obviously figured out some things before then, but you didn''t tell us. I believe that is mostly where our anger is coming from." Said James with a sigh.

    "Yeah, mate. I know we aren''t close to you in skill yet, but we''re friends. You should trust us." Agreed Christian, looking a bit deflated.

    Second hit.

    "I thought we were close enough for you to tell us these things Aedan. Even if it''s you, things could have gone wrong, or you could have gotten hurt, or you could have missed something. We worry about you even if we have faith in you." Said Victoria looking a bit hurt compared to my two guy friends.

    And those eyes of hers just finished off any logical defense I wanted to say. The third hit resulted in a KO.

    "I-I... you''re right." I admit with shame. "I haven''t been treating you guys like you deserve. The three of you are all strong, skilled and brilliant, but I''ve been treating you guys like people I want to protect, so I''ve avoided getting the three of you into danger." I said with my head down.

    I''ve unconsciously been thinking that because I''m still far ahead, that they would all be in a lot of danger and should be protected. But that doesn''t solve anything. It stops them from experiencing growth and improving themselves through the trials. I''ve been sheltering them for too long and dismissed them from my plans.

    "All right. How about this?" I start off seriously. "If I deem that all of your Occlumency levels are sufficient after our break, then I will try to tell you everything I know and have been doing so far. But if even one of you can''t reach the mark, I will continue to focus on your trainings as I''ve done now. Deal?"

    "Why do we need to meet such a requirement Aedan? Why are you not trusting us with this information now?" Asked James as the others look at me.

    "Because this is dangerous knowledge. It could threaten your lives if anyone got a hint of it and Occlumency will keep everything within your minds, protected from Legillimency and Veritaserum. You three are some of the people I trust the most in this world, but I will not endanger you foolishly. So this is my condition. You have all made remarkable progress in the art, but you need to strive further for it to be a true defense of your mind." I reply without any room for negotiation.

    "That''s it? I''ll be done by August, no need to wait till September!" Declared Christian as he pumped himself up.

    "If you leave even a little bit out after the break, I''ll make you dream about your aunts scoldings when I''m through with you." Said Victoria with a glare.

    That is quite the threat. You have no idea how bad it is to be chewed out by the former Auror and current head of the DMLE. It''s horrifying.

    "Yes ma''am!" I immediately answer.

    "Good." She simply nodded and let me off the hook for now.

    "As long as you are willing to truly trust us, then I am fine with this condition as well." Decided James with a nod as well.

    "I have always trusted you guys, I just don''t want to be the reason you get hurt." I reply softly.

    "That isn''t for you to decide for us Aedan. You always said that our choices shape our path, and that others can only show us a path to take. We appreciate you trying to give the three of us the best paths possible, but don''t hide the ones that might lead to the best path for all of us." Said Victoria as she squeezed my hand and looking into my red-gold eyes with her emerald ones, filled with care and support.

    "You''re right Tory. I''m sorry for doing that to you guys. I should have trusted you more." I admitted, finding it hard to argue against my own words at this point.

    "Then that''s good. I just hope you can truly trust us once our last year begins." She said with a gentle smile and hugged me.

    My two guy friends felt a little awkward, but they simply looked away and let things happen. After that hug, we all went down to the feast together and found it decorated in blue this year, even if the lions had won the Quidditch cup.

    Everything else was as usual. We went to the Hogwarts Express once again, patrolled its compartments, made sure nothing too wild was happening and just talked to a few people we''d gotten to know through our years.

    We arrived at Kings Cross, with everyone disembarking the train excitedly, but when the four of us came out we were bombarded by flashes of light.

    ''Shit, I forgot about the articles. Some must be pretty hungry for details about us.'' I thought as I saw them all rush towards us.

    "Separate and head for different exit points. Do not stop moving and do not react to anything they say. Meet up with your families and just get out before catching." I quickly order my friends as they nod in acknowledgment.

    It took about 15 minutes to be able to push our way through the crowd, separating to draw away their attention and to successfully make it to our families.

    "Well, That was a mess." Was all I could say as I sat with Susan and Amelia in a Ministry car, getting the two ladies to agree with me.

    Fortunately we were able to get home without any issues. Nobody being crazy enough to try an harass Madam Amelia Bones just for a picture.

    So with everyone settling in, Tilly was preparing all our favorites like she does every time we come back, and aunty having made all her preparations to pass down the Lordship to me left the office for me to use, so I started getting my work done.

    Natural Cultivation has stabilized most of its major projects such as the aquatic farms and its mainstays in Britain. There has been an increase in interactions between us, the Merpeople tribes and Centaur Tribes. The herbolists paradise project has been developing a lot quicker after the introduction of the fauna there. We have also started to look into opening new farms in different climates and countries to increase our variety of plants even further.

    Fortress Protection has become the force dark wizards and creatures fear in Bulgaria. Our new recruits from the area are the most driven we''ve ever had as well. There have been three unfortunate deaths amongst our ranks so far thought, with five more losing pieces of themselves in combat, and many more returning with scars. So although we do our best, it is painful to lose good men and women. But at least they experience it now, letting them learn from the horrible events and letting them push themselves to stop it from happening next time.

    Sherry reported that the minister hospitalized himself under heavy guard after his ''warning'', and that in the chaos that ensued she managed to get even more people to join her web of information. We now have people even in the department of mystery. Although we can''t get any knowledge due to all of them taking strict magical oaths, we can get day-to-day activity reports.

    FIRM has actually taken this chance to push for some legislations to protect Muggle-borns and those with magical being blood in Britain. Using their current influence on the British magical economy and the positions we''ve been slowly obtaining through the years, an official proposal was finally introduced in the Ministry. It was simply to grant equal right to all witches and wizards, whether they be pureblood, half-blood, muggle-born or half being in the eyes of the law and Ministry. Everybody should be on equal footing. Basically starting a civil rights movement that would make Martin Luther King, Jr. proud.

    Even though I added some orders on Geri to let Pettigrew escape, she has still continued to remove my designated targets. Both Avery''s were now dead and gone, with no evidence of anything weird happening. But later today, one Walden Macnair would be found dead in his favorite tavern after a ''drunken brawl'' will be taken too far. Everything was in place for his accident. Selwyn has proven to be too slippery to pin down as of now, leaving only the Carrow''s to be dealt with after tonight.

    Elaine has gotten a bit too successful lately, so we are currently having her fame cool down a bit. We do not want to paint too big a target on the lady and leading her to her death. So her team has decided to switch out with others in the handling of the chaotic situation in the underworld, which has been reducing criminals quickly.

    The Herald has had an interesting time lately, as someone found out Lupin was a werewolf and leaked it to the Daily Prophet.

    ''Although I felt bad for the man, I was the one to do it. I need Moody to be there and make sure it''s Crouch junior. That''s actually one of the main reasons I''m going to the World Cup even if I''m not a big fan. I want to see if after all those death eaters disappearing some will still attack, and I want to see if the man will still escape to his master.'' I thought as I read the report.

    But back on the papers, they had engaged in a back and forth over this. The Prophet fanning the fear in people and the Herald trying to be reasonable. The Herald lost that exchange. But they got back at the Prophet by getting two pieces of news before they were even aware of them happening.

    ''SIRIUS BLACK INNOCENT: THE TRUE RAT REVEALED!

    ATTACK ON MINISTER FUDGE! ESCAPE OF TRUE CULPRIT FROM 12 YEARS AGO!''

    These pieces we causing a storm across Britain. The man they spat at for more than a decade was apparently innocent. With evidence and witnesses to support the facts, a trial was to be held to clear the man of all charges and figure out the reparation fees.

    Aside from that, BonesWorks had its contracts figured out for our new branches in magical Europe. We made a deal with Ireland and England to provide them with a full set of brooms as a kind of rental, and to appear nationalistic I offered that if one of our two representing teams won they''d get to keep the brooms. Not only that, I would personally engrave it with their names, numbers and year of victory to immortalize the achievement.

    And finally the vaccine was still going strong, but with everyone being tested to understand if any changes occurred after a second round, nothing much happened. The only exciting and worrying thing happening at the moment was that one of our volunteers has gotten pregnant with her husband who is also undergoing the tests. This has caused her to be under intensive observations as we do not want the vaccine to cause any adverse effect on the fetus. This is both a tremendous opportunity and a precarious situation. Successful birth means it can be a viable long term solution, harmful effects might scarp the entire thing. So it is a bit nerve wracking.

    But with all my projects still under control, the only thing left for me to worry about this summer were Sirius, Harry, Lupin and my own ritual.

    The last of whom i am very happy that everything is ready and set. I was even able to get four samples of the strongest known dragon flames in existence: flames from an alpha Swedish Short-Snout. These are so powerful they turned blue in color and were close to white due to the heat. Even my boxes had trouble containing them and more than a few people were injured to get me these. But with this I had a perfect setup.

    ''The day approaches. Sol is ready to face this with me and Dumbledore will protect me as it happens. Now I just have to survive.'' I thought to myself as my spirit rose to the challenge.

    "I will live. And I will let the world see my rise." I said to myself with pure determination on my face as I finished everything needing to be done and leaving the office.

 Chapter 108 - Ch. 108 Ritual

    6th of July 1994, my 17th birthday was just around the corner. My ritual would take place at the stroke of midnight, signifying the change to the day of my birth. The 17th year of life for a body that was born on the 7th day, of the 7th month, in the 77th year of a century.

    Everything was ready, but I had to do one thing before I left. I had to tell my aunt. She deserved to know what I would be doing at least. In case the worst happens.

    *knock knock*

    "Come in." I heard her say from her room.

    I come in and see her reading in her night gown before really sleeping.

    "Aedan? Why do you need to see me?" She asked calmly as she put her book down and reading glasses away.

    "Aunty, I''m going out and I might not be back for a few days depending on how things go." I say to her after I take a deep breath.

    "Out? Aedan, it''s already dark. Why I''m the world do you need to go out now?" She asked slightly incredulously.

    "Well, I need to fix a problem." I said a bit awkwardly.

    "Aedan. What are you going to fix?" She asked as her eyes narrowed in suspicion and her voice become more stern.

    "I-I-I need to fix me aunty." I forced out nervously.

    "What? Aedan, what''s wrong? Why would you need to fix yourself?" She suddenly asked feeling nervous herself now.

    "Well, this has to do with what happened when I was young." I answered her with some difficulty.

    "Tell me what''s wrong right now young man. I will not let you go out and do Merlin knows what, and hope you are ok." She declared with a lot of worry in her voice.

    "My beast parts are losing balance as I get older Aunty. I''ve been getting more aggressive and dangerous urges as time passes. The only reason nothing bad has happened is because I''ve been keeping myself under strict control and no one has challenged me." I answered truthfully.

    "How long have you known about this?" She carefully asked.

    "Two years ago when I snapped at an older prefect for challenging my position as Head boy." I answered with my head down.

    "Why did you not tell me Aedan? Do you not think I could help? Did you believe I would lock you up? Stop you from going to school? Why wouldn''t you tell me you were struggling?" Asked my emotional aunt.

    "Because I already have my solution aunty." I answered quietly at her questions.

    "And what did my genius nephew decide and hid from me?" She then asked.

    "A ritual. I have to do one last ritual to bring my body back into an equilibrium. It''s the only way." I say, feeling guilty for never telling her.

    "I will never allow that! You suffered for almost a year because of rituals and now you want to risk your life to go through another one! Do you think I''ll allow this?" Burst out Amelia in outrage.

    "Aunty, this is my only way. And tonight is my best and probably only chance. If I don''t, I might lose myself in my predatory instinct and fall. I can''t let myself do that. I need to do this for myself and everything I believe in." I say sadly, but there is conviction in my voice.

    "You''re serious? You want to go through with this and risk your life? Leaving Susan and me even more alone in this world?" She questioned, with a voice loaded with emotions. Looking like she would break if I left.

    I just couldn''t take seeing my aunt so fragile, so I rushed forward and hugged her. I used my large frame to hold my aunt, my mother in this world.

    "I will never leave you two. I will fix myself. I will come back. And I will never let you two suffer. You two are my beloved sister and mother. And I will do anything to protect you both." I declare as I speak softly to my aunt.

    She was speechless when she heard me call her my mother. She simply hugged me back and let some silent tears of reluctance, happiness and fear slide down her usually stoic face.

    "I won''t be alone tonight. Sol will be with me. So will Dumbledore. And even if you have mixed feelings about the man, it cannot be denied how powerful and intelligent the man is. We''ve both tripled checked everything about the ritual. So please just believe in me. Believe in the son you''ve raised. The son that you have, who already stands shoulder to shoulder with genius'' of the past. If you can do that, I will always come back." I comforted her was we hugged.

    We stood there in silence as my mother composed herself. A few minutes later she lightly pushed me back to separate.

    "Then go. If I don''t believe in this crazy son of mine, who will?" She said as she wiped her wet eyes.

    "Thank you mom. I will make sure to make you proud." I stated with confidence.

    "You And Susan have always made me proud. But I just want you two to be happy. So please don''t disappear, you are too important for everyone''s happiness." Amelia responded, filling my heart with the love I could feel from her.

    "And you two are part of mine. I''ll never let you feel that sadness. So i guess i just have another reason to come back don''t i?" I said with a little grin.

    "Yes you do. Now go. Go and come back. Then show the world that my son beat the odds and will continue to shine like he has." She gently said to me as we looked into each other''s eyes.

    "You got it mom." I say with a little nod and a gentle smile. "SOL!" I then call, resulting in the both of us to flame away.

    "You can do it, my beloved child." Quietly said Amelia as she stood in the now lonely room.

    -Special open air ritual area, private site on the Skellig Islands. (They exist!)

    I appeared on the prepared area for my ritual. The floor was pure white marble, laid in a circle 20 meters in diameter, with seven Corinthian columns surrounding the edge of the marble flooring.

    The floor itself was reinforced to be able to withstand tremendous force and heat, while still being magic conductive. The columns were designed to form a protective barrier to not let the flames escape, conceal any light or sound coming from the ritual, and act as a focus for the lay-lines this place was built on.

    I then began to set up my ritual. It mainly revolves around the concept of a pyramid to channel the flames into myself and Sol. She will be the tip, I will be the base, the four flames will be the sides, and the marking and support items will be the foundations to reach the top.

    The drawing of the ritual was done in a mixture of my blood and Sol''s. Slowly collected during the last year and a half, used to empower and link the magic. I started with a square shape on the inner layer, surrounding it with two circles within which I wrote in my own runic language to set this layers purpose. The middle layer was diamond shaped, following the same procedure. Finishing with the outer layer being back to a standard square encompassing everything prior and that itself having a circle to dictate its purpose.

    On the four corners of the outer square, I place the boxes contained the Alpha Swedish Short-Snouts flames. On the diamonds corners, I gently lay Sol''s tail feathers. And on the inner squares corners, I place and suspend vials of her tears.

    With everything ready for the ritual, and only the stroke of midnight left to signal the beginning, I wait.

    During my wait I turn and look at the stars shining brightly above me, looking even more sparkling tonight because of the moons absence.

    ''A beautiful sight to behold. The new moon makes this night even more perfect for me. But aside from that, I think I''ll build mine and Tory''s real house on an island like this. A place where we can just look up as we sit, and gaze at the heavens together. Just us, away from trouble, stress, duties and worries. Only the two of us and the stars.'' I thought with a gentle smile on my face.

    I was only broken out of my thoughts by a flash of light and the appearance of the Headmaster and his own Phoenix.

    "Hello Aedan, it looks like I pulled you out of some pleasant thoughts." Said the Headmaster as he saw my smile.

    "Just another of many reasons for me to succeed." I answer with determination.

    "Indeed. It looks like everything is ready as well. Truly a meticulous set up you''ve made. More than perfect in every aspect. In fact, I have never seen, read, or heard of any ritual coming anywhere close to how you''ve made yours." Said the impressed Dumbledore.

    "One tends to not take chances when ones life is on the line." I simply said as I stared at the stars.

    "Yes, that is a human instinct isn''t it?" Agreed the man with a chuckle.

    With a bit of chatting to pass the time, and to not let each other get tense as we wait for the moment, until midnight was finally upon us.

    "We both know what should happen, and you know your role Headmaster. But thank you, for everything." I say sincerely.

    "Just make sure you succeed my boy. I wish you fates blessing on you tonight." Gently said the old man as he readied himself.

    I nod and walked to the centermost position, where I am meant to stand. Sol flies up and sits on her suspended perch directly above me.

    "Are you ready girl? This will be hard." I asked my closest companion.

    I simply received a determined chirp in response.

    "Then let''s do this." I declare as I draw my wand and ceremonial dagger.

    "Time came and went, with it came a child of seven''s advent."

    My magic filled voice hummed in the air as I began.

    "Bonded through flames, living as fire

    I stand on this night, becoming a pyre."

    I rhythmically continue as I slice my wrists with the blade, letting my blood flow out. At the same time Sol nips her own body to let her blood flow.

    "I ask the flames which bind me, love me, and freed me

    Rise again at my word to cleanse me."

    The vials containing her tears start to glow as the magic flows through the circles, the the feathers start to float and rotate along their own circles lines.

    "Primordial flames, pure and strong, you are called to test my bond."

    The whitish-blue flames erupt from their seals in a torrent of destruction, but are gently guided to flow in a circle by the ritual markings.

    "Through life purity, through death nihility

    Strike and test me, the bond that saved me."

    Sol starts to ignite her own flames, the blue fire picks up speed as the feathers rotate with it as well, and the tears float out of their vials.

    "So let the cleansing flame rise again and TRY TO BURN ME!"

    I shout as the last verse on my chant is spoken, letting the flames rush towards me and Sol.

    The ritual lines act like the guide, the feathers are the filters and the tears are the pacifiers. Together they moderate the extreme violence of the flames to a tolerable degree.

    But that tolerable degree, well it is only for people who have suffered to horrible levels of pain and come out of it stronger.

    Unfortunately, even for someone like me, the feeling of having such powerful flames come into me was unimaginable. I couldn''t even scream as I focused every inch of my mind, Magic and soul to properly guide the flames.

    The blue flames also flowed upward towards Sol, slowly but surely forming a pyramid of fire surrounding the both of us as we madly refined the flames.

    Sol herself was undergoing continuous rebirths as she experienced too much power and burst into flames, only for her strength to be filled to the brim and grow again. Starting a cycle of life and death.

    My experience was quite different, but it was also very similar to something I experienced a long time ago: Sol''s forceful bonding to me.

    It was different since I wasn''t being forced to absorb the soul of the beast which blew these flames, but something similar was happening in my mind scape.

    So I sat down and focused everything on what was going on within me, letting the energy flow freely in and out of me.

    I was even receiving so much energy that I started to float in my seated position. Without any conscious effort on my side, I was floating.

    In my mind and cores however, chaos was ensuing.

    Blue fire filled my mind as it did with Sol, but this time i didn''t fight it, I slowly refined it.

    I used it to illuminate the deepest parts of my being as I searched within myself, looking for my target.

    Soon enough I could see it. A piece of a beasts soul. It was shaped like a great big cat, with six legs and burning eyes, but it''s body was dark like a shadow. It was hiding in the depths of my being, bidding its time as it fed off of my strong energy, hoping to strike like the hunter it was.

    Instead of attacking it directly I did something else, I looked for my bond with Sol. This was the key to this whole thing. I didn''t just need to get rid of the Whampus Cat''s spirit, I needed to strengthen myself and Sol in the process to end this once and for all.

    It only took a moment to find the constantly brightening and dimming bird within me. So what I did was strengthen her through me. Letting feed off of my refined energy to acclimatize herself to all this fire.

    Slowly but surely i nursed her spirit with the flame. As the process was ongoing, her spirit was changing from the gold and red, to white and blue like the dragons fire. As the change happened, she grew stronger and stronger, capable of withstanding more every time, until I could see our bond stabilizing.

    With the first step done, it was now time to deal with the annoyance in my soul. Together, my spirit and Sol''s began to attack the cat''s. It furiously tried to dodge our combined assault, while trying to swipe at Sol whenever she dove towards it and bite at me when I was pinning it. But it was at a severe disadvantage. We kept getting stronger and had a constant supply of energy, whilst it was a fragment sneakily trying to gain strength based on its instincts. It''s struggle was fierce like any beast, but in the end it could do nothing against such empowered foes.

    The result was the spirit being consumed by Sol''s, causing her to undergo even further of an evolution as she strengthened herself through the dragon fire.

    I on the other hand cleansed my soul and body of anything undesirable. I vaporized the waste within my body, further perfected it by letting soak in the flames, bathed my own soul gently in it, strengthening it as well as purifying it to a perfect degree. I even helped my mind in a very careful manner, improving my thinking speed, calculative abilities, memory and brain capacity. I would most likely have the best human body in existence as a result. That''s even when I''m comparing to how I was before.

    With all of that done, it was time for the final objective: third maturation.

    I had already planned out how to achieve this theoretically after experiencing my second, and I''m sure this will be even harder.

    So I entered the depth of my self, the core of my magic, where a rotating orb divided into a silver and gold yin and yang was.

    I looked at it calmly one last time and began to let the refined flames envelop the orb. It began to rotate at crazy speed as it received the fires stimulation, until it finally started absorbing some of the blue flame. Gradually both sides became fuller, and their colors were changing the match the overabundant amount of energy in the fire. At the exact moment both sides were filled with the same energy, i collapsed the last barrier between the two, finally letting them become one.

    The two sides still had a small percentage of their original energy, so instead of letting them clash, i forced everything to rotate once again. I mixed everything together and make them become one slowly but surely. Speeding up gradually as everything became more stable, until only a shining and shimmering blue liquid filled the large orb completely.

    Analyzing my core for a moment, I determined that this was as pure and strong as it was possible to have during ones second maturation, hence it was time to start my third.

    Using the blue energy, i started condensing everything further. I pushed and pressured the orb into shrinking while keeping the exact same amount of liquid inside of it. And with the continued pressure, it started to solidify. I gradually shaped the formerly round core almost double the size of a basketball, to an octahedron the size of a baseball. I slowly smoothened on all sides, polished it to leave no flaws, and let it absorb everything I had to give it.

    I could feel the density of the magic this much smaller core had. It ways impossible to even compare the previous state to this one. It was also no wonder Dumbledore and Voldemort could be so far ahead of everyone, it''s just ridiculous. I feel like my new core could cast magic at least twice the speed and ease, with between a 1/3 or 1/4 of the cost, whilst also having a big boost in any spells power and opening up your options by letting to manipulate magic in a more direct manner.

    It just felt fantastic. I could now stand on the same level as those two monsters.

    With all my own goals done, I decide to use everything else to solidify my foundations even further, not wanting my efforts to go to waste. I also decided to assist Sol with her own transformation now that she had completely stopped her constant cycle of rebirth.

    Letting myself simply lose track of anything outside of the flow of energy, I decide to let it flow through me freely and relaxedly. It would follow the paths of least resistance and I would learn from it, understanding how magic itself wanted to flow, losing myself in it until the constant stream of energy finally stopped.

    I focused on my body, feeling the forces keeping it afloat loosening, making me slowly descend upon the floor. And as I sat there, feeling all the changes within myself, I could hear the Headmaster approach me in a hurry.

    "Aedan! Are you alright? I need a response quickly or I will assume something went wrong." He quickly said as he reached for me.

    "It''s alright sir. I am feeling my changes. It just feels amazing." I say in an excited voice.

    "That''s good. Everything went as planned then? No more pieces interfering with you?" He asked to confirm the original goals were met.

    "Yes. My soul is now pristine and only Sol''s link remains outside of my own. It will never be an issue again." I confirmed with a smile.

    "That is a relief to hear. Are you ready to go then? It has been over 9 hours that we have been here. I am sure Amelia will be worried sick by now." Informed the Headmaster to my great surprise.

    "9 hours!?" I exclaimed in shock as I opened my eyes to see the bright sun in the sky.

    "Aedan, your eyes. They''ve changed." Said the Headmaster with his own surprise.

    I quickly take out a mirror to understand what he meant and he was right. My eyes were no longer their usual mix of red and gold which made them look like a burning flame. They were know a flickering electric blue and white, resembling the torrent of flames I had absorbed with Sol. I also notices that my little golden streaks in my hair were gone, replaced by pure white ones as they weaved into my silver, making it even more ethereal than before.

    ''Wait if i changed, what about Sol?'' I thought as I looked up to the flying Phoenix.

    As if she felt my thoughts about her, she descended and landed on my outstretched arm. What Dumbledore and I saw was shocking. Sol had actually grown to be 1.5 times the size of a normal phoenix, but the most shocking was that her feathers were now royal blue, with white and silver interwoven amongst them to accentuate her new regal aura. Her eyes were near identical to mine and I could feel that she now had legilimantic abilities and heightened spell resistance, making her a completely new breed of Phoenix compared to others.

    "Marvelous. Even she has changed so much." Softly said the Headmaster.

    "Yes, but unfortunately testing and recording will have to wait for another time sir. I am very grateful that you were willing to protect and aid me during this time. But like you said sir, my aunt must be worried sick so I have to leave. It is my birthday after all." I said with a small grin on my face.

    "That is true. We will have plenty of time to speak at a later time. But do enjoy your time with your family and give my best regards." He said with a knowing smile.

    "I will. Thank you again. I will have people come and clean up this site as soon as possible, so you won''t have to worry about it Headmaster. Now goodbye and I''ll talk to you soon." I say with a quick explanation as Sol envelops is in a now blue flame and flashes me away.

    "Third maturation at 17 years old. Truly monstrous. I hope he will help when Tom returns. It would be invaluable help. What am I saying? He is already more than willing to do so." Dumbledore quietly said to himself before he left as well.

 Chapter 109 - Ch. 109 Lord Bones

    I appeared in my room through Sol''s now blue flash and quickly changed my clothes into something without any blood stains or burn marks. What I wasn''t expecting was when I wanted to get rid of the ruined robes I had worn for the ritual, I emitted blue fire which burnt all my clothes to a crisp.

    ''Bloody hell! I''m going to need to learn what the hell that was or I''m going to end up strutting around n.a.k.e.d!'' I thought in my surprise.

    Well, it at least saved me some time be removing the need to get undressed. So I snapped out of it and put on a new pair of u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r, plain black t-shirt and a pair of comfortable jeans, then bolted downstairs.

    There was only a small problem with that, I didn''t take any time to get used to my new strength, so I may have ripped the door off of its hinges.

    I just looked at the door in me hand a bit lost, but deciding to gently lean it against the wall, I''d fix it later. Then learning from that little mishap, I carefully made my way down the stairs.

    When I came down, an atmosphere of sadness and gloominess was evident. No one was smiling, I could see redness in my families eyes, and they were all listless.

    "Why is it so gloomy in here? Shouldn''t we be celebrating?"I asked awkwardly, making everyone''s heads spin to look at where they heard the voice from.

    "Brother!!!" Susan yelled out as she bolted into my c.h.e.s.t, tears flowing down her face as she cried.

    "Whoa. There, there Suz, it''s ok. I told you that your brother is never going anywhere. And intend to keep that promise." I say as I pat the growing girl clinging to me.

    "Welcome back Aedan." Said Amelia as she approached him while wiping her moist eyes.

    "I''m back safe and sound like I promised mom." I said with a gentle smile on my face, as I calmed Susan with some head pats.

    "It is good to see you safe and sound dear. But it looks like you''ve had a few changes. You''ll have to explain everything properly later." The woman i consider my mother said with a calm expression.

    "I will." I nod back in answer.

    "It''s true! Your eyes are blue now! And your hairs different!" Exclaimed Susan as she just now got a good look at me.

    "Alright, I''ll tell you both while we eat. It is my birthday and I''ve had a long night so I''m starving." I said with a happy smile on my face.

    "Yes yes, can''t have the birthday boy go hungry now. Tilly prepare a brunch for everyone. Aedan''s back." Amelia ordered as everyone headed towards the dinning room.

    "Ooooh! The young master is back! Tilly will make sure to make all his favorites for such a special day~" excitedly said the little house-elf.

    So with the atmosphere in the house being relieved of its gloominess, a small celebration occurred as I explain what I did during the night.

    "You''re better now right bro?" Asked a hopeful Susan.

    "Yes, I''m all better. Probably the best I''ve ever been in all honesty.

    "Care to explain Aedan." Asked aunty with some curiosity.

    "I''ve gone through my third maturation, so with a little bit of time I''ll be as strong, if not stronger, than the Headmaster." I said with a proud smile on my face.

    "But he''s the strongest in the world!" Shouted Susan in shock.

    "Yes, and your big brother is going to be better than him very soon." I reply with a c.o.c.ky grin.

    "Is that why you changed physically?" Asked Amelia with some suspicions.

    "Yeah, it has to do with the fire I used and my bond with Sol." I nod and explain as the bird herself flames in majestically.

    "Whoa, she''s even prettier now. She''s blue! And bigger!" Said Susan as she rushed over to her favorite cuddle buddy and starts petting her.

    Something I know Sol secretly really likes. They''re both such good girls.

    "Blue flames?" Asked mother to herself.

    "Yeah, and it looks like she isn''t the only one. My damaged clothes got burnt by my own flames when I wanted to get rid of them. I think it''s because of the insane amount and strength of the fire we got, letting us bond even deeper and strengthening Sol beyond her species limit. She even absorbed some abilities of the Whampus Cat, pushing her far above any other Phoenix." I explained with a smile as I looked at Susan playing with the big bird.

    "Do you still have them yourself?" Amelia asked in curiosity.

    "Yep. I have made it better. My eyes are a lot more subtle now, but they''ve also increased in power. I am without a doubt, the best Legilimens in existence. My body got stronger, faster, tougher, more flexible, and my spell resistance went up another level. I can also feel myself think quicker, my reflexes are insane now, my other senses were heightened, and my memorization speed and capacity have also gotten a boost. Add to my new core and fire, I''m pretty sure I am the most effective wizard in the last millennium." I say proudly to my mother.

    "You will promise me to never tell others this Aedan. I could not stand to have others fear you for what you are. It would be even worse if others try to emulate what you''ve been through. There is a very good reason ritual magic was outlawed." Seriously said Amelia as she worried about me.

    "I know. The only people who know about me are those I trust to keep the secret. My friends and Tory know, you two know, and Dumbledore and Moody know. That''s it. And I trust everyone or know their characters enough to know they will never leak it." I reassure the woman.

    I mean, even when Crouch will replace the man, I am sure he will conceal that information from the man. He knows how dangerous it is, Dumbledore probably warned him already, and if they ask for information about me he can just say what he knows from my current activities. So although it is a risk, I believe in the man''s spirit and abilities.

    The meal ended on a good note, even if Amelia was still feeling upset at me for hiding things from her for so long. Luckily I came back fixed and stronger than ever, because I can''t imagine what would happen if I had hurt myself.

    We relaxed as a family for a while before my aunt informed me that we were going to head to Gringotts after a light lunch. She had decided to hand the Lordship of the house down as planned and that I should at least look presentable for the occasion.

    So before we left I decided to do just that. I tied up my hair in a tight ponytail, letting the long river of shimmering silver flow down my back, while leaving some to frame my face and compliment my eyes. I then went and got a more casual muggle business suit this time, with a black jacket and white dress shirt. But unlike the suits of the 90''s I had this suit properly fitted to show my physique. It was shaped to my impressively muscled body, emphasizing my wide shoulders, strong back, developed arms and my sculpted front, whilst the pants were comfortably loose but not baggy/boxy like todays fashion. When I ordered the suits the designer looked at me weirdly because of how different from the trends it was, but once he saw in it he almost drooled. He''s apparently been using the idea to help his career and has offered me a percentage of his profits. But anyway, if I didn''t look presentable now, then Wizards would just have to eat their hearts out at what they would need to do to be considered as such.

    As I went downstairs calmly and with confidence, Amelia gave me a quick glance to check on me but quickly did a double take in shock. Susan also got a good look and stared with an open jaw, until she ran up to me with starry eyes.

    "Brother you''re so good looking! You''re ruining other men for me!" She jokingly complained.

    "Mom did say to look presentable didn''t she?" I said with a chuckle as I ruffled her hair.

    "Where did you get such an outfit Aedan?" Asked the still dazed Amelia.

    "I went to a muggle tailor shop going by the name of Kingsman, and told them what I wanted. Everything else was just so loose and baggy, but I thought a sleek and tailored suit would look great on me. So here''s the result." I say with a light spin to show off a bit.

    "I can''t argue with the results now can I?" Simply said Amelia with a smile and a shake of her head.

    "Be careful not to let Tory get jealous." Lightly teased Susan.

    "I make sure she knows she''s the only one, don''t you worry about that." I say to the little teaser.

    "Let us depart then. We will be back in about an hour. You know how to apparate properly yes? I saw you were properly certified." She said to the both of us.

    And yup, my friends and I got our certification for that during the year. It was so easy for us due to our magic control, strength and will that we just did it. So with my birthday today, I can now legally apparate as a means of travel. And apparently, being bonded to a Phoenix really helps when it comes to things related to fire and space, boosting my affinity with both tremendously, probably even more so now.

    So with two cracks, mother and I disappeared from our home and reappeared in the area designated for such a means to travel to Diagon Alley.

    We walked together through the alley, catching a lot of attention. Her for being Amelia Bones, Head of the DMLE and one of the famous witches in Britain. Whilst I am the mysterious Aedan Bones. The reclusive heir to the family, business man extraordinaire, inventor, philanthropist, rights activist, record breaker, declared the most handsome wizard by a bunch of magazines and a powerful wizard in my own right.

    ''I feel like I''m Lockhart when I think about all my titles. Except I actually earned all of them.'' I thought as I walked through the alley.

    Most people were just unconsciously making a path for us, as they felt my presence and yielded instinctively. They knew the young man in front of them was a born ruler and they acknowledged it by stepping aside for him.

    We reached the goblin bank without any issues and entered the familiar halls. Everything was the same as usual except for a few members of Fortress added to the security of the place and some new goblins working in the open. We stride confidently as we approached the head teller Ragnok.

    "Amelia Bones here to pass the Lordship of Noble House Bones down to Aedan Micheal Bones." She declared as she stood in front of the goblin.

    "Aah. Madame Bones, an honor it is for you to visit our bank. We have received your notice and the full paperwork has been filled already." Ragnok said as his eyes shifted to me.

    "Greetings to you Bones-Crusher. May your fists sunder your enemies and the river of gold flow in your favor." He traditionally greeted me with respect.

    "Greeting to you as well Ragnok. Let your armor defend each blow and gold protect your kin evermore." I responded calmly.

    "Thank you. For your request Madam Bones, it can be easily done due to the proper handling of the succession, clear and legitimate heir, as well as your willingness to step down. But I have a few items requested by Heir Bones-Crusher which our king commanded be given this day. And so I must ask you to come to my office." He explained quickly and with some excitement in his voice.

    "Aedan? What is he talking about?" Asked Amelia with narrowed eyes.

    "I ordered two things to be made for me and it looks like they''re done. A wonderful addition to celebrate my 17th and Lordship no?" I answered simply.

    "You asked for something ridiculous again didn''t you?" She asked with a sigh.

    "One is unique, but both are pretty reasonable." I answered simply.

    With another sigh and a shake of her head, we both follow Ragnok to his office. We simply sit on the chairs in front of the desk as he bring out two beautifully crafted wooden c.h.e.s.ts.

    "I will get to these I a bit, but let us first transfer the Lordship. Do you, Amelia Bones, with sound mind, of your own will, and true d.e.s.i.r.e, wish to pass the title of Lord onto Aedan Micheal Bones?" He started with as mother raises her own wand.

    "I do." She declared as her wand lit up.

    "And do you, Aedan Micheal Bones, with sound mind, readied heart, and true d.e.s.i.r.e, wish to accept the burden and responsibilities becoming of the title of Lord?" He asked me as I raise my own wand.

    "I do." I declare as my wand lights up as well.

    "With both parties swearing and my witnessing of the acknowledgment, hand down the ring crowning one as Lord." Ragnok said with authority.

    Amelia slides off the ring from her finger, looks at it with some sadness and nostalgia, then passes it on to me.

    Ragnok takes out the same box my heir ring came from and opened.

    "Place the Lord''s ring above your own. If it accepts you, the heir ring shall be replaced and appear here. If not, the lord ring shall do so instead." He instructed calmly.

    I place the lord ring above my own as instructed, and only a moment later a white light glows from the two rings as one disappears from my finger.

    The light disappeared.

    On my ring finger was now a more intricate golden ring, with the family crest and motto of ''break, but never bow''. My former ring now in the box once again.

    "Congratulations Lord Bones. You are now the Head of Noble House Bones, with all the rights, duties and privileges it entails. But from what we know, nothing much will change except you officially being lord." Said Ragnok with a sharp-toothed grin.

    "Thank you Ragnok. And thank you for the trust you have placed in me. I will continue to uphold it." I said to the goblin, then my mother.

    "I know you''ll do brilliantly Aedan." She said with a warm smile, looking like a horrible burden was finally lifted from her shoulders.

    "And now, the orders." Announced the goblin as he opened the two boxes.

    "On the left we have the bracers personally crafted by our king. As requested they are capable of shifting from the bracer form to a fitted bracelet around your wrists. They are capable of deflecting almost any spells and blocking many. Made of the purest goblin silver, the symbol of your house protected by a Phoenix was engraved onto both bracers. A slot your friend can fill once you have decided on your own final touches, only requiring the fitting of a prepared jewel.

    On the right is the Basilisk and Dragon hide coat. Made according to your design and by our finest leather workers. The coat is made to be unassuming, but provides an impressive resistance to spells and physical attacks. Once again, the enchanting has been left to your own devices due to you prowess in the field.

    Both items are self-repairable, cleaning and adjusting. The gauntlets will be bonded to you, but the coat could not support such a function so be cautious." Ragnok said as he finished his explanation of both orders.

    Amelia is just stunned at what she just heard.

    "Aedan, are you preparing for a battle I don''t know about" she asked with narrowing eyes.

    "Not at all. I just believe that I am a very appealing target and want to be prepared in any way I can be." I hurriedly answered.

    "Haha! Bones-Crusher is still scared of his aunt. The king always gets a laugh at that one." Said Ragnok as he burst out laughing.

    "Yes I know. I''ve resigned to my fate at that one. But thank you for all these. I''ll send a proper token in response and I''m sure he will be incredibly pleased with it." I answered with a wry smile.

    I then approach and pick up the gauntlets, putting them on one at a time. They then activated, perfectly fitting to my hand and forearm, letting my knife and wand sheaths meld with them perfectly. The design was beautiful, the bracers comfortable and I had no doubts about their strength. It would probably be heavy for a normal person, but to me it was barely noticeable. With but a thought the bracers quickly collapsed and transformed into two matching skin tights, but still flexible and comfortable, metal bands around my wrists. Both still weighted the same, but they were easy to conceal in this form.

    I then picked up the sleek black leather car coat as they would be known. The black leather adjusted to my body, fitting itself properly. The coat itself ended halfway to my knee, was nicely made and felt like it was almost a part of me. Combined with my complimenting suit, contrasting hair and new accessories, I looked like a boss.

    Thanking Ragnok for everything, Mother and I took our leave, but I stopped at the exit.

    "I can sense a lot of people outside." I say to Amelia calmly.

    "They wish to see the my grown boy, not surprising considering your current achievements. I am sure they''ll learn about me passing down the ring within the week." Mom replied with a little bit of pride in her voice.

    "Was just warning you. Shall we?" I ask as I offer an arm to act like a proper escort.

    "We shall... Lord Bones." Teased mother a bit, with some playfulness in her eyes.

 Chapter 110 - Ch. 110 Werewolf and Fire

    "They really like to make a big deal out of everything don''t they?" Harry said aloud, putting the Prophet and Herald to the side.

    "Yes they do tend to do that." I chuckled a bit at his disbelief.

    "But why? Shouldn''t they have better things to write about? I mean, the World Cup is going to start soon, Sirius is recovering and is preparing for a trial to determine stuff, Pettigrew escaped and there was an attack on the minister of magic. So why in the world is the news about you?" He asked, totally not getting it.

    "Two reasons mostly: I am fresh news, and there is almost nothing known about me. Doesn''t help that I''ve experienced a few changes in my appearance as well. I mean, have you seen the comparison in Witch Weekly? It''s scary how women get into those debates." I say to the growing teen.

    "Yeah, Susan showed me cause she thought it was good for a laugh." Harry agreed with a grin.

    "Some of those comments were ridiculous." I nodded in agreement.

    "Oh right! You said Professor Lupin was going to visit you soon right. Do you know when and why?" Asked the green eyed teen.

    "Should be soon. I hope he comes before he tries to go into hiding again, or decides that the new Lord Bones would look bad if he met a werewolf. I''m sure the thought crossed his head even if I''ve probably hung out with more werewolves than he has. But he would see me about what I injected him with and... oh speak of the werewolf. It looks like we have a guest." I explained until I sensed someone coming from my wards.

    Since I am the Head of the House, I took the liberty to upgrade the houses wards and protections to a ridiculous degree to protect my family. And a sensory Ward is just an outer layer of this upgrade.

    "He''s here? Really?" Asked the excited Harry.

    "Yup. Tilly we are having a guest, prepare some tea and snacks please." I call out as I rise from my seat in the common room.

    "Professor, it''s good to see you!" The kid greeted.

    "Hello Mr. Lupin, i was expecting you to come soon. Welcome to Bones House." I say with a calm and polite tone.

    "Hello Harry, and thank you for welcoming me , it''s Lord Bones now isn''t it." He said with a smile at Harry and a bit of hesitation towards me.

    "That is only for formal occasions and time were it is necessary for me to act as such, at all other times I''m just Aedan." I answer with a smile.

    "Aedan it is then. I''m sure you know why I''m here." He nodded and said.

    "Of course, please come in. Tea and snacks will be ready soon." I say as I welcome the man into the house.

    We all head to the common room, where Tilly finished setting a small table for everyone to have tea.

    "Thank you very much Tilly, I''ll call you if there''s anything else ok." I say to the little house-elf with a smile.

    "Of course young master Aedan. Always Tilly''s honor to serve." She quickly replied and popped away.

    "Please sit down, relax. I''m sure Harry has a lot he wants to talk to you about as well and I am currently having a little bit of a break myself, hence no paperwork." I say with a grin.

    Harry immediately started bombarding the man about his life, time at school, his father, what he''s done after school, the war and how he knew how to teach so well. But after some time passed, Lupin finally looked at me.

    "I guess I have to start somewhere, so how did you stop my transformation? I haven''t been feeling any of the cravings, instincts, or even d.e.s.i.r.es I have felt for almost my entire life. The moon doesn''t affect me. I feel better than I have in decades. And I haven''t felt anything wrong, just me feeling normal." He asked hopefully.

    "That was a vaccine that has been in its testing phase for two years now. It is a culmination of a lot of research and ingenuity. It can deactivate the virus responsible for Lycanthropy in a werewolf''s body for a full 18 months. By that I mean no transformations, no bestial instincts or traits, no transmission, and so far no side effects have been found either." I inform the man.

    "You mean, I won''t transform for over an entire year." Remus whispered in shock.

    "That is right. We currently have 100 werewolves of various age, s.e.x, physic and race, undergoing voluntary testing on this vaccine''s second round of injection, with 200 more on their first. None have had any rejection, no issues or negative effects. We are currently testing to see if potions could affect it, sickness, spells, health conditions, and a variety of other tests. We even have one of our volunteers currently pregnant as we closely monitor everything." Say to him proudly.

    "You have over 300 werewolves together!" Shouted Remus at the thought.

    "Mr. Lupin, you really seem to not have researched me at all. I have hired pretty much every willing werewolf in Europe and no incidents have occurred since. They all have proper jobs and support system too." I say with a shake of my head.

    "But what about the anti-werewolf legislation?" He asked almost desperately.

    "You mean the piece of paper which exemplifies the cowardly and bigoted? Why should I give a f.u.c.k what those bastards even think? My results speak for themselves. If they have a problem they can step up, if not they can shut up." I say with a sneer at the very thought of that piece of paper controlling me.

    "So, Mr. Lupin. I would like for you to take part in the testing program at least, so we can make sure nothing wrong happens with you as well. We only have so many examples of injection during a transformation and I would like to make nothing went wrong. And if you wish, I can hire you as an educator for the children who''s parents I have employed or are without a family. It could do a lot of good for them." I say with a gentle smile.

    "You''d hire me?" He asked almost to himself.

    "Of course. What better interview could there be than having learned under you personally?" I say with a chuckle.

    "That''s brilliant Aedan! You wouldn''t have to live like a criminal anymore Professor!" Happily exclaimed Harry.

    "I wouldn''t have to hide anymore?" The man asked as he started to understand the implications.

    "No."

    "I won''t have to fear harming anyone?"

    "No."

    "I''ll be able to have a real job?"

    "Yes."

    "And you''re willing to pay me properly?"

    "Of course."

    "And you offer housing?"

    "All included, but it does reduce your pay."

    "Who in there right mind wouldn''t accept such an offer? But what''s in it for you? Why are you doing this?" He asked as this was the final question holding him back.

    "I saw a problem in this world I thought I could help with and I did. I won''t stand back and watch as our world slowly kills itself out of bigotry and stupidity. I will help make the magical world a place of wonder for everyone. And that includes werewolves." I answered seriously as he looks at me.

    The man contemplates my answer for some time as I enjoy my tea and Harry fidgets under the suspense.

    "You''ve convinced me. I guess you''ll be my employer then. It feels odd to be such for a student though." Lupin finally said as he came to a decision.

    "If it makes you feel better, the business is under house Bones, so you can also consider yourself an employee of my aunt." I say with a little grin.

    "No need. I am not ashamed, but I am thankful for all this Aedan. Thank you." He sincerely said in response.

    "Many have suffered for far too long like you Mr. Lupin, they deserve to be happy. Thank you for trusting me and I hope I live up to that trust." I say as I offer him my hand.

    The man stands up and takes it with a bright smile on his face, sealing the deal.

    After that we talk for some time as I give him more information about the place and his future duties, but he leaves content. I also escorted Harry back to his place afterward, leaving me to continue my training.

    Ever since I went through the ritual I''ve been focusing on understanding myself. I went through every spell I knew a dozen time, I took my time to understand my new limits when it comes to transfiguration, I pushed my body beyond its limits to know it inside and out, I''ve tested my eyes continuously in tandem with my mind arts, and most importantly I have been understanding my own fire.

    At first I was only able to make my entire body burst into flames. It was interesting, but i was always distracted by my clothes getting burnt to a crisp. So my first goal was control. I started at lighting one finger on fire by channeling my energy to it, then two, three, four, five, then my entire hand. The next step was to quicken the process to make it near instant, then deciding exactly where and how strong the flame would appear. Only after that could I properly start studying it.

    I found that it was a mix of the destructive force of the dragon fire and the restorative abilities of Phoenix flames. I could burn everything I willed with ease, but I could also gently nourish a small sprout. But it took a lot of time to get it up to this point. Destruction is such an easy thing to channel through a flame that it always needs to be properly restrained. It was fantastic training for my control and my intent for when I use magic, the blue flames training aiding me there as well, resulting in my wandless magic prowess to take leaps forward after having stagnated for so long.

    After two weeks of constant training, I finally had good enough control to not burn anything I didn''t wish to. I could make animals out of fire and have them move away from me. I figured out how to make fire come out of any part of my body at will. It was almost instinctive in all honesty. I was pretty sure that if I spent more time on it, I could figure out how to flame around like Phoenixes.

    So summer marched forward and the World Cup finally began in full, and with it my promise to take Harry and Susan to it.

    I then had to slow my progress in that field significantly and prepare for the event.

 Chapter 111 - Ch. 111 Summer All Around

    I wasn''t the only busy one amongst my friends.

    Christian told me he was spending his entire summer under the apprenticeship of Newt Scamander, continuing from last year. The man apparently knew beasts like no other alive and Christian was loving every minute of it. According to my friend, Mr. Scamander was also very experienced and creative when it comes to combat. When he learned of Christians affinity in the field, he also started pushing him further along. This was happening as the elderly man dragged my friend around the world to experience its hidden wonders, while also throwing him into some unpredictable situations along the way.

    From what I could tell, Mr. Scamander was shaping my friend into something akin to a successor of his will and skills, something incredibly fortunate for Christian. I even wondered if i would see the guy with the famous suitcase soon.

    James was planing on immersing himself wholly in the smithing arts. His parents were very supportive of his choices and proud of their hard working son, even if he spent less time with them. He wanted to catch up to any missed progress that occurred during the school year and then some. According to some of my goblin friends, James was monstrously talented in the field. He was going through everything they could teach him as if he was born for it. Apparently he had already become skilled enough in jewelry to start making weapons. He was supposed to have a grasp of how magic flowed into the metal to empower it, and a creativity and drive in the subject to dwarf true goblin smiths.

    Even if he was a human, the masters just couldn''t leave the guy be. He was hardworking, respectful and absorbed their teachings like a sponge. The only thing they would change was his kindness, but it was really growing on them, even as they kept teaching him how to fight with his body. I even heard some rumors that the king might take him as an apprentice. Meaning the best goblin smith alive might end up teaching my friend. They even gave him a goblin name out of respect for his growing skills and personality: Gentle-Gold.

    Tory was focusing intensely on her medical knowledge. I actually believe that her theoretical understanding of the human body, mind and spirit, have long surpassed any healer one could find. She was using a mixture of Occlumency and custom spells to boost her abilities to learn massively, while sneaking into medical facilities and education centers to find everything she could. From there, she started theorizing an ever increasing amount of possible treatments for diseases and illnesses, as well as injuries from the muggle and magical worlds. She also did some slightly illegal things by questioning some noted professors and doctors of various expertise, after which she modified their memories to not remember their encounters with the brilliant and driven young woman.

    She was the best at the mind arts amongst my friends. Her understanding of how it works allowed her to gain true skill in the fields of Occlumency and Legilimency, as well as memory charms and injuries. As a result of all of this, she became extremely proficient in stealth operations, gained a staggering amount of medical knowledge and was becoming a master of the mind and all its aspects.

    The most unfortunate thing for her, was that she has confirmed that it truly wasn''t a curse which caused her mother to slip into her coma. From what she told me, it was the prolonged abuse through physical and magical means, psychological torture akin to brainwashing, and most likely many potions and poisons forced on her for reasons she hasn''t understood yet. The most likely suspects are her own father or his old friends. Both would have at least some degree of guilt for his actions or inactions, almost driving her to murder the bastard in cold blood. She only managed to restrain herself with some slight hopes that it wasn''t the case.

    I even took some time to comfort her and sent Sol to let her feel like I was there when I couldn''t be. She had some surprise at mine and Sol''s changes, but after a proper explanation, a few punches, then some snogging, she was able to grow fond of my new look. She was also very excited about my third maturation, feeling very proud of her man as she put it.

    It was great to hear my friends and girlfriend were improving so quickly and finding their paths. Christian was turning into some kind off Beast-tamer/warrior, James was becoming a smith/tank, and Victoria was becoming a healer/assassin. That was if you would classify them in gaming classes anyway. They had skills in all areas, but these were their specializations so far.

    Outside of my friends, I had gotten reports of a few developments with important people.

    Remus was integrating into the werewolf communities under me splendidly. The man marveled at how the place was for his people. Proper homes, with plumbing, lighting, furniture, spaces to transform safely and nature to help others feel comfortable. Child care centers in place for young werewolves who''s parents are working or whom are homeless. Proper shops run by inhabitants to sell clothes, potions, food, equipment and leisure items. A fully stocked library for any wishing to learn. And the education center he would now be working in.

    We did have Lycanthropes capable of teaching others, but it wasn''t nearly enough and many lacked proper foundations like Remus had. They never experienced a systematized education, hence the man actually being a very important addition. After some time, I was planing on making him the equivalent of the Headmaster there if he was willing.

    I received a letter from the man saying that he was incredibly impressed by the place and that it felt like a paradise for those suffering under the same curse as himself. And why wouldn''t he? It was literally an entire town built for werewolves to inhabit in peace. If it wasn''t for the Ministry''s and general populace''s opinion on werewolves, it would have probably become the second purely magical town in Britain, only with a more modern look.

    Sirius on the other hand had been cleared from St. Mungo''s, having physically recovered enough of his strength and rested enough to be able to think properly. His trial was a mixed affair. Some were unwilling to admit a past mistake of the ministry, while others didn''t like the man and tried to make life difficult for him. Unfortunately for them, we had eye witnesses involving the Minister of Magic, the Head of the DMLE, the current Chief Warlock, The-Boy-Who-Lived, the New Lord Bones, Hogwarts Faculty, 5 Aurors and other students, combined with evidence and the true culprits own recorded admission of guilt, there was not much they could do. In the end Sirius Black was cleared of all charges and awarded 4000 galleons for every year he was imprisoned, which although kind off pathetic, the man himself didn''t care because of the inheritance his uncle Alphard Black.

    He was now attempting to see if he could gain access to the Black family properties due to being the last member of the direct line, even if he was disowned. He also put in an application to become an Auror, which Amelia was torn about. On one hand, the man was a brilliant wizard, with grades and abilities to back up his attitude in life, but on the other he was a die-hard supporter of Dumbledore. But there was one problem with her ability to make the final call, one article.

    ''SIRIUS BLACK INNOCENT! SILENT HERO OF THE WAR REVEALED!''

    Yes, the Herald got an interview with the man and his story spread like wildfire. Now those who spat and feared his name sent him letters of condolences and declarations of undying belief. And Fudge being the glory hound he was, ordered his acceptance into the department. So within the month Sirius was cleared of his charges and found a job. Now all he had to do was get a proper place to live and Harry would be able to live with the man. Lupin had already agreed to help take care of the kid too, since his ''illness'' was now completely managed with my help, and it would serve has his home as well in all likelihood.

    I have already figured out how to turn Protego Sanctum into a proper defensive spell on a house, my own already having it. I created the spell, so turning it into my rune language and setting it up as a Ward was just a matter of working out the differences. The only tricky bit was to let Harry be protected by it, since he did have a piece of one of the darkest existences in the world stuck to him. I basically had to bind his bloodline to the ward of the house he will live in, letting the barrier protect him no matter what. I just brought the barrier down at my house when he visited because I don''t want to leave such a loophole for later.

    During this time however, Sirius was always making time to visit and talk with Harry. He wanted to make up for all the time he wasn''t able to be there, which although an admirable sentiment, it had to be a gradual process.

    What did help though, was the World Cup.

    The two were avid lovers of the sport. Sirius because it reminded him of his school days, James'' own time as a player, and Harry because it was part of his freedom, it also brought him closer to his father and let him fit in more in the magical world. And although Sirius was a bit jealous I could get them better seats for some contrived reason, the two of them very much enjoyed the best view in the stadium due to my sponsoring of the Cup this year.

    I couldn''t really care all that much when Scotland and Wales lost as well, since they only had one Blackbolt each, but I was happy to see Ireland do them justice as they steamrolled their opponents.

    All in all, it''s been an eventful summer all around for me and those I know.

 Chapter 112 - Ch. 112 Before Finals

    The summer was coming to a close, and with it the World Cup.

    Like the canon, Ireland and Bulgaria are the topic of the hour. The only difference is that although Victor Krum is still the youngest and best seeker of the tournament, many believe that Ireland has the better chances. This is no longer a game where one speculates who is going to win. It is now one about how the Bulgarian team will pull off an upset? The addition of my broom and company has pushed Ireland''s abilities that much further. The Firebolt was there in the canon, but it''s being sold through my company alongside its twin, and what better advertis.e.m.e.nt is there than those two wiping the floor with everyone?

    As I was readying myself for the finals, a letter came for me.

    ''Dear Aedan,

    This summer has been a blast. The World Cup was great and I can''t wait to go to the finals with you and Sirius.

    The Dursley''s have been treating me as usual, like I''m not there, thanks to you two as well. Aunt Petunia tried to get me on that horrid diet of Dudley''s, but your names stopped her in her tracks. Thanks for sending Tilly to give me food.

    But, something weird happened this morning. My scar hurt again. Last time that happened it was because Voldemort was at Hogwarts. But I don''t reckon he can be anywhere near me now, can he? Do you know if curse scars sometimes hurt years afterward?

    I''d like to talk with you and Sirius about it, and I don''t want to worry Ron and Hermione about this, or bother Professor Dumbledore in case this is nothing.

    If you can send Artemis over soon that would be great, Hedwig missed her sometimes.

    Harry.

    P.S: I''ll be heading over with the Weasley''s for the finals, so I''ll see you and Sirius there. Still excited for the finals.''

    It was interesting to see Harry come to me about this. I''m guessing it is because he doesn''t really have to send Sirius any letters anymore due to his actual presence in Harry''s life, and the fact that I have been like a big brother to the kid on top of a sort of mentor figure. It helps that I also know about the Voldycunt events and helped him during the last two years.

    "Thank you for the letter Hedwig. How about you play with Artemis for a bit while I write a reply? She misses you too sometimes." I say to the snowy white owl.

    With a little chuckle, I wrote my reply.

    ''Dear Harry,

    Although I myself am not the biggest Quidditch fan in the world, I am happy I could help you escape those ''people'' for the summer.

    If your friends and their families are coming I would be more than happy to invite them to our booth as well. I received a message from Cedric that he would be attending and he would be joining in on the match too. We have more than enough room and the seats couldn''t be any better.

    Now, about your scar. From what you''ve told me about it, you probably have a form of connection with Him due to the events of the past. I do not know what or how exactly, but it is possible that when he feels intense emotions you will be able to sense it. My only solution would be Occlumency at the moment, but I know at your age that it is a difficult art to properly train in. Too many emotions and worries in a teenager and child''s mind, that being the main reason such a useful art is so disused.

    The Headmaster would probably like to know of this and my own conjectures if you decide to contact him. No need to worry too much about it. Although his renown is great, he still cares deeply for his students, and does worry about you as well.

    I hope the display of skills and the excitement of the finals can alleviate some of your troubles. If not, Sirius, Remus and I are always here to help.

    Aedan.''

    I couldn''t tell the kid straight away about his situation. He just wasn''t ready to accept such a revelation. If he had always known, then maybe I could help him with it, but he has his own ideas and is too emotional about his own past and present. Telling him now would destroy his own psychological evaluation of himself and might lead to intense self denial. Not a good path to go down on, hence why I mostly agree with how the Headmaster goes about letting Harry figure it out. Never teaching him anything was a stupid decision, but this was the best way for Harry to come to terms with the truth.

    With my little interlude with the kid, I worked on inviting my friends. Christian would just go crazy for the cup and has been writing his intense jealousy at my being able to go. James would find it nice that a broom he worked on was being used at the highest level of the sport. And Tory would mostly be doing it to spend some more time together, and it also helped that I could show off a bit of my wealth and influence. No girl doesn''t like being treated with the best from time to time.

    Speaking of girls, Susan and Amelia would also be coming along for the finals. Susan would be with me, as her older brother I will never let her go un-pampered, and taking her to the cup is obviously going to happen. Mother is going to be in charge of the security for the foreign dignitaries present at the event, whilst managing the Aurors and Hit Wizards on site. Even if trouble does happen, I am now more than strong enough to protect them both.

    ''Now... lets see if the little Death Eater wannabes still attack or not.'' I thought to myself as I prepared to leave for the event with Susan.

    "This is so exciting! Ireland is going to wipe the sky with Bulgaria! No way they''ll be able to catch up to your broom!" Said the very excited and very green Susan.

    "Haha! Thanks sis. Now grab onto my arm, we will be there in a flash and Mother will come check on us when she can." I say to the girl, while ruffling her now green hair.

    "Hehe! Apparating with you is soooo much better than with anyone else. You make it so comfortable!" Said a slightly giggling and huggy Suz.

    "That''s because your brother has the best partner in the world and is a genius!" I declared in an exaggerated manner.

    With some smiling and joking, I apparated the both of us away, landing in the designated area for VIP''s. The sight that welcomed us was interesting to be sure. I have been here a lot over the last month, but it was like everything got cranked up to eleven for the finals.

    Rows after rows of modified and wacky tents lined the grass surrounding the stadium. One could see wizard firecrackers and fireworks going off, young ones on brooms and their toy versions for toddlers, floating laundry, levitating tents, some ridiculous multi story tents, weirdly dressed people walking all over the place, some charmed muggles and incredibly busy ministry officials.

    I only had one thought about this debacle.

    ''This is just so like wizards.''

    No common sense, lack of true organization, improper use of ressources, incapable of properly implementing effective security measures and just the fact this is happening at the present location is mind boggling.

    ''But at least it has wonder and fun.'' Was my second thought as a smile spreads across my face due to the merriment happening all around.

    Although it would bring tears to the eyes of the Germans and Chinese, to see such an organized chaos, I couldn''t bring myself to want to truly change it. What I would want to do is let these men and women do their magic, but figure out a way to hide the fun properly.

    ''Pretty sure I could figure out a way to do it by mixing a downgraded version of the Fidelius charm, muggle repelling charms, notice-me-nots and a modified apparation/portkey ward. Now that I think about it, I only have the one project left, maybe that''s something to work on after it.'' I thought when I saw this problem in action and how I could help fix it.

    I walked around as Susan looks at everything with excitement. It was interesting thinking about how the two of us looked.

    Suzan looks like a hardcore Ireland fan, with green hair, team jersey, leprechaun accessories, and Ireland flags in her hands as she runs around and greets other fans with the same excitement she has at the moment. While I walk alongside her in one of my new suits, green tie and four leaf clover in my front pocket, watching my little sister being so happy with a warm smile.

    Like I''ve said before, I''m not the biggest Quidditch fan. But I have to show my support for one of our national teams in some way, even if I have to maintain my image as Lord Bones.

    In the excitement I managed to get Susan over to my friends.

    "Hey mate! How come you look like such a bore? You''re like Tory. Suz and I look so much better!" Yelled out Christian with some laughter.

    "Oh, speak for yourself Beast Boy. You can support a team and still look proper." Said the dismissive Tory as she shook her head.

    Unlike my wild friend, Victoria was wearing a nicely made emerald green dress. It matched her eyes and supported Ireland as a two for one. The dress exposed most of her shoulders, had proper sleeves, went all the way down to her black heels, but the dress hugged her body as her curves were emphasized by it, while wearing a green and white scarf of Ireland around her exposed shoulders. She looked beautiful to me, and she could still showed who she supported.

    "Although I do appreciate your efforts Christian, it is a bit much for me as well. It is very nice to see you as well Susan. I hope you had a pleasant summer so far." Then said my calm friend.

    Unlike Christian, James had a Jersey and a flag to show who he was supporting, coupled with green pants, but he didn''t paint or turn any of his body green.

    "Senior James! Sis Tory! It''s so cool to see you two! I am happy we all get to watch the game together!" Exclaimed the excited Susan as she went up to the two.

    "Hey! What about me? Why do I get ignored?" Complained the green Christian.

    "Because you''re rude and have never done anything nice for me." Said the girl as she turned her attention back to those she liked.

    "Haha! That''s my little sister." Laughed the happy Tory.

    "Sorry Christian. No luck for you on this front. Maybe all those clovers will help the team instead." Added a ''sorry'' looking James.

    "Maybe after you both geek out about the game she''ll like you more." I say in a comforting voice, pity in my eyes and a pat on the shoulder.

    "Noooooo!" Said the crestfallen guy as he exaggeratedly kneeled on the ground.

    "Well, he''ll snap out of it soon. Let''s get going, the rest of the people will join us after they''re done setting up." I say with a chuckle at my explosive friend.

    I then proceed to guide everyone in as Christian runs to catch up to us, trying to get his excitement levels back as he talked to Susan.

 Chapter 113 - Ch. 113 Chumps

    With my three friends keeping an eye out on Susan, I stayed out of our seats to wait for Harry, Sirius, Hermione, the Weasleys and the Diggory''s.

    Luckily enough, it didn''t take very long for them to show up as a group. I could hear the Weasleys being fussily herded by Molly, Amos Diggory bragging about his son, and the Golden trio excitedly talking about this and past games.

    Then I saw one Lucius Malfoy approach the group, looking for trouble alongside the Minister of Magic of Bulgaria and Fudge. It''s honestly funny watching himself feel like he''s better than others.

    "Good lord Arthur." He said softly. "What did you have to sell to get seats in the top box? Surely your house wouldn''t have fetched so much?"

    The man was mocking Arthur Weasley again and was about to turn his attention to Hermione before he heard a voice and froze.

    "Ah, Lord Lucius!" I called out with enthusiasm and a bright smile. "I am so happy to hear you''re doing so well. I was so worried when i heard you had to be admitted to St. Mungo''s, but I was delighted when we were able to fully prepare for next years Care of Magical Creatures and that you had donated so much to the hospital."

    The man''s face couldn''t get colder if he tried. He was looking at me with barely concealed rage with his grey eyes.

    "Ah. It would seem that you are still a bit under the weather. I can think of no other reasons for why such a good friend would be unhappy about to speak to another about his injury." I follow up with ''concern'' and ''pity''.

    Lucius simply turned and left as the Ministers were left a bit stunned at the situation.

    "Dob¨±r den na vas Minist¨±r." I say to the Bulgarian Minister with a smile, getting a slightly surprised expression and a nod in response. (Didn''t have the exact accents for the u''s, but that''s Bulgarian in our alphabet.)

    "Have a pleasant game as well Minister." I followed up with as I spoke to Fudge.

    "Ah!? Yes, thank you. Wai-wait! You speak Bulgarian! Then come help translate for me! I can''t find Barty anywhere and I don''t know the language!" Loudly said Fudge slightly desperately, while I saw a smirk on the Bulgarian Ministers face.

    "I am sorry sir, but I have to play the host to all my guest and cannot do so." I answered with an ''apologetic'' look on my face. Then I spotted Winky, Barty Crouch''s house-elf. "Ah! But I''ll have his little elf save his seat in my booth, hence when he comes I''ll direct him to you. How is that?" I asked with a big smile at my ''brilliant'' solution.

    "Well, y-yes, I mean-" the man tried to stutter as he was thinking.

    "Splendid! Now if you could follow everyone little Winky, I''m sure your master would be pleased to be in my box. It has a much better view than from the top and you won''t have to look down as much. Plus he will be near the Minister and the accommodations are better." I say as I slightly manipulate the height fearing House-elf.

    "You would to this for the master! How kind the young master is! How generous he is! Winky would be honored!" She exclaimed with a flurry of ear twitches.

    Unfortunately for her, I had already noticed the invisible man following her. I simply needed to have Crouch Jr. steal Harry''s wand like the original and it should go well. If the death eaters don''t come I''ll simply find him through a little tracking spell I have on him now and get it back, so no worries.

    I wish I could just end the man though. He was there when I was captured. He was there when my parents were murdered. But i must wait. Just one more year and then I will take my revenge slowly on the twitchy bastard.

    With everyone assembled in my VIP box, it was very lively.

    James was talking to Cedric and Bill Weasley about their own experiences in magic, Christian was having a blast talking to the twins and Charlie about dragons, pranks and quidditch, Sirius has also joined us after a while and hopped into the conversation with the a.d.u.l.ts, Ginny was having a good chat with Susan and Victoria about girl stuff, while the Golden trio and I were talking about some of their opinions on the upcoming match and school year. Percy was just being a twit in the corner as he tried to participate amongst the a.d.u.l.ts, but looked very uncomfortable.

    Soon enough the game started and the mascot creatures were introduced.

    The Irish team sent out their Leprechauns, dancing amongst the rainbows produced and showering the entire stadium with their fake gold, making the audience roar in delight since they didn''t know the stuff disappeared within a few hours. Ron tried to pay back Harry for the Omnioculars he had bought for him, but I told the kid about how the gold worked and he got a bit disappointed.

    Bulgaria sent out the Veela''s. Now although they aren''t unique to the the country, one could not deny their appeal as mascots. When the targets are men anyway. The seductive beings are made to attract males as prey or mates, making it very hard to resist. They possess their own abilities with fire and illusions as weapons, and can live for very long times. Pretty much all male eyes were on them as they ogled the enchanting beings, whilst women were either glaring at them or hitting their own partners for falling for their charms. Victoria on the other hand was surprised and very happy to see me staring at only her with a gentle gaze, getting her to blush a bit as she quickly turned away satisfied.

    With the mascots out of the way, the players could now join in. Ireland was cheered for with immense fervor as a home team and likely champions. Bulgaria on the other hand had a more subdued reaction, but the entire stadium erupted in cheers as Victor Krum was introduced to the field. His cheers shook the air as people celebrated the guys skill on a broom and his excellent performances so far in the tournament.

    The game began with great energy. Unfortunately it was immediately obvious that although Krum was beyond top class as a seeker, the rest of the team just couldn''t keep up at the peek of the sport. The Irish team was better in everything and the new brooms just made things a lot worse. The score kept climbing higher and higher until it was so bad that it was 160-00. That''s right, they were completely crushing the competition and if they couldn''t score even one goal they would lose no matter what. But at this level, the opposing team would not let you have it easy because they just kept scoring until it was now 210-10. It was only at this moment that Krum caught sight of the Snitch and went after it as fast as possible. He wanted to end this on his terms and save some manner of honor for his motherland. Such a crushing defeat was unacceptable after coming this far and this was the best option at this point due to the skill, equipment, and teamwork gap between the two teams. Even with his skills, by the time he caught the snitch Ireland had the chance to score once again, ending the match with 220-160 for Ireland.

    The match was short, but the skills on display were the real deal. It left many in an ecstatic mood, some Bulgaria/Krum fans were down at the defeat, but the celebratory mood overpowered such reactions as almost the entire stadium started celebrating at their tents.

    The parties were in full swing and in the Black tent, where we had decided to congregate in, was no exception. The twins danced and sang to victory, the a.d.u.l.ts were drinking quite the considerable amount of ''beverages'', the kids were mostly joining in on the the twins lead, whilst the trio was enjoying themselves as they talked and snacked. My three friends and I were all legally a.d.u.l.ts in the magical world, allowing us to drink as well. But all of us weren''t actually fans. Victoria had every reason to hate the stuff, I just didn''t get the appeal, James was against drinking in general, whilst our most likely to drink Christian actually didn''t like losing his sharp mind, body and instincts for the temporary buzz. It was drilled into him by his parents that such actions may lead to death while in the wild and was to be avoided as much as possible.

    But, something slightly surprised me all of a sudden. I felt attack magic being used, heard people screaming, sensed people fleeing and fear was in the air.

    ''I was ready for it, but who could it be under those robes aside from Lucius? Everyone but Selwyn and the Carrow''s were now dead or imprisoned. The only option was younger potential members fed that garbage they believe in so much that they joined in.'' I thought with a slight frown.

    "Tory, James, Christian! We''ve got company! You wanted some real combat and nows your chance! Everyone under seventeen is not to leave this tent! If danger comes your way I want you to head to the Forrest and hide! If forced I will permit the use of force! All a.d.u.l.ts not hammered right now will protect the kids while we check things out! IS EVERYTHING CLEAR!" I yelled out my command as I let my rulers aura flow out of me and making everyone respond to me instinctively.

    """""""""""""""""Yes!"""""""""""""""" They cried in unison.

    I saw Sirius wanting you argue but I looked at him intensely.

    "Sirius, I know your skills and abilities, but you have a responsibility towards Harry now and can''t be so reckless. You are the most skilled here and trust you to look after them." I said sternly to the man.

    He only hesitated for a second before nodding and getting to it.

    "Alright let''s go!" I yell to my now excited friends.

    We quickly run through the fleeing witches and wizards, making our way to the fires, screams and spells.

    Our arrival at the scene allowed us to see 8 men in heavy black robes, wearing metallic skull masks, while chanting and attacking some of the muggles in charge of the land we are on and burning tents for the hell of it.

    "I am not going to interfere unless something really wrong happens, so go wild on these assholes for ruining everybody''s good times." I say with a sinister smile.

    "You''re the best babe." Simply responded Tory with a predatory smile.

    "I''ll be on defense as usual." Declared the calm James.

    "I''m going to wreck those Murtlap f.u.c.kers!" Said the excited Christian.

    The three of them took out their wands and started attacking with practiced ease and skill.

    Christian started with a blasting curse to shock and disperse the group, following up with magically growing the grass to attack and restrain some of their opponents. Tory followed him up by attacking one of the loose opponents with a double knockback jinx and launching the guy flying as he screamed, then quickly sending severing charms to three hooded cunts and forcing them to drop their wand in pain. James focused on using the muddy ground to block spells as he manipulated it like it was a fluid, letting Christian and Victoria focus on the offense completely as he block four spells from the sloppy idiots.

    With half incapacitated already, the rest started to get more desperate as they casted curse after curse, trying to break through James'' defense. Unfortunately for these idiots, his skills were honed by studying me. And after he made it his own, his defensive style will just make his opponents will slowly suffocate. He was actually the one to start the counter-attack this round by solidifying the mud wall and turning the ground beneath the death wankers feet into swamps. With their movements hindered, Victoria jumped in with debilitating hexes to cause them to be drowsy and jinxes to hamper their visions and reaction speed. Resulting in a clear path for Christian to let it rip with a quartet of disarming charms so quick, one couldn''t see when one ended and another began.

    "Fantastic result and teamwork guys! You wiped the floor with these chumps, letting you have a good enough practice run for the future." I sincerely announced with a smile.

    The three looked at me with pleased expressions until they looked up and their smiles faded.

    I turned around quickly and see.

    "The Dark f.u.c.k.i.n.g Mark."

 Chapter 114 - Ch. 114 Culprits and Blood

    "Aedan! What are you doing here?!" Yelled out a very familiar voice as it arrived with others.

    "Mother?" I answered back in a bit of a surprise.

    "What happened here?" She asked as her eyes widened at the scene of seven disabled and wounded men.

    "Hi, umm, we took care of the idiots." I said with an awkward chuckle.

    "Fine. I''ll talk to you when we get home. For now we have a bigger problem. Two of you secure the area, the rest to the mark." She quickly ordered as she looked at her men.

    "You guys head back to the tent for this one. You won''t be able to do anything about the situation. It can''t feel any fighting from the origin point, so I guess someone casted it and ran away." I tell my friends as they were watching the scene.

    "Well, that was short." Said Christian as he put his hands on the back of his head.

    "Less conflict is always a better thing Christian." Chided James with a shack of his head.

    "But they were so pathetic. Not even a true challenge. They had more than twice our number and still barely put up a fight." Snorted Victoria.

    "This was only one of the groups. I''m guessing they split up." Informed Amelia as everyone ran towards the Dark Mark, and I split away from my friends.

    "I''ll go on ahead. I''m faster." I informed mother as I burst out, my muscles exploding with power as I almost disappear from my previous spot. Leaving behind a blur and some stunned wizards.

    "That boy, always rushing ahead." Simply said Amelia with a slightly amused look on her face.

    I could feel the wind rush through my hair and whistle in my ears as I blew past burning tents and panicking people. All of those present feared the mark in the sky as they ran from it.

    I could feel Crouch Jr. fleeing the place as he dropped Harry''s wand, and by extension the trio near it.

    Unfortunately I could also feel almost two dozen wizards surrounding them and shooting spells at the kids.

    With looks of shock and awe from those present, I let my passive aura leak out of me as I spoke.

    "It seems the Ministry is incapable of confirming who exactly they are trying to take down." I said in a cold voice.

    "Move out of the way child! These are the culprits behind this damnable mark!" Yelled out a man with unnaturally neat, short gray hair, with a narrow toothbrush mustache, wearing a black suit and highly polished shoes, making him look like a Muggle businessman.

    "You will address me properly Mr. Crouch! And you will do well to understand exactly who you are accusing!" I spoke out as he suddenly felt the pressure sobering his emotions quickly.

    "Fine then. Lord Bones you will move out of the way and we will detain the culprits behind the Dark Mark as is our duty." He responded after taking a breath, but with an emotionless tone.

    "So you want me to believe three soon-to-be fourth years, one being a muggleborn, another being the son of the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office in the Ministry of Magic, and the third being Harry freaking Potter, shot the Dark Mark into the sky? I will once again ask for you to understand. WHO EXACTLY ARE YOU ACCUSING HERE?!" I said as I let my eyes glow with power, making them look like blue flames.

    All those present felt my strength this time, as the pressure forced them to almost unconsciously submit.

    "The-then where is the culprit? Only they were here and no others were found." Crouch tried to argue.

    "We saw someone over there cast a spell as they pointed a wand towards the sky right before that thing appeared. They fled right after though." Interjected Harry as he was trying to prove his innocence and help out.

    "Thank you Harry. Now if anyone can check the area. I am thinking your reckless attacks may have done unintentional good." I said to the surrounding people.

    A witch quickly took the initiative to head over with a duo following right behind her as I stared down Bartemius Crouch Senior.

    A few moments of tension later, with the kids behind me and the rest in front of me, the group came back holding a little body and a wand.

    "We found this house-elf unconscious beside this wand. She was directly under the mark." Informed the witch.

    "My wand! I thought I forgot it in the tent!" Harry blurted out.

    "So you admit your wand was used to cast the mark. Clearly you have some involvement in this." Said Crouch as he rushed to accuse Harry.

    "Mr. Crouch." My ice cold voice resounded, making everyone freeze at the danger they now felt. "You will remain quiet or I will incapacitate you while we have a proper investigation. You are lucky I am not killing you where you stand for what your son was responsible for putting me through and the murder of my parents. So you will shut up or I will no longer tolerate your presence."

    I was no longer presenting my rulers aura, it was now pure bloodl.u.s.t assaulting the man as he started shivering at my threat, making him unable to even try and respond.

    "Harry, go and pick up your wand. We will cast Prior Incantato on it to see if the culprit used your wand to cast the mark. And with the only witness present, Winky here will then be reanimated." I said as everyone dared not disagree. Plus it was the logical thing to do instead of rashly pointing fingers before any facts were determined.

    The kid got his wand and came back under the gaze of everyone, whilst I motioned first him to pass it over for a second. I casted the reverse charm aloud, so that no one doubted it was what was casted, and with it came out the small image of the dark mark.

    "Aedan, what have you found?" She asked in her Head of the DMLE voice.

    "Someone took Harry''s wand to cast the Mark, these men and women thought the trio were responsible, they fired stunners, hit Mr. Crouch''s house-elf which was found fainted next to said wand. I may have lost a bit of control and let my emotions get the better of me, so I will turn everything over to you Mother." I explain calmly to the woman as I hand the wand back to Harry. "Please do cooperate Mr. Crouch. I am sure Madam Bones would love to hear you opinions while I take these kids back where they belong." I added with a polite smile which didn''t reach my eyes.

    Without waiting for anyone''s agreement, I guided the stunned kids away from the scene and head back for the Black tent.

    I waited until we were far enough before asking them a question.

    "Why are you three in the forest? I thought I told everyone to stay together in the tent." I asked the quiet teenagers.

    "Um, well. Sirius and Mr. Weasley told us to go hide here when they found out more than one group was attacking muggles. So they told everyone who wasn''t an a.d.u.l.t yet to go and hide while they help take care of things." Answered a slightly nervous Harry.

    "Great, more idiots with delusions of grandeur." I say to no one in particular.

    "We also saw that git Draco while we were hiding. He basically threatened Hermione and all but said his dad was participating." Added in Ron.

    "Lucius really can''t change. I had hoped my little playing around with him would rein him in a bit, but if he continues this way only ruin awaits him." I sigh in response to the Malfoy families actions.

    "What do you mean?" Cautiously asked the curious girl.

    "Blood supremacy is a dead end leading to worsening magic, lost of bloodline gifts, genetic abnormalities, decreasing number of members in each subsequent generation, dying traditions, lost of family lines and knowledge, and lowering of intelligence as time passes. The implementation of the ideal would kill the magical world within 4 generations at most, unless they involve half-bloods." I explain plainly as we walk.

    "What? Really?" Asked a surprised Ron.

    "Yeah. This is all based on evidence. Doesn''t remotely help their case that the most powerful and famous wizards of the modern age are all half-bloods." I answered the red-head.

    "Wait! Is that really true? Then who are they!" Excitedly asked Hermione.

    "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Harry James Potter and Aedan Micheal Bones." I answered with a little smile. "The Headmasters, Harry''s and my mother were all muggle-born witches, while Tom''s father was a muggle."

    The three were slack-jawed at the revelation. They had never thought about that common factor between the four of us.

    "But that can''t be the reason why all of you are strong." Said Hermione after thinking for a bit.

    "No it certainly isn''t. We all had a drive to improve and gain more power, for various reasons and goals of course, but it is hard to dismiss the theory that introducing new magical blood into the old lines helps ignite latent potential hidden within." I explained to the curious girl.

    "And why is that?" She asked as the two guys listened.

    "I believe it is because muggle-born have purer magical blood in all honesty. To me they represent a new line, devoid of any advantages or disadvantages. They are blanks if you will. They can help ignite a dying bloodline, or if generations of muggle-born marry into a new line exclusively as some purebloods try to do. I believe new magical gifts and affinities would rise up from that now ''pureblood'' wizard family. That is actually my theory on how metamorphmagi and parseltongues came to be in the first place, with the possibility of old rituals or spells, but still a solid possibility." I answered the young witch.

    "Then doesn''t that mean you are on the complete opposite side of Death Eaters?" Asked Ron with a sudden realization.

    "Of course I am. What kind of person do you take me for?" I scoffed as I over-exaggeratedly responded, getting a few chuckles.

    We were getting closer to the tent field as we chatted when Harry suddenly spoke up about something that had been bugging him.

    "Aedan, I know this isn''t really a proper thing to ask, but why were you so mad at Mr. Crouch?" Said the kid hesitantly.

    "Harry! You shouldn''t ask that! It''s personal." Chided a high-pitched Hermione.

    "Yeah mate, not sure this is the best time either." Ron surprisingly said as he agreed with the girl.

    "It''s alright you two. The answer is simple." I say to them with a calm look. "His son was an extremely devoted follower of Voldycunt. He, along with several of His stronger followers, attacked my family and wiped out pretty much everyone except for myself, my aunt and Susan. Although he was sent to Azkaban, I cannot stop my loathing for the man who raised the bastard who killed my parents." I answered to the now stunned trio.

    "I''m sorry. I really shouldn''t have asked that. I know how bad it feels when people ask those types of questions and I just did it to you." Said a very guilty looking Harry as he realized how bad it I must feel.

    "It''s alright Harry. I know what you went through, so it''s only fair you get a bit of my past as well." I said with a small sigh as I look up to the stars.

    ''I Hope I''ve at least made my presence in their son acceptable through my actions and accomplishments.'' I suddenly thought as I remembered who''s body this should have truly been.

    I dropped the trio over to their guardians, then head over to my own friends as they questioned me about what had happened after they separated.

    After being grilled for answers, everyone finally went to bed as some of the parents were running around trying to help. Making it an interesting finale for the Quidditch World Cup.

 Chapter 115 - Ch. 115 Depth of Friendship

    The next morning came, and with it the rushing Ministry officials and members running around like crazy.

    "You four take care of Susan and go back home. I need to head directly to the Ministry and take care of this mess. That damn Rita Skeeter had write that article. Now we have people complaining about ineptitude." Amelia said in an annoyed manner.

    The article she''s talking about has to do with the fact that aside from the seven captured because of us. Skeeter basically slandered the Ministry by saying they were so bad that ''children'' were more effective in the apprehension of the rioters. The Prophet jumped on the opportunity to run her trash talk. They needed any kind of attention grabbing news they could get with the domination The Herald had achieved in the news. I received a report that she wanted to publish her article through us, but we don''t publish any pure slander without having a true understanding of the situation. She didn''t want to not have her article published at all, since she knew if we looked into it and her arguments would fall apart. Thus she went to the Prophet for a lower bar.

    "No worries mother. Go show those fools how it''s done." I said with a small smile on my face.

    "Yeah no worries. Bro and his friends can take down anyone." Agreed Susan with certainty.

    "Of course. If anyone tries to harm my little sister they will have to bring an army." I declared with my c.h.e.s.t puffed out.

    "That''s not funny when you''re the one saying it." Said Christian with a little chuckle.

    "He''s not wrong though. From what Aedan has told us about his current power, it might really take an army to bring him down properly." James added as he gave the comment serious thought.

    "Like he will even get a chance. I am more than enough to beat down any punk with ideas on Susan." Victoria said as she hugged Suz from behind.

    "I am glad you made such reliable friends dear." Mother gently said as she calmed down a bit from our behavior.

    "Hehe, I helped make them reliable. They were just loners and geeks before." I say while chuckling.

    """Hey!""" They responded in unison.

    "Prove me wrong!" I simply shouted as I dodged some fists and feet while laughing.

    "Stop dodging you git! I''ll get you!" Shouted Christian as he wildly tried to hit me.

    "Well, it''s not exactly an erroneous statement. But I still wish to hit you for that." Calmly said James as he was using his goblin hand-to-hand combat training.

    "You mentioned my dark past. As my man that is an even more unforgivable crime." Darkly murmured Victoria as she kept trying to get sneak attacks in.

    "Hahahahahaha! You guys are so close to each other, it warms an old lady''s heart." Laughed mother sincerely as she watched how we interacted.

    That laughter actually stopped everyone in their tracks because it has never happened before.

    "Hahaha oooh! It has been a long time since I had such a true laugh. Thank you for that you all. I hope my son doesn''t cause you too many headaches and you can all keep being together like this." She followed up as she wiped little tears of laughter in her eyes.

    "He''s not getting rid of us that easy." Proudly declared Christian after a moment and with a bright smile, but not forgetting to get a free hit on my abs.

    James simply nodded in agreement with a determined look on his face, getting my arm with a punch.

    "He''s my man, of course I''m not leaving." Simply stated Tory as she hugged my arm with her ample assets, after she pinched my side.

    "Such good people you''ve all grown up to be. Alright I''ll be off." She simply said with a warm smile and lighter heart.

    With a rowdy and energetic farewell, we also headed back to our homes in order for all of us to prepare for our final year at Hogwarts.

    During the time up to our departure, I heard two pieces of news which reassured me.

    Although I felt bad about this, Bertha Jorkins has disappeared and the ministry was taking fire for that one as well. This most likely meant Moldy and his rat knew about Little Barty being alive and loyal, but under his fathers control. It also meant that the Crouch family member under the Imperius would change very soon. Unfortunately for elder Crouch, I have a grudge against his family and I have no obligation to help the man who released that animal from Azkaban. I don''t give a shit about his wife''s last request. He murdered my family. Kidnapped me, hence is responsible for me suffering all that pain. Broke my mother''s heart. And he tortured and killed dozens more.

    ''They will both die be the end of the year! So don''t lose control. You''ve waited this long and a little more will do no difference.'' I thought to myself as was pondering their situations and trying to keep a cool head.

    The second piece of news being the attack on Mad-eye Moody''s home and subsequent increase in twitchiness a few days later. This should mean Little Crouch has started to really acclimatize to his role. This would be verified when Moody/''Moody'' shows up as the new DADA Professor for the year.

    ''If he tries that same crap like in the canon, I will show him what someone with real willpower and mental strength can achieve.'' I declared to myself as i remembered his first lessons on the Unforgivables.

    Aside from that, Susan and I got ready for the year, preparations which now include getting Dress Robes for men and dresses for the ladies.

    Susan was going for a red full skirt gown, to match of reddening hair which has been changing as she m.a.t.u.r.ed, almost matching the family trait now. It was nice and I praised my little sister for hitting it out of the park.

    Although I am protective and love her a lot, I am not overprotective. I will not stop her from finding her happiness or dating. Some things are only learnt through experiencing such them. But if someone really wrongs her or tries to, they will not have a pleasant time.

    Back to the fancy wizard wear, I ordered a hybrid of magic and muggle design. I knew I would be dancing with a lady who loves green, during the Yule ball decorated with a winter theme, coupled with my white skin and silver/white hair and striking blue eyes. These facts resulted in my idea for my dress robe. The outer robe would be pure white, with some green elven patterns embroidered across the robe, like delicate vines embracing me. The inner robe would be a white tux to complement the robe and me, to result in my matching Tory but also showing off my own strong points.

    It did feel a little chuuni to be honest. Kinda like I was doing some cosplay of an elf version of Eishi Tsukasa from Shokugeki no Soma, but manlier.

    Oh well.

    With that taken care of, it was time to begin our trip to Hogwarts once again. This year Amelia was a bit more rushed due to the Ministry still trying to put out its fires, but she still took the time to see us off.

    At least fewer reporters were trying to get pictures and interviews this year. I think it''s mostly due to me not releasing anything this summer. But by the winter, my name would resound across the magical world for new reasons, so I should prepare for that.

    Why do you ask? It''s not only because I will most likely be the Hogwarts Champion, but also because I submitted the data we have collected on my vaccine against Lycanthropy to the Ministry for proper licensing, registration and approval.

    The reason we decided to go through with it is because of an extraordinary result we received during the last week. The baby of our volunteer couple, two full werewolves, didn''t have the disease! That''s right. The baby was perfectly healthy by all standards and did not inherit his parents burden. We actually ran some tests and found that he should possess a resistance towards the virus naturally. Meaning he is now very unlikely to become a werewolf, even if scratched or bitten. It''s not immunity, but it has pushed the curing of lycanthropy another dozen steps further with just him existing. And because of this, we''ve started preparing to give the vaccine to all of our affiliated werewolves, letting them live completely normal lives. The only difference is the additional shot.

    I will probably reveal my original spell at some point before the end of my seventh year, but I''m hoping to get my second one completed before then.

    That front actually had some progress. A flash of inspiration hit me when I was studying my own flame and trying to properly transform it into its Arithmantic equivalent. I succeeded in isolating the helpful, pure, healing and protective properties of the Phoenix flames from the destructive dragon ones, giving me that flash. The idea was to merge some of these isolated properties with the concepts for my Protego Sanctum and the Patronus. The goal was to form an advanced form of the Patronus Charm, changing it from a supportive and somewhat limited spell, to an offensive magic capable of harming and or killing those from/with the dark side of magic.

    The study of my flame also led me to an interesting accidental discovery as well. I found out that the healing properties of the fire could be harnessed and used to increase the power of ones healing spells as a whole, like paraseltongue would do. I also theorized that if i can properly change this element to a spell, I would be able to start a revolution in the field of healing. This one I''ve decided to work on with Victoria, in the hopes of giving her inspiration and another tool to develop her new treatments.

    As I was thinking about my current projects and futur actions, my friends started to arrive in the cabin I had occupied.

    First was Victoria as always, letting us have a proper greeting between the both of us. Meaning snogging of the highest order, with lots of roaming hands in our concealed cabin.

    Then my two other friends joined us one after the other, quickly getting settled in as we talked about the odd addition to this years list of required materials. Aside from that, nothing much was new since we saw each other less than a week ago and write between ourselves on our private boxes.

    But the time had come.

    "So, I''ll speak for the three of us and say that it''s time for you to check our progress and hopefully keep your end of the deal from before the summer." Said Tory seriously as she looked directly into my eyes with determination.

    I steel my own resolve and look at my two guy friends sporting similar expressions on their faces, letting me know they were all ready for this.

    "Very well. But be warned that I will truly be encroaching into your minds this time. It will not be the gentle surface probs I usually use. I will pry open your minds and you might not even know, or it might be a near violent event. This will not be fun nor easy. It will be something which might even make you fear what I can do." I explained to the three of them with upmost seriousness.

    "I trust and respect you too much my raven." Answered Tory with a gentle but unwavering voice.

    "You''re my friend, mentor and a rival. Bring it." Declared Christian with fire in his eyes as his passion roared.

    "You showed me so much light in this world. I believe I can also handle some of its darkness. So test us and we shall overcome it." Stated James with his will powering his words.

    "Alright. I will do it one at a time." I say in response to their wills.

    "Prepare yourselves!" I declare as my eyes glow with power.

 Chapter 116 - Ch. 116 Clever Defenses

    My gaze first landed on Christian.

    My blazing blue eyes meeting his electric blue ones.

    In that instant I entered his mind, but it was surprising to find how he made his defenses.

    Unlike mine, which are set defenses with reactive counter-attacks depending on the intruders methods and abilities, Christian created a defensive world around his mind. What made me admire the set up was that it seemed to be made up of an untamed jungle made up of magical plants and trees.

    These were part of his defenses as every plant was aggressive, poisonous, venomous, lethal or constrictive. One would constantly be assaulted by them as you tried to push further into his mind. It was a completely hostile world. Which unfortunately, was completely crushed by my flames as I copied the same principle I used during my ritual and what happened during my bonding with Sol, burning the place to the ground as I moved forward.

    Then the second part of Christian''s defenses kicked in as hordes of magical creatures and beings started to charge through the forest. I could see dragons, griffins, Hippogriffs, Nundus, Chimeras, Trolls, Giants, Veelas, Acromantulas, Lethifolds, Dementors and even some Basilisks. It was something any wizard would just give up in despair upon seeing.

    This was more difficult not only because of how well made these were, but the teamwork they could exhibit between each other and the plants was extremely difficult to counter. It was the acc.u.mulation of Christian''s knowledge, understanding and creativity in action. He replicated every single one of the most dangerous creatures and plants he knew, then added teamwork and strategy to their behavior, resulting in a deadly defense.

    This is if you are able to breach through his preliminary defenses, which consists of the standard wall, fake memories and ''junk'' images. Only then can you tackle the real defenses. But i just blasted through those to reach this place.

    In all honesty, these defenses were incredible. I could only see someone getting through if they are so sneaky his mind didn''t notice them. Something I believe only I am capable of. Or burst through with sheer power. Which I believe only Vol, Dumble, and myself should be able to achieve due to Christian''s magical strength, his will, and mental abilities.

    The onslaught of the horde only ended once i had almost scorched the entire jungle world which had been created. All that surrounded me was ash and bones as I stared into the hole leading to Christian''s core. I could also feel a very real threat of death coming from that hole. My only explanation being that I theorized that this hole was actually the Charybdis, blocking the true entrance as a ''hole''.

    But since I had a thorough understanding of my friends level of Occlumency, I decided to end the incursion here and retreat.

    As I returned to the real world, I could see a panting and sweating Christian struggling to stay upright.

    "You''re defenses were very well thought out and creative Christian. I could only offer to improve it through more variety within your jungle. Maybe adding mountainous, swamp or water domains to help strengthen it. Aside from that, it is powerful." I say as I give out my evaluation.

    "Merlin''s saggy t.i.t.s mate. That was ten times worst then what Master Scamander ever got me into." Declared the guy as his breathing stabilized.

    "That bad?" Asked a slightly curious James.

    "I could barely slow him down. It felt like he was peeling away layers of myself and stopped right before exposing me completely. Not something one experiences for fun." Christian explained with a shake of his head.

    "James, ready yourself. You shall be next." I declare to my peaceful friend.

    "I am ready. Come." He answered with a nod.

    "Good, then look into my eyes." I ordered to begin.

    I broke through the standard defenses with a bit more effort than with Christian, James having made it more flexible than our friend.

    Once I was in his true defensive core, I was welcomed by the sight of great fortress walls, with soldiers manning the ramparts and throwing rocks, shooting arrows, dumping burning oil and shooting crossbow bolts at me.

    ''Looks like James made a castle to defend himself, but I doesn''t feel like I am close to the center of his mind at all.'' I mused as I understood the structure in front of me.

    I decided to bust through the front on this one, using pure power. I wanted to see what would happen when I broke this castle of his.

    After erasing it from existence, the area changed into another type of battlefield. This time i was on a mountain, as I was being besieged this time. I was alone facing an entire army this time.

    I set them all aflame, but then the scenario changed again.

    One battlefield or fortress after another was created as I rampaged through them without stopping. I then gained an understanding of how my usually peaceful and gentle friend developed his defenses. He used his ideals on combat, his goblin training and his education to create an unending series of battles to wear down the intruder until they can''t sustain their presence. It is made to slowly whittle down the strength and endurance of the enemy.

    This is very James like in all honesty. If he has to fight, he will do it in the most secure fashion to protect himself and others. He doesn''t aggressively attack others, but he lets them exhaust themselves in the face of his absolute defense. What was interesting was his ideology for an absolute defense in Occlumency. He didn''t need it to stop any and all intruders immediately. He just needed to gradually stop them bit by bit.

    After some time barreling through the scenarios like the Juggernaut, I finally reached the last line of defense James had designed. I could feel him beyond it. And living up to its importance, the place was impressive. It was like seeing an even deadlier Death Star floating above you whilst all of its canons pointed at you. It was impressive because I''m guessing it also has a variety of troops within, probably some spacesh.i.p.s to stop me from entering, some ground forces and maybe even forces waiting above it.

    Feeling satisfied from the effort it took to make it here, I smiled and retreated. Now seeing the drenched James trying to stay conscious.

    Giving him some time to recover and a bit of magic and potion to help, I waited for him to be ok.

    "Christian was right, not a pleasant time." He simply said with a depreciating smile.

    "This is a good experience for you as well. Your set up is very in keeping with your style, but you need to make it more difficult for stronger people to wipe the slate. I think giving self-destruct commands or more powerful troops could help you along the way." I inform my blonde friend.

    "I''ll do what I can." He said resolutely.

    "Good. Now you''re next Tory. Are you ready?" I asked with no emotions in my voice.

    "Do it. Do not insult me by going easy on me or faking it." She answered without any hesitation.

    "Alright. Then look into my eyes." I simply say afterwords.

    As I met her emerald gaze, I entered her mind.

    Breaking through the surface traps only led to a defense I would call a wizard killer. Unless one used overwhelming power to break through the obstacles, they had to answer questions on every topic of magic and science Victoria knew. You either had to be so powerful you could dominate her, or you had to be smarter than her. It was simple in concept, but with her strength and intelligence, it was a near impregnable defense.

    It followed the same logic Snape used to protect the philosopher stone a few years ago: knowledge and common sense. That is what wizards lack the most and what I wish to help them get. She used that concept without knowing it, and pushed it to its limits as an Occlumency defense.

    I had to admit that Tory''s efforts in muggle science and psychology have paid off phenomenally. She even had barriers which could stump me, leaving me impressed at my girls progress in the field of medicine. It made me want to help her become the goddess of her field, simply because I believe she could revolutionize it.

    I had similar beliefs for Christian when it comes to helping nature thrive and towards James'' potential to create things which will blow the minds of witches and wizards.

    Back in Tory''s mind, I found an interesting pattern emerging from the questions and problems: there was a increase in the fields where more time was taken or the obstacle was overpowered. This meant her defenses had a pattern recognition ability and adjusted the questions to make things more and more difficult for the intruder. In my case, an increase in muggle medicine from all over the world and human psychology questions. It was like her defenses were mocking people''s lack of knowledge.

    Oh well, the door explodes.

    As I reached the core, the final question was revealed to me. It was surprising to see that it wasn''t a straightforward question, but a riddle.

    ''I am a star guiding the lost.

    I am a child full of wonder.

    I am the key to your questions.

    I can shine the brightest light.

    I know the darkest shadows.

    I welcome those at my door.

    I heal the wounded before me.

    Who am I?''

    With a warm smile, I ended my intrusion and returned to the cabin, finding a slightly sweating Victoria with signs of fatigue. But when she saw my warm gaze she responded with her own since she understood.

    "Your defenses are brilliant Tory. Difficult, clever and adaptive. The only improvement would be something similar to what I advised James earlier." I say to her with a smile.

    "Told you boys mine were the best." She gloated to the guys with a c.o.c.ky smile.

    "Yeah yeah. The Queen has proved her skills." Said Christian with a teasing voice.

    "I would love to workshop some improvements with you two after this as well. We''ve mostly worked alone on this homework of ours." Added James with a calm smile.

    "I do agree that everyone could improve through sharing their own experience. Even I got a few inspirations from your executions." I agreed with a bright smile.

    "Yes, yes. Always learning and improving." Victoria dismissively said. " Now! You uphold your end of the deal. You said we all had great defenses, so talk." She Impatiently added.

    My three friends were looking at me intensely, hoping to finally know my secrets.

    "A deal is a deal." I agree calmly as a small smile hangs on my lips.

 Chapter 117 - Ch. 117 Q&A Session

    "Ask the questions you have about me." I simply said to my friends after securing the cabin to insane levels.

    "What have you been doing that we don''t know?" Quickly asked Christian.

    "You''ll have to be more specific about that. I have been doing a lot of things no one knows about." I answered calmly.

    "What do you mean?" James asked in response.

    "You will have to ask about what I do in school and out of it." I answered swiftly.

    "Fine then. What have you been up to outside of school?" Christian asked after correcting himself.

    "Well, everything started when I bought some stocks in muggle world. I gained massive profits from those since I was young. But my activities only really started when I released two books under a pseudonym." I answered by going back to the root of my activities.

    "I''m going to skip over the stocks, but what books? I didn''t know you publish more than your books from last summer." Asked James in response.

    "Well, that''s pretty simple. I made a little guide and an information book about a particular affliction, making my pseudonym a little infamous. So I never took credit for them." I explained with a little smile on my lips.

    "You can''t be serious! You can''t be him!" Suddenly exclaimed Victoria as she looked at me in complete shock.

    "What do you mean girl? What did you figure out?" Asked Christian, surprised at his friends sudden outburst.

    "Wait a second. No, it can''t be. You... you''re really him?" Carefully asked James as his eyes widened in disbelief.

    "Not you too James! Tell me what you two realized!" Complained Christian as he was left out of the loop.

    "If he''s not lying, Aedan just admitted to being Micheal Folster. The mysterious and infamous founder of FIRM. Author of the Muggle-born guide and ''Blinded to facts about Werewolves''." Explained James quietly as Christian''s mouth opened.

    "Well, I am also the founder and owner of Breaking Grounds Apothecary, Natural Cultivation farms, The Herald, Fortress Protections, The Muggle Toy Box, a variety of creature preserves, some material farms, and probably the owner of the best information network in the country." I corrected plainly, looking at their reactions.

    Silence filled the cabin as they tried to process what I just told them. Even Victoria, who had been quietly listening, had her lips parted in utter shock.

    After a few minutes of computing, Tory finally started the questions again.

    "Wouldn''t this mean you are the ric.h.e.s.t and most influential person in the world right now?" She asked seriously.

    "Hmmm. I don''t know about the world, but I sincerely doubt anyone could come close to me in the UK. But if people knew the depths of my influence, I doubt they''d feel safe. It is just too much power for any single person to wield." I answered after a bit of thought.

    "I can sorta understand that. I''ve read about Fortress and Natural Cultivation. They are leagues above everyone else. Not many people realize this, but Fortress probably as better forces, equipment and facilities than the Ministry itself right now. Just that is dangerous enough. But you also have a near monopoly in the herb market as well. I can see why now. If they''ve had your ideas and training put into action, then no one stood a chance." Suddenly commented Christian this time.

    "And with you also holding the field of Potions in the palm of your hands, coupled with your contracts to multiple Hospitals giving you immense pull. Then you add your self-proclaimed information network, which includes The Herald itself, probably spy''s in the ministry, Fortress and whatever other means you''ve concocted." Added Victoria thoughtfully.

    "Not forgetting your relationship with Goblins, Centaurs, Merpeople, Veelas, Werewolves and muggle/muggle-borns. Your obvious wealth, the control you have over materials from plants and animals, the innovations you have a complete monopoly over and personal strength also bring in other factors." Also added James this time.

    "All, this makes us see why you would say that." Concludes Tory with a sigh.

    "Honestly makes me glad I am your friend mate. How did no one ever notice that you basically took control of everything?" Asked the shaken Christian.

    "It is because I am not directly involved in any of this. I selected the official creators of each of those businesses, gave them ressources, information, ideas, training and opportunities, but the rest was their own results. They took what I offered them and built the giants standing today. And even if they had to contact me, it was all through my aides." I explain to my friends as I make them start thinking again.

    "And that is who Scott Cross is I assume. The only man known to be in direct contact with Micheal Folster. The only man the wizarding world has seen when it comes to his affairs. But you mentioned aides, as in more than one. Who are the others?" My calm friend asked this time.

    "That would be Geri. She is a werewolf who approached me to help her people. We had a rocky beginning, but I brought her in and trained her to be my left hand. She is the one responsible for the underworld of the wizarding community. And so, her duties are completely different from Scott''s, making her unknown to anyone." I answered with a summarized explanation.

    "It''s a woman is it?" Suddenly asked Tory in a suspicious voice.

    "Don''t you worry. She and Scott like each other. I''m quite excited to see when those two will hook up for real. I am guessing when she hears the effects of my vaccine, she''ll jump for it." I said to the young woman with a chuckle, relaxing her.

    "There was a breakthrough?" Curiously asked Christian this time.

    "Not a breakthrough, just a wonderful secondary result. I''ll give you the report another time since that part is known to you guys." I say, satisfying his momentary curiosity.

    "And how long have you been managing all of this? And why?" Asked Victoria, trying to get to the heart of the matter.

    "Because it is the path towards my dream and my true d.e.s.i.r.e in life." I answer without any hesitation.

    "You mentioned that when you confessed. You saw me beside you as you saw your d.e.s.i.r.e come true. But what is it?" She followed up to ask.

    "I want to make magic something wonderful again. I want people to think, create, improve, innovate, revolutionize, preserve and be better. I started FIRM to stop outdated thinking, Breaking Grounds to stimulate innovations and encourage the trading of knowledge, Natural Cultivation to give new options to the world, Fortress to protect those afraid of being oppressed by existing powers and combat evil, The Herald to develop critical thought and free people from chains called mob mentality, the Toy Box to make people understand the world they really live in, and BonesWorks to push magic further in any way I could. Everything else is secondary. The money is useful to fund more projects and help others improve their conditions. The power is a by-product obtained through the innovative ideas, products made by embracing new ideas properly and quality products/services. And my influence is a necessary ''evil'' because I need something to have other follow these steps toward progress. It won''t just happen, but I hope I can make it happen through all of these." I explain with a fervor this time, once again reducing the cabin to silence.

    "How can I even be worthy of standing next to you at this point?" Victoria asked with a tired look on her face this time.

    "It''s simple, because I can already see you revolutionize the way healing is done. I know you will be a Queen amongst them. You will open the doors to new knowledge and ideas, forming the path forward to the future. You, Christian and James are the very manifestation of my dream. You three stand beyond the forefront of what our generation is capable of doing. You are the proof that my d.e.s.i.r.e can become reality. People driven to improve and innovate, resulting in magic taking strides forward. That is why I''ve always been proud of being friends and loving you." I answered passionately, with a smile of my face.

    This answered turned Victoria expression of near despair into a blossoming smile, whilst Christian and James looked touched at my level of belief in them. The three never really heard about what I believe their potentials are. But they needed to know now. My achievements were too dazzling in general, and could ruin their self-esteem. I just reminded them of the path they are walking on to strengthen them.

    "You''re right. Why am I moping around? I already have my research and I am almost ready to knock the socks off those old ladies at St. Mungo''s. I''ll show them how healing is done." Tory declared with her fire back.

    "Haha! You just lit a fire in me mate! Just you wait, I''ll show you something truly spectacular I''ve been planing with the help of Mr. Scamander, my parents and Hagrid. It''ll blow your mind when you hear it." Said Christian as his spirit was blazing.

    "Give me another few years and I will show you enchanting unseen in the wizarding world. My work will resonate for ages." James said in his low voice, but it was showing his quiet spirit.

    "I know you three will do great! So what other questions do you have?" I asked with a smile.

    "You said you wanted to divide the things you''ve done but not told us in two: in and out of school. So what have you not told us about the happenings of Hogwarts?" Asked James after giving it some thought.

    "The first thee years were completely honest except for two things: my knife and my time-turner." I answered honestly.

    "You have a time-Turner!? How''d you get one!? The Ministry really regulates those things like crazy!" Asked Christian in shock.

    "I found it in the Room of Lost Things. After I found the place, the idea came to mind. It took me quite a while, finding a few broken ones i didn''t want to mess with due to not knowing how they truly worked, but I persevered until I found this bad boy." I answered as I took out the silver pocket watch from my pouch. "It''s how I was able to make so much progress in my research while still attending class. It''s also why I rejected the one they offered me for third year." I added quickly.

    "You has this the whole time and didn''t share?" Asked Tory with narrowed eyes this time.

    "Too dangerous to mess with time too much. I was not going to risk it. Even I limit myself strictly when using it and I didn''t want any unforeseen problems. But you three are strong and intelligent wizards and witch, so I will actually be letting the three of you use it under strict conditions this year." I answered seriously this time, not letting any opportunity for debate on the issue.

    "You said you also had a knife? Is that the Phoenix dagger that my teacher was so proud of? He said it was the best he''s ever made." Asked James with excitement in his eyes.

    Instead of taking it out normally, I let it fly out of its sheath to the surprise of everyone.

    "It is probably my deadliest weapon. Insane speed, durability, sharpness, control and stealth. No one except you three and some goblins know it exists, and it is one of my trump cards." I explain as I marveled at the beauty of the silver knife.

    "I am going to ask you to let me study it. Your enchantments are simple but brutally efficient. I feel like it could really inspire me." James responded with an artisans passion.

    "Mate, how could you never get me one of these? It looks so f.u.c.k.i.n.g awesome!" Asked Christian with a look in his eyes almost showing him wanting to steal it here and now.

    "Why did you keep such a useful toy to yourself babe? Now i won''t want anything else for Christmas." Victoria added with a ''pout''.

    "Haha! No worries. James will be able to make some pretty soon I believe, so it won''t be a problem to get more." I said with a hearty laugh, getting James to shake his head a bit at his predicted orders.

    "Yes I''ll make knives for the both of you. It''ll have to wait a bit for me to really master everything, but it''ll happen." He said with a wry smile. "But Aedan, you said that was for the first three years, so what happened after?" He also asked.

    "You guys remember how Professor Quirrell disappeared during our fourth year right? And how Gryffindor got awarded a bunch of points to get the house cup?" I asked in return.

    """Of course.""" Was the unified answer.

    "Well, that was because the idiot got possessed by Voldycunt and kept trying to steal the Philosopher Stone the Headmaster was asked to protect by Nicholas Flamel. And someway or another, Harry and his friends stopped him." I say to summarize the first year canon.

    """what!?""" The three of them suddenly shouted.

    "That manipulating piece of dragon dung isn''t dead yet?" Asked Victoria in a venomous voice.

    "How is that possible? He should be dead because of Harry." Asked James in a thoughtful tone.

    "If that sorry excuse for a troll testicule isn''t dead, he''ll wish to be if he tries to touch my mum." Christian declared as he punched his hands palm.

    "The answer for that lies with what happened during our fifth year actually." I answered calmly.

    "Wait. You mean during the Basilisk fiasco? How was that related to the egg head?" Asked Christian, making me really want to write down his names for the c.u.n.t.

    "Because he was the one responsible for the Chamber to open 50 years ago as well. At the time his name was Tom Riddle and he has the blood of the Gaunt Family running through. This being a family that had always claimed to be descendant of Salazar Slytherin." I start off by explaining.

    "I''ve heard of them. They were thorough believers of blood supremacy. They married their own family members, avoid Hogwarts, supposedly had the gift of parseltongue running in the family, but their last descendent should be in Azkaban or dead by now. I heard the line went all but extinct, but you''re saying this Tom Riddle who became the Dark Lord is one of them?" Asked Victoria as she remembered what her father had ''taught'' her.

    "Yes. And that is why he calls himself the heir of Slytherin. I actually believe the statement is actually true, even if they twisted his ideologies beyond recognition." I answered her.

    "But how did he do it two years ago? You said he possessed Quirrell, so did the same thing happen again?" Christian asked this time.

    "That is an answer I found when I killed the Basilisk using my little trump card here." I said whilst tapping my knife.

    "Wait you killed it? But Potter, Weasley and Granger were the ones who got the award! How does that make sense?" My wild friend immediately asked.

    "Because I didn''t want anyone knowing i was capable of doing so. Hence no one outside the trio and the Headmaster know of my involvement." I simply answered.

    "So what is this reason for His survival you found down there?" Asked Victoria.

    "A very dark piece of magic. One of the evilest out there. A means to technically reach a state of immortality, but with an enormous price. I found a Horcrux." I answered very somberly this time.

    "I''ve never heard of such a thing. Have either of you?" James asked to the cabin.

    "No. It''s not my field of study mate. Tory?" Christian answered as he passed the baton over.

    "I''ve read every book I could find in the Library, my family collection and Aedan''s collection, but I''ve never even seen the name." She admitted with a shake of her head.

    "That is a good thing. A Horcrux is simply put, a piece of your soul stored in an object to keep you tethered to the world of the living. Meaning that as long as it is intact, your spirit will never move on to the next world nor turn into a ghost. You will exist in the broadest sense of the word and have a chance to return, if you know how of course." I explained to my three friends.

    "Then what is the price you mentioned?" Asked the thoughtful James.

    "To store a piece of your soul you must first break a off piece of it. And the only known way of accomplishing this is by brutally and inhumanly killing a number of people, hence breaking the soul." I answered seriously, as their eyes widened at the revelation.

    "But there is another problem. The body cannot truly function without the soul, so having a tainted and broken soul will inevitably affect the mind and body. Giving us a very likely reason as to why the man looks so far from human and acts like a madman." I add on, giving my friends food for thought once again.

    "But you said the problem was solved in fifth year. You were there, so that means you stopped it and He should be dead right?" Asked a hopeful Christian.

    "Yes that one was destroyed and the troubles of the year were truly solved. The only issue is that it seems he did something thought as impossible and completely beyond mad: he split his soul even more." I answered truthfully.

    "That''s insane! How could anyone even do such twisted things?" James exclaimed in disgust this time.

    "That is who he is. He is a man so scared of death he would rather pervert his own existence and soul, ruining his afterlife, naming himself after it, giving everything up in the pursuit of power to avoid it, and naming his followers after it." I state with my own distaste in my voice.

    That statement actually made Victoria smile a little and move closer to me. Probably because I changed the image of the demon in her mind to such a ridiculously pathetic man.

    "But unfortunately, it is hard to know how many were made and are left. Moving on from this dark topic, any other questions?" I asked to my friends.

    There was a pause at my query, as they thought of what could possibly be unknown to them, until Christian spoke up.

    "Oh yeah. Mr. Scamander said that this year would be quite exciting, but wouldn''t tell me why that is. Do you have any clues?" He asked hopefully.

    "That is very simple. The Ministry of Magic and the International community have decided to bring back an old event of the wizarding world. This event involves the participation of the three most influential magical schools in Europe: Beauxbatons, Durmstrang and Hogwarts. This event being the Triwizard tournament, and Hogwarts has been chosen to be its host."

    "They''re really bringing back that tournament? That''s surprising due to the high death toll it had back in the day." Said Victoria as she knew her history well.

    "Really? Then why in the world would they bring it back? Sounds a bit mad to me." Asked James as his face scrunched up.

    "That sounds exciting! A real challenge of life and death! I am so participating!" Declared a pumped up Christian.

    "Yes, they said it was to promote international interactions and communication. They also guaranteed a safer event, but you never know with wizards lacking so much common sense." I explained to them to the best of my abilities.

    "Not sure how I really feel about it. But I guess I''ll wait to understand how it''ll work before making my decision." Said James with a slight nod to himself.

    "It would be an interesting challenge, and even then I could challenge my medical skills due to the mortality and injury rate." Victoria said to herself in contemplation.

    "Hehe. I really want to see what they''ll come up with." Chuckled Christian excitedly.

    "Well, if that''s the end of the questioning, I think it''s time for us to do our duties as prefects and Head Boy/Girl. Any other details can be asked during the school year, so shall we go?" I asked the three who nod in agreement.

    I didn''t tell you guys that Victoria had become Head Girl this year right? Well that mostly because it literally couldn''t have been anyone else. She is the most respected and responsible young woman in Hogwarts, plus he grades and extracurricular activities make her perfect for it.

    And so with the Q&A over with, we head to the prefect carriage and begin our last time overseeing the train ride to Hogwarts.

 Chapter 118 - Ch. 118 Triwizard Cup

    The train ride itself was very standard for my friends and I. We all headed to the prefect compartment, reconnected with returning members and introduced ourselves to the 8 new prefects joining us. I gave the same warning about not going too far and that favoritism was simply a natural product of Hogwarts hence some was to be tolerated speech as usual. After that we patrolled the carriages and monitored students.

    I saw the twins messing with a new prefect until I gave them a shout. Students of every year were admiring us with different levels of obviousness, letting us know our popularity hadn''t gotten any lower

    I even checked in on the Golden Trio and found Draco with Crabbe and Goyle, taunting the kids with his knowledge on the cup.

    ''Now that I think about them, their dads should be released this winter. Wonder how they feel and what their parents will do.'' I though to myself as I watched his petty act.

    "Malfoy stop being such a prat like your father and leave. Do something useful besides trying to make others jealous. You are giving real nobles a bad name." Harshly said Victoria.

    The kid finally noticed us and paled at the sight of us before running away, only stopping dead on the spot when he heard my smooth voice resound the compartment.

    "Draco, when will you stop these childish acts and try to actually prove you are better through some effort? You bought your way into a team out of jealousy instead of polishing the talent you actually have for the sport. You rely on Professor Snape''s bias and private tutoring for classes instead of using the intelligence you could have easily cultivated. You simply believe yourself above others when in fact your grades are worst than Harry and Hermione, your dueling skills are worst than Ron and Harry, you aren''t even the best in your year for your house, that goes to Daphne Greengrass, and you always try to take the easy way out of everything.

    If you idolize your father then I suggest you stop. The only reason he is not in Azkaban is because I took mercy on him and to not ruin your own future. His methods are foolish and simple to break, letting me have the ability to send him to prison whenever I wish. So I implore you to smarten up and think for yourself before all your decisions are made for you. Because if not, there will come a day when you realize you are but a puppet, and that day will make you realize you never truly had anything." I say to the platinum blonde teen.

    He doesn''t turn around, but I can see his internal struggle before he walks away in silence.

    "Aedan, did you say Ron and I could beat Malfoy?" Suddenly asked Harry, focusing on that bit.

    "Hm? Yes. I know how good you two have become as duelers, even if you haven''t been able to participate in the club I still teach you during the summer. Whilst Ron has shown fantastic improvement all around. His fitness has improved dramatically, his confidence in himself has stabilized, he has learned to respect his opponents and learn from defeat, his skills have become very good as well. If he continues to work like he has, I have no doubt he could become an expert dueler and you could become a good fighter." I answered Harry without even having to think about it much.

    "You really believe that? That I can get that good?" Asked Ron from the cabin, feeling warm inside at my words.

    "Of course. Wouldn''t have chosen you as one of the future Club leaders if I didn''t think you would improve even further. Just don''t tell anyone until the first meet." I say to the kids with a grin, getting all of them to open their mouths in shock.

    "You actually chose him huh? Well I do have to admit he''s no longer a little prat like Malfoy, so good on you Weasley." Victoria added as we continued our rounds.

    The rest of our time was uneventful, but our arrival showed us a heavy rainstorm with lightning flashing through the sky.

    "I pity those first years this time. It''s crazy weather to sail on those little boats." Said Christian as he joined up with Tory and I.

    "Yeah, do kinda feel bad." I agreed with a slight nod.

    "It''ll build some character. But anyway, shouldn''t you be out protecting your little bunny from the rain." Teased Victoria as she turned to Christian.

    "I called her that one time! When are you going to let it go?" He bem.o.a.n.e.d in response.

    "When you man up and actually start making some progress. Now go." She answered as she basically gave him a kick in the b.u.t.t.

    "Hahaha! You really are very direct." I say with a laugh.

    "You''re lucky you weren''t a p.u.s.s.y when you asked me, or you would have gotten a lot worst." She harrumphed at my laughter.

    "Why should I hesitate when I know what I want?" I asked with a bright smile, making her blush this time.

    "Lets just do our check and head to the castle. I want to get indoors as soon as possible." She said as she abruptly changed the subject.

    "Of course my queen." I say with a soft tone next to her ear, almost turning her tomato red as she tried to keep a straight face.

    With Tory trying to finish everything as quickly as possible to hide her embarrassment, we finished our last check and headed to the castle soon after. During the ride back, I used some magic to make a little bubble to repel the rain and used my fire to keep us warm, so with some hand holding and meaningful gazes, we had a pleasant time.

    We separated before we got too close to the castle and found ourselves seeing an upset Professor McGonagall trying to get rid of all the water at the schools entrance.

    "Do you wish for a little help Professor? I''m sure three will have the job done faster than one." I offered to our deputy headmistress.

    "Ah, Mister Bones. That would be very appreciated." She said in response.

    So with a few waves of my wand I collect all the water from the area into one great globe of water, making the Professor''s eyes widen at the sight, and threw it outside with a splash.

    "That takes care of that. Victoria and I will head on in now Professor. Hope we have some promising first years." I say with a bright smile as I sheath my wand.

    "That was wonderful spellwork Mr. Bones, 10 points for Ravenclaw. I believe you just broke a record in that area as well now." McGonagall said with a small smile.

    "My p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e Professor." I respond with a slight bow and take my leave.

    Tory and I separated as we entered the Great Hall to sit at our house tables, then the wait for the feast began.

    I honestly wasn''t too invested in this batch at this point since only one of them was truly mentioned in the canon, and that was Colin Creevey''s younger brother. He was basically a mini version of his elder brother and went to Gryffindor, so not really involved with him. All I could do is observe the kids and see which ones have potential in certain areas. So I just spent my time waiting for the new students chatting with peers, some juniors and people I''ve mentored about their summers and whatnot.

    At this point the first years came into the Great Hall under the Professors lead, looking almost like drowned rats in all honesty. McGonagall did her best, but it wasn''t nearly enough.

    Then the routine happened. The hat came and sang its yearly song, the sorting was done in a proper manner, the Headmaster gave us our food with a two word welcome and everyone pigged our over the sumptuous food.

    I noticed that Hermione had a heavy frown on her face after some time passed and stopped eating. It would seem this was the year she learned about the house-elves in Hogwarts. I hope she will take a more moderate stance when it comes to them. I believe that they are very much worth more than what they have, but the problem is their symbiotic nature and the generations of slavery ingraining the status into their very souls. The best they could be at this point in time would be servants. Not because of my views, but theirs. These things take time.

    Anyway, the feast was done and with a wave of the Headmasters hand the food vanished. He then began his usual speech about the Forbidden Forest, Hogsmeade visits, Filch''s ever increasing list of banned goods, making the older students zone out a bit until his last announcement.

    "It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year." The old man said with some regret, but also excitement for his follow up.

    Although he was excited, he waited for the students to digest the news a bit before explaining the situation.

    "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers'' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -" He started to explain, but at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open.

    The great noise attracted the attention of everyone in the Great Hall, making them look at a single man standing beyond the doors: Alastor ''Mad-eye'' Moody.

    The man then proceeded to limp his way to the front of the Hall under the curious gazes of all Hogwarts'' students. His mostly scarred face, artificial leg, enchanted prosthetic eye and constant observation of his surroundings were certainly attention grabbing enough to succeed in this level of attention.

    He reached the Headmaster at his podium and the two spoke to each other briefly before the old man turned his attention back to us.

    "May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody."

    It was usual for new staff members to be greeted with applause, but none of the staff or students clapped except Dumbledore, Hagrid, myself and my friends, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and it stopped fairly quickly. Everyone else seemed too transfixed by Moody''s bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him.

    The situation is understandable. It is not everyday one sees the most experienced. successful, and still alive, Auror in Britain. The man filled more than half the cells in Azkaban and killed more dark witches and wizards than we could know. He is certainly worthy of the attention for these gossip mongering kids who have never really fought before.

    "As I was saying," the Headmaster said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

    "You''re JOKING!" shouted Weasley twin A loudly as he made the Hall break out in chuckles.

    "I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," responded Dumbledore, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar."

    Unfortunately the Headmaster was not allowed to finish his joke due to his deputy forcing him to continue with his explanation.

    Said explanation was basically what I had said. A brief history of the Tournament, its death toll, subsequent dismissal, current reintroduction and how it works. He also told everyone about Beauxbatons and Durmstrang''s arrivals, the selection date, the impartial judge, and finished off by telling everyone of the ''eternal glory victory will bring'' and the 1000 galleon paycheck.

    His words made many starry-eyed students dream of the riches and glory they could win, but there was another reaction among the student body: they looked in the directions of The Beast, The Saint, The Queen and me, The Raven. They were looking at those they saw as the true champions of Hogwarts.

    "Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older - will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This -" Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, and the Weasley twins were suddenly looking furious - "is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion." His light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over Fred''s and George''s mutinous faces. "I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen.

    "The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!" He said as he finished this exciting piece of news.

    There were many sixth year students genuinely upset at the age restriction, like the twins, but they will have to deal with that.

    As for me, i had my duties as Head Boy to fulfill and I have been ready for the Triwizard cup for years now, so not really a big deal for me. But it did make me smile a bit.

    ''It has begun. I wonder how everything will turn out. I already have multiple mirrors in the Little Hangleton cemetery, so now i wait and most likely participate in the tournament.'' I thought to myself as i headed back to Ravenclaw Tower once again.

 Chapter 119 - Ch. 119 Seventh Year Goals

    Having finally reached my room, I could now start my yearly tradition of listing out my goals.

    1. Finish up my last mastery project.

    With Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Healing, Potions and Warding done, only my Charms project was left. I believe that finishing my calculations for the blue flame is the key to the completion of my spell, as well as what will unlock many new paths for me.

    But my off-shoot of the Patronus Charm has made great progress forward and I firmly believe it will be completed by the winter break.

    2. Goblet of Fire canon.

    If I am chosen as champion I will need to prepare just in case they changed things up due to my presence. I doubt that they would since I already received a few notices from my dragon reserves that the Ministry requested some nesting mothers. This means the first task should at least be the same as in the canon at least.

    If I am not chosen, I''ll have to find an excuse for me to show up to Little Hangleton cemetery. Shouldn''t be too hard with my abilities since I could probably ask the headmaster to be involved with the security details. He knows how strong i am now, he appreciates my intelligence and creativity as well, so it should be doable.

    3. Fake Moody has been confirmed. This also means the real Moody is currently imprisoned in the school. My goal for him is simply to not kill him. I can''t blow my cover. I will also have to see if I can peek inside his mind and find out what he knows about me. I trust in the originals abilities and mental strength, but you never know what might slip over long periods of time. I also can''t just drown him in homework like I did Quirrellmort because he should actually have some interesting things to say and I don''t want to draw negative attention from Junior.

    4. Train my successors.

    I''ve been training Cedric as the next person in charge of the Exchange and he has shown great progress. From what he told me, none of his OWL''s were below Exceed Expectations and he had more Outstanding''s than EE''s. I think Hermione would be the only person to top his scores after my friends and I are gone, but Cedric is much better than her in the practical aspects. In short, I trained him in academics and practicality, forming an incredibly well rounded wizard.

    I have my reasons for all of these kids, none of them were emotional.

    Ron has genuinely improved phenomenally as a dueler, even if his grades are still mediocre, he has put constant effort and diligently trained in this aspect of magic. He has followed my guide and then some in all honesty. He has been training with Christian since last year and was able to almost keep up with the guy in pure endurance, something pretty much no one else aside from my friends could do. He''s worked on his reflexes and spell casting until he could fight without even having to think. And although his fighting can''t be called elegant nor complex, it is efficient and polished. His time at the club also let him recognize how narrow-minded his views were when it comes to the houses and he''s also found a place for himself to shine, removing a lot of his inferiority complex. What really cemented his position was when he had dueled against another Slytherin and they started to compare notes after the bout, showing his improved mentality.

    Daphne Greengrass was an unexpected addition to the club. She comes from a sacred 28 family, but unlike those half-wits who boast about superior blood and lack any actual ability, she is actually more of a mini Victoria if anything. She is called the Icy maiden due to her constant emotionless face, which I know hides her own struggles and masks her opinions for ''political reasons''. She is the best Slytherin in Harry''s year, both in class and out of it. Even if her family has pride in their heritage, I''ve found zero evidence of them participating as Death Eaters or supporting the idiotic egg. She treats everyone impartially, meaning coldly. Her skills are very real and show constant improvement. And like I said, mini Tory, meaning she can properly crack the whip on some of those idiots.

    Padma Patil was an interesting case. It seems like she was expecting to be with her twin in Ravenclaw, but from what I could see, the hat made the right choice in separating them. Padma is a very focused and driven girl. She has an enthusiasm for learning and improving herself, whilst Pavarti is a more freedom oriented girl hoping for love, mystery and adventures instead of studying. Although the two girls are still very good sisters, Padma was the only one who wished to join the club and work hard to prove herself a great witch in all aspects. She has the d.e.s.i.r.e many Ravenclaws lack, to put what she learns in action. Too many feel that theoretical knowledge makes them superior, but this means jack shit when you never learned how to use it. What''s the point of knowing four different spells to do one job, when you can''t use any of them properly? Padma though, is smart, disciplined and hardworking. I can see her being a leading figure in the house once Christian and I are gone.

    My final choice of Hannah Abbott was actually a bit of a surprise. I didn''t choose the girl because she is Susan''s friend or anything like that. It because she actually could wipe the floor with any other Hufflepuff''s from 1st-5th year. In the canon she was supposed to end with with Neville and like Herbology like he did, but it seems that my appearance changed her too. Being friends with Susan exposed her to magic and ideas she never thought possible before, and this led her to join the Dueling club when I started it with the good Professor Flitwick. I honestly have not seen many people so hungry for new spells and have such drive to perfect them. Her attitude reminds me of a cross between James'' love of charms, Christian''s views on combat magic, and Tory''s hunger for knowledge. She was hardworking and very loyal, like a true Hufflepuff, but she also avoided the dangerous mob mentality which came from the house. I think having examples of a few exceptional members such as James, Cedric and Susan, helped show her that you can still be brilliant even if you''re a Puff.

    So all I need to do is announce it on our first meet and start their specialized training. Thankfully the tournament hasn''t cancelled anything other than the Quidditch cup. We even received a notice that the professors wish for the clubs to include our guests as much as possible.

    5. Get registered as animagi along with my friends.

    I did say I would do it in my final year and when they had all achieved their own transformations. It would serve as a demonstration of all of our skills in the subject, as well as serve for another point in my favor when I go for the Transfiguration mastery.

    6. If I finish my last mastery project, I''ll look into a few things i wanted to try ever since my ritual.

    I also want to look into that proper concealment barrier I thought of when I went to the World Cup. I believe that if I could make such a warding system, I would be helping magical communities everywhere thrive. It would help create more pure magical settlements, cities and towns. We could hold more festivals, events and gatherings. We could even develop more institutes of learning in future.

    My study into transferring some of the ''holy'' attributes of my original spell into my new gauntlets is a fun path as well. I believe that if I achieve success in this area, I could create the first piece of defensive equipment capable of defending against the killing curse. It would become one of my most important defensive tools, and probably revolutionize the field of DADA even more than my spell will. That is when I decide to release either of them anyway.

    And I might look into Rowena Ravenclaw''s diadem. I know most of the Horcruxes almost inside and out. From their enchantments to their protections. The Locket, the Cup, the Ring, the Diary, the Diadem and Harry. Nagini will come later, but for now the Diary is already taken care of. Dumbledore will find the ring in less than two years. I don''t have a solution for Harry since he was unintentional and some studying would have to be done. And I can''t just say a Horcrux is in the Black ancestral home without any evidence, that would give rise to too many questions. The Cup would be tricky since it is in Gringotts, fortunately I might be able to convince them due to my relation with them and the reason for why I would need to get into the Lestrange vault. But I should be able to play with the Diadem.

    I would need to make extremely thorough preparations for it, but it should be very doable for me. A few points in my favor already are that I more than equal the bald freak in power, my knowledge far surpasses his in everything but the Dark Arts, my soul is far more powerful than any should be, much less his twisted and broken one, my Occlumency and Legilimency are nearly in a league of their own, and as I''ve said, I know them inside and out. (Thank you V-TV)

    Having thought through everything I believe I was going to have to do this year or in the near future, I could finally turn in for the night.

    So with a wave of my hand all lights in the room vanished and i laid down in my comfortable bed in preparations for another busy year.

 Chapter 120 - Ch. 120 Moody Hogwarts

    With Dumbledore''s announcement at the feast, the next weeks at Hogwarts were filled with excitement.

    Students would walk the halls speculating on possible tasks. Some would declare their intents to participate in the event. Others would be workshopping ways around the age restriction, like the twins. Many were actually discussing who would be the most likely candidates for the school champion, with myself and my friends being obvious choices. I even had a talk with Cedric about his own intention to enter the Tournament.

    I''ve also gotten some news that Draco still got turned into a ferret not too long ago. Apparently he couldn''t take anyone insulting his mommy after he started insulting Ron''s father and Harry responded, which led to the kid trying to sneak attack instead of even thinking of a formal duel. Truly a disappointment, but if he believed my words it could make me think that it is why he didn''t do so. But now it is unfortunate because such actions are heavily punished since the emergence of the Dueling club and its facilities.

    Other than that, during the first week of classes, news of Professor Moody''s extreme DADA class has spread throughout the castle.

    ''The man really started using the Imperius curse on kids.'' I thought with a frown.

    I could generally understand the logic in of itself, but as a practical matter letting anyone under sixth year experience it is completely pointless. The only way to fix that would be for students to undergo rigorous training, or be extremely stubborn like Harry.

    There were some surprises that came from this though. Harry was able to resist more of the curse without collapsing, even if he had to take a knee afterwards. Ron showed a great amount of resistance, making ''Moody'' put in considerable effort to make him move. Members of the Dueling club were showing considerably better results in resisting than other students as well.

    I even had a conversation with the kids about this event.

    "I can''t believe that they are allowing this! An Unforgivable used on students, honestly." Huffed Hermione.

    "Although I do agree with you Hermione, it is still an important lesson for many to learn. The problem is the application and the fact that it might give some of the less moral students stupid ideas." I say to the growing girl.

    "What do you mean Aedan?" Curiously asked Harry.

    "It''s because students under the general ages of 16-17 just don''t usually have the mental fortitude to even resist the curse, much less defeat it. It can even leave some damages in a person if used too often on them. That is why I am very proud of you and Ron of doing so well in the face of it. As for you Hermione, it shows that although you are brilliant, your mentality isn''t there yet I''m afraid." I explain to the trio.

    Hermione looked disappointed in herself, but Ron caught on to something I had said.

    "It can hurt people? Moody didn''t mention that." The red-head asked a bit shocked.

    "It''s not a type of physical damage if that is what you''re afraid of. You see, the more it is used on a person, the more they become susceptible to the curse unless they can defeat themselves and prove their mental strength is superior. So having kids undergoing this repeatedly might actually make their defenses becoming weaker when it comes to it." I explained carefully to the kids, whose faces paled at the revelation.

    "That just makes it even more unacceptable!" Shouted Hermione in outrage.

    "True, but like I said, this is still a valuable experience in terms of DADA. The only things I know can help against the Imperius curse are Occlumency, Thief''s Downfall, my original spell Protego Sanctum, and a strong will. One is too difficult for most adolescents undergoing puberty, the next is a goblin secret, my spell just has too strenuous of requirements, and willpower varies depending on the person. So unless you can somehow get one of these to be teachable, experiencing the curse more than once is pointless." I concluded with a serious look on my face.

    "Aedan, you told me you have a certain mastery in Occlumency when you tried to teach me. Are you able to resist the curse?" Asked a now curious Harry, getting the other two to look at me.

    "No one is able to enforce their will onto me. Any who try are over confident fools who will learn why they should stop while they are ahead." I declare with absolute certainty.

    With that conversation in mind, this brings me to my own DADA class with the Death Eater.

    "Put those blasted books away. You won''t be needing them with me." The man growled as he looked around the modest number of seventh years.

    Just to give a quick explanation for why I said ''modest number'', it''s due to the nature of NEWT level classes.

    You see, at this level of education, most students will decide to focus on what they would need for their future jobs. If one wants to work in the Ministry, one needs to know the requirements for the department one had aimed for. For example, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures obviously needs a person to have at least studied Care of Magical Creature at the NEWT level. The principle is the same for Defense Against the Dark Arts. The only thing is, from what I know, Aurors and Healers are the only careers which strictly need NEWT level education, with Hit-Wizards having some requirements when one wants specific promotions.

    The lack of future opportunities one gets from completing the class, with the subpar/inconsistent education in the field, add in the homework and practical practice one needs to do, and the fact that most people generally aren''t interested because they believe they are ''safe'', reduces the number of students greatly.

    All of this is why, even with every house members in my year, we have less than ten people in seventh year DADA. And just to make it worst, four of those are me, Tory, James and Christian. I''m doing it because I wish to have the NEWT level certification for all my classes. Victoria is doing it because she wants to be a healer. James decided to keep with it because of the study of spells and dangers of the world. While Christian is studying it because he likes the practical side of magic the most. The rest were here because they were good enough in the field, but they did not specifically want to continue along with after graduating.

    "Now! You lot will be graduating from this cozy place, full of warm beds and a cushy lifestyle, into the real world. You''re going to need to know how to survive out there and that''s what I''m here to teach you." The grizzly man said to us with a slight look of disapproval.

    "Hey! I know you''re a great Auror, but I''m not going to take someone calling me soft." Christian protested.

    "What''s your name boy." Was ''Moody''s'' response as both his eyes focused on my friend.

    "Christian Ward." He announced proudly.

    "Ah, one of the wonder kids. No surprise you wouldn''t agree. Too used to excellence. No true experience." The Professor said with a look of realization.

    "Oh please. I''ve fought in the wild and in the underworld. Master Scamander also taught me a lot. So I won''t just let you insult what I''ve been through." Christian said as he stood defiantly.

    "Scamander eh? Too lost in his beasts. Too old now. But he was good. Fine then boy. I guess we''ll see just how much you learned during this little class of mine." Said our teacher after a bit of thinking, letting a dark smile rise on his scarred face.

    "Bring it." My wild friend responded, while the rest of us just shook our heads at his passionate behavior.

    "Alright sit down mighty Beast. You''ve caused enough of a commotion and I''d like for Professor Moody to get on with the class." I say to my friend as he realizes that he might have gone too far against such a little comment.

    "You, Silver hair, you''re Amelia''s brat right? Heard you are supposed to be the best to ever walk these halls." Said the imposter as I grabbed his attention.

    "Yes, that is something I''ve been called." I answered calmly as I looked into his eye.

    "Another one who needs to taste some of what the world really has to offer, my lucky day." He responded with an excited smirk.

    I simply smiled at his acting and sat down to let him continue with his class.

    "You have had what is basically a shit education from every professor before me aside from Lupin. He at least got you caught up to speed on the creatures and beings your level requires, but his curse studies are very lacking. And so, I will be going over true curses and spells you lot will face when in front of actual dark wizards, not those pickpockets you''ll see in Knockturn Alley." The battered man said as he turned around and grabbed a piece of chalk.

    Without any hesitation or word, he simply wrote down one word: Unforgivables.

    "There are three curses banned by the Ministry. Using even one will led you straight to Azkaban," he said as he paced back and forth in front of the chalk board," The Ministry doesn''t want you to know what these can truly do, but I spoke to Dumbledore about this and he agreed to a little demonstration."

    ''Moody'' then reached into a box he had prepared and took out three jars with one live tarantula in each.

    "Now all of you are old enough, and most likely not stupid, so you know what these three are." He continued as he took out one of the spiders.

    "The Imperius Curse. Capable of controlling a person completely. I could force any of you to kill your best friends and you wouldn''t be able to do anything about it. No one would know except the caster and the target. That''s why there was so much trouble during the war." He explained with a slightly malicious smile as he pointed his wand at the spider in his hand. "Imperio!"

    The spider then began to dance across the man''s palm, completely controlled. He could make it do anything he wished at this point. No way a spider would be able to resist the will of an expert of this curse. So he played with it until he had enough fun and sealed it back into the jar.

    Most of the students in the room had somber expressions at the sight, making the room very quiet.

    "The second is the Cruciatus curse, also known as the Torture curse. It makes ones target feel immense pain, said to be beyond what any man can bear. It leaves no traces on the body, but can break the mind. I doubt that any of you could even tickle me with this one. You need to feel true negative emotions towards the target for it to work." The man said as he took out the second spider from its jar and pointed his wand again. "Crucio!"

    This time the spider began to squirm and writhe in agony, twitching in the man''s palm as it felt the horrible pain. A pain I remembered very well. A memory I had to suppress to not kill the man where he stood. And it wasn''t until he had stopped that my clenched fists relaxed.

    Luckily I was able to keep a calm look on my face or people might have gotten worried. Even luckier was that i didn''t let any of my magic leak out.

    "And lastly the Killing curse. A curse which is impossible to defend against or survive. With the only one known example which broke this rule, living in this castle at this very moment. You lot might give me a little cut when you use this spell, but many dark wizards have this one as a favorite." He said as he took out his last spider and let it down on his desk. "Avada Kedavra!"

    A green flash erupted from his wand and the spider simply died.

    ''This is good for them. Although I don''t agree with what he''ll do next, this is something students need to know.'' I thought with an emotionless face.

    "Now, although you cannot cast these curses, the Headmaster has given me permission to let each and everyone of you experience what it feels like to have the Imperius curse casted on you." The scarred professor declared with a slight rise in the corner of his lips at the nervous energy that just spiked.

    "I''ll start with you and end with the wonder group over there. I''m sure it will help you all understand a few things." He said as he pointed to a Gryffindor.

    What followed was both embarrassing and horrifying for the five other students of the class. ''Moody'' forced them to dance stupidly, do some stunts, sing, say embarrassing things and some guys even striped a bit. But they now understood just how strong this curse was. They could barely slow it down for a second before they did everything the man ordered.

    But then it was finally my groups turn.

    "Ward! You''re up. Let''s see if you can back up your words." The imposter growled.

    "Let''s see if you can back up your tough talk. I want to see what Mad-Moody can do." He challenged with a wild smile.

    "Imperio!" Was the response as the man pointed his wand.

    "Strip and run around the room." The Professor ordered with a smirk.

    Unfortunately, after only a twitch of his body, Christian didn''t move until he just looked at the man and opened his mouth.

    "Yeah right. Aedan was a thousand times tougher than this. You think you can just order me to do that shit?" My wild friend mocked to the shock of the other students and Junior''s, while my friends and I smiled at his attitude.

    "Stop trying to piss off the Professor you impulsive idiot." Victoria scolded this time, making the guy back down with a victorious grin.

    "I will volunteer to be next then. I can''t let him be the only one to succeed, he''d become intolerable." Calmly stated James as he stepped forward. "I am ready for your curse Professor."

    His actions actually caused the imposter to freeze for a second. He had never seen someone so willing and calm about the fact that he would be put under the Imperius.

    With a shake of his head to erased the dazed look on his face, pointed his wand once again and spoke with even greater determination than before.

    "Imperio!"

    James just stood there and was looking around, giving a gentle smile to a worried Hufflepuff student even after the curse was cast.

    "That''s impossible. Not even a moment of effect." The Professor said as he stood there in shock this time.

    "Haha! Who said you were the weak willed one? They''re going to have to be wary of our quiet and polite friend now!" Laughed Christian as Tory and I simply chuckled.

    "It seems that my efforts have not been in vain. Thank you for testing my will." James said politely as he preformed a little bow and walked back to us.

    "Guess it''s my turn then. I certainly won''t let myself twitch like our Beast. That would be humiliating." Victoria said domineeringly, causing several people to shake their heads a bit with wry smiles aimed at themselves.

    "Bring it Queeny! If you twitch you''ll have to write this weeks homework." Christian said with gusto.

    "When I win you''ll have to wear the same outfit as Peeves for the rest of the week." She simply responded with absolute confidence.

    "This is not going to end well for you Christian. She is the best Occlumen besides Aedan." Reminded James with a little smile of amus.e.m.e.nt.

    "Oh shut up you Saintly bastard. Who''s side are you on?" Bem.o.a.n.e.d my wild friend.

    "It is not about sides. I just don''t want you to embarrass yourself too much." James responded with a chuckle.

    The two continued their little exchange to the amus.e.m.e.nt of our classmates, while Junior was feeling very conflicted right now. He failed twice in a row to control students and they weren''t even trying. This was a blow to his delicate psyche. Even he was considered a genius when he went to Hogwarts, with 12 OWL''s. But he is certain that he could control his younger self after being guided by the Dark Lord he served. And now he was already surpassed by two kids already, with two even better ones to come. So he did the only thing he could, readied himself to try once again.

    "Imperio!" He growled in a low voice.

    Unfortunately for him, it was an even worse result for the man.

    "ARGH!!" He yelled out as he stumbled backwards in pain, clutching his head for some form of release.

    "Hmph. Trying to come into my mind with such a weak will and so little power, who do you think you are?" She questioned venomously, causing the class to open their mouths in shock.

    "I told you that you shouldn''t have bet." Said James in a sagely voice.

    "Well f.u.c.k. Still kinda worth it though. But if Tory can do that, what''s going to happen when Aedan goes forward?" He asked with a smile on his face as he turned towards me.

    And he wasn''t the only curious one. Every head turned towards me wondering the same thing now. What exactly would happen when the best Hogwarts student in history was challenging the Imperius curse?

    To answer this, I simply stepped forward with a calm smile on my face.

    "If you are still up for it Professor, I await your curse." I state with confidence.

    It actually took a bit of time before Junior was able to stabilize himself properly. But I could see the irrationality in his eyes. He no longer thought about this situation as an undercover agent. He was driven to a cliff edge right now. Three defeats in a row, and each worse than the previous one. He was a hand of his lord, but he still couldn''t force mere students to submit to him. So he looked at me with an almost crazed look in his eye, looking determined to redeem himself through breaking the strongest one.

    ...

    It was laughable.

    "IMPERIO!" He bellowed.

    I felt the curse wash over my mind, but instead of rejecting it, I welcomed it.

    I let him come in deeper and deeper. Until he would feel certain he had control.

    Like a fish, not even suspecting that the worm was only bait.

    But at the very last moment i trapped him within my mind and infiltrated his in return.

    I entered his mind and took full control. Placing him under the very effect he tried to impart onto me.

    "Well Professor, since you are from Scotland I would like to see a traditional Ceilidh dance if possible." I asked with a smile.

    Immediately after my request, his body tried to accommodate it. But due to his prosthetic leg he was forced to basically hop around as he did so.

    Luckily for him, the bell soon rang to signify the end of class and me freeing him from his curse.

    "I think that is enough of a demonstration. I wish you a pleasant evening Professor." I say with a bright smile and take my leave with my excited friends.

    As we left, the other five students stared in dismay at the result before them. Their Professor cast an Unforgivable and it got turned on him, but when they thought about who just achieved such result they accepted it. This was simply because I was Aedan Bones, the Raven of Hogwarts.

 Chapter 121 - Ch. 121 Meaning of Courage

    The news of our complete victory over the Imperius curse sent shock-waves throughout the school.

    This was felt mostly by those students in their fifth year and below, because they had all experienced the dreadfulness of the curse. Defense Against the Dark Arts being a core subject until one becomes a NEWT level student. They now had a clear understanding of just how far ahead my friends and I were besides our insane grades, which were actually getting even better as time went on. They were completely subjugated by the curse, whilst one twitched, the next ignored it, the third punish the caster, and the last turned it around. The only others who showed better results than the general student body were Harry, Ron, Cedric and the better duelists in the club.

    Hence, Hogwarts was buzzing about us once again.

    In all honesty, this happens whenever one of us does something others see as impossible or unreachable. It happened when Christian took on the four best duelers in the club at once, when James successfully created a self aware puzzle which could configure itself and fight back a bit, or when Victoria squashed the entire Potions club with her own research. We are at the center of a lot of gossip. I usually get gossiped about at least three times a week and I still sometimes see girls reading certain types of books with a passion. Books I really wished I didn''t know existed, but still kinda flattered about. Didn''t know Hogwarts could have a Doujinshi/fanfic culture of its own.

    But anyway, there was actually something many people overlooked after Moody held his class. There were certainly many who showed their strength of will, but there were also some affected by this event in a very different way. Two of these individuals were unsurprisingly Harry and Neville, so I arranged a little meeting with the both of them in the Exchange.

    I actually believe that the two of them should be able to support each other. They have suffered a lot in their lives due to the Unforgivables and Voldemort. They can understand each other''s pain.

    "Aedan, how come you wanted to see me without Ron or Hermione? And how come you wanted me to bring Neville?" Harry asked me curiously as Neville stood behind him looking very nervous.

    Although I''ve invited the kid to the Exchange, and I''ve spent some time trying to help him, he tends to have a self-depreciating point of view. He believes he would get in the way of the people who come and won''t believe that everyone who comes is welcomed, no matter the reason.

    "That is because both of you are the people who need to talk about Professor Moody''s class the most. And I am probably one of the only people in this school who could understand some of what you''ve been through." I answered in a very gentle voice.

    "Wh-why would you want to t-t-talk to me about that?" Neville asked as his face paled.

    "Because I know about your situation as well Neville. In all honesty, I am pretty much the middle ground between what happened to the both of you." I answered with a sigh, but keeping a compassionate look on my face.

    "What do you mean by you''re the ''middle-ground''?" Suddenly asked Harry, cautious about this subject due to some of what he knows about me.

    "Well Harry, like you know very well, we both lost our parents to similar circ.u.mstances. But what you don''t know is what I''ve experienced and by who''s hand. That is something Neville would understand a lot better than you." I answer the growing Harry gently as I look at Neville.

    "Wh-what do you mean?" The clumsy kid asked cautiously.

    "Well, the culprits were the same as the ones responsible for your parents... and they also did it to me." I answered the nervous teen.

    "You mean...her?" He asked with fear this time.

    "Who''s her? What are you talking about?" Interrupted Harry.

    "Neville, if I talk about my own experience, would you be willing to tell Harry and myself about your own? I firmly believe we can support each other in this area." I asked the boy with a very gentle and supportive voice.

    The teen was very hesitant. It''s understandable since it is a very painful thing when his own parents can''t even recognize him due to their insanity.

    But after struggling with his thoughts, he gave me a nod of confirmation.

    "Thank you Neville." I say with a gentle smile as I began my own tale. "As I''ve said, my own parents were killed by Death Eaters about six months before Harry''s were. The difference between us, and by extension the similarity between Neville and I, is that this was done mainly by two very devout followers: Bellatrix Lestrange, currently in Azkaban, and Bartemius Crouch Junior, died during his incarceration.

    Bellatrix Lestrange is actually the cousin Sirius hates the most Harry. Pure blood maniac. Dark Arts fanatic. And arguably the most fervent follower of Voldycunt''s. It would be an un-debatable fact if not for Barty Crouch Jr., one of the only other Death Eater to seek out his master after his fall on that fateful night. He was also the son of the current Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation." I explain to the two with a calm and steady tone.

    Harry was shocked that Sirius had such a cousin, which made sense since he hadn''t spent that much time with the man yet. They had arranged for him to start living together this Christmas actually, so Harry hadn''t been introduced to the infamous Black family yet.

    Neville was pale and almost trembling as he remembered the names of the two who broke his parents.

    "These two decided to erase the Bones family for not being ''true nobles'' apparently. They were upset that my parents, much like both of yours, had actively fought against their master. So on that very night, they attacked and wiped out every member of my family except for my Aunt, who was working at the ministry, and my cousin who miraculously survived. I on the other hand, was found by those two twisted souls and tortured for behaving defiantly. Bellatrix found it amusing as she watched me writhe on the floor, but was infuriated when I only glared at them in response." Was my next bit of explanation as I look at the two teens.

    "How did you escape? And how do you even remember it was them? You had to be 4 years old!" Harry asked in astonishment, getting Neville to look at me with the same question in his eyes.

    "I didn''t," was my simple answer, "and it is not always a good thing to be able to remember everything Harry."

    The two had very somber looks on their faces. It was mostly likely due to the fact that although they had suffered a lot in their lives, in very different ways, but they couldn''t truly remember what had happened on those nights.

    "S-so what happened after that?" Asked Neville as he picked up his courage.

    "They decided to keep me alive and bring me to another devout follower by the name of Ignacius Avery, uncle of two other death eaters, currently in Azkaban. He is less famous than the other two, but he is nearly as loyal. The difference lies in their expertise. Bellatrix and Junior are good fighters and lieutenants, but Ignacius was an expert in dark rituals. This led him to being a researcher instead of a front-line fighter. I still don''t know if this was fortunate or unfortunate, but I was a perfect test subject for him. So I spent the next 8 months imprisoned in a cell, alone, having rituals tested on me, being tortured in the name of his progress, until his master was defeated and he started doing reckless things to find him. Luckily this led to Aurors tracking him down, rescuing me and having me reunited with my aunt." I say as i finish my summary of my experience with Death Eaters.

    Harry and Neville were just speechless. Aedan Bones, the strongest and brightest of their generation had such a dark past. It just couldn''t compute. It was already a miracle that he ways alive, much less sane and so capable in their eyes.

    "How can you be so-so-so..." Harry tried to find the words to describe my attitude towards my past, how I am in life, and what I do.

    "It is very simple, my past is there for me to learn from it. I learned that I needed strength to protect those I care about, so I started studying everything I could about magic. I learned that the conflict about Blood purity is idiotic, outdated and self destructive, so I found my moral compass. I then learned that our world has been stagnant for too long, leading to it crumbling from the inside, so I aim to spark a Renaissance. And I don''t dwell on it, but improve because of it." I say with a confident smile on my face.

    "Now Harry, I would also like for you to share how your life has truly been. Too many only see the ''glory'' of your achievement and never realize that you had basically disappeared until you came to Hogwarts. It will do you good to have some else to talk with." I follow up as I gently ask the kid.

    He hesitated a bit, but he started to tell the both of us how his life had truly been at the Dursley''s.

    It always makes me want to have those animals arrested and/or butchered for what they had done to the kid. Until Harry was forced to go to school, he didn''t even know his own name. They treated him like a servant. He was conditioned to never surpass his moronic cousin. They tried to insult and beat any traces of magic out of him. Stuffed him in a cupboard. Never gave him anything. Used any money Dumbledore arranged to take care of the kid on themselves. Ruined any chances of him making friends by blaming every act of bullying, theft or wrongdoing Dudley had done on him. Insulted his parents and caused serious psychological harm on him. And this is all when you gloss over the little things.

    ''Yeah, I''m having them arrested on Child Abuse in terms of physical, psychological and financial abuse, and I''m adding Child Neglect charges. This is happening as soon as Harry is properly set up with Sirius.'' I thought as Harry finished recounting his past.

    He then looked at myself and Neville, fearing being judged or being looked down on.

    "Thank you Harry for sharing with the both of us. It proves you are healing the harm down to your psyche when you are able to properly discuss this." I say to encourage the teen gently.

    "Now that we''ve shared, would you be willing to as well Neville?" I asked kindly.

    It took him a few minutes before he could really talk. Half of it was because of our stories and the other was because of his own, but he powered through. He still couldn''t believe that the famous Harry Potter. The youngest Quidditch player in a century, had suffered through so much. While I had such a past as well.

    But he was eventually able to talk about what happened to his parents. How they''ve been in St. Mungo''s for a long time and couldn''t even recognize him. How he had to live with his grandmother''s constant disapproval and being compared to his excellent father.

    He simply got everything off of his shoulders and told the two people close to his age about his problems.

    After he was done, he looked at the both of us very nervously.

    "That was very brave of you Neville. Thank you for being able to tell your story." I say to the guy, making relax the tension in his body a lot.

    "I''m not brave. I can''t even fly or do anything right. Heck, my biggest fear is one of our Professors." He said as his confidence dropped again.

    "You know Neville, I''ve never understood why people always think that being courageous is the same as being fearless." I said aloud.

    ""What?"" The two said in surprise.

    "You see, having courage is not to say one doesn''t fear anything. To charge forward without fearing anything is recklessness, but to be able to face what your fears and keep moving forward, that is true courage.

    This is why I believe you are among the most fitting Gryffindors I have ever met. You fear so many things Neville, but you always step up and face them. In first year the Headmaster recognized it, so he gave you points. Every potions class, you face your own biggest fear. Every time you go to the hospital, you face your fears again. But here you are, moving forward through it all.

    You are brave Neville. And never forget you are." I say to the kid with absolute confidence.

    "Thank you." The kid said as his eyes started to water and as he kept on thanking me while I tried to calm him down gently.

    It took some time, but he was able to finally calm down with mine and Harry''s support.

    "I just wanted the both of you to know you weren''t alone. There are others who have suffered a lot as well and that we can help each other." I gently explain to the two growing teens.

    "Of course everything we just said will stay between us, but if you two ever have any problems in this department, you at least know you can talk to someone. But I also think this is enough for tonight. A good nights rest will do wonders now, and I hope you will feel lighter in the morning." I say in conclusion as I stand up from my own chairs.

    The two boys agreed, saying their thanks and good-nights before taking their leave.

    ''I hope this will help Neville. The guy needs a little boost.'' I thought to myself as I head back to my own dorm.

 Chapter 122 - Ch. 122 Durmstrang and Beauxbatons

    My talk with the two boys ended up giving me what I had expected in general. Harry and Neville were able to become closer than before, not close enough to be a member of the trio, but closer. I could see the kids looking out for him more.

    It did also let Neville know he was very much welcomed in the Exchange.

    With Cedric taking on more of the responsibilities in the help center, I was free enough to help more people. Hence when Neville was here, I took my time to patiently guide the young man.

    Although his potion scores were horrible, it was mostly due to Snape being such an atrocious teacher. The man didn''t teach at varying levels, help students gradually build up the proper skills. He taught it more like he was teaching masters or PhD students. He gave you a project, you do it, he tells you what you did wrong. He doesn''t try to make people understand how or why things work as they do. He just lets people do mistakes as a way to try and force the correct way of doing things into students. This method only really working on talented or hardworking students, something very rare.

    Although most of my time helping him was in potions, we had many animated discussions about Herbology. Neville has actually bought and thoroughly read my ''Hebologists guide to growing wild plants''. The kid thought it was a work of art and desperately wanted its contents to be taught by Professor Sprout. Unfortunately it would take a few years before my books were truly integrated into any curriculums. But fortunately for him, he had the author of said books in front of him and willing to discuss things with him.

    This let me deepen our relationship using common interests, and I also used the subject to help in understand Potions and Care of Magical Creatures. But it will still take some time before I can bring up the wand issue.

    On a side note, Hagrid still very much tried to have his Blast-Ended Skrewts added to his CoMC class. It still boggles mine and Christian''s minds when we think about how the half-giant managed to make a manticore f.u.c.k a fire crab, or vice versa. The things were a nightmare and it would ruin Hagrid''s previous results as a professor. It took a long time to convince the man that this type of project was perfectly acceptable as a private venture, but to force it on students would end extremely bad. So we just used the money dear old Lucius would be forced to reimburse us for, and brought in a batch of Kneazle kittens and Fire Crabs instead. They both had interesting magical properties, one being very attractive to girls, while the other can prove challenging enough for fourth years.

    Aside from helping these two unique individuals, I had also announced the next generation leaders for the Dueling club.

    The four chosen for the role were quite shocked, even Ron was happy to see I didn''t lie or change my mind about my decision. So Hogwarts now knew that the club would be a joint project between the four houses. It would become a place where all students could test their skills in combat, forming the second side to my coin so to speak.

    One of my legacies would further the path of academics, whilst the other would push the martial forces in magic. Two sides of the same coin you could say.

    My announcement also saw the beginning of the four successors true training under me. They would receive a completely revamped training designed by me. It would be somewhat similar to Ron''s guide book, but this would introduce modified spells into the mix as well. I am also giving each of them a book for their house, with spells and tactics emblematic of their beliefs. It has been bound to the positions of club president and successor. Meaning that only the four and myself could read from these, and in the future only they and their own successors would be privy to the knowledge in them.

    I also personally drilled them in more advanced combat, meaning I wiped the floor with them in order to shatter their egos and light a fire in them. They needed to see just how far dueling could take them. Obviously I restricted myself to peak human standards during the match. I didn''t use any of what I would classify as ''super'' level abilities, so no super strength, speed, reflexes or legilimency. I also limited my magical strength to be within second maturation ranges and used fewer original/modified spells in combat.

    This set the standard way time passed for me in Hogwarts.

    And so, a week before the end of October a notice was posted in the Entrance Hall of the castle.

    TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT

    THE DELEGATIONS FROM BEAUXBATONS AND DURMSTRANG WILL BE ARRIVING AT 6 O''CLOCK ON FRIDAY THE 30TH OF OCTOBER. LESSONS WILL END HALF AN HOUR EARLY.

    STUDENTS WILL RETURN THEIR BAGS AND BOOKS TO THEIR DORMITORIES AND A.S.SEMBLE IN FRONT OF THE CASTLE TO GREET OUR GUESTS BEFORE THE WELCOMING FEAST.

    The notice had set the official countdown for when this years events would truly begin. It let every student remember once again just what would happen this year and renewed the gossip flowing through the castle.

    It wasn''t only the students who were in a frenzy, but the staff and house-elves as well.

    The castle was undergoing the most thorough cleaning it had probably received in decades. The floors were being scrubbed daily, every visible piece of decorative metal was shinning, banners were put in place to demonstrate the prestige and history of all four houses, the armors were polished and the grimy portraits were wiped clean, much to some of the inhabitants disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e.

    Filch was basically a roaming predator at this point too. He appeared from everywhere to yell and punish students who dirtied the castle during this time period. The man was on a mission to remove every spot of dirt in the castle, and if you hinder him it would not end well.

    And the professors where trying extra hard to whip the students into shape. They constantly yelled at students to not do stupid things, stopped them from looking like slobs, pushed them to not be failing their classes, and they tired very hard to rein in the twins for the next week.

    Luckily for them, the twins were too busy trying to come up with a variety of plans to fool the ''impartial judge'', and attempting to contact one Ludo Bagman for their bet winnings.

    That actually reminded me, I should tell them about the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports'' reputation and financial troubles. I also want to invest in their joke shop. It''d be idiotic to not do so.

    But the week passed quickly for everyone as their excitement mounted. And it was on the designated date of the 30th when everything was reaching its crescendo.

    Every student was gathered outside to welcome the delegations from both schools, waiting in anticipation for their arrivals.

    Apparently the Headmaster wanted to show off a bit as well, since he asked Victoria and I to be with his welcoming committee. He said that since we were Head Boy and Girl, as well as the most accomplished students Hogwarts has ever had, it would make perfect sense to have us welcome the best and brightest of both schools.

    He''s not wrong though, so we ended up watching around the place as we all waited for their arrivals.

    I then noticed an approaching shadow coming from the direction of the Forbidden Forest.

    "Headmaster, I believe that should be Beauxbatons coming from over there." I say as I point towards the incoming flying carriage.

    "Ha. So it is. Your vision seems to have improved since last we discussed it." The old man agreed with a jolly smile.

    We looked at the giant, powder blue, carriage flying towards use at impressive speed as It was pulled by a team of Abraxan''s.

    ''Just a quick explanation'' I thought to the readers at home as a chibi version of myself appeared.

    ''Abraxan''s are one of the closest official relatives to the now extinct Pegasus. The are usually pale gold or a tanned color, with white hair and pale blue feathers. They are said to mostly sustain themselves on whiskey, which is surprising since they are the size of freaking elephants. And they used these things to fly a small house sized carriage around.

    ...

    Honestly, how have we never been exposed?'' I thoughts as I concluded my chibi explanation time.

    Good timing too since the half-giantess and Headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, Olympe Maxime, had appeared in all her glory.

    The woman was certainly impressive. Her nearly twelve foot frame was wrapped from nearly head to toe in black satin, decorated in Opal accented jewelry, shining black high-heels and nothing else to protect her from this chilly weather.

    Her looks seemed to be like every character I had seen, a mix of movie and book description. Although she was tall and looked fairly strong, she wasn''t bulky. She was basically an enlarged ex-movie actress. Her brown hair pulled back in knob style, a more handsome face than seen in the movies, and her beaky nose not as prominent as I thought it would be.

    The Headmaster and Headmistress took their time to greet each other warmly, as Madame Maxime introduced her students. But unfortunately for them, they seemed to have picked a very light uniform, as we could see them shivering from the cold.

    I could immediately spot the famous Fleur Delacour and her little sister Gabrielle. True to their heritage, both truly stood out from the crowd. Whilst Gabrielle had a cute little sister vibe reminding me of Susan, Fleur was a blooming flower capable of bringing most men to their knees. She was tall, willowy, with long blond hair, a faint silvery aura due to her bloodline, deep blue eyes, fair skin and athletic figure.

    But for me, it mattered not. I knew who I loved and her unconscious appeal held no sway whatsoever on me.

    "My word Dumbly-dort," The Madame exclaimed in surprise," zat was quite shocking."

    "Yes, young Mister Bones is the pride of our school I dare say." The Headmaster said with a chuckle, resulting in Maxime to have a serious look on her face.

    "It is nothing Headmistress," I said in a humble manner," I just couldn''t let our guests suffer from a climate they aren''t accustomed to. This would be very rude as a host. Would you wish for a coat yourself? I didn''t conjure one for you since you did not seem bothered by the cold."

    "No need child." She answered in her heavy French accent.

    I simply lightly bowed and returned to my position.

    The group from Beauxbatons was then escorted inside, while their horses were to be tended by Hagrid. Who was able to be here, but was shocked by the revelation that another Half-giant existed in the world.

    With a few minutes of excitement over the arrival of one of our guests, the students then started to look in the sky for our second group.

    "It looks like Durmstrang has chosen to use their old ship this time Headmaster." I say as I turn my head towards the Black Lake.

    "Indeed they have. How nostalgic." He agreed with a smile.

    Students finally realized that a noise was coming from the lake a few moments later, excitedly announcing the appearance of Durmstrang Institute''s ship. A ship reminiscent of what a ghost ship would be, or maybe the Flying Dutchman of legends as it appeared from under the water.

    They moored themselves on the edges of the lake, disembarked and marched as one towards us.

    Death Eater traitor and current Headmaster, Igor Karkaroff, enthusiastically greeted Dumbledore as his students followed along, with Victor Krum in the lead.

    The young man was tall and thin, with hawk like features. He was quite literally made to fly. Especially with is uncomfortable appearance as he moved on land, but his dancing in the sky.

    Since there was no need for any extravagance, they were quickly ushered inside as well after the quick greetings. But the students of Hogwarts, especially the Quidditch fans, were thrilled to have such a famous player staying at the school. This made people even more excited than they were before as everyone headed back towards the Great Hall for the feast.

    ''It''s almost time. One more day and then my course of action will be clear.'' I thought to myself as I followed behind the Headmaster.

 Chapter 123 - Ch. 123 Goblet of Fire

    Everyone was gathered into the Great Hall for the welcoming feast.

    Although many were excited to be in the same place as a world renowned Quidditch player, others were busy comparing our new guests to the students of Hogwarts.

    I on the other hand, simply compared how the two most likely champions felt. Not in a weird way, just their magical energy.

    Fleur was more interesting because of her Veela blood. Her magic core was nearing her second maturity, but it would probably take a few more years for it to change. This should show her a great amount of talent, unfortunately it seemed like a good amount was wasted. Veela''s have a natural inclination towards fire and illusions, making them dangerous magical beings, Fleur inherited this disposition, but she also maintained a more balanced magical energy. It seems like she wasn''t overwhelmingly skilled in those traits, hence stopping her from becoming too specialized. But she didn''t capitalize on her gifts and most likely treats them as curses. I could understand that though, having Veela blood would make any child''s life horrible while growing up. So many people looking at you with l.u.s.t ever since you were young would mess with any child''s psychology. Her attitude towards others is actually totally understandable when you think about this point.

    Krum was kind of weird to be honest. His magic core was above average, nothing truly special. From my calculations, it would take him at least a decade for him to reach his second maturity. And that is if he continually trains his magic and body. If not, it will most likely take him over 20 years before he can become anything really descent. But he did seem thoroughly trained. His magic was neat and orderly, with almost no fluctuations in his core, proving his stability and his possible skills in combat. The problem is that i can feel that he already learned some basic Dark Arts from his soul. It isn''t much, probably because of Durmstrang''s education system, but it is still there. What was interesting about Krum was that his body seemed to basically be experiencing land-sickness, a phenomenon in which sailors returning from prolonged stays at sea have their equilibrium thrown off by the overly stable ground under their feet. The difference being that he is most likely to have his body''s equilibrium too adapted to the sky instead of the sea, explaining his unstable/uncomfortable movements.

    In summary, Fleur has much more potential than Krum, but he has honed his skills more than her.

    After analyzing the best the other schools had to offer I simply smiled and began to eat the feast in front of me. The great thing about today was that they added food from other countries this time, which is something they really should do more often. In all honesty, the UK isn''t really known for its culinary arts. I even tried the famous Bouillabaisse, a rich and spicy soup/stew with a variety of seafood mixed in it, and it was pretty good.

    As one of the representatives of our school, along with Victoria, I was also responsible to welcome and guide our student guests during their stay. Interestingly, Beauxbatons sat with Ravenclaw and Durmstrang was with Slytherin. I had completely forgotten about this fact and found it an amusing coincidence that they would sit at the tables of the Head Boy and Girl.

    This is actually an easy task for me since I''ve learned a few languages I deemed to be important in the magical world. By important, I mean places with famous magical schools or important practices, just in case I would ever have to visit their countries. This means I know French, Bulgarian, Japanese, Portuguese, Arabic, Swahili, Hindi, and Russian. I don''t really have any information about the lesser known schools of magic, but I''ve done my best to prepare.

    So I used my preparations to entertain our guests, which at the moment ment one Gabrielle Delacour. The eight year old sister and mini version fo Fleur, excitedly talking to me in French.

    (I could write this in actual French, but that''s a pain for any reader who doesn''t read it. So if you want a genuine experience, google translate is your friend.)

    "You''re Aedan Bones?! I just love your books! They are so exciting to read! Can you sign my copy of Potions beyond Potions? How about Practical Arithmancy?" The little girl asked with stars in her eyes.

    "It would be my p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e. It''s great to hear someone likes my books so much, I just hope it can inspire you and make them your starting point, not your goal." I say with a gentle smile.

    "Yay! Sister is going to be so jealous." Gabrielle said as she hopped a little in her seat.

    "I am surprised that both of you enjoyed my books. How did you even hear about them? From what I remember of the BonesWorks report, France isn''t too thrilled about my business there because of my origins." I then asked the cute little girl.

    "Monsieur Flamel was so thrilled when he read your works that he bragged about it to his Alchemy preparations class. He said that he felt a hundred years younger due to his excitement. I think most of the school read your books after that." She happily informed me.

    "I am honored a man like Mr. Flamel would read my books." I say with a satisfied smile on my face.

    "Oh! I have a question for you. Can I ask it? It might be personal." The energetic little girl asked carefully.

    "I''ll answer the best I can." I replied with a reassuring smile.

    "Are part Veela?" She curiously asked.

    That question threw me off a bit. Didn''t expect it.

    "No, I am not part Veela." I said with a little cough.

    "But you don''t look pure human. Too pretty." She murmured in response.

    "Well, not really pure human. Unfortunately, that''s not something I am willing to talk about. So better luck next time." I answer with a bemused smirk.

    "A Can''t you tell me? Pretty please?" She then asked as she subconsciously started blasting her Veela aura.

    The unfortunate side effect of this was that every guy was now looking at her. They wanted to do anything to fulfill her request. The little angel was to be protected and pampered in their eyes.

    I saw Fleur hurriedly returning from another table and aiming to interrupt her sisters actions before something wrong happened, but it was unnecessary.

    "Gabrielle," I say as my own majestic and authoritative aura appears, completely crushing her own," When one has specific gifts, one must strive to control them. Restrain yourself please."

    I could see the little girl realizing what she had just done after she looked around for a bit. She saw the guys looking at her with worry and her sister frozen in shock.

    "I am sorry. I didn''t do it on purpose." The little girl said as her head hung low and tears started to form in her eyes.

    "There is no reason to be so down Gabrielle. What you have is a gift. One which could be very powerful if you learn how to use it properly. You just have to learn ok?" I said to the girl with a calm and gentle voice, as my majestic aura changed to a warm and protective one.

    She looked at me with wide open eyes, still moist from her tears, full of hope.

    "Really? You thinks I can?" She asked.

    "Of course. I can even try and help if you want." I said with a warm smile, while I automatically rubbed her little head.

    "Then can you?" The puppy-eyed girl asked.

    "My door is always open to help others." I gently answered. "But now I believe your sister will want to talk to you."

    Seeing that her sister was ok and nothing wrong happened, Fleur finally continued to rush towards her little sister.

    "We will take about this latter Gabrielle. You are lucky he didn''t fall for you." Fleur said as she started to chastise Gabrielle.

    I let her do her thing as I turned my attention to the front, where the interesting things were happening.

    It seemed that Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch had finally arrived. The two men were seated next to the Headmasters and Headmistress, as they would all be the judges of the tournament.

    I had noticed that Fleur had finished berating her sister and turned towards me to say something, but she was interrupted by Dumbledore stepping forward and ending the feast.

    "Next Miss Delacour." I say with a polite smile, only to receive a determined nod as she returned to her seat.

    Our dear Headmaster then began his explanation of how the tournament would operate.

    Like in the canon, the five men and woman would be the judges of the competition. They would mark the three chosen champions on their magical abilities, their courage, their wit and their ability to cope with danger. He then requested that the casket containing the Goblet to be brought in. The casket was a great wooden c.h.e.s.t encrusted with jewels, lookin extremely old. The next part of his speech involved the three tasks which would be held during the upcoming months.

    "They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire." Dumbledore said as he dramatically reveled the artifact.

    He then took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue-white flames.

    He placed the cup on top of the bow closed casket, presenting it to all present. Then continued his speech.

    "Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.

    "To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," said Dumbledore, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.

    "Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

    And with his words resounding in the hearts of all young men and women present, the reveal was over.

    The students immediately started to excitedly talk amongst themselves after everything was revealed, whilst heading back to their dorms.

    ''This is certainly interesting.'' I thought with a smile as I helped guide everyone to their lodgings.

 Chapter 124 - Ch. 124 Champions

    This Hallowe''en, like every one since Harry had arrived at Hogwarts, was filled with activity.

    First a Troll, then the first Basilisk attack, then Sirius infiltrates the castle, and now the Champion selection. The Madam who''s name rhymes with Growling had a real hard on for the date didn''t she?

    On this day, my friends and I had gathered in the Exchange before heading to the Entrance Hall.

    "I will be entering the Tournament. It seems to be an interesting test of skill and ingenuity, as well as being a source of practical experience. Plus it would be a good way to end my time here with a bang." I say to my friends as we discuss the topic.

    "Damn you. You couldn''t let others have a chance." Christian complained dramatically. "Doesn''t matter, I''m still entering and I''m going to be the Champion. After Master Scamander''s lessons it''ll easy."

    "Hmph. Like you''ll even get the chance. If Aedan isn''t chosen it''ll be me." Tory said in response with a smug smile at Christian.

    "Oh yeah?" He challenged," Bring it on then high and mighty Queen. I''ll show you just what I can do."

    "Can barely match me in a duel, my grades are better and honestly, you act like a wild boar sometimes." Teased Victoria.

    Baited by her words, my wild friend roared out," Ha! I''ve got way more wins against you in dueling and who cares about grades? I''m clearly the most suited in these types of situations!"

    "Oh please. That record is from last year and then some." She dismissed without any care. "Remind me, how many times have you won since our 7th year started?"

    Christian was stuck there and made a gack sound after hearing her words. Simply because my lady is saying the truth. She has overtaken Christian as the second best combatant amongst us and has been showing immense progress after she had gotten some more experience. She is also the person who''s learned the most modded spells and is the closest to learning Protego Sanctum. So her words do have merit.

    So as the two bickered, I turned to James.

    "How about you? Will you try and represent our school? We are the most likely to hold the title of Hogwarts Champion." I say to him.

    "It is a difficult decision for myself." He answered with a thoughtful look before continuing. "I believe that the three of you are much more suited to this type of task. I am simply not aggressive enough."

    "It has nothing to do with that. I just think it''s about the courage to step forward." I say with a smile and a shake of my head. "Just gotta decide if you''ll retreat in the face of the challenge or not. No need to worry about anything else simply because, you already answered the challenge. No one can question your will and you will not have to doubt yourself or ask what would happen if? Sometimes you just have to be willing to jump."

    My friend took some time to think about what I had said. It''s just how he is. He is willing to stand in front of others and be a shield, but he doesn''t act for himself much. He will calmly think his options through before deciding the best course of action for everyone. The only things he usually does for himself are when he peruses knowledge on magic and enchanting. Such is the case for learning the Goblin Smithing Arts.

    "Alright. There is no harm in being willing to jump as you said. Plus, I can''t let my junior enter while I sit and watch." He finally said with a slight jab at himself.

    But then, a wild Christian appeared.

    "It doesn''t matter you saintly bastard! I''m going to be the Champion!" He roared as if challenged. (Felt like he is channeling Bakugo.)

    "Now now Christian. I only said I would enter, the Goblet will let us know who has been chosen." He calmly said as he disarmed my friends passion.

    Tory then suddenly appeared from behind him and smacked him on the head, causing Christian to shout in pain.

    "Damn woman! What was that for?" He yelled as he rubbed his head.

    "Stop acting like a child. We''re all entering the tournament and the goblet will decide, so stop shouting at everyone." She said coldly as she glared at him.

    "Yes ma''am!" Christian answered as he saluted in a military manner.

    ''Yeah, she has him trained pretty well. He knows what will happen if he continues to act like an idiot.'' I thought to myself with a chuckle.

    "It''s all well and good to say we will be the Champion, but we should probably enter our names to make that a possibility." I say loud enough to get everyone''s attention.

    "Then let''s go!" Christian excitedly yelled.

    "Stop shouting like an idiot." Victoria said with another smack.

    "I am rather curious how the artifact works. Do you think they''d let me study it for a bit?" Suddenly asked James.

    "I doubt they''ll let anyone mess with it until at least tomorrow, but you can always ask." I answered for him.

    "True, they wouldn''t want anyone to mess with our impartial judge right before the selection." He agreed with a nod.

    With a good amount of excitement and energy, we exit the exchange and head towards the entrance hall.

    We arrived just in time to see one very peculiar: two old men in school uniform fighting each other on the ground.

    "What the bloody hell is this?" Asked a bewildered Christian.

    "It would seem that this is the result of someone trying to fool the goblet. Interesting phenomenon." James analyzed as he looked at the situation with great interest.

    "Looks like it boosted the effect of an aging potion. I heard that the punishment depends on the means you used to try to fool our wooden judge. I even heard there was a girl that grew a beard because of this." Victoria said with a quick glance.

    "It seems this was the path the twins decided to tread. Foolhardy, but creative. I can see why they can create so many products. Unfortunately, everyone severely underestimated the cup and the age line. The line has several loopholes in it, such as getting others to enter for you or levitating the paper to the fire. But the cup would need considerably powerful magic to be fooled. You''d need to be around a professor or Auror level of power at least to succeed. It is a sentient artifact after all." I say as I chuckle at the twins wrestling.

    "Really? Doesn''t look that special to me." Christian said as he looked at the goblet suspiciously.

    "That is because you have to feel the magic Christian. These types of artifacts have different kinds of magical energies, hence they feel unique." James said as he reminded our friend.

    "Hmm, I don''t have enough experience in that field to really tell the specifics, but it does have an interesting feeling to it." He responded after taking a second.

    "Aedan, should we help the two idiots on the floor? They''ve been like that for long enough." Victoria interrupted as she brought our attention back to the young old men.

    "I suppose we should. Unfortunately I do not have the specific potion to cure them at this moment. A de-aging potion isn''t really something one needs on a day to day basis. What about you?" I asked to make sure.

    "None as well. They''ll have to go to Poppy, she''ll have it brewed in no time." She said as she shook her head.

    "That''s what i thought." I agreed as I turned my attention to the twins.

    With a flick of my wrist, my wand shoots to my hand, and with a single movement of it, both tumbling boys are now floating in the air.

    That got everyone''s attention very quickly.

    "Fred, George, although this is very entertaining to watch, I suggest heading over to Madam Pomfrey. A potion or two and you''ll be back to your red hair and smooth faces. Also, if you ever want to talk about some future business, do come and talk to me. You''d make a wonderful investment." I say as I let them down.

    I could have easily done this wandless, but one needs to keep ones true strength hidden.

    "Wait." Fred began.

    "You want to" George continued.

    ""Invest in us?!"" The finished in unison.

    "Why not? I''ve been Head boy since you''ve been in third year. So I''ve seen the progression of your pranks and inventions. They have potential and I am a business man as well. So if you ever want a little extra support I''d be happy to help you out." I say with a chuckle.

    "Alright mister businessman, enough of that." Chastised Tory as she pushed me out of the way and narrowed her eyes at the twins. "Now you two head to the infirmary and get the Madam to look you over. Tell her exactly why you''re like this and she''ll fix you right up. Am I understood?"

    ""Yes your Queenliness!"" They shouted in unison and ran out of the door.

    "Well, at least I know any of your kids aren''t going to end up like Christian." I said with a chuckle.

    "Hey! What do you mean be that!?" The bewildered Christian asked.

    "I will have to agree with Aedan on this one. No way Victoria will raise such a wild youth." James said with a nod of his head.

    "Not you too?!" Our wild friend said as he slumped in depression a bit.

    "Stand up straight! Stop acting like a child in public! Can''t you at least look like you have any control or decorum?" Nagged Tory this time, proving my point as she tried to cover over her slightly red ears.

    He immediately straightened his body body with a conditioned "Yes Queen!"

    This got some chuckles from myself and James, while those looking at us stare with open mouths.

    "Let''s enter our names and head back to our own projects. No need to brag this on." I then say as the four of us take out our slips with our names on them.

    We quickly threw our names in and with a blue flash they were gone.

    ''It doesn''t feel anywhere close to my own flame, but they also feel differently than bluebell flames. It is interesting, but oh well.'' I thought as I analyzed the Goblet.

    We all left together but dispersed to take care of our own projects until the feast. It would be eventful for sure.

    Christian went to check up on some of the beasts in the Forest, something he had gotten special permission to do. James went to the RoR to continue his smithing project, which seems to be a pair of greaves. Tory went to the infirmary in order to help Madam Pomfrey with the influx of students. And I went to the Exchange''s practice area to work on my in-progress spell.

    This allowed for everyone to pass the time quickly until we headed down to the feast.

    During said feast, I took charge of socializing with our guests from Beauxbatons again. This entailed talking with a few members who would politely discuss things with me and mostly taking care of Gabrielle. The little girl seemed to have gotten quite attached, apparently I felt like a stern but caring older brother. It happened quickly, but I''m fine with having another cute little sister.

    Susan''s been becoming more distant as she''s been growing, so I don''t have as many chances to spoil her. ToT

    During this time, I had also taken the chance to talk to Fleur. It seemed she appreciated having someone to talk to around the same age, who doesn''t get even a bit influenced by her heritage. If anything, she might be influenced by mine. Her senses are far more s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e than a normal humans, thus she can feel more of my beast side.

    It was during one of these conversations that Crouch and Bagman arrived as well, and that the Headmaster cleared the tables.

    He stood in front of hundreds of expectant eyes and spoke.

    "The Goblet is almost ready to make its decision. I estimate only another minute is required. Now, when the Champions are chosen, I will ask for them to come up to the Head Table and head to the next chamber. You will be receiving your first instructions there." He announced calmly to the impatient students.

    He then dimmed all sources of light in the hall and left only the shining blue flame dancing in the cup alone. It flickered and brightened, building the anticipation of all those present, until it turned red and spat out a partially burnt piece of parchment.

    Dumbledore caught it and announced the chosen participant in a clear, strong voice,"The Champion for Durmstrang will be... Victor Krum."

    Applause erupted as the guy stood up and head towards the next chamber, with his own headmaster being the proudest and happiest present.

    The hall quieted as they awaited the next champion. Not having to wait long as the red flames spat out the second name.

    "The Champion for Beauxbatons will be... Fleur Delacour." The Headmaster announced as the applauses rang out once again.

    With a triumphant smile on her face, she stood up and walked down the aisle under everyones gazes and disappeared into the next room.

    Gabrielle was both very excited for her sister and very worried due to the track record of the tournament. Some other Beauxbatons students were devastated, while some girls actually started crying.

    Unfortunately for them, the show must go on and they were soon ignored as most of the students were now anticipating the Hogwarts Champion.

    The flame turned red for the third time and the ''final'' parchment was revealed.

    "The Hogwarts Champion will be... Aedan Bones." He announced with a smile on his face and as the hall erupted with cheers.

    "Raven! Raven! Raven! Raven! Raven!" The hall chanted with a rhythm as I made my way to the next chamber.

    I could feel the eyes of every person in the hall on me as I gave a slight nod to the Headmaster and disappeared into the chamber.

    As I went down the stairs I could hear the cheering going on for a while, until the noise was too muffled to notice.

    The room seemed to be a place for the achievements of Hogwarts and some figures of the past. It contained walls full of living portraits and trophies, with a roaring fireplace. Fleur and Krum both looked over to see their final competition.

    "Oh Aedan. Are you really ze champion for ''ogwarts?" Fleur asked in a stunned voice.

    "It would seem so Fleur. I hope we can still hang out and learn from each other during the year. It would be a shame to miss this opportunity just because we will be competitors. We are meant to foster friendly relations as well." I happily say in response.

    "Zat would be nice." She answered with a relieved smile.

    "Of course, if Mr. Krum wishes to join us as well, I''d be more than happy to train with you too." I say to the brooding man in Bulgarian.

    "You speak my tongue?" He asked in a very surprised manner.

    "I have taken the time to learn many languages. I even learned some Mermish due to my friend and I''s interest in magical creatures and beings." I answered with a bright smile.

    "Then it would be pleasant to have someone to train with. You look strong. Do you play Quidditch as well?" He asked curiously.

    "No, that interest belongs to one of my friends. I train for combat and health reasons. I am the founder and president of the Dueling club. I run every morning with my previously mentioned friend, as well as some promising duelers who will take over the club next year. It would be great if you could join us." I responded with my smile still present.

    "I believe I will take you up on that offer." He said with a serious look on his face.

    "What are you two talking about without me?" Suddenly asked Fleur in French.

    "I was simply offering to workout together. I train with a few other students in the morning." I answered simply in English.

    "Oh, zen I would like to join as well." She said as if it was decided.

    "It would be a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to have you both." I answered brightly.

    But at that moment, I noticed a certain messy head of black hair appear from the stairs.

    "Harry, what are you doing here? Are they asking for us to come up?" I asked calmly to the very nervous teen.

    "No. Um, Aedan, it looks like someone put my name in the cup. And it was selected." He said as he looked at me hopefully.

    "Zat is impossible!" Shouted Fleur, half in English, half in French.

    Krum frowned but decided not to speak.

    "That is worrying." I said with a serious face.

    "What? Why!?" Asked Harry as he began to worry.

    "It cannot be a simple coincidence. Someone tampered with the goblet, targeting you specifically, in a tournament renowned for its dangers. You will have to be careful." I said to the boy seriously.

    "But I don''t even want to participate! Can''t I just withdraw?" He then asked in a worried manner.

    "I don''t know Harry. But the officials for the Tournament are coming. We''ll see what they have to say." I answered with a shake of my head.

    Before he could do anything else our five judges ran down in a hurry, and the canon scene began.

    Dumbledore CALMLY asked the kid if he''d put his name in, the other heads of schools aren''t happy, Snape is being a twit against Harry again, Moody explains how this could have happened and scares Karkaroff, Crouch says Harry has to participate and now they are forced to accept it.

    In face of the unavoidable, Crouch begins to explain how this would work.

    Like the canon, the first task tests our ''daring in the face of the unknown.'' It will happen on November 24th, we are not allowed to ask for help from any teacher and we will only be allowed our wands during the tasks. We will receive information on the second task after the first has been completed and we will be exempt from end-of-year tests. Doesn''t do much for me since NEWT''s are required.

    After that, Barty left, Ludo stayed for a drink with Dumbledore, Madame Maxime and Karkaroff led Fleur and Krum out, and the Headmaster bid Harry and I goodnight.

    "Do you really think someone wants to harm me?" He asked as he had become very worried about this happening, but he was relieved I believed him about not putting his name in.

    "It is very likely Harry. Prepare yourself thoroughly for anything, you''ll need it. If you need help don''t be afraid to come to me. I''ll do everything I can to make sure you make it through this tournament." I gently say to the teen.

    "But what about you? You''re supposed to be against me." Harry asked in a surprised manner.

    "I have absolute confidence in myself already Harry. I even invited Fleur and Mr. Krum to learn and train together. So don''t worry too much. Unfortunately we will have to talk another time, I believe our houses will be celebrating our participation." I say with a chuckle as I head out first.

    I was very correct about that. The Ravenclaw tower was filled with extremely excited students, proud that their houses star had been chosen. Christian happily congratulated me, saying I should ''wipe the flour with everyone.'' While Luna airily congratulated me as well.

    Seeing the two doing so together gave me a knowing smirk as I tell him to wait until she''s an a.d.u.l.t. He turns red as he tries to hide his embarrassment by making me chug some butter beer someone snuck in.

    It was a pleasant way to end a rather exciting day.

 Chapter 125 - Ch. 125 Wand Weighing

    Time passed for everyone as they fussed over the newly crowned champions.

    Many in Hogwarts celebrated my obtaining the role, believing victory was at hand due to my past displays of excellence. I was seen as The Hogwarts champion. This was unfortunate for Harry as he had to deal with three of the houses and even some from Gryffindor slandering him. A pleasant surprise this time was Ron standing beside his friend. Ever since he had found a stable place to show that he is not just another Weasley or just the Harry Potter''s friend, he has become a lot more sure of himself. So although he had doubts about his friend, having myself and ''Moody'' claim this could be the work of someone who means Harry harm was enough to convince him.

    To remedy this, I tried to announce that I believed someone entered Harry into the tournament in the hopes of harming. I did this in the Exchange and the Dueling Club. I tried to give them a tiny bit of logic. Asking how a fourth year would be able to fool a powerful magical artifact which has been used for centuries? How would he have gotten pass the age line? Who would even help him in good conscience? Why would he look so distraught over his participation? And even if he was the only Hogwarts Champion, why would the cup choose him? This leading to the troubling theory that someone who supported his famous foe, might have done this in the hopes of at the very least injuring him.

    Although some started to believe Harry might not have wanted to be in the tournament, it is still a relatively small number.

    The Slytherin house is doing the same crap they pulled for Cedric, only this time I am the one who is supported. This is pretty much done by the process of elimination. They hate Gryffindors and Harry is particular thorn in their sides, whilst I am a more neutral Ravenclaw, a best friend of their Queen, and a person who has repeatedly helped and defended members of their house. So although I have an amusing relationship with the Malfoy family, I am still respected within Salazar''s cohorts. This means badges have been made to show support for me, and a lot of people are wearing them.

    I had actually forgotten about an event before the actual task: the weighing of the wands.

    It is the first time we actually see Rita Skeeter in the canon, and when she starts messing with Harry''s life just to get attention. She is one of the cancers of Britain. She feeds easily digestible falsehoods to the people, causes unneeded outrages and panics, whilst never doing any actual good with her talents.

    The worst part about her is that she tried to slander mother. The insect made her life harder than necessary.

    ''Should I have Geri silence her or should I do it myself?'' I thought as I headed towards the classroom they set aside for the weighing.

    It was just a small classroom in which they pushed the desks to the sides, formed a little judges panel with a few desks, hung a dr.a.p.e behind it and left a some chairs to sit on. Nothing complicated for this minor event.

    It looked like I was the second to arrive, since Krum had already sat down on his own.

    I simply joined him for a little chatting about when it would be good to train together and what type of education we''ve received in our respective schools.

    Apparently Durmstrang is a lot more like a military academy than a boarding school. They have a strict code of conduct and a different teaching philosophy. From what Krum told me, it sounds like the old aristocratic officer schools. A place where noble youths would learn how to lead, fight and act in high class society. It would have a classes on what noble lines would consider important for their progenies to know. This is why Dueling is still very favored in the institute, but it is also why the Dark Arts are still taught. There are also some rumored secret chambers left behind by Grindelwald, in a manner akin to Salazar''s Chamber of Secrets, or any other number of hidden truths in the castle.

    He on the other hand, was against the dark arts in general. Even though he was forced to learn and practice a few, Krum saw them as a sort of gateway drug, slowly pushing you to cease being a true human being. His point of view came from the fact that Grindelwald himself murdered his grandfather, leading him and some like-minded individuals in Durmstrang to discipline those trying to follow in his footsteps. This is why his core only had an inkling of darkness compared to the rest of his schoolmates.

    While we were talking, Fleur arrived and decided to join in on our conversation about our schools.

    Her Academy was centered around more magical crafting and stylish magical abilities I would say. There is a stronger focus on the artistic aspect of magic over its utilitarian uses. And with the Flamel''s having supported the school as alumni for centuries, they had very strong potions and alchemy programmes. There was also a special seventh year course for those wishing to become healers, sponsored by Perenelle Flamel. They have more discipline than Hogwarts, but not even close to Durmstrang. And the campus is filled with the artistic spirit of France, its visual appeal far ahead Hogwarts.

    Fleur was simple happy to be able to talk so openly with her peers, since she is almost isolated in the school. The boys pursue her out of l.u.s.t and lose any reasoning when near her, while the girls are spiteful and jealous of it, not realizing how disgusting it is to constantly be l.u.s.ted after and how hurtful it is to not have anyone to support you. This is actually the reason she is so protective of Gabrielle. She simply doesn''t want the child to have to go through what she had.

    Although they were depicted as a dour man and overly proud woman, I can see why they had developed to act that way. They were both good people influenced by their environment.

    ''Kinda preferring Krum ending up with Hermione the more I talk to him.'' I thought for a moment.

    That thought was interrupted by the Ludo walking in as he excitedly talked to the woman I assume to be Rita Skeeter.

    Her hair was set in elaborate and curiously rigid curls that contrasted oddly with her heavy-jawed face. She wore jeweled spectacles. The thick fingers clutching her crocodile-skin handbag ended in two-inch nails, painted crimson. She was wearing a bright green dress, which was odd for a witch, but it was also way too flashy. It was like the woman had to be the center of attention.

    "Be very careful what you say or do when that woman is anywhere near you. She will use anything and everything to have gossip to write. She will twist the truth and create facts, forming a story about you which you will never be able to stop." I warned my fellow champions with a whisper.

    "S?rement elle ne peut pas ¨ştre si mauvaise que sa?" Fleur asked in a surprised tone.

    "She is Rita Skeeter. If you''ve ever seen one of her articles not ruin someone''s life then I''ll applaud you." I respond in a whisper.

    "§˛§Ń§Ů§Ň§Ú§â§Ń." Viktor simply said with a nod.

    The woman was very curious about our little group since I could feel her gaze on us continuously. Fortunately Bagman was blocking her with his incessant talking.

    That was until Rita tried to take Harry away for an interview without his actual consent.

    "Miss Skeeter, please let Harry go this instant or I will be forced to bring up charges for forcing an interview without his guardians permission." I say to the flashy woman.

    "You seem to not know how these things work child. Now run along and let the a.d.u.l.ts do their jobs." She said dismissively without giving me a proper look.

    I took a second before responding as I make my magic cascade over her, forcing her to almost be unable to breath due to the overwhelming pressure.

    "That is an interesting way to talk to a lord of a noble house Miss. Care to repeat that sentence?" I ask with a cold smile on my face.

    Bagman was opening and closing his mouth as he didn''t know what to do, while Rita was shivering from the pressure she was under.

    "Harry, you never have to tell anyone what you do not wish to. If these people try to force it, you can simply go to Sirius and he will be more than capable of handling it. It is part of his role as your guardian. Now come on and join us, we were talking about each of our schools." I said with a bright smile towards the teen, whilst not letting Rita off just yet.

    Harry couldn''t get away from her fast enough, joining the three of us with a bit of a nervous smile.

    "I will be talking to various news outlets about this behavior of yours Miss Skeeter. If you try to paint this event in your characteristic style, I will be forced to respond with the charges of defamation. Honestly speaking, you can barely get an article out anymore due to The Herald''s standards and how desperate the Daily Prophet has become. So I suggest you think about your next course of action carefully." I say as I turn around and remove the pressure I had put on her.

    "Are you sure you wish to do zat?" Asked a worried Fleur.

    "She actually deserves much more. But it''ll be fine. I am a legitimate lord. I''ve been offered a position in the Wizengamot after I graduate, as well as a position on the Board of Governors for my work in improving the school during my studies. Add in my massive wealth and international connections, and it makes me a very dangerous person for her to try and take on." I answer with a smile.

    "You''re going to be a Governor!?" Asked a shocked Harry.

    "Yes. They''ve had trouble filling in two of the spots since last year, due to Lord Malfoy and the others actions and dismissals. I was nominated because of my record, wealth and influence, even if i am still in school." I answered calmly.

    "Zat is impressive." A stunned Fleur said.

    Viktor simply nodded again, preferring not to speak in general, but he was surprised as well.

    While ignoring the two behind us, we began talking about some future plans for a while. That was until the rest of the judges panel and Mr. Ollivander arrived.

    The Headmaster noticed the weird atmosphere going on with Ludo and Rita, but because of the time and place he decided to ignore it for now.

    The weighing of the wands was very simple as formalities go. Ollivander would look at the wand, its core, condition and performance, then declare it fit or unfit. It is done to protect the champions from unknown defects or damages the wand might have, which could led to failure when trying to cast spells in a key moment.

    "Ah yes, I remember this wand very well. Ebony wood, Phoenix heart feather and Wampus cat hair, 11.5 inches, slightly flexible. The most unique custom wand I''ve ever had the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e of making." He gleefully said as he looked over the sleek black wand.

    "Very well maintained, extremely loyal as well. You''ve nearly become one with this wand Mr. Bones, impressively done." He added after a moment.

    "It is one of the most important things in a wizards life after all." I humbly reply.

    Only giving me a knowing smile in response, he waves my wand and simply says "Incendio Tria", making a small blue flame appear from my wand.

    "Perfectly fit to wield. I hope it continues to serve you well." Ollivander said with a sagely smile as he hands it back to me.

    With that little interlude done, Dumbledore tried to dismiss us, only to have Bagman insist on taking photos.

    Fortunately my little lesson smothered Rita''s passion for the moment and let the process be relatively smooth. We had individual pictures, some with all the champions, then with the judges, after that it was all champions and judges, finishing with only the judges.

    After which we were free to go.

    I bid farewell to Harry, Fleur and Viktor, then headed back to my class.

    ''Let us see how the insect will retaliate.'' I thought as my little devil horns seemingly appeared again.

 Chapter 126 - Ch. 126 Viktor and Fleur

    It was a pleasant November morning, with the fresh air, the dew covered grass and rising sun.

    And on this morning, a small group of young men and women were running around the Black Lake. This group was obviously myself, Christian, Viktor and my little successors.

    Christian was actually quite happy to have the chance to exchange tips with Viktor about Quidditch. Although they played different positions, they were both incredibly talented flyers and appreciated each other''s insights into the sport. Krum was both surprised and disappointed that Christian had rejected quite a few offers to join professional teams, and that he wouldn''t be able to compete against my friend on the highest levels of the game. They did promise to organize some friendly plays during his stay here however.

    Ron was still fanboying over the guy and was very excited to hear that he would come and train at the club during his stay. The kid also felt justified that Fleur was actually part Veela, but i strictly told him at least try to keep focused around her since she hates when people l.u.s.t after her.

    Although I couldn''t personally duel against this new friend of mine, it would cause too much of a stir if a champion straight up bested another, Christian was quite happy to do it. Hence why I was acting as the referee, it being well within my rights as the president of the club to do so. The impromptu event gathered many students wishing to see how Viktor Krum would hold up against the Beast of Ravenclaw.

    The duel would be held on our combat arena. So instead of basically dueling on a fencing platform, which is how we teach etiquette and basic skills, this is more of a tennis court. It is about twice the size of a normal court, without any lines obviously. This gives room for both duelers to move and properly use more advanced spells, while simulating a more realistic fight environment.

    "This will be an exhibition between the two of you. There will be no permanent damage done on either side. This means no Dark Arts, no explosions and no severing. The match will end when I declare it or when both of you have decided who should be the winner." I announce before the two separate and head to their respective positions.

    I move away from the inside of the ring, to the referees position. I then take a deep breath and focus some magic into my eyes and brain, letting me basically speed up my processing speed and eyesight to ridiculous levels. This will allow me to know exactly what is going on during the duel.

    "BEGIN!"

    Immediately after I yelled, Christian burst into action. He shot a standard combination of Stun, Disarm and Stun, which had been practiced so much it had nearly become one move for three spells.

    The trio rushed towards Krum as if my friend was aiming to end the match right there. Knowing that blocking such a combo wouldn''t end well, Krum dove out of the way and combat rolled back on his feat a bit unstably but well enough to begin his own attack. His volley involved mixing slight transfiguration into his spellwork, starting with a Jelly-leg, Vision dimming, then forming ankle height walls in Christian''s path as he was about to cast another series of spells.

    Unfortunately, my friend is called the Best for a reason.

    Christian instantly knew he would be in trouble if he continued moving in his set direction, so he hit the breaks, tilted his body backwards to dodge the first attack, then continued his momentum as he did a backwards handspring to head in the opposite direction of the trap. What was even more impressive was that he managed to shoot a quick Stunner during the handspring, using only one hand to flip himself upright, effectively stopping Viktor''s continued assault.

    This time I could see an excited grin on Christian''s face as he looked at his opponent. Since Krum decided to mix transfiguration into his spells, he decided to do the same.

    The spell chain for his attack was interesting. He started with Tarantallegra, shot a spell behind where Krum was dodging towards, shot a Jelly-Brain Jinx which hit him head on, then did a quick s motion with his wand, causing the area he had shot a spell on before to sprout snaking vines and making them grab onto Krum''s left leg.

    This was a very effective combination since he slowed down Viktor''s reaction time just enough to lock him down.

    Without enough time to free himself, Krum did the only thing he could at the moment: attack.

    But this only excited Christian. And it looked like the duel would end soon since his feral smile appeared.

    (Chibi Me Time)

    ''Just to give a quick explanation. Each one of my friends has adapted a part of my own dueling skills and methods into themselves, turning it into a complete style, unique to themselves.

    James has obviously internalized my defensive abilities.

    Victoria has followed my flexibility and power.

    While Christian harnessed my dynamic and physical aspects.

    He now focuses on dodging and strong, targeted attacks against his opponents. And he honed his skills and instincts while fighting three very powerful duelers, sometimes running dodging drills with two of us targeting him. That is to say, his dodging alone is nearing the limits of what a human is supposed to reach.

    Then I taught him how to empower his body and speed up his mind using magic.

    That is how he really earned the title of Beast amongst us.''

    I could see a dull blue glow in his eyes as he enhanced his reflexes and body. And just when the spells were about to hit, his body moved barely enough to let it slip past him. One after another, the spells continued to slip past Christian as he only moved the minimal amount to make it seem like it would hit. It was like a magic show amidst true magic.

    This display left Viktor feeling truly stunned, even forgetting about shooting more spells as he stared at my friend.

    Seeing this, I decided to call the match.

    "I think we can end it on this note. You both showed great skill and restrained yourselves properly." I say with a happy smile as I remove the vines binding Viktor''s leg, fix the holes in the ground and remove any signs of transfiguration on the dueling ring.

    Cheers erupted from outside the ring as students broke out of their looks of reverence. They had seen the skills of a Durmstrang student against one of the best, and it was very satisfying to watch. It was also an inspiring and valuable experience for many young duelers to see such a display of skill.

    Although Christian was a bit pouty about having his fun cut short, he knew that when he got serious the fight would end quickly. This isn''t overconfidence, it''s simply a fact. Outside of our group, only a few extremely skilled master Duelers could stop my friend once he goes full throttle.

    Professor Flitwick being the only confirmed person capable of doing this so far, but Christian has been closing the gap fast. I have no doubt Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape would also give him quite the fight/beating.

    Viktor however, was already going to lose,. Christian just wanted to go all out because of his excitement. He had already limited his power output, didn''t use any modded spells, and only used a little bit of his favorite plant magics. This would have just reduced the guys chances of winning to absolute zero.

    The two met up in the center and gave each other a firm handshake in acknowledgment of their skills, then they began their own bromance. (Armstrong would be proud TvT)

    This was our interesting event on Viktor''s side, now to Fleur.

    Fleur was a lot more interested in the Exchange than in the club. She found the concept to be quite progressive. A student run help center, designed to help others and foster positive growth in character and ability.

    Needless to say she showed a great deal of interest. But it was unfortunate her presence was basically kryptonite for the nerdy types, the slower types, and the nice guy types. It made them all short-circuit.

    So we set up a kind of special class for those able to resist her passive aura, in the hopes of making actual friends. It was only a few people, but it was better than nothing.

    I also started the training I had thought of before our crowning as champions.

    "Like you''ve most likely realized from my appearance and my little scolding of Gabrielle, I possess creature blood within me." I began the lesson with, speaking in French since it''s just myself, Fleur and Gabrielle at the moment.

    "What is it? It has to be strong for it to be such a powerful aura." Excitedly asked Gabrielle as her curiosity got the better of her.

    "Gabrielle! That is not a proper thing to ask." Her sister scolded, making the little girls head drop down.

    "That''s quite alright. Honestly speaking I was planing to reveal a few things after my graduation, one of them being related to your question Gabrielle." I reply with a little chuckle.

    "So what is it?" Asked the sparkly-eyed little girl with great expectations.

    "When I was little, I suffered a wound which should have killed me. But I was saved by a young Phoenix after she shared her blood with me. This caused many changes within me, such as the aura you experienced and a gift for fire related spells." I explained in a very watered down version of events.

    It is not a lie, just an omittance of facts. There was no need nor reason for me to tell these two girls everything.

    "Oh my god!" Fleur gasped," You have a phoenix?"

    "Yes I do, but that is still mostly a secret. For now I want to focus on a few things for you two: you aura, fire and illusions. To that end, I asked my friend to come and help out. He''s the best charm''s caster besides our Professor and myself, but his knowledge on them might surpass us." I say with a confident smile.

    "One of your friends is it? Certainly not the one they call the Beast. So either the one called the Queen or the Saint then." Fleur said as she wondered aloud. "Oh well, it matters not as long as they are not swayed by me."

    "Do not worry about that. All three of their minds are far too well defended for you to affect them. I made sure of that." I reply with a little pride in my voice.

    "Oh? Sounds like a challenge monsieur Raven." She said with mischief in her eyes.

    "You can go ahead and try, but you''ll be quite disappointed. He''ll be helping me when teaching about illusions, charming techniques and the mind arts. The aura and fire will be all me since I have both of these through my bloodline as well." I explained rather simply.

    "If you''re better than why are you asking for his help?" Gabrielle curiously asked.

    "Although I am a better caster, my friend has a deep passion for charms and enchantments. He is very likely to know many spells I have simply overlooked since I spend much of my time improving upon what I learn." I answered the little one.

    "That is a surprise. I''ve heard that you are the best in everything." Commented Fleur this time.

    "That is a difficult title to claim. If you mean in a practical sense, then the only thing I am not the best at would be flying. But my friends each have an area of expertise they go beyond me in. Christian lives Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures, James devours anything that has to do with making magic, and Victoria is the most dedicated healer I''ve ever heard of." I reply sincerely.

    "Then I look forward to working with him. From what I have heard, he his a true gentleman." The young woman said with a nod.

    "That he is."

    James arrived shortly after that, letting us start our first lesson.

    I tried to explain that since they are part Veela, this should mean that there is a representation of that within themselves. This piece is what gives them their inborn gifts. And the first step to controlling it properly lies in truly becoming one with it. They have to accept it before they can learn to use it. Can''t learn how to wield a wand if you don''t pick it up.

    Once they can achieve this, controlling their auras, flame and illusions will be a lot easier.

    Since this was the first time we''ve met up, the progress wasn''t explosive. Most of the practical improvements were in the field of charms and illusions, but it still helped. When it came to that, I was in charge of coaching Gabrielle due to my experience with Susan, while James worked with Fleur.

    As we all said our goodbyes and set our next session, I once again felt a little bug leave the room.

    ''I hope she''s getting enough dirt because I''m going to ruin her thoroughly.'' I thought with a devilish grin on my face.

 Chapter 127 - Ch. 127 Prelude to the task

    That was generally how time passed before the first task.

    Viktor often came to the dueling club for spars against Christian. The two of them respected each other greatly, with one being a better dueler and the other a better flyer. I still haven''t had the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.es of dueling against the man myself, but we have had many talks on the topic.

    He does appear to still have a crush on Hermione in timeline. I see him head to the library and stay there for long periods of time when she is supposed to be there. I even gave him a little tip to make sure no fans make noise around him when he''s there, since I remembered that it irritated her during the canon. I also tried to tell him somethings she might be interested in, like the differences between Hogwarts and Durmstrang, or the situation in the magical community there, and maybe some of the things he''s seen as he traveled for professional games.

    He is still friend who''s interested in someone I know. And it''s not like Ron or Harry are actually interested in her as a girl. Not that they''re aware of it anyway. So imma be a wingman.

    On Fleur''s side, things are going rather well.

    Her charms have been getting better and better under mine and James'' tutoring. She has a natural gift in many of them, making her a joy to teach. I''ve also started Gabrielle on some easy but fun spells to play with, mostly sparks and light shows one can really modify as you wish. Best way for kids to improve is to make them like what they are doing after all.

    Their Veela side is a little more complicated though.

    Fleur has a lot of issues accepting it because of all she has suffered through in the past. Her experiences have formed a light trauma which led to rejection, even if unconscious, so it will take time for her to accept herself. Fortunately her abilities to wield fire and form illusions has still improved a great deal through the passive buff from her bloodline.

    Gabrielle on the other hand has had a lot of progress in this area. There are a few reasons behind this success of hers, but the biggest would be her age and Fleur. Her sister protected her from a lot of the darker side of the world as she grew up, letting her be a lot freer than her in a sense. Thus she doesn''t have any hate for her Veela side, only some frustrations at not being able to make many real friends. And the fact that she hasn''t gone through puberty and developed her secondary s.e.x.u.a.l characteristics yet, means the influence from her heritage is still limited. From what I could feel and what she''s told me, it would seem she was getting close to truly accepting her inhuman quarter.

    Harry on the hand, well I''ve just been putting him through the wringer as best as I can.

    Physical training to give him any edge he could get. Teaching him new spells and useful bits of knowledge on various plants and beasts. Giving him a mini boot camp for combat. And I''ve even gone so far as giving the trio my little homework quills as a way to give Harry as much time as possible to prepare, while also letting his friends help him out more.

    There is honestly only so much I can do for a fourteen year old. Although Harry does have talent, and I''ve helped his body and core stabilize immensely, it is still limited to human standards.

    Aside from our exchanges and training, we also decided to have a little meeting about a week and a half away from the first task.

    "Now that the four of us are here, I would like to begin our little meeting." I start with a bright smile on my face.

    "Aedan, not zat I do not appreciate wat you ''ave done, but why ze gathering?" Asked the curious Fleur.

    "That is very simple Fleur, this is about the first task and making sure everyone knows what they will be up against." Was my answer.

    "You know? But how? I thought Fleur and Krum would since I saw their heads of school, but I didn''t get to warn you yet, so how do you know Aedan?" A surprised Harry asked.

    The two looked at Harry with a bit of a surprise, but the curiosity they looked at me with was stronger.

    "Would you believe me if I said they got those Dragons from reserves I invested in and figured out what they were going to use them for recently?" I asked with a little mischief in my eyes.

    That got two of them to stand up in shock, while Krum blinked as he tried to compute my little revelation.

    "Looks like you do. But I''m not here to interfere with anyone, I just wanted to make sure you all knew what we were up against." I said in a calm voice. "They requested nesting mothers, meaning this is most likely a test to get past them or steal something from them. I will not help you or advise you in anyway, simply because we all have our pride as Champions. Although we are friends and can help each other improve, at the end of the day this is a challenge each must face on their own. All I can say is to focus on your strengths. Find something in which you truly excel at and incorporate it into your plan."

    "Zank you for the varning friend. It vill help." Viktor said through his heavy accent.

    "No problem. I hope you can pull it off." I simply nod back with a smile as he departs.

    "Zis will allow me to use what you an'' James ''ave taught me." Fleur said with a determined look as she left as well.

    After the two of them left, I looked at the troubled Harry, who seemed to be fidgeting in his seat.

    "What''s up Harry?" I ask with a reassuring smile.

    "Um, do you really think I stand a chance? I mean, it''s a dragon." The messy haired kid asked back.

    "If it was to take down a dragon, then I would call the task moronic. But this is different. You''ll only need to get past the dragon to succeed." I say to try and minimize the fear he has.

    "But you''ve all had years of learning more than me. How am I even supposed to match that?" Harry asked in a bit of desperation.

    "The best advice I can give is you is to not bog yourself down by only thinking of one solution. Although the rules say you can''t bring anything with you, they never say you can''t drink a potion before going in, or activate some kind of artifact, or even summon something you prepared before hand. You have to be creative Harry and think outside the box. I''m sure you''ll find your own solution to the problem quickly once you do." I gently advise the teen, as he starts to think about what I''ve just said.

    "I''ll go talk things through with Ron and Hermione, thanks Aedan." He said as he got up to leave with a thoughtful look on his face.

    With the days quickly passing by, the day of the task was swiftly upon us.

    All my preparations were ready.

    ''My magic was at its peak condition, my body was perfectly rested and ready, my plan was set to achieve the best score and flare possible, and my little plan to deal with a scuttling insect has been put in place. Everything was ready.'' I thought to myself as I walk down to the task site with my friends.

    As we reached the tent each champion would wait their turn in, my friends decided to give one last bit of encouragement, even if they had absolute faith in me.

    "You know how to handle dragons of every size and shape. Just don''t forget the obvious weaknesses even if you don''t plan on using them. But I can''t wait to see how you''re going to dominate this." Christian said with a hearty pat on my shoulders.

    "I would assume transfiguration will be your go to. I recommend distracting the beast before trying for the egg, but knowing you, you''ll probably do something crazy. I just look forward to seeing a true aspect of your strength my friend." James said with a rare excited expression as he gave a fist bump.

    Victoria gave me a firm hug since it wouldn''t be out of place to do so while whispering in my ear, "Show them why you are the best. You are the man I am proud to love, so be confident and come back to me in one piece."

    "I promise."

    With that done, my friends departed swiftly to find good seats, leaving me to wait for Harry, Fleur and Viktor, as well as the judges.

    As the others began to arrive one after another, i did my best to try and help them relax their nerves through some light conversation about funny events of the past or interesting bits of knowledge. They already know what they''re supposed to do and worrying about it too much will only cause mistakes instead.

    The judges finally arrived to see the four of us together, relaxing before the battle ahead. They quickly called us over to explain the task.

    Like the canon, the test was to take the golden egg guarded by a dragon. It must be obtained because it contains a clue on what the second will entail. We will be scored according to our bravery, our cunning, the damages done and suffered, and also if one damages the other eggs the nesting mother is protecting.

    We were then invited to pick the order we would go in and dragon each would face. Fleur went first a got the Welsh Green, with a number two. Viktor stepped up and fished out the Chinese Fireball with a number three. I was third, following the established order, as I felt inside the silk sac and pulled out the miniature version of a Swedish Short-Snout with a number one, feeling very mirthful by me having to fight it. I mean, it''s not like I can''t control an even better fire than it can breath. But anyway, Harry went and picked the last remaining dragon, the Hungarian Horntail with a number four.

    "Well, there you are!" said Bagman. "You have each pulled out the dragon you will face, and the numbers refer to the order in which you are to take on the dragons, do you see? Now, I''m going to have to leave you in a moment, because I''m commentating. Mr. Bones, you''re first, just go out into the enclosure when you hear a whistle, all right?" The man said to me as he pulled out Harry for a moment.

    ''He''s trying to help Harry in order to win his bet and try to get out of debt. What a pathetic man. It is a wonder how he was never really fired. I mean the man was accused of helping Death Eaters through his idiocy but got out of it because of some fans in Wizengamot, like that''ll make the families of people his stupidity has killed feel better. Then they make him the Head of one of their f.u.c.k.i.n.g departments. Honestly, how has no one ever tried to blow up this governing body? We need a gunpowder plot for wizards.'' I thought as i walked to the entrance of the arena.

    "Aedan, you ''ave zis." Fleur then said from behind me with a slightly nervous smile.

    "You vill surely be victorious." Viktor added with a stern look on his face.

    "Yeah, you got this Aedan!" Harry said as he jumped in as well.

    "Thanks you three." I sincerely say. "It''s a shame you we won''t be able to see each other''s performances, but I know you''ll do everyone proud."

    With that, I turn around and enter the corridor leading to the arena, where I can hear Bagman starting his introduction using the Sonorus spell.

    "Witches and Wizards of all ages! Today, we are proud to bring you the first task of this newly reinstated Triwizard Tournament! We have four brave champions, chosen from the best and brightest of three prestigious schools for magic, and today they will face our test of bravery!" He announced, taking a small pause to let people yell and cheer in excitement.

    "Each Champion will need to steal a golden egg from a dragon guarding it! For in this egg a clue about the second task was left! The Judges will decide the points they will give based on each Champions performance, and the higher the score, the better the advantage they will have over others in the second task. It will also contribute to the overall score and help decide the victor!" The man explained with a suspenseful voice.

    "But now! Let me introduce to you the first Champion to challenge this daunting task! He has been proclaimed as the best student Hogwarts has ever seen! The Lord of the Bones family! An Innovator! A Creator! A young man who''s name has wrung clearly throughout our country! Aedan Bones!!!" Bagman shouted as he introduced me to roaring cheers and applause.

    I start walking towards the light as my nickname was chanted by almost all present.

    "Raven! Raven! Raven! Raven! Raven!"

    ''This is where the fun begins'' I thought with an excited smile and prepare my wand.

 Chapter 128 - Ch. 128 First Task

    I could see and hear hundreds people cheering for me as they see my person appear from the entrance.

    The excitement, the tension, even some small amount of blood thirst could be felt from those wanting to see some kind of gladiator match.

    And as I saw my foe, all of it vanished for me.

    I no longer heard the cheers. No longer were the gazes a factor. No one and nothing mattered other than the best coiling itself around its clutch of eggs, protecting them from the people surrounding it.

    Its long and sturdy body was covered in dull silver scales, protecting it from almost any blade. A strong tail wrapping itself around a small nest containing 4 dragon eggs and my prize. Its pair of powerful wings were currently folded against its body. Its four mighty legs bent, ready to pounce on any would-be threat against her young, and armed with claws capable of tearing steal apart. And to top everything off, the primeval magic resistance i could feel in every part of its body besides the eyes, capable of turning pretty much any spell cast by second maturation levels wizards into something near meaningless.

    I could feel it glaring at me with its blue eyes, nearly matching my own in color, assessing me as a threat.

    ''This time I guess it''s ok to show off.'' I thought with a smile as I confidently walk towards the Swedish Short-Snout.

    With each step I take, more of my aura is unleashed as I gradually approach. This is my challenge to the beast. Its ferociousness against my majesty.

    Unfortunately for her, I possessed an incredibly powerful aura. I was the amalgamation of a Whampus cat, a Phoenix, and the power of an alpha of her species. I have the presence of a true warrior-king. Those who could not match my level had to step aside instinctively. And as a result, I could feel my own aura pushing hers further and further back, driving the dragon away from wanting to fight me.

    The only issue was that this was a nesting mother. A mother from a prideful and powerful species. So even if she could not really fight me. Even if she would not survive. She would fight till death in order to let her young live. This is one of the most powerful and dangerous drives within any species: a mother''s love.

    And so, even in the face of a foe which seems unchallengeable, this dragon will fight.

    I could feel her magic gathering in her throat as if time was slowing down. The temperature around her rose as she prepared the deadliest weapon a dragon, and this species in particular, has: her breath.

    In that moment, I was so excited.

    I could see the whitish-blue flame come out of her gaping maw in slow-motion. Creeping towards my direction in full detail as everything else in the world ceased to matter.

    And as soon as that fire was about to truly exit her mouth, i raised my wand for the first time.

    For this little demonstration I simply decided to take a page out of our dear Headmasters book.

    I channeled my magic and affinity towards all related to fire through the dragons own flame and start to make a circling motion above my head, guiding the blue flame as it followed the path I wished for it to take. As the Short-Snout continued to breath out its flame, I gently guided it all around me, forming as great pillar of rotating fire reaching out into the sky.

    The dragon finally stopped breathing new flames into my pillar, letting me take complete control as I push most of it upwards, but as the last bits were about to go beyond me, I let out a burst of magic to cause the remnants to disperse with flare.

    This had the effect of leaving me standing amidst of circle of blue fire, as my silver hair tied in a high ponytail danced in the wind, and with myself sporting a confident and proud smile on my face.

    "My turn."

    My wand blurs as I move faster then most humans can dream of, pointing at the ground ahead of me and to the right, transfiguring it into titanium chains and manipulating them as they grabbed the incoming tail with a flick of my wrist in its direction, and with a third movement I perform a slamming down motion, making the chains force the tail to the ground away from me. The dragon realizes that it has been trapped and tries to use its massive strength to free itself, but with a few more flicks of my wand I change more of the ground into powerful chains, making the grab further and further up as I was getting closer to her body.

    Before I could lock her tail down completely, she decides to lunge towards me and try to claw me. With her right front leg raised as her weapon of choice, she attempts to strike me. Unfortunately for her, I used the same method as before to immobilize her leg. I point to the ground on my left and make more chains rise to protect me. They grab onto her mighty claws and leg, and reel it to the ground as they snake up her limb. This time I added another measure since she would have an easier time putting more strength into her legs than her tail, thus I make her leg sink into the ground as even more chains begin to grab her.

    As she begins to fiercely struggle against her entrapment, trying desperately to free her leg by putting more pressure on the other ones, I do the same to her left leg. Meaning chains rose from the ground as the ground itself sank. The result of her not being able to properly control her own legs was that she lost her balance and started to stumble during her struggle.

    I noticed that she had finally decided to try use her wings in an effort to free herself, thus I immediately confirmed that the weather was perfect for my next spell.

    There was a reason I shot the fire into the air earlier, was for more than just looking cool. I wanted to use the heat in order to help me stimulate the heavy clouds hanging above.

    With an excited smile I loudly announce my next spell for dramatic effect as I wave my wand above of my head and point towards the dragon.

    "Tempestas!"

    With a brilliant flash of light and the sound of an explosion setting off, a powerful bolt of lightning struck her back, slamming her into the ground and roar in pain.

    With her body against the ground and forgetting about my presence, I quickly make chain after chain erupt from the ground. In her daze, she doesn''t even notice her wings can''t unfurl anymore. She doesn''t know yet that all four of her legs have been sunk into the ground. And in mere moments, I have the dragon in front of me almost completely immobilized.

    But now she knows.

    She realized that she could no longer move. Even with desperate tugs against all of these powerful chains, she could only move an inch. With only her head still free, mostly due to it moving around too much when she was in pain, she looked around and spotted her intact eggs, then quickly looked at me with fire in her eyes.

    Her will to die for her future children was burning even brighter in this moment.

    As her final act of defiance, she readied another blast of fire aimed at myself, who was standing a dozen meters away from her.

    She opened her maw one final time, trying to get rid of me, but with one upward flick on my wand the earth under her head rose, forcing her to shoot the blue fire into the sky. I then quickly change the earth I used into more chains and force her mouth close, removing any possibility of attacks as she was now fully bound and defenseless.

    Keeping my guard up, I confidently walk up to my chained opponent as she looked at me with absolute hostility.

    I looked into her those eyes and decided to do a little something to reassure her that I mean her and her little ones no harm, so I used legilimency on her. Instantly raging thoughts of anger, sadness, determination, hatred, longing, indignation and her own savage nature could be felt, but my mind is still extremely powerful compared to raw emotions. I use images of happiness, created memories of her with her young to calm her, show her my own memories of playing with various creatures, send positive thoughts and calming vibes her way, all to let her know I mean no harm. I even sneakily sent in my Phoenix flame to heal the damages I have caused and the ones she endured has they brought her here or she suffered through her life. Using everything in tandem, I am letting her calm down as I show her what I wish to truly do. So I show her an image of me taking a golden egg, while leaving every other egg alone and letting her feel my d.e.s.i.r.e for it and it alone.

    As she stopped struggling and calmed down drastically, I exited her mind and turned my attention to the nest. She looked at me with wariness as I approached her eggs, but she couldn''t turn her head and lost sight of me as I walked along her massive body.

    I reach the nest and find the four eggs surrounding my goal. I calmly reach down and grab the smooth golden egg, look at it with pride and firmly take hold of it. I then walk back to the trapped dragon and show her the egg I took, letting her smell the metallic lookalike before took my leave and raise it above my head for all to see.

    I was quickly led for a checkup with Poppy by Professor Flitwick, and he was both proud and blown-away by what I had done.

    "That was simply unbelievable Mr. Bones! The most fantastic display of spells and power a Ravenclaw has ever put up! I have no doubt your score will be fantastic! You managed to subjugate a fully grown Dragon on your own!" He happily said in his high pitched voice.

    "I did aim to show I am more than just my grades this time. It is a statement for my future as well." I replied with a confident smile.

    "Oh ho!? And what statement is that if I might ask?" My head of house said with curiosity.

    "That the new Lord Bones is not just a nerdy punk. I am strong and should not be recklessly provoked due to my age." I answered with pride in my voice.

    "Well, I do believe that many will take that warning to heart after today." He jovially agreed. "But it would seem you''ve been holding back on me during our spars. Now I am curious just how much you''ve done so.

    "Haha! If you''re talking about proper dueling, then I''ve shown my skills, but not my combat spells, and some unfair advantages." I awkwardly answered with a laugh.

    "You have my curiosity Mr. Bones, but I will leave you with Madam Pomfrey and then we can head out to hear your score." The half-goblin said to me with an excited smile.

    Poppy was fretting about as usual, mostly talking to herself as she basically cursed the school for having so many incidents with beasts. I mean, a basilisk, then Dementors and now some dragons. Not a great deal of fun for the person who has to fix people, but she was glad that I didn''t even have a scuff mark on myself, much less an actual wound.

    "I heard you did us proud in that arena Aedan, so although I don''t approve of this, good job coming out safe and sound." She finally said with a relieved expression.

    "Thanks... Professor." I cheekily reply as I get her to smile a bit at the title.

    My friends actually decided to crash in the infirmary tent before I could head out for my score as well. I had the time since although I''m not hurt, they need to get the Swedish Short-Snout out of the task area and set up the next one.

    "That was bloody brilliant mate! Merlin can roll over in his grave after that!" Exclaimed a very hyped Christian.

    "I can''t believe you even mastered the Tempest jinx, you have to teach me that one." James said as he looked very determined.

    "Well you certainly kept your promise and then some," Victoria said as she hugged me with a visibly relieved look on her face mixed with some pride, love, and a little bit of l.u.s.t as she whispered, "And you were incredibly hot out there. I think you''ll deserve a special reward."

    She quickly separated after teasing me a bit and regained her composure as we all talked about my performance.

    I was then called out to receive my score in front of the audience and with my egg in hand.

    My friends said they''d go back to their seats in order to watch the next performances and see what score I get. We also promised to celebrate a bit during our next Hogsmeade visit.

    I stepped out onto the arena once more and walk as cheers could be heard from everywhere. I decided to wave back and smile, causing high pitched squeals to erupt from any direction I did so.

    The first judge was Madam Maxime, shooting out two ribbons as they formed a silvery ten in the air, causing excited applause to ring once more.

    Barty Crouch went second and made a second ten appear, making the audience heat up in excitement.

    ''Either he''s already under the Imperus curse, or he values impartiality even after our little stint this summer.'' I thought after seeing my score from him.

    Our dear Headmaster was next and gave me a proud look as he gave me another 10, causing everyone to cheer in response.

    Bagman was next, but he looked very nervous after seeing my performance and score, looking very reluctant as he shot out a 9 in the air, causing some questions in the audience but cheers still rang out.

    ''Really desperate for Harry to win aren''t you?'' I thought with a smirk at the score.

    And last was Karkaroff, the most obviously biased judge of the tournament. He looked like he had swallowed a fly at the moment, raising his wand and shooting out a seven and causing many disagreeing voices to ring out from the audience after seeing that score. A lot of people actually booed the man for this crappy judgement.

    ''Just wow. Wonder how people will react when he gives Viktor a ten no matter what?'' I thought with a little chuckle after that one.

    But even if pretty much everyone looked at him questionably, he just tried to look like he did nothing wrong.

    So in the end, I finished the first task with 46/50 points and the golden egg.

    ''If I remember correctly, Harry and Viktor had the highest in the canon at 40, so it''s an acceptable head start. Not like I need it anyway.'' I thought as I left the field and headed to the tent set up for the champions which had completed the task.

 Chapter 129 - Ch. 129 Warning a bug

    With my turn done I could relax and enjoy the next champion''s performance, this being Fleur against a Welsh Green.

    This species is amongst the tamer ones. They tend to naturally avoid human contact, with the glaring exceptions of when one of these buggers started the Great London Fire in 1666 and the Ilfracombe Incident, when one of them attacked a group of sunbathers in 1932. The second one resulted in the largest mass obliviation of the twentieth century. The most distinctive features of the breed would be its grass green colors, made to match the welsh plains and where its name comes from, its somewhat melodious roar and narrow fire breath. They are generally around 18ft in length, hence generally smaller than the Swedish Short-Snout I faced which averages out at 22ft.

    This would be the least dangerous species of dragons us champions would have to face today. The Short-Snout has the most dangerous flame amongst all dragons, the Chinese Fireball would be the most nimble and intelligent, and the Hungarian Horntail is the deadliest and most aggressive. So Fleur does have an advantage going into this round.

    Fleur actually had a similar strategy from what i remember of the canon, meaning she basically hypnotized the dragon using her Veela abilities and made it fall asleep. The only difference being the strength, skill and overall smoothness of her application. She managed to instinctively embrace her other side in a bid to confront her foe, boosting her enchanting abilities to a whole new level and letting her put the beast in a deep slumber. This did take a few minutes as the Welsh Green really didn''t want to fall asleep in the middle of an enemy infested area, but in the end it didn''t matter as it fell. Her aura also had a very strong effect against the overly emotional audience, making the men all basically have nosebleeds and even forcing some of the women to join in.

    ''Atta girl. That''s how you channel a Veela''s abilities.'' I pleasantly thought after seeing her success.

    With the dragon fast asleep, she managed to quietly approach, grab the golden egg from the nest and start walking back as the audience held any noise in to not sabotage her plan. Unfortunately the dragon seemed to have a weird moment in its dream and let out a burst of fire from its nostrils, ultimately causing Fleur to panic a bit as she swiftly put out the burning part of her outfit with a simple water conjuration.

    Although her plan was well executed, that moment of carelessness did make for an awkward finish as she exited the arena, but the audience still cheered and applauded her success after she had left.

    She came back to receive a good score on average. Maxime: 10, Crouch: 9, Dumbledore: 9, Bagman: 8 and Karkaroff: 4, making a total of 40.

    Next up was Viktor facing the Chinese Fireball.

    This species is very self explanatory as well. It originates from China and also holds the name of Liondragon due to its mane-like horns protruding from the back of its head. Like I said before, this is a more nimble and intelligent species, known to even be able to coexist with some of its own kind unlike most species. The Fireball part of its name comes from its distinctive fire breath, which comes out in a burst instead of a stream and forms the characteristic shape of a ball. This dragon averages out at around 25ft long, but are less muscular and are on the leaner side due to their quickness. They are also the most wyvern-like from the four species, as their front limbs are a lot smaller than other dragons, mostly due to them using their wings as additional limbs when on the ground to boost its movement speed.

    The method is certainly tried and true. Its only defect would be that this is used during team hunts or captures. When used alone it can certainly make the dragon lose you, but without any help to put it down or disable it properly, you will enrage and scare the dragon. This results in a rampaging dragon as it stomps around and shoots fireballs all over the place to intimidate its attacker.

    Seeing that his plan made things more chaotic, even if he had succeeded, Viktor decided to dash for the nest. He ran quickly as he tried to dodge the erratic flails of the beast and neared the nest. But during this time, the mother lost track of its surrounding and sadly crushed nearly half of the eggs within the nest. The troubles didn''t stop however, just as Krum was able to grab the golden egg, the Fireball''s tail swung around and was heading straight for him. Luckily he managed to dodge most of it with the honed reflexes of a world-class Seeker, but his left shoulder still took a grazing hit. He did hold on to the egg through the hit and decided to immediately run out of the arena to safety.

    As he was finally out of harms way, the audience let out a collective sigh of relief and began to cheer and celebrate the young man''s success. This had been the most daring approach so far, causing many to feel adrenaline in their veins at the sight they were shown. This was understandable since my display was more awe inspiring and Fleur''s was serene and beautiful.

    Viktor came back out after getting his shoulder checked out and the dragon was brought away with a lot more of a struggle than the first two, making everyone look at the judges for the score.

    Maxime: 6, Crouch: 7, Dumbledore: 9, Bagman: 8 and Karkaroff: 10, making 40/50. Karkaroff''s obvious favoritism didn''t get past the audience as murmures where running through the audience at the score. I even heard people complaining that me subduing a dragon on my own got a worst score than someone who caused half the eggs to get smashed.

    To bad for them, they couldn''t change anything. So the next champion was set to arrive.

    The fourth, final and youngest Champion, about to show them a very difficult attempt: Harry Potter vs. the Hungarian Horntail.

    I don''t know what kind of f.u.c.k.e.d up moron decided to pick this species for a supposedly less lethal tournament, but he had to be high. The Hungarian Horntail is among, if not, the most dangerous dragon species in the world. Firstly, the things are twice as long as the Chinese Fireball, averaging at 50ft, and they are not streamlined as they pack considerable muscle. Their breath is up there with the best in terms of lethality, with only a scant few like the Short-Snout topping it, as it can reach up to 50ft away and melt stones. It has defensive spikes spread throughout its body, with lethal horns on its head and a tail made to kill any who comes anywhere near it. This means that anything with a 50ft radius of the monster while face death at any moment. And this isn''t counting its particularly vicious temperament in the best of time, something which becomes an absolute nightmare when it is protecting its young. Then you add its eating habits involving the regular consumption of humans when it can, its devastating fangs and claws, its flight speed which can keep up with Harry on a f.u.c.k.i.n.g Firebolt, and you have the stupidest decision someone can make as a choice for 17''s and under to face.

    In the face of that, the young Harry appears from the Champion entrance as the entire crowd wonders how such a young boy can get past such a daunting beast.

    "Accio Firebolt!" He cried out as he stayed being the stone.

    Unhappy at the human being too near its eggs, the mother decided to simply roast it. So a powerful jet a flames burst out of her mouth and onto Harry''s only protection, causing the audiences tension to rise.

    But then Harry''s summoned partner appeared and in a swift series of action he had grabbed, mounted and taken off on it as he escaped the danger zone he had been in.

    The kid began to fly nimbly through the air as he swerved and dodged anything the dragon could shoot at him. I could see he was attempting to have the very protective mother take flight to give himself a chance at going for the egg, but she was being very stubborn about not leaving her clutch alone.

    Harry proved to be too annoying for the the beast to not swat him however. It kept missing every time it shot out some fire, her claws could not reach and neither could her tail. So she finally decided to beat her wings as she prepared to swat away the fly annoying her in the sky. As soon as he saw her legs coming off the ground, Harry took his chance and dived straight for the eggs. Realizing this, the Horntail attempted to use its characteristic tail to squash the pest aiming for her young in fury, making Harry dodge the attack with incredible reflexes and skills, letting only his clothes get torn.

    ''It seems that getting him healthy and trained had unexpected benefits in the most surprising of places.'' I thought with a smile as I remember the kid had gotten injured during the canon.

    Having passed his last obstacle, Harry grabbed the golden egg in his arms and flew away as fast as he could in the hopes of not getting attacked again by the enraged mother. And since he had gotten the egg and left the nest area, this meant he had succeeded the task itself and the dragon handlers now had the capture the beast.

    As the crowd cheered for the fantastic display of flying prowess, the dragon was being subdued with immense difficulty as Harry was getting checked by Madam Pomfrey as well.

    The kid came back with a very excited look as his body was full of adrenaline still flowing through his veins and the cheers of the audience rang loud and clear for him.

    Maxime: 9, Crouch: 9, Dumbledore: 10, Bagman: 10 and a flagrant show of bias as Karkaroff shoots out a 4, making Harry''s final score 42/50, hence second place after the first task.

    After the final scores were compiled, all of us Champions were gathered back together for the explanation which was promised to us at the beginning of the task. That was after we congratulated each other for our own abilities and success.

    But then our moronic Head of Magical Sports and Games interrupted our talk.

    "Well done, all of you!" said Ludo Bagman, bouncing into the tent and looking as pleased as though he personally had just got past a dragon. "Now, just a quick few words. You''ve got a nice long break before the second task, which will take place at half past nine on the morning of February the twenty-fourth - but we''re giving you something to think about in the meantime! If you look down at those golden eggs you''re all holding, you will see that they open...see the hinges there? You need to solve the clue inside the egg - because it will tell you what the second task is, and enable you to prepare for it! All clear? Sure? Well, off you go, then!"

    With little else to tell us about our task, we each congratulate one another one more time and separate.

    Harry meets up with his friends and I meet up with mine as we all head to the castle in a group, with everyone talking about how things ended up and filling Harry with some details he missed by going last.

    Then a wild parasite appeared.

    It was Rita Skeeter. She was wearing acid-green robes today and had her favorite Quick-Quotes Quill in hand, ready to make more lies.

    "Congratulations, Harry!" she said, beaming at him, before looking at me with a smirk, "and you as well ''Lord Bones''. I wonder if you could give me a quick word? How you felt facing that dragon? How you feel now, about the fairness of the scoring?"

    "Yeah, you can have a word," said Harry savagely. "Good-bye."

    That made me laugh since he wanted to avoid the menace, especially after I showed him what kind of articles she writes and what she had tried to write about him after their first meeting.

    Yeah, with my connections I was easily able to block that fake garbage she tried to have published in the Daily Prophet and get the copy. I just had to give them a juicy piece of news, and what better thing to give than some inside info on what had been happening in the wizarding underworld?

    The woman looked offended and malicious after being so straightforwardly rejected by the kid.

    But I decided to speak up to reminder her of my presence.

    "Ms. Skeeter, it would seem you have not taken my warning to heart last time." I say with a calm smile as she spins to look at me savagely.

    "Ha! Try to threaten me and I''ll have the entirety of Britain believing you''re the next Dark Lord by next week! Try to stop me brat. It''s not like no ones thought of it. I would just be confirming that little voice in their head asking what if?" She openly sneered at me, almost causing my friends to almost lash out at the woman.

    I simply raised my hand to stop my friends with my calm smile still on my lips.

    "It is you who does not seem to understand." I say with a smooth and peaceful voice. "I can destroy your life piece by piece. I can make you watch as everything you believe you have crumbles away, as everyone you think listens to you turns a deaf ear, as every bit of that pride you have shatters, and as every last drop of that pathetic power you think you have slips through your grasp."

    I then approach her with a near angelic smile on my face and lean next to her ear as she turns very stiff.

    "So do keep trying my patience little bug, because you are already on your second warning. One more misstep and you will simply no longer matter in this world. I will turn you into what you fear becoming the most: you will be unimportant. Your voice will no longer matter. You will only be another face in the crowd. Every word you write will be considered as nothing but filth to anyone who sees it." I whisper in her ear as my smooth and gentle voice begins to sound akin to the devils for her.

    I then pull away with a bright smile and signal my friends to follow me as we walk away from the the frightened and angry Rita.

    "So stop buzzing where I can see you little bug... or I''ll swat you." I said in a happy tone as I walk away and don''t look back.

 Chapter 130 - Ch. 130 Magic in the air

    The successful end of the first task was on everyone''s mind for quite a while. It had power, beauty, daring and skill as each champion approached the challenge in different ways.

    The most obvious change which came from the event was how people viewed Harry''s participation. He faced the most dangerous beast and came out second, only behind me and securing the 1st and 2nd spots for Hogwarts as a result. So now people are at least not harassing the poor kid and his house is finally backing him up, even if a good amount of girls are still fangirling over me. The only problem is that he''s kind of becoming lazy after the win and does not seem to be trying to really figure out the egg or prepare for the next task properly.

    Fleur was getting even more attention from the boys after her display with the dragon. Her aura had so much influence on them I had to break its hold during the morning after, basically sobering them right up through sheer aura. This helped snap most people out of their daydreams, but many of the weak minded and c.o.c.kheaded guys were still drooling over her every motion. I was thankful Ron wasn''t in this faction, made me feel better about him being one of my club successors. To counteract this, James actually volunteered to basically be her escort/tutor since he was already spending a good amount of time with her. And since she was able to get a proper feel for her Veela quarter, Fleur has been pretty determined to get over her rejection of it, letting her have sizable progress in that area.

    Viktor''s situation was the one which stayed the most constant. He continued to train himself everyday, spar with Christian regularly and tried to approach Hermione on multiple occasions. He still had a group of fans trying to follow him everywhere, resulting in him completely ignoring them.

    On the egg situation, well it''s not very hard for someone who already knows the solution to figure it out. It was also very easy for me to recognize anything that has to do with merpeople for a few reasons: Christian and I have a pretty good relationship with the clan in the Black Lake since First year, we are both fluent in Mermish, and with all the interactions Natural Cultivation has with them due to the aquatic farmstead project, I have an enormous amount of recorded data on them.

    So I just went to the pretty swanky prefect bathroom, which is honestly more of a heated pool instead of a bath, but it is great to soak in.

    ''It does have its perks to be the Head Boy'' I thought as I relaxed my tense body in the warm water.

    After soaking for a bit, I decided to open the egg and experience the clue to be 100% sure of the task. So I simply submerged it into the warm water, opened it and went under. I could then immediately hear the eerie chorus coming from the egg.

    "Come seek us where our voices sound,

    We cannot sing above the ground,

    And while you''re searching, ponder this:

    We''ve taken what you''ll sorely miss,

    An hour long you''ll have to look,

    And to recover what we took,

    But past an hour - the prospect''s black,

    Too late, it''s gone, it won''t com back."

    I closed the egg up and put it away after I finished up with my actual bath.

    ''It looks like it will remain the same as before for this task as well. Not a big surprise since they planned these in advance and won''t just change them all because of one student. But the clan members involved in this egg were really dramatic when they made it. I wonder who it was, because now I feel like teasing them.'' I thought with a little smile as I dressed myself and left the bathroom.

    Since it was the same task, I was more than prepared for it as well. Now I just needed to wait for a while before mentioning any type of clues to the other three.

    Having the egg and task figured out, I then decided to dive into my own research. It had been a while since i completely did so, letting Cedric run the exchange for a bit and having Christian and Viktor cover for me in the club.

    During this time, I was finally able to properly crack the proper spell system to combine my new fire with magic. This meant I could systematically categorize my abilities and recreate some versions of it for normal wizards to use. It would also let me deepen my understanding of my original spell Protego Sanctum.

    So I might have gone on a rampage of developing new spells which may or may not be classifiable as holy. I know it is kind of cringe, but I swear that''s the best way I can describe these new spells of mine. They are basically either originals or preexisting spells I enhanced to fit this system of mine.

    Most of the new ''Holy'' spells I could come up with were healing related, or more accurately they were closer to the term purification than healing. This was basically different levels of power for the erasure of curses and their effects on the human body. This meant that one didn''t need to have a complex understanding of each and every curse to hopefully figure out the cure for them. Healers would be able learn the different levels of this spell to do the job. The invocation involved a person making a downward stroke and then an S motion back up, then saying the invocation of ''mundet''.

    The spell itself simply means cleanse, and to use the strengthened versions, one simply needs to fill the proper criteria like my other original. You need a pure core which has at least gone through a proper first maturation for the basic levels of the spells like ''mundet'' and ''mundet fortis'', which are capable of getting rid of minor and some standard curses. This is actually a basic healer spell, mostly because you still need to know about the human body to properly restore the wound after it had been cleansed. The next levels simply need an untainted core at the second maturation, which should be capable of removing even a strong curses effect using ''mundet magna'', and the last step needs at least a peak second maturation core to unleash ''mundet suprema'' which is capable of cleansing pretty much any curse I could think of.

    But like I said, the spell does not actually heal. What it does is remove the dark magic from a person or objects without damaging them. So after they are cleansed, they need an actual healer to fix the damages done.

    The second holiest spell i made during my fervor was ''lux'', a lumos variant basically. It has the same general conditions as ''mundet'' when it comes to core requirements, but the wand motion is a simple circle as the wand points upward. The effect is basically what happens to what happens to movie vampires when they are exposed to the sun, but for tainted and dark beings/creatures. I made a holy light spell so to speak. But just to be clear, exposed people or creatures won''t just turn to ash, but it will burn them and cause great amounts of pain depending on the level of corruption and the strength of the spell. This is considered to be an offensive spell if you want to be technical about it, mostly because of its effects. The only difference is that ''lux'' is for 1st stage cores and the stronger version, ''lux sancta'', is for 2nd and above, with the power you put into the spell corresponding with the effect. The more magic you stuff it with, the more powerful. Pretty straightforward. And it has the added benefit of having a similar effect as the Patronus on Dementors from what I theorized.

    Those were my two originals in the category of ''holy'' spells, which now counted three official spells. The rest of my results were mostly me enhancing standard healing spells with the properties of Phoenix flames, boosting their level to near Parselmagic strength. And I made a few new fire spells which are pretty useless for me since I can do it naturally, but I plan on teaching them to my friends.

    After I came out of my isolation, I believe you can call it, I found out that the Yule Ball was officially announced by the judges panel and that all champions had to find dates since they would be opening the Ball. They also scheduled proper dance lessons for everyone, in the hopes of not (in the words of our Deputy-Headmistress) looking like a bunch of babbling bumbling band of baboons.

    Lucky for me however, was that mother had my tutors hammer every lesson a noble might need in his life deep into me. So even though I had not actually danced in a long time, I was able to shake the rust off with ease and even add grace to my steps after a while.

    But there was the problem of girls everywhere looking at me with almost predatory eyes. They also kept sending weird hints, love potion infused chocolate, enchanted items and some of them were straight trying to chase me. Too bad for them I already knew who I wanted and nothing was going to stop me from getting her.

    And I am not above a little romance to ask. So what I did was bring her to the Black Lake one night and form a frozen platform the two of us could ride on as I controlled it. I pushed us far enough away from the shore and waved my hand a bit to calm the water around us, then form some gentle silver lights and make the float. I know that even if Victoria is a proud young woman, she still hopes to be able to have romantic acts done for her, so I don''t hesitate to do so.

    "Tory, will you be my date for the Yule Ball?" I asked her in a warm voice.

    "Didn''t you want to keep it a secret for a bit longer?" She asked a little worried about our future plans.

    "I honestly can''t see myself dancing with anyone else. And your own project has been getting closer and closer to completion. All you need is the permission of St. Mungo''s to start the trial on the Longbottom''s. Plus I kind of want people to know you''re mine and that I''m yours." I answered as I was trying to explain my actions.

    All I get was a small giggle which makes me stop talking for a moment before she answers.

    "Well even the dragon subduing Aedan Bones can act like a nervous boy, that''s adorable." She said with a little teasing. "But i would love to be able to dance with you."

    "Well that''s good, because my dress robe was basically made to match your usual style." I say with a sigh of relief.

    "Wait, you knew this was going to happen?" She asked with a slight surprise.

    "I thought it would be obvious that we would have a ball for some reason this year. Wizards don''t really wear dress robes for any other occasions. So I planned ahead and made sure I could match any green dress you would wear." I answered with a half-lie, but with solid enough reasoning.

    "Well then, I guess you really weren''t planning on going with anyone else." She said with a low sultry voice.

    "There was never another option in my mind." I replied with no hesitation and while looking straight into her emerald eyes.

    "And what were you planing to do if I wasn''t available anymore?" She whispered into my ears as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

    "Sweep your off your feet no matter the opponent." I answered with a burning gaze.

    "Oh yeah? And how would you do that?" She asked with her own eyes started to warm up.

    "Like this." I simply said as I took her into my arms and started to gently kiss her.

    The kiss quickly got more intense as we enjoyed each other''s passion so openly and on such an occasion. Only separating so that she can catch her breath. (Being super-human does have many perks.)

    "I don''t know if that would convince me." She said as she looked at me with l.u.s.tful eyes.

    "Then maybe this will." Was my answer as I conjured blankets and pushed her down to keep our passionate exchange going.

    And for the next half hour we enjoyed ourselves under the clear moonlight, alone in our own little world above the lake. With me using my flames to keep us warm, not that we needed much help with that as things heated up. It was actually harder to keep the ice cold at that point.

    We broke apart after that 30 minutes and she looked at me with eyes full of love, l.u.s.t and passion before saying one last thing.

    "You really wouldn''t have taken no for a answer my Raven." She gently said as we laid next to each other.

    "I told you it wasn''t even an option for me not to dance with you during this ball." I answered while moving a stray strand of her black hair away from her beautiful face.

    We ended up enjoying ourselves nearly until the sun began to rise that night, giving us a memory to last a lifetime.

 Chapter 131 - Ch. 131 December at Hogwarts

    The month of December was passing by at a much faster pace than usual at Hogwarts.

    Romance, love and anticipation were everywhere as confessions and invitations were happening constantly. But there was also nervousness, stress and general unease amongst many as well, mostly because boys were wimping out and girls wanted to be asked by the one they hoped for.

    Most of my friends and those I was close to had their dates figured out already.

    Cedric was still going out with Cho Chang in this timeline and the two were excited to go together. Most of my little successor from the Dueling Club had dates: Hannah Abbot was going with Neville, Daphne Greengrass with Ernest Macmillan, and Ron, who had a standard dress rob thanks to yours truly, was going with Padma Patil like the standard since they had a good enough friendship through the club.

    The partners for the Champions had to be told to our respective heads of house/schools in order to confirm everything was in order and traditions were upheld. Viktor managed to properly invite Hermione with some help from your friendly neighborhood wingman, making this stony friend of mine even crack a smile. Fleur actually asked me and James due to the both of us being the only male friends she''s ever had who only saw her as a normal girl with gifts, and not a s.e.x object like so many other. I already had Victoria, but Fleur and James were more than happy to be going with each other. Plus it''s not like James isn''t an attractive young man, with his chin length blonde hair, calm blue eyes, gentle features and strong body, he was the dream of many female students in Hogwarts.

    Christian was actually the most annoying to convince this time. He didn''t have any girls he was close too besides Tory, Luna, a bit of Hermione, Fleur through James and I, Cho from Quidditch, and maybe a few acquaintances from our house and the club. But we all knew he had special spot for Luna Lovegood, they just clicked together and if you think about it honestly, 4 years isn''t much of a gap in age. They get along great, have common interests, curiosity and exploration always drives the two, he always takes time to help her out and protect her from people who don''t even try to understand her, teaches her a bunch of useful things and just always looks so soft around her. So yeah, we just spent an entire week getting the knucklehead to admit that he liked her and get him to realize there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. He just needed to keep in contact and try to make time to visit during her Hogsmeade visits after we graduate, and maybe give her a vanishing box for quick messaging. Then if they felt the same when she graduated, they could decide to really be together. So long story short, we got him to ask a now very happy Luna to the ball. Her yes really sent him up to the clouds too, real fun to tease him about that one.

    ''It''s kinda adorable watching my friend who can transform into a wolf, be so gentle on the innocent little bunny.'' I thought with a smile after he asked her out.

    The only person I really knew that didn''t have a partner yet was Harry.

    The kid had an unfortunate crush on Cho Chang even in now, likely due to how she''s been growing up and her skills on a broom, but she''s dating Cedric so that''s a no go.

    So he came to me for a bit of advice.

    "You really can''t think of anyone to ask?" I said to the kid with a raised eyebrow.

    "No. Ron''s already got Padma since their both in your club, Hermione won''t tell us who she''s going with, the girl I wanted to ask already had a date and I can''t just ask a random girl right?" The kid tried to explain to me.

    "Honestly, you pretty much could." I answered with a little chuckle.

    "What?" The surprised Harry asked.

    "You underestimate two things about yourself right now: your fame and a woman''s d.e.s.i.r.e to be under the spotlight." I decided to say in response.

    "How does that help me get a date?" He exasperatedly asked as his shoulders slumped.

    "Well the fame thing is pretty self explanatory, you''re the-boy-who-lived to a lot of people and are famous if you want it or not. But you being a champion and successfully completing the first task like you did bumped your popularity up quite a few notches." I started explaining to the oblivious kid.

    "Really? How come I can''t notice it then?" He suspiciously asked.

    "Well that''s because I''m also very popular so I steal some spotlight, and you tend to try and ignore or push away anything that has to do with fame, so that''s the reason." Was my answer as I made him nod in agreement.

    "Ok so I''m more popular, but how does that help me? I still can''t just ask a girl and hope she thinks I''m enough." He dejectedly said.

    "Well that''s where my second point comes in. Pretty much any woman on this planet wants to feel special. They want to be able to be under the spotlight and shine in front of everyone, in one way or another. And right now, the biggest stage to do so is at the Yule Ball, with the spotlight on the Champions. Fleur, Viktor and I all have our partners, leaving only one last chance for the spotlight and that''s with you. So you have actually been prime prey for a lot of girls at the moment, you just haven''t noticed because you''re always stuck in your own head and miss a lot of things around you." I say as I try to explain a single facet of the great and mysterious creature know as a woman.

    "But I still don''t like when people try to be near me cause I''m famous for something I don''t even remember doing. And I certainly don''t want to be with them." He answered with some discomfort.

    "Alright, if that''s such a problem i think I''ve got four good candidates for you." I answer with a little sigh.

    "Really? That''s brilliant." He excitedly replied as he perked up.

    "The first would actually be Pavarti Patil. She''s in your house and year, so she knows you well enough and shouldn''t be affected by your fame. Ron is going with her sister and it would make a sort of double date for the two of you." I say as I kinda feel like a certain magical mirror from a green character''s movie.

    "I didn''t even think of that." Said a thoughtful Harry.

    "Second would probably be Gabrielle Delacour. I know her sister pretty well, we''ve all become friends and I''m sure she would much prefer having you than some random numbskull. The little girl asked me to escort her, but I already have my date so I had to reject her. I''m sure she''d be happy to go to the ball with you, even if it''s just for the sake of you having a partner." I mention to Harry in order to give him another easy way.

    "Yeah, she is like an energetic little sister. It wouldn''t be bad if I did it. Plus it''s just to dance." He murmured Harry has he gave it some thought.

    "My third suggestion would be Susan. You''ve both spent enough time together during the summer to know each other pretty well. I trust you enough to not do anything stupid to her and she''s a wonderful girl. She was just planing to have fun and going with some friends from her house, so I know she''s free." I continued as if presenting a lovely princess.

    "You''d let me take Susan?! But I thought you wouldn''t even let her stay." A surprised Harry said.

    "I am fully in favor of her having fun and living her life, I just don''t want her to make bad decisions so I''m can seem a bit protective. But that doesn''t matter. My last option for you would be Ginny Weasley." I start off saying as I get back on topic, but Harry got very shocked.

    "Ginny!? I can''t go with her! She''s Ron''s sister!" He interrupted as he almost yelled.

    "Honestly, I would like to see what happens if Ron even tries to stop her. The girl has had a crush on you for years Harry, and I honestly think that Ron would feel a lot better having you taking her than some random jackass. I say that as a protective older brother myself" I answered the teen dismissively.

    "She has a what on me?!" Harry said with a raised and progressively higher pitched voice.

    "Well yeah. She had a crush on you since her first year. Everyone could tell with how she turned bright red whenever you were around. Then you went and rescued her from a Basilisk and Tommy boy, so not many young girls wouldn''t fall for their rescuer. Especially if they already liked them and they weren''t bad looking." I explained in an ''I can''t believe you never noticed'' tone.

    "But you were there too!" He tried to counter.

    "So? She likes you because of who you are and what you''ve done for her. But that''s all I''ve got for you Harry. I gave you the net approach to get a random girl to fill your needs, and I gave you the four specific options I believe would be the best for you as of now. Everything else is up to you." I say as I give the kid a pat on the shoulder and take my leave as he starts thinking about his options.

    "But try not to think too much. Just go with what you feel is right and everything will work out." I said to the kid without turning back.

    Like that, the holidays approached the castle.

    The majority of students fourth year and up would be staying for the ball. The reason for that was third years and below couldn''t attend unless they had been invited by an older student like Luna had, so they went to spend the break with their families.

    Susan and I informed mother that we would be staying for the ball, since I actually had to be there due to being a champion, and that we would be coming over on the 26th in order to spend time as a family. Susan, Victoria And i would simply go to Hogsmeade and apparate to our house for the rest of the holidays. Even if I had/wanted to go to the ball, I would never want to leave mother home alone for the holidays. I loved her too much to do that, especially when I have at least four different ways of going back in a jiffy.

    So with excitement in the air, Christmas Day came to Hogwarts.

    I decided to have a few little parties for the groups I''m involved in the night before, just to give everyone a good holiday mood. This meant the exchange and dueling club. So I organized a warm gathering and prize giving for the former, and a sort of mini carnival games set up for the latter. They both had good feedback from the participating students.

    I also decided to hold a little Christmas lunch with the Champions and our friends, just to make everyone feel that they weren''t excluded from the Christmas atmosphere of Hogwarts. The girls didn''t eat much during lunch in order to not make their dresses tighter than they wanted, which was something Fleur really worried about due to the heaviness of English cuisine, not so much a worry for Tory who carefully planned her diet and exercised daily though.

    Overall it was a pleasant way of spending my days at Hogwarts. I even had a few business talks with the twins, started teaching my new spells to my friends, planned with them on when to go register our animagi forms, and we even decided to just run a bit wild in said forms as we ran through the snow covered grounds of the school at night.

    Then the evening before the ball came and every girl attending went into a fervor in order to look their best.

    The Yule ball was about to begin.

 Chapter 132 - Ch. 132 Opening Dance

    A few hours before we had to be at the ball, all the females in the castle secluded themselves in order to ready themselves. This is the only stage most of them had ever had the opportunity to show off their looks, but some of the noble progenies were a bit more used to it.

    It was crunch time for them, whilst all the guys were just wondering why it would even take so long since they should have prepared everything they needed to do a month ago at least.

    But since James and I were part of the opening dance, we also decided to get ready in advance.

    My style was quite simple overall, if not a bit unusual for wizards. I decided to just sleep back my hair and let it flow down my back, with some framing my face and resting on my shoulders. My dress robe was pretty much divided into two parts. The first was the inner suit''s style which was composed a modern white dress shirt, vest and pants, all custom made and fitted. Thank you Kingsman tailor. The second was the robe part, which was basically a hybrid of a tuxedo jacket and a wizard robe, was mostly white as well but with green elven style patterns which would make Tolkien proud. The robe was properly fitted at the top as well and loose at bottom, allowing me to show my athletic physic while still looking mostly like a wizard.

    ''It is different than usual dress robes, but it fits me perfectly. I just think green isn''t really my color, but being with Tory would make it look good.'' I thought with one last look at myself.

    Being ready for the ball, I decided to go and wait for my lovely lady at her house entrance like we agreed on.

    While I was walking through the halls of the castle, I passed a good number of other students going to pick up their dates or moving towards the Great Hall with them. But every time I passed a group, wide-eyes stares could be felt. I think I actually heard some people worry about nosebleeds and a couple of girls who seemed to have fainted.

    I reached the Slytherin dungeon and find only a few other guys waiting for their dates. I''m pretty sure this is for a few reasons. First is that not many girls in Slytherin actually try and interact with other houses for a couple reasons like pureblood ideals, pressure from within the house, arrogance and just bad behavior. Second is that there aren''t that many girls in the House in general, leaving them as a mostly sausage filled part of the school. And lastly, besides a few like Victoria, Daphne and her little sister Astoria, there aren''t many cute or good looking Slytherin girls. So yeah, even with me trying to get all the houses to interact with each other more, not that many are trying to date into Slytherin.

    I do patiently wait for about 20 minutes with my eyes closed as I merely meditate a bit. I felt people going out and passing by regularly enough during this time, but I only waited for one presence I knew the best to appear.

    The dorm door then opened at the same time as my eyes and I was amazed by her.

    Her raven black hair was made to be wavy and softly rested on her left shoulder. Her green mermaid style gown simply made her seem like a temptress sent to take my morality away. Her shoulders were b.a.r.e, the dress being held by fabric just below them, letting people see her smooth and fair skin, while also emphasizing her bountiful assets. Her figure was in plain view with her dress hugging every curve of her fit and curvaceous body. And a split was made for her long and slender right leg to be free, letting her show off her silver heels as she confidently walked up to me. The emerald green perfectly matched her eyes as every movement attracted the gaze and countless glints of light made it seem like stars were adorned onto her.

    "You really did have a dress robe made to go with my style." She said with a smile.

    "I couldn''t not put any effort in. Especially when you look even more breathtaking then I imagined." I replied with a warm voice.

    "Haha! I''m glad you like it. You cleaned up well too." She happily said.

    "Then shall we go my lady?" I asked with a smile as I extended my right hand to her.

    She gently placed her own and said, "It would be my p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e."

    We then walked towards the Great Hall together, arm in arm, leaving anyone we passed gasping and speechless at how we looked together. This only got magnified when we reached the doors of the hall where many were gathered together, making them whisper to each other.

    As it neared the scheduled time for the ball, many students began to arrive.

    The majority of the other Slytherin''s came from behind myself and Victoria, with a little twit trying to strut around like a peac.o.c.k. Well until Tory shot him a glare to make him pale, a simple warning for him not to ruin her evening or else.

    The Beauxbatons students were next, with Fleur and James in the lead, grabbing the attention of many of the boys as she did a fine job of dressing up, and my friend holding the attention of a good amount of the ladies as well. Fleur had decided on a silver-gray satin dress which let her emphasize the natural grace and beauty she possessed, and her partner deciding to go with a fitted but traditional dress robe. The two of them were speaking to each other amicably as they approached Victoria and myself.

    "You looked wonderful Mademoiselle Victoria. Truly you know your charm." Complemented Fleur as she excitedly greeted us.

    "And your dress fits you perfectly. You hair goes beautifully with it." Tory complimented back as the two started the odd tradition of women really complementing themselves by praising others.

    "You really went all out with your own robes didn''t you?" Asked my friend as the girls started chatting about fashion, makeup, shoes and others.

    "Well i wanted to give a good expression and be different from every other dress robe out there. Plus, it''s a special night and i want to try my best." I answer my friend as a warmly look at Victoria.

    "That is true. I just hope I''ve practiced to dance moves enough to not embarrass myself or step on Fleur''s toes." James said as he nervously chuckled.

    "No need to worry Jamey boy! You''ve learned a lot harder stuff than that, so have some courage and show the lady a confident man." A loud voice said from behind us.

    We turned to find our wild friend dressed in his own black dress robes, accompanied by a surprisingly well dressed Luna. I mean she still had those Dirigible plum earrings and Butterbeer necklace, but she was wearing a pale blue dress gown which gave her a cute feeling as she looked around energetically.

    "He is right James, you just have to confidently guide her or follow her own flow. You''ve done much deeper levels of teamwork and you''ve practiced together plenty, so you should be more than capable of matching her rhythm." I said as i encouraged my more passive friend.

    "Haha! But look at you mate! You stand out so much i doubt even Maxime will be able to steal your spotlight." Christian said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

    "Well, one of us had to try and be fashionable." I respond with a grin as i watch the two girls drag Luna over for girl talk about their dresses and dates.

    The three of us just chatted for a bit as Ron and Harry arrived with their dates.

    Ron looked a bit off, but otherwise he looked fine with his proper dress robe and escorting Padma in a bright turquoise Indian style dress. The look is probably because Ginny was happily walking next to Harry in a pink dress gown of a slightly older style, but still good.

    The girls were forming their own group as the two new ones joined Tory, Fleur and Luna, leaving Ron and Harry to join our little trio.

    "What''s that weird look Weasley? Can''t looked chuffed when you''re escorting a lady or you''ll ruin any enjoyment." Christian immediately asked as they joined us.

    "It''s nothing. Just a bad surprise is all." He answered as he gave a guilty looking Harry a look.

    "I''m pretty sure I know what the reason is, and if it is what i think then i can give a bit of advice." I say as i get their attention as well as a hopeful look from Harry.

    "Oh yeah?" Asked Ron with a raised eyebrow.

    "You''re feeling the urge to protect your cute and innocent little sister from any boy who looks at her with any interest, so you aren''t happy with Harry going to the ball with her." I simply say to the kid.

    "NO! i mean yes. I mean probably. I don''t know." He confusedly answered.

    "Well here''s a little bit of help for this dilemma of yours. Would you prefer she likes some random guy or your best friend who you know and trust?" I simply asked the teen.

    That got him really torn.

    "And I''m sure you just want her to be happy and safe. I get that. But look how happy the girl was. Plus it''s only for the night so just let her enjoy herself." I kept on nudging.

    "Argh! Fine! But if I hear anything about snogging, I''ll tell mum everything." He finally said in resignation towards Harry and loud enough for Ginny to hear as a serious look appeared on her face.

    "Then it''s alright isn''t? We mostly need to open the ball and then just enjoy the music, food, drinks and company. Let''s all just cut loose and have some fun." I happily say as I slap the kids shoulder.

    As I said this, the doors of the castle welcomed our final champion and his school, meaning Viktor in his red military style formal wear, Karkaroff and Hermione had arrived.

    "Champions over here, please!" McGonagall''s voice resounded as everyone had gathered.

    "Later everyone. Let''s go Tory." I said as we hooked our arms together and headed for the deputy headmistress with Harry and Ginny.

    We got to the Professor and saw her in a red tartan robe instead of her usual green ones, with a wreath of thistles around her witch hat''s brim.

    "Nice hat Professor. Very festive." I happily said as I approached, getting a weird look from Harry.

    "Thank you Mister Bones. I thought it appropriate." She simply answered with a small smile.

    She then told the eight of us to wait outside while all the other were instructed to head into the Great Hall.

    I could see Harry and Ginny were stunned to see Hermione with Viktor. Ginny knew she was really dressing up today since they helped each other, but the result was too good.

    ''There''s a glimpse of everyone''s favorite actress as she''s growing up.'' I thought with a smile as I looked at Hermione resembling Emma Watson more and more.

    "Well then Viktor, I guess that advice certainly didn''t go to waste after all." I said with a hearty laugh when I see the man fidgeting in place due to his happiness, even if his face is still a bit dour.

    The growing girl did do a good job at taming her hair that''s for sure. Then she finally got her teeth in order after ignoring her parents weird request to fix them as the dentists they are. I mean, it''s not like wizards don''t have an infinitely easier, cheaper, quicker and less painful methods other than braces or whatever drills they have. Her floaty periwinkle-blue dress fitted her nicely, but she looked quite nervous about the situation.

    So I decided to be a good wingman for my new friend.

    "You have to reassure the girl and give her a compliment. She''s nervous about her new look and to be in front of so many people." I whispered to the man in Bulgarian as he noticed his dates own state.

    That makes him turn to take care of Hermione very quickly. And although it wasn''t the smoothest execution since English is his second language, I saw the girl relax at least.

    Harry was still kinda malfunctioning, but at least Ginny was able to snap him out of it. That''s mostly why I personally never had a problem with the Harry x Ginny pairing. Harry is always getting stuck in his own head and thinking the world is trying to only punish him, but Ginny is a very driven and active person who pushes him to step forward and act properly.

    Also never had any problems with the Fleur x Bill pairing, but if my friend and her want to get it on then too bad for the guy. And too bad for Luna''s supposed to be future husband Rolf Scamander, because his grandparents true successor his gonna swipe her. Still not sure if Hermione and Viktor could actually be a thing, and I really don''t know if I should do anything between Remus and Tonks. The last one is mostly because my presence has fundamentally changed how werewolves can live, and lycanthropy has been shown to not be passed down from properly vaccinated parents so far. The guy has also been becoming more confident and relaxed because of his new found duties.

    Anyway, I got snapped out of my daze when we were called to finally enter the Great Hall in a line.

    We came in with excited applauses, as the eight of us walked through the corridor of students and headed towards the dance floor. Through the students, I could see the wondrous decor of the Great Hall. The walls and ceiling were covered in a sliver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry sky of the hall. All the house tables were gone and near a hundred smaller tables were placed around the dance floor, dr.a.p.ed in silvery linen and having small lanterns on each.

    I also noticed a weirdly combed Hagrid, a impressively dressed Madame Maxime, a colorful Bagman, a red-head with a twit-like aura representing justice Hitler, mock Moody, unsurprisingly unhappy Karkaroff, and the almost always jovial Dumbledore.

    We finally reached the dance floor and the eight of us got into position. I grabbed Tory''s left hand and put my right on her back, feeling the familiar soft and smooth skin as she positioned herself as well. We are both noble progenies and even if she had a shit-eater, racist, s.e.xist and deadbeat father, she was still trained in everything needed to be a true noble like dancing. Plus our own practice did help. It''s not like we needed much, but it was just nice to spend time together, in such close proximity and just enjoy ourselves.

    Then the music began and the ball would officially start.

    In that moment I simply let everything go. No magic, no studies, no business, no lordship, no future, no care, no worry and no one else mattered. All I saw at that moment was her. The woman I loved, in my arms and dancing with me as we looked only in each other''s eyes with happy smiles.

    We moved as if we were one, flowing through the dance floor like we were alone and grabbing the attention of countless as we danced. Our bodies were almost touching completely as we moved in complete synchronicity, this type of close dance could give off an almost primal attraction to our partners and we could see it in each other''s eyes as the dance escalated with the music.

    We simply lost track of any meaning of time.

    Only when the crescendo neared it''s conclusion did I decided to make Victoria do a finale twirl and finish with her leaning backwards over my supporting arm, resulting in a photo finish and thunderous applause as people marveled at our performance.

    We looked around and found that many people were standing on the dance floor and applauding, so we simply looked at each other, smiled and bowed to the crowd.

 Chapter 133 - Ch. 133 A bit of fun and a lot of fun

    With the Yule Ball officially underway and so many young men and women eager to dance with their chosen partners, the energy levels quickly rose several degrees.

    The energy in the Hall burst through the roof altogether after the Weird Sisters came on stage and started rocking out.

    The band is actually managed by the WWN, but we bought that at the same time we started other types of properly encrypted radio channels. This meant we had a well concealed wizard radio network, an increase of activity in the music and news industry, and that I actually owned the band in front of me. So I might have given them a few ideas on music from the future and the muggle music I helped introduce through the Toybox caused quite the musical revolution on its own.

    The result was a blood pumping good time as they started rocking the Great Hall and pretty much everyone started going wild.

    Harry and Ron were a bit annoyed at Hermione, but some Ginny intervention, Christian bluntness, a bit of Luna-cy, and some senpai advice from yours truly resolved it, letting everyone just cut loose.

    Tory and I decided to dance around during the fun as well, dancing with some friends in and out of our group.

    I danced with only a handful of people since I am considered to be a bit too popular among the females of the castle. Started with one Fleur who was trying to escape the mindless drones trying to get to her, a bit of inter-school exchange if you will. She actually stayed close to James after she also danced once with Viktor, Harry, Christian and her little sister.

    Then I danced with the dates of the other champions, meaning Hermione and Ginny. I like James, but not like that.

    The latter was happy enough with how I energetically guided her through some more fun dances, enjoying this tempo a lot more than the formal ones due to her nature. Although we didn''t interact much in general, she still knew I was one of her saviors, the guy helping Ron turn a completely new leaf, and I''m also the one who taught her how to duel since last year, so everything was good on that front.

    The former was very stiff and nervous as she danced with me. That was mostly due to me being an idol of hers because of my academic achievements and personality. My Grades were her dreams basically. It also helped that I saved her from a troll, handled the Buckbeak thing, am constantly helping her improve in the Exchange and always offer advice. It took some gentle and calm guidance to get her to loosen up while dancing, but I am a properly raised gentleman and I am more than capable to lead a young lady.

    I then danced with Cho as the first customer of the Exchange, my little successors girlfriend and someone I knew well enough. Followed with Luna since she is a unique and kind girl, who Christian and I made very clear that bullying her was not tolerated, and a person who was interesting to teach. Gabrielle was very persistant in her efforts to dance with me as well, something which I didn''t mind since she was just a cute little sister type. And my tour finished up with having a dance with Susan as her older brother before returning to Victoria.

    The rest of the evening was spent together as we alternated from enjoying ourselves as a group and as a couple. Many people realized that something was going on between the two of us, but we simply didn''t care at that point for a very good reason: her treatment methods where green-lighted for trial. Meaning that after the holiday, the Longbottom couple would be undergoing extensive therapy and if successful her name would become firmly established as a healer and researcher. She was even preparing a book about her studies and new paths for healing, which I am more than willing to sell through my channels.

    On a side note, it appears all of my friends are planning on a releasing a book by the time they graduate. Tory is doing hers on trauma''s of the mind and body, whilst also delving into my new holy magic. James is creating a new way to create complex and powerful enchantments by combing some of his goblin knowledge, traditional enchanting and my own binary language. And Christian was preparing a new book on Creature ecosystems, proper management of reserves and wild territories.

    They also each had they''re own projects. The three were managing and creating them from scratch basically, with financial assistance from their good friend of course. Even if it took some convincing, all I had to say was that I knew their genius and had no doubts that their projects would pay themselves back and then some.

    Anyway, back to the ball.

    The rest of our time that night was just fun. Good food, drinks, music and company will make any person have a good time.

    We danced and sang along with the band. Took our time slow dancing under the magical lights of the hall when the right songs came on. Enjoyed mingling with students of all ages and origins as the place became a neutral area for all.

    But all good things must come to an end as well.

    Students began to leave slowly but surely. If one looked at who left carefully, you could see couples and soon-to-be couples leaving together, and everyone could tell they weren''t done with their evening.

    My friends also started to call it a night, with Christian being the first to do so since Luna was one of the youngest among us. So he simply escorted her back to our dorm. Fleur was tired of constantly having to fight off suitors with James, so he suggested showing her some of Hogwarts beauty at night to cap off their evening. Hermione was very tired and Viktor was acting like a proper man as he escorted her back to the Gryffindor Dorm. After a hint from yours truly, Ron also figured out that he should escort his own date back even if they aren''t actually dating. Harry and Ginny decided to take a walk outside before turning it in as well. Leaving Victoria and I to decide to find a peaceful place to relax together.

    We walked through the quiet corridors arm-in-arm, with gentle smiles on both of our faces while I guided us to the grounds, which were very well decorated.

    As we walked through the rose garden, by the statues, saw the couples sitting on the benches and found the fountain at the center of it all. I also felt various interesting little bits like a certain bugs presence, two little traitors of Voldymoldy together, a hidden Harry, and a pair of half-giants standing near the fountain. And knowing how pretty much everything here would go, I just decided to take Victoria somewhere more private.

    ''If that c.o.c.kroach writes that racist article in real life I''m going to officially bury the women. It would basically be the honor of anyone who likes the Harry Potter series to ruin her. Especially since I need to wait until next year to end one of the most hated characters of all time.'' I thought as I guided my lovely lady.

    "Sorry sorry. But I want to just relax and be alone with you, so I thought finding somewhere else would be better. Plus it would be a bit hard for you to ride a broom with your dress." I said with a cheeky smile on my face.

    "Hmph. I''m going to get you back for that surprise you know?" She simply responded with a tiny glare.

    "And I''ll accept my punishment later, but I think this will be good." I answered back as I felt the wind on my face.

    Since I created the thing, I can play with this broom in almost anyway I wish. Meaning I lowered the wind blocking enchantment''s strength temporarily and kicked the heating ones up to basically give us a mild summer breeze feeling while we fly through the Christmas sky.

    I then decided to take us above the few clouds in the sky, taking us closer to the half-lit moon hanging in the sky and letting us see the castle and its grounds as we also gaze at the moon.

    "You really know how to romance a girl don''t you my Raven." Victoria whispered as she laid her head on my c.h.e.s.t.

    "I have to try to be the best fianc¨¦ I can when I have the chance don''t I?" I say as I turn to look at the woman being c.a.r.e.s.sed by the moon as she lay in my arms.

    "That dirt bag of a s.p.e.r.m donor still didn''t agree about that, but honestly who cares? At this point I can''t see myself with anyone else and if he tries I''ll castrate him." She replied with a bit of a sad smile.

    "Hey. How about we just make a little place in Hogsmeade after we graduate?" I asked her as I change the subject away from her family.

    "Why there? As far as I know, you have a few mansions under your other name, plenty of properties under your actual one and you rebuilt the Bones family manor, even if you and aunty have no d.e.s.i.r.e to actually live there." She curiously asked this time.

    "Well i prefer to have a smaller and cozier place than a big empty mansion. I''d just properly set the place up. But the real reason is that if everything goes according to what I predict, I''ll most likely be coming back to Hogwarts next year." I answered honestly as she looked into my eyes.

    "Come back? Like an advisor or something? You didn''t tell us about that." Tory said as she tried to understand.

    "No, not an advisor. I think there''s just a high chance of me being the next DADA Professor if everything happens like I think it will." I clarified with a smile on my face.

    "But how? Even if it''s you, it would be pretty hard to convince the board to hire a fresh graduate. What makes you so sure?" The girl asked as she dug into the possibility.

    "Things are happening in the shadows and great change is coming. I just want everything to be ready for it. But about the fresh graduate thing, I''m actually planing on fixing that bit." I answered with a bit of a devils smile this time.

    "And how''s that?" She asked with a great curiosity this time.

    "Well you remember when i got my OWL results and they said I could test for my NEWT''s in the subjects I''d gotten O++?" I asked her this time.

    "Yeah, no need to rub it in." She answered with a roll of her eyes. "I''m totally getting that grade on my NEWT''s though, just watch me. James and Christian are aiming for it too."

    "I wholeheartedly believe in you guys, but back to the reason I''m bringing it up. It''s because when we all go to get registered for our animagi forms, I''ll also do my NEWT''s at the ministry itself. I already booked the appointment. And after I finish creating enough Holy spells and my second original, I''ll publish the first and go test for my Master certificate in a few disciplines." I explain quickly as Victoria stares at me with slightly narrowed eyes.

    "I knew you were going to do something ridiculous again." She sighed as she shook her head. "What''s a few certificates then?"

    "Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Charms, DADA, Dueling, Healing, Herbology, Potions, Transfiguration and Warding." I answered proudly.

    "Of course you are. And all at once?" She asked exasperatedly.

    "Well, I have been preparing for it gradually. My books for Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Herbology and potions. Original spells and Holy ones for Charms and DADA. I developed new wards for the mastery of it. Mastered the animagus transformation since I only know about thirteen other ones in the century. Created the closest thing possible to a lycanthropy vaccine and reinforced healing spells for that category. And I reintroduced dueling to Hogwarts and managed to surpass a famed dueling champion in pure skill for the last one. Almost everything is ready and only the actual tests are left." I answered seriously as I explained how everything fitted together.

    "Wait you said 13 other animagus outside of us, but only 9 are registered. Who are the other four?" She suddenly asked in a bit of a surprise.

    "Well Peter Pettigrew And Sirius Black for starters. Then their former best friend and Harry''s father, James was one as well. And lastly, Rita Skeeter." I answered truthfully.

    "Rita Skeeter? The gossip mongering insect who will fill an article with anything as long as it gets read and makes people upset? She succeeded in becoming an animagus and didn''t register herself?" She questioned in surprise.

    "Funny you would call her an insect when we''re talking about this subject." I say with a chuckle.

    "No. You don''t mean she is actually?" She asked in realization.

    "Yup, an actual bug. A beetle to be precise. And she uses it to spy on people and get there dirty secrets. Even after the Headmaster banned her from the grounds she still uses that to sneak in. She was actually in the gardens not long ago." I answered with a smile.

    "And why aren''t you taking advantage of this? She would be in the palm of your hands if you used this properly?" She asked as her voice grew a bit louder.

    "Because I have plans on how to handle such a woman. No worries about her. But you still didn''t answer my question from earlier: would you be ok with us having a place in Hogsmeade next year love?" I answered and asked the green-eyes beauty.

    "Of course I would be ok with it. As long as it''s with you I''d be ok pretty much anywhere." She answered after exhaling a long breath to move on from Rita.

    "So would I. Now how about we make use of this situation and enjoy ourselves a bit?" I asked with a warm heart and happy smile.

    "I thought you''d never ask." Victoria answered as she pressed her soft lips on mine and began kissing me.

    This started a make out session in the sky, as we simply enjoyed ourselves under the moon and stars.

 Chapter 134 - Ch. 134 Back on the job

    After a magical evening for pretty much everyone who attended the ball, many new couples could be seen wandering the castle as they enjoyed their newfound feelings for one another.

    And of course many were gossiping about Victoria accompanying me and our dance, but we didn''t care that much since we were already packing our stuff.

    Since we weren''t in a rush, our departure time was set to be an hour before lunch, giving us the chance to eat as a family once we got home. I already had everything set up with the Headmaster way ahead of time, making sure his office''s fireplace was connected to the Floo network.

    It''s a lot better to do things through official channels instead of unnecessarily causing a fuss by using my own methods. It''s not like I couldn''t f.u.c.k with the anti-apparition wards, use the vanishing cabinet or use Sol to get back home, so everyone agreed that instead of trying to stop me, it was better to just do things the easy way. Plus I''m sure it reassures Dumbledore that I care for my family that much even after my rise in strength. Even if we have a healthy relationship, I''m just too strong to overlook and the rest of the wizarding world barely had a clue, that being my showcase against the Dragon.

    Anyway, Susan and Victoria met up with me at the appointed time and we simply went to the Headmaster''s office. They were curious about the place since they don''t come here much, if at all. Tory''s been here a few times but Suz is experiencing it for the first time, making her look around the place in wonder whilst I chuckle a bit at her behavior and answered any questions she had about the portraits and gadgets all over the place.

    Dumbledore soon arrived and opened the Floo network for us, so with a quick thank you and a few flashes of green, we were back home.

    I arrived last and saw mother hugging Susan and Victoria happily, talking up a bit of a storm as she checked if everyone was alright and if nothing crazy happened at Hogwarts lately. You know, besides having dragons there not too long ago.

    "Oh Aedan there you are!" She said with a warm smile as she gave me a hug. "I can see you took good care of the girls last night. I''m sure you kept Susan from doing anything foolish as well."

    "No worries Mom. Suz just had fun with some friends and I made sure no undesirables could do anything." I said back very seriously.

    "Good. Now let''s get you all fed. I know you all didn''t eat yet and Tilly has been very excited with you all coming over." She said with a satisfied nod as she led us to the table.

    The food was heartwarming to eat. Even if it''s not mother''s cooking, it is still the food I grew up with and love, making it the best. No food ever truly beats what you were raised on.

    But mom had some things to talk about when we were eating as well. Pretty reasonable worries in general.

    "Dragons for Merlin''s sake! What was that daft imbecile even thinking? Making 17-18 year olds facing bloody dragons! I''d make him go to Azkaban as he should have been after that stupid stunt. And gambling on who would win? On top of being severely in debt. How is that completely incompetent nitwit the head of a ministry department?" She ranted as one could almost imagine fire being spewed.

    "It''s alright mother. Although the dragon thing was too much and Bagman is an idiot, I made sure everyone could pass without anything bad happening. Plus now no one will be able to question my position as Lord." I tried to placate her by saying my piece.

    "And you think I want to see my child facing a dragon for that? It doesn''t matter how strong you are, I''ll have those who threaten my children in front of the Wizengamot. And anyone who has an issue with becoming the head of our house has several screws loose." She harrumphed in response.

    I''m not gonna lie, that''s nice to hear.

    "Thanks mom. I appreciate it, but as soon as I''m out of Hogwarts it''ll my turn to protect the two of you." I say with a smile.

    "Ahem!" Interrupted a glaring Victoria.

    "We both know you''ll try to beat me up before you let me protect you Tory." I said to her with a cheeky smile.

    "True, but it''s still nice to hear your boyfriend say he''ll protect you anyway." She hummed as she was playing around.

    "Alright alright. I''ll make anyone who tries to hurt you go through hell as well. Good?" I replied with a little eye roll.

    "Better." She answered as mother smiled at the two of us and Susan was holding back her giggles.

    So with smiles back on our faces, the meal tasted all the better.

    But being who I am means duty called. Meaning lots of reports and paperwork.

    Tory was actually curious about what ''Micheal Folster'' had been up to and decided to bring the research notes she was working on to accompany her in the office.

    I certainly didn''t mind having a beauty to look at while I worked, so no complaints there.

    Breaking Grounds decided to focus on the northern parts of Africa and The main hubs of Europe as it expanded and stabilized itself in the two regions. The plan was to firmly establish the shops into those important magical communities and spark some improvements in the field of potions, whilst also offering the best at reasonable prices. We don''t screw anyone over and everyone is welcome to try and improve a potion. The company was built on that very ideal and sales were mostly secondary. Even if they were astronomical.

    Natural Cultivation was seeing a good amount of activity as well, with it being my largest company and all. We had been negotiating with herb producers in the hope of bringing them under our wing so to speak, letting us expand without having to start from scratch in every region. This has had good enough results in most difficult areas such as Africa and colder countries such as Finland and Sweden, but the more prideful families in places like Spain and Italy refused. This wasn''t a big deal in all honesty, we just wanted to save some time and money at the same time as we didn''t want to ruin other people''s businesses. They would now be competitors instead, but our stocks are far above anyone else''s due to our advancements and special projects.

    Speaking of which, the aquatic farm project has been seeing immense increases lately, mainly due to the influx of merpeople assimilating into the developing underwater city. I''d even started pitching in and sending wizards to help the construction efforts down there, with slight hopes of making a real Atlantis. (Never found any records of Atlantis truly being a thing, so let a guy dream.)

    The Herboligist Paradise project was also seeing further development as the ecosystem was starting to stabilize after the introduction of the agreed species of creatures we brought in. This was also turning the place into a Herbologist''s and Magizoologist''s paradise, since both professions were able to study and work with everything on the island. The Centaur tribes present on the island have opened up a fair bit with my people as they helped build proper homes for them, while the Centaurs continued exchanging knowledge with our experts. Even I had to admit I was impressed with some of the stuff I found in my reports, and Tory was ecstatic after reading about new ways to heal others.

    The side project for creating a reserve for endangered species to recover their population was also underway, but this was under Christian''s lead so I kept my hands away from it. I provided some funding and experts to help him out, while also giving him a hand when he was trying to acquire the island he needed for the project. The rest was up to him, but I believed he would make something incredible from what I''ve seen of his plans.

    Fortress Protection was actually expanding its reach at the moment, basically making it their goal to form a sort of barrier against dark wizards and criminals. They had been very happy with the Sanctum wards I managed to send them and had started to track down a staggering number of psychopaths. I decided not to open new branches at the moment, simply because Moldy was going to rise soon and I didn''t want to spread my forces out too much. I decided to authorize negotiations with the surrounding countries in order to send members there and make the branch in Bulgaria a headquarter for the area. This method only being available because it''s Central Europe and countries are so close to one another.

    "You really have your own military force of wizards?" Victoria asked as she rested her head on my shoulder and wrapped her arms around me from behind.

    "Yeah, pretty useful too. The world just doesn''t have enough people capable of fighting those who would harm others for their own gains. So instead of focusing on grades too much, we train them in house and let them gain experience with senior members, letting their own accomplishments tell us if they should stay or go." I explained to the woman as I gave her a peck on the cheek.

    "How has no one tried to shut you down? It''s a power no ministry controls?" She curiously asked as she responded with a peck of her own.

    "Well we basically only take security jobs and help in detainment. We never refuse inspections from authorities, have strict standards, created a stellar record, and we can be hired for jobs which fit our rules. The Bulgarian Ministry has even given us many benefits in the hope that we don''t leave, and even in the UK my men have been getting hired by nobles, business men and some department heads for additional security." I tried to answer as I thought about it for a second.

    "Yeah, but i can''t see everyone agreeing. People will also want to use your men." She seriously said in response.

    "I know what you mean, but it''s actually too late for that. I''ve properly spread out my men to give the illusion that we don''t have enough forces to threaten ministries. We''ve built good relationsh.i.p.s with many powerful and wealthy individuals, and we are impossible to spy on because of intensive counter-measures." I replied as I moved on to my next report, getting some playful nibbles on my ear in response.

    It seemed that Sherry was having a splendid time as her web was expanding well since Fudge''s continued scares during the last six months. The man had to deal with a ''warning'' and a ''riot'' one after another, making him very paranoid and scared. He even hired some of my men from Fortress to move away from corrupt ministry employees, which will help him get away from every other powerful individual besides me. This gave us information about everything the man did. She was also isolating and identifying various spies and brided individuals within the ministry and my own companies, working counter-intelligence and limiting those not with us. Many people were very invested in finding out who Micheal Folster truly was, making her have an interesting job of protecting someone who didn''t truly exist. That actually made her job easier, and even she was amazed at how she couldn''t find any real information. She was truly a great find and ally.

    Elaine was back on duty after taking time off to reduce the target on her back, meaning the nightmare for Britain''s underworld had returned. She kicked off her return to active duty by arresting an entire drug ring operating with the help of some Ministry of Transport officials, making a high profile case out of the whole thing by taking out people who actually helped Death Eaters in the past. She also used some of her ''sources'' (my network) to coincidentally link some annoying people to cold cases, making some people very nervous indeed. Her team was also kicking a.s.s and taking names all over the place, working with some of my guys and our facilities to properly make criminals serve time since Azkaban would be difficult to swing for some of these crimes, usually resulting in some fines or some other wimpy punishments if these new jails weren''t a thing.

    "Wow. You even have the famous Golden wand under you. How is she really? I heard she can make a dark wizard crap himself with a glare." Tory asked with some excitement in her voice.

    "She''s pretty cool. Very different when she''s off duty though. Kinda like a messy aunt/older sister vibe. But she can probably beat most Aurors when it comes to a fight, and hunt down assholes like a hound once she''s given the proper scent. I just help her on those fronts and she helps me keep an eye on our friendly hit-wizards." I answered her as I thought about Elaine.

    "Really? Hard to believe a witch like her could be like that." She said in doubt.

    "Let me put it this way. First time we met she challenged me to a duel, I beat her bad, and then she offered to f.u.c.k cause I looked to wound up for a young guy." I replied with a chuckle as I remembered that day.

    "The bitch said what now?" A cold Victoria said as her aura leaked out a bit.

    "Relax love, i was twelve and nothing was ever mentioned afterwords. About 70% sure she was joking anyway." I said as I tried to disarm the situation.

    "Hmph. Fine." She simply said as she pinched my arm to get some frustration out and I went back to my reports.

    The Herald was doing fantastic after we bought the WWN and started owning more and more shares of the Daily Prophet. Our new programmes were being received very well, making sales for radios and music take a massive leap upwards as well. Our paper was spreading wherever one of my businesses had appeared and we were starting to look at adding more branches in various countries to increase our amount of information on everything happening. We were basically taking steps to bring news from around the world to our readers, no matter the country.

    "And now you are the only source of news, just like the Prophet used to be." She said after she decided i was punished enough for not sleeping with someone.

    "Yes, but I want a rigorous standard. Plus I would actually be quite open to a proper paper like ours appearing. I want people to know how their world truly is, and competition will help make new things come to light." I answered as I defend myself against the implied comparison.

    "It''s still impressive. Knowing all the angles in the light and the shadows. You''re even making money with it. Pretty s.e.xy when I think about you basically being the unseen hand behind the curtain." She said as she nibbled on my earlobe a bit.

    "Yes, but some things are dangerous to know. I have to keep my people safe." I replied as I let her do as she pleases and turn to a more lighthearted report.

    The Muggle Toybox was doing well enough. We decided to push for various regulations and permits in order to modify some more muggle stuff, trying to expand in the direction of cars. This is difficult since they don''t want people to f.u.c.k things up and screw the statute of secrecy, but we don''t really want to do anything close to that. We just want to offer properly enchanted cars by mildly basing ourselves off of the Knight Bus. The goal was to make something similar but for private use. Meaning no flight, but it would have constant muggle repellant/invisibility, means of avoiding detection and impact, and a variety of other bits and pieces. We''d have to see how things would turn out before putting anything out there. Scott was very excited to see that little project.

    FIRM was getting more and more influential within the country right now, especially when more and more people started realizing just how broken the system governing them truly was. Aside from muggle-borns, half-bloods and many beings or half-beings, some open-minded pure-bloods who survived the last war decided to also support our ideas. We''ve also been getting a lot of influential people upset over our actions since we are threatening their power. Many do not wish to lose their unfair advantages as they see them as birthrights for ''proper'' wizard families. Well, f.u.c.k those cunts. Let''s see how they''ll feel when some proper protest started.

    "And you''re even a political activist. Not even out of Hogwarts and you can already make the entire country dance to your tune. Do you know how hot that is to my little Slytherin heart?" She whispered as grabbed my arm and made her soft assets very noticeable.

    "Yeah, the Sorting Hat said I would do well in your house. But I''m way too brainy and love knowledge too much, so Ravenclaw." I answered with a little chuckle and then give the temptress beside me a proper kiss.

    "Hmm. You''re really making me a happy little snake." She said in response as she kissed me back and started to let her hands wander across my muscled body.

    That made it harder to concentrate on my next report, but I''m nothing if not a talented individual. So I groped her perfect a.s.s in response, getting a light m.o.a.n as I played with it while I read my most impressive bit of progress lately.

    Even if the partying after the World Cup finals was ruined by the presence of those inbred cucks, the performance of my companies brooms, as well as the fact that the winning team was riding them, made BonesWorks an international hit. We started negotiating with countries around the world as requests for branches were coming from the countries themselves. We received generous offers to bring our new and creative products overseas to the USA, South America, Asia and the Middle East. We were now in the process of deciding where to begin and planing how to do it properly while setting up our supply chains to withstand the new markets. We would not go to places and not be able to supply our products to them. That would kill my companies reputation. So things were being negotiated through my aides and subordinates.

    "And now you''re also stretching your influence to overseas. I''m liking this a lot. All those inbred fools can''t even really make their influence spread throughout their home ground, but you''re going international through legit means. You''re just perfect." She said through her heavy breathing and light m.o.a.ns as I continued to play with her s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e areas.

    "Quality products well made will always find willing buyers. But it is gratifying to see my efforts not go unrewarded." I say as she started going for my own s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e area, which seemed to be responding quite actively to her touches and m.o.a.ns.

    "Oh. If it''s a reward you want, I think I can help with that." She said with an intoxicating whisper in my ear as her hands unbuttoned my pants, slid in and start c.a.r.e.s.sing my member.

    "That''s making me very anxious to finish my work. You''re rewards are always mind blowing." I said with a smile as my own hand started playing with her wet slit.

    "Hmmm. Then finish those reports quick, cause I''m not waiting." She said with an audible m.o.a.n, making me wave my hand to seal the room completely.

    That actually surprised her a great deal since I don''t really use my wandless skills much around people, even if I never stopped practicing it.

    "Ok, that was just s.e.xy. You''ve got to teach me how to do it." She said with fire in her eyes.

    "Give that reward and I''ll show you." I playfully said as a little bit of my predator side kicked in.

    "You better be able to read those reports quickly cause I''m not going easy on you." She replied as she knelt between my legs and took out little Aedan. "Is it just me or did you get bigger?"

    "Did I? It''s hard to tell sometime." I answered with a proud smile.

    I mean, which guy doesn''t like hearing that?

    "Yeah, I think you might have grown a quarter inch." She said as she used her moist lips to tease my member.

    "So I''m now 9 and 3/4?" I asked a bit amused.

    "Hehe. All aboard." She said as she opened her mouth and swallowed my c.o.c.k, starting her reward.

    I quickly tried to go through my next reports as I could feel her wet mouth engulfing my little friend and her tongue playing with the spots she knew excited me.

    All I could get was that Geri was done with her list of targets. The Carrow twins were no more, leaving the twins of the same name at Hogwarts as the most likely successors, even if their mother had run away from the house to marry her husband. She also managed to finally find Selwyn and make the little shit disappear. So Geri was now taking a little vacation as I had promised her, before returning to manage her merc band.

    "Definitely bigger. You''re harder to get in my throat than before." I heard Tory say between breaths as she licked all over my d.i.c.k.

    "You''re making this really hard you know?" I responded as she throated me, making me feel the tightness engulfing me pleasurably.

    After a few deep strokes she released me and looked up between my legs with a naughty smile as she got her breath back.

    "That''s good. Means it''s a proper reward. But your helping me after this cause I don''t think I''ve been this horny before." She declared as she went back to business with renewed vigor.

    My last report was from the werewolf community. It indicated that everything was going fantastic. The quality of life was improving greatly through my companies trade and businesses. Many were finding proper employment. The education program was ongoing and Remus was making it form at great speed. The vaccine was showing excellent results as no cases of rejection, allergic reactions or varied efficiency were reported. Three more lycanthropy resistant children had been born from couples, one from a couple with a werewolf and normal witch, giving us another win. The place was becoming a beacon of hope for werewolves and the vaccine was still being tested in the ministry.

    After that I honestly couldn''t focus much more since the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e I felt from my girlfriends movements was just too great.

    So I put my papers down and look at the beauty who''s lips were wrapped around my wand, getting her to look at me.

    "Well you wanted attention and now you''ve got." I said with an excited look on my face.

    She let my piece go with a little gasp and said, "Then claim your reward. Make me fell that bad boy."

    "Open." I simply commanded as i grabbed her head and she obeyed.

    I proceeded to show her how to really use her pretty mouth and how her throat should be used when squeezing around my little brother.

    I kept going as she let me use her mouth for my p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e, pumping for some time until I finally unloaded directly in her throat. Giving her no chance to reject my release.

    I slowly pulled out from the hole I just used, letting every bit of my friend gradually come out until it was finally free. Leaving a gasping Victoria starring at it with l.u.s.t.

    "If you don''t make me c.u.m I don''t think I''ll be able to stop." She said through her heavy breaths.

    I simply pick her up and lay her on the desk as I take off her pants and p.a.n.t.i.e.s, then spread her legs in front of me.

    "Get ready cause you might faint from this." I said you a devil''s smile as I planned out how much I''d make her c.u.m.

    "Bring it." She simply responded as she pushed my head towards her soaked p.u.s.s.y.

    With a little chuckle, I began what would be a two hour long session of Victoria c.u.m.m.i.n.g her brains out, and with a lot of fun exchanges between the two of us.

    Both of us were glad I knew how to properly seal and clean a place though magic, but we were even happier with our time together.

 Chapter 135 - Ch. 135 The Travers affair

    The next few days were calm and fulfilling.

    I spent time with the women in my life, making sure to go out with Susan and Victoria, while also having some nice talks with mother about school, friends, the future and some general gossip. We all just enjoyed our time as a family in the ways we knew how.

    A fair amount of my time was spent between polishing the holy spells I had created so far and teaching everything I could to Victoria.

    She was instantly taken with this new type of magic I had created and couldn''t believe she was witnessing its birth. It was a good way to have time to ourselves, diving into magic together as ideas were bounced off of each other, letting our passion and curiosity towards the art flow freely as we researched possibilities.

    In the end, we were able to somehow end up with what I would call an alchemical product.

    Neither of us even studied the field yet since I am more interested in the manipulation of magic itself, shaping it to reach beyond those before us, and Tory looks into the path of the healer. But I think this is exactly why we had this result of ours: Holy Water.

    I am not kidding about this.

    That is the best way I could describe our brain child.

    It is a mix of my own understanding of this field I am creating and Victoria''s d.e.s.i.r.e to embue its effects into potions. The result was almost a panacea.

    We created a crystal clear potion, devoid of any impurities as pure light and Fire were used to mix willingly given unicorn blood, phoenix tear, mandrake root, a few more healing ingredients and even some Thestral hair. We were trying a bunch of different recipes in theory as we did so, using our immense amount of knowledge in the fields of Potions, CoMC and Herbology to calculate the appropriate amounts and needs of every ingredient. But the result was just something we couldn''t really call a true potion.

    My reasoning for the Holy Water to be an alchemical product instead of a potion is rather simple: it acts closer to the famous philosopher''s stone or fabled panacea than a potion. The effects and abilities of this liquid are too good.

    The first set of effects are when they are used as a potion, i.e drunk, as it clears any and all active potions, poisons, ingredients and even curses and jinxes from the drinker. That''s right, it can completely cleanse a person from any residual effects one could have suffered from. We haven''t done truly in depth tests about the limits of the water, simply because neither of us has anything severely wrong with us. My body is beyond human and Victoria''s has been in almost peak human condition after being taught by me for so long, so nothing we can test at the moment.

    You know, except for the fact that we did slightly poison ourselves to figure out the limits of the stuff. We only did it after we had the antidotes on hand of course.

    And we might have mildly cursed each other during our testing frenzy, but that''s it, and we both know how to reverse everything we do to ourselves.

    It might also kill those too corrupted by dark magic, thinking the taints in their souls as something to destroy. But that only a theoretical conclusion.

    Moving on from that little event, the secondary effects of the water are just as magical, as it is capable of cleansing a persons body of its physical and magical impurities. Yes this sounds like a wuxia nonsense pill, but that''s what it did to Victoria when she tried it in her base state to give us a proper understanding of its effects on normal wizards. I am too far from normal to serve as a proper baseline, something beneficial or harmless for me might mean death for a normal person, so Tory is in charge of that bit. The end results were softer and cleaner skin, more flexible and durable muscles, stronger bones, improved neurological activities resulting in an increase of reflexes, strengthening of her senses and boosted thought process, a purer magical core with better replenishment rate, higher density, better flow and overall increase of quality and quantity. It basically made her into her best self, removing all the bad in her body and helping everything shine brighter as a result.

    But the last set of effects were what really made the stuff a product of alchemy in my mind. It was the fact that it affected objects as well.

    We actually noticed that the water would give a sort of blessing to the tools we used to brew it. The cauldron, which was made of iron, had been nearly turned into steel as its carbon content soared and the impurities of the metal were removed and even signs of prior potions were scrubbed clean. So after noticing that, we decided to run some tests on what this stuff would do on different things and ended up with some pretty nifty results.

    First was the afore mentioned purifying of metallic objects, but it also stretched to minerals. This means we can increase the value of natural elements by removing their flaws.

    Second was the its ability to remove enchantments from magical items. This works in two different ways depending on the magic imbued in the item: neutral enchantments like anti theft, light, shrinking or detection are simply washed away, but cursed artifacts try to violently fight back against the liquids effects and result in some more varied scenarios, even if they always lose.

    Lastly is an objects reaction against anything dark or truly harmful after being soaked into the water. The object no longer tolerates the contact of such things and actively removes them. When I tried to use the same tools involved in the water''s brewing on something like devil''s snare, it was burnt to a crisp. Any poison we dropped onto our tools almost instantly evaporated. We even theorized that it might actively harm any dark creatures like Vampires, Dementors and Acromantulas.

    So in the end we decided to really call it Holy Water due to its appearance and effects, making us laugh a bit at the fact that the Vatican can eat its heart out after a wizard and a witch created actual holy water. We also decided to announce it as a our joint project at a later date.

    The water was basically all we could focus on for an entire week. Meaning our holiday was coming to an end soon. But before it did, two pieces of news arrived through Owl mail: one from St. Mungo''s and the other from one Travers family.

    St. Mungo''s was actually writing to Tory about her treatment for magical torture and the previously untreatable damages it could do to a person, and I do mean previously since i am 100% certain her ideas would work after reading them.

    They talked about the positive development of the Longbottom couple, mentioning improved retention, recovering memories and increased awareness. The first steps were already completed, but they wanted her to come in person since no one knows this process better than she did. So I helped her talk to the Headmaster about this, resulting in an agreement that as long as she gets permission from Snape and that her grades and homework remain consistent she would have every right to go.

    And although Snape is a complete git to everyone outside his house, with a particular dislike against me, for whatever reason, and Harry, he will most likely easily permit Victoria''s visits to the magical hospital.

    The second piece was from Victoria''s house, but addressed to me.

    ''To Lord Bones,

    You''re honest and upfront attitude towards this daughter of ours has shown me the benefits of allying with you.

    The show of your strength has also convinced me you are a true wizard of proper descent, casting off any disadvantages your fathers mistakes might have inflicted into you.

    Victoria shall be yours to do as you please with and House Bones shall be an ally of our esteemed House Travers, ushering both of our houses to further glory.

    But do be warned that you will hold no claim towards any of House Travers. The true heir is still my younger brother and he will inherit everything once his sentence in Azkaban is complete and I die. Whatever children the two of you might beget will be under your own house, receiving nothing from us but our noble blood.

    From your new ally,

    Wilhelm Travers.''

    "That bloody f.u.c.k.i.n.g bastard!" Shouted a pissed of Victoria after she finished reading the letter from over my shoulder.

    "Yeah, gotta agree with you there. Basically says thanks for the money, even if you beat a dragon your mother was still a mudblood whore and your father a traitor, you can do whatever to my own daughter, and f.u.c.k anything that comes out of her because we have better blood than you. Not exactly the best in-law I have there." I said as I agree with the fuming woman.

    "That''s all he thinks of me!? And he even has the gall to basically remove any of my future children from the family! This is un-f.u.c.k.i.n.g believable! Why does he go so far against me? Because I''m a woman? I''m better than anyone other than you in our generation and i still only amount that a bargaining chip because I don''t have a f.u.c.k.i.n.g c.o.c.k!" She continued to shout as she vented.

    "And the part about your uncle being the heir is absolutely insane. This is a convicted Death Eater who''s been tortured by Dementors for over a decade and he thinks the guy will properly manage House Travers? Completely delusional. He''s literally strangling his own lines future with his own hands." I add as I throw the letter on my desk.

    "He can''t see anything clearly since his head is stuck up his own a.s.s as he looks for that superior blood of his." Snorted Victoria as she glared disdainfully at the letter.

    "So what do you want to do love? I know you had so reservations about doing anything against the man before, but we know he''s the reason or at least part of the reason for your mother''s current condition, he is obviously a blood supremacists, he''ll never let you inherit anything and he basically treats you like a pawn. Even if you still don''t want to do anything, I can''t let such a piece of shit do whatever he wants anymore. Not when it hurts you." I declare with determination as I look at her.

    "Hmph. Like that bastard can even do anything to me anymore. He''s so freaking pathetic. I''m sure I could beat him down with ease since 5th year, but the law wouldn''t let me. Now that I''m going to be part of the Bones family and the shot stain agreed, I can really start to bring him to his knees. The only thing I want to do is wait for graduation and my mother, after that I''ll make sure that walking tile of dragon dung suffers." She venomously responded with fire in her eyes.

    "If that''s how you want to handle it. But has your now official fianc¨¦ and future husband, it would only be right to offer you my ressources to do so wouldn''t it?" I said back with a devilish smile.

    "And how would your stuff help? I know you''re pretty much the ric.h.e.s.t person in Britain, but you can''t get everything done with just money." She questioned as she looked at me with some confusion.

    "Well I don''t blame you for not remembering since you were a bit busy when I was reading my reports." I said with a sly wink, making the girl smile and blush a bit. "But I have more than just businesses my dear. You did read about my ties in law enforcement, but you didn''t see the parts where i also have connections in the Auror department as well as the Hit-Wizard''s. It seems like you also forgot the part about my own information network imbedded within the ministry and in many important households and businesses. And most importantly, I have a group of less than legal problem solvers under me"

    "You have Aurors under you?" She exclaimed in surprise, mostly because it''s one of the departments under my own aunt.

    "Yup. Even got some people in the department of Mysteries if you''re ever curious." I answered with an amused smile.

    "How in the world did you pull that one off?" She asked as her eyes widened.

    "I''ve got a great spymaster." I simply answered.

    "Wait, a second. Let''s backtrack for a moment. What do you mean by less than legal problem solvers?" She then asked as she realized something.

    "I may or may not have a group of highly skilled mercenaries that I trained up and let loose in the wizarding underworld. And this group might have helped me get ride of some darker elements in our country." I answered with a cold smile this time.

    "You don''t mean... you''ve got your own assassins?" Tory asked in disbelief.

    "You could call them that." I simply answered as I looked straight into her eyes.

    "But why? I get the information network, but why would you have your own hit squad Aedan? This isn''t like you." She asked as she looked at me like I was a different person.

    "Because sometimes someone needs to remove the poison in society by shedding blood. Too many good people died during the last war while they actively protected the evil. Now those who would not hesitate to return to how they acted during the first war are simply free to keep on hurting and killing others simply because of who''s v.a.g.i.n.as they can out off. And I am simply not naive enough to think they will simply change their ways. They''ve had their chances, now it''s time for someone to do something productive or wizards will have no future." I answered with determination in my voice impossible to mishear.

    "But you always talk about wanting a better world for our kids." She tried to understand.

    "That''s why I''m the only one who will do it. Everything will be on me. But the justice system is far too broken to give true justice. They care far too much about old blood and money. Even Dumbledore protected these monsters in some naive hope that they would repent. The man f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y locked up the person responsible for the mass killing of children through rituals and my own torturer for merlin''s sake, that tells you just how pathetic the system is.

    And the only reason I haven''t done anything against your family and the Malfoy''s is because you are my love and a true noble, and I still hope Draco can at least change his path enough to not become his father." I replied with a steeled look on my face.

    Tory hesitates after she hears my own reasoning. She knows all too well how many Death Eaters got away and are still very much holding onto their beliefs and are trying to pass it to the next generation. She had to call a few of them uncle and aunt.

    "I will leave a better world behind, but this clash needs to be done first or we will always be stagnating with the rest of them. No one has truly punished these people, so I will. I don''t care what Dumbledore thinks, not the ministry, and not even mother when it comes to this.

    These people need to be culled or broken. They need to realize that they are nothing but some deluded fools and that the world has changed. I will always be doing what I can to better the magical world by cultivating the future, but I must also get rid of the rotting roots.

    Also, I was just offering you everything I have. You can just get him locked up." I simply add before I finish my explanation.

    After a few minutes of silence, she finally looks at me with determined eyes.

    "I realize that the man I called a father is abhorrent. He was a Death Eater. He''s a blood supremacist, a racist and a s.e.xist piece of trash. He beat me for a long time you came into my life and most likely broke my mother. I hate the bastard, but I won''t kill him. That''s too easy. I will slowly make him lose everything he thinks is important and watch him break piece by piece. And only then will I send him to Azkaban.

    I don''t truly agree with what you''ve done, but I understand and won''t stop you. As long as you are you and we support each other, I will be by your side." She finally answered.

    "You will always have my support Tory." I softly answer as my body relaxed from its tense state. "I''ll give you access to my full information network. Anything you need, you''ll get. Let''s bring back your mother and break the bastard."

    "I am sorry for having such a side, but I promise to only use it when absolutely necessary. I am still and always will be your Raven alright?" I gently say as I envelop her in my embrace.

    "And I will always be your Queen." She answered as she hugged me back. "Just don''t go where I can''t follow."

    "I promise."

 Chapter 136 - Ch. 136 Plotting is a couple activity

    The last two days of our break were a bit strained after our talks of me having people assassinated, but fortunately a night of doing pretty much everything but that last step helped get it out of our systems and everything rolling properly. Just a little fun to have our gears in sync again and have her understand that nothing has changed. I just remove the worst human beings in the country.

    We also decided to wait before releasing any information about the holy water, if we ever do it at all. The stuff is just too valuable and can almost be considered to be in the same realm as the philosopher''s stone. It would be far too dangerous for us and those we care about.

    On another note, Victoria and I have started scheming against our respective targets using my prolific network and forces.

    Gotta support my girl in her endeavors.

    Her target was obviously her father. And after her decision to bring the man to his knees, she began to plot how to do so.

    Her initial idea was to ruin the house itself and make everything the man seems to care about crumble in front of his eyes, but I persuaded her otherwise. My suggestion regarding this was to take everything and use it to go against everything he believes in. Blood supremacy? Help muggle-born witches and wizards get proper tools for their education. Sadistic bastard? Donate and organize events for the support of St. Mungo''s. Death Eater? Support the rights of half-beings, muggles, muggle-borns, magical beings and even Dumbledore or Harry Potter. Dark Arts practitioner? Cleanse all of the family''s prided dark objects and antiques. S.e.xist pig? Take control of the entire house from him. Just undo everything.

    She really liked the idea and started to contact my people in FIRM, the Ministry and the Herald in order to get the information and evidence she would need for this. I even sent a few letters to some of my allied families in the Wizengamot to support the rise of a new Lord Travers who would be on our side. This resulting in her quickly starting to build up evidence, her case for inheritance, forming allies and amassing support.

    I on the other hand, began to plot the death of one of the most hateful characters inhabiting this magical world: Fenrir Greyback. Unfortunately for Geri, her father his utter sc.u.m. He takes joy in slaughter and cannibalism, whilst infecting young children and basically brainwashing them into hating the world. During the canon he led werewolves as part of Voldycunt''s enforcers and snatchers, spreading his reign of fear on Britain. But it was time to remove that stain from the surface of the earth once and for all.

    The first steps for my plans involved the werewolf town under my care and the leaking of news about the vaccine.

    This would be done in a completely controlled manner, involving Geri''s people in the town ''accidentally'' mentioning the creation of a suppressant being tested in the medical center to tag spies we would let infiltrate the place. This is after we get one of our spies near Greyback start a rumor about it of course, making him try to figure this out. It''ll enrage the dog when he sees so many werewolves not living like wild animals and having normal lives. The sight should make him be very agitated and lead him to make rash decisions.

    The next steps would simply be to turn the area near the medical center into a kill box for anyone he brings and ending all those who come. Simple really, but I will be there for this operation and so will Scott. I want to make sure to uphold a promise I made and my ever trustworthy aide wishes to support the women he cares for during this event.

    The plan will occur between the second and third task, with me having a plethora of means to sneak out of the castle, but I will see if my friends will want to participate in this. I have hidden much from them already and this could be a very good opportunity for them to get experience. Minimized risks, actual opponents, low chances of death curses being used from anyone other than Fenrir, and my vaccine can neutralize the virus responsible for turning another into a werewolf before it can take infect a person, if injected beforehand, making the operation relatively safe.

    Victoria ended up being quite excited about it, feeling that I had enough trust to bring them to a battle and was already thinking about what kind of spells to use during the operation. I sent private messages to both Christian and James, getting replies within a few minutes. The former was fired up to take down one of the worst people in Europe, boasting that his training would finally pay off. And the latter agreed as well, even if he was a bit more apprehensive than my other friends, but decided to make equipment to protect himself, Tory and Christian for his own prep work. I didn''t need anything with my gauntlets crafted by the Goblin King, my basilisk/dragon hide coat, personally enchanted weapons and accessories, and my overwhelming personal abilities.

    Geri was undoubtedly the most serious about the operation. She started preparing her men immediately, even going so far as not accepting contracts for a while in order to do so. She was also the one in charge of coordinating the town and making sure no information was leaked. And Scott was doing everything he could to help her during this time. It doesn''t matter if he was a monster, a child killing her father is going to affect her even if she doesn''t want it to, and the guy wants to be at her side for it.

    I was also coordinating with Elaine and some people from the Auror department in order to have them come after we were done with dealing with everything. Only using the elites from Fortress and the trained werewolves under my command.

    I decided to wait before deciding wether or not to tell Remus about everything happening for a few reasons anyone who watched the movies could guess. I didn''t want him to tell Dumbledore for one thing. The Headmaster would simply not agree with putting the animal down, even after everything he''s done. Remus is too much of a pacifist in general, even if his skills and intellect are top notch, he wouldn''t be able to fight properly with my men. He was in an order which basically brainwashed every member into never killing their opponents and I don''t want that stupidity on my battlefield. And even if the man was turned by Greyback, I don''t believe he d.e.s.i.r.es revenge since he is far too accepting of everything. Plus I don''t want my relationship with the man to break down when he is doing a great job running the school in town.

    With all the scheming happening between Victoria and I, I couldn''t help but chuckle at the fact that we were both planing to totally screw with some bastards while helping each other figure out how we would do it.

    Never would have thought that plotting people''s destructions would be a couple activity. But when you''re dating a Slytherin what can you expect?

    Let''s not do it too often though, don''t really want to end up as some kind of magic mafia family.

    The fact that we had to return to Hogwarts tomorrow did help me out in that goal, as we stopped plotting for the evening to prepare. And this time we would head back using the train, not having to go through the hassle of apparating in Hogsmeade then either walking or arranging a carriage.

    The following day came quickly, making the entire house break out into the familiar rush to catch a train, even if we always leave very early and get on an hour ahead of departure.

    It''s mostly because mother has to head to work, but at least we get a smooth and comfortable ride there in Ministry cars.

    That reminds me of the fact that I got my muggle drivers license done, and I also took the time to make sure I have everything properly registered on that side as well. Meaning passports, medical card, credit cards, insurance and all that annoying muggle crap. Doing this stuff is surprisingly useful when you want to hid a few things from the magical side of things. They just never think about a wizard hiding things in the mundane.

    I might have confunded those in charge of my processing and bribed a few others so that me being 17 wouldn''t do anything. The end result is me appearing to be 18 in the muggle world so no big deal. Plus I have millions in muggle banks still, so no worries about me not being able to live as a teenager.

    I''m excited to play around with some of the cars Scott has been purchasing, collecting and maintaining after I got my license. They''ve got kick.

    Scott just got a 1992 Jaguar XJ220 and a 1990 Lamborghini Diablo added to the collection. Pretty sure I''m taking Tory out in one of those this summer. Maybe both. Both sounds good. It''ll be a nice way to just relax and go around the country.

    Might even go abroad for a few weeks before things really hit the fan. Gotta get anything I can get since I''m basically going to be engaging in a shadow war for a year as I try to prepare Britain and screw over Voldy.

    I break away from all my thoughts as we arrive at Kings Cross, unload our minimal luggage since both Victoria and Susan have the best enchanted trunks. One is my now official fianc¨¦ and the other is my little sister, and I''ve got more money than what I know to do with at this point so I got them the best. They only got them after James and I modified the hell out of them.

    As we walk through platform 9 & 3/4, I spot a good number of people reading the Herald. More specifically, a new section of the Herald called Redemption of Redactions. It''s basically a new part of the paper which looks for false, damaging or twisted articles written in the past and aims at bringing out the truth from falsehood.

    It is a pretty nifty little idea if I do say so myself. And the fun thing about this is that this is part of my way of slowly crushing a certain insect scuttling around the place. Nearly 90% of what she writes is lies, overblown or just dragon shit. And this will slowly crush her reputation bit by bit. I want to drive her out of any job involving her writing or speaking any kind of news or knowledge. She ignored my warnings and tried to strike at me, so I will grind her to dust.

    I didn''t get that section just for that though, it''s also to help fix past mistakes people have forgotten about, or help get some closure for others or maybe show people a buried truth.

    It just so happens Rita Skeeter wrote many, many articles resulting in the crushing of people, businesses and magical advances, giving us a lot of ammunition.

    As we pass by some loyal readers discussing the apparent truth, the three of us enter the shiny red train. Tory and I split off from Susan as she heads to find some friends from her house who didn''t stay for the Yule ball, leaving me alone with my beautiful fianc¨¦.

    And lucky for us, no James or Christian will be coming on this ride.

    So with a few spells here and a couple runes there, I''ve got the cabin completely secured. And that was probably the best trip back to Hogwarts I''ve ever had.

 Chapter 137 - Ch. 137 Back for round 2

    Being back at Hogwarts is always a good feeling for me in all honesty. The castle just feels in tune with me if that makes sense, and I think that''s one of the reasons why so many never forget their time here. As we grow, learn and improve, the magic permeating the place nurtures us and we give some of our own magic back to it. I believe this is the reason behind the semi-sentience of the school and the existence of Peeves.

    The atmosphere of the place was rather interesting after the break though.

    Instead of feeling emotions of reluctance, nervousness or resignation which comes after people come back from their vacations, their was excitement mounting in the air and various pink auras could be spotted throughout the grounds.

    "Guess the ball made a lot of new couples huh?" I said to my friends as we walked down the halls to get lunch, spotting two couples snogging in a courtyard.

    "I feel like this is something we should do while we are in school. There are different types of romances depending on the age of the participants and it is good to experience the more innocent ones when we can." Added James with a calm smile as usual.

    "Yeah right, innocent romance. Speaking of romance, when are you gonna ask out your little flower then?" Asked Christian as he wanted to tease our friend.

    "When are you going to admit to being a lolicon then?" Victoria asked as she smiled at him with slightly predator-like eyes.

    "The hell is a lolicon?" He asked back in complete confusion.

    "It''s something Aedan taught me about when we were discussing different magical countries and had an in depth discussion on Japan and its culture. I thought the word would suite you perfectly." She said with a light tone as she explained but didn''t answer the question.

    "Ok so it''s Japanese. What does it mean then mighty witch queen?" He asked as he suddenly felt a bit of dread when he looked at her and saw her amus.e.m.e.nt.

    "Oh nothing bad. It is just the title for certain men of a particular preference and culture." She said as she twisted a lock of her hair around her finger.

    "Merlin be damned woman! What does it mean?" He asked again as his temper started to get worse.

    "Just that you and certain gentlemen prefer less developed ladies is all. I am pretty grateful since it means I don''t have to beat you up for ogling me all the time." She dismissively answered, resulting in Christians face get pale, then red and then an even deeper shade of red as he realized what she meant.

    "I don''t like little girls!" He shouted a bit too loudly as some passing students gave him a look.

    "I thought you liked Luna though?" I suddenly asked as I joined the teasing, getting a sly look from Tory.

    "I do! I mean don''t! I mean... why would that make me a lolicon!? I never said I like any other girls!" He desperately said as he tried to get out of this hole.

    "But you just said you liked such a cute and innocent little girl. Barely halfway through her third year. Pure as a bunny." Victoria said with a ''thoughtful'' look on her face.

    "And you my friend are basically a big bad wolf who''s fangs are hovering right above her. So how do we know if you won''t just take a little bite from some other little bunny to sate your urges?" I added as Victoria and I looked at each other to see the fun we were having as we messed with our friend.

    "I think that''s enough playing around with Christian''s feelings you two." He said with a little smile which he was trying to suppress before continuing, "And Christian, I believe I will deepen my relationship with both Fleur and Gabrielle further before asking her. I have been studying French as well and I am making plans to go abroad after graduation if it works out. So there''s you answer."

    Our wild friend looked up at James with hope as he stopped our merciless teasing.

    "But yeah, try not to flirt with anyone else who''s under 4th year." He added with a playful look, causing Christian to wail in defeat as the three of us just have a hearty laugh.

    We do cheer him up after, since we are trying to tease him while getting him to just admit he really likes her once and for all.

    A few days later, I heard that our friendly neighborhood half-giant was depressed and was really showing it in class.

    This is definitely because he tried to confront Madame Maxime about her parentage and ended up violently rejected when he opened his heart to the woman.

    It''s not as bad as it was in the canon though. That resulted in the man nearly losing his job because Skeeter had to write an incriminating article about two people''s parents f.u.c.k.i.n.g a giant. There are more skeletons in Hagrid''s closet because of the Chamber of secret thing, but I got him a proper pardon for that, so it doesn''t even matter anymore. Christian, Hermione and myself have helped turn the man into a fairly popular teacher after last years success. And he''s been learning some more magic through some recorded lessons and books I''ve given him, with all those he''s close to helping him out when he has some questions.

    What I''ve always found ridiculous about the situation is Maxime''s reaction during this event.

    The woman is basically 12 ft tall and can probably crush a normal person with relative ease, but she keeps saying she''s ''big boned'' like she''s a fat chick. Her excuse is pretty stupid since the tallest human to ever be properly recorded was one Robert Wadlow, who didn''t even reach 9ft since he stopped at 8 ft 11in. So having two people in the same place measuring over 11ft and saying they are big boned is just stupid to me.

    I get that the wizarding world is full of assholes, bigots, racists and dumbasses, but she managed to become the headmistress of one of the top schools of magic in the world even when it''s pretty obvious she has giant blood in her vains. She must have achieved plenty in her life to reach such a coveted position as well, but she still vehemently denies her heritage. It''s pretty much just an open secret at this point anyway.

    She was lucky I''m having Skeeter''s life slowly break piece by piece. A poetic punishment in my opinion since she''s made the lives of many witches and wizards crumble in front of their own eyes. She deserves to feel the love too.

    But Maxime''s actions make me want to tell her a fun little quote from a rather interesting character: ''Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you.''

    As a result of her not being able to accept herself, I had to spend an evening drinking with a very mopey Hagrid. And don''t look at me like I''m just a teen, I am a fully legal a.d.u.l.t wizard. Plus it takes literal kegs of booze to even get me tipsy because my body is so high spec, so I could easily keep up with the sobbing mess.

    It took a few hours, a shit ton of fire whiskey, some intervention from the golden trio, a bit of a pep talk from Christian, a call to Sirius since they are buddies and even a promise to let him cuddle some baby dragons from one of the reserves under the Bones family in order to get him right and proper again.

    Honestly, it''s hard to blame or feel angry at Hagrid in general since he''s kinda like a big child. He never really had someone who could guide him properly or help him grow since his dad died when he was barely eligible for Hogwarts, and only Dumbledore kept him off the streets so I do want the help the man. That''s basically one of the reasons I try to help him, plus the fact that he taught Christian and I quite a bit of neat things in our younger days of running across the grounds.

    He was back to praising the cuddliness of dragons in no time.

    During the last week of January I decided to have a second meeting of champions to see if everyone was doing ok so far.

    I am certain Fleur has her egg figured out since Maxime would probably have given some hints, I didn''t tell James to not talk about this kind of stuff and she is still a fiercely intelligent young woman.

    Viktor would have been in a tougher spot if not for his headmaster. Although the is skilled and experienced, the guy is not exactly the greatest thinker. Luckily for him, Karkaroff is a completely biased judge and headmaster who probably just told him the clue and then started helping him prepare.

    I''ve been capable of acing this task for years now and I''ve talked to Tory about her being my treasured one. She was kinda happy and kind of upset at the same time. It was mostly a conflict between her pride as a strong witch and the happiness she felt at being called my most precious person, but she ultimately agreed since we did go to the ball together and we were starting to let people realize we are thing. If she decided to not be the one I rescued, I would have simply asked the headmaster about it since i did have two other great friends available.

    The only one I worried about was Harry because Cedric isn''t the champion this time around and that means no clue was given to him about how to deal with the egg. The kid is smarter and stronger than his original self, but he hasn''t been able to overcome age groupes and isn''t anywhere near talented enough to truly become a powerhouse as of now. He could certainly become a skilled and dangerous man, but I cannot see him having his third maturation anytime before his hundredth birthday at least. And even if Ron his better has well, he hasn''t really gotten much smarter, only more open and disciplined. Hermione tends to panic too much and becomes to nervous to think properly, so even with he drive to learn she will find it difficult to help in this instance.

    So the four of us met up in the Exchange for a little exchange.

    "Aedan, it is a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to see again. ''Ow ''as your visit to your family been?" Asked a welcoming Fleur as we did those two cheek to cheek kisses, something I never really got but if it shows were close then I''ll deal with it.

    "It was pretty relaxing once I had all the paperwork done. How was your own stay? I know you aren''t a fan of our colder school and heavy food." I replied with a bright smile.

    "Better now zat you and James went to talk wit the ''ouse-elves. Zey ''ave been making delightful food ever since. And James ''as gotten me and Gabrielle wonderful winter wear for No?l, fixing zat issue." She answered with a happy smile on her face, making Harry and Viktor quite stunned.

    "That''s great to hear." I say with a nod as I turned towards Viktor and give him a firm handshake. "How about you my friend?"

    "The vinter here is middle compared to Durmstrang, letting me vork out vithout any issues. Christian has been a good opponent." He answers with a calm expression replacing his usually dour one.

    "I am sure he was happy with the arrangement as well." I replied with a hearty laugh. "And how about you Harry? Any mischief I should know about?"

    "No, but I did see Mr. Bagman getting chased by goblins in Hogsmeade. The rest of the time was with Ron, Hermione, Neville and Ginny. We did also try to help Hagrid feel better before you got back." He answered with a tinge of red from a specific name.

    "Yeah, Bagman is in pretty bad debt since he keeps gambling but sucks at it. Probably why the goblins are after him." I said with a little chuckle at one of my little plans since the man won''t be a d¨¦partement head for long.

    Let''s just say I''ve got my people in all the right places and will probably have a department head under me soon. I''m also preparing the next head of international relations, hoping to be able to have two departments running properly for once.

    "Now that pleasantries are out of the way, let''s talk about our next task." I announced with a smile and a clap of my hands. "Who figured out what they''re gonna have to do and how?"

    Unsurprisingly Viktor and Fleur both had their hands up, leaving Harry fidgeting in his seat.

    "That''s good. Now Harry, it''s not a big deal and you still have time. I can''t give you any answers about this since it''s part of the magical contract of a champion, but my suggestion is to read about merpeople. They have a fascinating biology." I gently said to the boy, getting a slightly confused look in response.

    "I''ve already got my way of completing my task, but I want to see if I can help you two a bit. So what do you have?" I then asked as I turned back to my fellow champions.

    "I believe in my charms. The bubble-head Charm will do nicely." Fleur declared proudly.

    "That is a good option for those proficient in it. But I would suggest you also think of a way to move quickly and practice casting underwater. The first task involved a dragon, so I doubt the second will be easy." I advised as I think about her current abilities. "I''m sure James will be more than willing to help you out."

    That actually got a blush out of her, making me think that James is really smooth to have gotten that close to the prideful and defensive girl so quickly.

    "I vill rely on self-transmutation." Viktor simply answered with a stern face.

    "Yes that is a solution for those with experience in the field. The only thing I could really think of his attacking capabilities depending on how you do it and how fast you''ll be able to move. But I''ll pass you a few books to help." I said to him as I took out two books from my pouch and passed them over.

    "Thank you." Krum simply said as he gave them a once over.

    "What about me?" Harry suddenly asked as he looked very nervous about not getting any advice.

    "You, will figure out your egg before the task and then you''ll get your advice." I answered as I ruffled his messy black hair.

    He''s not crazy about my answer, but he does realize I can''t just tell him everything so he takes my clue and what he heard the three of us talking about and heads out to find his friends.

    I also say a quick goodbye to Viktor and Fleur before I lock the Exchange behind us.

    The second task was coming soon and they all had to get ready.

 Chapter 138 - Ch. 138 Second Task is here

    The next month was interesting for a few reasons.

    The biggest one being the task which was approaching quickly.

    Everything was ready on my end since I knew exactly what the task would entail. I had no plans to do anything really showy since no one would actually see it. I mean, most people are just going to be looking at a lake from a platform, while waiting in the February temperatures of Scotland. So not the best audience for a performance.

    I had not plans to harm the merpeople of the lake as well. My entire group is actually quite fluent in a few languages at least and mermish is one of them since we had a tribe on castle grounds to talk too, meaning we are friends of the tribe in the lake and I had no intentions of hurting them. We all had a few good friends down there and we''ve spent a good amount of time in those waters during the warmer days of spring and fall, going for swims as a method of cooling down and visiting the village while doing so.

    The plan was just to be in and out quickly since I knew the tribe would be guarding our ''hostages'' in or near the village, so I just had to beeline for it.

    To make things fairer for everyone, I decided to hold a little class on the ecosystem of the Great Lake for all champions who wished to take it. Unsurprisingly the three were quite enthusiastic about it, so I started on the various species we have in there. From what we know, the lake as the Merpeople tribe of Selkies, their mildly domesticated Grindylows, some Kelpies running around, our friendly giant squid, a few smaller crustacean and fish species and a variety of aquatic plants which may or may not try to drown you if not careful.

    I gave a few pieces of advice on how to properly cast spells underwater and how to fix the problems which arise from the resistance it offers. Not a problem for me due to my experience underwater, but the three in front of me neglected such fine detail as they are too busy either perfecting the spells they need to breath underwater for an hour and Harry still hasn''t figured out how he''s going to do it yet. The reason for that being because the spells Viktor, Fleur and I will be using are way above fourth year, something which Harry has no hope in mastering in under a month since a fourth year spell like Accio was causing him so much trouble and he doesn''t study ahead much.

    By the end of the meeting they all had a proper idea on what they would be facing down there and plans were brewing in their heads. Well again, except for a nervous Harry. But I gave him a list of specific books and chapters to look at for possible solutions outside of spells. I still can''t give him a straight answer since it could lead to my disqualification from the tournament for breaking the contract of champions. My vague directions and roundabout help like my little lake lesson and book suggestions are still permitted, even if I feel the magical bindings push back a bit.

    But I''m sure that if Harry struggles too much our resident mad man will blatantly help him. They need him at that graveyard after all.

    Anyone remember Crabbe and Goyle Sr? No? Yes?

    Well they were finally released from Azkaban during the break after serving their time, but they simply vanished. Two of the most rock-headed death eaters in existence just disappeared from everywhere and no one seems to care or notice except for me and one Lucius Malfoy apparently.

    I think that even after f.u.c.k.i.n.g them over he wants his stupid gargoyles back so he can scheme from a distance again. Most likely to get back at me, but who cares? I had my fun with these idiots already. If they stand against me and decide to serve under that hairless p.u.s.s.y again like good dogs, I will kill them with no mercy.

    That is if Voldemort doesn''t get even more irrational and kills them for me first. But I doubt that''ll happen soon, the reason being his need for pawns in order to gain his army of fools and bigots. Especially after I made a number of his leadership disappear. He''ll need to get his fanatics out of Azkaban quickly as a result.

    And yeah, his moves are generally predictable for me. I know his usual M.O, I know his past and future plans, I possess an understanding of his psychology and I''m going to be putting a lot more pressure on him as soon as he returns and the ministry tries to deny it. So predicting him is pretty easy for now. That will probably change when he becomes more stressed and experiences even worse mood swings and bouts of irrational behaviors.

    He won''t even see me coming.

    A figure no one knows about. With power matching his at the lowest estimate and far surpasses his and Dumbledore''s at best. Capable of moving the ministry without anyone being the wiser.

    I am what he would dream do become, but my methods and end results are the complete opposite of his.

    We both technically want to restore the wizarding world to its true glory.

    I believe in the pursuit and sharing of knowledge.

    He believes only through fear and brutal tactics that this change can be made.

    I believe in gradually opening the minds and spirits of the people.

    He believe pure and noble blooded overlords are what should rule over their inferiors.

    I believe those who show proper character and capabilities should lead.

    He leads through fear and blood.

    I lead through ideals and common hopes.

    He sees himself as the heir of Salazar Slytherin, of the noblest blood, the strongest wizard in existence and immortal.

    I am Aedan Bones. Lord of my family. With strength born in darkness and refined in the light. I see myself as a guide, hoping the vision of the future I saw can truly bring happiness and prosperity.

    Both of us surpassed the masses with the help of rituals.

    Both of us are probably closest to what an immortal human could be. (As far as i know, my lifespan is enormous. I''m gonna need to see what I can do for Tory.)

    Both of us are half-bloods. (Not the most important, but it''s a commonality.)

    It all comes down to what we want the future to look like.

    And I will never allow his vision to come true.

    He lost without a Dumbledore level opponent before. So now I''m going to completely crush him when he comes for round two.

    Speaking of crushing someone and moving away from that slightly depressing comparison, the prep work for ending Fenrir Greyback is pretty much done.

    From what my spies and informants have gathered, he''s going to be in the country by the second week of March, coming for no other reason than to destroy our suppressor and any research or samples of it. The Ministry is waiting for our go ahead before announcing and officially stamping their seal of approval on it, they only required a change in classification since it''s not technically a vaccine. It''s really not a big deal.

    The monster has no clue the entire werewolf community in Britain is under mine and Geri''s rule. We cleaned house ages ago and everyone is extremely loyal because of the massive improvements in living standards. I mean, who would follow someone who would make them act and live like animals when we can offer a better life than a lot of people? It is quite funny to have everyone act like the man is still a big deal instead of a dead man walking, seeing the reports of his actions and blatant ignorance of the fact confirmed he knew nothing about the real situation.

    The reason for all of his misconceptions lie in the fact that we have been doing all this very carefully. We even involved all of the powers in the underworld in the ''hit'' Geri was payed to undertake. None of them like Fenrir. He''s a bastard and a menace, with some of the gangs and crime families having actually lost people to him in death or curse. They were more than happy to simply help keep things quiet without even losing any money over it.

    On the other side of things, my friends were very excited about this.

    We all agreed to use the vanishing cabinet connected to the Folster Manor in order to slip out silently. With all of us making sure we wouldn''t have any prefect or head boy/girl duties that night. Sometimes having authority is very useful. I did already move the cabinet to the RoR, or more specifically the Room of lost things, since it would be too annoying to get James and Tory into the Ravenclaw dorm. Plus we all mastered stealth spells and movements through extensive training and practice during our years at Hogwarts, so meeting up there is easy as pie for us.

    Their individual preparations weren''t anything to sneeze at either.

    Victoria made a bunch of useful potions and poisons for battle, designed to incapacitate, hinder or kill her opponents in various fashions on top of honing her skills for battle even more. It was like seeing an alchemist from games getting ready. From what she''s told me, the effects were varied and imaginative: smoke of various densities, smells and effects, glue bombs which expand dramatically and harden to a degree after a few moments, some flash bangs, acidic solutions strong enough to down even a werewolf, various healing potions and even a poison coated dagger.

    James had a fire lit under him as he began to manufacture protective equipment for the crew. The results were pretty damn impressive. And that''s coming from someone who had close relations with goblins for nearly a decade now and has pieces made by their finest craftsman alive. The guy made vambraces and shin guards in triplicate, with t.h.i.g.h and shoulder guards added to make for nothing could stop anyone from moving or casting. He said he had also wanted to make everyone c.h.e.s.t protection but he didn''t have nearly enough time. So he focused on making the above extremely well and concealable under proper clothing. He even made a set of cool looking silver masks with different patterns on them. I had wings under my eyes, Tory a more feminine shaped mask with a circlet engraved, Christian had carvings reminiscent of the wolf school from the Witcher, and James had what was basically a Buddha face.

    And lastly Christian was making war preparations. He had ordered numerous tools used for werewolf hunting back in the days through some connections. It included various silver tools and weapons like knives, silver dust grenades, liquid silver and even a crossbow with silver tipped bolts. He also got extremely strong scented brews made to harm the enhanced noses of our targets. We even got some plants he was very familiar with to be prepared throughout the town so he could use them to their full potential.

    Everything was ready of the towns, Geri''s, my men and the ministry''s side as well. All that was left was to kill the bastard.

    And with all that happening, the 23rd of February had concluded and the day of the second task was here.

 Chapter 139 - Ch. 139 Dive right in

    It was officially the day of the second task and the castle was abuzz once again.

    Students were talking about what the task could really be since no one had leaked the details and the clues were kept secret by whoever heard them. This resulted in wild speculations of us having to fight the giant squid in the lake, mostly because we had to get past dragons for the first, to tricking the merpeople living within somehow.

    The spectator area was set, domestic and foreign dignitaries were slowly coming in, the ministry was doing its checks for security and safety, and four people seem to have quietly escaped from everyone''s sight.

    From what I could tell the four hostages were going to be Tory for me, Gabrielle for Fleur, Hermione for Viktor and Ron for Harry.

    Aside from the Cho and Cedric change, nothing was different. Fleur and James are barely starting to be a thing so there wasn''t really a chance of him being more precious than her little sister. Viktor has actually had more progress with his relationship with Hermione than in the canon, even if it''s purely platonic from her end so far, so her position was actually strengthened. And Harry is incredibly dense and has a weird relationship with relationsh.i.p.s, so his best buddy was still there.

    So makes sense that nothing actually changed from the canon much so far except for little old me.

    Since we were all friends as well, our group of Champions and some of our friends decided to walk to the lake together. This formed a group of myself, Fleur, Viktor, Harry, James, Christian, Cedric, a Beauxbatons girl named Marie and two burly teens from Durmstrang named Hanz and Valko.

    Harry was actually on time compared to canon where he was told about and given gillyweed at the last second in it. I am guessing my hint helped the golden trio find their solution quicker and Neville spending more time with them aided in the acquisition of said herb since I haven''t heard about Snape''s stores being raided.

    Unfortunately Fleur and Harry were quite nervous about the apparent disappearance of Gabrielle, Ron and Hermione, but they could search no further since the task was upon us.

    "Both of you must calm yourselves. Victoria has also vanished and I assume this is related to our task at hand. Two dance partners and romantic interests, a best friend and a treasured little sister all disappear right before we are supposed to participate in a contest said to make us retrieve a lost treasure. It doesn''t take much to guess what it can be when you put the pieces together." I said aloud in a calm voice in an effort to help them focus.

    "You mean they''re going to be in the lake!? But that means they''ll be in there for hours and it''s freezing in there. Isn''t that bad?" Harry nervously asked.

    "This was organized by the ministry and overseen by our own Headmaster, there is absolutely no chance they''ll let them get hurt while doing this. Just the political backlash from them getting hurt would be enormous, especially since international guests are involved. And Dumbledore would never let a student be in true danger, only enough to test their metal." I answered the dark haired teen.

    "But didn''t ze egg say our treasure would be gone after an ''our? Wat will ''appen to Gabrielle after ze ''our?" Suddenly asked a panicking Fleur.

    "That most likely refers to the time limit for the task. They''ll never risk their safety, so I''m guessing there is a penalty for failing to retrieve your assigned hostage within it." Answered James this time as he reassured the worried elder sister and gave her a reassuring smile.

    ''Good move stepping in at the right time.'' I thought with a smile of my own as we continued to walk.

    Krum was quiet during our exchange, but he visibly relaxed the tension in his body after hearing about mine and James'' deductions.

    We reached the judges tent near the lake and our friends/escorts split off from us as they wished everyone good luck. As we entered the judges all looked at us with smiles, except for a Percy Weasley currently looking very pleased with himself while also trying to look like he''s better than everyone for some reason.

    It''s really hard not punching his face right now. He looks so smug about his new position that he''s forgetting a few things: his boss doesn''t even really know his name, he''s not actually the head of international relations, pretty much everyone in the tent has a higher standing/better reputation than him (three headmasters, an actual head of a department, my lordship, savior boy, quidditch superstar and from Fleur told us, her family is very important and well connected in France), and he has no actual authority beyond giving us points.

    All that wasn''t counting the stuff he doesn''t know like his boss being imperiused, him being just a mouth-piece for Voldy-cunt and the fact that apart from his diligence in his studies and in following the rules, he just an above average by-the-book wizard. His grades were great, but that means almost f.u.c.k all when you''re in an actual fight. Hell, it''s usually a detriment for bookworm types since they freeze or hesitate too much.

    Anyway, the situation was standard. Everyone gets an hour to retrieve your treasured one from somewhere in the lake. Our score will be based off of our abilities and knowledge used to achieve the task, the damage we sustained or the amount our rescue target gets, the amount of time we took and how well we handle ourselves in general.

    The only difference was the edge given depending on our scores in the first round. Based on our positions we get a certain amount of bonus time. Basically, 1st place gets to go 2 min before 2nd, 2nd gets 2 min before 3rd, 3rd gets 1 min before 4th, and the clock would start for real after the last champion hits the water. But since fleur and Viktor tied for third during the first task with 40 points they''ll both get to start after 4 min.

    We were then guided to our starting positions which were in the movie style instead of the book style, meaning observation platform where people could sit together to observe above the lake.

    -mini flashback to holiday break.

    "So I''m probably going to have to show my scars for the second task." I honestly said to mother as we relaxed near the fireplace.

    "Are you sure dear? Rumors will explode and a lot of people will be asking about it." She gently asked with worry in her voice.

    "It''ll be ok. Gotta show that Lord Bones isn''t just a nice looking flower raised in a greenhouse, but that he''s been tested by the elements as well." I answered with determination.

    "I think you''ve more than proven that when you single-handedly restrained a dragon in public." She scoffed with an eye roll.

    "Yeah, but it''s not like I''m ashamed of my scars. People are going to find out at one point anyway, so why not control the timing for it? I''ll even organize an interview afterward and give some explanations on them." I said to try to at least lessen her worries.

    "Fine, fine. Like you said, it''s not really a big deal at this point. You are more than strong and smart enough to handle it. I just don''t want to have everyone make you remember about them." She said with a sigh as she looked at me.

    "I''ll be ok. Plus I''ve got a wonderful mother and sister right here. I''m not going to get depressed when you two are there for me." I replied with a gentle smile and a warm heart.

    "Fu fu, Don''t forget Victoria." Mother said with a light chuckle and a bit of amus.e.m.e.nt in her eyes.

    "I never forget the future Lady Bones." I said back with a cheeky smile, getting mother to shake her head with a smirk on her face.

    -end of flashback.

    As we all got ready for our dive into the cold water found during February in Scotland, the four of us began to remove our outer robes.

    Harry was wearing the same old fashioned thing from the movies, Fleur and Viktor decided to keep their cloaks on since they''ll need to wait for a bit, but gasps where heard when I finally took off my last piece of clothing besides my swimsuit.

    I stood there in a competition swimming trunks for men, which are tight black shorts which end right above the knee. The trunks were enchanted to keep my important bits nice and comfortable. But because of my choice of swimwear everyone could see my body and there were two kinds of reactions: shock, pity and thoughtful when looking at the scars, and the other was ogling, fantasizing and drooling over my perfectly built body which Garou from OPM would be a bit envious of.

    Everyone could see the numerous scars on my body from the dark magic I experienced. The ones around my wrists and shoulders. The ones on my ankles and t.h.i.g.hs. The ones I usually kept hidden on my neck. And my back holding the most on my body since those animals sometimes took out their frustrations during the ''tests''.

    Slashes, burns and stabs. The trinity adorning my body.

    The scar of my c.h.e.s.t got a universal shock though. It''s just too bad a scar to have any other type of reaction when seeing.

    Pictures were being taken at an impressive rate as a result of this as well.

    But I couldn''t care less at this point. Every move has some purpose behind it. The end goal is simply to solidify my position as a powerful, experienced and righteous lord. I can''t have some random jackass come along and call me the next dark lord for no reason besides fear or stupidity. And if someone tries that shit after I release true light magic into the world, then that will just be pathetic.

    I simply start stretching while Bagman starts doing his job and explains who, what and why. He announces the rules, goal, current points and order while I finish up and take up my starting position.

    ''If I could apparate then I could probably finish this task in under two minutes, but I''m not going to reveal Sol to win a contest I can already dominate.

    I think maybe 5-10 minutes will be enough to get everything done properly. No need to wait around like Cedric did in the canon either since I''ve already done what I could to help everyone prepare themselves. Everything else will be up to them.

    I will monitor their energies just in case something goes wrong though.'' I thought as Ludo finished up.

    I heard the signal to start and immediately jumped as I drew my wand.

    I casted a few spells I modded just for the occasion: Warmth retention, water displacement, Conic barrier and an oxygen creation rune.

    By the time I hit the water I was protected from it and the cold perfectly.

    And with a simple wave of my wand, I used the water to propel me towards the tribe settlement at breakneck pace.

    Didn''t even need to do anything to see well in the lake since my eyes are already far superior to others. Being able to see in this kind of environment is child''s play and I am constantly scanning around me to feel different energy signatures.

    There was no need to actually go through or in the place since the energy from our three ladies and Ron was coming from just outside of it. This resulted in me simply waving back towards the guards and people who spotted and recognized me. Kinda felt like a superhero for a moment while doing it, but I did also feel a bit bad cause it''s been a while since I visited.

    Quickly making my way to the outskirts, I found the area where the four sleeping princesses were awaiting, alongside over a dozen guards and the chieftain of the tribe. She was a very fast and intelligent one, earning her place as chief through hunts of sea-monsters and great managing of the tribe. We spent a lot of time with her when we came and taught her many ways to improve her people''s quality of life, and in exchange we got some cool stuff they had collected from as far back as the founding of Hogwarts, free aquatic herbs and even membership into the clan.

    I saw hesitation in everyone as I approached since they recognized me, but they still had a job to do curtesy of Dumbledore and the ministry.

    "Hello everyone, long time no see. You don''t need to worry, I''m one of the champions for the school and I''m here to get my queen back." I spoke up in mermish as I hovered in place in front of everyone.

    "It has truly been some time Star-sage, your tribe welcomes you and feels a slightly uncomfortable due to not being able you nor Healing-current properly. Have you two been well?" Asked the chieftain as she approached, letting me see her long and slender silver scaled tail

    "It''s good to see you again chief Moonlit-surge. Yes we''ve all been well, but very busy as life becomes more filled with responsibilities. You''re nagging about us understanding your stress later is coming true." I answered with a little chuckle.

    "The waves always hits the biggest reef the hardest. But I am guessing you have little time for pleasantries. It is too bad that we cannot talk due to our duties and your task, your wisdom is always appreciated." She said as she bubbled a bit. (Merpeople sigh)

    "Yes, I''m here to get back what is most precious to me. I promised to not make her wait." I replied with a gentle smile.

    "I am happy your two currents have truly mixed with one another. But you know you can only take her and no one else yes?" She said with her own smile, which is less gentle to most humans because of the sharp teeth, but I''m used to this stuff.

    "I know. I''ve done what I could to prepare the other champions. Everything else is up to them." I acknowledge as I moved towards my spellbound fianc¨¦, with all the guards simply looking at me with respect.

    "May you make waves eclipsing the surf Star-Sage." The chief said as I took Victoria into my arms.

    "And let the undercurrent bring you the blessings of the sea Moonlit-surge." I replied with a nod as I began to ascend.

    With Tory secured I quickly begin my return as I dry and warm the beauty in my arms.

    I reached the platform after only having taken about 8 minutes of the allotted 60, breaking the surface with style as I held Victoria in a princess carry and was having the water gently place me onto the platform.

    Just imagine me putting Jesus and M.o.a.na''s ocean buddy to shame with my entrance as I finished the second with ease.

 Chapter 140 - Ch. 140 After another task

    Having landed in the start/finish platform in style, I then woke Victoria from her enchanted sleep in the most fairytale manner possible: gentle kiss to the sleeping beauty in my arms as I carefully maneuvered her body to be ready to stand.

    I could hear the thundering cheers from Hogwarts students mixing with the going off of dozens of cameras from different news organizations and those wanting to capture the moment for personal reasons.

    I felt my girl stirring as she woke and her reciprocation towards my kiss was nice, then she opened her eyes filled with warmth and slowly separated our lips.

    "Morning my Queen. Just like I promised, got you out in no time at all." I cheekily said with a smile.

    "Did you now? How long did it take?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

    "7 minutes and 51 seconds out of an hour." I answered immediately.

    "Shouldn''t have taken more than 6 minutes knowing you." She said as she looked at me with the unsaid question in her eyes.

    "You know how moonlight is. We haven''t visited in a while and wanted to catch up a bit. She also had her own role to fulfill." I defended myself without missing a beat.

    "Alright alright. Now put on a shirt before every girl around us gets a nosebleed or passes out. I can handle it, but they don''t have any resistance towards that." Tory said as she relented.

    I did take a quick look around and saw quite a few women and teenage girls looking at me with very heated gazes.

    "Hahaha! Quite right! An easy fix." I say with a good laugh at the situation.

    "And here come the reporters for our perfect champion. How''s it feel great and powerful lord Bones?" She then teasingly asked as we watched witches and wizards fighting to be the first to reach me.

    "I''d much prefer going somewhere private with my lovely fianc¨¦ to show her my apology for making her wait." I whispered in her ear as I make her blush from the implication.

    Unfortunately the reporters managed to make their way through the crowd and started to bombarded me with questions.

    "Lord Bones, how did you get those scars?"

    "How were you able to finish the task so quickly?"

    "How are you able to use the level of magic you used in the first and second task?"

    "What is your relationship with Miss Travers?"

    "Are you planning on releasing anything new in your store?"

    "Do you believe in the existence of Crumpled-horned Snorkacks?"

    ''When did Mr. Lovegood get here?'' I thought when heard that one.

    "Would you be willing to do a photo shoot with Incubus magazine?"

    ''Isn''t that an a.d.u.l.t magazine? How did they get permission to be here?'' I wondered in shock when I heard that one.

    "Please come over to Witch Weekly for an interview! Too many are sending us requests for one."

    They continued to ask questions without end, so I simply raised my hand and let a bit of my rulers aura leak out to silence them.

    "I am thankful for your d.e.s.i.r.e to interview me, but I have already scheduled one with the Herald due to my own views coinciding with theirs on many issues, the professionalism they displayed during my previous interactions with them and their integrity which has been impeccable so far. Any other questions not asked during said interview shall unfortunately remain unanswered. Thank you for your attention and please do not interrupt the remainder of this task." I politely said since no one wants to be the enemy of the press for no reason.

    They all dejectedly walked away after that and my friends were able to come and congratulate me for another first place, even if the scores will only be announced after everyone was done this time. But it isn''t really up for debate when it comes to it.

    And so an atmosphere of silent excitement and nervousness returned to the stands as everyone wanted to see the moment when the next champion would return, something which was hard to maintain after ten minutes had passed.

    I was just enjoying myself be writing in one of my fresh idea journals as everyone watched a peaceful lake, discussing ideas with my friends and thinking of applications for our creations in general.

    Christian had an idea for a type of peaceful illusion which could be applied to calm magical creatures in hopes of studying and interacting with them properly. The idea reminded me of the calm spell from Skyrim in my past life and kinda made a slew of new ideas come to me.

    ''I''ll have to figure out which game spells and enchantments would be feasible with the magic system we use, but it is a fresh batch of ideas.'' I thought as a result.

    James suggested imbuing the spell into harnesses and the likes to only affect specific creatures, which really made our friends eyes light up.

    As we workshopped with each other people were given us looks of awe and shock as we were talking about creating new magic like it was nothing. Thinking of revolutionizing magizoology and having new magical tools available.

    Meanwhile Victoria was starting to edit her own medical books regarding her own potions, muggle medical breakthroughs and our combined book of light magic, new healing spells and light potions. Basically the creation of a future ''holy'' book for healers.

    Observers couldn''t possibly understand what we were doing, but the headmaster was interested in our discussions as he probably saw us as important for the war which was about to restart in earnest. Good thing we are as far from dark magic and death eaters as possible. Well except for Tory, but she my wifey and is going to come out as the best healer and potion maker ever, as well as her capabilities with my new magic genre, so no problems there.

    Not that I really care at this point since I can take either him or Pratlemort myself (maybe both if I keep improving), while my friends should be able to take on a few senior Aurors or core death eaters on their own now. Not counting my private army, spy network, wealth, media control, equipment, infrastructure and general knowledge on how both men work.

    Yeah, I''m going to wreck their little game real soon.

    Anyway, it took half an hour before Viktor came out with Hermione as he undid his partial shark transmutation and people started drying her.

    Karkaroff was quite happy that his favorite was able to get back second.

    Hermione was worried about Harry after she got her bearings and came over to my group with Viktor in tow.

    While they were being dried and warmed up, the judges discussed between each other and listened to the report from moonlight about how things went down there.

    I imagine everyone would get a better score since they made it within the time limit, but I don''t know how Harry''s score will go since Cedric wasn''t there and Fleur made it to Gabrielle.

    Dumbledore then started his announcing of the scores, making everyone fall silent.

    "Due to him being well within the time limit, finishing first, demonstrating mastery over water manipulation, rune creation and his own knowledge of mermish by holding peaceful discussions with our resident tribe, Mr. Bones is awarded a perfect score of 50 points!" He declared as frenzied cheers erupted from all sides, even as our two guest headmasters were having a polite smile and a scowl, whilst Percy looked smug and Bagman was sweating bullets.

    "Mr. Krum showed am advanced form of transmutation, which although incomplete, rescued his hostage second and within the limit. He is awarded 47 points." Dumbledore said as Durmstrang and Krum fans cheered.

    "Miss Delacour showed great mastery over the Bubble-head charm, as well as proper capabilities at combating underwater creatures, rescuing her hostage at the same time as Mr. Potter. She is awarded 45 points." The Headmaster declared as Madame Maxime smiled at her.

    "And lastly Mr. Potter. Your ingenious use of Gillyweed, your d.e.s.i.r.e to help other champions and their hostages, a fact that the Merchieftainess has told us that you were the second to reach the hostages, but refused to leave them behind and wanting to rescue all three and not merely his own. He has been granted 48 points." Announced the elderly man as he smiled proudly at the teen and cheers resounded from Hogwarts students once again.

    So the order in which the champions would perform the final task was decided. I would go first with a total of 96/100 points, Harry would be second with 93, Viktor would be third with 87 and Fleur would enter last due to her having 85.

    Our dear Headmaster finished up by announcing that the final task would occur at dusk on the 24th of June and that we would informed about its contents a month prior.

    I mean, with my connections and money, all I needed was permission from the headmaster to use the Great Hall and get the other champions to show up. Everyone would follow after them in an effort to hear about the task or get to know the famous people.

    Had Butterbeer brought in by the kegs, a bunch of juices, some harder stuff for visiting a.d.u.l.ts and legal age students. Had to enchant the cup to stop anyone underaged from getting to drink the harder stuff, something which Dumbledore found quite interesting as it was a clever application of the same principle as the age line he drew earlier this year.

    Food and music was also brought in, making the whole affair an impromptu celebration for many, much less formal than the Yule ball, but a different kind of fun as everyone mingled.

    A good night for everyone as they let loose after a kinda boring event for the spectators, and making proper memories and friends for students.

    Pretty much everyone went to bed with smiles that day. Well except for people who got straight up rejected by girls they were trying to pick up or got blue balled when they tried to take them to bed.

    It was hilarious watching that little bitch Malloy get straight up rejected by the Greengrass Sisters. He didn''t dare try anything against them too since Victoria is actually pretty protective of them. Told me it was because they were in pretty similar situations being born as women in a s.e.xist pureblood noble family, worrying about being married off by their own parents. She was even researching something for them, but said she couldn''t tell me without their permission so I let it be and supported her however I could.

    Three days passed after the second task, with the school still talking about the second task. Fortunately Ron was much better in my timeline since he has been able to achieve things through his own efforts and actually distinguish himself through the Dueling Club, so he wasn''t making up ridiculous stories about fighting armed men. It also helped that Victoria just told everyone how it went for her so they would stop swarming her for information.

    But then my little interview came in and made me the subject of talks once again.

    ''LORD BONES REVEALED

    Many have questions about the new Lord of the most noble house Bones.

    His intelligence and ingenuity have been lauded due to his creations, breakthroughs and record breaking grades.

    His business ac.u.men is said to be as sharp as a goblins.

    His demonstration of strength against an actual dragon has set him in a league akin to the second coming of Merlin himself, Albus Dumbledore.

    His looks are praised as perfect by nearly any witch who''s seen a picture of the man.

    But how many truly know him?

    He spends his time either at Hogwarts or in his own home. He knows and interacts with many people, but only a few a actually close to him. He is a Champion of the triwizard tournament but keeps surprising all with his performance.

    And so we arranged an interview with Lord Aedan Bones, to answer some of the popular questions about him.

    When asked about his performances in this years reinstated tournament, the young lord has been very calm about his dominant performance. He said that he treats this as a way to make the wizarding world know that he is not just a brainiac. He didn''t spend all of his time either cooped up in a library or laboratory. He informed us that he has been training extensively since a young age to achieve the results he had demonstrated and is always working towards new heights. His own words were that "I am not a weak and naive lord who can be taken advantage off. My aunt did not pass the lordship over to me simply because of emotions or guilt. She passed it to me because I have shown excellence in academics, management and magic, as well as it being something which should fall to me by birthright. And I have shown the world exactly that. Any who choose to belittle me after this will only be a fool for doing so."

    An answer found in absolute confidence with himself and his achievements. Only to be followed up by questions on the most recent discovery about the young lord during the newly finished task: his scars.

    At a young age of 17, lord Aedan Bones seems to have more scars covering his body than most Aurors, making many worried he had been abused as a child, giving birth to accusations against his aunt Amelia Bones, current head of the DMLE. The young man himself completely denied such accusations and gave a heavily censored reason for such scars.

    "When my parents and the rest of my family were murdered by Death Eaters near the end of the war, I didn''t miraculously escape or remained hidden. I was kidnapped and imprisoned under what I later found out was a Lestrange family manor, kept in a dark cell and later experimented on and tortured. The scars are evidence of the dark magic they used on me and said magic is also the reason behind my hair color being so different from others in my family. It was only after maybe 8 months and the fall of their lord that I was rescued by ministry Aurors."

    A completely jarring answer from the young man. Especially since it means that he suffered through such events at the young age of 4.

    Although he is capable of calmly speaking of such traumatic events, it would be disrespectful and ins.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e to continue to dig into such a topic. Hence our next few questions being lighthearted until one such question many young witches have been hoping and dreading for an answer came up: Is the Young Lord Bones spoken for?

    A question which gave the young man an amused smile and warm eyes as he simply answered it.

    "Yes I am. I already have a truly wonderful fianc¨¦ by my side."

    Simple and heartfelt, most likely breaking the hopes and dreams of countless young witches, but this is life. All princes will find their princesses, or in this case a lord found his lady.

    The rest of our time was spent discussing other topics or gossips about the man and his business, things which shall be found on p.10 for full details. But one last question which was asked gave us a truly shocking answer.

    What''s next for Lord Aedan Bones?

    "I am going to show the world what true light magic is. By the summer, the world will have an answer for dark magic. You will also see that my friends are worthy of being prodigies as well."

    An answer which made this reporter shiver due to the intensity he displayed, leaving us in suspense.''

 Chapter 141 - Ch. 141 Prep work

    The country was in shock after the article came out.

    For the next week it was all that was on the tongues of witches and wizards in Europe. The impact spread because of my status as a champion in the tournament and the fact that BonesWorks was in the final phase before opening its new branches in other communities.

    The revelation reassured many. I am too young and powerful in all aspects for others to not have doubts about. Something which seems too perfect is seldom accepted by humans, and wizards are no different.

    But my experiences when it comes to blood-supremacists, noble extremists, dark magic fanatics and the general cancer of our times, has made everyone understand that I would, most likely, never willingly stand on their side. I lost most of my family and was tortured under the home of the most fervent supporter of that bald c.u.n.t, so not exactly prime death eater candidate at this point. Plus I''m the nephew of Amelia freaking Bones, badass woman of justice extraordinaire, and after those dipshits who tried to hurt her position by accusing her of abusing me and by extension Susan are quietly removed from any positions of importance, I am going to make this a big boost for her career.

    I have two general plans regarding mother''s future: the first path is to help her become a proper Minister of Magic when people finally realize how pathetic Fudge is and make sure no one can touch her, the other is to help her prepare the men and women under her in every way possible to bolster the combat ready forces when the f.u.c.k.i.n.g loveless p.u.s.s.y comes back even if she''s not Minister. F.u.c.k whoever''s in charge when it comes to plan two. I would prefer her not being in harms way, but the only way I can picture that happening is if I kidnap her and then hold her prisoner. There is just no way she would ever stay still when shit goes sideways and she is more than capable of making those c.o.c.k eaters suffer when she''s in command. That''s one of the main reasons the walking ball sack killed her personally.

    Back on the reactions that little interview received, it''s been funny learning about how those bigoted pansies panic when they realized that one of the ric.h.e.s.t (they have no clue how truly insanely rich I am) and most powerful lords of modern times will never follow along with their stupidity. I mean, it''s not like the chances of that were high after I was raised by the goddamn head of the DMLE, so not sure what the surprise was there. Those idiots just thought that because I''m engaged to Tory, who''s father, I hope anyone could agree, is one of the most horrible father/husband/lord/men/dirtbag/cunt eaters still free at the moment, that it would somehow enlighten me to the true path a noble blooded wizard should take.

    It was just too easy to get every bit of their reactions from my network and how they plan to try to limit my growth. I can''t wait to start really shacking things up. I already have 18 members of Wizengamot firmly in my corner as their safety has been guaranteed under me, I''ve supported and advised them in political maneuverings ever since my little case against Lucius last year, I''ve given them money to grow their influence under me and provided useful bits of information against their political ennemies as well as getting rid of potential blackmail against them. Oh yes, I am not just building up my forces, I am making use of what I have to further increase my reach. And that''s just those who would support me completely, I have many others who were quite partial to me as well due to my increasingly apparent capabilities.

    There are still a good number who will stop at nothing to not lose any of their current power, status or feeling of superiority, but I will slowly remove those fools from power so that our country can actually improve for once. I am also the one with the most dirt and money to control those Lucius usually blackmails, but he has no clue and still thinks he can just do as he pleases. Something I am more than happy to let him believe since it is funny watching the self important prick think he''s still matters.

    Although I am against practicing the dark arts personally, too much temptation and corruption for my liking, I am not above playing dirty. Blackmail, bribes, assassinations, anything which can cleanses this rotting world and let everyone have an actual future. F.u.c.k the stupid way Dumbledore has been doing things. F.u.c.k those morons at the ministry who are incapable of making hard decisions. F.u.c.k the nobles who forgot that with nobility comes nobless oblige. I''ll work in the light and the dark to achieve true change.

    Got a bit too amped up about that, so let''s get back to some lighter news about that article.

    Funnily enough the biggest feedback the Herald got over the interview was a ton of mail from witches of all ages complaining about them crushing their dreams or demanding clarification on my actual relationship status.

    They sent me a picture of the mail room and I couldn''t help but feel a little schadenfreude over their situation.

    Many students had questions about my feelings on the tournament or what I said in the article, which made a slightly bigger amount of students try to approach me. Fortunately enough, they all know how I dislike being mobbed and that such disorder is not accepted. Helps that my group of friends is almost exclusively Prefects and Head boy/girl. Makes people think more then once before annoying us in general.

    If you talk to us calmly and politely we generally try to answer pretty much any question we feel comfortable answering, so not a problem. We have the kids behaving properly. Kinda what happens when you basically rule the school since fifth year.

    Aside from dealing with all that, the four of us have also been finishing our preparations for two important events: our animagus registration/me taking the early exams for my NEWT''s in the subjects they said I could, and our operation to deal with Fenrir Greyback was also fast approaching.

    The first thing was pretty easy. Just had to get permission to go out during a weekend and head to the ministry to get registered, also give them a heads up that I''ll take them up on their offer to test me early.

    So I just asked the headmaster and deputy headmistress for permission and use of one of their fireplaces to go there. Dumbledore was quite happy to have students even better than the previous Marauders learning to be animagus, especially since we were actually capable and disciplined instead of being imm.a.t.u.r.e pranksters. McGonagall on the other hand decided that, even if we were once in a century/millenium geniuses, we should not have done such a ''dangerous'' process unsupervised and should have told them about our plans. I get that she worries, but most people become animagus when a.d.u.l.ts, so who looks after them when they try this stuff? Kinda made the nagging redundant in my mind, but it''s cause she cares so let''s just smile and nod.

    For the second part of my ministry visit I just sent to the Ministry and another to mother since the registry for animagi is under her department.

    I took a few days to get the response from the ministry itself, but they scheduled me tests to be on the 25th of March and mother said we could drop by pretty much whenever for the registration, but shouldn''t hold off on it too long since it''ll be illegal after a while.

    With the date specified and everything ready, the four of us then proceeded to ready ourselves for the more important event, which is obviously our ambush/assassination of Greyback Sr.

    From everything I was able to gather and with some manipulation from my spies and informants, the animal will attack on the 16th of March, during the dead of night. He picked the date for the full moon, thinking that the werewolves of the town would be on his side if freed and his own men strengthened from the moon.

    The fool has no idea what he''s walking into. He''s taking about 50 of ''his'' men to attack the town and thinks that''ll be enough.

    Just the forces always protecting the village would be enough to beat back that pathetic assault.

    The town itself has nearly surpassed Hogsmeade in terms of population, closing in on two thousand residents. We have a properly built goblin forged fence which is capable of expansion protecting the town and concealing it perfectly from non magicals, and hostiles when I want. It''s capable of pretty much anything Hogwarts can do but on a slightly lower scale. Can''t apparate directly into or out of it, only permitted entry points like some fireplaces, portkey drop locations and the four physical entrances can let one legally come in and out. Well except for me and a select few who are keyed into the wards and are free to come and go. There''s a force of 98 residents trained and armed by my forces maintaining order in the town itself and supervising the entry points. Doesn''t sound like a lot compared to the almost 2000 residents, but the people there are very happy with their lives and are almost desperate to not lose what they''ve gained, dramatically reducing the chances of crimes. They''re usually there to stop people from sneaking in, drunken fights or petty crimes and the likes, but they are more than well trained. Plus my guys from Fortress can get there in no time at all by using an emergency system we have in place. So even without my little scheme, the bastard stood next to no chances of succeeding his plan.

    But the thing is, he needs to die. I will not give him even a single fraction of a chance at escaping. We will kill him and his most trusted in one strike and remove that insult to all werewolves from existence.

    So now we have Geri and her men added to the mix. 40 experienced and battle-hardened men and women from Fortress. Remus actually took the initiative to involve himself. Then you add little old me, a being in the same tier as Dumbledore and Voldemort. My three friends capable of taking on a dozen or so Aurors. Then you factor in my traps, plans and wards, and you''ve got yourself a dead man walking.

    Even then you can''t underestimate the preparations my friends have been making up to the fated day.

    Victoria has taken the nearly mad scientist route for her prep work. She ''borrowed'' all my notes on werewolves, their genes, blood, virus, strengths and weaknesses, studying everything I found out and researched when I was developing the suppressor and almost went into seclusion with them. She came out with an arsenal of potions and poisons designed to do things from paralyzing werewolves with them taking a whiff of the smoke the potion makes after it''s thrown on the ground, something which is basically the cursed oil from the Witcher, all the way to something which is apparently capable of melting the bastards.

    Christian finally got all his equipment for werewolf hunting together. The most interesting things in there was the crossbow with silver tip bolts and a freaking Moon Dust grenade which makes silver dust burst out and burn the respiratory system of the werewolf if got used on. I decided to enchant the crossbow and bolts with James so that our friends can quickly fire and have tracking bolts for easy hits. We basically screwed over anyone wanting to be on the other side of that thing without shielding capabilities.

    James had finished making the equipment he had time to make, meaning my friends all had greaves and bracers which were really well enchanted against physical and magical attacks by the both of us. Managed to make the bracers capable of deflecting the killing curse too, something which is going to f.u.c.k over some over confident little shits I tell you.

    The last thing that happened was my own little gift for all of them, which was a basilisk/dragon hide overcoat for the three of them. Each with a different symbol on the back: halo for James, wolf for Christian and crown for Tory. I then proceeded to enchant them with James in order to strengthen them against physical damage since both of the hides they were made from already gave them a great deal of magical protection.

    Everything was ready as the 15th ended.

 Chapter 142 - Ch. 142 Wolves to the slaughter

    Sneaking out of the castle is simply a breeze for the four of us.

    I have about five different ways of getting out without anyone knowing and I''m going to let those stay a problem until later. It will be the last chance I give the Malfoy family before I simply erase them like the others. If they still push their pathetic excuse of a son down their path then they shall die like the rest. I don''t care about how they could change, they''ve had over a decade to change and they still continue to poison the entirety of the UK with their stupidity. I will keep giving the p.u.s.s.y chances, but one needs to put their foot down at one point.

    For tonight''s escapade however, we simply used the vanishing cabinet I moved to the ROR for the night and appeared into a secured room of my medical facility. I just had my faithful aide move the thing there for the night as well and no one would know. All we had to do was reach the place quietly and the four of us we so skilled that we each had our preferred method of near perfect concealment: Christian had an interesting vine from somewhere in South America capable of bending light around itself to attract helpful creatures or hide from those who consume it and made a cloak from them, James created a metal band capable of achieving similar results as an invisibility cloak, Tory like to make a potion giving you the ability to blend into the background like an overpowered chameleon and I simply removed every possible trace of my myself and made it impossible for anythings senses from registering me. Just a bit of fun and a small challenge amongst each other.

    We reached the Room and the cabinet with no issues whatsoever, and dressed ourselves for the ambush. Each removed anything which would get in the way like school robes and equipped our protective gear. I activated my concealed gear with a simple thought whilst putting on my own basilisk/dragon hide coat. Although one couldn''t see the metals protecting my arms, you could see my armored hand and legs.

    ''Now I feel like an actual battlemage.'' I thought as I put on the mask James had prepared for me.

    My friends were also finished equipping their own gear, letting us simply walk into the cabinet one at a time to reach our destination.

    As soon as I exited the cabinet Scott and Geri were saluting and kneeling before me in that order.

    "Is everything in order?" I ask sternly as everything needs to be ready.

    "Yes boss. Everyone''s in position and only the area you said you''d take charge of is remaining. Are you sure you want to take that on with only four of you though?" He answered and asked carefully.

    "I have at least equaled Dumbledore in power and skill, my friends are as good as our best, we will be enough." I responded with confidence as my friends puffed their c.h.e.s.ts out in pride.

    "If you say so boss. It''s hard not to improve when you''re teaching so I''ll believe it if they''ve had years of it." My aide replied with a chuckle.

    "All they need is true experience to solidify they knowledge and training. My friend in the wolf mask is ahead of the others in that department due to his teacher, but more experience will aide him still." I said to get their heads back to reality. "Everything good on your end Geri?"

    "Yes my lord. I will not let this night end in failure. I will rip out that animals heart and crush it in front of him." She replied in a voice so cold it sent chills to some of the guards.

    "In all things a clear mind must prevail. Your emotions will drive you, but don''t let them blind you. I do not want to lose you, Scott will drink and cry himself to oblivion of it happens." I replied in a effort to lighten the tension and the mood slightly.

    "C''mon boss, not now." The man in question w.h.i.n.ed at me in embarrassment.

    "See. He''s already being annoying. So come back in one piece alright? You have a place to return to after all." I followed up with a chuckle as I ignored him.

    "That I do my lord. And after you shall grant my boon yes?" She said in response after I gentle look towards the man.

    "As promised Geri." I said with a nod to reaffirm my word. "Now all of you head to your designated locations. You three will be with me so follow. Word from our spies say our targets will arrive in 30 minutes. Check for anything or anyone not in their places in 20. We leave nothing to chance. Now go!" I ordered as my rulers aura naturally flowed out of me.

    """Yes sir/my lord!""" All of them responded besides my friends as they quickly departed.

    "So those are your aides then?" Victoria said after everyone left.

    "Yeah. Both of them are very skilled and have been of tremendous help for years now." I replied with a smile under my mask.

    "They do look like they care for each other deeply, but the women seems to hold herself back. Why?" Asked James as he couldn''t really understand without knowing them.

    "Geri''s full name is Geri Greyback." I simply answer with a sigh.

    "Wait! Like Fenrir Greyback? The guy you planned all this to kill? You don''t mean to tell me you''re making her kill her own family!?" Exclaimed Christian in shock.

    "On the contrary. She approached me in an effort to protect her people and hopefully kill her own father in exchange for servitude. It is time for me to give her freedom and closure, as well as honoring my promise." I answered my friend.

    "And what are the additional promises you two talked about?" Asked Tory as a result of some curiosity.

    "I simply promised to do her a favor after her father had been taking care of. It is up to her to ask." I simply answered.

    "If even his own daughter wants to rip his heart out, how monstrous is this dementor f.u.c.ker?" Asked Christian in amazement.

    "He is no monster. Simply a rabid dog that needs to be put down once and for all. Now let''s get into position as well." I said as I started walking with my friends quickly following.

    We swiftly entered the area I marked out for myself and my friends. To put it simply I decided to be the one blocking the path of their retreat. We are above the north entry gate where a fake set of doors we installed for them to demolish, and our job is to stop any who would try to escape when they realized only a slaughter was awaiting them. It will give my friends experience in dealing with desperate ennemies whilst I make sure none slip past our harm them too much.

    If we used the goblin made steel gate which had been further enchanted by me then they wouldn''t even be able to get in, so we made a fake wooden one for them to break and avoid suspicion by having an open gate with no guards.

    "So what is the actual plan and what''s our job?" Asked Christian after we had settled into our position.

    "Basically we will be the ones killing those trying to escape once things turn bad for them. Every other entrance is blocked, every resident has been moved to their designated areas. Every building has been sealed and warded as per defensive protocols, meaning no one can come in without a hell of a lot of magic. So this leaves this gate as the only place those running away will be able to exit the town from. You three will be first and I''ll be back up for this op, so go wild." I answered with a small smirk.

    "Although I am hesitant to kill in cold blood I do understand the fact that I need to do so at one point." Sighed James as he understood his role.

    "Man up buddy! These are literally the worst werewolves in Europe. They murder, cannibalize, **** and infect anyone they please. They are the some of the worst filth in the world at the moment and are one of the reasons why people hate werewolves so much in the modern age." Said a very fired up Christian.

    "Oh stop being a Gryffindor right now. Just do your job so we don''t need to have our arses whipped by Aedan on this. I''m so going to kill more with my new recipes than you with your outdated equipment." Teased Victoria as she poured water over Christian, only to then pour oil and light the fire again.

    "Bring it! I''ll show the little slytherin how a real man fight! And if you think this stuff is outdated then you haven''t seen what it can really do in combat." He responded back with gusto.

    "Alright you two, as much as I enjoy friendly competitions it''s time to be quiet. I don''t want any of those beasts to notice us so I''ll be concealing everything I can as well." I interrupted with a chuckle as I waved my wand in a circle above my head once as my magic to effect to all but erase us from existence.

    No one could see, smell, feel, hear or taste us. It''s almost like the fidelius charm but people still remember us and it is only temporary. Took me a while to figure out this fun form of concealment but it''s pretty over-powered since it stops even magical means of detection.

    And twenty minutes later, on the stroke of midnight as the full moon stood at its peak, the wild howls of the beasts were heard heading towards us.

    ''F.u.c.k.i.n.g animals can''t even do a stealth op properly. This is just bullying at this point. But it''s a good thing I put compulsion runes around the portcullis to make them rune towards the medical center. Don''t want these animals running around all over the place trying to ****, eat or turn anyone.'' I thought with an expression of disgust under my mask.

    Then they burst out from the Forrest a bit away from the entrance as a large pack, with a few noticeably larger werewolves at the front being led by one seemingly half a size larger than the rest.

    ''Looks like his lifestyle agrees with him at least.'' Was another thought which crossed my mind as I observed the werewolf we had long ago identified as Fenrir.

    "Grrr. Follow. Let''s end those fools. We are superior and we will end all in our path to conquest. First this so called cure. Then we take whatever we want from these insults to our kind!" Snarled the still transformed Greyback as he rallied his men and charges in the lead.

    ''Didn''t know one could still speak in that form. I guess being in touch and so accepting of his animalistic side might have synchronized himself with lycanthropy and formed a sort of symbiotic relationship. It gives control and additional strength whilst he infects and acts like a beast. Weird and stupid. Hope no other fool becomes disillusioned after this and thinks that''s the way to get control of his lycanthropy, not after I basically let anyone infected get vaccinated regularly for free when it gets fully approved worldwide.'' I thought once again as I analyzed the differences between Fenrir and other werewolves.

    Not even five minutes had past before lights of all colors started lighting up the area ahead, signaling that ambush.

    "Well that''s probably the prettiest slaughter we''ll ever get to see." Christian suddenly said as he got up from the chair he was waiting on.

    "True, but now she should get ready for our job." Agreed Victoria as she joined him to head downstairs.

    "I''m still not truly comfortable with this, but I''ll back you two up as best I can like always." James followed up as he joined our two friends.

    I did the opposite and headed up to get a better view of everything while keeping my magical senses on everything happening in the town. And when I mean the town, I mean the whole town. My senses grew in proportion with my magic and abilities, I could cover the entire town and know precisely what is happening in every nook and cranny. It is also massively easier on my brain without two thousand people to keep track off as well. Under 200 is much more manageable after my practicing this with Hogwarts +700 as I gradually improved my performance. Too useful a skill to not develop properly and all.

    But with said senses I could already feel the first two deserters fleeing from the ambush and heading back here.

    I silently watched as my three friends readied themselves into their most solid three man formation with Victoria and Christian attacking and James supporting. It is the one they use against me the most as well.

    The instant that happened my friends burst into action.

    James was in charge of immobilizing the two by firing twin incarcerous in extremely fluid motions as they tangled the feet of the approaching beasts in two perfectly aimed shots, causing them to trip and tumble to the ground due to their momentum.

    Victoria decided to pin her target to the ground by taking a page from one of my favorites: tranfigurating chains from the ground. And Christian used a devils snare seed he brought and threw it at the tumbling werewolf he was targeting, cast a quick spell and made the plant grow at break beach pace as it landed on the beast and started to entangle and choke him. Two for one as it slowly killed the struggling bastard. My lovely fianc¨¦ then pulled out a glass vial filled with a squirming purple fluid and lazily threw it on her target. As soon as the vial broke on her command the liquid splash all over the struggling werewolf and quickly after howls and w.h.i.n.es of extreme pain were heard as parts of him started to disappear wherever the liquid spread, apparently as it was eating him alive. Only when his head was gone and the body stopped squirming completely did she do a quick wand gesture did the purple liquid vanish, leaving a headless corpse with chunks missing in various areas.

    Soon after four more desperate werewolves ran in our direction, not even stopping when seeing the two corpses of their former comrades in front of them. All they saw was three people standing in front of them and not dying tonight. So they ran towards the only obstacles in their way with singleminded fervor.

    This time Christian began the play as he threw a moon dust grenade in front of the charging wolves, causing a sparkling cloud of silver dust to emerge in their path. As soon as they ran into it however the effect was almost immediate as they started coughing painfully as then ran and having two stumble to the ground in pain. Anyone could tell the silver dust was working extremely well on their lungs.

    At this moment two silver daggers flew out and struck the two wolves on the ground as they tried to breath properly, hitting them right in the middle of their foreheads and up to the hilts. They then spun while still inside their skulls and then flew back in the direction they arrived, landing in the sheaths James had hidden on his legs. He got a few glances ffo our two friends for that little move.

    Christian decided to use another of his new toys and shoot a still heavily coughing werewolf with a few silver bolts from his enchanted crossbow. And let''s just say the practice dummy only died after he was shot half a dozen time and become a unicorn at the moment of his death.

    Victoria transfigured two large stone hands to hold the last werewolf in the air by his arms and then started to throw a few concoctions at him while he screamed in pain as a result. One melted his legs until the bones had nothing holding it and dropped to the ground. Another started making all of his fur fall off wherever the liquid went. The third resulted in him having something which looked like seizures constantly. The next made him catch on fire and the fire was green as he fainted in pain from the fire which didn''t seem to end. And the last one melted him into a black puddle in a matter of moments.

    Yeah, note to self, don''t piss off the wifey without a full proof method of detecting potions and poisons.

    So with a quick jump and an arresto momentum I joined them on the ground.

    "The three of you did fantastic in teamwork and execution. In sync on every move and not even one got remotely close enough to even have a chance at harming any of you. Now I''ve got to go meet up with my people, if you don''t want to see the results you guys can wait for me at the cabinet. It shouldn''t take too long." I said reassuringly as I knew this would be hard for them, James especially.

    "Nah mate. Gotta see this through properly. Part of how our world is." Answered Christian with a rather laid back manner.

    "I will follow. I am to be your wife and I will not run away from any aspect of your life." My cute and scary fianc¨¦ said with determination.

    "And I will see the results of the mission I took part off, even if it is against my nature. It is something I need to do." James finally said as determination flashed in his eyes.

    "Very well, let''s go." I simply gestured as I walked towards the ambush site.

    When we got there my people were already cleaning up the killing field.

    I could see explosion marks, parts of the ground gauged out, transfiguration leftovers, bloodstains, some bits of people, bodies unmoved, healers running around the wounded, men giving orders and my aides with an armless, snarling savage looking man chained up and on his knees, which looked painful since his legs were broken too.

    "Give me a report." I calmly said as I looked over the area.

    "We have 12 lightly wounded with noting more than small scratches or abrasions. 1 mildly wounded with some blood loss. 3 severely wounded already moved to the emergency room we had prepared, mostly done by that monster on the floor since he took pieces off of them. No casualties and no expected ones since the healers guaranteed our severely wounded would make it. On their side, we have 43 of the counted 51 who assaulted and as you can see 44 if you count Fenrir over there." My trusty aide reported in all seriousness.

    "Good. I am extremely relieved that none of our men or women had to go down because of that bastard. The remaining 7 tried to escape after deserting, none even made it near the gate and their remains await for the cleanup crew. I''ll go visit the wounded to make sure no lasting damage remain soon enough. So why is he still alive by the way?" I said calmly as I also questioned the current state of our primary target.

    "Well, Jenny wanted to kill him in front of you for some reason. Really adamant about it." My slightly exasperated aide said.

    "I can guess why, so let''s get this over with then." I replied as I walked over to Geri holding her fathers chain.

    The man struggled as he wanted to stand to try and but me like a rabid dog, but a quick stomp from his estranged daughter brought him enough pain to make him stay down.

    "I am guessing you wanted to do this to prove yourself beyond any doubt correct?" I directly questioned with an authoritative tone.

    "Yes my lord. I will execute this animal leading the people to ruin for his twisted views and remove any doubts over my loyalty to you and your house." The savage beauty answered with fervor.

    "Then show me. And claim your reward." I commanded regally as I started impassively at the scene.

    Without a word from her, she simply drew her goblin made blade and cut the man''s head from his neck in one smooth and precise motion, making him freeze for a second before it slowly fell to the ground and roles near my feat.

    I simply stated at the head of one of my targets and moved on as he was no longer a threat nor was he important.

    "And now you claim the promise you requested?" He asked with a raised eyebrow behind my mask.

    "Yes my lord!" She enthusiastically replied.

    "Then speak. If I can grant it I will." I answered.

    "I wish for the name you granted me to be my true identity in this world. I want the name he gave me and the he made me bear to be erased with him." She declared to my slight surprise, but I understood.

    "Very well. I will make you name Jennifer be your name in everything from blood to magic. Your last name however shall not be the one I grant you, but the name Greyback shall be erased from you forever." I declared in an absolute tone.

    "Master, why are you not giving me a family name? Was I not worthy?" She desperately asked in a panic at my declaration.

    "Ah. You misunderstand. The reason I am not granting you a family name is because it would be quite short lived in my opinion." I said with a slight chuckle.

    "I don''t understand master. Why would I not keep the name you give me?" Jennifer asked in confusion.

    "Because someone else will share his with you very soon if I guessed correctly and it is one I am sure you would prefer above all else." I answer with a sly grin on my face as I point to Scott standing nearby with a now very red face, which was quickly matched by her own understanding of my meaning.

    "I look forward to you introducing yourself to me properly in the future. But for now I will do my duties and finish up. The four of us must return before the morning after all." I said with a hearty laugh as I left to oversee the wounded with Tory joining me and James and Christian helping with the clean up.

    Overall I would say a near perfect operation. Especially since only participated minimally. I think I might have been able to kill most of them myself, but my people and friends need to grow as well for the incoming battles.

 Chapter 143 - Ch. 143 To the Ministry

    The death of Fenrir and his diehard supporters officially removed the werewolf army from the equation. Only a bit more hunting of those left behind and that was that.

    From what I remember, this means the vampires, dementors and giants would be the biggest supporters outside of pureblooded idiots. I can get it in all honesty, wizards have constantly tried to either enslave or eradicate any race they deem fit, without trying to truly work things out. Harder for beings like giants, who are naturally stupid, violant and sometime plainly rampage about, but vampires are generally quite intelligent and can be accommodated of the proper system is in place. Hell, I''m surprised other beings like centaurs and Veela''s don''t join up sometimes. I think the reason is that they know Voldehomo would turn on them in an instant as well. That''s why the goblins stayed out of this nonsense, but they need to realize that they are still at risk even with their own army.

    It''s actually pretty funny since I now have a werewolf force, I''m in the final stages of having a proper Veela sanctuary built on one of my islands, I have a growing number of Centaur tribes allied with me, and a rather large population of merpeople residing in what has officially been called Atlan. My last reports told me 1834 werewolves in the village, 126 Veela''s on the clear for relocation list, 741 Centaurs residing on the Herb Island, and a staggering 63 855 Merpeople of various tribes and species in Atlan, creating the largest functioning underwater city in their known history.

    So yeah, I think I''ve got more friends than that grey doorknob.

    I also received a report this morning, after everything was done and all my men had pulled out of the village. In it I was told that the entire place basically erupted into celebration at the death of Fenrir and they decided to celebrate it as a yearly event. I could understand that since most of the inhabitants were turned into werewolves by either him or those following his twisted ideologies, so permission granted there. Even Remus was celebrating with some of his new friends and invited Sirius to join in the fun. It apparently brought out the old Marauders in them and some rather nifty bits of pranking magic were on display.

    Sounded like a good time in all honesty, but being a student comes with many restrictions, even if that student is a legitimate lord.

    Instead of partying with the wolves (and the dog), my friends and I gathered in the Headmaster''s office with Professor McGonagall to finally get registered as animagi and have my early testing done at the same time. We all thought having the only registered animagus at Hogwarts would be perfect as our guide today.

    I honestly don''t know if Dumbledore has done it, but I wouldn''t really be surprised since he was also a transfiguration teacher and it can be a pretty useful ability. Snape is also a possibility, I remember a good amount of theories on him being something like a bat animagus. Other teachers are also a possibility since apparently someone like Rita Skeeter succeeded. And although the possibility is extremely low, there has been proven cases of students learning it as well. The Marauders and ourselves being prime examples.

    Now my early NEWT''s didn''t mean I was going to graduate early or anything, it just means I finished most courses available at Hogwarts and that I would only be taking a few NEWT examinations at the end of the year.

    Getting to the ministry is just standard stuff and all of us, besides James, have a good amount of experience in coming here. Christian comes with his parents a lot as they report their findings, discoveries and activities to the Department of magical creatures, doing something they love and getting paid for it. Victoria has been involved in things like balls and dinners at the ministry since a very young age, something mother and myself have avoided since I am quite different from normal people and she hates the slimy gits who show up to these things. Leaving James to look around with a good deal of curiosity to understand the most he can from his own observations, even if the three of us have told him about how things run in this place.

    It does help that I have an entire spy network in every level of the ministry to tell me everything, while also getting receiving plenty of news from my allies in Wizengamot. My biggest allies are the Dowager Longbottom, Neville''s grandmother, the Abbot family are basically another set of Aunt and Uncle who also side with many of my ideas, Sirius as the newly reinstated Lord of the Black family likes how I am helping a lot people and sticking it to those death muncher families, and the Greengrass family which is more business than the others but agrees with many of my progressive ideas on how to actually make things better. I have many others on my side or more partial towards me, but these are less influential than the above.

    But all this was quite new to our muggleborn friend so we let him take everything in as we went along.

    It was good to see the ministry had gotten rid of those annoying flying memos and owls flying all around the place, switching to my little creations. So many lucrative contracts from many different ministries really put a smile on anyone''s faces. It also made the place at least a bit less chaotic. But honestly, it''s like wizards want chaos in everything they do. The ministry is weirdly sectioned, the means of electing people or passing laws are ridiculous, any event involving them is a cl.u.s.terf.u.c.k, they take the weirdest approaches to problems, and I just don''t know where to begin on what the Minister of Magic is actually capable of doing when he''s afraid of Noble families, the Wizengamot, Dumbledore, any competent or wealthy witch/wizard, and is for some reason getting pegged by the most hated woman in this country (even more than Bellatrix Lestrange).

    It''s all just a mess.

    Probably doesn''t help that Fudge supposedly has a wife and kid somewhere too.

    Meh, the image is just awful, but it is some of the best blackmail I have on both annoyances.

    Pretty sure that''s why we had to go to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement just to get registered (the custerf.u.c.k, not the pegging). It''s like they didn''t have better shit to do than monitoring less than a dozen people so they don''t misuse an ability they spent a lot of time and effort learning.

    I might have listened to mother ranting on the stupidity of our laws, government and minister a few too many times.

    We all made it to the DMLE without any issues, even if a lot of women were pointing and whispering when they saw me, which made us walk a bit faster.

    What I found was a rather nice surprise as we approached the reception desk. A head of bubblegum pink hair.

    "Tonks! How has the future pink head of Aurors been?" I happily said to the young lady in front of us.

    "Aedan? Is that you?" The shocked pink head asked.

    "Of course it''s me. That''s hurtful you know, not recognizing your friend after he helped you pass your tests. Was I only a tool for you?" I asked in mock hurt.

    "Har har. Very funny you prat. But seriously what happened? Your eyes and hair are different now. Are you sure you aren''t a metamorpagus?" She replied as she looked at me with curiosity.

    "Nah. Just some changes with my magic and whatnot. But you deserve a little shock for never visiting. Every time I''m on break you say you''re off somewhere hunting bastards down and always find an excuse to not come over. Getting kinda annoying when one of your friends acts like they''re avoiding you. I mean I do send you letters and even then I get more info from mother than from you. So not cool." I answered after getting my nagging out.

    "That''s not... true. Has it been that long?" She asked with hesitation after wanting to defend herself.

    "It''s been since you graduated that we hung out together Tonks. It took us wanting to register as animagus for me to see you and that''s by coincidence while you''re working. So yeah, been a while since I saw you." I answered with a sigh of disappointment at the first friend I made in school.

    "Wait you''re all animagi!?" She nearly shouted in shock once again.

    "Yeah, we all worked on it together. I got a mountain lion, Tory has a lioness, James is a dove and Christian got a wolf. And we all know what the Professor is." I answered with a bit of a grin at the end.

    "Nice to see you again Nymph. Been a while. I also haven''t forgotten I owe a bit of payback for that prank with the flobberworms in my bed." Christian said as he remembered a little incident from second year.

    "Haha. Hey Chris. You''re not still mad about that are you? It was just a prank. And wow, you got buff. You work out?" She asked to try to deflect the conversation.

    "I do. And train to fight a lot. So you want to go few rounds in a duel ring?" He asked with a Savage grin on his face, resulting in a nervous chuckle from Tonks.

    "Oh leave the poor woman alone Christian. And as much as I would like to pay you back for rain cloud which ruined everyone''s hair and makeup in 3rd year, I do have a question for you Nym-pha-dora." Victoria intervened as she emphasized Tonks hated first name.

    "You know I hate when people call me that." She bem.o.a.n.e.d in response.

    "Yes yes. But you also made my Aedan sad so too bad. Now why are you working the reception desk when you should be an Auror? It''s not like the ministry is missing quill pushers." Tory asked as she found the situation strange.

    "Well I''m supposed to be finishing up my apprenticeship under Mad-eye this year, but he just ditched me here saying he had to do a favor for someone and next thing I hear he''s teaching at Hogwarts. So now I''m stuck on paper duty for a year since no one can take me with them." She answered as she deflated even more.

    "That is rather strange. You''d think he could just take you with him and have you help out at least. That way he could still train you on school ground and he could teach." Commented James as he understood the situation.

    "Wait what? That''s an option? Why didn''t I think of that when I was trying to convince him?" She asked in dismay as a dark aura of depression now leaked from her.

    "That is enough tomfoolery from all of you. Miss Tonks I would like the forms to register a person as an animagus. The four of you are to fill it out and then Mister Bones will be going for his NEWT''s as requested." McGonagall strictly said as she interrupted us.

    """""Yes ma''am.""""" Everyone said in unison, even Tonks as she still had the conditioning from her years at Hogwarts.

    The registration was rather straight forward. Fill out a few forms, transform in front of an official who will check for any discrepancies in your body, have any distinguishing features recorded, a few minor things and you''re done. Britain now had four new registered animagi to boast about.

    Which they really shouldn''t do in front of anyone from Africa since they have a really large number of animagi. Bragging in front of American wizards would also be ill advised since the native shamans are very good in the art as well.

    After that was done we were now officially allowed to show off our animal sides as long as we didn''t harm, freak out or mess with others in general. Also had to be careful in populated areas with predator forms like mine, Tory and Christian''s since muggles don''t react fondly to big animals capable of killing them. James will be able to go pretty much anywhere he wants though. My eagle form will also be good in most places, but I should be careful of those cunts hunt rarer animals for fun.

    "Alrighty then. Everything is right and proper. You four are officially registered after the paperwork gets through. And what''s this I heard earlier about NEWT''s?" Tonks said as she sent the forms we just filled out through a vanishing box.

    "I got super grades during my owls and offered early examination for my NEWT''s as a result. And since we''re here I scheduled them for today." I answered with a light tone.

    "Damn. So are you graduating after that or not? Knowing you, there''s probably not much you''re learning there for a while now." She followed up with a little whistle.

    "Not graduating early. Going to do a few more at the same time as everyone else for the ones I didn''t get an early pass for." I answered with a shake and a shrug.

    "Good luck then Aedan. Not like you need it since you helped me out with my NEWT''s in your fourth year." She said with a little smile on her face.

    "I remember you freaking out on potions and herbology so bad. But thanks. And try not avoid me, it doesn''t feel great you know?" I said with a bit of a sad smile as we all got ready to head out for our next stop.

    "I... Yeah got it. See y''a gang." She responded with some hesitation as we left and everyone said their goodbyes.

 Chapter 144 - Ch. 144 Iustus Patronus

    Passing my NEWT''s was simply a breeze, something any four of us could have done years ago and still achieve with ease. And now all that''s left for me to do at Hogwarts is History of Magic, Astronomy, Divination and Care of Magical Creatures. And only Divination leaves me uncertain about my ability to achieve Outstanding with distinction within those. It is a subject where one either has it or you don''t, and I don''t so I make for it by being the best I can in as many forms as possible.

    The only fun thing that happened was an agreement I brokered with the department of magical education head, Griselda Marchbanks. I simply requested that if a student can achieve the new O++ I am responsible for creating during their NEWT''s, then they would be allowed to skip the apprenticeship necessary for a mastery title. The idea is that for someone to achieve the grade at this level, they should demonstrate abilities indicating that they are ready for such a title. That would be the bar set for the grade now and in the future.

    It took some convincing and a bit of back and forth between myself, Griselda and the department leaders, but they agreed that such a thing would be impossibly rare in general and that it would be a standardized requirement for a grade they had a lot of trouble with almost 2 years ago, so they agreed to have it added to the official grading system. It would certainly be extremely rare for it to be awarded, but I wanted this set up for myself and my friends. I firmly believe they have reached the requirements for mastery in their chosen fields, only needing to complete the necessary steps. And now I took away the most tedious part for us. It''s not like any of us lack experience in our fields of interest anyway. Victoria and I have been helping out Madam Pomfrey for years and she''s been rapidly amassing medical knowledge. James has been crafting enchanted gear at a prodigious level and has been involved in the production of my broom. Christian was apprenticed under Newt Scamander, the authority on Magizoology and has been working on his Primal island project with my people. And I have shown mastery of Charms in my products, potions in the innovations I''ve released under my real name, for Herbology it''s my books, Arithmancy for my modded spells and primer, my own rune language speaks for my skills there, a now registered animagus for Transfiguration, my Dueling and combat skills are approved by a former world champion, Aurors and the Head of the DMLE, enchanting with my products, healing with Poppy, and my DADA will be unquestionable once I release my new branch of magic almost designed to counter dark arts.

    We have the skills, proof and the connections to get ourselves certified as masters. All that''s left is to get it done.

    Before leaving the ministry though, I managed to make Tonks promise to hang out during the summer. I wanted to catch up and have some fun with my friend. She always was able to make me laugh when I was being too serious or had an idea for a prank to pull on someone with a stick too far up their own a.s.s. She would hate how Percy ended up. He would probably become her exclusive target for a long time if she knew.

    It only took a few days to get my results since I was the only one taking any testing at this time of the year. And the he results of my early testing were great:

    -Ancient Rune: O++

    -Arithmamcy: O++

    -Charms: O++

    -Defense Against the Dark Arts: O++

    -Herbology: O++

    -Muggle Studies: O+

    -Potions: O++

    -Transfiguration: O++

    ''I love my brain sometimes.'' I thought as I looked at me sweeping my results.

    This meant I was eligible for the masteries I had in mind. All of my O++''s are targets, but I also qualify for the Healing, Warding and Dueling masteries on top of that due to my experience and grades. It also meant I was already eligible for almost any job in the ministry already.

    They couldn''t give me a better grade than with O+ in Muggle Studies for the simple reason that there is actually no mastery in the subject. Wizards are so dismissive of the subject that it''s pathetic. I looked up Arthur Weasley''s grades when I was preparing my plans and wanted to know the players in the upcoming war, and I found something so ridiculous I couldn''t even laugh: the man never even took Muggle Studies. That''s right, the man in charge of an entire department focusing on Muggles has never even studied the subject. Even if it''s over a hundred years out of date, learning at least some of it would build a kind of foundation to learn from. But no, the man just goes along with his idiocy.

    ''No wonder he doesn''t know what a c.o.n.d.o.m is and has never used one.'' I thought as I remembered my previous encounter in Diagonal Alley.

    With everything taken care of until the last task, I began to work on my side projects and helping my friends in theirs.

    Victoria''s projects were the most known ones in the wizarding world. Her two major projects involved her new treatment method for people like the Longbottoms, who''ve suffered from brain damage due to a myriad of causes and the release of her book on a new age of healing.

    The first is being achieved by demonstrating her amalgamation of current healer knowledge, my personal creations, modern medicine and her inventions. The trial has been ongoing since new year and the couple has been showing a drastic increase in brain activity and their memory retention has been steadily returning to normal levels. It was giving the healers hope of new possibilities as each day show''s some kind of improvement. Victoria has even received a letter from the Dowager Longbottom expressing her sincere and heartfelt thanks for her efforts and the results they have shown. Neville also come to see the two of us and gave Tory a tear filled hug as the kid kept thanking her, which led to a very funny faced fianc¨¦ being unsure of how to deal with such emotional physical contact and simply patting the guy on the back until he calmed down.

    She pretty much made the Longbottom family lifelong allies at this point and she didn''t even finish curing them yet. And I have no doubt she will succeed. She''s actually gotten permission to go to St. Mungo''s to monitor their progress a few times a week in order to make sure everything was going well. She understood that a theoretical cure is just that and until clinical data proves it, one must be careful. Our estimated prediction for the two to return to full capabilities is this summer, but they will need extensive psychotherapy and rehabilitation due to the stress the event caused, as well as the need to catch them up on the last decade.

    We decided to hold back on the book until the official version of my new magic is generally accepted and proven to work. We want to wait so no one does stupid shit without understanding my magic and tries to heal others by following the steps badly and ruin her work''s reputation in the process. But he success with the Longbottom couple will be more than enough to establish her name.

    James was actually starting something pretty revolutionary as well. See, even if we are magical guys aiming to reach the peek in our fields, we''re both a bit nerdy. We sometimes try to recreate things we''ve seen in movies or comics of the Muggle world using magic. I am not ashamed to say it was a bit fun to mimic the force and that it was an inspiration for my physical boosting alongside chi. Well my friend is more on the sci-fo side and has decided to create a freaking robot using some modern robotics, his own enchanting and crafting skills, and my binary rune system he''s mastered.

    Now, it isn''t a true robot. The thing would be closer to an automaton from his designs. It would be a humanoid mechanical and crafted being capable of moving and acting based off of its programming. He wants to make things capable of helping him when he''s crafting and his idea led to the possibility of bringing automation to the wizarding world. That is something we are still discussing the pros and cons of though.

    But all this will be after he passes his final tests to become a master smith this summer. So we''ve actually been brainstorming and writing down the runes the thing would need to work as intended. I am also making sure we don''t get anywhere close to an AI. I know there are good AI''s like R2, Vision, EDI and a few others, but way too many dangerous ones pop up. So unless we accidentally create one, I''m gonna try to avoid that problem.

    Christian has been focusing on his project with Mr. Scamander and Hagrid as they make the island of their dreams come true bit by bit. But it will take a few years to get everything done proper and have a true ecosystem going on in their magical version of the Savage land. It is a very ambitious project designed to protect many species and encourage reproduction.

    My friend has also been writing his own book on new methods of getting materials from magical creatures like unicorn horns, acromantula silk, Scylla scales, dragon blood and even got a piece of Lethifold somehow. And he''s also going to be introducing his and his families herbology discoveries, making it a good read for naturists all around.

    All three of my friends were making their preparations to show witches and wizards everywhere that they are more than just freshly graduated wizards. They are experts and soon to be masters of their arts. They are strong, smart and capable of steamrolling most wizards in magic and connections.

    I''m proud to see how far they''ve come.

    Now on to my life since we returned from the ministry.

    At school I was getting my affairs in order mainly. I was giving Cedric a crash course of pretty much anything that came to his mind and an intensive training in combat and Magical Creatures. He seemed to have a passion towards the latter which he said he acquired from hearing about his father''s job in the ministry. Amos though was too proud of his son and always pushed him to go for the best, meaning minister, and wouldn''t listen properly when Ced wanted to talk about his own dreams.

    That resulted in some tension between the two. So I did my best to give some advice on having a proper and confident talk with his father. Helped him plan out what he exactly he could do with his passion and how he could live a happy life with it. I even got Christian involved to have talks together. It helped him a lot since it''s going to be his last year next year, and he needed to really think about this stuff.

    I''ve also been helping Luna improve in many areas in the hopes she can take over the exchange after Cedric graduates as well. She would be perfect for the role in my opinion.

    The Dueling Club presidents were also being put through the wringer. I didn''t want the club to become a joke after I left so I made sure to break bad habits now and bump up their skills and arsenals. Members pitied and envied the four kids in near equal measures. I also taught them how to maintain the club properly by getting new equipment, where to get repairs, how to get funds, knowing club rules and how to use them, and general organization.

    They were still diamonds in the rough, but after a few more years and some proper experience, they will shine brightly.

    The most exciting thing for me was that I had finally completed my patronus project: iustus patronus. (It basically translates to just patron. You know, just as in a just person.)

    This particular spell took so long to finish for two reasons: the concept behind it was difficult to quantify and things just kept coming up.

    The second is pretty easy to understand. I have a hidden network to manage, my lordship to maintain, other projects to complete, my friends to help, the triwizard tournament stuff to deal with, stuff to do in secret, appointments, training and then I have classes to attend to even if I''m better than the teachers. So even with an few extra hours thanks to my not so legal time turner, it''s hard to manage.

    My first reason was derived from the fact that the patronus charm is heavily relient on emotions and the person casting it, making it difficult to truly understand how it could be translated to Arithmancy properly. And even after figuring it out I had to find another to fuel the spell while still retaining its abilities and then boosting them. Not easy on any level and that''s without mentioning any of the hundred other annoying parts of creating/upgrading any spell.

    The end result was something which could be classified as an offensive spell for my white magic.

    Let''s first talk about the requirements for the spell.

    The emotional fuel needed to activate the spell on top of magical energy is still very much present, meaning that even if a caster doesn''t have the necessary magic to cast a full patronus properly, the emotions can empower it to that state. That''s actually my theory on how students are able to learn a spell beyond the Hogwarts curriculum in the canon, the fact that positive emotions are just as much a fuel for the spell as magic.

    My solution to the fuel was to change it to a more solid one. Something which would be more solid when you need to attack and defend against dark creatures. So I picked the d.e.s.i.r.e to protect. The need people have to protect those dear to them. Wanting to protect what you yourself have lost already. As long as a strong d.e.s.i.r.e to protect is there, the spell will be able to form.

    The spell''s effects are generally the same as a regular patronus, but has much strong offensive and defensive capabilities than its progenitor. My new version has the ability actually to tank dark magic until a certain point, it depending on the strength of the caster. This means if someone like canon Harry learnt this, he could at most block a few strong curses, whilst I could tank the Unforgivables with mine. It''s offensive abilities are made from a combination of the purifying and destruction aspects found in Phoenix fire. This means that by carefully structuring the intent of the spell and the aspects of true Phoenix fire, I created a patronus with the ability to erase dark magic, dark creatures and thoroughly tainted dark wizards. I don''t mean cancel it out either, i mean erase from existence. It matters not if the being should be considered immortal because it is akin to being burnt by an immortal flame itself. It matters not if one is a dementor, lethifold or ancient vampire, they would turn to naught but ash in front of a fully powered iustus patronus. Voldemort would still survive since fragments of his soul are still out there, but that should be the only exception so far.

    And as a side effect, it can make people feel safe and protected when it is around you, much like how a regular patronus would calm or make others happy.

    There are two obvious differences from the original patronus to tell when casted. The first is the color changing from the pale silvery light to a solid golden one. The second would be the shape. If someone has something like a dog or cat as a pratonus, the iustus version would be something like a wolf or panther. It basically gives a more powerful version of your inner animal spirit represented by your patronus. It''s something people can use to get a feel for their animagus transformation so there is a powerful link found in their forms.

    That means there now exists a spell which people can use to truly kill dementors. And someone like me could kill a hoard using the pulsing energy a powerful patronus can emit.

    This means I''ve effectively become capable of taking on Vampires and Dementors from Voldemort''s army, leaving Wizards and Giants as threats since he already lost the werewolves. He even lost some of his lieutenants without knowing it yet.

 Chapter 145 - Ch. 145 Third Task

    The announcement of what the third task would entail was straight forward as can be. They asked the four champions to meet near the quidditch pitch and showed us the growing maze they were setting up within it.

    The sight of something defacing the pitch caused Viktor to twitch, but he held in any comments. Harry was just trying to figure out how he would be able to get past this task and maybe win since he was in second place. Fleur had a very serious expression on, thinking about what they could meet when running around the growing labyrinth and how to deal with the living greenery itself.

    It was as simple as whoever reaches the cup at the center gets full fifty automatically and everyone else will get scored like the previous task. The scoring will generally be harsher on those who haven''t reached the cup obviously, but everyone still has a chance to win.

    To prepare, Fleur, Viktor and Harry began training both magically and physically.

    This was a task fairly well suited for Viktor due to his athletic abilities and combat training. His challenge may come if he encounters a being like a sphinx, testing his intellectual abilities. He was a pretty good guy and a solid soldier type, but he was more of an action man than a thinker. He was throwing himself into combat training with Christian and upping his own exercise routine in the hopes of being able to either beat or bypass any obstacle in his way.

    Fleur decided to train up her physical abilities under James'' and my advice, trying to train her stamina and speed. She was also theorizing hundreds of possible traps and obstacles which could be found during the task. Her Veela training alongside Gabrielle was coming along swimmingly as well, both girls becoming more and more synchronized with their bloodline. Fleur now radiated a natural charm and grace far beyond anything she was able ro accomplish before coming, gaining the ability to restrict her aura completely or let it engulf those in her presence like a fog. Her charms have gotten a great boost in strength and fluidity, with her illusions and fire becoming deadly weapons after her training. Little Gabrielle just appeared infinitely cuter, leaving pretty much everyone wanting to pamper or protect her, and started learning how to use her natural gifts even if we couldn''t really teach her much magic due to her age.

    Harry was the one who needed the most help. I''ve made sure he was successful academically even if he''s somewhere in the top five for his year, so he does now a nice enough repertoire of spells. I''ve also taught him useful spells from outside the standard curriculum and schooled him various uses of spells he already knew in addition to making him learn modded spells for when he was in real battle. I''ve made sure he was very fit and his quidditch training helped in that endeavor, and even Ron helped him keep in shape as he started working out in the morning as well. The last month was making sure he was in good shape for the trial and helping him come up with solutions using his known spells for pretty much anything he could encounter. Academically I would place him at about OWL level, meaning he should be able to take his exams and get good scores In them, but I would put his combat abilities around a new 7th year level so far. He is very determined to learn and having me and Sirius actively teaching him how to fight properly has helped him a lot in that department.

    If I looked at it objectively and removed myself from the equation, I believe Fleur would be the favorite for this task. She has shown tremendous growth in physical, magical and mental capabilities, allowing her to be the best suited for the various traps and obstacles we are likely to find in the maze. She is quick, flexible and skilled, allowing her to not be shackled down by only one train of thoughts.

    And a little birdie told me that a certain enchanting enthusiast was seen snogging a certain French champion a few times during the last two months. That was something that gave me a good laugh and let me give my friend a congratulatory pat on the back. Happy to hear my friend getting such a girl.

    With everyone doing their best to prepare and hoping to win this prestigious tournament, the day came and now we all stood in the waiting area.

    The four of us could hear the crowd cheering and Bagman going through his announcements of the rules, current scores, what the task entails and the glory the final winner will acquire.

    "May the best champion win. It''s been fun getting to know everyone and I''m glad we can all be friends even if we are competitors." I say as I look at the nervous trio.

    "It ''as certainly been a very good year for me as well. I cannot thank you enough for all your ''elp and for introducing me to such wonderful people." Fleur happily replied as some tension leaves her body.

    "You are all honorable. I look forvard to finishing this vith you all." Viktor added with a stoic expression.

    "I may not have wanted to be in the tournament, but I''m glad I met you two and that you didn''t look down on me for my age. I wish everyone the best of luck." Harry said with a bright smile while a thinking of how the year went so far.

    "Aedan Bones. It''s time for you head out. Harry Potter will be called afterward, following with Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour." A ministry official announced as I confidently walked toward the exit of the waiting area.

    "Bonne chance."

    "§Ü§ě§ă§Ţ§Ö§ä"

    "Good luck"

    I simply smiled and nodded to their well wishes as I walked to the thunderous cheers and applause.

    "As Champion Bones demonstrated his skills and abilities, he is the first in the rankings and will have the advantage of entering the maze first. Now on your mark. Get set. Go!" Declared Bagman.

    I decided to show off a little, so with a sprint which left grooves into the grass under my feet, I bolted towards the entrance of the maze. But before I could reach it, I jumped high into the air and transformed mid jump into my mountain lion form, causing the entire audience to gasp at the display. And with a graceful landing, I ran much faster than before and disappeared from sight as I heard Ludo snap out of his stupor.

    "Absolutely incredible! It would seem the oldest Hogwarts champion is a full fledged animagus! And I have just been told by Headmaster Dumbledore that he is fully registered in the ministry and only requested such information wasn''t announced! This means he holds an enormous advantage in speed and agility with his large feline form!"

    That really made the Hogwarts and British witches and wizards present cheer loudly for their first champions performance.

    But yeah, there is a reason why the emergence of four young animagi hasn''t been reported on or appeared anywhere yet. It''s because no one knows due to a few laws which can guarantee the privacy of Purebloods and their vassals. Tory and I are firmly into the first, with James and Christian easily being said to be the second on paper as trusted friends of a ''lower'' class. Add a little money here and there, mother making sure the people who needed to know about us in case a crime happens with an animagus keeping their mouths shut for a few months and me convincing the papers I owned that the dramatic reveal at the final task would make a much better article, and you''ve got a temporary secret for wow factor and no floods of students asking the four of us to transform all the time. I saw only positive results in keeping it a secret.

    It had been a while since I really sprinted in this form though. The feeling of my powerful limbs beating the ground, my claws digging into the earth, the wind in my fur, my heartbeat drumming at an accelerated rate and the flexibility I demonstrate on sharp turns, it''s just addicting.

    I ran through the labyrinth with ease, jumping over pits and traps, dodge the maze itself attempting to entangle me, or hidden creatures too slow to stop me. It''s not surprising really, a normal mountain lion can run at about 80 km/h, then you have a magically empowered one, with the ability to use magic to create small air platforms under his paws for sharp turns off of walls and voila, you have one of the fastest animals on the planet capable of running on walls and bolting past anything in his way with the aide of his enhanced body and sped up brain to keep up.

    Making my way through the maze wasn''t very hard since I knew where I had to go in general. I could feel the magic of the cup through the ambient restrictions of the hedges. A portkey has a very distinctive signature in its magic, the ability to move through space isn''t something easily hidden against those who are masters in the field.

    But I wasn''t here to win this tournament in all honesty. My goals were numerous when it came to the triwizard tournament, but winning never mattered to me. I wanted to establish my strength first and capabilities as a Lord. A man capable of subduing a dragon and skilled enough to manipulate flames and water alike with great ease. A man a elegance and poise on the dance floor or battlefield. Someone capable of forming connections with people from around the world and unbiased when it comes to helping others. These qualities are far more important to me than being called the winner of badly organized and mostly rigged competition.

    So when I reached the cup at the center of the maze, I did not reach for it. I hid.

    I wanted to make sure Voldemort came back properly.

    This wasn''t about keeping the canon anymore. Everything I did lead up to him finally coming back. And I need him to come back and claim his allies. I need him to make all those twisted and entitled bigots and inbreed assholes come out of their holes. I wanted him to make the cancers of the wizarding world expose themselves an mass and of their own will.

    Only then will I be able to cut everything out properly.

    I can''t continue to quietly eliminate people. The method isn''t sustainable in the long run and too many things could go wrong. I was able to get away with manipulating the underworld and reducing their numbers, but their are too many and it would eventually led back to me. I couldn''t assassinate more death munchkin''s or their supporters because someone would eventually try to investigate everything.

    I needed a proper war to eradicate the other side. Britain needed a clean slate in general. The blood mania present in everything from laws to jobs is ridiculous. Our development is almost in reverse compared to most of the world. Officials are bribed, blackmailed and threatened without any backlash on any side. Our means of electing a Minister are pathetic. The Wizengamot is a hole filled with senile fools stuck in the past. The people don''t decide shit and are instead simply guided to believe whatever people tell them. Things need to change.

    I will obviously do everything I can to save as many people as I could obviously.

    It''s going to be a heavily fortified fortified location for any muggleborn and their families in the UK to relocate to when/if things really go bad. The place is to be located within a carved out section of the island, reinforced by very skilled goblin mining and construction experts, having chosen them because of the goblin nation being subterranean for millennia and their expertise in building underground spaces is unmatched. We have artificial lights, water sources, food production, places to work, a school and hospital, plenty of houses and expanded living spaces for entire families. Everything will be accounted for and the people manning it have already been chosen, trained and vetted. Fully self sustaining environment for anyone who''s I the know about the magical world.

    We even have extreme security measures already in place. We don''t bring anyone directly to the island, only through a series of guarded portkeys can you reach it. We have Thief''s downfall prepared to remove any disguises and spells on a person to make sure no one sneaks in. The place will be under fidelius and unplottable. A security force will be present at all times. And the place will be as warded as Hogwarts after I''ve linked it to the lay line running under it.

    Anyone who wants to fight will be welcomed to obviously, after training anyway, but I doubt many will be willing to do so saddely.

    The only thing left is to have everything properly built and the estimate after getting everyone to sign a contract of secrecy is a year and a half. I''ve already hired people to enchant and Ward the buildings as they are built, giving them a strict set of orders for what they have to do even if they are confused as to why such a place is being built. But everyone''s getting payed properly so they don''t really care that much.

    The place will be a proper wizard settlement after everything is done too, so I think it''s not too crazy. I mean, how can the government think building a place like this is not easier to keep secret than making all those idiots live in muggle society? This is so much easier. I can even take a page from Hogwarts and bewitch the underground ceiling to look like the sky outside and it wouldn''t even be that hard. We can even make it rain or snow with ease, so why not?

    But as I was thinking about my plans for the future, my three fellow champions were now fighting to reach the cup.

    Unfortunately it seemed that Crouch Jr. was still strong enough to overpower Krum using the Imperius curse and managed to take Fleur out by surprise. That''s the only way I could see him beating her so quickly, she already had high chances of beating him in his peak condition at this point and a man under Imperius would be much easier to fight in general.

    I then saw a red spark being shot through the sky to announce someone in need of assistance, which sucks for Fleur since she''s been trying really hard you know.

    ''I''ll have to tell her everything was pretty much rigged since the word go. Or better yet I''ll have James explain things to her as he comforts her. Oh yes, I think I know which one I prefer.'' I thought with a smile as I waited for Harry to come for the cup.

    I also checked on the two-way mirror I had some of my men place in the cemetery of Little Hangleton, making sure everything was happening properly and I wouldn''t portkey myself in the wrong place.

    I am very prepared for what is to come and I make sure to check when it comes to canon knowledge. Things can always change.

    It was good to see the boiling cauldron, the three shadows and what seemed to be a bundled up infant. Everything being on track.

    But finally I see a slightly ragged Harry arrive at the center of the maze, looking very relieved that the cup was still there and happy he could actually win the tournament.

    He was of course oblivious to my concealed presence near the walls of the maze, happily reaching for the cup and disappearing as soon as he had a firm grasp on the thing.

    "Now all that''s left is to wait for that monochromatic reject to gain his body back and I can go have fun." I said as I removed my concealment and observed the mirror in my hand.

 Chapter 146 - Ch. 146 Heâ€™s back~

    It was interesting watching this stuff happen in real life.

    There were minor changes due my actions of course, the biggest was the presence the Crabbe and Goyle Sr. They were supposed to appear after being summoned alongside Lucius, Nott Sr, Avery and Macnair, but it looks like they''ve really been aiding their lord alongside wormtail.

    Avery and Macnair were already dead and the rest were those with children currently in Hogwarts, hence they weren''t on the assassination list I gave Jennifer.

    It''s disappointing that I won''t get to see the overgrown child throw a tantrum when he realizes a good amount of his lieutenants just disappeared.

    But I was watching everything as it was described besides the little differences.

    Fortunately there was no dead Cedric. Fate, destiny or whatever god didn''t feel it was important enough to have that happen for almost no reason at this moment. Harry was still forced to give blood though and that''s why I didn''t key his blood into the Bones House. But that does remind me that I should create some new runes to help protect Grimmauld Place.

    I like the chant for a dark lord revival ritual though, very fitting.

    "Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son.

    Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master.

    Blood of the enemy, f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y taken, you will resurrect your foe."

    Always felt weird it was in English when older languages would offer a much better effect, but when your options are Pettigrew, Goyle or Crabbe you have to make things easier to not have it blow up in your face.

    Speaking of faces...

    The man really has no noes or body hair.

    I mean, I always called him an egg and had the image in my head, but seeing it is another thing.

    The man has no noes, no eyebrows, hair, facial hair, grayish skin, red eyes, on the skinny side and he''s rubbing his head like it''s a freaking crystal ball.

    How f.u.c.k.e.d up do you have to be to turn from fairly attractive and nice hair to that?

    He just keeps trying to escape death so much that he would sacrifice even his humanity for it. He cares not for allies, servants, his own goals or himself even, only his life and power matter. As long as he can live he will sacrifice pretty much anything.

    And here come the only two free death eaters I know have the dark mark, are willing to come at the moment and aren''t in Azkaban.

    Some ranting about loyalty from Voldy-doldy-doo, some groveling from Lucius as always, Wormtail getting a new hand, Harry just watching as all this happens and two lumbering idiots standing in the background not doing anything.

    I just gotta wonder why mother never asked Harry to pass the memory of the night after his claims. I know for a fact that the woman would take the words of the-boy-who-lived and Albus many names Dumbledore even if she disagreed with him on many topics. One stands to gain nothing from saying the dork lord returned and the other could lose everything, while both are famous for their fight against him. The only way I could see her not doing it is if the minister somehow blocked her completely or buried her in other work.

    Oh, it seems like Moldy wants to prove that the sixty year old dark lord is better than the 14 year old halfway through his schooling. Still as pathetic a mentality as ever but I think that''s enough. No need for Harry to suffer through this any longer than necessary.

    So with that thought I activated the portkey I had hidden as the elastic holding my hair together and off I went.

    Feeling the familiar tugging around the bellybutton, I landed expertly and heard two things: Crucio and screaming.

    Without further ado I simply used my wand to bring Harry to my side, getting him out of the casting of the unforgivable and startling everyone with my sudden appearance.

    "Now now, it isn''t very nice for someone of the older generation to bully the younger one. Where is your pride?" I said in a jovial tone as pretty much everyone was frozen at my words.

    "Aedan?" Harry asked in confusion as he was getting over the pain.

    "Hey Harry. Guessing you weren''t having a fun time with this crappy thriller rip-off. I''ll give them points for actually being in a graveyard but honestly, did you have to insult the king of pop by not having a nose. Have some respect." I say aloud to the great confusion of pretty much everyone present.

    "Yeah, wait a second! Why are you here? We''ve got to go! That''s Voldemort!" The kid said in response as the situation came back to him.

    "Yeah I can see that since he has no noes, hair or sense of fashion. I mean look at him, he looks like an egg that went bad. How can anyone take him seriously? He looks like he f.u.c.k.e.d up a ritual and transfiguration at once and then decided to role with it." I mockingly answered as my insults snapped the idiots out of their stupors.

    "How dare you insult me! I am Voldemort! The most powerful wizard in history! I will not be insulted by a child! Avada Kedavra!" He shouted with a point of his wand.

    With a slight shift in my stance and raise of my arm, the spell just went through my robe and harmlessly flew away from me.

    "Wow, you still suck. Did you being stuck to Quirrell worsen your aim or something? Or was it the decade hiding under a rock?" I mocked once again as I saw veins becoming more apparent on his hairless noggin.

    "I remember you now! The silver-haired child who gave me headache inducing amounts of homework whenever it was assigned. You alone took away hours of my time which I could have used to obtain the stone and return. I could have saved years of my time if it wasn''t for you!" The increasingly veiny egg angrily spat at me.

    "You did deserve it. Did you have the fill the room with so much garlic? Do you know how annoying it was to get that smell out of my everything? And that stupid stutter? It was so f.u.c.k.i.n.g annoying to listen that performance you two had called acting. Jumping at every sound, not understanding how a real stutter works, not teaching anything and that stupidity you pulled with the troll. All of it was too annoying to ignore." I berated with a justified look on my face.

    "You knew Quirrell was possessed by Voldemort?" Harry asked in shock at the revelation.

    "Yup. Had a talk with the Headmaster about letting the moron loose in the school. Not the best idea, but he was so closely monitored that it was better to let him think he wasn''t." I answered with a smile as I mocked the hairless one with my eyes.

    "YOU! AVADA KEDAVRA!!" Voldy shouted in rage as his little minions backed away slightly, afraid of getting caught in their lords little tamper tantrum.

    "Do you seriously not know any other spells beyond the Unforgivables? You''ve got no class unless it''s Dumbledore is that it? Pretty insulting. But let''s do it like you did with Harry, a proper duel." I said with a cat-like smile on my face at this point.

    It actually took a moment before everyone''s brain had caught up to what I just said.

    "You, are challenging me, to a duel?" An incredulous Voldemort asked, most likely because aside of the headmaster no one dared to do so.

    "Yup. I, Lord Aedan Micheal Bones, Head of Most Noble of Bones, challenge you, someone who''s real name or descent is unknown but claims to be the heir of Slytherin, to a duel. You said you wanted the niceties and now you have them. Shall we bow?" I regally declared as I also mocked the fact that these so called noble purebloods are following someone they actually don''t have a clue about.

    "You have no right to challenge the Dark Lord boy. Know your place you half-blood." Spat out Lucius as he tried to endear himself.

    "Oh please be quiet you imbecilic baboon. From what I just said, who exactly has the higher grounds when it comes to those pureblood ideals you lot always blabber on about? The legitimate and recognized lord of a noble house with 300 years of history in this country, or the man who simply appeared out of nowhere, called himself the heir of Slytherin and has no actual titles to back it up? I would also be worrying about your own situations instead of trying to kiss his a.s.s right now Lucy. I could have sent you to Azkaban whenever I wanted before, imagine what I could do with the memory of tonight''s events. How much could I make you dance with it do you think? Last time I made you vomit blood, this time I might give you a full on heart attack." I countered with a manic smile on my face as he became so pale it was like he was turned into a vampire.

    "Enough of this nonsense! You challenged and insulted me boy. Let me show you why little half-bloods like you should bow to their betters." Said the seething walking tombstone reject as rage was lacing his voice.

    The declaration made his little followers quiet and move behind their lord as we would now duel.

    "Harry, they''re going to be distracted when this starts. I want you to grab the cup when you have the chance and head back to Hogwarts and tell the Headmaster what happened. I can more than handle myself and I''ve got about four different ways of escaping if things go south for me so don''t hesitate alright?" I order the kid with a whisper before walking to my own position, forcing him to reluctantly nod. "Good, I''ll see you in a bit and don''t you worry. I am much stronger than you think."

    ''I need to hone myself properly. Not many chances to have a fight I can let myself go so much.'' I thought as I prepared.

    Since my third maturation the only person who can offer a meaty enough challenge is Albus, but he is older and tired, even if he is still powerful. We''ve agreed to simply have him give advice on certain spells, tips gained from experience or feedback on projects I was working on, but we didn''t duel against one another. The Headmaster needed all the strength he could muster for the times ahead and we both knew it. It was a sad fact for the both of us, but that was life. The man has been alive for over 110 years, fought through two wars and has suffered a lot of hardship, he''s ready to let go and has been very happy to find someone capable of holding down the fort after he passes, even if we don''t share the same ideologies.

    But now I have Voldemort in pretty much all his glory, goaded into a duel, and I can''t let that opportunity pass. It is a great way to understand the peak of this world and my own strength.

    ''I don''t have my gear, he has a few supporters but only Lucius has some degree of skills and I have to make sure Harry doesn''t get hit by stray spells or sneak attacks. On the other hand, I can easily escape in a number of ways, my white magic could decimate these assholes completely tainted by dark magic, I can block their favorite spell and they have no clue about my real strength. So all in all I think I''ll do good'' I thought as I analyzed the situation quickly and decided on a plan to use classic spells and skills instead of my originals.

    "Then let''s begin shall we?" I say to the twisted man in front of me as I activate my mind acceleration.

    "You shall kneel at my feet and beg for death as I break you and the leftovers of your house." He hissed at me in response.

    "Aunty would bend you over and discipline you like a naughty child." I replied with a smirk, causing him to attack first.

    I knew everything the man knew about dark magic so identifying what he shot at me wasn''t difficult, but his speed was certainly a mild surprise. He moved much faster than his body indicates it should and I felt no magic actively improving his body like I was. My guess was that he undertook rituals to strengthen his body and that was related to what happened to me back then.

    But this was only a mild surprise.

    I decided on a modified cutting charm, a very powerful and heavy one as my opening move, resulting in the ground it traveled over to have a visible slash under it as it travelled, chaining up with the piercing hex directly where my first spell was blocked to cause cracks in the protective spell used and then a Bombarda Maxima to shatter it completely and forcing poor Tom to take a step back.

    He was shocked his defense was so quickly broken through, but I didn''t give him time to recover that easily.

    My next chain began as I fired a quick Flipendo-expelliarmus-stupefy combo at such speed they nearly came at the same time, causing the great lord to dodge basics dueling spells in a hurry.

    I then used minor transfiguration to soften the ground under his feet and turn it to mud, making his footing very unstable for a man with no shoes on apparently.

    I wanted to keep my rhythm going but he knew that would end well and was getting mad that such elementary spellwork was causing him trouble, so he shot out a blasting curse in retaliation, forcing me to defend against it directly and stopping my flow.

    His counter offensive then turned brutal and subtle.

    He began with Expulso which was resisted by my already present shield, but I was forced to dodge when he shot a killing curse as a follow up. What surprised me was that I then felt a wave of force push me back slightly during my dodge, putting me a bit off balance when I saw a disintegration curse heading my way. I immediately understood that the door knob used wandless magic to throw me off as I saw his upraised hand, hoping it would be enough to hit me with that nasty little curse. Too bad I simply used my momentum to dodge the third spell with a spin to the opposite direction and fired a Glacius tria as a response and added my own push to Voldy''s left leg to break his balance.

    Unfortunately the old man was very experienced, pushing back using his own wandless abilities and deflecting the incoming spell with relative ease before shooting a crucio my way and forcing me to dodge again.

    It was at this point that a sense of rhythm began between the two of us as we slung spells, hexes and curses at each other while sneakily attacking with wandless magic in the middle of it all, causing our audience to lose itself in the display of skill and power.

    "Harry go now!" I suddenly shouted as the kid remembered what he was supposed to do and Accio''d the cup to himself before disappearing.

    Voldy wanted to stop him or order his minions to do so, but it was too late and he couldn''t stop defending against my attacks or he could lose as well.

    "You should not have gotten in the way of my will meddlesome boy. Now I will personally make sure you suffer through pain beyond your imagination." He venomously spat at me in rage.

    "How? By making me look like you?" I said in response as he felt rage once again, not noticing that we were looking into each other''s eyes and not realizing how powerful of a legilimen I was.

    The result was that I now had the advantage of knowing what spells he was going to use before he finished casting them.

    So for the next few exchanges I began to overwhelm him using the severing, stunning and disarming charms, mixing petrificus totalus and bombardas into the mix as well, almost disarming him and leaving a nasty gash on his c.h.e.s.t.

    Too bad he realized the problem very quickly and looked away for my shining blue eyes.

    "You dare look into my mind! I will not take this insult lightly you blasted son of a mudblood!" He ranted once again, but it seemed like he was going to kick things up a notch.

    He began throwing transfiguration into the mix by making the reaper statues used to restrain Harry previously, attack me with its scythe.

    Something I just fixed by making the thing a pile of sand and using that to counter as I blocked his sight and spells as it rushed towards him relentlessly.

    His solution was to raise the mud I had created to engulf the sand and force it down to the ground.

    He then conjured a few knives and shot them at me at great speed. Easily fixed by transfiguring them into ferrets and letting them flop to the ground and running away.

    "I grow tired of wasting my time against a half-blood like you. Now burn." He declared as he pointed his wand and summoned the most aggressive magical flames known to wizard kind: Fiendfyre.

    My response was simple. Water.

    Lots and lots of water.

    A ridiculous amount of water.

    Which I kept conjuring and controlling as I shaped a rapidly expanding wall of the stuff.

    I could feel the cursed fire almost smashing itself against its natural enemy in blind rage.

    I then began fighting against the barely controlled flame Voldycunt had summoned. The two opposite forces of nature clashing as steam was continually created from the fight.

    The flames were aggressively trying to break the water, while my water ensnared and suffocated it in response.

    But I could feel the flow of magic in my body, the way it wanted to go and the way the spell could improve by following the magic itself and responding to my intent.

    The result was a massive increase in the amount of water I could produce and my rapidly increasing dominance over the fiendfyre. But I wasn''t paying attention to that in the moment. The feeling was more important. The feeling of following the flow of magic wanting to responded to my intent and how it would achieve that through me. I was almost in a trance as I controlled the water to then smother the flame and crash towards the source.

    The feeling of so much magic going through me was fascinating to say the least, but I managed to reign in my loosing grip on myself. I could not lose myself in the euphoric feeling of such power. And so I consciously made the water ram into the man desperately trying to stop the ragging tide coming towards him, but failing to do more than freezing, vanishing or controlling a small fraction of the massive amount water.

    The end results were devastating.

    The cemetery in front of me was completely ruined, the death eaters swept away in the waves and Voldemort stood there panting and soaking wet as he glared at me.

    But this wasn''t easy on me either, a spell of that magnitude took a lot of magic and my own reserves were running low after that stunt.

    "Well I think we can call this one a draw. I''ve got other stuff to do so I''ll be on my way. See y''a." I said with a jovial smile and activated my elastic once again, only to feel the familiar tugging.

    You see, the target of the portkey isn''t a place, it''s the cup itself. A cleaver manipulation of special targeting that I am very proud of in fact. The elastic will be basically useless after today of course, but this opens many possibilities in the future.

    But as I was thinking about my little creation, what I gained from the fight and continued to dust off my cloths, I realized something as I focused on my surroundings.

    "What''s everyone gawking at?" I asked the entire crowd looking at me with weird looks.

    "Aedan you''re alive!" A sudden voice shouted out, recognizing Harry as he came forward.

    "Of course I''m alive. Why in the hell wouldn''t I be?" I asked as I looked at him in confusion.

    "Because you were fighting Voldemort!" He answered back loudly, making a lot of people flinch.

    "Oh that. Me dying was never much of a possibility, but from the looks on a lot of peoples faces and the minister turning purple and white, I think it would be better to have this discussion somewhere private. Don''t you agree Headmaster?" I respond as I look at the concerned looking elder who was shielding the two of us from the crowed now.

    "A splendid idea Mr. Bones. Cornelius, I am sure we can get everything sorted out in the castle." He nodded in agreement as he hinted at the Minister to not make a scene right this moment, or not a bigger one than he was making before I arrived.

    "You can take my office Albus. It''s close, private and secure. No ones getting in when you''re talking." A visibly twitchier Moody offered.

    "Thank you Alastor. Now if everyone will follow me. I am sure the officials in charge will be handling the situation here well while we get to the bottom of things." The headmaster said as he led all the important people to the castle.

    ''Time for the final act the my student years.'' I thought as I followed along with a small smile on my face.

 Chapter 147 - Ch. 147 Dealing with Junior

    I have to admit that Barty knows how to imitate the paranoia of Moody very well and use it to his advantage.

    His office is filled with detection and protection spells, stopping anyone from entering the room and much less searching it. The magical eye allows him to be constantly aware of his surroundings and Moody''s known twitchiness helps make Barty trying to not be spotted or followed a lot easier. Moody would certainly want to be actively involved in the security of the tasks, hence it would be child''s play to mess with certain aspects of it. Dumbledore''s trust also gave him the freedom to almost do as he pleased in the name of educating or protecting the students if proper reasoning was in place. And Moody''s reputation and past would generally put kids from families on the light or neutral sides of politics at ease, making most of the student body have a great amount of trust in him.

    All these tricks and psychological manipulations made people subconsciously overlook the idiosyncrasies. The unhealthy obsession on curses and mainly the Unforgivables, especially when he knows how exposure to the Imperius and subsequent failure to repel it naturally will make it easier for the target to succ.u.mb in the future. The constant drinking from his flask of polyjuice potion, something he would need to either brew or have brought in. Then the assortment of broken detection devices in his office, something the paranoid man would never tolerate since he would either replace or repair them immediately as to not get caught off guard.

    And now here we all stood, in the office filled with broken devices.

    Dumbledore was trying to calm Harry while ''Moody'' wanted the details of the event as his fervor grew the more he heard. It was interesting seeing grumpy grandpa and sage grandpa doing two very different approaches to get the same information out of a kid.

    "You two do know that there''s a pensieve upstairs that we can use to see Harry''s memories of events right?" I said with some amus.e.m.e.nt as I decided to interrupt the questioning.

    "Right you are Aedan. Alastor, I leave our two young champions in your care. I will be back shortly." The headmaster said as he quickly departed, leaving only myself, Harry and ''Moody''.

    It didn''t take long for little Barty to start getting excited again. He knew I wasn''t pressured nor did I look emotional, so he focused on Harry.

    "So he forgave them did he? The ones who returned." He finally asked with visible anger, something which Harry most likely thought was because of the death eaters but in the wrong way.

    "He was angry. And disappointed. But he said to serve him for the amount of years they weren''t there in exchange." Replied Harry as he remembered the cowering ''purebloods''.

    "Those sad excuses for-" The scarred man started before I interrupted.

    "Professor I hate to interrupt, but isn''t it about time for you to take your hourly potion? Wouldn''t want to lose its effects now would we?" Was what I said in a lighthearted tone of voice while shaking a certain hip flask I wandlessly pickpocketed.

    "Hmm? Right. Forgot in the excitement. Thanks lad." He curtly replied as he reached out to take the flask I held out for him.

    "No problem Professor. Wouldn''t want you to forget your polyjuice potion. It looks like it would hurt a lot to transform back from Moody." I said back to him with a gentle smile which didn''t reach my eyes, making his widen in response.

    "What are you talking about boy? Do you know what you are suggesting right now?" He growled dangerously at me as his body tensed.

    "I certainly do Professor. I mean, I understand some people not being happy with their looks, but you must be truly hideous if you thought Mad-eye Moody was attractive enough to suffer through the required transformations. You have my deepest condolences." I say with a serious tone and face.

    "What did you say?" He asked as is eye narrowed and his voice became very cold.

    "I meant no offense Professor Crouch. Everyone has their problems in life and I try not to judge others on superficial details. I''m just worried about the pain you''ll go through by transforming continuously." I answered in a ''worried'' tone.

    "What are you talking about Aedan? Why did you call him Professor Crouch? He''s Moody, the guy who caught half the people in Azkaban." Asked the now very confused Harry.

    "Nope, that is not Alastor Moody. That man is in the c.h.e.s.t in the corner over there. Our Professor this year was Barty Crouch Jr. He had very good grades in Hogwarts and I am not surprised he could become such a well liked teacher. Too bad he''s basically the male version of Bellatrix Lestrange. But I get, I really do. Overbearing expectations, no familial love from his father, living life as he was told, constantly being oppressed, and then a man promising power, freedom, a chance to make his own name known appears and gives him the sweetest of temptations. Of course he would follow and offer his loyalty." I explain aloud as ''Moody'' shows expressions of anger and longing. "That''s why he''s the one who put your name in the Goblet, the man who arranged for you to be in that graveyard tonight and is most likely also responsible for Viktor attacking you and Fleur."

    The poor kid stood there in dismay at the revelation, torn between me usually telling him things straight up and his interactions with the man.

    "I knew you were too smart. Dumbledore is far too trusting to see it, but you, I knew you would be dangerous especially after how you overpowered my Imperius." ''Moody'' ominously said as I noticed his subtle movements.

    "That was very fun. But since you mentioned my intelligence, why do you think I''ve just been talking to a person I know is a death eater, after having Dumbledore leave, with Harry Potter, and still not do anything when I can see his obvious attempts at getting ready to attack?" I asked in amus.e.m.e.nt as I observe the man.

    "It doesn''t matter. In a few moments both of you will lie dead as offering for my lord and I will return at his side as his most loyal servant." He fanatically said, finally dropping the whole charade and letting his facial tick resurface.

    "Then i suggest you hurry." I mockingly told the man.

    "And why is that?" He asked as his face became cold once again.

    "Because you still haven''t taken your polyjuice potion." I answered with a devilish smile.

    That very moment he realized his mistake.

    You see, I have been keeping a very close eye on the man, making sure I knew exactly when he would take his potions and I made sure to keep a proper timer going in my head. I know every angle of that potion, every little effect and minor changes that vary from person to person. So calculating how long a potion allowing Barty to transform into Moody would last was simply child''s play. And now comes the end of my timer.

    The man''s body began to shake uncontrollably, pain shooting throughout his body has he gasped. He tried to grab for the flask still in my hand but I simply turned it to ash using my flames with my smile still on my face.

    He then began to panic as he looked for more polyjuice potion. I decided to use this as a chance to quietly disarm him. First was Moody''s staff, then his wand, and lastly Junior''s own wand. All acquired using quick and easy wandless magic while the man was desperately trying to now remove the prosthetics he had to wear.

    With a loud thunk, the fake leg fell on the floor and the man began to desperately claw at the magical eye, really wanting to remove it before his actual eye starts to come back and gets squashed because something is already there. Must not be a very pleasant sensation. But he succeeded in ripping off the eye and throwing it away to twitch on the floor.

    I looked over at Harry while this was happening and his face showed shock and horror as he saw the man violently start transform back into is true form. The missing leg was growing back, you could see his skull shift under his skin, the shaggy hair changing, his nose forming properly, his entire body squirming as it wanted to be back to its proper form and the missing eye gradually returning as grunts of pain came out of the man''s mouth.

    The process finally finished and left us with a man in his mid-30''s with pale skin, freckles on his face and a mop of straw colored haired covered his eyes as he hung his head.

    "Well you aren''t exactly handsome, but it''s still better than Moody Professor. But glad to finally meet you properly Bartemius Crouch Junior. Previously thought to have died in Azkaban, devoted death eater, son of the now presumed dead Head of international relations Bartemius Crouch Senior and one of the people responsible for the death of my parents, my subsequent kidnapping and the torture to the point of insanity of Lord and Lady Longbottom. You''re now the second supposed to be dead death eater I''ve had the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e of capturing in the last year." I said as I introduced the man using my polite smile and proper manners.

    I was not introducing him to Harry, but to the small group of people who seemed to have decided to follow after Dumbledore as he returned. Good timing too.

    "What preposterous things are you saying? Crouch Jr. died in Azkaban almost twelve years ago." Sputtered Fudge as he made is appearance and usual stupid comment.

    "Not very difficult to find out the truth of the matter in all honesty. You just have to use the people who''s job it is to verify this stuff instead of acting like an idiot and denying everything beforehand." I simply said in a neutral voice as I spared the man a single glance.

    "Now now, we''ll have none of that." I said as I simply immobilized the man with a dismissive wand gesture, leaving a very startled Harry to look between the crazy man and myself.

    "Please remain seated at all times." I added with a second gesture, making Barty shoot towards the wooden chair he shot out off and conjuring chains to hold down each off his limbs before releasing the spell which immobilized him.

    "T-Thanks Aedan." Harry said as he caught up to what just happened.

    "No problem Harry. Now why don''t you come over here and stand with myself, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, and the Minister." I respond as I motion him over.

    He quickly decides to follow the advice as he joins our little group.

    "Now Aedan, I do believe an explanation is in order don''t you?" The headmaster said with a slightly serious tone.

    "It''s rather simple headmaster. That man has impersonated Alastor Moody via polyjuice potion since this summer and he was the one responsible for Harry being in the tournament and the changing of the cup''s porting location. If you look on his inner arm then I am positive you will find the dark mark and in that c.h.e.s.t over there will be the real Alastor Moody." I explained in response to his request very straightforwardly.

    "You can''t be serious! Dumbledore, you can''t seriously believe whatever a student is telling." Fudge said as he talked without using his brain again.

    "Minister." My absolute and frigid voice resounded as magic pressured the entire room.

    The bumbling idiot turned white as a ghost, McGonagall''s eyes widened in shock, Dumbledore raised his eyebrow as he wondered what I would do next and Harry was very stunned at the tone of voice he had never heard me speak in before.

    "Ye-yes?" Fudge managed to stutter out.

    "You are talking to a Lord right now. One with vast sums of money and influence. How do you think I will use them when you insult and dismiss me twice?" I ask as my aura starts to intertwine with the magic I was unleashing.

    "I-I-I..." He tries to answer as he looks around for someone to bail him out of this situation.

    "I simply described events as I have come to understand them through evidence and reasoning. I''ve also said you can confirm the man''s identity by simply calling for the right people instead of acting inept and just told you the most seasoned and known Auror in our country is locked in a c.h.e.s.t and no one is taking him out or even confirming my statement. So why are you dismissing my words?" I ask the now sweating man as I pressure him.

    Tha-that is. I didn''t..." The panicking man still couldn''t answer without anyone pulling his strings.

    "Now Aedan, I do believe the minister regrets his poor choice of words. Let us verify your claims and investigate everything properly." The headmaster said as he came to the man''s rescue.

    "That was all I asked for." I reply with a slight nod as I release the pressure I was exuding, leaving Fudge gasping for air, Harry letting out a breath of some air he was holding in and the deputy headmistress to sigh in relief.

    Things went rather quickly without the idiot saying something stupid every time someone talked.

    Dumbledore quickly confirmed both my statements and sent McGonagall to get Poppy over here. He also asked her to get Snape afterwards, wanting to interrogate Junior as quickly as possible.

    The minister felt ignored and humiliated after being put down by me, so he quickly left. But I had a quick look into his mind to know what he was generally thinking about. Unsurprisingly it had to do with covering up the scandal of someone escaping Azkaban again and worrying about how people who''s money he took would react to this.

    And as he left to either go order some people ineptly like always, Snape arrived with his usual sneer.

    It seemed the Headmaster wanted to hear the whole story via use of Truth potions and have Harry understand his whole situation.

    So just like canon they began doing so, but I decided to take my leave.

    "Aedan where are you going?" Asked the Headmaster as he noticed my intent.

    "I already know pretty much everything, staying would just be redundant and I would prefer to go reassure others and explain the situation properly to my friends and the student body in general. I am still Head Boy you know." I explained as I excused myself.

    ''That and I want to contact my network to see if they''re still going to do that. It''ll give me so much dirt and I don''t want things to change.'' I thought as I left ''Moody''s'' office.

    I quickly concealed myself and activated my private vanishing box linking to my spymistress.

    ''I need a report on ministry movements and our people making sure they catch everything happening right now. Make sure to pay close attention to the toad.'' I wrote as the message vanished.

    ''The order has been sent. I shall be able to give you the information in a few moments sir.'' The reply said after only a few moments.

    I continued walking under concealment as I made my way through the empty corridors.

    ''The buffoon returned and is both freaking out and angry. Apparently a scandal is on the cusp of happening and he was humiliated during his trip to Hogwarts. Since he is foolish, he is only ranting and hasn''t thought about what to do.

    Ah, it seems the toad has promised to handle everything. She is apparently heading to the department of mysteries.''

    I finally reached the path towards the quidditch pitch when the message I was waiting for came.

    ''Sir, she ordered for dementors to go apprehend someone at Hogwarts. Without permission from Dumbledore. She gave authorization for the kiss.''

    ''I want copies of the order, the forms needed for that and everything that was said from the ministers office to the order. After that make sure no one knows we have those things. This information will be very important within the next year.''

    I can''t let the war start yet. The snakes haven''t gathered. Some of the worst ones are still in Azkaban. The dementors need to be removed as well. I want and need Voldemort to amass his followers. And then erase them all.

    ''I will do everything I can to make sure Harry isn''t under fire like in that stupid fifth year canon. I''ll work subtly through mother to strengthen and prepare the DMLE for what is to come, while I weaken corruption in the ministry by having my own people whisper in Fudge and Umbridge''s ears. This will spark the gathering of power in the shadows for both sides, while mine is already everywhere and ready to strike.

    I am sorry if this hurts or scares you for a short time Harry, but Crouch Jr. needs to die. For my vengeance and my goals. And what better way than through the most horrifying method known to wizard kind?'' I thought as i removed my concealment and made my way to the crowd ahead of me, putting on a calm smile while I clear my mind.

    ''Ah and here come the dementors.''

 Chapter 148 - Ch. 148 A meeting for the summer

    One of my main targets was finally dead and no one could possibly know it was all orc.h.e.s.trated.

    It was liberating.

    I don''t enjoy killing, but I do not shy away from it. And that man deserved his fate.

    In the meantime, I was handling very sacred, nervous and excitable students as they bombarded me with questions about what Harry claimed.

    I had to quiet everybody down a bit forcefully and say that the Headmaster would explain everything after he had all the facts within the next few days. Also had to get people back to their dorms with the help of all the teachers and prefects, while getting officials and guests out in an orderly fashion.

    That was the really annoying part since most a.d.u.l.t wizards are demanding, entitled and look down on students still in Hogwarts usually.

    So I got the teachers to deal with all those idiots. Felt like I was dealing with a bunch of Karen''s as they screamed for my manager.

    At least I got a good idea of who is competent from the foreign delegations through this debacle and who''s a waste of time.

    But even domestic officials are having it tough right now. Bartemius Crouch is dead and now a lot of suspicion will fall on Percy since he''s been following his supposed orders for months now. Bagman just ran away from a bunch of people he''s in debt to or had bets with. One of the Headmasters disappeared since he''s now going to try and hide to save his life, a pointless effort since he has the dark mark and Voldy can follow that anywhere on this planet. One of the Champions was put under an unforgivable. Someone messed with the cup. Our domestic Headmaster was busy investigating everything. And our minister went away to sulk and throw a tantrum like a child instead of handling this whole debacle.

    Really shows how the tournament was a great success doesn''t it?

    It took two hours to get everyone who''s not a student or teacher out and everyone else in their common rooms.

    I felt like I was doing Dumbledore''s job this entire time.

    Looks like my job wasn''t done since I was called for a meeting in the Headmaster''s office that very night.

    And when I arrived I saw Dumbledore, McGonagall and Moody waiting for me.

    "You called Headmaster?" I simply asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.

    "Yes Aedan. After confirming what happened with the unfortunate Barty Crouch Jr, Alastor and Harry, we must now decide how to handle things. Voldemort is back and he will not take kindly to you interfering or Harry escaping from his grasp. So we thought best to include you in these discussions. You also have valuable ideas in these types of situation which I would be curious to hear." The elderly wizard explained.

    "Glad to be included." I say with a small smile before looking at the scarred man standing next to the Headmaster. "It has been some time Mr. Moody. Too bad it wasn''t really you who was teaching DADA this year and that all this had to happen. But for all it''s worth I am happy to see you aren''t that worse for wear."

    "Hmph. Been a while brat. Been hearing a lot of things about you. Amelia also seems to brag quite a bit about you after a few good shots of fire whiskey. Been good?" He gruffly asked as his magical eye twitched around.

    "Everything''s been good. Even got engaged. But it still annoys me that you never accepted our invitations for Christmas supper." I answered with a bit of light nagging.

    "Never know who could have sent those letters. Gotta have constant vigilance." He responded sharply.

    "I don''t think that counts when mother invited you directly." I say to the man with a questioning look.

    "Could be a disguised wizard trying to catch me off guard." He replied with another paranoid excuse.

    "Fine fine. If you''re so determined to not come don''t. But I''m telling you now that you''re pretty much welcome to come for Christmas supper anytime. You did reunite our family after all." I dismissively said in response as I just gave him a permanent invitation. "That way you can decided to come to our actual house whenever you feel no one will attack you. Something I doubt you will ever think, but the offer is there.

    Now shall we begin our discussion Headmaster?"

    "Of course. Now I asked you three here to talk about how we should approach today''s events. Voldemort is back, of that I have no doubt. But as we''ve seen, the minister will not want to admit to this and will most likely try to bury the fact and whoever wishes to support it." He began to say as he laid down the situation.

    "Probably already started to act. No way that dementor was here by accident. Someone in the ministry sent it here to silence Junior." Moody said as he added his piece.

    "You can''t be serious Alastor. To go so far." McGonagall said in response as she thought of the implication behind someone at the ministry using the dark creatures as a hit squad.

    "I am of the same belief Minerva. Such an event was not an accident." Solemnly replied Dumbledore.

    "That means someone was covering up the situation. Without Crouch we have no actual evidence behind our claims.

    They''ll dismiss Harry as a delusional child or as if he is trying to make himself famous again by saying the man he is famed to have defeated has returned. They''ll say that the Headmaster is going senile. They''ll completely dismiss Mr. Moody as him being extremely paranoid and seeing death eaters in every shadow. Professor McGonagall would be said to just be following whatever you would say headmaster, her reputation as one of your hands is far too prevalent. And I am the only other actual witness to everything that happened." I add on as I predict the ministry''s actions to try and bury the thought of their worst fear returning.

    "Aye, a bunch of cowards and bureaucrats. They''ll probably do a smear campaign." Agreed Moody with a scowl.

    "I can''t help but notice you didn''t mention yourself in your predictions Aedan. Why is that?" The Headmaster asked with some curiosity.

    "Because it can go a few ways for me. You all have existing reputations and the people know where you stand.

    I am an unstable factor. Someone who both sides would like on their side. You would like for me to support your claims, while the minister would dread me not supporting his.

    I am the nephew of Amelia Bones, a recognized Lord of a noble family, the leader of a growing political group, a very wealthy business owner, a powerful wizard and a known academic and inventor.

    To attack me directly would give the other side a tremendous ally, something anyone would desperately try to stop, hence i am the least likely to be targeted until I choose my own stance." I answered as I explain my thoughts on my own situation.

    "And why would you not want to publicly announce Voldemort''s return?" Asked the Headmaster curiously as I saw a surprised McGonagall and a now tense Moody.

    "To limit the actions the minister can take." I answered with a sly smile on my face.

    "Hmmm. Having a neutral party would be helpful." Dumbledore said with a small smile as he stroked his beard in thought.

    "What do you mean Albus?" McGonagall asked, not really understanding the conversation.

    "Aedan if you could." He simply answered as he threw to ball to my court.

    "It''s pretty simple Professor. My presence as a strong undecided party would limit the possible actions both sides can take, but would be a lot worst for the ministry side. He won''t be able to do anything monumentally stupid or reckless as long as I am there to act as a reminder of his position. Me not choosing a side would mean he can''t act against me or my aunt, letting us prepare for Voldemort''s next move without him being able to do anything. In the meantime, the Headmaster can prepare his old order and his contacts in secret. The only real problem for your side is that you won''t be able to do anything publicly, but I''m sure it won''t be much of an issue.

    The worst that can really happen, as long as I stay neutral, is the Prophet saying a bunch of slander since the Ministry still owns 49% of it and can order it do so by using a few stupid laws. It might threaten the Headmaster''s position as Chief Warlock or Supreme Mugwump, but that''s only if the general public listens." I explained as a look of understanding dawn''s on the witch.

    "Yes, young Aedan is suggesting using himself to force Minister Fudge to pay attention to him and not focus solely on us. A good way to gain time to maneuver and prepare for Voldemort. Unfortunately, he will also have time to gain allies as well and prepare." Dumbledore said as he brought up the issue of the actual enemy.

    "They would be doing so as we fought against the Ministry at every step anyway. Me going to your side would just make Fudge''s actions even more damaging as he would most likely ruin any form of defense we could muster." I reply as I can easily imagine the man getting rid of everyone he thinks is against him while he also listens to the people actively plotting to kill him and take over the Ministry.

    "He''s right. Fudge and the toad won''t care about anything except having power if they are pushed too far." Agreed Moody as he grumbled about the two idiots.

    "Then I do believe we know what you shall be doing Aedan. I will push for the Minister and others to act publicly while you and Amelia do everything you can to prepare in secret. I will also gather people for the order again and start preparing a few other things. Alastor I will need you to check with your contacts. Minerva I will need you to take over much of my duties as Headmaster for the summer." Dumbledore said as he ordered his trusted allies.

    "Before we end this meeting Headmaster, I have one last thing to talk about." I say before everyone starts working on their tasks.

    "And that would be?" He asked as he looked at me questioningly.

    "It''s about Harry. He shouldn''t go back to the muggles." I answered with a serious look on my face.

    "But now that Voldemort is back it is the safest place for him." The elderly man countered.

    "Not anymore Headmaster. Not after tonight." I replied with a shake of my head.

    "An explanation please." He said as he wanted to know my reasoning.

    "Voldemort is no longer vulnerable against the protection his mother gave him. He now carries Harry''s blood within him. Meaning that if he finds the house, Harry is done." I answered gravely as the it makes McGonagall pale in realization hits her.

    "Your thoughts?" The Headmaster then asks the two.

    "Too risky to stay there anymore. Potter needs to be somewhere actually secure." Moody answered in a growl.

    "I never wanted to leave the poor boy with those horrid muggles in the first place Albus. If it is more dangerous leaving him there then we must do something." Was McGonagall''s determined answer.

    "I understand, but we must make sure he will be safe." Said Dumbledore as he acknowledged everyone''s opinion on the matter.

    "I have three options for Harry''s situation. The first is him staying with Sirius at the Black family house. I''ve been informed he would be formally taking the Lordship since his mother never actually had the right to take that away from him, his grandfather Arcturus only giving the position to Regulus Black because Sirius was acting like an imm.a.t.u.r.e child and did not quick him out of the family. The place is extremely well protected, I plan to add a few things as well, it has been properly renovated and cleaned, and Harry gets to be with someone who actually treats him like family and can train him up.

    The second is that he can stay with me and my own family. He''s like a little brother to me, a good friend of Susan''s and my aunt likes him too. You know my strength Headmaster, as well as the defenses I can set up. He can be well protected and I can tutor and train him during the summer as well.

    The last viable option would be for you to take care of him this summer headmaster. Either at your home or at Hogwarts, the kid would be more than safe for now. You can teach him what he needs to know about Voldemort and prepare him for what is to come. It might also do him some good to learn some other things directly from you." I said as I gave my opinion on the matter.

    "I will not be able to care for Harry as he will require. Especially this summer. I will be far too busy preparing for what is to come." Dumbledore sadly replied as he rejected his taking in of Harry.

    "Then how about we ask for Harry''s opinion on the matter? We should also involve Sirius as he is his guardian, but I can guess what he would want. My personal recommendation would be a slight mix of the first two options. Harry lives with Sirius after we reinforce the houses defenses, and he can come to me for lessons or relaxation.

    It won''t do him any good to keep him cooped up all the time, so a proper explanation will have to be given to the kid, and at least a few outings with myself as a guard would do wonders for him as well. Him having friends visit would make sure he''s ok with everything as well. I am sure we can have Ron, Hermione and Neville come in secret with ease." I responded as I wanted Harry to have the best summer he could get, even in his messed up life.

    "You think we can afford to make Potter comfortable? He''s probably going to be one of the biggest targets!" Aggressively growled Moody as he glared at me.

    "Alastor, young Aedan has already more than matched me in terms of magical energy, his knowledge and creativity are astounding, only leaving him lacking some experience to have him surpass me completely. Him protecting Harry personally would be even better than myself doing so." Interjected Dumbledore as he calmed the man.

    "Are you telling the truth Albus? I know Mr. Bones is beyond gifted, but to have reached such strength." Asked McGonagall as she doubted the statement.

    "He reached his third Maturation last summer and has been growing stronger as he became more accustomed to the changes it brings. Even now I feel he is in the cusp of another great change." He reassured her as he only shared a bit of information.

    "Hmph. Then I''ll go and start what I have to do Albus. I can already guess what Black and Potter will decide." Moody declared as he went for the fireplace and disappeared in a flash of green fire.

    "I will go and deal with my lions. They must be getting rather impatient by now." McGonagall said as she excused herself.

    "I''m guessing you will address everyone soon about today''s events Headmaster." I stated after they had left.

    "Yes. I will be making my own stance on events clear tomorrow. Don''t want to make student lost before their exams. I will also have to take care of the Durmstrang students since Igor fled after his mark activated. I am not sure how Maxime will act, but I have a favor to ask of her and hope to be able to talk to her before she leaves. I will also arrange for Harry and Sirius to be here after exams are done. Ah and before I forget, here is your permission slip to go to the ministry for your masteries." He said as he handed me the form I had submitted last month.

    "Thank you. I hope everything works out well for you Headmaster. This country will need its defenders very soon." I said as I took the slip and excused myself.

 Chapter 149 - Ch. 149 Masteries

    Like Dumbledore said, he organized a school wide assembly the very next day to announce what was found.

    The entire Great Hall was filled with students, nervous and restless after yesterday''s events.

    But they all quieted down when they saw the elderly man walk up to the podium.

    "Yesterday, a day which was to be celebrated, has now become a day for grim reminders of the problems our times are tackling.

    This tournament was meant to encourage the forming of relations between our excellent young wizards and witches and foster and promote magical understanding between one another. But the actions of a few in the shadows have changed things.

    We have found troubling truths about the events which had occurred. The Ministry would like for each of us to ignore the signs and the dangers coming at our doors, to believe the world is safe and that nothing can harm you. But it is not fair to decide the truth for others. It should not be permissible to have the events which will impact you, hidden by those too afraid to face them.

    And that is why I stand before all of you here today. To announce that Voldemort has truly returned."

    That caused nearly everyone listening to gasp and start talking amongst themselves due to the very direct declaration by the Dumbledore, but he continued to speak and people listened.

    "He and his servants, used the tournament to get to young mister Potter and try to kill him upon his return.

    Many will try to run from this dark and terrible truth. To ignore the turbulent currents and repeating acts of a decade and a half ago.

    This is why it is more important then ever to hold onto these bonds we forge between each other and remember that although we come from different places and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one.

    It is through these bonds we share that we can free ourselves from the shadows trying to worm themselves into our hearts. It is through these bonds that we can find a guiding light in front of what we think is too dark to face.

    And so never forget the strength which each and everyone of you hold within yourselves. Because it only takes one brave spark to start the flames which can banish the shadows." And with that, the man finished his speech and let everyone return to their own devices.

    Only time will tell if the students would act as the canon. Unfortunately there is no martyr to rally behind this time. No one died as a result of my interference, making events less impactful for students in general. It''s obviously a good thing that Cedric is alive and well, but I will have to keep an eye on how things develop from there.

    I could already see many Slytherin students having smug looks on their faces. They couldn''t possibly understand what it''s really like to be under Voldemort. They think it''s all about putting people they''ve been taught are inferior down, but their parents conveniently forget the torture or death their so called lord will give them at any moment he wishes. They don''t understand that he doesn''t care about your status or your blood at all. Annoying him means death. Disappointment means death. Wanting to quite means death. Not obeying his every order means death. And they can''t even fathom the fact that he gave you an impossible task or tell you to kill your parents, after which you would have to do it or die.

    That''s why it''s so frustrating to watch all these young idiots ready to throw their lives away because they were taught to hate. Told they were somehow better. They were never taught true responsibilities of Lordship. Never were they told the whole truth. They only see the glamorous surface they were told about.

    Luckily i was able to have proper talks with the entirety of the Ravenclaw house and I had James and Susan capable of talking with the Puffs.

    For my house, logic and reason were the best ways to get things across. A solid, fact based breakdown of events to help them understand what happened and what they can do about.

    Although some of them were still skeptical and weren''t ready to face the most feared man in the last 50 years, the rest were thinking about what to do and how this will affect them.

    Half-bloods were a bit tricker. Some had ancestry with older houses which could possibly aid them during troubled times, but others had only a generation or two of magical blood in them. My general advice was for them to not stay in places without any other wizards around. To also try to have their parents pressure the ministry in general because even they have to listen to the people or Fudge would be f.u.c.k.e.d.

    For Muggleborns I already had places to protect them, but I didn''t want to reveal my secrets to the public yet so I gave them the means to contact Scott for help in securing themselves and their families. Unfortunately their voices just didn''t matter in the wizarding world, so them trying to put pressure on the ministry wouldn''t as effective if others didn''t pitch in as well, but i am still encouraged them to try.

    They were simple solutions but all I could really give them at the moment. No one outside of a few know my real strength and personal promises of protection would be seen as unreliable since I''m too young, even if I am a monstrous student.

    James informed me that too many within the Puffs had doubts, even with Dumbledore saying the twit is back, those not wanting to believe it were convincing their groups of friends to not do so as well. It was basically a circle of people blindly following the blind. Only a few from each year was willing to believe in the worst to come and try to prepare for it at least, instead of sticking their heads in the sand and hoping no one sees them.

    I knew the Lions were going to pick one side and then just stick to it. Way too stubborn and that''ll be Harry''s problem in all honesty. Even I don''t want to have to deal with all those bullheaded teenagers because they''ll believe whatever and stick with it until it''s either true or blows up in their faces.

    And the stupid members of the Snakes are acting like this is the best thing ever, while people like Tory and Daphne are rallying the actually cunning people of that house and formulating plans to survive what is coming.

    It was actually a pleasant change of pace to have exams happening after everything that happened this. My final exams as a Hogwarts student.

    I had less than most students for sure, but my mastery tests would more than make for it.

    Each test will be overseen by 3 certified masters of the field, require the applicant to present the needed level of proficiency in the field to be a master and show original research fit for the title. So it''s kinda like a doctorate, except that depending on the field something might explode.

    So here I stood in front of three aged masters for the potion mastery.

    "So you''re the punk who believes he can be a potion master before even being out of Hogwarts?" A grumpy Tommy Lee Jones looking master said after he read my file.

    "Yes I am." I answered calmly.

    "And why should we consider a snot-nosed brat like you to even be capable of being a potions master?" He then asked with narrowed.

    "I publish a certified book detailing the improvements of 59 existing potions and a complete list of changes which occur depending on what kind of improvement is done. I''ve had 14 potions accepted into Breaking Grounds specialty list. I am the one who created the Werewolf suppressant which has gained approval from 8 different magical ministries. And finally, I forced Severus Snape to give me Outstanding with distinction in every work I''ve handed in since my first year." I replied with confidence.

    "And why should that brat giving you good grades matter here? It is known that he heavily favors his house." He dismissively replied as he tried to find something to make me nervous with.

    "Because I wasn''t in Slytherin." I answered with a calm smile as I looked at them.

    "Well then, you might be worth something after all then." He finally admitted with a cough.

    After that I was asked to show my research paper and brew a variety of difficult potions which can be done in a short amount of time.

    They couldn''t find a single fault and even had to ask for clarifications on various actions and written directions during my tests.

    That was the most time consuming mastery simply because one has to brew many potions perfectly after defending your research.

    The next one on my schedule was Herbology.

    The first part of any mastery is pretty much the same for each one; theoretical knowledge test and research defense.

    The second part is the practical application. For that I took the masters panel to the Bones family garden I had created with Susan, and let''s just say that they just didn''t want to leave after noticing the supposedly impossible to grow plants everywhere. Mother isn''t really interested so she never really knew about the insane stuff I was growing which would make any Herbologist cream their pants, so it was nice getting such a reaction from masters.

    The next day was probably my most magically taxing one, having charms and transfiguration masteries back to back.

    The practical test for the former involved the casting of dozens of charms, with questions following various applications of each one. After that I could cast my own original spell, which was my Iustus Patronus. If they think a full-bodied patronus was difficult, then my advance version designed to take the spell even further was beyond them. They couldn''t believe the strength of the spell and when they heard it had the ability to kill a dementor they were gobsmacked.

    The Transfiguration testing was a bit easier overall since I was a registered animagus, already showing the ability and knowledge need to achieve a high level in the art. What really secured my spot was when I transfigured a statue into a very realistic dragon with defensive runes built into it to make very hard to take down.

    The following day was different since they decided to mix my Runes and Wards exams due to their intrinsically linked nature.

    The testing revolves around using runes on specific objects to achieve the required results, but I went about three steps further using my own rune language and created objects they would need a month of careful work in minutes. One of the judges almost fainted because he felt like he wasted his life.

    ''So that''s how it feels like to be one of those monstrous prodigies in Wuxia novels.'' I thought with a smile as I watched the judges.

    The warding test was pretty fun. I made a Ward with a ward, within a ward, within ward, with the only thought in my mind being wardception. Then i created an interconnected system capable of stopping pretty much anyone that wasn''t keyed in to enter or notice the protected area. And I finished with my House-elf blocking ward, something which got mixed responses since wizards look down on them too much and only a few would realize that this is the only method in existence right now which can stop any random elf from coming and going as they please.

    My next masteries were to be in Arithmancy and Healing.

    The Arithmancy masters didn''t even test me when I got there. They immediately took out my books on the subject and began asking me question after question on my thought process and minute details they couldn''t figure out from just the book themselves. It was more like I was the master during this one and they loved being able to see all the modified spell theory in action as I began casting the spells and explaining how each section of the math changed what aspects of the spells.

    For the healing one, I was taken to St. Mungo''s and spent the rest of the day dealing with emergency, long-term care and minor patients, while also doing a few check-ups and some potion prescriptions. Let''s just say the matrons were really surprised when the few long-term care patients I was assigned started becoming not so long-term after I had a proper look at them. They even made me stay an extra three hours to check patients they had given up hopes on curing. Unfortunately I am not capable of curing everyone. If it is a physical problem then I am confident in healing pretty much anything. Missing limbs? I can grow those back. Certain parts are paralyzed? I can get a paraplegic to walk again. But insanity, mental deficiencies, memory tampering and degradation aren''t my area of expertise. Good thing I have a wifey which is probably the best in the world when it comes to the brain and is very determined to be a healer.

    Needless to say it was a tiring day, but I knew I passed for sure. It was also fulfilling talking with curious people and helping others.

    But my last day was supposed to be the most physically demanding: Defense against the dark arts and Dueling.

    Those testing me for DADA weren''t exactly nice either, they decided to throw me into a gauntlet of traps, creatures and even a few dark wizards they brought out from Azkaban for a bit. They even had smirks on their faces when a dementor was let loose against me. It was satisfying to see the look of absolute shock when i killed it right then and there.

    The test would be very challenging for pretty much all wizards, but I was just better on all fronts so it wasn''t a particular problem. It did make me work up a sweat though and I was wondering if I should make something similar but harder to train in the future. Didn''t even have to show them Protego Sanctum.

    My final practical test, the one for my dueling mastery, was a simulation of how a tournament would function but on fast forward. I would fight progressively stronger duelers one after another until I reached the ''champion'' which was one of the masters.

    But I was happy to be able to finish the mastery tests I wished to undertake and do the NEWT''s for History of Magic, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination and Astronomy. I think I can safely say I got the most out of Hogwarts and more than finished my education.

 Chapter 150 - Ch. 150 Graduation

    My time as a student was ending and it was time to officially pass down my roles to those I had chosen.

    Passing the torch to Cedric was very straight forward, I had been preparing him and he had already been taking the lead for the last two months. He showed great openness and patience, as well as understanding in dealing with others. He was also well liked among pretty much every house, made it clear as to why so many felt it when he died in canon. It made me believe he was the right choice. We also started readying Luna a bit after talking to her about being the next person to manage the exchange. She was unsure due to her young age and her difficulties with social setting, but we''ve been helping her out in those departments.

    The claws know that Christian and I are fond of the girl, so no one dared bully her from that point on and we made sure they understood why. Our time as leaders of the house helped shape the open mindedness of others a lot, making them remember that to learn one must be willing to do more than just memorized information or read books. Learning needs a broad and open mind to properly do. Knowledge doesn''t stop in books and needs to be added to in order to make it more complete. That is what a true scholar is. A person who had studied a subject and keeps on walking the path laid by those of the past and adds his own findings about the world to continue building on its foundations.

    Although the kids inheriting the dueling club were still a bit uncertain, it was mainly due to taking over a role they have never experienced before. Once they get the ball rolling they''ll be fine, I made sure to show them everything they would need to know. The older students understand why they''ll be taking over and will be helping monitor things and Professor Flitwick was more than willing to help the kids along.

    My houses Ms. Patil was nervous but determined. I had helped her gain the support of our house to help her feel more secure in her position by having her beat a seventh year student in a one-on-one for that, using some spell modifications I helped her cook up. Brainy and skilled to win the house.

    Hannah was more than covered by the loyalty of her house and even more so with my very protective little sister who can probably kick most graduating students asses.

    Ron won the respect of a lot of people by getting trained by Christian and Krum during this year and never giving up when he was beaten. The kid could take a beating and stand up. He was showing a lot of similarities with my wolffish friend as a dueler and was very protective of the club and its members. And I mean all of its members, even Slytherins. He''s grown a lot during his time and I think he''d make a damn good Auror if he could get the necessary grades.

    Daphne was basically a mini Tory most of the time and I know for a fact that she idolizes her. That''s why I had my lovely fianc¨¦ help her out and taught her like I would Victoria. She is the most confident amongst the three but I had to temper her so she doesn''t come off as controlling or too cold. Besides that, no one in her house dares try to mess with the Ice Queen, especially after she was trained by The Queen of Slytherin. That''s just asking for trouble and those idiots know what my girl is capable of.

    We''ve also said our goodbyes to our guests from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.

    Fleur and Gabrielle were very thankful for all the help with dealing with their heritage and magic, giving lots of cheek kisses and hugs. There was also a very emotional ''goodbye for now'' between James and Fleur, with promises of the two meeting this summer, which was less then a week away.

    Viktor gave Christian and I firm handshakes and bro hugs, saying he would remember our friendship. He and Christian also had their own kind of emotional goodbye. No summer plans though.

    -Flashback to the meeting

    "...and that is why I have asked for the both of you here today." Dumbledore said as he finished explaining our discussion at the beginning of the month.

    "So I don''t have to go back? I can live with Sirius like we talked about?" Asked a very emotional Harry.

    "Yeah, no way in hell am i letting you go back now that the hairless c.u.n.t can bypass your mothers protection." I said to confirm the kids questions.

    "And I won''t be a burden?" He asked Sirius this time as he looked hopeful.

    "Of course you won''t pup. As much as I hate the damn paperwork, I did become Lord Black and that means a ridiculous amount of money. I''ve got the house done proper and it''s one of the most heavily defended building in Britain." Sirius reassured Harry as he gave him a warm look.

    "Aedan and I will also be making sure no one can hurt either of you as well." Reassured the Headmaster.

    "Then of course I''d go with you." Harry finally said with a really excited smile.

    "Alright but I do have to give you warnings on how things will go this summer Harry." I interrupted as I got serious.

    "What do you mean?" He questioned as he noticed my tone.

    "Yeah? What does he mean Dumbledore?" Followed up Sirius.

    "Precautions Sirius. We cannot risk young Harry coming to harm and so we must warn him of what we shall do." Answered the Headmaster as he gave me a look to explain.

    "You won''t be allowed out this summer Harry, far too dangerous now that Voldysnake and is carpet munchers are back. To keep you safe we have to make sure you can''t be easily targeted. The Headmaster and I agreed that if you really need to go out, we can arrange a date with me escorting you for your safety. The reason being that the headmaster and myself are the only wizards capable of stopping the noseless git and he will be too busy dealing with all the political nonsense that is going to start due to the minister denying reality.

    Besides that, we can also arrange for your friends to come visit, but it will have to be secretive. The Weasleys already agreed to our plans and so have the Longbottoms, only the Grangers haven''t been talked with yet.

    So it will be restrictive and you might feel like you''re being babied, but we just don''t want you to die alright?" I explained as best I could about what was going to happen and what we''ve organized to not make his summer miserable.

    "I understand. You''re worried Voldemort will want to kill me and that walking around will be too dangerous. At least I''ll be with Sirius, that''s already a hundred times better than before." Harry said with a serious face.

    ''I am glad I''ve helped him not be so emotional as his canon counterpart. Proper explanations and inclusion do wonders.'' I thought with a smile.

    "But what do you mean Professor Dumbledore will be dealing with a lot of politics?" He asked with a worried expression.

    "Well my boy, we have predicted that Cornelius would decide to begin a smear campaign against anyone publicly claiming the return of Voldemort, and from what people have told me we were right. We have hence decided that I would be the most vocal about such things to make him focus on me while Aedan works in secret to prepare the Aurors, effectively removing his attention from you. This means I will be keeping my distance from you in public so that he can focus solely on me and not drag you into this mess Harry." Explained the Headmaster as the kid had a troubled look on his face.

    "I''ve got the full might of house Black, do you want me to throw it around Dumbledore?" Suddenly asked Sirius.

    "Not at this moment Sirius, thank you." Answered the bearded man with a shake of his head.

    "Actually I can think of a few things Sirius could do to help us against the super bigots." I spoke up, getting both of their attentions.

    "Another clever idea Aedan?" Dumbledore asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Let me hear it kid. I know you''ve got quite the brain so I think this will be good." Sirius said with some expectations.

    "The idea revolves around the three Black sisters: Andromeda, Narcissa and Bellatrix. Each need to have some things happen to mess with possible plans of the Dork Lord.

    The Blacks have enough say and money to get a seat on the board of Governors of Hogwarts and I think Andromeda would be perfect for the job. She''ll be able to make sure no one tries to mess with things alongside myself and Dowager Longbottom. Having an experienced Potion mistress and healer such as herself will also be crucial in what is to come. And all you have to do is bring her back into the family since it was the stuff you hate about the Blacks that got her kicked out anyway. It will also help her daughter''s career to be a Black and it will help convince her.

    The second goal is to remove the possibility of their side getting their hands on the Black family, so time to remove the possibility of the Malfoy''s getting involved. Kick out Narcissa and Draco from the family line and voila. You can also cancel the marriage contract between the two houses to mess with them if you want.

    The third is to remove a source of financing. I''ve no doubt they will break out the death eaters in Azkaban and gain the dementors, so let''s make those people less useful. Bellatrix currently has millions from the family in her vaults, quick her out and all that disappears. You can also cancel her contract and she''ll probably kill the Lestrange brothers since I''ve heard she hates them a lot.

    So in the end, weakened politically, economically and socially, while gaining more allies and strengthening our hold onto Hogwarts." I said as I finished my explanation.

    "Damn kid." Was all Sirius was able to say in response.

    "That would certainly mess with a few things." Agreed Dumbledore.

    "Wait, you''re related to Malfoy and Bellatrix?" Asked a shocked Harry.

    "Yeah, cousins. But I remember Andy, bringing her back would be great. She''s the only other one to dump all those crazies. And I''m sure dear cousin Bella and Cissy would make the best faces when they realize all this. I am so in." Sirius said as he looked at me with a grin.

    -End of Flashback

    ''Gonna be some fun reactions when Voldy learns that one of his Horcruxes is going to be in a place we''ll have easy access to.'' I thought as I remembered my little plan while siting in the Great Hall along with my entire year.

    "Today marks the end of another year at Hogwarts.

    A very different year, full of excitement, new friendsh.i.p.s, danger, daring and of growth.

    But we all stand here, as we do every year, better than the last, to celebrate everyones achievements and to bid farewell to our graduating class.

    Seven years have come and gone for those of you leaving us.

    And now all of you stand as witches and wizards Hogwarts is proud to have taught.

    Today is the day all of you step into the world and begin your journeys wherever they might lead you.

    But please never forget the values our school embodies. Never give into fear and forget to be kind. Never forget the value of hard work and the dismiss the gift of loyalty. Never lose sight of your goals nor forget the use of cunningness. And never trap yourself in the ideas of others and forget your own brilliance.

    You are all the future of the wizarding world and I look forward to hearing what each and everyone of you can accomplish." The Headmaster finished as all of the graduating seventh years threw the pointy formal hats we were wearing into the air as we cheered.

    With the usual farewell feast, goodbyes to our juniors and friends, we took our trunks and left the castle we had spent our time growing up in.

    As tradition for every graduate, we left Hogwarts as we first came to it, by boat.

    So with my friends and fianc¨¦, we watched the familiar castle as we moved further away from it.

    "We''re finally done huh." Christian said with a lot of emotions in his voice.

    "Yes, our time here has come to an end." Confirms James as he also keeps his eyes firmly locked on the castle.

    "A lot changed since we first rode these boats." Added Tory as she wistfully spoke.

    "These were the purest times in our lives and I while never forget the memories we''ve made in this place." I said with a warm smile as I reminisce.

    "Hey, remember that time when James created that squirting puzzle that got loose into the girls dorms?" Christian suddenly said with a smirk.

    "Yeah, they were real pissed until he fixed everything and made them enchanted styling scissors." I said with a chuckle.

    "What about when Tory hung all the little nobles slytherins from their knickers in the great hall for annoying her?" I then said, getting chuckles from both guys.

    "Oh yeah? What about the time mr. Perfect made Snape''s entire wardrobe turn pink?" She countered with her own smirk.

    "Haha! That was brilliant and he still thinks it was the twins!" Christian said as he burst out laughing.

    "Let''s not forget the time Christian wanted to cross-breed that bubotuber and devil''s snare and made that puss squirting monstrosity." James said with his own smirk.

    "I remember that! Professor Sprout was almost acting like Hagrid with a new creature while Professor McGonagall was furious about getting squirted." Victoria exclaimed at the memory.

    "Really didn''t think I''d have to deal with that when I became friends with that kid who got shunned." I say with a chuckle.

    "Didn''t think I''d have to deal with getting beaten left and right for the next few years by becoming your friend either." He countered with his grin.

    "Or get drilled on countless spells." Added James.

    "Or have to drink all those weird concoctions he came up with." Tory said as she threw in her own jab.

    "Oh please, you made everyone drink way more concoctions than I have." I replied with an eye role.

    "Right, forgot you three were my precious testers." She said in response with a small smile.

    "Those were pretty bad sometimes Victoria, but you know what? I wouldn''t change even those memories for the world." James said with a warm smile.

    "Yeah, as much as having to deal with Snape almost made me snap or how boring Binn''s was, it was a blast with you three." Agreed Christian as he looked back.

    "These were the most meaningful years of my life. They''ll forever be a part of me." Determinedly added Tory.

    "We all came a long way together in the last seven years. From scared, lonely and eccentric kids, to strong, confident and skilled young a.d.u.l.ts. I know we can take on the world after our time together here. So let''s make sure others can have such memories in this place, because these are the memories we will always hold dear." I said in response to their words, getting determined nods from each of my friends as we disembarked our boat and started walking.

    And with one last look back towards where the castle stood, I spoke with sincerity as we were about to bord the train one last time.

    "Goodbye Hogwarts. Thank you for everything and I hope to see you soon."

 Chapter 151 - Ch. 151 Going into seclusion

    A lot had to be done after my graduation. Orders to give, plans to enact, people to kill, new magic to continue developing and that''s without considering my duties as lord, to my loved ones, as a businessman and my confirmation as a new member of the Wizengamot and Board of Governors for Hogwarts.

    Kinda felt like I was turning into something someone could easily view like the Headmaster from those Dark Dumbledore fanfics I had read a lifetime ago now.

    But all that was going to be put on hold. I have been immersing myself in that feeling that took me over when I was dueling Baldy Tom. I felt a calling from within me and from around me. I needed to delve into it properly because I believe it is the path to the next level of magic. A level unseen since the Founders or Merlin, and I am not going to lose it.

    So I basically put everything on auto pilot.

    My plans are already made and ready to enact, I simply waited to be out of school so that I could react properly if something went wrong, but I would simply delay most of the risky plans until I was done. I had very skilled, intelligent and disciplined subordinates, they will be more than capable of overseeing everything.

    I decided to release the first volume on White magic around the world, but not in Britain. Meaning my magic was going to be tested by Ministries from around the world before it was even going to touch this place. No way anyone is going to be able to bury my magic after I''ve gotten the approval of pretty much every other ministry on this planet. I even added modified versions for places using things like Shamanism, talismans, certain forms of wandless casting and so on. Good luck stopping me.

    I then gave permission to my spymistress to begin sweeping the ministry of the Death Eater sympathizers and supporters. We had marked pretty much all of them already and were just waiting to begin. The plan relies on using multiple methods to make those people either lose their jobs or quit. My favorite is using the two birds one stone method of making Fudge believe they are Dumbledore spies working to bring him down from the inside. That makes the supporters lose their jobs and Fudge''s reputation takes a bigger hit the more he does it. And my second favorite is using our own agents with higher standings than the bigots and making their lives so miserable at work that they quit.

    They might be assholes, but I''m trying not to kill dozens of people for that trait. So non-lethal for now.

    I have fortress protection on high alert with pretty much everyone on the UK. The only people not ready for deployment are those still in places which have been useful for monitoring marked pureblood families. We''ve also deployed a proper dark magic detection ward over the country, not like that shit version the ministry uses. That f.u.c.k.i.n.g thing is so rigged and the people monitoring it are paid to act like nothing happens or are reporting false signals so much that they don''t even care if the Killing curse is being used right next to diagon alley. So I made my own using principles from my White magic to show where Dark magic is being used by having it show places it wants to reject on maps. The stronger the rejection is, the darker the dark magic. It also makes it a bit harder for Dark magic to be cast and I''m sure that''ll confuse those cunts. And thanks to modern day maps being so accurate and detailed, I only had to protect/reinforce the paper to have a proper monitoring system.

    I''ve also had my men go through with learning the White magic they could learn. This will be the thing saving the most lives in coming times, as well as the spells which will probably help I''m taking the most lives.

    The Herald was going to be mostly passive during the summer. It will continue to bring relevant pieces of news and try to stimulate the thoughts of readers, but it will not talk about Fudge, Dumbledore, Harry, Voldy or Death Eaters for now. The Ministry can and will mess with the Prophet using their majority and some laws regarding emergency commandeering or whatever, but the Herald is privately owned and operated by the ric.h.e.s.t man in Europe. Trying to force things would not go well for the Minister as he''s noticed when he tried a month ago and had a minor scandal posted soon after. It wasn''t anything bad really, just an interesting story about him getting shat on by one of the dragons from the tournament. He thought he got hold of everyone who knew, but we had been sitting on that little number for a while due to its comedic value.

    Going through the FIRM centers, I''ve had protected complexes built for anyone having troubles in the Wizarding world, capable of accommodating all sorts of various lineages. I can have Hagrid or Flitwick live in one of these places and they would both be perfectly happy. Muggleborns are very welcomed and so is anyone not feeling particularly safe. And what I mean by protected is warded, enchanted, manned and set for mass movement of Fortress agents. We basically made safe zones for the coming war under the guise of helping the homeless, hated and downtrodden.

    I''ve had New Grounds Apothecary pumping out healing potions for pretty much everything and my new stuff I''ve created with Tory. Gotta stockpile medical supplies when you''re fighting a war, it can save the lives of your own soldiers and civilians.

    I''ve also had all my ingredient farms focus more on the herbs we need for said potions and the creature breeders I own are on the same boat. Natural Cultivation is simply monstrous in that field. Even with my orders they''re still projected to make a killing next quarter.

    The most dangerous thing I have set up is Jennifer''s infiltration. The idea is to have her take the role Fenrir was supposed to have in Tom''s army. I want her to become the Snatchers. We use the orders to make people disappear, and after making sure they''re safe we hide them until the war is over or make it seem like some were missed. It gives us a person on the inside which will be able to inform us of large movements and allows us to save many we could not if the man uses others.

    I have obviously not ordered Jennifer to undertake this task. This was a long a thorough discussion with both her and Scott, who finally proposed. There was no way I was going to send her undercover without both of them approving. But they ended up agreeing and with their trust I did everything to cover our bases as best as possible.

    The first thing was to camouflage her mind properly. As much as I mock him, Voldemort is undoubtedly a powerful Legilimens. Powerful but overconfident and brutish at times. The man can manipulate others and whisper into their minds to trust him, but I know that this is the limit of his cunning regarding the arts of the mind. I know because I know everything the man can do. Sure he can influence and persuade the weak willed, unprotected and children, but against a properly trained mind he can''t do anything except try to bulldoze his way through like a fool. It''s no wonder Snape was able to play the double agent, the man never had to develop his skills due to natural ability so he is simply annoying to true masters. Too bad for him, I am naturally gifted, then further enhanced, creative and thoroughly trained, and most importantly so is Jenny. She was trained to be my hidden hand, so of course she is skilled in the mind arts for offense and defense. So with my help we modified what anyone could see. We made altered memories of her killing and beheading Fenrir to take control of the pack, changed the d.e.s.i.r.e to serve me and help her people to wanting her people to be free of the ministries oppression, her merc group is completely her own and she hates the current ministry. We completely covered and hid everything to do with me, the werewolf village, Scott or her actual d.e.s.i.r.es, effectively making her a perfect person to join the enemy.

    To prepare we''ve also had people spreading rumors of her getting annoyed at clients, had her act out in a few bars out of frustration against the ministry and generally made her seem appealing. Not too much to arouse suspicions, but enough to get noticed. It''s also good that only her truly loyal will be involved in this and all of them will be under contracts stating their willingness to have memories obliviated for certain operations. This will mean they know they''ve had memories taken, resulting in people being unable to read anything from their minds. We also had various other failsafes and backup plans for anything going wrong, had to make sure at least she would be ok.

    Aside from war preparations, my friends began working in earnest.

    Tory went to work on finishing healing the Longbottoms and start with her mother. From what I''ve been told before exams hit, the couple was nearly back I working order and would be able to leave the hospital within the month.

    Christian and his parents went to his island project to manage things, he would have support from my people as always. There were hundreds of various tamers, breeders and keepers of magical creatures helping make the biggest magizoology project of the last couple of centuries a reality. The idea of getting such an island in the modern age was very exciting for creature lovers everywhere. Even more so when they were told people would be able to visit these places. Made me doubt my decision of talking about Jurassic park to my friends, but he''s got his bases covered. And it''s not like they will be trying to make some ungoldly super dragon. I have a contract signed against that.

    And I''ve set up James with his own workshops and house in the UK and France since he was going to see Fleur. It''s basically a set up where he can create and smith whatever he wants and I can sell or use what he will agree to. I supply him with everything he needs and he makes me interesting or useful things. This way he doesn''t feel like he''s not earning his keep in general. Everyone has their own pride and we both have a good amount of that, even if his is quieter. It is also good that his skills and the workshop will help impress his possible father-in-law, mostly because no good father will let his little girl be with someone who can''t support and cherish her. Having a solid source of income, skills and connections are a very good way of getting through the door.

    Also had to notify Dumbledore about me being unavailable for a time and that Harry wouldn''t be able to go out. Nothing I could really do there.

    With that I departed for a place I didn''t think I would use so soon: my ritual site on Skellig Island. The place had a proper layline I could tap into, it was still properly secluded and warded, and I owned the place. All I had to add was weather and temperature wards and then I was all set.

    The next thing I did was set up a small continuous ritual linked to the lay lines, allowing me to have a constant flow of magic going through me while it is active. This will let me focus on my goal without having to worry about running out and having to recover all the time.

    And so with everything in place, I removed every piece of equipment and clothing with magic in it, and donned simple white robes made to be light and comfortable.

    I sat in the middle of the circle with only the robes and my wand, closed my eyes and began to focus on magic.

 Chapter 152 - Ch. 152 A month in Britain

    -St. Mungo''s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, fourth floor, Janus Thickey ward.

    "...and with proper diet and physical and magical exercise, you two will be back to 100% in about three months. Don''t overdo it and make things worse, follow the plan I drew up for the both of you and you''ll be golden. I don''t need you to overexert yourselves and make it take longer." The beauty known as Victoria Travers said to the couple she had been in charge of for months now.

    "We certainly will Miss Travers. We can''t begin to thank you enough for what you''ve done." A grateful Frank Longbottom said as he took the paper his healer gave him.

    "We''ve missed so much, but I agree with Frank, we will be eternally grateful for being able to truly live again." His wife agreed as she was handed her own paper.

    "You don''t have to be. You two were also basically test subjects for this treatment course." Victoria replied coldly as she filled out forms regarding the married couple.

    "Oh don''t be like that dear, I know you''re very proud of yourself and are happy to be closer to your goal. Too bad the boy who gave you that ring isn''t here. You did say he helped a lot." Replied Alice Longbottom with a smile.

    "He''s always been incredibly supportive of my goals and I support him in his. Isn''t that what a part of being together is about?" Victoria responded with a gentle smile as she thought about her man.

    "Ooooh! That''s the smile! I love that smile!" A now excited Alice said as she watched the young woman standing in front of her and her husband.

    "Reminds me of our wedding and when Neville was born that smile does." Frank added as he looked lovingly at his wife.

    "Yes, yes. Now before you two go off into your own world again, take these three forms and have the Dowager Longbottom sign them before giving them to the discharging desk on the ground floor. You''ll have check ups scheduled each Sunday for the next 6 months. I want to make sure there''s no relapse. After that I''ll ask you to visit me again a year later, but contact me immediately if any issues or head pains start happening." Victoria informed them as she stopped something she had seen too often with her two patients.

    "I still can''t believe there''s such a convinrent form of communication now. And you said your fianc¨¦ created them?" Frank said as he still marveled at the vanishing box his son brought them to keep in touch.

    "Yeah he made those things before he finished his third year." Tory answered with some pride in her voice.

    "Can''t wait to met the genius know as Lord Aedan Bones then. Amelia must be really proud of him." The man said with conflicting emotions of excitement over meeting one of his benefactors and one of his son''s idols, but also sad over the passing of that same persons family and his own good friends.

    "I am sure he''ll be more than happy to meet you both properly when he gets back, but for now I have another patient to attend to and your family is here." Victoria said as she excused herself since she had finished everything she had to do here.

    "Thank you dear, for everything. If you need help with anything in the future, our house will be there." A very serious Dowager Longbottom said as they passed each other at the door.

    "Thank you, I will not besmirch those words." Tory responded with a polite nod as she resumed walking.

    She began walking through the long and quiet hall of the hospital. Not many people visit this place since it is a place for those considered hopeless, and it is difficult for families to visit people they care for when they''re is little hope of them becoming better.

    ''Well until me and my raven started coming here anyway.'' She thought with a proud smile as the memories of more and more people being able to leave the hospital since she begun working as a healer.

    ''Now it is time for my loved one to come back.'' She thought as she stood in front of a door she dreaded coming to since she was a child.

    She fidgeted as her heart beat faster and faster due to her nervousness and anxiety. She was scared of seeing what the beautiful and kind mother she remembered had become.

    But then she felt her ring and necklace, remembering that even though she wasn''t ok now, she would make her ok. She was ready and she wasn''t going to fail.

    So with a deep breath she opened the door to begin healing the one person in this world she wanted back more than anything.

    "Hi mom, it''s been a while."

    -Ministry of Magic, Minister''s Office

    "We have been able to remove 15 more Dumbledore sympathizers from their posts in the last month, with only a few handfuls left to be checked properly. I am sure the man will be pulling at his beard." Said a sickeningly sweet voice of a pink monstrosity as she gave her report while looking very pleased with herself.

    "What about the Bones? What have they been doing?" Asked the supposed Minister as some nervousness showed on his face.

    "That woman has been ignoring your previous goals of defunding the Aurors and Hit Wizards. She''s been using the money her family has gained to supply them. She had to audacity of saying she was using her own money to make up for the budget cuts and that it was well within her authority to do so." Answered the huffy toad.

    "As long as she isn''t supporting Dumbledore or is actually doing anything beyond that we can''t act against her Dolores. Her reputation and standing are far too solid, and her actions are well within her duties as the head of the DMLE. Attacking her now would be suicide." The cowardly man bem.o.a.n.e.d. "What about her nephew?"

    "The brat? He hasn''t been seen in a month. His business has been moving well so he must be giving someone instructions. Griselda wouldn''t budge when I said given such a young child with so many masteries at once was too much. She said he had more than earned the titles and made most of the masters who tested him feel bad about being the ones to test him. Multiple have stated that it was like a mere formality that he was tested. I also can''t touch his seat in the Wizengamot or all the other members would not sit still and the Board of Governors had already approved his position unfortunately." She answered as she remembered her encounters with Aedan Bones.

    "That''s still good. Not heard or seen is good. He might even be cooped up inventing another thing, and this helps us. His new titles would be more concerning if he sided with Dumbledore as a second witness with actual credibility, but he chose not to say anything. As long as nothing changes we can focus on the biggest threat." Said Fudge in relief.

    "Yes, now we can take Dumbledore down a peg." Agreed the pink amphibious.

    "The Prophet is doing as asked then?" Asked Cornelius.

    "It took some maneuvering due to that blasted Folster, but things are rolling. They have refused to run articles on the young mr. Potter due to his past deeds, young age and his status as an orphaned heir. Holding Dumbledore responsible for his words and actions was more than acceptable though." She explained just as a certain hand behind the curtain had planned.

    "That is fine. No use in forcing people to attack a single boy. What about our idea to get you into Hogwarts?" The man dismissively said before asking for another update.

    "Wonderfully. Everyone Dumbledore has tried to ask has been politely informed of the repercussions of such actions or has simply doesn''t remember any such offer." She happily answered with her hated voice.

    "Good, good. With any luck we will be able to remove Dumbledore from all his posts by next year. You may leave Dolores, I trust you are more than capable enough to handle everything." Fudge said as he nodded, looking pleased with himself as a feeling of having power and control grew within him.

    "Don''t you worry Cornelius, I will make sure nothing gets in our way." She said as she turned around and left his office.

    "I will definitely make sure no one gets in my way." She then repeated to herself while plans were made behind the self-important smile she wore on the toad mask she called a face.

    -12 Grimmauld Place, Islington, London, England

    "Thank you all for gathering here. Sirius, I must thank you as well for allowing us to use your home as a base." Albus Dumbledore said to the people gathered in the renovated manor.

    "No problem. After you and the kid had a look at this place, I can''t even imagine someone getting in without permission." The new Lord Black said with a smirk on his face.

    "Nevertheless, it is appreciated." He said with a nod, then turned to look at those gathered before him.

    The Weasley family turned up in force, with all a.d.u.l.t members present. Alastor Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Minerva McGonagall was able to make time for the meeting, even with her handling most of Dumbledore''s duties as Headmaster. Mundungus fletcher had come as well, between shady dealings of course. Severus and Sirius were glaring at each other, but keep civil for now with Remus mediating between the two. And finally a few old friends like Sturgis Podmore, Emmeline Vance, Elphias Doge and Dedalus Diggle had also been able to join. (I swear everyone mentioned was part of both versions of the order. The last ones were very minor, with most not even appearing in the movies.)

    "Now, as I am sure you have all noticed, this is a gathering of people who haven''t come together for a long time. I am also going to be truthful in the fact that it is as each present would fear, I am asking everyone here to once again join the Order." The Hogwarts Headmaster said seriously.

    "You can''t meant that... He''s back." A horrified Molly Weasley said in realization.

    "I am afraid so. Both young Harry and Aedan have confirmed this fact, as well as Severus and the former Barty Crouch Jr. Voldemort has returned. And unfortunately, the Minister has decided to deny this and began a smear campaign against me, believing I am after his position." Explained the elderly man.

    "That ridiculous! You didn''t want the damn job the last two times they almost begged you to take it. Why the hell would he think you''d want it now?" Asked an upset Sirius.

    "Because Fudge is an incompetent clown, so attached to his office that he forgets to earn it." Drawled Snape in response as he answered with a mocking look at his former tormentor.

    "Thank you Severus." Said Dumbledore as he stopped an argument before it happened.

    "But this would mean that the unlike before, the Ministry will be almost completely against us instead of Voldemort." A calm Remus said as he frowned slightly.

    "Yes, and I am already seeing some actions beyond recent Prophet articles." Dumbledore added.

    "I am certain Cornelius and his ''assistant'' are responsible for none of our potential Defense Against the Dark Arts Professors accepting the position." An upset Minerva said with a huff.

    "They even tried getting Amelia to back off on her spending for the department. Seeing her shut down that damn toad was satisfying to watch. Even shared the memory with a few other Aurors." Moody said with a small smile appearing on his scar filled face.

    "That was a good day." Agreed Shaklebolt with his own smile.

    "It''s good that Amelia isn''t getting blocked. Even asked if she wanted me to help out with that. She said no, but it''s cause the kid said that if someone in Dumbledore''s corner helps out then it''ll give the Minister an excuse to hammer her down." Said Sirius with a relieved look on his face at the mention of the DMLE head doing well.

    "Yes, I have no doubt young Aedan would make sure nothing could harm his loved ones." Chuckled Dumbledore as he imagined Fudge''s inability to touch someone ignoring his orders.

    "And why have you chosen to exclude Mr. Bones from this meeting Headmaster? He is strong enough to duel the Dark Lord alone, intelligent to an annoying degree and incredibly thorough. Clearly you also have a good relationship with him as well, so why is he not here?" Asked Snape with an odd expression present because of the suffering he has just been released from (Aedan''s homework, tests and class work) and his admittance of the boys power.

    "He has already warned me he would be unreachable for some time yet. I will invite him when he is available." His boss answered calmly. "But I would like for all of you to answer the question I have asked you: will you once again join the Order of the Phoenix and pick up the fight against Voldemort for our futures, the futures of our children and loved ones, and our country''s future?"

    Sirius immediately agreed, followed by the Aurors and Deputy-Headmistress, Snape''s apparent reluctant agreement, Remus joining in, the younger Weasley''s were more than willing to fight, the old members didn''t shy away, and the Weasley mother and father finally joined after hesitating a bit.

    "Thank you all. Now I will have to ask you to begin some assignments as soon as possible to begin our preparations for what is to come." The headmaster said as he was grateful for their trust.

    "Minerva, I will need you to continue taking care of Hogwarts as I maneuver." He said as she simply nodded in understanding.

    "Alastor and Kingsley, you two will need to support Amelia and keep an eye on the Aurors. We don''t want to have a repeat of last time and have some jumping ship." The order getting serious faces from the two as they nodded.

    "Arthur, your position will help us know if attacks on muggles or Muggleborns have begun, keep an eye open for such cases."

    "Severus, you already know what to do." Hinting at his role as a double agent, something he has already begun as he had met his former Lord and returned alive and reinstated.

    "Mundungus, you will need to be my ears for the underground. A lot has been happening in the last few years and I will need to know if change once again." The request getting the twitchy man to nod in understanding.

    "My old friends, I will need you to see if any of your contacts are willing to join the fight or help us. We will need more people to win." He said to the older returning members, getting agreements from them.

    "Bill, Charlie, I''m afraid for now you will mostly be on standby unless you have people you are certain could help. I doubt the Goblins would offer any assistance or that we could unleash any dragons any time soon, but your colleagues could be welcomed." This getting some slightly reluctant nods as they knew they couldn''t do much yet.

    "Molly, I would appreciate if you and your family could stay and make young Harry''s stay here more homely. The boy needs to be able to have good memories to face what is to come." He said in a softer tone as the woman agrees.

    "And finally I have am not sure how this will play out, but I need you to help me convince the werewolves not to join Voldemort again Remus. I know this is a lot to ask but..." Dumbledore began but was surprisingly interrupted.

    "Headmaster, there are probably no werewolves in entirety of Europe who would join him." Said Lupin with a confident smile.

    "And your certainty comes from where Remus?" Curiously asked Dumbledore.

    "Because they are all already in the country, living the lives they dreamed of." He answered with a smile.

    That statement shocked everyone in the room.

    "But that means hundreds of werewolves are in the country and no one knows about it?!" Molly said with a look of horror.

    "Actually, everyone knows about it." Smoothly answered Remus with a smile.

    "Then how come none of us have heard anything about this?" Questioned Moody with narrowed eyes.

    "Oh that is true and very clever. Young Aedan has played his hand magnificently." Suddenly said Dumbledore with a small laugh to himself as he realized what was going on.

    "Albus, what do you mean? What as Bones done?" A confused McGonagall asked.

    "It is simple, who was it that young Aedan employed when his business began that caused much controversy at the time?" He asked to the group.

    "If I remember correctly, wasn''t the ministry trying to take a businessman for gathering a lot of werewolves together to court a few years ago." Shacklebolt said in his deep voice, causing a lot of people to start connecting dotes.

    "And I never heard anything about that being stopped." Added in Arthur Weasley this time.

    "And the goblins are always praising BonesWorks due to its owners talent in making enormous sums and him being a friend of their nation." Bill Weasley then said as he remembered things he''s heard while working for Goblins.

    "So the kid was never stopped from hiring werewolves, constantly expanded and everyone just kind of forgot about his workforce since his products were just too good and no problem was ever reported. That means..." Sirius then summarized as his eyes widened.

    "Yes, he basically gathered every werewolf on the continent and then some, and no one realized. He''s built an entire functioning town for us, with homes, shops, schools, hospitals, security and many other services. And with his suppressant stopping everyone from transforming at all, he''s given each and everyone of them everything anyone of us dreamed of since we were bitten: normal, happy lives. It''s become the second largest magical settlement in the country and no one knows it actually exists." Remus proudly said as he happily told them that the problem Dumbledore feared was already adresses.

    "How do you know all this Lupin?" Asked Snape with narrowed eyes.

    "How do I know? I live there. More than that, I''ve been in charge of the schools there for a while." The werewolf happily answered.

    "That great! Now I see why you finally got some proper clothes Moony!" A cheerful Sirius said as he patted his friends back.

    "Yes, I couldn''t even imagine such a life not too long ago, but now I will protect it like nothing else. I am certain the other residents feel the same as I Headmaster, but I will keep an eye on things just in case." The werewolf said with conviction.

    "Thank you Remus. I believe that will be all for the moment. If anything arises I will contact you using one of our old codes. Good luck to you all." Dumbledore said as he concluded this meeting with some pleasant surprises.

    -Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, London

    "I am disappointed in my so called loyal death eaters. So few returned to me even after they''ve felt my return. It seems I will need to remind them why they fear me. But I must also reward those loyal to me, and for that I must free them from their chains. Now Lucius, tell me about our progress." The Dark Lord said as he looked at the half-filled table before him.

    "Yes my Lord. It seems the Minister is hellbent on denying your return, instead believing Dumbledore is after his position. It has been easy to whisper in his ears and make him believe his delusions. As a result he is currently working to remove the man from all his current positions, even his place as Headmaster. The smear campaign using the Prophet has already begun and I have been using my network to support his endeavors." The long-hair Malfoy Lord informed his Lord.

    "Good. Dumbledore cherishes his place at Hogwarts above all things. Taking that away would hurt the man deeply. His lost of power and the buffoon helping doing our work for us is useful to gather power." The less lovable close encounter rip-off said with a creepy smile.

    "The Vampires clans we''ve been able to contact have also been coming around to agreeing to an alliance in order to create a solid foothold in Britain for the first time in nearly a millennia. They are looking forward to feasting again and are ready to take some targets for us already." Lucius now said as his master sat in his seat.

    "Those creatures will be useful for now. Make sure they do not infect anyone and that we are to be the rulers, not them." He replied as he looked down on the bloodsuckers.

    "Now unfortunately my lord, I have some disturbing news." The lieutenant now said with nervousness creeping on him.

    "And what would that be Lucius?" Tommy boy asked as the room became deathly silent.

    "Our investigation into a few old colleagues who have not returned brought back some troubling news. Aside from McNair getting himself killed in a drunken bar fight, it would seem a few have simply disappeared within the last two years. I believe someone might have had a vendetta and took matters in their own hands. We have not been able to find any clues to even confirm their deaths, much less who could be responsible, but whoever they are it is apparent they are not amateurs." The man explained with caution as he observed his lords reaction.

    "You mean to tell me someone out there dared to target my men? Those who would have answered my call. And you can find no trace of anywhere?" Voldemort said as the tension in the room built.

    "I beg your forgiveness for our incompetence my lord. These events happened so long ago and no one ever investigated them due to their past. We have failed you." Lucius said as he dropped to his knees in the hopes of mercy.

    "This is troubling Lucius. My loyal followers should be rewarded and now someone has killed them. I will look into this personally after we liberate those in Azkaban. Now finish your report." Tom said as relief washed over the Malfoy head.

    "Thank you for your mercy my lord. And as for the rest of your report, two leads to gain allies have been found.

    The first is the unrest and resentment towards the ministry within the underground due to a great increase in arrests and deaths occurring. The so-called Golden Wand is both respected and feared there, with many wanting revenge. A good source of wands to add to our cause.

    The second is that I should contact Greyback, interestingly it is a different Greyback that I found. Fenrir has recently been killed by his own daughter, who took over their ''pack'' and turned them into some kind of mercenaries. She hates the current ministry and wishes to personally behead Dolores Umbridge for her efforts to collar her people. Simply pay her and she will be more than willing to follow. She is also less savage than her father, but much more skilled and efficient. We already have a contract ready and are simply waiting for your approval my lord." Lucius reported, glad nothing else went wrong so far.

    "Good. Fenrir was a rabid dog which would need to be put down anyway. Sign the contract with the daughter, she will do. And bring me men from the underground, our numbers are lacking if we truly want to achieve our noble goals." The dark lord said as he was pleased to gain more forces to do his bidding.

    "Now tell me about the boy." He then ordered as he cooled his feelings.

    "Potter has disappeared, no doubt Dumbledore is doing everything he can to protect him until the school year begins. After that it will be near impossible to touch him after what has happened in the last few years. Too many threats have put his guard up." Answered Lucius with seriousness .

    "As expected. The old man will not let go of his pawn so easily. Now what about that insipid Bones who dared challenge me?" The Lord asked as he got heated again.

    "This matter has troubled us because he has simply disappeared. We have not been able to get anywhere close to his family either since it is now under Fidelius and we do not know who the secret keeper is or if Dumbledore was involved. What is even more troubling is his rise in stature happening all at once. He is set to become a member of the Wizengamot, he has been confirmed as my replacement on the Hogwarts Board and has been cleared to receive numerous masteries even after we''ve tried bribing officials." The troubled Lucius answered, hoping to not anger his master further.

    "From what Severus has told me, the boy has not joined Dumbledore''s little Order, this means he stands on his own so far. He has no force to call his own and is merely a child wielding power beyond himself. I was still weakened after my revival and could not put him in his place. For now Dumbledore will be our focus. We shall crush him first and then it will be all too easy to end the boy." Voldemort said as he focused on his longtime enemy and obstacle, instead of someone he didn''t see as a true threat to his army.

    "As you command my lord." Lucius answered as he bowed.

    "Now all of you prepare to assault Azkaban!" Tom then commanded, making all Death Eaters bow in response as he stood up and left.

 Chapter 153 - Ch. 153 Wandless

    -Skellig Island, Ritual Site (Third Person POV)

    Throughout this lone island major changes were occurring unbeknownst to anyone.

    If someone capable of observing or even properly feeling magic came close to the island then they would have noticed it without fault.

    The massive amount of magical energy constantly being gathered and then released, as if an giant was breathing the energy in and out.

    That was not all.

    A strong and steady heartbeat resounded throughout the island as well.

    THUMP! THUMP!

    THUMP! THUMP!

    THUMP! THUMP!

    And sitting in the middle of the constant flux of energy, sat a lone young man, from whom the heartbeat which could be heard from anywhere on the island emanated.

    His silver-white hair gentle floating as if a breeze was flowing against his near perfect face, eyes closed as his expression showed a peaceful mind, his simple white robes where spotless even after being outdoors as they softly floated as well. But the most interesting thing about him was that he did not sit on the ground, no, he was floating as he seemed to have achieved the fabled levitating meditation.

    The young man then gently opened his eyes, revealing glowing white eyes with hints of blue dancing across them. The simple action making the pulsing magic enveloping the island to rapidly gather towards him, forming what appeared to be a vortex of energy as it all gathered within him. As everything rushed to him, he inhaled deeply, feeling the every bit of what was occurring within him as he let it flow. And as the last bits finally, he calmly unfolded his legs to stand on his own two feet and exhaled slowly as his eyes slowly returned to normal, showing his strikingly blue eyes.

    "I hope not too much time has passed." He said with a calm face as he took in his surroundings.

    The area around his ritual circle had greatly changed since the last time he looked.

    "I''ll memorize these runes now and study them later. It''ll be an interesting project to understand what magic itself crafted." He said as he looked at every new line, after removing the new flora with a wave of his hand to not miss any details.

    After being satisfied, he lifted his hand, making a small keychain, with what looked like a rectangular box charm on it, fly right into it, having summoned exactly that.

    "A quick clean, some proper clothes and I can head home." He said as the small box grow into a large trunk with the initials AMB written on it with gold lettering.

    He opened the trunk and reached into it, only bringing his arm back after he pulled out a white t-shirt, blue jeans, black boxers, socks, white Nike''s, a pair of silver bracelets, and two rings, one golden with an emblem on it and the other sliver with a ruby.

    Casually removing his white robe and letting his now n.a.k.e.d form free, one could see masterfully sculpted muscles across his entire body, but also the scars which showed that it was not without sacrifice.

    He quickly dressed himself in his casual outfit after a soft light covered his body for a moment, put away the white robes he had been wearing and shrunk the trunk back to keychain size. Then with a satisfied smile, he nodded and suddenly burst into blue flames. Disappearing from where he stood a second ago.

    -Bones House (First Person POV)

    With a burst of blue light I appeared in the home I grew up in and smiled.

    "Hey, I am home!" I loudly announced with a smile as hurried steps could now be heard from different sources.

    "Young Master!" A tiny as always Tilly cried as she popped in and hugged my leg with tears in her big eyes.

    "Hey Tilly, glad to see you too." I say with a warm smile as I pat her little head as she hugs my leg tighter.

    "Big Bro!" Another voice cried out as Susan came from outside wearing her magical gardening gear.

    ''Puberty is really helping my little sister. I am going to have to make sure the idiots know as teenage boys don''t get any funny ideas.'' I thought as I looked at her.

    She had a light tan from her time outside as she tended to her plants, with an athletic look from her training with me and her hair gaining the reddish taint which runs in the family. But the problem was, her secondary s.e.x.u.a.l characteristics were coming in and with a bang. Her c.h.e.s.t was seemingly developing by the day and her h.i.p.s couldn''t be hidden even with school robes anymore. And with her face turning from cute to elegant, she is going to be able to wrap those hormonal twits around her fingers.

    That train of thought was interrupted as the maturing girl enveloped me in a crushing hug.

    "Hi there to you too Suz." I simply said as I hug her back, making sure Tilly isn''t being crushed between the two of us as they both keep hugging me.

    "I missed you bro! Nobody has heard a word from you in a month! I was getting worried." The girl said as she hugged me even harder.

    "Sorry for worrying you. I honestly didn''t know how long I''d be gone." I said as I tried to appease the emotional girl. "At least one month is pretty good, means I shouldn''t have missed that much."

    "I wish you would be correct when you say that Aedan, but this has been a difficult month." A third voice then said, making me notice Mother standing at the bottom of the stairs as she looked at me with an expression of relief.

    "I''m back mom. I''m really sorry for worrying all of you, but I had a pretty good reason." I apologized immediately for worrying one of the people I cared for the most in this world.

    "You better young man. Leaving for so long without a word during this kind of political climate." She sternly said with a light glare my way.

    "I''ll explain as soon as these two can let go of me and we sit down." I answered with a troubled expression as i gesture to my two additions.

    "Not happening." Susan said as she dug her way in further.

    "Tilly will never let go of the young master!" The house-elf declared as she clung to my leg.

    "It does look like that might take a while doesn''t it." Amelia said with a bit of schadenfreude as she left me to deal with it.

    It took 15 minutes and promises of pampering for Susan and getting pampered for Tilly to obtain my freedom.

    After that we could all sit down and have a proper discussion. I did send Victoria a message, telling her I was back, but she was busy doing her shift at St. Mungo''s. I wasn''t stupid enough to just assume that''s what she was doing and not send her a message because she couldn''t come anyway, that would not end well for me. Women tend to want to know these types of things as soon as possible.

    So here I sat in the lounge with mother and Suz, while Tilly happily went to prepare snacks, drinks and food for later.

    "So tell me your reason for disappearing Aedan. It better be good because, even if you are considered an a.d.u.l.t, I can still give you a tongue lashing which will haunt your nightmares." Mother said as she narrowed her eyes.

    "Alright, during the tournament finals, when Harry and I disappeared, I did more than just see what happened, I fought Voldemort." I truthfully said, getting a flinch from both Bones ladies.

    "YOU DID WHAT!?" A very angry looking mother yelled.

    "I fought and tied Voldemort in combat which I held back a lot. I wanted to see what he could do and I couldn''t kill him because of that stupid prophecy, so I made it a tie." I answered calmly, not wanting to add gasoline to the fire by getting emotional.

    "He''s really back?" A pale looking Susan said as she asked softly.

    I got up from my chair and gave the nearly trembling girl a hug to comfort her.

    "Yes he is, but your big brother is better and stronger than him. I fought him without using my original spells, without my white magic and without my modified spells and I still tied with him. Hell, the only reason that happened was because of why I went away this time. So don''t worry about him Suz. I''ll be there and protect you both from that fool. And if he tries to even touch the two of you, he will learn to fear someone in this world. Like our school motto say ''Never tickle a sleeping dragon.''" I say in a effort to reassure the girl.

    "So he won''t be able to take you away?" She hopefully asked with tears in her eyes.

    "I''ll never leave until you want me to Suz." I gently answered as i give the girl a head pat.

    I took a few minutes to get her to fully calm down, but we had time. So now I had a teenage Susan sitting on me for reassurance as the conversation resumed.

    "You mentioned a prophecy involving Voldemort. What did you mean by that Aedan?" Mother asked cautiously as she found that particular detail to be rather important.

    "The one with the power to defeat the Dark Lord approaches.

    Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies.

    And the Dark Lord will mark him as an equal, but he will have powers the Dark Lord knows not.

    And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.

    The prophecy which created the Boy-who-lived. The thing which stops me from hunting that hairless fool and ending him. Harry needs to be the one who takes him down. It''s also why Professor Trelawney is at Hogwarts despite not being a good teacher." I explain as I say the prophecy word for word. Something no one besides Dumbledore actually knows at this point in time.

    "You mean to tell me that unless Harry kills him, he will never truly be gone?" Amelia asked, thinking of the boy they had brought into their home for a few years now.

    "Yeah. Neither me nor Dumbledore can kill him because fate has been spoken for. Harry needs to be the one to confront the man. After that I don''t know, but I will not stand by and do nothing while this is happening. He''s like my own little brother and I''m not going to let him fight on his own. I''m also not going to let those bigoted idiots help their Dork Lord either." I declared with absolute confidence in myself.

    "And this is why you disappeared for the last month?" Mother then asked.

    "That was for two reasons: during my duel I felt the next step in the growth of my strength and I needed to take that step before I forgot the feeling from my duel." I answered with a nod.

    "And how strong are you now Aedan? From what you told me last year, you should have already been stronger than Dumbledore and Voldemort." Mother seriously asked.

    "Wait! You''re how strong?" A surprised Susan suddenly said as she jolted up from her nuzzling position.

    "Last summer I was as strong as the Headmaster and Darth Bigot, but now I should be stronger than both at once if I''m right." I answered with a confident smile.

    That statement made Susan''s jaw drop and even mother was having some difficulties.

    "Tea is ready! I also have all the best cookies!" A happy Tilly decided to say, breaking the women from their stupor.

    "Um, thank you Tilly. Please just leave that on the table." Mother said as soon as she snapped out of it.

    "Yes mistress." The happy elf said as she set the tray of tea and cookies down and went back to the kitchen.

    "And how did your month away help you achieve such power young man?" She then asked as she focused her attention back on me, the question also making Suz look at me with great curiosity.

    "That''s a bit more complicated.

    You see, during the duel, Baldy unleashed Fiendfyre when he was on the back foot. To counter it, I summoned a bunch of water and form a barrier out of it in order to contain and eventually put it down. During that intense clash, I suddenly went into something like a trance, feeling magic flow through me freely, as if I was part of magic itself. The feeling let me summon an insane amount of water to douse the cursed flames, but the struggle resulted in both of our energy reserves to run dangerously low, so I called it a draw and fell back.

    I then held onto that feeling for the next month, trying to grab a hold of it anytime I could get some time to practice, but the feeling was always just out of reach. So I decided to plan things out to succeed and prepare for what I knew was to come. I planned for everything i could think of and prepared my subordinates for my extended absence the best I could. I finished my masteries, tests and paused any experiments and projects which would have to involve me. I set up our plan mother, making sure we couldn''t be targeted by Fudge''s idiocy, and I made sure everyone else was protected properly.

    After school was done, everything went into motion and I secluded myself in a place with plenty of ambient magical energy to help. I tapped into a lay line running through an uninhabited island and stayed there until I could properly grasp, control and master that state without using the lay line as a crutch.

    The results were surprising and spectacular.

    My magic is no longer contained in my core until I need to channel its energy to cast something. It is now constantly flowing throughout my entire body. It is like my own blood now. My body is stronger, faster and more resistant. My mind is clearer, can think at faster speeds and can take in information with even greater ease. I can cast any spell with at least half the time required and effort necessary over before. And the amount of energy needed to achieve any spell at the power I could before has also been reduced.

    But the most surprising thing is that I no longer need a wand, because my wand fused with me. We became so in tune with one another, and I become so strong that we became one.

    I have a few theories on how that could happen and if this could happen to others, but nothing concrete yet. The end result is that I am now, probably, the only wizard alive who uses magic, without any assistance whatsoever, freely." I said as I finally finished my explanation of what I did, why I did it and how I have changed.

    "I am still not pleased with you taking such a risk during the tournament, but I am glad you did not do something foolish during the last month. I do not want you going down the wrong path for power." Mother said with worry in her voice.

    "I won''t, I promise. I am also pretty sure this is going to be a one time thing, or at least it''s not going to happen for a long time. I''ve been getting stronger too fast and even if my body is way stronger than most people, it is better for me to let it properly adapt and develop from here on out. Plus, no way I am going to start using Dark Magic, it''ll ruin any chance of me ever creating more White Magic." I reassured her with a smile, making mother nod in response.

    "So you don''t need or even have a wand anymore right?" Susan suddenly asked as she looked up at me.

    "Yeah, it''s part of me now." I answered simply.

    "How are you going to be able to make everyone able to use your new magic if you don''t figure out the wand movements then? It''s not like most people are capable of wandless casting." She asked, bringing up a very good point.

    "Hmmm. Solid point there Suz. I''m guessing I''ll have to go see Mr. Olivander for something at least adequate. He''ll be positively ecstatic to hear I fused with my wand and I''ll need something which can at least conduct some of my strength to keep making new spells. Guess that''s something else to do this summer, thanks for bringing it up." I say to the girl as I nod in acknowledgment and give more head pats.

    "I am sure the man will almost faint from the excitement you will bring him." Agreed mother with a smile. "But you will have many things to do to properly catch up to last month, our so called Minister has been giving Dumbledore a very hard time lately and the political climate has been shifting lately. They''ve even managed to pass that horrid Werewolf law that Toad kept trying for while you were gone."

    "They will get what is coming to them in due time. The law is completely useless anyway since all of those in the town are protected by their magical contracts. I''ll talk to Dumbledore about how to handle the pressure and continue preparations for Voldy. We are going to keep helping your Department, but you''ll also have to sweep it clean of those with other allegiances. I''ve had my people getting ready for the last two months in secret, I''ll have to check up on all of that. Gonna also need to catch up on my Lordly duties, accept my masteries since I''m sure I aced them, and fulfill some promises to my lovely fianc¨¦.

    But for now, let''s just enjoy our time together. Tory will come after her shift is done and we can all enjoy a proper family supper. Turbulent times call for these moments of peace to help us keep going." I say as I let my worries and future actions go for the night.

    "Merlin knows that sounds perfect." Mother says as some tension leaves her body and she reclines into her seat.

    "Sounds good. That was a lot of shocking news for a night and I think eating without a care is just what the healer ordered." Susan nodded as she agreed with the plan.

    "Then Tilly shall make a feast!" The house-elf said as she popped in and out of the room with stars in her eyes.

    "I don''t think we''ll be able to move after supper, much less worry about things." I say with a chuckle.

    "I hope she going to make that new lamb dish she learned, it''s awesome." Susan added as she drooled a bit at the memory.

    "Tilly has the lamb sauce!" Was the reply to that statement as she double popped again.

    That statement gave me quite the laugh, letting me fully enjoy the feeling of being back home.

 Chapter 154 - Ch. 154 Gathering

    My time with my family is always something I treasure. To protect those I treasure, I will not hesitate to do what I must. And in these times, protecting them also means following through with my preparations, so I ordered a gathering of my subordinates.

    It has been a while since a full gathering had taken place, mainly due to how busy everyone had become. But this time they were all asked to come to the Folster home for a very important meeting.

    All of them started to arrive either together or one at a time, making me remember all the progress had been done since everything had begun.

    The Cromwell husband and wife are usually preoccupied by the Herald. Julian is the chief editor of the paper and he''s done a fantastic job in getting the Herald to where it is. I might have helped in its creation, but this paper has become the man''s baby. His wife Martha has become one of the most trusted names in the industry, known for being an unyielding seeker of the truth and not being afraid to step on the toes of high level ministry officials and nobles.

    Darius Stone, the third original founder of the newspaper, has been taking an active role in its expansion. He was one of the managing editors right under Julian, but has since moved to take charge of the booming Wizarding Radio networks we''ve developed. He is the voice of magical Britain, bringing life and emotions to a story.

    Sherry Holmes is, without a doubt, one of my most valued people. Her abilities and connections have risen to an incredible level. I guess having access to the most influential companies on the continent, vast sums of money, prior connections and many frustrated people does give one many opportunities to grow a spy network. Fun thing is that most people see her as someone who helps others get a job, and very few know just how terrifying she can be, with even fewer knowing she works for someone else.

    Then we have the Golden Wand herself, Elaine Summers. Her meteoric rise, occurring after being suppressed by a bastard with money, resulted in her being the idol of many women in the country for being strong and overcoming the corruption in the ministry. Even if I helped her, she deserves the accolades she''s received. I took care of that pig harassing her, gave her training and access to information, and that was enough for her to take off. Although I pointed a direction for her to go down, she still took down drug rings, dark wizards, murderers, crime families and even ministry officials. She''s tough, honest with herself and others, and skilled enough to put most Aurors to shame.

    The man in charge of my potions business, Master Timothy Matthews. After achieving an insane level of success, he helped my people basically take over the industry in Europe and Africa. Under his zealous lead, we''ve gathered potion masters from around the world who are almost begging to join us. We''ve created the holy land for any potion master or aspiring master. Even if you aren''t famous or a child, if you can create a new or improved potion then you are to be welcomed with opened arms. It has been hard to maintain such attitudes when people start feeling superior to others for being part of this, but Tim knows how it feels to be put down and does not tolerate any such actions.

    Next is the mistress of plants, Melody Chambers. Her success is beyond impressive, taking hold of the herb market and causing a revolution. Under my guidance and her own ingenuity, Breaking Grounds has become the leader in the field itself, always testing new methods of growing plants thought impossible to grow commercially and trying to create new and better hybrids. It also one of, if not, the largest employers in the continent.

    From my FIRM centers we have Anthony Wall. Development in that area has been rather slow by design. He has been in charge of helping new Muggleborns joining the wizarding world in acclimating as best as possible and give them the resources they need to actually understand what they are getting into. He is also the one organizing the various seminars happening in the centers and funds created to help those incapable of paying for their education or help them get back on their feet after it. He''s also involved in politics in a lesser extent, focusing on the passing of new laws which would make the conditions of Muggleborns and magical creatures.

    The head of the Muggle Toybox, Arthur Norm, was also asked to come. Now although he is not too directly involved in politics and this business isn''t as prevalent as my others, it is nonetheless important. The goal is to change the subconscious d.e.s.i.r.e to reject muggle technology in the magical community, and removing the idea of complete superiority which is still rampant within ministry officials and nobles. So he helps introduce smaller, but useful pieces of tech to help out and bring in muggle literature, entertainment and products to further that goal.

    Then there''s mister Oliver Gunn, the man in charge of Fortress Protection. His role his probably one of the most important for what is to come. Under his leadership and my funding and training, the men and women we''ve taken in have become a recognized force. Strong, skilled, smart and determined, with all of them being determined to try and do good. He also leads my Shadow force of elites alongside Scott and Jennifer, my most trusted ops unit. He is also one of the few in the know about what is going to happen and my own identity.

    I have also invited two more people to this meeting.

    The first being the man responsible for building my many safe houses, planing the werewolf town, constructing the hidden muggle and muggleborn sanctuary, and the future head my the development company, Samuel Fox. The man was hitting a very rough patch in his life, wife leaving with his daughter, debts because of various health and business reasons, and no one willing to hire in either worlds because of his dwarfism. So I Scott brought him in and we got everything under control after check for his skills and experience. The man was beyond what I expected, like if Professor Flitwick didn''t go into charms but construction instead. Hired him on the spot and helped him gradually build up his own team and crew as they fulfilled my orders. He''s been extremely loyal and dedicated ever since.

    My second new guess was actually an Auror who went through a similar experience like Elaine. Her name is Selene Rosier, a niece of Druella Black (n¨¦e Rosier), the mother of Andromeda, Bellatrix and Narcissa. Due to her belief in actually doing good for others and refusing pureblood ideologies, she was kicked out of the family at the age of 19 and left to find her way into the world. Luckily she managed to get a job as a trainee Auror before all that and mother and Rufus Scrimgeour weren''t about to let some Dark Family tell them how to run their Aurors. Unfortunately, they couldn''t stop some of the corrupt seniors or officials from harassing her and making her complaints disappear, leading for her to become oppressed and some pig trying to blackmail her into become his mistress in order to have pureblood in his children. We got Elaine to support the woman, I took care of that pig and got most of the people f.u.c.k.i.n.g with her suspended or fired, ending with an offer to help her out like I did with miss Golden Wand.

    Fast forward a few months, we got her trained up, helped her get a few good missions under her belt, and helped her name spread using the herald, resulting in an up and coming Auror with a good story behind her rising. We also have a new couple since her and Elaine really hit it off when they talked about their pasts, go on assignments together or hung out as friends. Turned out Elaine wasn''t just really open with her s.e.x.u.a.lity, but was bis.e.x.u.a.l.

    Not something most people are fond of showing off yet, but why should I give a shit about who you want to bang as long as it''s between two consenting a.d.u.l.ts?

    And so, with everyone gathered within the Folster Manor, I showed myself as my persona, followed by Scott and Jennifer as they had their game faces on.

    Jenny was able to use some tricks I taught her to come here under the radar, with a few of her trusted subordinates covering for her using some polyjuice potion and a few redirecting wards which will show the stand-in of someone tries to locate her magically.

    "Welcome back to my home everyone. It is a great p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to have you all here once again, all looking better than before." I say with a smile on my face as I make my way over to the group.

    "It has been some time sir Micheal, it is saddening that we could not discuss potions due to both of us being so busy in the last few years. Not that I am complaining, the last few years have some of the most fulfilling in my life." Timothy said as he enthusiastically shook my hand.

    "I am glad you have found joy in what you''ve accomplished Tim. And I do hope we have a chance to talk as well, it is rare to be able to properly discuss advanced potioneering." I reply to the potion master.

    "Yes, dear Tim has been ever so excited to talk to you once again sir Micheal. It''s all he''s been talking about for the last few days." Melody said as the Mistress of Herbology looked at the man with a teasing smile.

    "Oh please Melody. Not like you weren''t feeling giddy at the possibility of getting new ideas on how to grow a few of your plants. You''ve been humming all day." Tim countered as he made the Madame blush slightly.

    "So when are you two getting hitched? It''ll be front page worthy for sure. ''The union of plants and potions'' sounds like a grand title no?" A mischievous Martha said as she came near.

    "Now dear it isn''t our place to interrupt the process. Remember how we were when we started out in the Prophet? Always at each other''s throats we were." A chuckling Julian Cromwell said as he reigned his wife in a bit.

    "Yeah, certainly could argue your point in a way that made a lady angry back then. Your much better now, letting me have all the juicy news." His wife said in response as she traced his chin with seductive eyes.

    "Keep it in your pants in front of the boss you two. I get enough complaints about some of our single staff about your flirting during work. I don''t want to have to deal with that from him too." Darius said as he broke up their growing pink atmosphere.

    "It''s alright. Nice to see passion in a long standing relationship. Too many let that part die off as they age." I said to them with a smile.

    "Yeah, well I''m guessing our elusive boss didn''t invite us here with all this shit happening to see how we''re all doing. So what''s the news scoop boss?" A slightly huffy Martha said as her fun time with her hubby got interrupted.

    "I was wondering about that as well. Is it finally time?" One Oliver Gunn said as he approached me seriously.

    "Unfortunately the time as come." I affirm with a nod of my head.

    "Yo boss, what does Oli mean ''Is it finally time''? You told him something the rest of us don''t know about? That just isn''t fair now is it?" Elaine said as she burst through the crowd.

    "Elaine, I am sure sir Folster will explain things. You just have to wait a sec." Selene said as she tried to reign her girlfriend in.

    "I am rather curious myself. Does it have to do with the fact that you''re always gone and I can never seem to find any information on a Micheal Folster anywhere?" The investigative journalist asked as she narrowed her eyes.

    "Very much so Martha. But I will ask all of you to join me in the dinning room for this discussion, it is a very serious matter." I answered as the seriousness of the issue was reflecting on my face.

    "If you would all follow me." Scott said as he took the role of my assistant/Alfred.

    With a quick change of scenery, all of my guests and I were now seated at the table, with Scott and Jenny standing behind me on either sides.

    "Today I asked for all of you to gather because you are all to be involved or heavily affected by what is to come. You are all people I have trusted through years of work together or services done. Four of those present already know, to some degree, what I wish to discuss today. Scott, Jennifer, Oliver and Samuel have all been been involved with projects directly impacting the situation, hence they are aware of what I am about to tell you." I say with a somber expression, pausing for a moment." Voldemort is truly back."

    The room become silent and still as those present took the declaration in.

    Pretty much all of them have been impacted by Voldemort''s last campaign. They have had to run or hide, lost people, been attacked, have lost their homes or have been told about what happened by those who''ve suffered through it. Most of them are muggleborns too, making them clear targets of Death Eaters.

    "Sir Micheal, are you absolutely certain about this? Dumbledore has been claiming the same thing, but I thought you were skeptical about this due to your orders to not involve ourselves." Julian questioned as he was the first to put away his shock and having his inner journalist take over.

    "I would not be involving everyone present if I was not 100% certain. I also have proof of the fact that the Dark Lord was never truly dead." I answered as I drop another bomb on them.

    "But Sir Micheal, what about the-boy-who-lived? Does that mean he never defeated him?" Timothy asked with nervousness apparent in his voice.

    "Harry Potter was never truly the one to stop him at the time. From what I''ve learned, his mother was the true cause of his survival and Voldemort''s fall. She used an ancient form of warding and intent magic as she sacrificed herself to save her child, and as a result the Dark Lord''s magic backfired, leaving Harry with his iconic scar and His attacker supposedly dead." I answered evenly as this revelation shocked the residents of the magical world again.

    "How have you found this out Sir?" Darius asked this time.

    "Various clues, but the biggest was me being able to look at Harry Potter properly." I answered simply.

    "You found him?! He disappeared after that night! How did you find him sir?" Martha suddenly burst out at my response.

    "He was hidden away so that those who were able to escape proper justice would not be able to kill him in retaliation. His location has changed due to various circ.u.mstances, hence any further information would be useless." I responded to the journalist.

    The information I had revealed was rattling the group in front of me, causing them to stew in silence.

    "Sir, how exactly have you found out about all this. I have been closely monitoring everything ever since the end of the tto wizard tournament, but even with my network I have not been able to confirm what you just did." Sherry asked as she felt a bit of a blow to her pride as a spy mistress and information specialist.

    "It is very simple, I''ve fought Voldemort and talked with both Harry and Dumbledore directly." I directly answered the woman as her eyes widened.

    "You fought him and lived?" Oliver asked, blown away.

    "I tied against the man. And that''s without the new magic a few of you have been learning. This fact is part of the reason I have been unavailable so much: I needed to grow stronger for the times to come." I said to the whole table, getting everyone wide eyed.

    "Y-you''re as strong as Dumbledore and He-who-must-not-be-named!?" Elaine said as she forced out her feelings.

    "Much stronger now actually. That''s why I had to delay plans for a month. I felt a new path during my fight and needed to follow it before it was too late. I wasn''t even sure how long I would be gone for. Luckily it was only a month." I corrected her, making a lot of people look at me in disbelief.

    "And is that the second thing you wanted to discuss with us sir? Because I don''t think we can handle another surprise." A nervous Julian said as most of the group nodded in unity.

    "Well it looks like you should all brace yourselves then." I answered with a chuckle at all the mind-blown guests.

    "Boss, I think you''ve had enough fun. Just do the big reveal." A tired sounding Scott said from behind me.

    "I was getting to it." I said with a quick glance backwards. "Well, as a few of you know and some might have guessed, Micheal Folster is not my true name."

    "I knew it! I knew that was the reason I couldn''t find anything on you!" Suddenly erupted Martha a she had a triumphant look on her face.

    "Dear, you could have let our boss finish what he was going to say." Sighed her husband.

    "Fufufu, I suspected this as well, but it is a very common thing to do when one deals with things in the dark. I just assumed you wanted to stay hidden and let this puzzle lie." Sherry said with a smile.

    "He does have his reasons, that''s for sure." Grunted Oliver as he heard her statement.

    "Oh? You knew? How surprising, I didn''t take you for the sort to keep such a shady secret." She then teased the man as she leaned towards him, displaying her rather large assets.

    "Nothing shady about it, just a safety precaution and smart move to not get stopped." Oliver defended himself as he look away.

    "Ara ara. No need to be so fl.u.s.tered." She continued to tease in response.

    "Just f.u.c.k you two, honestly. I for one, want to know who our boss really is." Interrupted Elaine, coming to the rescue of her former trainer.

    "Ahem. Thank you Miss Summers. Now you were saying boss?" The head of one of the best trained forces in the wizarding world said as he forced his face to remain impassive.

    "I don''t mind watching the show play out a bit. This is good stuff." I replied with a grin on my face as I make the man groan in embarrassment.

    "Boss please!" He asked as a cold sweat started to form.

    "Fine fine. Anyway, a picture is worth a thousand words so I''ll just show you who I really am." I said as I undo my disguise with a mental command.

    And so, under the eyes of over a dozen people, I change from the m.a.t.u.r.e looking Micheal Folster that they know, to my true appearance.

    It got quite the reaction.

    "You''re Aedan Bones!" Exploded Martha once again.

    "I knew there couldn''t be so many geniuses in such a close time! Now it makes sense why Folster and you could bring out so many new potions!" Exclaimed Timothy as he stood up.

    "Well then, it''s no wonder you supported the Creature Island project young Christian started." Melody said as she understood more of my reasoning.

    "How in the world have I never picked up on any of it? I feel like I''m a bad spy mistress now." Pouted Sherry as she sulked a bit.

    "Yeah, threw me for a loop when I found out I got schooled by a kid too." Agreed the former Auror and badass Death Eater hunter.

    "Wait! Does that mean I tried to f.u.c.k a kid?!" Elaine then yelled out, making everyone quiet down real fast.

    Except for one person.

    "What do you mean, you tried to f.u.c.k him?" Selene said as a sinister aura seemed to materialize.

    "Oh don''t worry, she thought I looked to wound up when we first met and offered a casual thing. It happened years ago, so no cheating." I clarified, making the demon face that started appearing recede.

    "That means I said some mean things to the bosses face!" Martha suddenly realized as well.

    "No worries. It was interesting being at the other end of your pieces. No offenses were ever taken." I say as I calm the explosive lady down.

    "I am sorry to say this, but does this mean everything has been a lie? Do you even actually care about how muggleborns, magical beings and half-bloods are being treated? Or was this just a way for you to make money off of us?" Anthony Wall, the FIRM manager, asked as he now made everyone quiet down.

    "No, I have not lied about my goal of truly improving this side of the world. Too many things are in the wrong and so much could be done to improve. Each and every one of you is helping in doing exactly as I hoped.

    The Herald is now the trusted news source for the UK, with truth and journalism as its core concepts, keeping everyone accountable for their actions and publishing fact based news.

    Breaking Grounds Apothecary has kickstarted a new wave in potions, allowing for more innovations in the last few years than the last few centuries.

    Natural Cultivation have helped bring in a new age of Herbology and helped employ hundreds if not thousands of people from all levels of our society, helping reduce homelessness, poverty and improve their positions.

    FIRM as become the true welcoming grounds for muggleborns, a place of learning and acceptance, where anyone can improve or find employment. It has become the spark to help improve the way people deal with muggleborns and a shield to protect them from worsening conditions.

    The Muggle Toy Box helps the same cause, breaking down the wall between both world and showing that things can be better if we stop looking down on muggles and learn to assimilate what we can.

    And finally, Fortress Protection has become a symbol for proper protection in Europe. When ministry forces are too corrupt, tied up, limited or incapable, we have shown that no one is truly above the law and that you can be safe.

    Everyone else is helping change how things are in the ministry itself, one step at a time, by helping good and dedicated people shine in the face of blood supremacy, bribes and corruption.

    Everything we have built up in the last years was to prepare our influence and importance to make true and lasting change.

    Hell, even as myself I have been doing just that, but focusing on werewolves. My creations also help bring new ideas and push for development to better magic and how we interact with, while also helping one of the most marginalized groups in the magical world.

    Nothing I said to you about that was a lie, but now things have changed. We must first deal with Voldemort and his ilk before we can truly change how this country works. Only by defeating the very embodiment of what is wrong with today''s society can we make the lasting changes needed to help future generations. And this is why I came clean to all of you today." I answered as I told the pure truth as I looked directly into his eyes.

    Everything I said is true. This is what I wanted to achieve, but I knew I had to get through Voldy first. I just never said that part to anyone besides a few who would be directly involved in the fight against him.

    "I believe you. I am sorry for doubting. I just didn''t want my hope dashed again. I am too old to lose everything." Anthony said as he apologized for his doubts.

    "I understand, when a relationship is built on a lie, doubts are inevitable." I said to the man, fully understanding why he asked his question.

    "Now, I am Aedan Micheal Bones, Lord of Noble House Bones, your boss and one of the only people capable of beating Voldemort himself. Will you continue to stand by me and help me defeat this symbol of fear and bigotry from a bygone age?" I then asked with me finally letting out my majestic aura, letting feel some of my strength and will for themselves.

    "I''ve been waiting for this for too long." Oliver simply said since he already knew all this.

    "As long as you don''t tell your aunt about that little offer, I''m down." Elaine said with a chuckle.

    "It''s already my job to take care of people like Death Eaters and it would be wonderful if that old pig starts doing naughty things again so I can take him down personally." Selene added as she squeezed her girlfriends hand.

    "I can''t really stand in the front lines, but you''ll have all the potions and poisons you''ll need from me." Timothy soon said with his own determination.

    "I believe many of my babies will be more than helpful in the times to come. I am also sure some of our allies would be more than willing to help us acquire rare things." Melody joined in.

    "I believe my eyes and ears will need to change their focus for a bit. Don''t want any little snakes to slither unnoticed." Sherry added while a little laugh.

    "Humph. I''ll show all those inbred idiots just why people say the pen is mightier than the sword." Declared Martha with a fire in her eyes.

    "I would rather you not get yourself killed, so I''ll make sure my lovely wife doesn''t do anything too stupid." Her husband followed up with a sigh.

    "Gotta make sure they don''t get away like last time." Darius said as he backed him up.

    "FIRM will definitely be a target, but with Mister Gunn''s men, I''m sure we can beat back those fools." Anthony said as he stepped up.

    "I know we can''t do much to really help, but I am still not afraid to keep the course." Arthur added as he stood besides his former colleague.

    "I''ll keep working on the sanctuary like I promised Lord Bones. You gave me a chance at a real life again, I didn''t run then and I''m not running now." Samuel said as he stood on his seat with determination on his face.

    "Thank you all for standing by me. Not much will actually change for most of you for some time in truth, all plans will continue on as previously agreed. The main differences will be Fortress sending a number of guards at each of your business and also additional hidden troops to fool the enemy in case they attack. Sherry will now focus on the ministry and Noble families. Elaine and Selene will help keep an eye out for turn coats within ministry ranks, with anyone you suspect can be looked at immediately. Tim will be focusing on products helpful for healing, combat and infiltration on down low. Melody will do the same but also think about defense. Anthony, you and some selected staff will be trained in proper emergency protocols to control the situation if something were to happen.

    The Herald will continue to maintain its neutrality for now, I want to catch Fudge and Umbridge by the nuts and remove them from the Ministry completely. We wait for them to slip and make them pay. We''ll need real leaders in the coming days.

    Everything else will continue as planed and all preparations will be done in absolute secrecy. I do not want any side catching wind of our war prep." I order as a king would his vassals.

    "Yes sir!" Everyone in the room said in near unison as they accepted my commands.

    With that, everyone quickly departs to start working on what they need to do with determined looks on their faces, leaving me alone with Scott and Jenny before I also excuse myself to leave the two alone. They haven''t seen each other I a while.

    ''Now that that''s taken care of, I need to deal with Dumbledore and his Order. I have no doubt he''ll try to recruit me. But that''s for another day.'' I thought as I returned to my family for some relaxation.

 Chapter 155 - Ch. 155 The Order of the Phoenix

    After my meeting with what I would call my inner circle, I''ve been very busy catching up to what I had missed during my month long absence and making sure my new and prior orders had been and are being implemented properly.

    From what my network has told me, the ministry is behaving pretty much as predicted.

    They''ve put pressure on the prophet to run what they dictate and have avoided trying to antagonize the Herald due to it being privately owned and even Fudge wasn''t stupid enough to poke a sleeping dragon when he''s already dealing with enough fires. The pressure I''ve been exerting on the Prophet from my side stopped it from trash talking Harry so far, I''m sure I''ll manage to keep it that way.

    It seems like the Minister is currently focusing his attention on removing Dumbledore from his positions in the government. His first goal seems to be the supreme Mugwump position so he can try and pass whatever he, his toad and the little snake in his ear, want. Funny thing is, Dumbledore never cared about any position beyond his Headmastership. The man just wants to stop others from repeating his mistakes and help young minds grow in positive directions. (Even if he hasn''t really done the best of jobs.)

    It seems mother took my advice to clean up her department, only a few Death Eater and Ministry stooges are even in the ministry at the moment and everyone else has been sent out on crap assignments while she consolidates her position. It helped her that, after his ''assassination attempt'' two years ago, Fudge decided to have his bodyguards be from Fortress instead of Aurors. Many were insulted by this and became less enthusiastic in following the man''s orders, followed by constant cuts to the department and then mother stepping up, it was almost easy for her to completely take command. Now she only has to worry about ones who would follow Dumbledore''s lead like the last war.

    On the other side of things, Jennifer has given me a good enough report for someone who''s only recently been brought into Voldemort''s side. She obviously hasn''t reached his inner circle or gained the trust of anyone in it due to her statuses as a werewolf and a mercenary, but it is still good enough information.

    The most important piece was that they''ve hidden themselves in the Malfoy Manor like the canon, under the Fidelius Charm as well, making searches generally useless. Now, although we can''t get in or find the building itself, we can still do plenty to monitor them. This is linked to a minor detail people forget when they lay the charm, you might make people forget about its location and force them to not be able to find it, but you can''t remove the records about it from existence and Malfoy Manor is at least 300 years old. So instead of monitoring the house, we focus on the surrounding area and make sure we know what happens as best we can. It helped that we already had known Death Eaters under varying levels of surveillance.

    I know they are capable of using apparition or maybe portkeys to get in or out, but they need to appear outside the manor unless the Malfoy''s add everyone that needs to go there into their family wards. Fat chance of that happening, so logically most would need to show up outside and within the range of my people. We also have people in the ministry of transportation at all times, helping us keep track of Floo network activity.

    Her second piece of intel she brought was about their plans to break their people out of Azkaban. Voldemort already knew where the prison was and already began the process of getting the Dementors on his side again. What he was really planning for was on how to remain hidden while he builds up his power again. He knows that he can''t take on the entire country with what he has so far and the people he''ll get from the breakout will need months to recover at least. This means he needs to stay in the dark for now.

    There was a minor change in canon from my decision to remove a few of his men before his return and that is the moving up of the jail break. It is minor so far, but I will need to keep an eye out on what he will do to build up his army after my other actions in the underworld and werewolf communities.

    Her last major piece was her own assignment from her ''new lord''. He seemed to be testing her abilities by ordering her to track some people down and recruiting them. He wants her to help his lieutenants find old allies still in Europe and some of the outcasts of the magical world.

    I didn''t have a problem with such an order since it lets me monitor who his allies will be for a while and give me a chance to poach some people who could actually do good from the ones who don''t want to follow the maniac.

    Then we have Dumbledore''s side.

    His honestly hasn''t seen much action or progress so far.

    I know for a fact that he''s recruited Shacklebolt already and I assume Moody brought in or is about to bring in Tonks, but that seems to be his limit in terms of activity in the ministry itself. I don''t know how many personal connections the man truly has, but he is limited by the fact that he is currently the minister''s number one undesirable.

    Remus sent me an message about staying in the village, which I am told is asking permission to be named Freewolf, most likely to keep an eye on the population in case some decide to follow Voldemort. Cautious but ultimately kinda pointless as long as I maintain the trust I''ve built over the years. As for the name, I don''t mind since it isn''t stupid.

    Not a sound strategy to just try and stop your enemy from gathering allies while not building up your own. I understand why the man does things like this, but it tells me he can''t fight a war. He''s already too broken to take on the burden of being a general in this fight and ending his foe.

    His only other move was to contact me almost as soon as he received my notice that I had finished my seclusion, asking for a meeting at Grimmauld Place as soon as possible.

    And this is a meeting I would attend after I finished dressing myself properly since I only sent Dumbledore the notice after I had finished the majority of my work.

    I simply chose to wear one of my black bespoke suits. This meeting will be a very serious affair due to him most likely asking me to join his order.

    I had warned mother that I would be heading out after my work was done, saying it was business. She was used to it and simply acknowledged my notice.

    No point in telling her what I am truly going to do when I am not going to become a member of the order. Mentioning this particular topic would make mother freak out due to the actions of my parents and their subsequent passing.

    I sent a quick message about my impending arrival so they could send someone to let me in on the secret and apparated without a single sound.

    With a silent apparition just outside of where I remembered Grimmauld place being, I was suddenly struck with the realization that I couldn''t remember where the address I was going to was. I couldn''t see nor remember it. It felt really weird for me to forcefully forget something due to my eidetic memory.

    Then I noticed one Sirius Black coming my way with a cheeky smile on his face.

    "Well, looks like even you can''t escape the effect from that spell." The smirking man said to me.

    "And that is why so few people are actually capable of casting such a spell in the first place. Doubt you could Padfoot." I responded as I countered the man''s grin with my own.

    "I''d have that spell figured out in a week." He c.o.c.kily answered.

    "Yeah, after Remus explained it to you step by step and then helped you cast it." I say as I make his ego take a solid hit.

    "You can''t let me win can you?" Sirius with a bit of drama.

    "If I ever let you win I''ll never hear the end of it. But seriously, how have you been? How''s the lordship been treating?" I ask, moving on from the messing around.

    "I can say with certainty that I could live without it. So many pieces of paper, stuff from years ago, people annoying me to go to this ball or that function, idiots asking for money and then I have to deal with those annoyances who are indebted to the Blacks. It''s all such a pain in the a.s.s and I''d rather be bitten by flees again than sign more papers. I feel like I can''t even wave my wand after finishing everything." Sirius said with a great big sigh.

    "Yeah, the paperwork is a pain. But that''s what happens when you don''t have any real training or experience in dealing with it." I replied looking at the man''s pained expression at the memory of paperwork.

    "There must be something good that came out of having full control over the Black family." I said as I tried to help him out of his funk a bit.

    "Well, it was fun to kick out cousins Bella and Cissa from the families. Andy''s been great and her daughter his a barrel of laughs. Glad to reconnect with some decent family for once. I also can''t wait to see what will happen as a result of me cancelling the marriage contracts my two less likable cousins have. I hope it makes the papers." He answered with a smile as he tells me about implementing the suggestion I had given him.

    "Ever the prankster huh? And wait a minute. Did you say your hand hurts from paperwork? Haven''t you gotten one of my paperwork quills? They''re a great help." I informed the man as a realization hit me, making him look at me like I''d just provided him with the key to salvation.

    "How come no one told me about these things?!" He then exclaimed with what appeared to be sorrow.

    "Well, they probably assumed you would have already looked for any way to have to do less paperwork and gotten at least one already." I answered as I thought about the man''s usual character.

    The man didn''t even answer me at that point, probably due to me having just correctly guessed exactly what he''s done already. He just passed me a piece of paper with the address of 12 Grimmauld Place and the I could immediately remember the place as it appeared.

    When I got to the place it was quite the surprise. The renovations Sirius arranged did wonders to the place, and with the wards and expansions properly reactivated by Lord Black, the place looked quite different from the movie.

    The floor was redone using nice cherry wood, with the old dark green wallpaper replaced for a Rosewood one and the carpets removed. I''m guessing he essentially changed the place out of slytherin colors and into Gryffindors. He also took down the old portraits of past Blacks besides his uncle Alphard. The various cursed objects were removed, old furniture replaced or fixed up and I could see a newly redone kitchen as we walked towards what I would assume was the meeting/dinning room.

    We reached the place and sitting at the table was most of the Order waiting for us.

    Dumbledore was obviously there, but neither Professors McGonagall or Snape were amongst those present. Tonks, Moody and Shaklebolt were seated with Molly and Arthur Weasley. Mundungus had made it and was trying to sell something shady to Remus as Bill and Charlie Weasley watched.

    "It seems I''ve made you all wait, my apologies." I said as I enter the room.

    "Ah, Aedan. A p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to have you with us. I assume you know most present today." Dumbledore said as he welcomed me.

    "Actually, I at least know of everyone present today. 3 Aurors from my aunts department, one being our supposed to be teacher last year, the second being someone my aunt thinks highly of and the third being an old friend. Then we have one of my successors parents and people I''ve been in contact with regarding Harry''s well being, their eldest son who recently transferred to the English branch of Gringotts after working as a curse-breaker in Egypt, the second eldest who worked in the dragon preserve in Romania I nearly had majority ownership off. There''s Remus, who actually works for me, and one Mundungus Fletcher. I know everyone here, but I am surprised someone as self-serving as him would be invested in fighting again. I guess you can find courage in the most unexpected places after all." I say before Dumbledore does unneeded introductions.

    "How could you possibly know about my transfer? I''ve just done it." Bill asked, stunned I could know about him.

    "I am a friend of the Goblin nation and I am very good at finding information I want. And in these times, I make sure to keep track of those related to the ones I am related to. Your family has done good by Harry and Ron could almost be considered my student in the art of Dueling and Combat, hence I know about the entire Weasley family in great detail." I answered smoothly as I revealed a bit of my abilities.

    "Madame Bones has not exaggerated your abilities it seems. Thorough and intelligent indeed." The deep voice of Shaklebolt said as he evaluated me.

    "I have heard more than a few positive comments about you as well." I politely answered as he chuckles a bit.

    "Wotcher, where have you been for the last month? You said we could hang out this summer." A wild Dora said as she looked right at me.

    "Sorry Dora, after my little fight against Voldemort I felt the next step in my growth and it couldn''t wait any longer. I am actually surprised it only took me a month to finish, but I am back and stronger then ever. You can come visit whenever from now on alright?" I say as I try to placate this emotional friend of mine.

    "Fine, but you better show me the good stuff when I come. You promised to teach me some things mister super genius." She said as she relented and smirked.

    "Nothing but the best for my friends." I agree without hesitation.

    "You said you fought the dark lord kid? Then why aren''t you saying he''s back? It could force Fudge to admit it." Moody suddenly piped in as everyone looked at me for a reason.

    "A few reasons honestly. First is that Fudge will never admit to it unless everyone sees that Voldemort''s back. He''s always done everything he could to burry the problems leftover from the last war and the Dark Lord being back would ruin everything he has ever achieved.

    Second is that this way we can actually have aunt Amelia get her department ready using our families wealth. We also decided to clean the Aurors and Hit wizards of Death Eater sympathizers and limited the activity of blood purists. This wouldn''t have happened if Fudge wasn''t afraid of pushing me over to your side and making his life a nightmare. This way only Dumbledore is under fire and at risk of loosing positions he doesn''t care for, while we can get ready.

    And lastly, the Order of the Phoenix has nothing to do with me." I said calmly as the last words make the majority question me simultaneously before Dumbledore raises his hand to stop them.

    "What do you mean Aedan? Will you not fight against Voldemort? I know you have a strong dislike for him and his followers. Please tell us why you do not wish to join the Order." The Headmaster asked as he urged me for an answer.

    "It is simple, I believe the way all of you have chosen to deal with the situation is wrong and that you are all severely weakened as an organization without the ministry." I answered without showing any emotions.

    "That''s preposterous! Your own parents fought alongside us until their death! How can you insult their ideals!" Sirius loudly responded as he almost glared at me.

    "And that''s why they died." I coldly countered as I made everyone present shut their mouths right quick, listening as I continued. "They fought a war trying not to kill those willing to slaughter, torture and **** countless innocents to achieve their goals. They decided to try to imprison animals who would escape, be jail broken or simply let go by corrupt officials, fighting the same people over and over again while those same people killed more and more of their allies. And I remember that even as they waited and hoped for help from this very Order, as my entire family was being slaughtered, they still fought to defeat and not kill. They then left me to be taken by Death Eaters and suffer under their hands. They then left the woman I consider my mother to weep at least once a week until myself and my cousin managed to help her move on. And even after the war was over, those same people who everyone here fought or lost loved ones to, were allowed to walk away from every horrible act they''ve committed using piss weak defenses and continue to harm people to this day.

    So I think I am fully in my rights when I say I do not approve of the way the Order operates and that I will continue to do as I wish to actually win the coming war."

    "Aedan, I know what you''ve experienced as a young age has marked you, but you cannot let yourself get lost in your hate." Dumbledore said with concern apparent in his eyes.

    "Headmaster, my decision is not based on emotions alone. This is the result of me taking every bit of information I had on the subject, every possible conclusions I could think off as a result of my choices and even historical precedents. This is my choice after listening to both my brain and my heart." I responded calmly as the man ponders his options for a moment.

    "I know you are strong Aedan, far stronger than me now, of that I am certain." That statement got a lot of shock from those present. "But you still cannot fight this battle alone."

    "Who said I was alone?" I replied with a confident smile. "I am more than ready for what is to come."

    "Then how about cooperation? I am sure we could help each other to pushback the encroaching darkness." Dumbledore suggested hopefully.

    "I am open to such, but it shall be limited to my side providing logistics and information for your information and possible movements. I cannot tell you about my movements for reasons I am sure you can guess Headmaster, and your order has nothing else which I do not already possess." I answered, laying down my terms.

    "I cannot possibly tell you about all of our movements. I am sure you already understand this, so I will only agree to disclose movements we could use you''re assistance with. Anything else would endanger our operations." The elderly man countered.

    "I am fine with that. I understand the need for secrecy and reporting all of your movements to someone creates problems. In exchange, if it involves Harry, I want to know. I will not be left out of the loop when it comes to my little brother." I offered in response to his downgrade.

    "I am more than willing to agree. Now, what do you mean by ''providing logistics''?" Dumbledore asked after closing issue.

    "I can discreetly supply you with pretty much any ingredient, potion, poison, equipment, trinket or book you''ll need for nothing. I don''t lack money and your group is too small to make any kind of dent in my stockpiles. I also have a good number of safe houses in the country no one knows about, perfect when on the run or to meet up. Anything else would have to be discussed ahead of time and you''ll need to ask to use one ahead of time because they are very well defended." I answered in a succinct manner.

    "That would be greatly appreciated Aedan." Dumbledore said with a grateful look on his face.

    "I don''t want to join, but that doesn''t mean I want good and honest people to die, especially when it''s not like I dislike any of you. I am more than willing to help, but I will be handling things my way and doing my own thing." I responded as I let myself relax a bit.

    "Thank you." The man simply said a smile returned to his face.

    "No problem. But now I believe I should take my leave. This is an Order meeting and since I have refused to join, I should get going." I said as I excused myself with a slight bow.

    "Ah, a moment Aedan." Dumbledore said before I could leave.

    "What''s wrong?" I simply questioned.

    "It appears I might need to call on your assistance sooner than I realized. This is just as an insurance policy, but could you keep your schedule open this year?" He asked as the man''s mind seemed to be troubled.

    "Aside from my new positions in the Wizengamot and Board of Governors, I will be taking care of my duties as lord during the day, hence not usually busy. The latter can almost be done whenever and the others will only happen occasionally, so my schedule is fairly free at moment." I answered truthfully since those would be my most regular activities.

    "That is good. I should be able to let you know if your aide will be needed by the end of the month." Dumbledore nodded with some relief.

    "If that is all, I shall take my leave. It is good to see all those present and hope everyone is the same the next time we meet." I finally said as I take my leave and exit Grimmauld Place.

 Chapter 156 - Ch. 156 Summer meetings pt.1: Getting some blessings

    The rest of my summer was more eventful than I had anticipated, with a few key occurrences happening in the month.

    The first of which really threw me for a loop.

    -Flashback to a week after forming an alliance with the Order of the Phoenix.

    ''Aedan,

    This missive is to inform you that we have successfully found the safe houses and no issues occurred in the process of syncing ourselves into the wards.

    Also, I would like to schedule a meeting next in a week and a half to discuss a rather stressful matter.

    Do burn this after you have read it.

    A thankful ally,

    Albus Dumbledore''

    "Guess the headmaster likes to make extra sure the message reaches me huh Fawkes?" I said to the bird currently eating one of the treats I give Sol, getting a happy chirp as a reply.

    I wrote a quick response agreeing to another meeting and gave it to the Phoenix, which flame traveled as soon as it finished its treat.

    Just as I was about to sit down to resume my daily portion of work, I was called for by mother.

    "Aedan, could you come down dear? I have something I wish to talk to you about." She said as she stood by the now open door to the office.

    "Of course. I''ve always got time for the ladies in my life." I replied with a smile as I stepped away from my desk.

    "It shouldn''t take too long, but we will have a guest." She informed me as we made our way downstairs.

    It certainly seemed like a guest was coming since three cups of tea had been set in the common room, with an excited Tilly standing by.

    "So who''s coming and how come you need me here?" I decide to ask due to it being kind weird for my presence to be required when mother is here.

    "It''s because this requires the Head of the family to be here. And the guest is someone you know quite well." She answered, avoiding my question slightly and making me raise an eyebrow.

    She then gestured for me to sit behind the single cup, which tells me that I will be on the receiving side of something like a proposition or request from whoever is going to visit, and that they are fairest close to mother since she is bringing them in and subtly siding with them.

    A moment after I had sat down, a knock could be heard, making Tilly excitedly pop over to the door to let whomever in.

    I calmly poured myself some tea as I waited for our guest, only looking up after I was done to see a fidgety mother and Sirius sitting in front of me.

    "Now this is certainly a surprise. I did not expect Lord Sirius Black to show up to our home without being told about it. I doubt this has anything to do with what we''ve discussed last week, so this begs the question: why are you here with my aunt as your inviter?" I asked with no small amount of curiosity as I calmly look at the two of them.

    "Ah, well, you see, it''s a funny story really, ack!" He stammered before mother elbowed him to get it together.

    "We have something to tell you dear, and it would be wonderful if you could listen until the end." Amelia then said after helping the nervous man out of his stammering.

    "I am all ears." I replied as I gestured for them to go on, while mother gives a commanding glare to Sirius.

    "Well, um, I''m here to ask permission to reestablish the marriage contract between myself and Amelia." The man squeezed out as mother nodded, leaving me a bit dazed for a moment.

    "Excuse me?" Was all that came out of my malfunctioning brain.

    "A marriage contract Aedan." Mother repeated as if she was making sure I''d heard correctly.

    "Yeah I heard him, but what do you mean one between you two? And since when did you have one in the first place if you want to reestablish it?" I replied as I questioned the two a.d.u.l.ts.

    "You see, when we were younger, we were both Aurors. We teamed up a lot, worked together on cases and watched each other''s backs. We got closer and I proposed since no one else could reel me in like she could. To make it official, the Bones wrote up a contract and we hashed out all the details. Then the war came and well..." Sirius explained as he was trying to deal with a serious topic which was obviously still s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e for the both of them.

    "You then went off and started fighting outside of the department and got yourself locked up." Amelia finished, still looking a bit peeved at the memory.

    "Mel, I''m sorry. I thought you forgave me for that." The man said as he tried to placate mother.

    "Ahem, sorry to stop the show. As much as I love to see you make the man sweat, I still have to clarify a few things." I interrupt before they can do a weird ''not married but acting like a married couple'' bit.

    "Like?" Mother simply asks as she ignored Sirius'' pleading looks for forgiveness.

    "So both of you want to get together?" I asked straightforwardly.

    "Yes. We''ve been talking and seeing each other for a few months now actually. I wasn''t sure what would happen, so I didn''t tell you or Susan." She answered after a small sigh.

    "And you''re going to give this guy a second chance." I asked with a questioning glance to one of the marauders.

    "Hey!" Sirius responded, probably feeling my thoughts about how irresponsible he is.

    "Yes, as childish as he can be at times, he is still fiercely loyal and protective of those he cares about." She answered as we both ignored his responses.

    "Even when he''s going to be acting as part of the Order again?" I questioned again since I knew just how much of a sore point that is in our family.

    "We''ve had long discussions about that little decision of his he took it without talking with me first again,"she said as she gave him a quick glare to cow the man," and he did bring up good points about his possible actions being limited this time."

    ''Him being a Dumbledore and Harry supporter is well known, so if he helps us as lord Black it will give Fudge ammunition to restrict mother for sure.'' I quickly thought as I continued listening.

    "And as much as loath to have people I care in that man''s group, I also know he would never stand by and let Voldemort do as he wished. If he did, he wouldn''t be the only man I love." Mother concluded with certainty as she looked at Sirius.

    "I promise you that I''ll do right by you this time Mel." Black said seriously as he looked into her eyes.

    "You better, or I''m putting you in Azkaban myself." She responded with a decisive nod, making the man shiver at the prospect.

    "At least I''m sure mother won''t be soft on you." I chuckled as I watched the two.

    "Hmph, he already owes me ten years. If he screws up I''m not forgiving him again." She harrumphed decisively.

    "Then I don''t really see any issues as long as mother is happy with this. I know what kind of man Sirius is. At times reckless and irresponsible, but he is also kind, caring and loyal. I don''t really see him cheating, even if he was wild in his youth, and if he does I know it won''t end well for him." I said as I give the two my approval.

    "Thank you dear." Mother happily said with a really warm smile.

    "Yeah, thank kid." Sirius followed in with a relieved one.

    "But," I said then interrupted before they could get too excited." The announcement and wedding will most likely have to wait until next year due to the political situation. You two marrying at the moment would turn Fudge''s paranoia and stupidity up to eleven, and I don''t want that to happen on your special day. So it''s either wait until Voldemort is revealed or hold a secret wedding."

    "Unfortunately, he is right Padfoot." Mother said looking a bit deflated.

    "Hey, hey! Listen Mel. I don''t need any kind of extravagant wedding as long as it''s happening with you." Sirius said with determination as he looked into her eyes.

    "You now what? I don''t need any of that either. F.u.c.k that sorry excuse for a flobberworm. I''ve waited ten years and I''m not letting his pathetic ego and intelligence stop me from marrying you." She declared in response as mother got very fired up.

    "If that''s what you two want, I can get everything organized in secret relatively easily. I just need to know who you''d want to be there and camouflage a few things. Honestly wouldn''t even be that hard to be ready by the end of the month." I chimed in before the two could go off the rail completely.

    "Oh Aedan! What did I do to get such son?" The now very emotional Amelia said as she hugged me.

    "Haha! With the kid taking charge, I doubt anything will go wrong!" A happy Sirius proclaimed with a hearty laugh.

    So with a laughing Sirius, the huggiest mother I''ve ever seen and a house elf who apparently had her own camera, I added wedding planning to my list of duties that day.

    -End of Flashback

    After that, I started preparing for two weddings, mother''s and my own.

    We agreed to have Amelia and Sirius marry on the 30th, then they can both take a week or two to one of my private islands or villas for a honeymoon after the kids all go back to Hogwarts. Mother taking a week off will probably surprise a few people, but an excuse of her wanting to get away from all the politics for a short time isn''t really shocking, especially with the woman not taking many vacations since she took office.

    As for my own wedding to my lovely fianc¨¦, I am just waiting on her mother fully recovering to have it happen. So i thought ''since I already have all the people who make the best stuff for a ceremony coming, why not have it made for us as well?'' It not like our bodies will go through significant changes between when we get everything made and when we hold the wedding. The only thing that can do that is Tory getting pregnant, which we both know she isn''t. So with her approval, of course, I began the prep work.

    I was trying really hard to get both weddings done before the start of the second war. I want to break that death flag which pops up when someone says they''re going to marry after the wars done. Not letting that have any chances of happening.

    Fortunately, I now for a fact that Victoria''s mother is recovering very well.

    -another flashback, this time it''s two days after the Amelia/Sirius bomb. (It''s like a Naruto episode during this chapter.)

    "Master! Master! The mistress sent you message!" Tilly yelled as she ran towards me holding my personal vanishing box.

    Her excited voice broke my focus away from my training, forcing me to return to the ground. I was in the middle of understanding how wind and the sky interacts with magic and being close to both helped a lot during the process.

    "Thanks Tilly. Can you check and see if you''ll have enough time to whip up all the food well need? I just want to make sure we won''t need to call the Black family elf since he isn''t nearly as great as you." I asked the little elf as I received the vanishing box.

    "Tilly can make everything! Who needs crusty Black family elf when Tilly shows him that all he can really make is an idiot sandwich." She declared as I once again wondered if she''s met Gordon Ramsey at one point.

    She then popped away as I chuckled at her enthusiasm and read the message Tory sent me.

    ''I need you at the hospital. She wants to meet you.'' It simply said, but it was enough for me to know how important this was.

    I quickly ran inside to get ready.

    A quick cleaning spell, a nice black bespoke suit with a white shirt, and I''m ready to go.

    I then head to the fireplace and wave my hand to change it to the Floo setting, grab some powder and yell "St Mungo".

    Not telling anyone since mother is with Sirius today and Susan is hanging out at Neville''s place today. The two really hit it off when talking about herbology and she''s been helping him pass potions. He''s a good kid, so I trust him to take care of her.

    What i forgot in the heat of the moment was that my sudden appearance caused quite a stir. I had momentarily forgotten about my rapidly growing fame, something which skyrocketed after I formally received my masteries.

    Still didn''t care as I snapped the receptionist awake and signed myself in without wasting anytime.

    Approaching my destination, I spotted my fianc¨¦ as she stood outside of it.

    And I wasn''t sure if my love for her makes me bias, but even in a matron outfit she looked damn fine.

    So as soon as I reached her, I picked her up with one arm and gave her a deep kiss.

    After a few seconds of enjoying that, I let her down, leaving her a bit out of breath at the sudden show of affection and red faced as she tried to maintain her calm demeanor.

    "So do I look presentable?" I asked with a grin as I received a light glare.

    "Yes yes. Hard not to look good when it''s you." She answered with a slight smile as she got over the kiss.

    "Feelings mutual. How do you make that frumpy outfit look so s.e.xy?" I respond with an appreciative look.

    "Stop it. Don''t want to get excited right now." She scolded as she slapped my arm. "But thanks."

    "My p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e. But yeah, I should probably calm down too. Kinda nerve wracking meeting the in-laws you know?" I say to her with a small grin.

    "At least you didn''t meet yours when you were barely a teenager." She shot back.

    "Oh please, that worked out great for you. Mother loved you before we even got together." I responded as I gave he a little nudge.

    "Well look on the bright side, at least you''ll never have to deal with actually meeting an overprotective father-in-law." She joked a bit.

    "Yes, and the closest on my side is Tilly, so I think you''re good. You might still have to pry her off of me when we move into our place." I added as we both chuckled a bit at the thought before Tory got back to the matter at hand.

    "Alright, well, she''s up and pretty much recovered. What she needs is time to rehabilitate her body and magic, as well as counseling to work through some psychological trauma. Apart from that she''s looking great. Just don''t talk about the shit stain and you should be good." She explained as she broke down her own mother''s condition.

    "Alright, easy enough. The only thing I would even bring up about him is the contract." I said with an understanding nod.

    "Yeah, I already explained that part so you''re good. I would be with you, but she asked to see you alone." Victoria said as she looked a bit worried.

    "No need for that look. It''ll all be fine." I say with a quick peck on her forehead. "Now wish me luck." I added as I opened the door.

    When I saw the woman, I could immediately tell she was truly Tory''s mother.

    They had the same raven black hair, only hers resting onto of her right shoulder with an elastic holding it all together near the bottom. (Classic dead anime mom hair.) The same emerald green eyes, proud and Noble features, and they apparently shared the same look when they were assessing others.

    I just calmly closed the door behind me, walked up to her bed and sat on one of the chairs beside it as I looked into her eyes.

    "It is a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to finally meet you ma''am. I am Aedan Bones, your daughter''s fianc¨¦." I politely introduce myself to my future mother-in-law.

    "Just Aedan Bones? Why not use your titles? Surely you have plenty." She questioned with curiosity.

    "I am talking to my future mother-in-law, status means nothing in front of that. I could be the Minister of Magic and I would still be scrutinized." I answered with a bit of a chuckle.

    "At least you understand that much." She said with a slight nod of approval. "So let''s get to main question and get this over with. Why should I approve of you marrying my child?"

    "Why wouldn''t you?" I asked back with a bit of an amused smirk.

    "Excuse me?" She responded with a surprised look on her face.

    "I mean, I''m sure you''ve thoroughly questioned Victoria about me already, so I am certain you already picked wether or not you approve of me." I clarified since there''s no way a mother and her daughter didn''t talk about their love lives.

    "Certainly wasn''t expecting that response. No matter, I want your answer." She said before basically demanding an answer from what her eyes told me.

    "Well then, I only have one answer to that question." I said as a smile on my face grew.

    "And that is?" She said as she wanted to coax the answer out.

    "Because I love her." I simply said with a bright smile on my face.

    "Because you love her? That''s it? That''s your answer?" She asked for clarification.

    "Yup." I affirmatively nodded.

    That caused the room to be quiet for a few seconds as it computed.

    And then she just started laughing.

    "HAHAHAHAHA! That''s right! That''s the only reason that matters isn''t it! HAHAHAHAHA!" She said between laughter so loud Tory decided to come in.

    "Why is mom laughing so hard? What did you do?" She immediately questioned.

    "I answered her question." I answered with a proud smile on my face.

    "That he did! And a proper answer he gave me!" Mrs. Travers said with a happy smile on her face.

    "What do you mean mom?" Questioned Victoria in her confusion.

    "You found yourself a keeper princess." Her mother answered at the same time as she avoided really answering like I did.

    "Does that mean we have your blessing ma''am?" I then asked as I moved on from Tory''s question.

    "Just call me Selene. And yes, you two have my blessing." She answered, making Victoria forget her questions as she just went and hugged her mother fiercely.

    "I''ll do just that Selene. Now all we have to do is get you out of this place and we can have our wedding." I said with a great big smile on my face due to the happiness.

    "Then I guess my genius princess will need to get to work so that she can marry her Prince Charming." She followed up with a teasing smile as she patted her daughters head.

    "I said I wanted to marry a prince one time after you read that story and you still hold it against me." Murmured Victoria in embarrassment.

    "Of course I will, I am your mother." Selene smugly answered with a little chuckle, making me feel happiness for Victoria getting such moments back at long last.

    -end of second flashback.

    ''Yeah, I can see why Tory loved her mother after meeting her. I woman who loves her family and wants the best for them.

    Good thing I left when they started planing her "husbands" downfall, cause those two can be quite scary. I think the man would prefer my hit squad over what his own wife and daughter have planned.'' I thought as I finished signing a few papers for mother''s wedding.

    The signature making me think of another rather surprising meeting I had during the month.

 Chapter 157 - Ch. 157 Summer meetings pt.2: Unexpected request

    You see, besides mother introducing Sirius as her renewed fianc¨¦ to me and finally meeting my future mother-in-law, those were not my most surprising event of the summer.

    A completely unexpected event which, I could only assume, occurred due to my actions and suggestions.

    -Flashback to two days before meeting with Dumbledore.

    "And that''s how you create my original Protego charm." I proudly say to Tonks as she began her fifth attempt of the hour.

    "Yeah, yeah, I got it. Just watch and I''ll show you how quick an Auror can learn this." The stubborn woman replied as she once again attempted to cast the spell.

    She had met all the requirements to cast the spell, but it is hard to get initial results due to some of the new concepts and emotions it uses. Kinda like how the patronus charm can be difficult for people to properly master.

    I could tell she was on the right track though, and having the creator of the spell walk her through it just sped her progress up immensely. It''s also been fun to hang out with her again. Victoria and I have been coaching her in my white magic ever since I made my little alliance with the Order, which Dora had finally joined.

    Although the two girls are pretty different, they''ve still formed a good friendship with each other. Tory has had troubles in that department because of her relationship with me and her own achievements which had intimidated our peers, while Dora was always ostracized due to her natural gift, petty jealousies and her fiery attitude due to having to deal with everything else that comes with being a metamorphmagus. So they found friendship and respect in one another, even if they''re a few years apart.

    "Master, you have an owl waiting for you! It''s very mean! Nipped at poor Tilly when she tried to take the letter." The little house elf said from behind me.

    "Could you tell who it''s from? I don''t really get any owls anymore and I wasn''t expecting any." I asked curiously as I looked away from Tonks.

    "No, Tilly couldn''t get the letter from mean owl. It''s not little master Harry Potter''s or any Ministry owls either." She answered with her head shacking.

    "Well, isn''t that odd." I said to myself as I thought of the possibilities.

    "What''s going on Aedan? Your mum need something from her precious boy?" She teasingly asked with a grin.

    "No, just an unexpected owl from an unknown source. But I don''t think you want to go to mothers considering how you still live under your owns thumb." I replied with my own grin.

    "Hey, I can totally move out whenever I want. I just prefer to wait until I become a real Auror. Besides, your the famous Lord Bones while I''m just an apprentice Auror, who should be ashamed of living with their mum now?" She fired back as she defended her still living with her parents.

    "Well, unlike a certain someone, my house is just about finished and that''s with me having only graduated recently." I off-handedly said in response as I brushed off her reply and turned to leave the training area.

    "Hey! Where are you going you prat?" She yelled as I left with the final word.

    "Gotta do my job. Someone sent an owl and not even the family elf can receive the letter, so that means it''s for my eyes only." I answered without turning back. "You''re doing a good job on the spell Dora, keep it up."

    With that said, I followed Tilly to the owl.

    It seems that the fellow was defending the letter on top of the dinning room table, looking at both myself and Tilly in wariness.

    I calmly approached it, making the black and grey eagle owl look at my face as I do. He apparently decided I was the one the letter was for and just did the owl equivalent of a nod with a hoot as I took the thing.

    ''Trained to recognize the receiver, means it''s from someone from a rich family, secretive, or just some shady people who know how to work properly.'' I thought as I analyzed some possible scenarios.

    I opened the blank envelop after a few quick scans to make sure it wasn''t cursed or a prank.

    ''Lord Bones,

    I have found myself with information you would find more than useful in these changing times and would like to request a meeting.

    I will be waiting at the White Wyvern whether you believe my claim to be true or not. If you do decide to meet, simply ask for room 3 tonight.

    Hopefully when can begin a mutually beneficial relationship.''

    ''No signature, pseudonym or titles. Annoying, but the letter does at least give me a few clues.

    The style of writing itself is precise, elegant and holds its own unique traits, traits consistent with strict Noble families who train their progenies from a young age. It looks like it should be a woman who at least wrote the letter itself, but that doesn''t guaranty the person who wants to meet me is one.

    Wants to keep their identity a secret and hints at knowing my true stance regarding the political climate, meaning this person knows I am against Death Eaters. The only ones who know this are my own people, the Order and the Death Eaters who''ve joined Voldemort already. Almost definitely from the third group since my men would have just told me and Dumbledore would have been straight with me instead of doing this.

    So the writer is almost certainly someone from a Death Eater family, wants to deal with me because they don''t believe Dumbledore is an option, believes I can be manipulated or easily fooled, or is looking for some kind of protection. This could just be an interesting assassination attempt too, but I think it''s the least likely possibility at this point.

    Overall, they have my curiosity.'' I thought as I tried to gauge the intent behind such meeting request.

    "Tilly, tell mother I will be out tonight and get my concealing gear ready for me." I order the elf, making her pop away immediately.

    I then sent a message to Oliver in order to have men waiting in the White Wyvern before I get there, just in case. They know how to be subtle.

    Couldn''t have Dora over for dinner today because of this surprise meeting, but we scheduled another lesson after my meeting with Dumbledore. And after a month of training she''s been showing a lot of improvement, leaving Moody quite moody that his apprentice was learning more under a kid like me. (Yes I had to do that at least once.)

    So after dinner, I equipped myself properly before heading out for my mystery meeting. I wore a basilisk/dragon hide vest under enchanted robes, had my hidden bracers on, my enchanted knife, my detection ring, emergency portkey, and all of it concealed by an enchanted hooded cloak which shadowed my face and body.

    And don''t judge, being the strongest doesn''t mean I''m invincible. Too many stories about betrayals, poisons, alliances just to take a person down and assassinations to believe no one can kill me. Heck, there''s still technically a possibility I could get killed by a random muggle. So constant vigilance and all that.

    Fortunately those who saw me were smart enough to not get in my way. A 6''3 man with a calm and steady walk, silent steps and leaking a small amount of my predator''s aura. It lets people know I am dangerous, or at least too dangerous to mess with for minor gains.

    Reaching the White Wyvern, I asked for room number 3 as instructed, giving a hidden signal to my men that I had arrived at the same time.

    The place hadn''t changed at all from the time I had my first meeting with Jennifer. Still an even worse version Leaky Cauldron. But I just ignore all that whilst focusing on possible movements and what lied ahead.

    Reaching the correct room, I prepare myself and let my magic flow through my entire body as I ready both offensive and defensive magic. I gently open the door, but my senses only feel a single occupant, which I doubt is Voldemort himself, so assassination attempt has dropped down on my list of possibilities. And just as gently as before, I close the door behind me.

    I then walk to the unoccupied chair set for this meeting as I look at the cloaked person sitting on the other. With every step I use my magic to form wards to block any form of apparition, portkey, elf magic or spacial movement, firmly locking the room off from anyone trying to get in or out besides me.

    This is a demonstration of my ability to cast magic from anywhere on body. If I understand what I am trying to do well enough and practice, I can cast a spell, set a rune/Ward and block magic using any part of my body. Of course, my limbs are much easier to use when i want to be accurate, but I can do full body magic.

    Then I add intent and deceit detections just as I sit down and give my focus to the one who I assumed called me.

    "That was certainly an impressive demonstration. I assume I am speaking to Lord Bones then?" The female voice asked as my piercing blue eyes were the only thing she could really see because of my enchantments.

    The cloak she was wearing covered her face and body well, but the materials gave her status away. Then her body language screamed that she wasn''t in her preferred environnement and her tone of voice and the state of her magic tells me she isn''t hostile at the moment.

    "The one and only. Should I be the first to take down my hood or are we going to stay like this? Not much of a point since we both know who the other person is." I asked the woman in front of me.

    "You believe to know who I am. I do not belittle your abilities, but I doubt you truly know who I am." She said in disbelief.

    "Your choice Lady Malfoy." I simply answered with a devilish grin as I removed my own hood, making her body stiffen completely at my answer.

    "You are more capable than I anticipated." Narcissa Malfoy said as she removed her hood and showed an expression telling me she was re-evaluating me.

    It was the first time i was in such close proximity to the infamous wife of Lucius Malfoy, but after looking at her carefully I could see she was quite the beauty in her day and still had enough charms to her name. Although her expression was calculative and cold, she possessed nice features of nobility, long blonde hair, blue eyes and fair skin. Overall looking very good for a woman and even better when considering she was approaching her mid-forties.

    "Yes, the little clues piled up and my own means of gathering information helped me narrow things down even further. But even then, you were one of my least likely suspects on my final list. So tell me, why would the wife of a death eater contact me after her families lord has finally returned?" I asked in a voice devoid of emotions as I looked at her carefully.

    "I am sure that you are aware of my cousins actions since becoming Lord Black due to your actions and relationship with him and young Mr. Potter. I will not doubt your intelligence after your performance. But his little prank, as he would see it, of revoking the marriage contracts of myself and dear sister Bella, is why I am here." She answered coldly as she kept her neutral expression.

    "And why would this truly affect you? From what I have seen and heard you care greatly for your family and have been the perfect pureblood Noble wife ever since you''ve married into the Malfoy family." I asked out of curiosity.

    "Because that contract is precisely the reason why I acted in such manner." She answered in her cold voice, but I could feel her intense emotions when talking about the contract as I looked into her eyes.

    She might have very powerful Occlumency defenses, but they are no match for my own Legilimency. This means that as long as we keep eye contact, I can get very accurate reads on her.

    "What exactly did this contract entail? Honestly speaking, it was my own suggestion to cancel them just to mess with your camp. I thought Bellatrix would at least kill her own husband after being freed, but instead I have the other Black sister doing something interesting." I then ask as I divulged my own role in the act.

    "That does indeed sound like something my dear sister would do if given the chance. I can''t tell what her contract entailed because I was never required to know, but my own I have thoroughly understood to find every in and out. Unfortunately for me, it was a very strict contract, given to the Malfoy''s to show the Black family''s loyalty to the Dark Lord. They wanted to offer myself, Bella and Andy to three of the most devoted Pureblood families supporting the Dark Lord to prove themselves. Andy got away by marrying her muggleborn husband, but Bella and I couldn''t go against what we were taught.

    My contract guaranteed the perfect wife of a lord, meaning obedience to the Lord Malfoy, working to improve the house, protecting my lord, giving him an heir and loyalty to the house. The contract could only be canceled by either the current lord Malfoy or Black, and I was hoping my son would be able to free me in time." She explained as I got a very good idea of what happened as a result of this contract.

    "The Blacks gave away their daughters as something closer to slaves." I summarized as I couldn''t believe the stupidity of such an action when the house was already declining.

    "Yes." Narcissa simply answered.

    "And if Bellatrix''s contract is anything resembling yours, it would explain a major part of why she is so loyal to Voldy. Especially if I''m guessing correctly that the punishment for not following the contract falls on you." I followed up as some new understanding of Voldemort''s fiercest follower was unearthed.

    This time Narcissa remained silent, but I could see a flood of memories had been triggered when I mentioned the word punishment. I saw glimpses of physical and magical torture, the contracts magic forcing her body and sometimes even her mind, it''s constant influence on her and Lucius'' less than kind actions as a husband.

    "And from your reaction, it would seem that Death Eaters make for poor husbands as well as pathetic men." I added with clear venom in my voice this time.

    "That is an understatement." She said as she regained her calm.

    "And now that you are free from such a contract you contact me. Why?" I finally ask in order to sate my curiosity over the nature of this very meeting.

    "I wish to offer you a deal. Your protection of me and my son for my services and loyalty." She answered with determination.

    "Why on earth would you come to me for this and not Dumbledore? One of his biggest traits is his offering of second chances to others." I asked in complete bafflement.

    "Because I don''t believe the old man can properly protect anyone besides Mr. Potter. Even then both of the child''s parents died under his protection, the Longbottom''s have been in St. Mungo''s for over a decade, your own family was nearly erased, Sirius was imprisoned under his watch, he didn''t know one of his most trusted was replaced by a death eater and he cannot match the dark lord anymore." She said smoothly as her voice remained cold.

    "This does not explain why would believe a 19 year old has better chances at protecting you, even if I tied against the Dark Lord in a duel." I countered as I wanted to know exactly why she came to me for this.

    "Although I was not certain you could match the Dark Lord at his peak before, my doubts on that were cleared the moment you set those wards without using a word nor wand. You have achieved something no one in our history has by acquiring so many masteries and at the same time no less. You are probably the ric.h.e.s.t man in the country due to your business. And you hold strong positions in the Wizengamot and even the Hogwarts Board of Governors. You can protect me and my child, of that I have no doubt if you try." She said evenly as she named the magical, economic and political power I hold.

    "Of course I could do this, but the question remains. Why should I? Why should I act for someone like you? Someone who still supports the idea of blood supremacy even if it is not to the fanatical degree many Death Eaters do. Why should I need your help to accomplish anything if I''ve already achieved everything you''ve said before even graduating from school? Why should I try to protect an ignorant child who will not change until he experiences what it really means to be a death eater like his daddy? Why should I not just kill you here and now?" I asked her in return as my voice gets colder and colder, releasing some of my power to put pressure on her.

    "Because I can help you completely ruin Lucius and other families." She answered as she tried to remain calm in front of me.

    "The only reason your entire family is not dead is because I''ve been hoping your son could take even a single step to change himself during his schooling. If you didn''t have a child still depending on you, the both of you would have disappeared long ago. As for the others, it is generally the same reason." I replied emotionlessly, making her eyes widen at the revelation.

    "I can help your business grow as I have with the Malfoy ones. I am the one who''s been managing everything for years now and Lucius barely pays any attention as long as the numbers don''t go down. He never noticed that I took almost half of the profits for myself." Narcissa added as I could feel her emotions racing bellow her calm face.

    "Why in the world would I trust someone like you to be anywhere near the management of my business? You just admitted to embezzlement." I countered calmly as I kept my cold eyes on her, pushing her more.

    "I''ll swear an oath of service until my life is no longer in danger, or even for a set number of years. I am an excellent potion mistress, a trained fighter, I know my way around businesses and politics, I am certain I could be of some use in exchange for your protection." She responded as her emotions started to show on her face bit by bit under my constant pressure.

    "But that still doesn''t change my fundamental problem with you Narcissa. You are part of and were raised by a family which believes in being better than others, while having all the advantages possible, but decides to actively harm our kind at every turn to maintain some semblance of power over others. You are part of the people who want to be nobles, but have forgotten about the responsibilities which come with that title. So I ask you again, why should I protect Narcissa Black?" I ask again as my blue eyes start to radiate power, putting even more pressure on the woman.

    "Because I... because I... I... I-I don''t want to be at their mercy anymore. I am tired of being told what to do, how to act, what to feel, when I know that it''s all stupid and wrong. I am tired of dealing with all that death and destruction when I want to be able to enjoy my life. I am tired of having to give up ever having love and being forced to act like love a gay man. I just want to be free and be able to be with those i care for." The woman in front of me finally said as her image as a Lady broke and she told me her real d.e.s.i.r.es.

    But when she did that, I got so confused that I unconsciously stopped emitting magic and pressuring her through the mind arts.

    "Say what now?" I asked in complete shock.

    "Huh?" An equally confused Narcissa said in response as she felt lighter all of a sudden.

    "What did you just say?" I ask again just to make sure I heard that right.

    "I want to be free?" She hesitantly answered.

    "No just before that part." I said as I urged her to repeat what I thought I heard.

    "I''m tired of given up on love?" Narcissa she confusedly said this time.

    "No, after that bit." I said.

    "I don''t want to act like I love a gay man?" She finally said.

    "Yeah that part. Is it true?" I then ask out of pure curiosity.

    "Um, yes. That''s why we only have Draco. We''ve only ever had s.e.x once and he did everything he could to make sure I became pregnant. He even used a ritual on himself because of his preference interfering." She answered in a bit of a daze.

    "Oh wow. I mean, I could kinda see it, but just wow." I said as nothing else could really come out because of this really interesting new fact which I was not expecting to learn at this moment.

    "So, does this mean you''re not going to kill me at least?" The woman then hesitantly asked as she looked at me.

    "No, I won''t kill you. I was honestly trying to see the true reasons as to why you would come to me. Not the reasons you tell yourself to maintain your dignity or whatever reason you think I would help you. I wanted to hear Narcissa''s reason, not Lady Malfoy or Black''s proposal." I answered honestly since she was able to tell me her own truth.

    "But does that mean you''ll protect me?" She hopefully asked this time instead of trying to almost demand a trade for protection.

    "Yes I''ll protect you. I will take you up on the offer to help manage my business because my circ.u.mstances will most likely change soon and I will become busier, but aside from that you will be generally free as long as you abide by whatever protections I set. You will obviously be signing a magically binding contract for obvious reasons, but it''s mostly about not messing with my business and confidentiality agreements. We will discuss the details later.

    As for Draco, I am sorry to say that at the moment he would be too likely to run back to his father and result in either your death or my losses. He has basically been brainwashed into thinking as he does and the spell will not be broken until he sees what he has been taught, truly means. But he is also going to be at Hogwarts during the year, reducing the dangers significantly. It will remain to be seen if either he can change or you can convince him." I answered, giving her both good and bad news.

    "I tried to have him not turn into another Lucius, but whenever I attempted to do so, he forced me to stop and punished me using that damned contracted. I will see what I can do before it is too late. He is still my baby, even after Lucius'' so called education." Narcissa said with a heavy sigh.

    Although she hated Lucius, her child was still innocent in her eyes and as any mother, she just wanted him to have the best future he could and that couldn''t happen under the dark lord.

    "You are free to do so. We will discuss how you will be protected in a few days if that''s alright. If not, I can bring you to a safe house immediately and have you disappear." I offered the woman.

    "No need for that. I have some things to do before leaving and Lucius doesn''t know the contract has stopped working yet. He keeps it locked away just in case I would figure out a way around something or maybe destroy it, so I will at least have a few days." She responded with a shake of her head.

    "Then I''ll give you one of these. In case the worst happens, that portkey will take you to the safe house I planned to bring you to. All you''ll have to do is say ''haven''. Better safe than sorry. We''ll talk in a few days then." I said as I threw a silver key to her.

    "Thank you Lord Bones, I look forward to working with you." She said as she caught the key and managed to return to how a proper Lady should act.

    "Just please don''t make me regret this. I truly wish for people to improve and move on from the poisonous views of people like the death eaters, but I am also not as forgiving as Dumbledore." I warn her one final time before I start removing the wards I had put in place.

    "I understand perfectly and will do my best to show that my words were not empty." She seriously responded as she looked into my eyes without fear.

    "I hope so Narcissa. I really hope so." I say as I took my leave.

    -End of Flashback.

 Chapter 158 - Ch. 158 Summer Events pt.3: The last event

    The last interesting bit of my summer came when I had my meeting with Dumbledore.

    It was nice having to deal with something relatively predictable after so many surprises happening in a single month.

    Mother got back with her ex-fianc¨¦ and the wedding is happening in a little more than a week, its organization is going swimmingly. I am conflicted about letting mother marry Sirius due to what I know of the man, but he''s making her happier than she''s been in a long time and I know for a fact he''s been straightening up his act even more. I know because I have eyes everywhere and they''ll help make sure he doesn''t hurt mother.

    Then I meet my own mother-in-law and was half grateful that I wouldn''t be the one having to deal with a father-in-law, mostly because my future wife and mother-in-law are in the finale stages of their plan to erase him. Let''s just say it''ll suck the life out of him. Then I have to make sure our own wedding plans are going well, which they are since I''ve decided to use some muggle ideas mixed with magic and my people are helping make sure I get everything I need.

    Then we have Narcissa Malfoy/Black. With her marriage contract cancelled and her getting my protection, she''s been a very busy bee. From what I can tell, she''s been transferring businesses to her name by convincing Lucius that as a marked Death Eater, he is very suspicious and that having everything in her name would stop people from being able to take them should he ever be arrested. The man actually agreed, meaning that it could deal a serious blow to the Dark Lord''s finances when I decide to pull the plug.

    Obviously I''ve taken counter measures against Narcissa. There''s no way I was letting a woman who''s been so close to Death Eaters for decades loose near me, even if I believe her, and she knows it. So we signed strict contracts for the duration of the second coming. In brief, as long as I am able, I shall protect her from Death Eaters and their lord, which isn''t really difficult for me in all honesty, and in exchange she would act in whatever means she could to support me against them. I give her safety and she gave me whatever she could against them, simple and straightforward but with heavy punishments on both sides. Had to make sure there were as few loopholes as possible since I know she can exploit those.

    But it was finally time to go for my meeting. So leaving my research aside, I went to wash and dress myself in a grey suit with classic leather Oxford''s.

    "Susan, are you ready?" I asked after having finished dressing myself.

    "Almost done. Just give me a minute." She answered through the door.

    Yes I was bringing Susan over. The meeting itself wasn''t just a meeting. It was more of a dinner I was invited to before I talked with Dumbledore, and since Harry and his friends were there I was bringing Suz along so they can hang out too.

    On a side note, yes I''m still doing plenty of research and spell creation during the last month. I just don''t talk about my day to day grind.

    Most of my paperwork is finished before lunch with my self-writing quills, aides and my own insane stats. My business basically runs itself and only some rare stuff requires my presence or personal help, so it mostly falls in the paperwork category. And with my vanishing box, I can easily talk with various countries in which my businesses are growing as well. Then I have my Michael Folster stuff, which I mostly get reports and files to request permission for certain actions, nothing linking directly to me, but my people are very capable hence leaving me with little to do since they also have my trust.

    The Board of Governors was not a frequent thing, only meeting three or four times a year if no severe incidents occur to discuss the current years projected numbers at the beginning, how things had been going during the winter, how the school year as a whole ended after exams, and then to discuss exam results and funding for the next year. So not a Time killer or anything, with my first meeting actually being in a few days. That is probably the reason why the Headmaster wants our meeting to happen now.

    Then I have my duties as a member of the Wizengamot. The schedule is rather inconsistant in general, but is also infrequent. During normal times, the members are rarely gathered in their entirety. The duties of members revolve around wizarding law, meaning we vote on matters regarding the introduction, abolishment or defense of laws, deciding the verdict of high profile trials and wether they merit being heard, and finally we hold the power to remove the current Minister of Magic and veto certain motions if enough members are in favor. This means in general, we only gather when enough is on the agenda, an important case is brought forward or an emergency is declared.

    So over all, I am able to finish my work in the morning with relative ease on average. Then I can do as I please, which is usually research, spending time with Tory, teaching the little siblings or training Tonks.

    I''ve actually been making some good progress in regards to magic due to my new state, constantly pushing further in either my white or neutral magic. My main focus being on pure magic manipulation and elemental magic when not creating new white spells.

    Putting all that aside though, I heard Susan come down and see her in a burgundy blouse, black tampered pants and black ankle boots as she does.

    "You look great Suz." I say with a gentle smile.

    "Thanks bro. Tory helped me pick out the outfit when we went shopping. You look good too." She happily said with a bright smile on her face.

    ''Really going to have to make sure no one tries anything on her.'' I thought as my (over)protective brother side reared its head again due to well puberty was going for my little sister.

    I then quickly concealed our appearances using my cloaks and apparated us to Grimmauld Place.

    I already knew the secret being kept and Susan has visited during the summer because she is a lot closer to Harry than she was in canon due to him staying at our place, so we didn''t need someone to invite us in again, simply walking to the door and knocking.

    Sirius answered the door and welcomed us warmly as a result.

    "Hey kids, happy to see you! Harry''s been asking about you, worried you''d been attacked by Voldemort and his followers." The energetic dog animagus said as he brought us in.

    As soon as we came into the door, we could see a flurry of redheads moving around the house.

    "KIDS IT''S TIME FOR DINNER!" I then heard the voice of Molly Weasley shouted, making the entire clan gather, with Susan excitedly rushing over to see her friends and get some food as well after she looked at me with expectant eyes and I gave her permission with a nod.

    "I see the Weasleys have made themselves at home." I say to the man with a chuckle.

    "Yeah, it''s mostly for Harry. Good to have more people treating him like an actual family member Dumbledore said. It also helps to keep him happy since his friends are here too and he can still do magic as he pleases." Explained the dog-father with bit of a smile.

    "He does deserve to have people care. But besides him, you ready for the ceremony?" I asked as we move towards the dinning room.

    "Nervous as all hell kid. Can''t stop thinking about what if I mess it up? What if we''re rushing into things? What if another war really happens? Can I properly take care of her? Can I make her happy? Do I deserve her after what I did?" My future uncle rambled as he passed his hand through his black hair.

    "At least I know you care, cause you wouldn''t worry if you didn''t. But I''ll say this, the only time you''ll ever really let her down is if you stop trying. So man up and just be there for each other, you both deserve someone to love in your lives." I say to the man.

    "Just be there for each other huh? Yeah, I can do that." He replied as he exhaled deeply.

    "Good. Cause if you make her cry I''m going to use you for target practice." I said with a nod as I then walked through the door to the dinning room.

    "Wait a sec kid! You''re joking right? Kid!" Sirius said quickly as he tried to stop me, but I just ignored him.

    "Aedan! You''re here!" Harry then shouted happily from his seat at the table.

    I looked over and gave him a smile while looking around. It looked like most of the Weasley clan was here; Fred and George were animatedly talking to each other about a new prank product idea for their developing Weasley Wizarding Wheezes, Ginny was seated with Hermione and Susan as the girls wanted to talk amongst themselves as their gender obliges, Charlie and Bill were talking with their father, and Molly had just finished placing the last plate down as she saw Sirius and I coming in.

    ''Looks like Percy still became estranged from his family for supporting Dumbledore.'' I thought as I noticed his absence.

    "Aedan dear, I''m so pleased you could come." The plump Weasley matriarch said as she ushered us in.

    "My p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e Mrs. Weasley. Thank you for cooking, I''ve brought a few bottles of wine that the a.d.u.l.ts can enjoy." I respond with a grateful smile as I open my bottomless pouch and take out four bottle of Bordeaux.

    "Oh you shouldn''t have dear, but thank you." She said as she happily placed the wines on the table.

    I then took a seat next to Harry, who immediately asked me questions.

    "Where have you been Aedan? I''ve been worried since I haven''t been able to come over. Sirius also told me you aren''t joining the professor''s Order, why not?" The growing teen asked and I could see on his face that he was overthinking.

    "Harry, everything''s alright. No one has done anything to me, so no need to worry.

    For your first question, well I was busy getting stronger. Took me a whole month, but if I could match Voldemort before, now I''ll flatten him." I answered with confidence, shocking the teen and those of the younger generation since the Order members already knew I was that strong.

    "And I''ve been rather busy planing Amelia and Sirius'' weeding while also taking care of my own." I then added with a smirk as I see that bit of information getting an even bigger reaction.

    "You''re getting married too!?" Harry and Ron shouted out at the same time.

    "Yup." I answered, amused at their reaction.

    "But you just graduated!" The still very shocked Harry said.

    "So? Tory and I have been dating for a few years and we''ve been engaged for a while now. The only thing we''re waiting on is her mother recovering so she can be there for it." I calmly answered as I saw the girls across the table grill Susan for all the details about that particular piece of information.

    "How come you didn''t tell me then?" Harry asked, looking a bit sad.

    "Well, we didn''t want anyone to know until Tory could make a name for herself outside Hogwarts. We didn''t want people saying she''s not actually that good and I was the one to do everything." I answered, placating him.

    "Oh, so she was too proud and didn''t want people to think you were the only smart one?" Ron then suddenly said in between bites.

    "That could be a way to say it if I wanted to get into trouble." I said with a nod.

    "Why would you get into trouble?" The two friends then asked in confusion.

    "You two will have a lot to learn and more than a few times you''ll annoy women." I simply answered to their lack of understanding as I began eating in full, successfully distracting Harry from his second question and my power.

    The rest of the meal was a lively affair, with everyone talking amongst themselves, catching up on recent events or actions, how jobs are going, excitement for the school year, worries about OWL''s for the fifth years and talks about the ministry.

    Near the end of the meal, Dumbledore finally arrived and looked quite happy to see the jovial mood of everyone at the table.

    "Good evening everyone, I hope I am not too late for desert." The old man said as his sweet tooth took over for a moment.

    "Not at all, just about to bring it out. Why don''t you take your seat and I''ll go and get it." Molly answered with a wide smile as she stood up to do just as she said.

    The matriarch quickly came back with a few different pies and started to distribute slices all around and only after everyone was done did the headmaster start talking as everyone looked at him.

    "Now that everyone has been well fed thanks to Molly, I would like to ask the children to return to their rooms for the night." Dumbledore said as he looked at the twins and fifth years.

    ""Oh come on! It''s our last year and we''re both seventeen!"" The twins protested as Harry, Ron, Hermione and Susan also look very dissatisfied.

    "You all will listen and go to your rooms. This is not something for children to hear." Their mother ordered as she glared at the twins.

    "But I can''t just not be involved when Voldemort is going fo try and kill me and anyone who gets in his way!" Harry countered as his emotions started to rise.

    "Harry my boy, you are too young to be involved in Order business. You cannot help because of your schooling and the Trace is still on you. It is simply too dangerous for you to be involved right now." Dumbledore countered as he looked at Harry with a sad expression.

    With actually valid points against telling anything, something the canon decided was too easy to do. I mean, just because Albus was weary about Harry''s link to Voldemort, he never gave him a reason and almost goaded the kid into proving himself by doing stupid things and making him very emotional on top of having to deal with the instability his connection added.

    Before he got too bad, I decided a moderate approach would help placate those still in Hogwarts.

    "How about we let them be present for the general information and less s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e information. After that I will take my leave with students to allow Order members to discuss important information and operations which cannot be leaked." I added in a calm tone, calming the kids and making them look at the a.d.u.l.ts hopefully.

    "Are you certain about this Aedan, you know my reasons." Dumbledore asked with a concerned look.

    "It is inevitable that everyone here will fight and being prepared is a lot better than fumbling in the dark. They can only be carefree when they know what is happening. I believe everyone here is loyal and can keep secrets, even the twins." I said as I remembered how each one of them has grown and were said to grow in canon.

    "I think that''s a good idea, especially for Harry. He''s always been involved in this, he deserves to know something." Sirius said in support as he gave Harry a smile.

    "But they are just children." Molly complained as her instincts to protect kicked in.

    "And the Death Eaters won''t care about that fact. It is better for them to know what is happening so they are not caught unaware or lured into foolish actions." I countered coldly as I turned my eyes towards the woman.

    Fortunately Dumbledore interrupted before Molly could flip out in an effort to ''protect'' the kids.

    "If you feel so strongly about this, then the young ones can stay until we discuss things which need to remain secret. After which they will all retire to their rooms." The headmaster said as he gently put his foot down.

    The students happily agreed to the compromise.

    "Good. Know I wish for everyone to know that I will no longer be able to act as Chief Warlock for the time being." The man said in a very serene matter, causing a good amount of people to be shocked.

    ''He opened with the heavier thing, but he doesn''t really care about the title only the fact that he will be unable to act as much in case a stupid law is introduced again.'' I thought as I looked at those present worrying.

    "This was a foregone event. Cornelius would never want me to stay in the position when he believes I am aiming for his own." The old man said in a sagely tone.

    "My aunt was able to stop Fudge from appointing his Undersecretary as your replacement with relative ease, but the Minister is still looking for someone sympathetic to his cause to replace you. I am currently looking into this and making sure no Death Eater or sympathizer replaced you." I followed up as I added my own information on the subject.

    "As I''ve heard, Amelia has done good to stop that woman from taking the position. Unfortunately, it seems that she and Cornelius are working on another angle at the moment as well. This one directed at Hogwarts." Dumbledore said as a more somber look appeared on his face.

    "But the ministry can''t just do what it wants in Hogwarts, only the Headmaster and the Governors have any say in its matters." Sirius said in a grave manner as he began thinking about what the Ministry could possibly do to harm Dumbledore''s position in Hogwarts.

    "Sadly, they have already begun influencing matters." The man said as people began to look concerned over Fudge''s actions.

    "And I am guessing that''s why the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor hasn''t been filled yet." I said in order to help everyone understand what has been happening.

    "Yes, it is my assumption that the Minister and his Undersecretary have been pressuring those I could call upon to fill the position." Dumbledore confirmed with a nod.

    "Can''t we do anything about this? It is clearly illegal to do something like this no?" Hermione suddenly said as her outrage bursted out.

    "I am afraid not. Wizarding laws have always been kept loose when it comes to the actions of the Ministry or Noble families. Without any concrete proof of such acts, it would be impossible to hold them accountable. Heck, the only reason I was able to screw Lucius over a few times is because I had so much against him. Any other time and he could simply walk out with a fine or bribe his way out." I explained as I remembered the fond memories of Lucius'' anger towards me.

    "I am afraid Aedan is correct miss Granger. But I do have a solution. Although young, I would like for Aedan to return to Hogwarts this year as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor." Dumbledore suddenly declared to the great surprise of those present.

    "I thought you would ask if things didn''t go well and I am ready to do so. But didn''t you reject Tom because he was too young?" I asked out of curiosity.

    "I am glad to have you aboard and I am sure your classes will be quite illuminating. Also, we both know that this wasn''t the true reason, simply an excuse. And I believe this little decision of mine would make him feel quite a bit of humiliation once he hears of it." The old man answered in a happy mood at the thought.

    "I pity those near him when he finds out. Poor Lucius will have to scrap and bow for days." I respond with schadenfreude.

    "Is that where they have been hiding?" The headmaster asked out of curiosity.

    "Yes, but we can''t do anything without proof and the place is under Fidelius as well." I answered simply.

    "Such a shame for poor Lucius then." Dumbledore said with some pity over the man''s future suffering.

    "Did you just say Lucius is hiding Voldemort!?" Arthur Weasley suddenly said loudly.

    "Yes, but it''s not like we can do anything about it at the moment. Haven''t been able to find out who the secret keeper is and even then I can''t be 100% certain Voldemort would be there. He could only be there for meetings, to issue orders, it can be a simple stopping point to confuse any would be tracking attempt or a ruse. So it''s better to simply observe for now." I answered at the same time as I stop him from suggesting an assault on the place due to his dislike of the Malfoy''s.

    "What has Voldemort been doing lately though?" Harry suddenly asked, getting everyone''s attention for a second before they turn to Dumbledore.

    "He has been trying to gather allies, old comrades, the desperate and cruel, the oppressed and angry, and those who would profit from his endeavors. This is something our own members have been trying to prevent, Hagrid being on his way back from his discussions with the giant tribes in Italy. Besides that, Voldemort has taken no obvious actions at this point, but we believe he might do something major to bring more to his cause in the near future." The headmaster answered seriously as he looked at those present.

    "I have received information that he and his men have started showing an interest in something kept in the ministry as well. I have not been able to pinpoint what his objective would be, but I suggest having your contacts be on the lookout for any known members or sympathizers wandering where they are not supposed to." I added as I hinted to the Dark Lord''s d.e.s.i.r.e to know the prophecy.

    "Thank you for this information Aedan, or should I say Professor Bones?" The headmaster said with a bit of amus.e.m.e.nt.

    "Whichever is fine. You always call everyone by their first names anyway. But I believe it is time for me to go, I know you''ll start discussing Order Operations from now on, which also means everyone else is leaving with me as well." I responded as I stood up and beckoned Susan to do the same. "Thank you for the food Mrs. Weasley, it was quite delicious."

    "Your welcome dear. Do take care of them this year, especially Fred and George. Merlin knows those two can get in all kinds of trouble." The woman said as she worried over her children''s futures.

    "I''m more worried about how many times I''ll catch them trying to get one up on me than anything else." I jokingly answered.

    ""We will prank you this year."" They declared in unison and with determination.

    "You never succeeded before, what makes you think you''ll be able to do it now?" I asked in amus.e.m.e.nt.

    (They''re doing the twin thing of finishing each other sentences and talking at the same time. It honestly doesn''t matter who says what here.)

    "We were-"

    "Still developing-"

    "Our arsenal then-"

    "But now-"

    ""We are ready to take you down."" They declared with a fire.

    "Good luck then. Now let''s go everyone and let the old people make their plots." I said as I led the younger group out of the room, being much more pacified by knowing at least some of what is happening.

    By the time we all got to the stairs, the kids had mostly digested what they had heard so far.

    "It''s kind of wicked that Aedan''s going to be our Defense Professor no? We definitely know he''s good enough and that he can fight." Ron suddenly said as he smiled.

    "Right, I completely forgot! Professor, what books are required for your class? It wasn''t on the list this year." Hermione quickly asked in worry as she looked at me.

    "I''ll be providing the necessary books myself. Wrote down everything someone should know depending on their year and something new. So they are completely new books that haven''t become available to the public yet." I answered with a smile. "Also, you don''t really have to call me Professor yet, I haven''t officially taken the role or signed anything."

    "I prefer to not get into bad habits Professor." She answered, refusing to not use my new title.

    "It''ll be great having you in castle though Aedan. But will we be able to have those lessons like before or like the summer?" Harry asked hopefully.

    "Yes. All of you will need as much training as you can get in the coming times. I for one, will not let you be unprepared. So I''ll organize something for anyone willing to learn this year, adding a little extra for you four." I answered as I pointed at Harry, Ron, Hermione and Susan.

    I added Susan because she is one of my biggest weaknesses and the most vulnerable one. Mother is one of the best witches in the country and is usually surrounded by Aurors and trained combatants. While Tory was personally trained by me and has hidden bodyguards protecting her at all times, which she knows and understands why. So yes I will train her properly too.

    "Hey that''s not fair-"

    "What about us?" The twins asked.

    "Well, I was planing in helping you guys open your joke shop and investing in it." I answered with a smile as I looked at the open mouths.

    "You,-

    "Aedan Bones,-

    "Want to-

    ""Invest in us?!"" They now asked in a blown away manner.

    "Yes." I simply confirmed.

    "Why would-

    "You do that?"

    "Because I am a businessman and you two are actually completely brilliant when it comes to things such as pranks and creating new and interesting products. Also, I did help Tonks prank quite a few people in my first few years, so I know quality when I see it." I answered with a proud smile.

    "You pranked people?!?!" A nearly shrieking Hermione asked as if she''d just heard something impossible.

    "And I never got caught." I happily added as I made the poor girl malfunction, making Ron and Susan laugh, while Harry also found my antics funny enough to break out into a smile from his light brooding.

    "Fred, I think we should take up the man''s offer." George said with a crafty smile as he looked at his twin.

    "You know George, I was thinking the exact same thing." Fred said in agreement as they both turned to look at me.

    ""You''ve got yourself some partners."" They then said in unison again.

    "Cool, I''ll have you guys come in or send you a contract. It''ll be very good terms for you guys since I''m more in the hopes of making people happier with this one." I said as I shook both their hands at once.

    "You know mom is going to flip when she hears this right?" Ginny suddenly said from besides Susan.

    "Like I should care. I get why she wants all of you to get jobs in the ministry, but that just won''t happen. Even before all this crap, the ministry barely offered stability and a proper income, the biggest reasons why she wants all of you in it. The problem is that you''d probably be stuck in middling positions because none of you have any important connections to help you move up.

    Then you have the fact that none of you are really fit for it what kinds of jobs she wants you all in. Bill wanted to help his family so he found a well paying, but dangerous job with the goblins, knowing a ministry job would barely support himself and much less his family. Charlie wanted to help as well, but also followed his great passion for dragons, going all the way to Romania to also do very dangerous work. The twins would either lose important parts of themselves and become depressed in such environments or they would cause absolute chaos in protest. Ron is the closest present Weasley to becoming a Ministry worker, but as an Auror. And you Ginny, are on track for either Auror work as well or a professional Quidditch player.

    The only one who followed her wishes now disdains his own family for doing what they believe in, worsh.i.p.s authority and laws above all else, and is the least likely to live a life true to himself. So not a great example since I''ve heard he''s even dumped his girlfriend due to his extreme support for the Ministry." I explained as I make the girl have that little epiphany as a result.

    "He doesn''t mean anything bad about your mum Gin, he just believes she shouldn''t force them to be miserable to avoid troubles she''s had in the past." Susan explained kindly since I could go over the top sometimes.

    "He is right though,-"

    "We would go insane-"

    ""If we worked in that place."" The twins said in agreement.

    "I don''t think I''ll be able to actually become an Auror. Snape would never let me into his NEWT classes and I''m not sure if I want to even be near that git at this point." Ron said with a heavy sigh.

    "I''ll help you with that. Honestly isn''t that hard to teach potions if you bother doing it right from the start, but the man just doesn''t want to teach even if he is a brilliant potions master." I say to the teen, getting a smile in thank.

    "Then why is he even staying? He makes everyone miserable." Harry asked as he wished to get rid of the man for all the troubles he''s given him over the years.

    "That''s between him and the headmaster in all honesty and I can''t just say it. I do have a couple of suspicions about the motive behind a good amount of his actions, but he''s still a crap teacher, so I''ll help you kids out." I answered Harry before offering a hand.

    "Thanks Aedan. Forgetting about everything else for a minute, it is cool that you''ll be our Professor this year." The black haired teen said with a small smile.

    "I''ll do my best." I responded with a smile. "But now we have to go. Don''t want my aunt chewing out Sirius because we came back too late. Have a good night everyone and I''ll see you at Hogwarts."

    """"""Good night."""""" Everyone then said in unison as Susan and I walked out of the door with our cloaks on.

    She then grabbed my arm and we disapparated.

 Chapter 159 - Ch. 159 Moving Out

    (Just read the next part without the hundred comments about MC being whipped. Pretty much every wife/girlfriend would act like this and responding like an asshole does not make you manly. And I just know saying this will make people say I am a simp too.)

    "So you have a new job and it''s as the next DADA Professor?" My lovely raven haired fianc¨¦ asked.

    "Yeah. It''s more than doable. I can finish all my other work pretty easily and I already have my lessons planed out. Plus our place is in Hogsmeade." I answered her as she looked at me before sighing.

    "You knew this was going to happen and built our place there on purpose didn''t you?" She then asked with some judgement in her eyes.

    "I mean, I wasn''t 100% sure." I answered carefully since I couldn''t be sure if she was mad at me for forgetting to tell her about it.

    "And when did you figure out that there was a big enough chance of it happening, making you decide to build OUR home there?" Victoria asked as she narrowed her eyes at me.

    "Well, um, right after the minister started to slander Dumbledore and I got my masteries." I answered as I got a bit nervous.

    "And why couldn''t you just tell me about it? I feel like our talks about where to live were completely pointless now." My glaring Tory asked blandly.

    "I didn''t think it was good to try and argue on a point I wasn''t sure about, plus with us being able to go anywhere with apparition, portkey, Floo network or house-elf, it''s not like it matters much where we live." I answered, bringing up one of the major reasons as to why there aren''t more magical communities.

    Who needs to be close to one another when you can teleport anywhere?

    "Alright fine. Like you said, it''s not a big deal. I''m just annoyed you didn''t talk to me about this before." She finally said with a cute pout.

    "Come on, no need for that. I promise I''ll talk to you about things I believe are likely to happen in the future." I say as step very close to her and bring my face right in front of hers with a small smile.

    "Good. I don''t like when you just keep everything to yourself." My beautiful Tory said as her face started getting a bit red at my closeness.

    "Then why don''t we have a little talk now?" I asked why a little devil''s smile.

    "What are you-" she tried to ask something but I just stopped her by giving her a soft kiss on her lips, making her stiffen for a moment before melting as I wrap my arms around her slim waist.

    "I am just having the face-to-face conversation my fianc¨¦ wanted to have." I said as I went in for another kiss, but this time going deeper as I gently c.a.r.e.s.sed her tongue with my own, making her react on instinct and let out a small m.o.a.n.

    We then lost ourselves in each other''s embrace for some time, enjoying the tender touches and loving kisses, only breaking apart when she needed to catch her breath.

    "Haa haa, you know that''s not fair right?" She asked with a bright red face as she caught her breath.

    "Hehe, but you can''t say you don''t like it." I cheekily replied with a happy grin, getting an embarrassed head turn in response.

    "If you two are done, I would like you to finish moving your books and work station." Mother said from a now open door to my room with a smile on her face as Tory turned even redder from being caught.

    "I''ve already packed everything I''m taking with me. The rest I was planning to leave for Susan, letting her read whatever she wanted from them and letting her have her own work place." I answered after looking away from the amusing sight of Victoria trying to calm herself.

    "I don''t mind and you two are more than welcome to come over anytime. I am sure Susan will be happy with it too." Amelia said with a nod as she turned and left.

    "Looks like alone time will have to wait." I whispered in Victoria''s ear, making her face redden once again at the thought and making me chuckle at the reaction.

    "Stop teasing me! Do you know how embarrassing it is to get caught?" She responded as she gave me another glare, which was just adorable to me since she was so embarrassed.

    "Don''t worry too much. Pretty sure mother did that on purpose to get me back for teasing her and Sirius when I caught them." I said with a hearty laugh.

    "Oh Merlin, you actually caught them?" She asked with a surprised look.

    "Yeah, came back from a late meeting and they were helping each other relax in the common room. Never seen mother so fl.u.s.tered before." I explained with a smile at the memory of her face when she got caught. (They weren''t doing it there, just a drunken make out session and some over the clothes stuff.)

    "No wonder she looked so pleased to have interrupted." Victoria said in response to the revelation.

    "Petty victory, but she is right about us having to go. We did invite people over to celebrate moving into our place." I said with a quick peck on her soft lips.

    "I hope Winky is doing ok with Dobby, the two of them can be quite emotional at times." Tory said with a bit of worry over our two house-elves.

    "They''ll be fine. I asked Tilly to over see them and help them acclimatize to their new jobs." I reassured my fianc¨¦ with a warm smile.

    "Yes, I doubt Tilly would let anything go wrong when her young master is involved." Said fianc¨¦ responded with a small giggle.

    And yes I did hire Dobby to be my house-elf, something he agreed to since he could get a proper pay, family and I was a known close one of Harry Potter. The little guy was quite happy to be introduced to proper clothing and learning how to serve properly under Tilly. I did hear a lot of rather creative insults coming from the kitchen at times though and learned that Tilly really thought Donkey''s didn''t belong in the kitchen. That really made me question if she and Gordon Ramsey ever actually met once again.

    Then I also brought in Winky, the ex-Crouch family elf, who was kicked out after the events at the World Cup and became quite depressed. It took some convincing, but I managed to bring her out of her stupor by giving her a chance to help lessen her guilt at failing her master. The little elf felt guilty for her young masters actions and the death of her master, so I suggested she help me since the young masters actions took away my parents. Kinda felt bad doing this, but the elf was literally drinking herself to death at this point and it served as an escape.

    So now I have a quirky ball of energy and a still mildly depressed one as house-elves. It was going to take a while before everything started cl.i.c.k.i.n.g properly, but that was ok.

    "Alright, we better go and get ready. Don''t want to look sloppy when our guests arrive." I then said as I held out my arm for Tory to grab.

    "Lead the way." She replied with a smile on her face.

    The moment she firmly grasp my arm, our two bodies were wrapped in azure flames and we vanished from the spot.

    -Ministry of Magic, level 1, Minister for Magic and Support Staff, Office of the Minister for Magic. (3rd person POV)

    "Damnit! Dumbledore was able to find someone and we can''t touch him!" An irritated Fudge said as he threw the report he was reading onto his desk.

    "That Bones child again. What would you like to do Cornelius? I can put some pressure on people to make him look too young for the position." The pink abomination asked in her sickeningly sweet voice.

    "We can''t afford to touch him right now Dolores. We are finally making progress against Dumbledore, if we antagonize the Bones it could put us on the back foot with ease." The minister said with a great sigh as he ran his hand through his thinning hair.

    "But we needed to have a presence in the school. If not, the devious old man will always have too many supporters." The toad said with pursed lips, showing her disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e at the situation.

    "That doesn''t change the fact that the boy is untouchable. We also can''t have the Prophet saying he''s inadequate when he went through even stricter standards than usual. The boy has too many accomplishments and no blemishes, making some up from nothing would ruin any semblance of credibility we have. We need another way into the school. Maybe pressuring one of the other teachers into retiring early." A tired sounding Fudge said with a deep sigh.

    "The old coot would never let that happen. But, one of my aides did say something which gave me an idea to solve our problem." Umbitch said carefully.

    "Oh? Go on then." The minister said as he turned his attention towards her.

    "Well, the ministry was under some scrutiny over the lowering standards at Hogwarts not too long ago, so I thought creating a position to oversee the current teachings at the school on the behalf of the ministry would be perfect. Someone who could see who was adequate and who was simply ruining all those poor children. This way we can show parents that the ministry cares for the new generation and we can root out the Dumbledore supporters." The bitch in pink smugly explained.

    Fudge was silently contemplating the idea with a serious expression on his face.

    "Yes, yes, it could work. No I could definitely make it work. Lucius would be very supportive of this effort to undermine Dumbledore, the majority of members who would vote for this have young family members in the school and the prophet can do the rest." Fudge said with slowly growing excitement.

    "Then should I move ahead Cornelius?" The toad asked as she felt triumphant.

    "Yes. Immediately. We need to get this done before the school year begins." The now energetic minister said.

    "As you wish Minister. I''ll have everything ready shortly." The monster said as she turned and left.

    "Let''s see Dumbledore try and take my position after this." The delusional Fudge said as he leaned back into his chair.

    -Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, London

    "It is good that Fudge continues to do our work for us. The fool cannot imagine the effort he is saving us by weakening Dumbledore''s position so much." A happy-ish Voldemort said as his faithful ass-kisser reported the Ministry''s latest movements.

    "Yes my lord. Fudge has asked us to support his effort in eroding Dumbledore''s power base at its source. Do we have your blessing to continue?" The unknowingly divorced Malfoy asked.

    "Of course Lucius. While the old fool deals with this, we can focus on bringing my loyal servants back home. But I have heard he has been able to find someone through ministry pressure. Who has taken this post? It might be another opportunity for us." The dark lord asked after giving his servants permission to harass Dumbledore.

    But only silence met his last question due to hesitation.

    "Why do you not answer me?" The dark lord now asked with a cold voice, making his servants flinch slightly.

    "Um, my lord, it seems Dumbledore has brought in the Bones child." One masked Death Eater answered nervously.

    "I see." Was Tom''s response as an oppressive silence engulfed all those present, making them primed to react in case their lord erupted in fury.

    But the entire room suddenly shook and glass was heard cracking from the windows and cabinets, with a heavy pressure bearing down on those in the room.

    *Hissssss* was suddenly heard as a large green snake came into the room.

    Whatever he heard from the snake, it made Voldemort calm his rage at this new news.

    "Yes, you''re right Nagini, it is only a desperate attempt on Dumbledore''s part. Severus, tell me of the boy." He then ordered as he contained the humiliation temporarily.

    "Although the boy is close to Potter, he seems to hold too much pride to follow Dumbledore. He has again refused to join his Order, just like his aunt, due to a difference of belief and the death of his parents. He is still a petulant child in that regard, even if he is stronger than most." Snape answered while carefully choosing his words.

    "Is the boy a threat and will he stand with Dumbledore?" The grey man questioned again.

    "He seems to have more information about the ongoings of the ministry due to Amelia and he has offered properties he has bought through his business as well, but he is alone and his ego stops him from truly joining. This is the extent of his danger level my lord." The spy answered as he kept a blank expression.

    "Lucius." The dark lord suddenly said.

    "Yes my lord." The long haired man said immediately.

    "I want you to keep an eye on the boys movements in the Ministry. He might become a threat if he is allowed to grow in the chaos. If any opportunity to remove him arises, inform me." Voldemort ordered with an absolute tone of voice.

    "As you command." Lucius said as he kneeled on the floor.

    "And you Severus, I want to know where these properties are located. We cannot allow Dumbledore and his followers to have holes to hide in." Tim continued as he simply turned his face towards his spy.

    "Of course my lord. I shall hand you a list as soon as possible." The man answered with a simple and polite tone.

    "The rest of you will continue with our preparations to assault Azkaban." The head snake commanded to the rest of his servants before taking his leave with Nagini.

 Chapter 160 - Ch. 160 Better late than never you bastard

    "That''s good over there, that table needs to have enough room to fit two half giants so bring in the reinforced chairs now before we forget!" I yell out to a few of the wizards I had hired.

    "You got it boss!" One of them shouts back as they both get to it.

    "I need you four to start setting up the dance floor, the space for it has been cleared and I want it down before we do anything more." I say with a turn of my head towards other members of the crew I''d hired.

    "On it. Get your off your asses boys, gotta earn those paychecks!" One the older members respond as he gets his coworkers moving.

    "Alright, so after this I''ll need to set up the altar properly, make sure the music system is properly protected from magic, check up on the drinks i ordered and see if Tilly didn''t go full Gordon Ramsey during Hell''s Kitchen on the other House-elves." I say to myself as I look at my checklist.

    ''After everything''s in place, all that needs to be done is the decorations, but that''s easy when you have magic. I''ve already enchanted the tents ceiling to be like Hogwarts Great Hall, but without the changing weather, so it''s going to be beautiful night sky full of twinkling stars. The drinks are all here, for the underaged as well, just need to be sure it''s the right stuff. I got everyone''s RSVP already, so no issues there. It still needs a bit of work, but I think mother will like how the place looks.'' I thought as I looked over the venue.

    It wasn''t anything grand, more of a family and close friend thing. At most there would be between 30-40 people present, most of it being friends due the familial situations on both sides. Strictly speaking, only Susan and myself were left on mother''s side, and Sirius had the Tonks and Harry if you count godson''s. Pretty lacking, so the Weasley clan minus Percy was invited, the Longbottom''s, Order members like Moody, Shacklebolt, McGonagal, Remus and Hargrid, some friends of the younger generation like James, Christian and Hermione, and some dates like Madame Maxime, Victoria, Luna and Fleur.

    I was notified that Luna and Fleur would be bringing at least one guardian since the former was too young at 14 and the latter was starting her last year but her family was protective due to her Veela heritage.

    There was also this threatening looking letter Christian sent me about some nonsense of only bringing a friend and that I shouldn''t look too deeply into it, but come on, he''s making this too easy. So I just threw that one away and had little Luna sit right next to him.

    ''It''s going to be our group with our dates at the table, so good luck avoiding everyone knowing you''re basically a couple my friend.'' I thought as I looked forward to my amus.e.m.e.nt.

    The bridesmaids were each taking care of various things.

    Susan was very adamant in setting up all the bouquets and natural decorations for the wedding. Something about going all out to make Amelia''s big day extra special and giving mother her own special blessing.

    Victoria was helping me manage the seating arrangements and the bridal side of things. I was thankful for that bit, mostly because I''m probably not the best person to go over hairstyles, jewelry and makeup options. Plus she wanted to help out as a future in-law and as thanks for all the times she stayed with us during vacations.

    And Andromeda was in charge of making sure Sirius didn''t do something too stupid or try to wuss out. That was something which surprised me when I learnt it, but the two had a fairly close relationship when they were younger. Andy was basically the only person who could put Sirius in his place because he actually felt like she was proper family and cared about her.

    Then we had the Groomsmen.

    I was one of them and organizing most of what was happening so skip.

    Harry was going to join us up front, his job so far was basically making sure all the gifts at least looked presentable. He also had Moody with him to check if anything nasty was slipped in. One can never be too cautious around magic, plus Moody was quite satisfied with my vigilance.

    And finally we had Remus, the best man. The only job I assigned him was to make sure Sirius was to attend the damn ceremony. The idiot could have all the fun he wants up until the day before the wedding, but after that Remus was to put his foot down. He also has to write one of those speeches, but that''s not the hardest thing he has to do right now. If he can''t reign in Sirius in time for the wedding, I gave him a little promise that I would do it personally and that it would end with both of them hanging in their u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r above Diagon Alley.

    "Hehehe. That promise really got the message across." I said with a devilish chuckle at the memory of Remus'' face, startling a passing worker as he suddenly sped up his work.

    With everyone working on their own duties, the last few days of summer drifted by and the wedding date arrived.

    It was pretty chill compared to the days leading up to it if I was honest. Kinda makes me happy that the hard work was paying off.

    Of course mother and Sirius were really nervous, but that wasn''t a big issue. Pretty standard fare for any wedding.

    And yes, Remus managed to get Sirius here and ready, so no punishment for the two of them. Not that Sirius knew what he risked if he made me look for him, but as long as it worked I''m happy.

    "Mom, you worry too much. Everything is ready, everyone is here and you look beautiful." I say in an effort to reassure the nervous bride.

    Her reddish-brown hair was done in braided bun to show off her regal features, making her look like a Queen. They used some magic to bring back the fading colors. She had a bit of blush to bring out the red in her hair and masquera and eyeliner to help her green eyes stand out more.

    Her dress was made from the best Acromantula silk, creating a wonderful white dress with comfort and elegance. Her arms and shoulders were covered in a lace mesh with carefully crafted flowers adorning it, joining to her upper body and letting the same pattern flow over it. Her waist was lightly bound to showcase the figure she managed to maintain even as she moves to her forties, then flowing into the layers of fabric encrusted with glittering diamond powder.

    (I tried, here''s a pic of what I was trying to describe but with wizard material and more expensive.)

    "I know dear and you''ve all done a wonderful job. I just can''t stop myself from thinking if this is the right time. The Dark Lords is back, Sirius and I both want to fight, we have you kids to look after and don''t get me started on if we want to start a family in all this." She responded as her worries came out.

    "It''ll be alright mom, I promise. I''m already working of putting all those idiots into checkmate, Susan and I can more than look after ourselves, Harry probably needs a little work though, and I know for a fact that the both of you will cherish any kind of family you decide to have after we regain peace." I reassure as I hold mother''s hands and look straight into her eyes, making her take a few deep breaths to calm herself a bit.

    "I know you kids can take care of yourselves, heck you''ve probably been taking care of me and Susan more than I have, but that doesn''t stop me from worrying about you two." Mother gently said as she puts on of her hands on my cheek.

    "I know. I''ll do everything I can to help lessen those worries. But for now, let''s get that veil on. I want to make that dog drool when he lifts it up." I say with a cheeky grin on my face, getting a chuckle from Amelia in response.

    "He was drooling before, now I''m going to my him howl." She then said as she gained some confidence back and placed her veil on.

    "I''m sure you''ll get him. Now shall we?" I ask as I offer mother my arm.

    "We shall." She simply answered as she wrapped her arm around mine.

    And just so you all understand, I am the one giving mother away because her father, my grandfather, has long since passed away on that fateful day, and my position as Head of the family is more than adequate as a replacement.

    So here I was, walking down the aisle with mother as Pachelbel''s Canon played gently. (Personal fav.)

    All the guest were standing as they watched us calmly advance of the the deep blue carpet, and our own eyes remained glued to the altar which stood as our goal.

    On it stood Susan, Andromeda and Victoria to the left, all wearing matching Black dresses with white accents, Victoria actually being the maid of honor.

    And on the right stood the other groomsmen in properly tailored black suits matching my own, Remus a bit nervous about his role and Harry looking really happy.

    Then there was Sirius standing in the middle in a proper wedding suit as well. His shaggy hair had been trimmed and styled as the wavy black locks rested a bit above his shoulder, with mustache and beard neatly styled into a clean look. His eyes completely focused on mother as we walked down the aisle.

    We finally reached the altar and I pass mother over to Sirius, then take my position as a groomsman.

    As the couple turned to face our officiator, Albus Dumbledore, they held on to each other''s hand.

    ''Really surprised me when he said he could officiate weddings. He said he became certified in the magical and muggle sides because he likes witnessing bonds of love between people. From the happy mood he''s emitting, it does seem like he''s telling the truth. Too bad the man was never able find his own happiness.'' I thought as the old man began doing his part.

    "We are gathered here today, on the final day of summer, to witness and celebrate the union of two extraordinarily strong individuals, and to support them into the binding of their lives.

    Both have seen the worst this world can make a person suffer through, but have been able to stand strong once again. And now besides the love of the families they have once again found, they have reignited the lost love they had for one another.

    All of us have come to see these two finally reach the altar that had been out of reach for so long and we all feel joyful for this.

    We gathered here to witness the truth that no matter the trials, no matter the troubles, and no matter the times we live in, love will always find a way to blossom and guide us to a better future than we could see the day prior." Dumbledore says as he gives everyone a brief reminder of what both have lost before they could truly find happiness in another and still they stand.

    "Now would the ring bearer please come forward." The old man asked.

    "Tilly has the rings!" The little house-elf said as she popped in right were she needed to be, while wearing her own little bridesmaid outfit because mother insisted she was part of the family like everyone else. Everyone could see her holding a small red pillow, on which rested the twin rings James had personally crafted.

    Those two rings were crafted from the best goblin gold, enchanted to protect from posions, potions, legilimency, magical and physical attacks three time a day, and detect disguises and barriers. As long as both properly wear their rings anyway. Both rings technically have different effect, but we were able to create a powerful link between the two, enabling them to share their powers as long as they were both worn by those permitted to.

    "And now we shall bear witness to their vows.

    Do you, Sirius Black, promise to love and hold Amelia Bones till your last of days? To stand beside one another in pleasant days and troubled times without fear nor hesitation? To defend her from harm, as she no doubt would do for you?" He asks seriously as he looks at the man.

    "I do." The Groom declares with certainty as he looks at his bride and places the perfectly crafted golden ring onto her finger.

    "And do you, Amelia Bones, promise to love and to hold Sirius Black till your last of days? To aid and support him? To mend each other''s hearts and lift each other up? To never falter in the face of adversity as long as you both stand besides each other?" He then asked as he intently looked at Amelia who looked to almost be ignoring him in favor of locking eyes with Sirius.

    "I do." She said softly, but with no less determination, then reciprocating the man''s gesture as she placed her own rings twin onto her man''s finger.

    "Then with the power invested in me by United Kingdom and the Ministry of Magic, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." Dumbledore joyfully declared as the two newlyweds sealed the deal immediately.

    It was only after happily clapping for mother''s moment that I heard something which made me heartily laugh.

    "Better late than never you bastard." Amelia said with an unrestrained smile as she caught her breath.

    "I''ll never be late again, I promise." Sirius responded as he gave a second kiss, to the roaring approval of the audience.

    "Alright you two, you''ll have enough time for that after you kick all the kids out of the house for the next few months. Let''s get everyone fed and start the party." I said as I stopped them from getting into a full blown make out session on the altar.

    "Haha! You''re right kid! Let''s eat! Let''s get wild! And let''s dance!" Sirius happily acquiesced as he just felt too much of a rush of happiness at the moment.

    "Did you have to say it like that dear?" Mother lightly complained with some redness in her cheeks.

    "Yes I did. Now let''s go! Can''t start the fun without the two most important people!" I said as I urged them to go, something they decided to do as they were both hungry as well.

    We then got everyone to relocate to the fun tent. The place with booze, food, music and dancing.

    The place also looked great if I do say so. The starry night sky twinkling above head, with the deep blue table clothes reflecting light off their own sparkles. The glowing magical lights dancing to the rhythm of the music as they changed colors. And on each table rested a splendid bouquet with soft lights emitting from the flowers, set up by our lovely Susan.

    Everyone sat down as pretty much everything you''d expect from a wedding was happening.

    Remus gave a speech about his past with Sirius and his positive qualities, alongside a few embarrassing moments, and finally wishing luck to mother in dealing with him. A wonderful course, people drinking up their liquid courage, the cutting of the cake and then the newlyweds first dance.

    After that, others started to dance to whatever music was playing and interesting couples grouped up for the slower ones.

    Hagrid and Madame Maxime were rather obvious, Susan and Neville gave me pause for thought, I saw Harry dancing with both Ginny and Hermione, something to tease about later, Fleur and James was nice to see, Christian and Luna made all my friends grin at him, saw Tonks dancing with Charlie Weasley, and even Remus ended dancing with Fleur''s aunt which was her escort.

    "You do know you''re going to have to at least match this during our own wedding right?" Victoria said during our own dance.

    "Don''t you worry, it''ll be even better." I easily promise as I think of a few rather wondrous things I could accomplish with some spells and enchantments.

    "Then I look forward to it." She happily said as she then went deeper into my arms as we danced.

    "So do I." I whispered in her ear with a warm smile as I continue to dance the night away with my love.

    As a result, I was barely feeling the time pass until it was time for everyone to leave. School was starting tomorrow after all and many were either going to Hogwarts or simply had work in the morning.

    But I think everyone was happy to attend such an event. It is a part of what they all fight for after all.

    And nobody was happier than the newlyweds as they left together to truly finish the wedding on their own.

 Chapter 161 - Ch. 161 New Staff at Hogwarts

    It is a good thing I made all those still attending Hogwarts buy the necessary supplies for this year in advance, the week leading up to the wedding had been quite a hectic one after all.

    The kids were quite excited to have someone they were close to as a teacher, the lot of them were enthusiastic about calling me Professor all the time. Even the twins were looking forward to my classes, but I''m guessing for slightly different reasons. Going to have to be careful.

    It was also good to see my friends again and hear about how they were doing. We exchange letters through Vanishing Boxes, but it''s just not the same.

    James had to leave the morning after the wedding because Fleur was beginning her final year at Beauxbatons as well, but he promised to come visit Tory and I during the year. The two were officially a couple after Fleur introduced him to her family, something which he said had some issues.

    Her parents were worried about Fleur having to struggle in life due to James'' muggle-born identity and the state of English governance. It wasn''t discrimination against James, it was a father''s worries about his little girls future after he watched her suffer through having to deal with her heritage and not being able to help as much due to his job as Minister for Magic in France. Fleur''s mother tested James with her own allure as a half-Veela and was happy to find my friend capable of completely ignoring it, receiving her approval almost immediately afterward. But it wasn''t until he proved his abilities to take care of Fleur through his skills did they both feel completely at ease with the relationship. Gabriel on the other hand was simply happy to have a new big brother who would spoil her, so not an issue there.

    Aside from the classic drama of the young upstart getting the blessing of the Noble beauty''s parents through skill and charm, James was also picking up more Alchemy in France due to its more predominant presence in the country. He said something about being excited to find a completely different way to create things and threw himself into his new studies. He''s also funding his stay and studies by selling something he crafted from time to time, either through pure smithing or from his alchemical training.

    Christian on the other hand gained a few new scars from his project, which is becoming a deadlier version of Jurassic Park at this point. From the reports I''ve gotten, they''ve brought three different breeds of dragons, some herds of unicorns and thestrals, bicorns, near extinct Erumpent, Graphorn, a few griffons and Hippogriffs, and even a Sphinx and Cerberus. That''s not even counting the wide variety of less dangerous or precious creatures which lie low on the food chain.

    My friend says he''s having the time of his life creating the place and loves being able to interact with so many creatures while learning more about them. Apparently Hagrid was really jealous about having to go visit the Giant tribes in Italy when they brought in the dragons, but what can you do? His own parents have also been helping by capturing rarer or endangered species in pairs, hoping to let them grow their populations out in relative safety. Then we have the fact that he thought it was a good idea to bring Luna and her father because they were looking for one of their undiscovered creatures. And finally, he tried to hatch a damn basilisk on the island because he wanted to properly study one, which ended with me giving him a smack across the head, Tory joining in, his parents also agreeing it was a bit much right now and then even Newt Scamander joining in.

    At least both of my good friends are having fun following their passions, hard to wish for more.

    "I hope you''re ready for the welcoming feast. Can''t show up looking sloppy after all." Victoria suddenly said from the living room as I was remembering our little reunion.

    "Yes dear, I''m ready to go." I answered as I fixed up my tie a bit.

    I decided to basically wear a navy colored inner suit, with a white shirt, covered by a navy robe this time. Nicely dressed with a wizard flare.

    "You''re sure you''ll be coming back home tonight? I don''t want to have moved here, only for you to stay in the castle all the time." My emerald-eyed fianc¨¦ said as she looked at me hopefully.

    "I promise. I''ll only stay at the castle later than intended if I have a patrol to do. Every other night I''ll be right here with you for supper." I answer with a small kiss on her lips.

    "Good. I''ll drag you out of that castle if I have to, so don''t you break your promise." She then mumbled in my c.h.e.s.t as she hugged me.

    "Of course my lovely wifey." I reply with a little chuckle and give the top of her head a quick kiss before heading outside of our house.

    As I stepped out, my ride was there waiting for me.

    A 1994 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail. Black frame, shining chrome engine, smooth leather seats, and enchanted up the wazoo to offer the best ride possible.

    It can''t fly like the bike Sirius gave to Hagrid, but it probably the fastest, toughest, smoothest and safest bike in the world. Enchanted for comfort, charmed to protect me against whatever weather comes, theft protection from muggles and wizards, nearly indestructible with James'' help, runs on custom runes creating the combustion needed for the motor to run, and has the nifty ability to ride on any flat enough surface if needed. I also have some portkeys to specific properties for ease of travel, installed in dashboard.

    (Gonna post a pic here cause I can''t describe a motorcycle for shit. Just thought it would be cool to just ride that to Hogwarts so he can still live with Victoria.)

    I quickly mounted the bike and turned the powerful motor, making roar to life in one smooth action.

    "Don''t drive like a maniac just because there''s rarely anyone on the road to Hogwarts. I will tease you to oblivion if I hear you crashed on the way to a feast as the new Professor." Warned Tory with a smirk as she leaned against the open door''s frame, wearing one of my white t-shirts alongside some comfortable black shorts which showed off her long smooth legs.

    "Haha! I''ll make sure to be careful then! See you later love!" I reply with a hearty laugh as I put my helmet on and take off towards the castle.

    The road to Hogwarts wasn''t the best, but with my bike it just didn''t matter. It felt great to feel the wind as I rode on though. Made the weather protection charms work to basically allow most of the wind to flow through at a comfortable temperature, allowing me to still feel the wind.

    So I enjoyed myself as the castle came into view and offered me a splendid view as it always had. With a smile I drove through the gates and headed to the carriage arrival area.

    My arrival to the drop-off area caused everyone''s head to turn in my direction, mostly because of the sound, then because of my ''muggle transportation'', and lastly because I came to Hogwarts on it.

    I turned off the bike, dismounted, took off my helmet and put it into my expanded bag.

    "Hey kids, glad to see you all doing well. I''ll see you all in the Great Hall." I nonchalantly say as I adjust my clothes and head on inside under the stunned looks of nearly everyone there.

    As soon as I passed them I could hear people snap out of their stupor and animatedly talk to each other, but I simply smiled and walked on as I reached the entrance.

    "Ah, Mister Bones or should I now say Professor Bones, I am pleased you have managed to make it before we began." A slightly smiling McGonagall said from her position awaiting the new first years.

    "I have no doubt you''ll be a model of professionalism as always and I can''t picture myself calling you anything other than Professor McGonagall, so probably not changing anytime soon." I cheekily say to my new colleague.

    "I see. I do hope continue to show the excellence you exhibited as a student during your tenure here, we all have high hopes that you will be capable of beating the so called curse on your new position." The transfiguration mistress politely said with a nod.

    I see most of the staff is present already, Snape usually showing up at the last minute and Hagrid apparently having the canon problem of his half-brother to deal with, hence his absence in favor of who I could only assume was Professor Grubbly-Plank.

    She was an elderly witch with short grey hair, a very prominent pointed chin, brown eyes, and wearing a rather typical dark brown witch outfit. This was the first time she was invited to the castle as opposed to the canon which would have her come last year as a substitute, mainly because Christian, Hermione and I have managed to properly train Hagrid into a rather competent and well liked teacher for CoMC. That and the venomous article Rita Skeeter would have written about him during the Triwizard tournament was never allowed to see the light of day.

    ''That reminds me, she should be desperate enough now. I think it''s about time for Micheal Folster to make an offer to her.'' I thought as my more devilish side popped up.

    And finally, the most hated woman of the canon. Bellatrix Lestrange was a psychopathic, murderous zealot, who tortured Neville''s parents to insanity, killed countless and Sirius, was the most loyal supporter of Voldemort, and still she beaten to the title. Dolores Umbridge, in all her pinkness, sitting with that stupid look that screams ''I think I''m better than you'', sipping on a cup of tea.

    ''Don''t kill her. You need her to make sure the ministry falls to your advantage. Just don''t kill her yet.'' I thought to myself as I maintained a calm exterior at the sight of the horrid toad.

    So with me finding my chant, I sat down in the open seat besides my old head of house.

    "Ooh mister Bones, I am so thrilled such a promising young man has joined our faculty. Your achievements this summer have garnered much prestige for Ravenclaw. If you need any assistance do not hesitate to come to me. A senior should guide the younger generation when they can after all." The almost always jovial Professor Flitwick said to me.

    "I''ll be more than grateful for any advice should it turn out I need it. But for now I''ll believe I can succeed and any failures will simply be a chance to learn and improve." I humbly reply as I appreciate his willingness to help.

    "No problem at all. You will probably do much better than most anyway, with you almost teaching the course when poor Gilderoy held the post." Flitwick then said with some regret over how that year went and how the flamboyant man ended up in the long term care wing of St. Mungo''s.

    "Thank you for the vote of confidence Professor." I responded with a nod.

    "Oh, do call me Filius. We are co-workers now after all." The man said with his squeaky voice.

    "Then I''ll thank you in advance Filius." I then said in minor self correction, getting a satisfied nod from the man.

    I then look around and see that most tables are now almost full and all of the faculty has arrived, the headmaster having just sat down. It seems my presence was causing quite a stir in my former schoolmates, with all the not so subtle stares and whispering going on over not only about me, but the two other new faces at the table.

    Then the doors to the hall were dramatically opened, showing McGonagall guiding the new first years.

    ''It kinda makes me feel old seeing this from a teachers perspective. But the nostalgia really hits hard in a good way.'' I thought with a warm and gentle smile spreading on my face as I watched all the nervous kids look around, trying to absorb every detail they could.

    What followed was fairly standard, the only exception was the hats song emphasizing unity against the coming dangers, then the feast.

    Apparently teachers get better food than students, but no alcohol is permitted due to obvious reasons. Doesn''t send the greatest message when a teacher gets plastered in public.

    And now it was finally time for the welcoming speech.

    "Welcome to one and all. It is a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to see the new faces joining us and to see the returning ones as well. Now that we have all been fed and watered, I would like to make a few announcements.

    As usual, the Forbidden Forest is, as its name implies, forbidden to any student who does not wish a most unpleasant of experiences." He said with a knowing glance to those most likely to break the rule before continuing.

    "Our caretaker, Mr. Filch, as brought to my attention that many new items have been added the list of forbidden objects this year. For those who wish to enlighten themselves, the list can be found outside of Mr. Filch''s office or one can simply ask our young Weasley twins." That one getting knowing smiles from the students who knew full well why so many products were being added to the list this year.

    "Now, as you have no doubt noticed, we have a few changes to our faculty this year.

    Firstly, it is my p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to introduce our substitute Care of Magical Creatures Professor, Wilhelmina Grubbly-plank. She will be staying until Professor Hargrid can return from his important trip abroad.

    Secondly, we have someone I believe the vast majority of you are quite familiar with the young man returning to our halls, Mr. Aedan Bones, who has agreed to take the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor." Surprisingly my professorship actually got a round of excited applause which was started by the twins and the golden trio, then really supported by my old house, finally spreading until even Slytherin was at least clapping out of either respect or politeness.

    In response I then stood up and gave a bow to the room as my thanks, then sitting down. I could almost feel the sneer on Snape''s face when this was happening, the happiness of Flitwick for the support his house gave and Umbridge was doing her best to maintain her usual expression as her rather weak Magic fluctuated.

    ''It seems the information about her being a poor excuse of a witch weren''t exaggerated after all. If that''s the limit of energy than it''s surprising she managed to get to where she is at all.'' I thought as I noticed her weak strength and control.

    "I am quite happy you are showing such a welcome to our new Professor. It warms this old man''s heart.

    And now for our final new member this year, I am pleased to introduce Dolores Umbridge. She has been sent from the Ministry to observe if our ill.u.s.trious school has not lost its touch. I am sure we can all wish her good luck in fulfilling her duties.

    Finally-" Dumbledore tried to continue his welcoming speech and announcement when he was suddenly interrupted by the toad.

    ''She held it in longer than I thought. Guess she wanted to be introduced first.'' I noted as I still tried to stop myself from subtly killing the woman as she took over the podium, something Dumbledore simply acquiesced since he likes seeing a good performance.

    "Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome. And how lovely to see all your bright happy faces smiling up at me. I''m sure we''re all going to be very good friends." She said in her sickeningly sweet voice, giving a nod to Dumbledore before turning to the students below.

    She seemed to completely ignore the bad impression she''s giving through her condescending tone of voice and her interruption of the Headmaster, as well as the looks and scoffs from students as she powered through her own speech.

    "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizard of vital importance. Although each Headmaster has brought something new to this historic school..." She said as she once again looked at Dumbledore and then turned back to the audience," progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected and prune practices that ought to be prohibited."

    The speech only got some rather forced and scattered applauses from the students.

    "Thank you Dolores, for that truly illuminating speech. But, I believe that will be enough for tonight and that all students would rather head to bed than continue listening to me speak, so I will simply say good night to you all." Dumbledore said in a jovial tone, as if she actually said something useful, and dismissed everyone for the evening.

    With that said, the Prefects began gathering the first years as the rest began to head for their dormitories. Various professors wished each other a goodnight as well, with the head of houses heading for their own houses. (Yes that''s on purpose.)

    I bade everyone goodnight and steadily walked out of the castle, got on my bike and drove off into the night towards my home and loved one.

    I barely had time to get off my bike before I heard her voice.

    "Welcome back." She simply said, making me turn around, seeing her warmly smiling at me from the open door, wearing the same outfit as when I left.

    "I''m back. Hope you weren''t too lonely." I reply with my own warm smile.

    "Better now. Come on, let''s get to bed. We both have early mornings tomorrow Professor." She then said with a small smile.

    "That we do." I responded as I then princess carried her into the house, getting a small surprised yelp, used some magic to close and lock the door, then mentally activated the house wards as I laid her down on our bed.

    I quickly undressed and used a quick cleaning spell, then joined her for a night of peaceful sleep as we held each other.

 Chapter 162 - Ch. 162 First day pt.1

    I woke up on Monday feeling refreshed as always, a warm smile spreading on my face as I looked at a content Victoria still sleeping beside me with her hair framing her beautiful face. (No he didn''t sleep for days, give it a second.)

    The welcoming feast ended up being a Friday this year, giving students the entire weekend to catch up with friends and for first years to explore the castle they now found themselves in. I on the other hand, was free to prepare a few things, get a head start on various paperwork and enjoyed a relaxing weekend with Tory since she also didn''t have any work. We walked around Hogsmeade, had a nice dinner date in London and enjoyed reading our books in each other''s arms during the evening. Both of us loved being able to openly be together and it made us feel happy. It also helped that we didn''t have to worry about Mother, Susan or Tilly walking in on us at any moment and the having to suffer through the teasing that came with it anymore.

    Thinking that it was time to get ready, i gave a quick peck on her forehead, making her smile a bit more in her sleep and gently got out of bed to not disturb her.

    "Dobby, can you prepare two servings of French toast, our morning coffees and some fruits, then set them on trays? I wish to surprise Tory with a breakfast in bed." I asked the elf as he had taken kitchen duties.

    "Yes sir, Master Bones sir. Dobby will have it ready soon." The excited little guy said as he began cooking the order.

    "Winky, could you be a dear and prepare the clothing I''ve ordered for my classes? I''ll need the ones for the fifth and first years today." I gently asked the still depressed elf as she appeared.

    It turns out I had Harry for my last class of the day and both he and the first years had double DADA, with third year Raven and Snakes having only the one in between. This was actually one of my busiest days since I had fourteen classes to give a week. (7 years with each class having only two houses worth.)

    ''I wonder if the Toad will come and try to target Harry like the canon immediately or if she will bug other teachers first. I am a type of deterrent at the moment and the ministry didn''t target the kid yet, so I''ll have to see.'' I thought with minor curiosity after thinking of my class schedule for the day.

    "Yes Master Bones. Winky will do it." She replied in a monotone manner as she popped away.

    It was an improvement over the constant drinking, but the little elf was still devastated over her removal and the following deaths of both Crouch''s.

    I then took some time to read the day''s papers while listening to the morning radio shows.

    ''It seems like the ministry is putting quite a front to show they ''care about the education of children'', while the Herald is running that interest piece about me becoming the youngest ever professor at Hogwarts as they stay away from commenting on too much about the Ministry''s actions.

    That''ll work for some time, but I''ll have to see what kind of response they have planned since the public will feel how weird it is that the Herald isn''t talking about these things.

    I also think I''ll have Scot bring Skeeter in for a meeting next weekend. I want her to dig up as much dirt as possible before Voldemort makes his reveal. Then I can finally start changing the Ministry using everything I have.'' I thought as I put the papers away.

    "Dobby has breakfast ready. Should Dobby bring it to master and mistress''s room?" The little guy asked as two trays floated behind him.

    "No thank you Dobby, I''d like to do it myself." I answered as I took over the levitation with a wave of my hand.

    "Then Dobby will go clean. Have fun with the mistress." He happily said as he popped away.

    With a wry smile over the very house-elf response, I went back to my bedroom, wherein lied the sleeping beauty.

    I then snuck up beside her face, gave her kiss on the cheek and gently spoke in her ear:"Time to wake up love, I''ve got breakfast for the two of us."

    "Mmm?" Was the mumbling reply as Tory began to stir.

    This was something I actually found out after we started sleeping in the same bed, and I think it''s kind of adorable. Before she really wakes up, she can''t really maintain the ''proper Noble'' stuff, so her way of acting is closer to her actual d.e.s.i.r.es. Pretty sure it''s what gap moe is.

    "Yay, breakfast with hubby~" the half-asleep response finally came out as she suddenly hugged my waist with a happy smile.

    "Yes, we can even eat it in bed. Here''s your coffee by the way." I say in a spoiling tone.

    "Ahem, I''ll go get ready for my shift. Are you going to be home for dinner?" She asked as she tried to move on.

    "I might be a bit late since I have a double class with 5th years during sixth and seventh period, but I will be eating with you tonight." I answered as I moved the trays off the bed.

    "Good." Victoria simply said as she got out of bed, then gave me a quick kiss before going to our master bathroom with a bounce in her step.

    So with the warm fuzzies I was feeling, I got dressed in a light grey three piece suit with a black shirt, but used a nice and simple black wizard robe with the Hogwarts emblem instead of one of its houses on it instead of the jacket.

    I then went downstairs and made sure I had everything I was going to need for today''s classes in my shrunk trunk. Books, check. Clothes, check. Targets, check. Training equipment, check. Safety devices, check.

    While I was doing that, I heard the sound of footsteps coming my way, making me look at the source. What I found was my Victoria wearing what an anime enthusiast would identify as the s.e.xy school nurse look. She wore a green blouse to match her eyes, black skinny jeans, a pair of open toed black heels, her raven hair done in a high ponytail that left some frame her face, and all topped of with the white lab coat. She looked cool, confident and s.e.xy.

    "How in the world do those frumpy matrons let you work in that?" I asked with an appreciative look on my face.

    "It''s more practical than those damn dresses. Just transfigure the heels when needed and you can look great while helping people. It also helps that no patient ever complains about it and that I''ve been doing better than anyone else. Call it special treatment, just like how you can just leave the castle whenever and you can bring your bike with you." She answered as she approached me with a seductive smile, then playfully used a single finger to raise my chin a bit.

    "Lucky patients." I said with a chuckle, then grab her waist and give her a deep kiss.

    "Maybe I''ll wear it at home in the future." She then whispered playfully in my ear after we separated.

    "Tease." I answered as I gave her another kiss.

    "Alright, alright. I love you too, but we''ll both be late at this rate." She finally said as she caught her breath this time.

    "Yes dear, I''ll go to work. I was just seeing you off before heading out anyway." I replied as she nodded in approval.

    "Hope you have a good day then. I know you won''t let those kids push you around, but do put that slime in her place should she try anything." Victoria said as she walked to our fireplace and activated our Floo network.

    "Don''t you worry, everything is already going according to my plans. Just go do what you enjoy and help you mother back to 100%." I responded with a sly smile.

    "St. Mungo''s." She simply said as she threw the powder down and disappeared in the usual flash of emerald flames.

    "Time to go to work then." I said to myself as I headed out and got on my bike.

    - A bit later, in a classroom on the ground floor of the castle.

    The classroom had been prepared as per my specifications, just like how many of predecessors, in the hopes of maximizing my curriculums effectiveness.

    I have three rooms customized for what I believe is required from the course: a traditional classroom for theory, a gymnasium for the bodies health and improvement, and a training area so students can properly practice what they learn.

    The classroom was customized because I wanted people to be able to learn and focus properly. This means I got rid of all the centuries old desks and benches, replacing them with properly upholstered chairs, desks which will supply the books necessary for the days lesson, something needed because I believe a single books cannot hold all the correct answers, a slide projector, and book shelves with various journals I''ve written which might help students.

    The gym was based on more of a university format. A running track went around the room, equipment for an obstacle course, weights, exercise machines, and even some skeet shooting stuff I enchanted for some target practice.

    And then I have the practical room. It''s a heavily warded room designed to have students hold battles from 1v1 to large brawls in relative safety. Made so people can have combat experience instead of just dueling.

    Of course I paid for and enchanted everything beyond what Hogwarts could supply. And the school has had a ton of empty rooms, so me taking three wasn''t anything special, then you add my personal space expansion runes to make everything big enough, and voila.

    With everything ready, I calmly watched as the kids slowly trickled into the room. This being their first class, in a new school, which happens to be a medieval castle, with fake corridors and doors, moving staircases, and sometimes less than useful advice givers, I decided to give them some extra time to get here today.

    "I know Hogwarts is still very new to all of you, even if some have had family who have given you some advice on the matter, the school can be confusing.

    As a result, I will be giving all those in their first years some light leeway to arrive here on time for the reminder of the month. After that however, I will have to begin informing your head of house over tardiness." I smoothly announce as I see only 3 students had not reached the classroom yet.

    This made quite a few of the kids relax as a response. A completely understandable reaction. I am just hoping some don''t decide I look easy to push over as a result. There are some pretty annoying kids sometimes.

    It seems to be a smaller brown haired boy, a beefier blonde one, and a black haired girl.

    "Ah! It seems everyone has arrived. Please do tell Misters Galligan and Drew, as well a miss Corvus my early announcement after class.

    (All these names are going to be made up, so have no care.)

    For now please find a seat you three, I will begin my lesson shortly." I simply said as I directed the three latecomers.

    The two boys quickly found a desk at the back, with the young lady joining the only empty seat next to another young lady near the middle.

    "Good. Now that everyone is here, it''s time for a proper introduction.

    As you no doubt remember from the feast or have been told by your seniors, my name is Aedan Bones. I graduated from this very school last year and managed to become a certified master in the Defense Against the Dark Arts during the summer.

    I will be teaching you the basics on how to defend yourself this year. More common and less dangerous magical creatures/beings, basic spellwork to save your lives and some physical training. I personally believe that it doesn''t really matter how many spells you know in a fight if you''re too out of shape or weak to use them properly, hence the exercise part.

    Now, any question?" I finished my intro with the question as I''m a sure these kids have heard a few rumors by now.

    I just picked a little brunette who was almost jumping out of her seat.

    "Miss Dawson." I said with an amused smile.

    "Is it true you''re dating THE healing mistress?" She excitedly asked with stars in her bleu eyes.

    That would be a title Tory got from healing many in the long term/permanent care ward. She''s being hailed as the healing prodigy of the century and the ministry is actually looking into awarding her an order of Merlin award for her work.

    "We are actually engaged." I answered with a slight correction.

    The answer got a split in responses, with half the girls deflating and the other half happily squealing.

    "Mr. Potts, you''re next." I then said after letting the girls calm down a bit.

    "Did you actually beat a dragon last year?" The ginger kid asked.

    "I did subjugate a Swedish Short-Snout during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament last year, yes." I calmly answered as a few of the boys could be heard saying wicked. "Miss Turner."

    "I heard the Ministry created a new grade for you. Is that true?" The little blonde asked shyly.

    "Certainly is." I happily answered, avoiding simply saying ''yup''. "But as much as I like questions, I will have to begin my class."

    That made most of the kids disappointed as they put their hands down.

    "Today is going to be divided into two parts: some physical exercise, something those who grew up in the muggle world would recognize as a gym class, and then we will start learning about real vampires." I informed the kids as I told them today''s outline.

    "Um Professor, are we supposed to run in these?" A black haired kid named Thomas Clear asked as he waved his robe covered arms.

    "No worries Mr Clear. If you look inside your desks, there should be an outfit with your house colors in. Simply change into those and they will resize themselves to fit you perfectly. Boys will change in the Gymnasium and girls will change here." I answered informatively, making most kids check their desk to find out that they did have clothes in them.

    "No dilly dallying, boys grab the clothes and go. Girls, I trust you can get changed and join us quickly without supervision. I''ve even left some hair elastics for those who wish for some." I then instructed as I herd the boys out of the room, not giving them any time to complain.

    It took about ten minutes for everyone to get changed and join us in the gym.

    "Alright, now that everyone''s here I''m going to explain what today''s lesson will be." I started off in a relaxed manner.

    "Why do we have to wear these muggle clothes?" A black haired Slytherin kid named Craig Fawley with notes of disgust.

    "Trust me, when we start you''ll be happy you''re not wearing robes." I answered with a grin before continuing. "The reason being that we''ll be working on two things which can keep you alive even if you''re weak or young: running and dodging."

    "Isn''t learning magic more important?" A confused looking brunette asked.

    "If I''m being honest, until you get you''re OWL''s almost none of you would be able to deal with a random wizard or creature trying to kill you using only magic. And if you''re being honest with yourselves, how do you see you''re chances against a fully grown witch or wizard?" I countered using brutal honesty.

    That made a lot of kids quiet and some held themselves back from arguing because even magical children understand the principal of a.d.u.l.ts having the advantage over a kid.

    "I''m not trying to say that all of you suck. Everyone starts from nothing and build themselves up gradually. All I''m saying is that I won''t just tell you ''this is how you deal with something'' or ''read this and be enlightened''. I''m going to help you learn to survive the dangers in this world, both magical and mundane, because that is my job as your teacher." I seriously said to the kids, at least getting some of their spirit back.

    "So what are we going to do Professor? You said running and dodging are important, but how are going to train that?" A polite sounding little blonde asked this time.

    "It''s going to be a sort of game today. As you''ve no doubt noticed, you''re divided into your houses. The goal will be run and dodge within the court until all members of the other house are eliminated.

    The rules are pretty simple:

    -Stay within the lines on the floor.

    -You are not allowed using magic or physically touching each other.

    -you can move anywhere as long as you stay inside the lines.

    -you get hit by one of my enchanted dodgeballs and you have to move out of the court.

    -The winning house will get 20 points.

    Pretty simple right?" I explained.

    "So all we have to do is dodge and not harm each other?" Ms. Corvus asked as she simplified the rules.

    "Basically." I simply confirmed.

    "Are they enchanted like bludgers?" A curious ms. Turner asked.

    "No, I will be the one controlling them to hopefully stimulate you all properly. All these balls have on them is a minor sting charm and a color imprinting charm applied to them. It''ll help you want to evade and wherever they hit will leave a big pink circle, guaranteeing that no one can say they weren''t hit." I clarified calmly. "And before some of you start believing I''ll be biased for or against a house, I''ll just say I''ve never cared for those divisions nor have i ever bothered about the house cup, so neither would give me a reason to favor anyone. If anything, I might even give some extra training if I like you."

    That quieted down pretty much all the kids.

    "All right then, stand wherever in the court. I will be in the circle controlling the balls." I directed as I stepped forward and made my dozen balls float around me.

    The kids then spread out all over the court, but they basically divided themselves into their houses, making it look like a dodgeball game.

    "Begin." I ordered as I made three balls fly each direction to begin, making kids start frantically dodge out of their way.

    The games themselves lasted about ten minutes each, with Gryffindor winning one more game than Slytherin out of the three we had time to play. My guess is that most Slytherin''s are from magical families and they don''t really do physical activities like kids who go through the muggle schools, resulting in their lost this time.

    After the physical half of today''s class was done, I got a few of the castles elves to clean the kids and told them to change back into their robes.

    ''When they get good enough, I''ll add a bit more of a dodgeball feel and let some balls be thrown by the kids to add an element of uncertainty to the mix. Aside from that, I think they mostly liked it from the laughs some of them had.'' I thought as I planned my future classes.

    The rest of my time was used I introducing Vampires, something both magical and muggle kids have heard about. With me focusing on the Helsing and Belmont families records on the subject.

    As classes finished, I gave a bit of homework on how they would survive a vampire encounter. Basically adding a bit of personal stake to the homework to make it useful and educational.

    With that, my first class at Hogwarts ended with a good degree of success I believe.

 Chapter 163 - Ch. 163 First day pt.2

    My second class with the 3rd year Hufflepuffs and Slytherins went in a similar manner to the first years.

    Had a little reintroduction, something not really needed since all of them remembered me anyway and I had helped a good number of them on the past. This let me jump into lessons with relative ease.

    Although I couldn''t work on their physical aspects due to not having a double class with them, I was able to go through a good amount of review over their material for the last two years and get a good idea on what to work on.

    Most kids could cast spells relatively well and knew some solid enough information about creatures and curses. These kids did have the two best teachers Hogwarts had for the subject in years as their openers after all. The problem came with each teachers preferences when it comes down to it. The information they have is solid, but it is limited to 1st year dark creatures and basic defense spells, then second year curses and counter-curses. This resulted in the kids having skewed knowledge about their prior years. Still better than those who learnt f.u.c.k-all under Quirrell and Lockhart, but it needs work just like pretty much all students taking my classes. Hence my goal being to consolidate their knowledge while filling the gaps as best I can for the first few months, then jumping into the newer and more interesting stuff.

    Might be boring, but they need this more. Doesn''t mean I won''t do what I can to make it more fun though.

    In the end, the kids listened well enough as I smoothly explained various pieces of information about a few creatures they hadn''t had the chance to learn about last year and common methods to defeat/trap them.

    I let them go after giving out a bit of homework, this time it was to choose one creature from a list I presented and devise a creative way for themselves to either kill or escape them. A bit of research and thought exercise instead of just telling them to write me a foot of parchment about so and so. Much better to get information into a child''s brain this way I believe.

    After class it was time for lunch.

    Most teachers either had lunch in their offices to be able to grade papers, have meetings with students or have a moments peace, or they need to patrol and make sure students are following the rules. Typical set up for something like a boarding school, except that the grounds are way too large to effectively cover with the few teachers available. Especially since we have to eat too.

    My thoughts were disrupted however by a small group approaching me.

    "Hey Professor, how were your first classes?" A cheeky sounding Harry asked with a smile on his face.

    "Yeah, I heard you made the first years dodge for their lives or something." Ron chimed in as he looked rather curious.

    "But they also said your vampire lesson was brilliant." Hermione added excitedly as her eyes were basically begging to get the same lesson.

    "It''s good to see the wrackspurts flying away from them." The giggly Luna said as she looked around the younger kids.

    "Glad to see things starting off on the right foot. And thanks for saying Professor, have to maintain the authority and all that. Also, congrats on becoming prefects Hermione and you too Harry.

    As for the questions and/or comments: hasn''t been bad so far, yes I made those kids dodge, fifth years will have a different lesson, and I''m quite happy my homework is getting kids excited instead of dreadful." I replied with a smile.

    Dumbledore didn''t have to give Ron the Prefect position this time around since he''s already become very secure himself, letting Harry gain some experience in authority instead.

    "Thank you Professor, but why are you doing it with dodgeballs? Dodgeball is a very muggle thing, so why are you making the first years do that?" The curious Hermione asked as she tried to wrack her brain around it.

    "Better to learn to dodge with a ball than a curse. Those kids can''t cast shielding charms yet, so I''ll teach them the best possible defense for any attack: not being there." I proudly answered with a smirk.

    "Prof''s right Mione, can''t hurt what you can''t hit. Pretty basic lesson in the club." Ron said in agreement.

    "I guess that is true." She said as she had a thoughtful expression on her face.

    "Oh, before I forget. Ron, could you give a few things back to your brothers?" I asked him as I suddenly remembered something.

    "Sure, what are they?" He asked in a bit of confusion.

    "This canary cream they tried to put in my lunch, this dung bomb they rigged to my classroom door, this self-propelling Custard pie which tried to hit me when I was walking here, these puking pastilles they tried to drop in my drink and this ton-tongue toffee they thought I wouldn''t identify after they changed its outward appearance." I listed off as I handed Ron the prank items from my expanded bag.

    "They tried to prank you that many times already?!" A shocked Hermione almost squealed aloud.

    "Unfortunately for the twins, they now have to deal with a slight hair situation and cannot come to pick up their products. I really appreciate your help Ron." I innocently say as I ignore the outburst, getting Luna to giggle in amus.e.m.e.nt and Harry to chuckle.

    "Yeah, no problem." The redhead numbly said as he stated at the products in his hands.

    "Professor, could you help me to send Christian something? It''s been difficult getting through the Imblystrons the owls have caught." Luna suddenly said, getting weird looks from Hermione and Ron while Harry is just wryly smiling at the girl.

    "No problem Luna. Always a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to help a girl such as yourself." I answered with a warm smile as she hands me her package.

    "Thank you~." She happily said before skipping away while humming.

    ''I still like that girl. Such a free spirit.'' I thought as I returned my attention to the trio.

    "Alright then, I''ll see you three for my class later. There will be a physical aspect since you have a double class, so prepare yourself mentally Hermione. And if you two need any advice on being prefects then you can always come to me." I said to the trio as I finished my lunch.

    "Where are you going?" Harry asked out of curiosity.

    "Gonna send this package and tease a friend a bit." I answered with a sly smile, making the teen shake his head a bit in response as I stood up and walked away.

    After lunch itself, I had a free period which meant it was time for a bit of paperwork. Don''t want to have to do that at home when I can be with Tory after all.

    Then came time for my class with fifth year Gryffindors and Slytherins.

    My influence has made subtle changes everywhere in Hogwarts, and one of those would be the relationship between houses. The interactions students can get through the Exchange or the Dueling club are very helpful in that regard. So instead of the hostile relationship lions and snakes had in the canon, now it''s closer to a rivalry. There''s also been a sharp decrease of open harassment as a result. Can''t do anything about what is discussed in private, but at least Slytherin students aren''t calling people Mudblood in public anymore.

    And now, I am watching them all slowly trickle into my classroom, looking rather eager. I''m guessing they are excited for me to teach since they know I am both qualified and capable. Most of these kids were present when I was basically teaching Defense instead of Lockhart, making things easier for me.

    "Good to see so many familiar faces. I''m pretty sure you all remember me, but just in case you somehow got obliviated to oblivion during this summer, I am Aedan Bones, your new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor." I said with a lighthearted tone as I got some chuckles from students.

    Before I could continue, I heard the classroom door open and then a small cough.

    "Hem-hem, I am sorry if I interrupted your class." The pink abomination said as she walked in with her goddamn clipboard.

    "What can I do for you Miss Umbridge? I was about to begin informing everyone on the general layout for this year. It is important for them since they will be undertaking their OWL''s." I politely asked with a completely neutral face and tone.

    "Oh nothing serious dear. I am just here to see how you will be teaching. And it is High Inquisitor Umbridge." She corrected with that annoying voice.

    "Alright then MISS Umbridge. There are a few extra chairs to your left if you wish to sit down." I replied with an emphasis on me not giving a shit about her title. Politely of course.

    "Now, like I said, everyone here knows your OWL''s will be coming up at the end of the year and that they can dictate many of your options in future.

    Almost all Ministry positions will require certain results from your OWL''s and NEWT''s, and even various professions will look at these results to determine wether you are worth hiring.

    If you want to work in creature reserves, your CoMC and Herbology will be looked at heavily. Enchanters need excellent Charms and Ancient Runes grades. Healers requires Potions, Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms and this very course." I systematically explained as I tried to impart a clearer image of why these tests are important.

    Teachers always talk about how important these tests are, but they forget to tell students why they will be useful.

    "But even if your dream future does not strictly need DADA, I would recommend you at least study up to your OWL''s seriously. There are many dark things Magic can be used for. It can curse, poison, kill, harm, cause suffering, and even damn you. There are creatures and beings who still prey on wizards and muggles alike to survive.

    Without being ready for these, one can easily fall to them. But it does not take a Dark Lord or Dementor to kill you. All it could take is a single desperate person who needs to feed themselves, got threatened, is an addict, fell in with the wrong crowd, or even mistakes you for someone else. That person could even be some random muggle mugger who got a lucky stab in before you could notice.

    This is why I will do my best to train you to be aware, to be knowledgeable, and to be ready for the fact that life will always have risks because that is even truer in our world." I seriously explained to all of them.

    This might be a bit heavy, but it is something they need to come to terms with. The world isn''t sunshine and rainbows, these kids can feel that things are changing, with a good number knowing what is actually happening. So I will lay things out for them right here, with brutal honesty and then help them improve from there.

    I look at each student, and I see a new fire I many of their eyes. Harry''s is burning to the extreme due to his fate, Ron is next to him with a determined look, Hermione has some hesitation in her since she truly isn''t ready for real fights yet, I then look at Draco but the teen is kind of a mess due to having Voldemort living in his home and his mother leaving it, Crabbe and Goyle might be too slow to realize what just happened, but Daphne Greengrass''s cold expression could not contain her burning spirit.

    "Professor Bones." The stomach cleanser then interrupted, making most look back as they snapped out of the thoughts I had intentionally given them.

    "I do not know why you are trying to scare these children, especially when you are so young yourself. There is nothing out there and no one coming after them. So why are you saying they need to learn to fight?" She asked, saying some of the stupidest nonsense I''ve heard in some time.

    "What do you mean ''nothing out there''? There''s plenty out there which could harm us." Harry countered before I could say anything.

    ''I guess she rubs him up the wrong way too. Maybe a bit too much though.'' I thought as I watched on.

    "Nonsense child. What could possibly want to harm children such as yourselves?" She asked with an incredulous look as she seemed to almost be taunting him, which she actually was.

    "I dunno, maybe Voldemort." He then replied with a lot of snark.

    "Detention Mister Potter! For spouting such lies!" She then yelled out as the class murmured from the exchange.

    "I believe that is quite enough Miss Umbridge. I gave you permission to observe my class, not interrupt and you certainly do not hold the authority to give any student any punishment, much less during my class." I spoke out with a tone of absolute authority as I let some of my Magic bear down onto her, making her gasp under the pressure almost immediately.

    "And Harry, while I appreciate your passion and will, I am more than capable of defending myself." I then said to the teen, making him sheepishly nod as he realizes he didn''t really need to ''come to my rescue''.

    "You-you cannot speak to me like this, I am the High Inquisitor. And you cannot ignore the will of the Ministry." She managed to say as the pressure I exuded abated when I talked to Harry.

    "And why in the world should I give a damn about what the ministry is saying as long as I am following all the rules Hogwarts has? This is an independent educational facility. The only governing body overlooking Hogwarts is the Board of Governors, which I am a member of. So why exactly should I listen to you?" I challenged as I stood before my class.

    "I represent Minister Cornelius Fudge Himself! To disregard me is to disregard the will of the Ministry! Do you think a measly Professor has the right to stand against that!?" She responded as her voice changed to her barely contained fury.

    "Ha! You represent the Ministry? That''s the biggest joke I''ve ever heard!

    You are a pariah in every circle, hated and avoided by every department head, the Wizengamot members finds you so hateful that even the supposed dark families distance themselves from you and I''ve seen the records of all the laws you''ve tried to introduce being shot down.

    And as for myself, ''a measly Professor'', I am one of the people who permitted the Ministry to send someone to observe Hogwarts because I believe we should be doing our best at every level to help children grow into their best selves.

    But who do they send? Some delusional toad, thinking herself powerful when she is only a glorified secretary. Someone so completely inept that she has to lie and threaten her way into even that position." I reply with thinly veiled disgust towards her.

    "How dare you! You''re nothing but a half-blood child! I will have you removed from this castle!" She now shrieked at me, losing any shred of self control.

    "Oh please you pink hag. I could have you removed from your post by simply showing how utterly inept you are and how you can''t properly do your duties because you are simply too stupid to do so." I countered and looked at her with clear mockery in my eyes.

    "You-you-you" She repeated as her face turned red from rage and embarrassment.

    "Me what? Shall I prove my point? Let''s go over your grades and see exactly what subject you are capable of judging when compared to the certified masters at Hogwarts.

    -Charms: Exceeds Expectations

    -Potions: Troll

    -Transfiguration: Acceptable

    -Astronomy: Poor

    -History of Magic: Acceptable

    -Herbology: Exceeds Expectations

    -Defense Against the Dark Arts: Troll

    -Ancient Runes: Acceptable

    -Arithmancy: Poor

    And with these OWL results you could barely get into a few NEWT level classes. Only getting three. And even then, your results were lackl.u.s.ter to say the least.

    -Charms: Acceptable

    -Herbology: Acceptable

    -Ancient Runes: Poor

    (All these grades were made up, but I did my best to make her be capable of actually doing what she did in canon, while having fun with the subjects she showed ineptitude in.)

    Now I am done paying any more attention to you. I have a class to teach and I have actual qualifications to do it. So either you leave or I throw you out for disrupting." I said as I concluded the destruction of her reputation in the eyes of most students.

    She couldn''t even speak due to the utter humiliation she felt from being exposed like this. The toad left before she exploded even further or simply vomited blood in anger.

    ''I just love when one action can fill more than one purpose.'' I thought in response to her departure.

    What I meant was that I knew she would react negatively to my speech on the dangers of the world. I knew she would challenge me as soon as she walked into the room. So I baited her into a battlefield she had absolutely no hope of defeating me in. The result were humiliation, news of her ''achievements'' while she was at Hogwarts spreading within the day, and a now incredibly unstable Umbitch who will have a drastically increased d.e.s.i.r.e for power within Hogwarts.

    Coincidentally enough, my class got very enthusiastic about my lesson after that, even when it came to the physical side of things the pureblooded Slytherins participated without complaining.

    The lesson itself was similar to the Third years, a review and added information on prior years. Then organized 3-on-3 spars to get students used to teamwork, combat and on the spot decision making since they were fifth years. That resulted in the Golden trio getting a good amount of wins through Harry and Ron''s superior combat skills, but they were having to do more to compensate for Hermione.

    (I don''t hate Hermione, just saying that before she starts getting into life and death conflicts with Death Eaters, she isn''t someone suited for combat.)

    Then, to the good news for everyone, it was time for dinner.

    With a quick clean up and change of clothes, everyone started heading to the Great Hall for food with a lot of new gossip to share.

    I simply packed my things, locked my classroom up properly (warded up the wazoo), then headed out with a smile on my face over a good first day and the thought of spending time with my wifey.

 Chapter 164 - Ch. 164 Educational Decrees

    Before I knew it, two months passed after my ''moderate rebuttal'' of our esteemed High Inquisitor.

    Her immediate reaction was completely predictable, ie, to cry to the minister like a petulant child.

    She wailed and ranted at the incapable idiot, calling me ''a disrespectful shame on anyone who uses Magic, a filthy blooded mongrel, treasonous half-blood'' and a slew of other creative and racist insults I now have a recording of. Hehehe.

    Too bad for her, I am still in a way too solid position. This isn''t just about my political and economical power, they now have to face my credibility as well. In this case, they would have to prove that Umbridge is legitimately qualified to criticize the course of a certified master. Then they would need to prove that the ministry approved book they want to force onto kids is superior to the dozens of books I use for my lessons. Meaning, they have to justify using a book rejected by any DADA master actually worth the name, written by someone who isn''t even an expert, and which would make anyone who''s actually graduated any Magic school laugh at it, over my carefully curated books from experts on every subject I teach which have also been referenced by masters for decades if not centuries.

    It was always laughable to see these idiots try to find a way to f.u.c.k with me. A single subtle reminder from one of ''his'' assistants and Fudge immediately folds like the wet blanket he is.

    I love having my people everywhere.

    It did also help that my lessons were thought provoking, practical and informative for the for the older students, while also being fun and interactive for the younger ones.

    Too bad Hogwarts doesn''t do those Professor reviews cause I think I''d ace them. But then Snape would have been out of a job after his first year here and Dumbledore needed the man close. Trelawney on the other hand would have really wonky reviews. The lady does predict the death of a student from each year, every year, but she does also predict minor events if you pay attention to her carefully. Unfortunately, it''s all masked by her demeanor and crappy fortune teller shtick. Then Binns would have needed to either be exorcised or see if another arrangement could be made so a proper teacher could be brought in.

    Aside from teaching, I''ve also been able to help with some extracurricular activities as well. I''ve been helping Cedric out as he learns to handle the Exchange and being Head Boy this year, while coaching Luna to be in charge the following year. I''ve also appeared as a ''guest instructor'' for the Dueling club, giving my little successors more training and advice while putting the rest of the members through some enhanced exercises. And lastly, I''ve gathered the Orderlings to really teach them how to fight through very intense combat sessions.

    It''s been good to see all the kids I knew getting better and better.

    Luna was interesting to teach because of her unique views of the world, literally in her case because of her eyes allowing her to play with Magic once I started showing her how. I can sense Magic to much higher degree than anyone, but the accident which caused her mother''s death imparted her the ability to truly see Magic even when not in spell form. Took me a while to realize that, then translate what all those creature names would represent, but after that I began teaching her how to create her own spells and how to play with existing ones. I think I might have honestly helped create someone who could reshape our understanding of Magic alongside me. (Purely platonic, she''s Christian''s girl.)

    Cedric was already a very competent combatant, I was helping him go to the next level by having some one-on-one fights against me and having him fully integrating transfiguration into his style. He needs some real fights to break him out of his mentality though, too righteous to strike down someone trying to kill him and it could lead to him dying or someone else''s death.

    Ginny was an interesting case for me. She was someone I didn''t really interact with in general and except for the Riddle diary event, only my relationsh.i.p.s with her brothers really link me and her. Doesn''t mean I wasn''t going to teach her how to fight properly, but it was going to take time for her to truly be capable. Fortunately the girl his quite gifted in the use of jinxes, hexes and curses even if she doesn''t want to admit it. I think her time carrying the Horcrux around might have influenced her talents since she was still in a very malleable age. She also had good instincts when in a fight, something I was helping her hone.

    The twins were taught how to maximize the teamwork and ''prank'' spells into their fighting styles. I showed them how seemingly harmless or useless spells could be used to limit, distract, confuse and even disarm opponents, and oh boy were they excited to do it. But i also had them go through some intense solo training so they don''t become over-reliant on their teamwork and become sitting ducks when separated.

    Ron was really getting out through his paces during these two months because of the club and then these lessons, but to his credit he was handling everything without backing down. It was kind of cool to see a kid grow so much from my advice and the opportunity I gave him. In the last few years he changed from an insecure attention seeker to a confident and upstanding young man. His dueling has become one of the best in school, but his time with Krum and Christian have helped him develop a more practical and combat oriented style just like them. So although he still has some ways to go before he can take on true professionals, the kid can fight.

    Hermione needed a different approach. Besides Luna, who had a very unique way of using Magic to protect herself, she was the only one without any true fighting instincts. This meant I had to basically drill into her body proper attacks and defenses. I needed her to not have the chance to think when casting her defenses and not hesitate when attacking, meaning I was conditioning her to have trained combat reflexes until she can consciously fight her opponents without freezing or overthinking. It has been very hard for everyone''s favorite bookworm to do this, but she''s hanging in there.

    Following her was Neville in terms of fighting inexperience. From what I could tell his parents recovering had huge effects on the boy, lifting a burden he placed on himself and finally being able to experience their love and support has helped him build more confidence in himself. He even told me that his father was planing to teach him during the breaks since he and his wife were officially released not too long ago. Meanwhile I was helping Neville develop a very solid base for him to build on and hammered basic but effective combinations into him.

    And finally I had my honorary little brother, Harry James Potter. If I was being honest, he was the closest to my personal Magic than everyone I''ve ever taught. Sure I had Susan, James, Christian and Victoria learn them, but i had them branch out into what would perfectly suit themselves. Harry however, took what I taught him and formed his style by making it all his. Then it became even more obvious after Lupin taught him the Patronus charm, making the kid at least capable of learning everything which didn''t require a second level Magic core. So now Harry was probably considered one of the only actual users of White Magic in the world. So with that and Sirius becoming very active in Harry''s life, he''s been becoming a very large threat to those who immerse themselves into the Dark Arts.

    What was interesting after these two months was that I apparently had to attend a bi-monthly teacher''s meeting in the headmaster''s office. I had completely forgotten about that being a thing.

    So with a little heads up to the wifey that I would be home a bit later than usual, I went to the old man''s office.

    But when I got to the gargoyle guarding the way up to the office, I found the most peculiar scene.

    "You will let me through this instant!" A shrieking toad said as her face started matching her pink clothes.

    "..." The stone statue just stared at her impassively.

    ''I kinda want to watch her try to actually make a real gargoyle move move from his perch by saying that a creature like it can''t stand in the way of the ministry, but I have shit to do and I want to go relax with my beauty.'' I thought with a smirk as I watched the idiot.

    "Move aside Ms. Umbridge, some of us have better things to do than watch you yell at a statue." I said to her in a droll tone as I approached.

    "It is High Inquisitor! And I have important business with Dumbledore." She corrected and then seemed to try to make me jealous somehow.

    "Good for you. Too bad today is the staff meeting, so you have to wait for tomorrow. But I am sure whatever you had to tell him truly needed to be said now. Cause we all care so much about what you have to say don''t we?" I asked with so much sarcasms it was almost visible.

    "And why was I not told about this meeting?" She seriously asked, completely ignoring my sarcasm.

    "Because you aren''t a staff member. You are a political annoyance we are tolerating. Now move aside." I answered as made her back away from me due to being physically intimidating with my height and muscles.

    She stumbled backwards while opening and closing her mouth, but I ignored her and nodded at the gargoyle which obediently opened up for without any issues.

    "Stop being a damn pest and stay in your office Umbridge. Then maybe you''ll be able to get through your time here." I then said with a glare as I began climbing the stairs and the entrance sealed itself before she could respond.

    I didn''t bother knocking at the door since I was already expected anyway, entering to see I was the last person to get here. Even if I was still early it was a bit embarrassing, but oh well.

    "Aedan, glad you have joined us. Now we can begin our first gathering of the year." Dumbledore said in his usual jovial tone.

    "So what do we do during these meetings? It is my first one." I asked out of curiosity.

    "Nothing too serious. This is to make sure everyone is on the same page and that we have a cohesive plan moving forward." The headmaster with his grandfatherly smile. "Minerva, if you could start with our first years."

    "My p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e Albus. It does seem like many first years from Magic families have some reservations in being here, most likely because of the ministry''s actions, but it is only a minority. Aside from that, a few are showing some talent in my class." She informed us.

    "A few of my ravens have spoken to me about their concerns as well, and not just from first years. Although it has been a pleasant surprise that this has not been happening in the older students." Flitwick added with a bit of a mixed mood.

    "Yes, my charges are being quite vocal sometimes. I believe our new Inquisitor might be stoking flames." Snape further developed with an unpleasant expression.

    "Speaking of, did anybody else have to witness our unwanted addition yelling at the entrance?" I asked out of curiosity again.

    That question actually got me some knowing smiles from the majority of professors.

    "It is too bad we were having an important meeting and could not hear anything due to our privacy wards." Dumbledore said with a small smile as well.

    "I see. It truly is unfortunate then." I said as my own Loki like smile appeared.

    "Put aside our new toad, there seems to be just as many dunderheads this year in my classes as usual." Snape said as he returned everyone to the matter at hand.

    "Then maybe you should actually try teaching them Snape. My classes are doing quite well as students are responding to some actual training pretty well. But I do have a lot of w.h.i.n.ers from Slytherin house however." I said in a pointed manner.

    "I do not need a petulant child like you to tell me how to manage my charges." He nearly hissed at me.

    "Both of you calm down." McGonagall interrupted as she put her glare into action, making the both of us back down temporarily.

    "Um, i have been pleasantly surprised as to how solid the knowledge students have in my classes." Our substitute Professor said with a nervous smile.

    "Yes, I am quite glad Hagrid has been able to achieve such results." Dumbledore said as he happily took out a lemon drop to suck on.

    "Let''s not forget the trend we''ve seen with improving grades all around. Our kids are working hard, having fun and making new friends, such a good atmosphere." Cooed Pomena with a motherly smile.

    "Yes, but it seems so troublemakers are becoming more prominent in your house Severus." Professor McGonagall said as she glanced at her colleague.

    "A mere side effect of the political climate, no need for your concern." He countered with his frown.

    "I actually do need to have a talk with a few students from your house at one point Snape. They need to know the options they have for the future after all." I informed the man as I knew he understood my implications.

    With a reluctant nod, we moved on to discuss some more standard issues like supplies and current grades as well as some minor clashes with our resident amphibious.

    "Any outstanding issues within the student body then?" Asked Dumbledore.

    "I''ve noticed some students being confrontational towards Mr. Potter, but nothing serious as of yet. It is mostly because of the Prophet." Minerva answered with an odd look on her face.

    "Yes, but our more recent policies on conflict have helped curb any real clashes between students so far. But we must keep a vigilant eye on the situation." Flitwick seriously said.

    "Please do make sure nothing develops into true anger. The last thing we all d.e.s.i.r.e is our students harming each other and while the ministry is attempting to control Hogwarts no less." The Headmaster said as he took another candy to relieve his stress over the matter, even if it was planned.

    "Well let''s not all dwell on the annoying stuff." I said with an upbeat tone and a clap of my hands to break the gloom. "The students are doing good, there''s been an improvement in grades, the situation is under control, the Harry problem isn''t that bad since I''ve been helping him through it and we all know the Prophet can only stir up this nonsense for so long."

    "Of course Potter needs special attention. The boy cannot go a month without being the center of everyone''s world." Snape sneered in response.

    "Too bad it''s the world that decided to f.u.c.k with him so much, and you don''t help so be quiet." I snapped back at Snape, resulting in the both of us glaring at each other again.

    "Thank you all for taking time to come here today." Dumbledore said as he basically ignored our little showdown. "But like young Aedan has said, we are on the right track and it is in our best interest to maintain our current performance. We will have more to discuss once the winter holidays are upon us and everything settles down more. For today however, I believe we can call this meeting to a close."

    With that, I had to break my stare down with Snape and bid goodnight to everyone present since I did have a pleasant relationship with most of them. Binns was pretty much the only exception since he couldn''t even get my name right, much less truly remember me. He''s still a weird ghost to me.

    Oh well. I decided to simply put most of it aside and go home to hold my wifey.

    Unfortunately a week after our staff meeting, the minister decided to do something which angered me quite a bit even if I knew they''d probably do it. I was able to mitigate some damages, but even then i will have to be vigilant.

    ''EDUCATIONAL DECREE no.23

    EDUCATION DECREE no.24

    ALL STUDENT ORGANISATIONS, SOCIETIES, TEAMS, GROUPS, AND CLUBS ARE HENCEFORTH DISBANDED. AN ORGANISATION, SOCIETY, TEAMS, OR CLUB IS HEREBY DEFINED AS AS A REGULAR MEETING OF THREE OR MORE STUDENTS. PERMISSION TO RE-FORM MAY BE SOUGHT FROM THE HIGH INQUISITOR. NO STUDENT ORGANISATION, SOCIETY, TEAM, GROUP, OR CLUB MAY EXIST WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE AND APPROVAL OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR. ANY STUDENT FOUND TO HAVE FORMED, OR BELONG TO, AN ORGANISATION, SOCIETY, TEAM, GROUP, OR CLUB THAT HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED BY THE HIGH INQUISITOR WILL BE EXPELLED.''

    ''And so begins the nailing of the coffin.'' I thought with a neutral expression as I watched Filch nail these new additions to the wall outside the Great Hall.

 Chapter 165 - Ch. 165 Dancing around Tyranny

    These decrees from the ministry rocked nearly the entire student body.

    It was just too easy to watch the pink hag drive all these students against her, and as a result she would push their parents to be against the ministry''s actions. Her stupidity, need for superiority, authoritarian views and blind belief in the ministry''s meager power is continuously driving nails into Fudge''s time in office without her even realizing it.

    Just the dismissal of all extracurricular activities made everyone hostile. And the woman was very much cracking down hard on anything which either has practical applications and training or is involved with people she deemed undesirable/dangerous. Meaning all the places where students could actually become competent or build their skills for their future careers just disappeared. No more Quidditch games. No more Dueling. No more enchanting or charming. No more potions. And no more Exchange.

    Then she decided to make things worst for herself by going around and enforcing every little thing she thought was inappropriate or didn''t ''follow the rules''. So just like canon she walked around fixing uniforms, breaking couples apart, stopping people from having fun, confiscating anything unrelated to school or studies, and just s.u.c.k.i.n.g the freedom and joy out of everyone''s lives. All things which made Filch follow her around like a love struck puppy.

    It''s all technically in the rules, but teachers understand that they''re kids and need to have fun or have some freedoms. Umbridge does not agree with that, but at least she hasn''t tried to pass those stupid decrees about it like canon. I honestly don''t know how the ministry could even begin to explain passing laws forbidding Hogwarts students from having their hands in their pockets. Any other governing body would laugh at England even harder than before if they even caught a whisper of that nonsense.

    Her little routine was getting on people''s nerves already, except me since I couldn''t give any less of a shit about her little decrees. These things are pretty easy to play around if you think about it.

    -mini flashback to emergency meeting for faculty.

    "They can''t just do this Albus! The Ministry is going against an entire millennia of dependency!" A furious McGonagall said as she barely held herself back.

    "I know Minerva, I know. But these decrees appearing means the board of Governors has approved. My hands are tied." Dumbledore responded with a great sigh.

    "Perhaps our esteemed Lord Bones could enlighten us on our dilemma." Snape then suggested with his signature sneer.

    "To inform you, all capable members vehemently opposed these so called decrees. I was barely able to rally some more members to modify decree no.23. They originally wanted to give her absolute control over punishments and allow her to modify them as she pleases. The difficulties we had to stop that idiocy were far too many for such an important issue, leading me to believe that the governors are being pressured once again. As a result, I am currently having my people look into things at the moment." I somberly explained as I showed an annoyed expression.

    "By Merlin. They wanted to give that horrid woman the authority to punish anyone in anyway she pleases within the school and make us unable to stop her." Gasped Professor McGonagall at the revelation.

    "This is starting to get out of control Albus. I will not allow this woman to tyrannize my badgers, Ministry be damned." A huffy Professor Sprout declared.

    "But I am afraid that going against these decrees would allow the ministry to do precisely what it is aiming for." The Headmaster responded with another sigh as he sank into his chair.

    "What do you mean Headmaster?" A serious Flitwick asked.

    "Because it would give the Ministry the excuse it needs to try and dismantle Hogwarts." I answered grimly.

    "Exactly. If the faculty begins to ignore or retaliate, it will give the Ministry the opportunity to claim whatever they need to justify either taking my own position or yours and then place whomever they deem fit as replacement." Dumbledore followed up, making the teachers look like they swallowed flies at the thought.

    "But we can''t do nothing Albus. That would be surrendering before we''ve fought." The deputy-Headmistress responded after a moment. "And to allow her to cancel the Quidditch Cup completely is simply preposterous. The tournament has been in place nearly as long as the school itself, to stop that is to take away a part of what makes Hogwarts what it is."

    ''I forgot how much she actually cares about that sport. She was apparently quite the player during her time as a student, until her final year and she received rather severe injuries from nasty foul Slytherin committed which decided that years final victor. A concussion and several broken ribs from a foul, and as a result she became driven to have Gryffindor slam Slytherin. That''s why she helped Harry get on the team during his first year and bent the rule on firsties not having their own brooms.

    The things you learn when you look into people can be illuminating sometimes.'' I thought as the talk about Quidditch surprised me.

    "I do not believe our guest will allow the Dueling club to continue as well. Even if it is still new, the positive impacts spoke for themselves." A crestfallen Flitwick added.

    "I do have some thoughts on that front." I said, making the smaller Professor look at me intently.

    "Please do share Professor Bones." He then responded as some hope appeared.

    "How about instead of it being a club run by students, it became a supplementary class guided by a teacher?" I suggested as my little devil inside showed a bit.

    "You mean..." Flitwick stated as he thought through my idea.

    "...using the wording of the decree against itself." Dumbledore completed with his eye twinkle showing itself.

    "Exactly. All that''s forbidden is the clubs and teams and the like, but they can''t stop teachers from giving some additional ''classes''. And if those classes just so happen to be specific with their content, there would be nothing wrong with that." I added with my smile turning more mischievous by the word.

    "I also believe using certain rooms already prepared for certain subjects would already be available as well." Dumbledore followed up with his jovial tone.

    "But that still doesn''t fix the Quidditch teams." McGonagall lamented.

    "It does if we have Madame Hooch organize ''advanced flying classes'' which welcomes all years and spectators." I countered at the same time my little horns would appear on top of my head.

    "Yes, yes. And if these lessons just so happen to award points and have an overall superior class being rewarded, then it wouldn''t be strange at all." Muttered a new side of the Professor I''ve never thought possible.

    ''Who knew McGonagall would care so much about the damn sport she would decide to dance around the so-called rules? Hermione would break if I told her.'' I thought as I watched the elderly witch.

    "I am sure many would love to attend my arts and craft classes as well." Professor Sprout said with a happy smile.

    "And I have no doubt quite a few students would appreciate some dynamic and creative use of charms." Flitwick then said with his voice squeaking in excitement.

    "A few supplementary lessons to watch for Mars is just what a few of my students needed. Thank you for the suggestion Professor Bones." Professor Sinistra said as she jumped into the discussion.

    "Hmph, I guess making sure we have fewer dunderheads in this school can count for something." Snape then said as he somehow decided to actually be somewhat helpful.

    "And I''m sure students will be quite excited to find me returning to the exchange." I added as everyone decided which club they would be ''teaching'' from now on.

    -now back to why I was thinking about that meeting.

    "What are you all doing here? Do all of you wish to be expelled?" The Inquisitoad asked as she look around the Exchange.

    "I don''t know what you mean Madame Inquisitor, why would we be expelled?" Cedric then smoothly said as he walked up to her with his charming smile.

    He''s obviously in on this since he was made the leader of the Exchange.

    "Mr. Diggory, I believe the Educational Degree was clear. All student organisations, teams, societies, groups and clubs are to be disbanded, and it is up to myself to decide if such shall be allowed to resume afterwards. And if my memory is not failing me, I have not given this little gathering my permission." She smugly said as she looked around.

    "You certainly haven''t Madame Inquisitor." Cedric happily replied with a bright smile.

    "Are you planing on going against the Ministry''s decrees Mr. Diggory? If so, I am sure we can have your father involved. As a loyal member of the Ministry he should, of course, support its decisions." She then said as if it would bully him into submission.

    "Umbridge, why are you interrupting my class again. I thought I told you already that unless you have actual classifications stay out of the way." I then said before she annoyed me too much and I accidentally murdered her.

    "You! What do you mean class?! This is clearly your little Exchange." She spat out in response to my appearance.

    "No, this is an open class to help review material for students. The Exchange was disbanded as per ministry decree. I just decided to use the room because it was very convenient." I lightly answered with my own smile.

    That got her to start turning redder than her stupid outfit real quick since she didn''t have a comeback.

    "Now please go bother someone else. I am sure a young couple enjoying each other''s presence is plotting the downfall of the ministry somewhere and must be separated by our esteemed High Inquisitor." I then said with a dismissive tone and hand wave.

    This time the hand wave was actually a modified version of the Locomotor charm which makes Umbridge float out of the room without her noticing since she''s too emotional at the moment. Only snapping out of it after the door slams in her face.

    But that was only the start of her bad time after maybe a week of her abusing her authority to feel like she actually matters.

    What came after her encounter with me was hilarious to hear about from various sources.

    She burst into the Dueling club and tried to give them all detention for not disbanding, but then Flitwick told her he was doing a class on charms and their various uses since some many showed enthusiasm for the subject. He even invited her to be his partner, which made her run way real fast.

    She tried to get Snape to close the potions club, only to be encased in a sound cancelling bubble and ignored after he said she was interrupting his remedial lessons.

    Her attempt to cancel the Gryffindor Quidditch practice resulted in McGonagall giving her a lecture on the benefits of the class while Hooch just took off with the team, leading to Umbridge trying to escape Minerva while chasing after people flying away on foot and yelling stuff at the sky.

    Professor Sprout just gave the women some knitting needles and told her to join in for her lesson. With similar results when she tried to stop her other art related clubs.

    I couldn''t stop laughing at that last one and wished I could have gone down that route too, but I hate the toad too much.

    What followed was so predictable that it wasn''t even funny.

    EDUCATIONAL DECREE no.25

    TEACHERS ARE HEREBY BANNED FROM GIVING STUDENTS ANY INFORMATION NOT STRICTLY RELATED TO THE SUBJECT THEY ARE PAID TO TEACH.

    That was interesting to still see, but it was an attempt to do twice the damage with one decree. On one hand it theoretically stops teachers from doing anything beyond the classroom and on the other we can''t talk about political happenings.

    In practice I got another round of smiles from the professors when I told them we were basically already doing that. Flitwick was technically teaching people charms, Hooch was teaching how to fly better, Snape was teaching how to brew various potions, Sinistra was doing Astronomy, Professor Sprout just had to change her stuff a bit so that they mainly use plant material to make color pigment for paint or create a suitable fibre for knitting, and then there''s my subject which I could make almost anything sound like it would be useful to defend yourself against the dark arts. Charm? Here''s how it can help. Transfiguration? That''s how you use that spell to stop a curse. Potions? Ever use a botched boil cleansing potion to incapacitate someone? History? I can tell you the story of four dark lords, a few wars, the history of curses and then tell you how the u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r industry caused deaths to prepare you for the struggles ahead.

    So yeah, that decree became a joke to those with some form of lawyer in them. Loopholes are the best when it works to your advantage.

    It was during this time of faculty vs Inquisitoad (Ministry), that something unexpected popped up.

    "Aedan, we''re really grateful for your teaching us how to fight, but do you think it''s possible to add some people?" Harry asked me after one of our training sessions with the Orderlings.

    "Not to say no straight up, but why? It''s not like anyone else is going to actively be fighting Death Eaters if I''m being honest. Plus I''m already training pretty much everyone who would truly stand against them without having to be convinced. I''ve got you lot, Cedric, Luna, Neville and Susan. Who would you include outside of that?" I asked the teen.

    It''s not like I don''t like anyone outside these ones, it''s just because I don''t want to deal with people unwilling to really fight and having to convince them to do it. I''ve already formed many plans and only the worst of the worst outcomes involve having students fight a f.u.c.k.i.n.g Death Eater army like canon. That would mean all my preparations in the Ministry failed, my inside forces failed, my own men all died and then I''d have to be completely out of other options.

    Plus the situation is different from the 5th year canon in general. With me as the DADA Professor, students are learning and improving at a rapid pace, removing the dissatisfaction over Umbitch being a blank void of a teacher and the fact that a good amount of the more courageous students are already in the still running Dueling club also removes more possibilities regarding who would need this.

    "Well, some people aren''t liking what the Ministry is doing and believe that something is wrong. They''ve also seen you stand up against Umbridge over and over, plus you''re a great teacher, and we all want to be able to help more. It''s not fair that everything is happening and none of us can do anything about it, so we gathered people who think the same." Harry answered with a fire in his eyes.

    "And who are these people?" I asked the trio standing in front of me.

    "A few people from the club want in. Especially Daphne, Padma and Hannah, they couldn''t not join after they saw me improve." Ron answered first.

    "Then Astoria heard her sister was joining so she insisted as well. The Creevey brothers jumped at the opportunity, as well as asked if they were allowed to take pictures. Pavarti Patil, Dean Thomas, Michael Cormer, Anthony Goldstein, Ernest Macmillan, Terry Boot, Sue Li and Theodore Nott from our year. Katie Bell, Marietta Edgecombe and Cho Chang from Sixth years. And Angelina Johnson, Lee Jordan and Roger Davis from the Seventh years." Listed out Hermione as she read from a piece of parchment.

    "So you all basically want me to teach about thirty people how to fight?" I asked back in response.

    "That does sound like a bit much when you say the number out loud." Murmured Hermione as a result.

    "Didn''t say I won''t do it, but I can''t take my time organizing such a mess. With all teachers having to be present in clubs relating to their teaching material, we''ve become busier than usual. Plus I still have Tory waiting for me at home. So if this is something you three want to have happen, you need to organize it. I can obviously offer some advice or pointers, but the rest will be up to you." I seriously say to the trio.

    ''This will probably trim down the list a bit due to too many conflicting schedules, but those who actually want to learn will make it work on some level.'' I thought as I looked at the trio talking amongst each other.

    "Alright, if you agree to teach everyone then we''ll figure out how to organize it." Harry said in agreement after a minute.

    ''Wonder if fate will make what I think is going to happen, happen.'' I thought as the trio left with determined steps.

 Chapter 166 - Ch.166 Draco-nic talk

    (Yes my title is a pun today, I couldn''t think of a Good title and this made me smile for some reason.)

    "There we go. Now I''ll know if that annoyance goes too far." I said as I finished modifying the new addition to the wards.

    This particular add-on was a ward to detect more serious curses used in the castle and pain detection. In the short run it''ll help me make sure that Umbitch doesn''t do anything to any students, and if she does I''ll know when and where. And in the long run it will allow the staff to know when someone has taken things too far or find any student suffering pain above a certain threshold. A good anti-bullying ward basically.

    The reason I added this little precaution was because I could see exactly how unstable she was getting from her attempts failing. Her latest scheme was that stupid Inquisitorial squad she made in the canon, but that failed splendidly without me even having to do anything. Biggest reason being the much better inter-house relations due to my presence. Even if a few were interested, they realized that this position of ''authority'' would mark them as power hungry and turncoats, hence isolating them from everyone else and losing whatever friends they had. Plus no one even thought the toad had any real power at this point except for being a pain in the a.s.s and giving out ridiculous punishments for doing anything she didn''t like, that being the case because the faculty was just using loopholes to keep Hogwarts a good place to be in.

    "Time to go home." I said to myself as walk out of my office with a smile on my face.

    As I lock the door and start leaving, I hear the sound of someone running towards me, making me turn to see who could be in such a rush.

    Interestingly, it was one Draco Malfoy.

    "Professor, could I speak with you please?" He asked as he caught his breath.

    (Just so no one flips out prem.a.t.u.r.ely, I made Malfoy be polite towards Aedan for a few reasons: first being the fact that he''s a legitimate lord, Slytherin''s respect him and are still very much trained by Victoria, he''s not Harry or being humiliated so no daddy talk, and another upcoming reason.)

    "Certainly Mr. Malfoy. Is this a quick matter or should this be discussed in my office?" I responded with a polite smile.

    "In your office." He answered as he looked around in caution.

    "Alright then, come on in." I simply said as I unlocked the place and headed in.

    My office was done in my style, just like prior DADA professors. But unlike Lockhart''s him themed office and Moody/Barty with his detection devices, mine was filled with various books on the subject in bookcases, diagrams of various dark creatures on open spots of wall, two couches with a coffee table in front of my private fireplace, a nicely crafted mahogany desk with a comfortable desk chair and two guest chairs in front.

    "Take a seat on one of the couches Mr. Malfoy. Would you like some tea?" I cordially ask the teen.

    "No thank you Professor, I just need to ask you a few things and then I will be on my way to the Great Hall for Dinner." He politely said as he sat down with a slightly uncertain expression.

    "Then ask away." I simply said as I seated myself on the opposite couch.

    He didn''t immediately begin his questioning, his face telling me he didn''t know where to begin and was having difficulties deciding what he should actually ask now that he was here.

    "Why did my mother tell me to come to you for aid?" He finally asked as he looked at me.

    "Because, like many, you are going to be in a position which would either cause your death or turn you into something akin to a slave. This is something she wishes you could avoid." I answered with what I believed is the truth, especially after talking with the woman.

    "But why would mother say to come to YOU? She never mentioned knowing you and father hates you for the repeated humiliations, so why you Professor?" He asked again as his emotions became a bit more erratic, showing me his confusion.

    "That would be because Lady Narcissa Black has come under my protection before the school year began." I answered calmly as I watched the young man.

    "That''s preposterous! Mother went to vacation in France!" He immediately denied as he stood from the couch.

    "Draco, how much do you know about your mother and father''s marriage?" I then asked, ignoring his outburst.

    "What?" He responded in complete confusion over the change of topic.

    "What do you know about their marriage and how it was before you were born?" I asked again and further specified.

    "It''s like any other proper pureblood family; find someone of suitable status, start a dialogue to see if the other party is agreeable to the match and then both sides form a contractual bond, later developing the relationship further. And father always stopped mother from talking about before I was born." He responded in an uncertain manner.

    "Well, let us start from the beginning then shall we?" I say as I gesture for him to take a seat again. "This information comes from your mother directly, so if you have any doubts you can ask her later.

    The brief version would be that during the last wizard war, your mother expressed some interest in your father when they were still attending Hogwarts. During this time, the Dark Lord was building his forces and more pureblooded began to join his cause. Your father was an avid supporter in his school days, alongside other students who primarily resides in Slytherin. This was near the time when the Black family was looking to join the cause as well, while also going above and beyond to prove their loyalty to their new Lord, resulting in the brilliant idea to marry off the three Black sisters to other devoted families. They tried to arrange a marriage between Andromeda and the Goyle family, but she eloped with her current husband, Bellatrix was sent to the Lestrange''s and your mother to the Malfoy''s.

    Turns out your mother and Bellatrix should have followed Andromeda''s example in the end though." I said as I began my explanation.

    "You have to be joking!? Mother should have followed the example of that blood traitor!? She would never do that!" Draco vehemently denied as he stood once again.

    "Do you want to know the reason why she believes this now or are you going to leave?" I asked with a raised eyebrow as I looked at the emotional teen.

    Draco looked at the door for a few moments, but ultimately decided to remain as he sat down.

    "The reason she said this is because of how the contractual bond was made. Your mother and Bellatrix weren''t wed using traditional wedding contracts between nobles. For them there was no way out. The contracts were basically rewritten servant contracts indicating that they must obey their ''husbands'', they must create an heir obviously, they had to help increase the status of their new families, etc.

    For Bellatrix, this meant climbing the ranks of Death Eaters and making the Lestranges status rise through their Lord. Her success led to her becoming the hand of her lord, behaving as a fanatic and the ability to command the man she hated and married.

    Your mother supported your family financially and politically, developing the Malfoy''s to the position they now hold from your father''s shadow. She avoided the Death Eater cause and built everything so well that even your father was able to walk a free man after everything he''s done." I explained as Draco became thoughtful over the revelation.

    "But that doesn''t explain why mother left and wanted you to protect her Professor. Even if she was bound by a contract, it doesn''t mean she didn''t love me or father." He said as he looked at me for an explanation.

    "Let''s begin with the fact that your mother only had some interest in the man before marrying him. That would have been a rough enough start for any 18 year old. But then his actions began to sour the relationship even further. From what your mother told me, she was subjected to physical and magical punishments whenever your father decided or when she disobeyed, a display to show off his so called strength/power/authority, she was forced to act however he wanted, all of her efforts were always portrayed as his achievements, and he never gave her any kind of love because your father is apparently a homos.e.x.u.a.l. All in all, it doesn''t help a woman fall in love does it?" I laid out without any subtlety, leaving the poor guy with a very torn look on his face.

    "My father never even loved her? Not even a little?" He desperately asked as he looked at me with a lot of emotions in his grey eyes.

    "Is preference would have made that rather difficult, but even then he never treated her as a friend or confident, only a servant or tool. I am sorry Draco." I answered with some pity for the teen.

    "Then what about me!? Was everything she did for me fake? Did she even care or was it always because of that contract? Did she ever even love me?" Draco asked as his emotions turned chaotic due to the revelations.

    "Your mother truly cares and loves you Draco. She even wished to be more involved in your upbringing and childhood, but was forced to let Lucius do as he pleased. She even requested I take you under my protection as well, hoping you wouldn''t become another servant for the Dark Lord and lived a happy life." I answered gently, making the young man''s tense body and mind relax as I spoke.

    "Then what about my father?" He questioned.

    "I honestly don''t know Draco. All I know is that your father is not a good man and I honestly don''t know if he was anything close to resembling a good father to you. I know you hold him in high esteem, but that is all. And your mother''s words have made my opinion of the man sink even lower than it was before." I honestly answered again, making Draco shift to a very thoughtful expression.

    I let him digest everything I told him patiently. I may not have high hopes for the teen in front of me due to what I''ve observed during the last 4 years, but my efforts managed to turn Ron around and I can''t not give Draco the same chance.

    If I look at him objectively, Draco is quite a capable young man. Putting aside his blinding obsession with Harry, his grades are in the top five for his year, he''s creative enough to manage to work around the Hogwarts wards in canon, he skilled enough to fight Harry in their sixth year and he later became a highly respected banker as an a.d.u.l.t. So there should be hope.

    "What should I do Professor? I''m not strong enough to go against everything we stand for. My whole life, father told me we were better and should rule as only purebloods could. I was raised to be his heir. But I''ve seen how some things are and I''m scared. My father said it was an honor to serve the Dark Lord, but I can see how much he fears him. I heard the screams when he''s angry and even sometimes a body being taken out of the manor. I don''t want to end up like that." Draco finally said as he even unknowingly let slip that Voldemort resides in Malfoy Manor.

    "It''s perfectly normal to be scared Draco. Most witches and wizards in this country can''t even say his name due to the fear they still have of him. But if you do not want to be a part of what he represents or even if you just don''t want to live your life as a fearful servant, I will protect you too." I gently said to the scared teen.

    "But why? I thought you hated purebloods. Why would you help me? I know you never had a positive view of me and Victoria certainly didn''t either." He questioned, but I could see he was looking for hope in his questions

    "I don''t hate purebloods Draco. If I did, I wouldn''t be engaged and in love with one. What I hate are the ideals some believe in. I have no problem with someone being proud of their families past and current achievements. It is completely understandable is certain families hold greater amounts of power than a random wizard with no backing. It is true that families which have been magical for a long time do have stronger Magic cores and can develop certain gifts. I will not deny any of that.

    What I hate is suppressing others based on birth, actively killing and harming others because someone believes themselves better, wanting power but not properly taking care of the responsibilities which come with it, and the constant hate such ideals spread.

    But if you believe that you want to change and don''t want to follow in your father''s footsteps, I''ll be right there to help you or anyone else in the same situation." I said to him with a calm smile on my face.

    That seemed to have surprised him greatly.

    "Um, i think I need some time Professor. And maybe a talk with mother if possible." Draco said to me after thinking for a moment.

    "I''ll arrange for a secret meeting for the two of you. It''ll happen during the holiday break, so try to think of an excuse for your father." I responded without skipping a beat.

    "I''ll do just that. I don''t know what good it''ll do, but I feel like I have to do this." He said as the teen stood up from the sofa with a heavy sigh this time.

    "Just take your time and think everything through carefully. Look back at what you were taught and look at everything with an objective eye. You''ll find the answers you are looking for Draco." I say to him with a peaceful smile.

    "Thank you Professor, for your time." Draco then before he started to walk to the door.

    "No problem at all Draco. And don''t forget that if you ever feel over your head, I am more than willing to lend a hand." I said to the young man as he walked on.

    "I''ll keep that in mind Professor, thanks." He said as he opened the door and walked out.

    ''I hope I helped him.'' I thought to myself as I watched my door close.

    But then I noticed the time and became quite nervous.

    "Shit! I didn''t tell Tory I was going to be late! No time for the proper way now." I hurriedly said as I burst into azure flames and vanished from my office.

 Chapter 167 - Ch. 167 Getting some more nails

    ''My Lord,

    The target has ordered the attack on Azkaban. Set to occur at before the holidays. Target believes this will cause the best reaction.

    Target also seems to be in a more positive mood. He may have other plans in motion.''

    ''I guess it''s time to start hammering some more nails in the Minister''s coffin. It also might be around the time when Voldy realized the extent of his link with Harry.'' I thought in response to Jennifer''s latest report.

    "Dobby!" I called out from my school office.

    "Yes master Bones!" The little house-elf squeaked out happily as he popped in.

    Good thing I had my two elves stay registered into Hogwarts'' wards.

    "Tell Tory I''ll be away for the evening because I''m starting the Real Minister plan. Also deliver this letter to the Headmaster to inform him of my absence." I ordered the little guy as I hand him a letter.

    "Dobby will do both perfectly master Bones." He immediately said as he grabbed the letter and popped away.

    I then grabbed my coat and flamed to the Folster manor.

    -flashback to a few days before Sirius and Amelia''s wedding.

    "Mother, could I talk to you about something important?" I asked as she was spending some time with Sirius.

    ''They''ve really taken to being together again huh. I am happy for her.'' I thought as the two sort of scrambled to let go of each other and look presentable.

    Well it was more mother with some embarrassment from being caught snuggling. Sirius was looking at me like I stole something from him.

    "*ahem* What is it dear?" She asked back with a little cough.

    "It''s about my plans for the future and how to deal with the Ministry side of things after Fudge''s stupidity is revealed. I know this is sudden, but I need to talk to you before moving forward." I answered, making her get serious very quickly.

    "What are you thinking of doing?" Amelia asked as she sat up.

    "Should I be here for this?" Sirius awkwardly asked.

    "It''s fine. I''m just here to talk about a possibility and just so happens that this one heavily involves your soon-to-be wife, so not an issue." I answered without much care.

    "Alright, so lay out your plan kid." The shaggy haired man said as he sat up with some excitement in his eyes.

    "Well, to make a long plan short, what do you think about becoming the next Minister for Magic?" I asked mother with a grin.

    It took a few moments for that to sink in the both of them.

    "Explain Aedan." Mother then said as her eyes narrowed, showing she was completely focused on my words now. "Also, let him explain properly before you say anything Sirius."

    It was funny to watch the man about to stand up and say something, only to sit down and shut his open mouth with only a few words. Especially someone like Sirius.

    "Ok. So we all know that when everyone finds out He''s back, it will completely destroy Fudge politically. He won''t ever be able to hold any kind of important office after that." I started off, making the two nod at the inevitable outcome. "And once he''s out of office, we will need a new Minister for Magic. Now who do you think the people will want in power when the Dark Lord has returned?"

    "Someone with the ability to protect them." Mother answered after only a moments thought.

    "Exactly. And from that single criteria, we can guess who the most likely candidates would be. The first would be Dumbledore for obvious reasons, but he would never take the position. Second would either be you or Rufus Scrimgeour, because of your times as Aurors and leadership of said part of the Ministry. And third would have been Crouch, but he was murdered during the tournament last year. So all in all, the two most likely candidates are you and Rufus, but you already have a huge advantage because of your status as the Head of the DMLE and our funding of the Aurors in place of the Ministry." I say with a quick breakdown of the candidates.

    "Dear, be honest with me. Did you plan for me to become the next Minister?" Mother asked as she looked at me.

    "I would really prefer for you to hold the office, but I would never force it on you. The Auror thing is so we don''t have completely under equipped and vulnerable soldiers when the Dark Lord is done building his power. If you don''t want to be the next Minister then all you have to do is endorse someone else." I quickly said to not pressure mother into thinking she has to be Minister.

    "Even if the kid did plan for it, so what? Didn''t you always say you wanted to change the Ministry for the better? What better way than to be a proper Minister? And with the kid''s help, my support and our friends, you certainly would be able to do just that." Sirius then said as he turned to his future wife.

    "Siri, you do understand that this would make me very busy and it might delay some of what we''ve talked about right?" She said to the man beside her.

    "I do get that. I''m not a complete fool. But this has been your dream for as long as I''ve known you and I won''t get in the way of that. I''ve caused you enough grief." He sincerely said as he grabbed her hand and look into her eyes, making mother blush slightly from the warm gaze.

    ''Wow, don''t even need to do anything.'' I thought as I looked at their interactions.

    "Alright alright. If you''re sure." She said after looking into his eyes and accepting his words.

    "Of course I''m sure. You think I''m the type of man who would just say whatever to please a lady?" He proudly proclaimed.

    "Yes, yes you are." Was the immediate counter.

    "That was only during our school years!" He exclaimed as he deflated from the direct hit.

    "And when you travelled on that motorcycle, hit on those muggle girls just to upset your family, flirted with Lily just to embarrass her and annoy James, or when you tried to make me jealous by constantly complimenting other female Aurors and hit wizards in my presence." Mother then added on to form the killing blow.

    Apparently mother agreed since she decided to let him off the hook.

    "But as long as you keep keep those old habits aimed at me, I''ll forgive you." She said with a small smile.

    "Deal!" He excitedly said and I could almost see his dog tail wagging behind him.

    "I really hope you haven''t given Tory that many tips." I said as a result of this little bit.

    "Oh only a few. Girls have to stick together." Amelia responded with some mischief in her eyes.

    "Well, damn. Going to have to be careful then." I said with a small sigh.

    "Fufu." Was mother''s response to my future troubles she created.

    "Anyway, so becoming Minister: yay or nay?" I said as I went back to the main topic.

    "I''ll do it." She answered with a determined look replacing the amused one.

    "That makes things easier for later then. This won''t be happening until the new year at least, so I suggest you enjoy yourselves and relax cause after that we will all get busy." I then said to the couple as I took my leave.

    "Don''t worry about that kid. I''ll make sure she can ''relax'' plenty." Sirius said as I was leaving.

    I didn''t even need to turn around to know what look he had on his face and what he meant when he said that.

    -end flashback (am I doing too many of these?)

    The reason I was thinking about this was simple: the invasion of Azkaban was a game changer.

    The most likely outcome is that Fudge blames Pettigrew for the act, just because he can''t blame anyone else for it right now. There are no other notorious, known and currently free/on the run death eaters right now, limiting his options.

    But there are far too many holes in that story, even more than when they blamed Sirius in the canon. For one, Sirius had actually been in Azkaban and escaped it, so he actually knew where the thing was. Two, Sirius is a very skilled and clever wizard. And three, he was still being treated as the hand of the Dark Lord, giving him some kind of motive.

    Peter on the other hand is a very different story. He doesn''t know where the damn prison is. That is something which is only known by a select few in the Ministry, on top of that they are sworn to secrecy and you can only get there by portkey without being detected by either the wards or the dementors. Pettigrew is not even close to being as skilled as Sirius. Peter is a survivor and has great instincts when it comes to that, but his other skills are lacking. And lastly, he is a betrayer and not a valued fanatic, as well as a coward, drastically reducing any reason why the man would be anywhere near Azkaban or even a single Dementor, much less all of them.

    This will be where the Herald will begin destabilizing Fudge''s position. The breaking in of Azkaban and the lost control over every Dementor will do splendidly. Then we build on that by telling people what they have truly been trying to do at Hogwarts, add in some of the ridiculous number of scandals I can implicate the man and his supporters in, cut him off from any financial support Lucius could offer thanks to Narcissa, and I''ll be surprised if people won''t want to have the man in Azkaban by the summer.

    And then Amelia Bones, Head of the DMLE, highly respected for her impartiality and character, someone capable, trustworthy, well known and supported by a vast number of ''righteous'' figures, will come in and take the reigns.

    Dissenting voices, meaning all those assholes who would support the Magic nazis, have been steadily cleaned out in secret by myself and by the Minister himself since he believed they were Dumbledore supporters. I already have most clean and open-minded Wizengamot members on my side, with a few meetings arranged with influential members of the more neutral families, and just a ton of blackmail and incriminating evidence on the bigot families. On top of that, I already have control of the most powerful companies in the country and maybe the continent since I''m the founder for all of them. Add Dumbledore''s support, Harry''s if needed, a proper Auror force, and this will probably be on track for being the most unified the Ministry has been in centuries.

    But the reason I was going to the Folster Manor this evening was to maybe obtain a useful enough employee today.

    So changing my appearance to the relatively good looking Micheal Folster, with neatly combed brown hair, forest green eyes, strong jaw and freshly shaven face, I sat down at my work desk and waited for my appointment to arrive as I sipped on the earl grey Scott had prepared for me.

    It didn''t take long for me to feel my guest through the manor wards.

    "Scott, if you would." I simply said as I put down my cup.

    "Of course sir." He answered since he already knew what to do.

    After only a few minutes, a knock came from my office door.

    "Ms. Skeeter sir." My aide informed me as I looked up from my tea.

    It seems that even though she tried to hide it, she has been impacted by her loss of employment. Less makeup, less flashy clothing, no overpowering perfume, lack of that arrogant confidence from before and more somber emotions.

    "Come in Ms. Skeeter. I am sure you are curious as to why I have asked for you, but before we begin I will offer you some refreshments. Tea? Coffee? Any sort of juice or water?" I politely offer as the blonde woman looks at me rather nervously.

    "No. Thank you." She said as she now had her focus on me.

    "Just to inform you, you are not in any kind of trouble. My aim today is to make you an offer for employment. Your services for proper pay and a vow of secrecy. If you refuse, you may simply leave. If I wanted to harm you, there are far easier ways than to invite you into my home." I said to the woman with a calm smile.

    "Yes well, one can''t be too careful. It also isn''t everyday you get invited to meet the elusive Micheal Folster." She replied with a bit of false bravado.

    "I just don''t like dealing with all the political annoyances and suck ups which come with a position like mine. I do what I do to help push our society ahead, not for the fame. Which is why I have Scott and my other associates take care of what needs direct interactions." I followed up as I gave her the official reason for Micheal Folster''s lack of exposure.

    "And why would someone like you, want me? I''m not exactly an idealist, and I''m certainly not anywhere near as influential as your associates. Especially now." She said as she almost whispered that last part.

    "Because you have certain skills which would help me achieve a few of my goals. If you did not, I would have simply left you where you were." I bluntly stated.

    "What skills? If you hadn''t noticed, I can''t exactly write anything anymore." She bitterly responded.

    "Your infiltration abilities of course. Being a beetle is a great asset for what I have planned for you." I answered with a confident smile.

    "How do you know that?" She immediately asked as she became very nervous once again.

    "Relax Ms. Skeeter, I have no intention of having you visit Azkaban. Even if you decide to decline my offer, I shall still not say a word. I can even swear a vow should that put you at ease. But like I said, you aren''t here to be forced into anything, I simply wish to offer you a job." I said in a calm and patient voice.

    "Alright, then what''s the job?" She finally asked after feeling a bit more secured.

    "As you might have guessed from me speaking of your infiltration skills, I want to hire you as an information gatherer. I need you to either find useful information on either selected targets or your own marks. This would mean finding out their true characters, shady dealings, their pasts, their troubles, possible exploits, things which could prove advantageous in both a positive manner or negative." I explained carefully.

    I want her to understand that this isn''t just so I can blackmail people. I also want to find out if I can help others or if some is doing wrong without my knowledge. I already do that through Sherry, but I don''t have many true infiltrators, mostly due to our focus on getting informants and agents into useful places.

    "And what''s the pay? This is dangerous work and know it." The blonde asked as she looked like she was gaining a bit of her spirit back.

    "The pay will be 20 000 g a year. You will be getting additional bonuses depending on the value of your information, with the possibility to gain additional bonuses if it proves to be more useful than initially thought. If you still d.e.s.i.r.e to become a journalist, I will arrange for you to receive good information and help you create stimulating, truthful and accurate articles. There will also be some other services available as one of my people, but that is for if you agree." I explained straight up.

    "Just out of curiosity, how much are those bonuses?" She asked with a strained voice due to her barely containing herself.

    "Depending on the value of the information, between maybe 100 to 50 000 g so far. If your information turns out to be wrong multiple times however, you will be forced to pay a penalty or your contract may simply terminated." I answered and gave her my warning before she gets any ideas.

    I wasn''t sure she really heard my warning because I could almost see gold in her eyes.

    "Where do I sign?!" She then yelled out as she stood up and slammed her hands on my desk.

    "Right here. Please do read all the details before signing. There are some other benefits as well as the rules and duties of this position." I answered as I placed the contract in front of her.

    As excited as she was, Rita still knew better than to just sign a magically binding contract without reading it. No one wants to basically sign themselves into slavery without knowing after all. But my contracts are all legit.

    "Well, I guess it''s a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e working with you chief." She finally said as she signed her name and the contract took effect with a shining blue light.

    "Welcome aboard Ms. Skeeter. Here is your first priority. Read this and learn it. After you''re done, it will vanish. It cannot be copied and it will destroy itself should anyone else touch it. After that, you can begin working by reporting to one of the locations within this book." I explained as I handed her the book all my informants are currently using.

    "Got it chief. Anything else?" She simply asked as she took it.

    "That will be all. I hope this will be a mutually beneficial arrangement Ms. Skeeter. Scott will see you out." I answered with a polite smile as my aide opened the door right on cue.

    "Follow me Ms. Skeeter. I shall be escorting you home if you so wish." The man politely offered as he began to do his job.

    "No need for that. I''ll just apparate." She responded.

    "Then follow me. I shall guide you until we are outside the manor wards." He said with a wave of his arm, letting her pass in front of him as he held the office door, then closing it behind the both of them.

    ''Now I simply need her to start taking on the assignment we have for her and I can take out everyone in one fell swoop.'' I thought with an excited smile on my face.

 Chapter 168 - Ch. 168 The fall of Azkaban

    -Malfoy Manor

    "Geri Greyback, you shall lead the assault. This is the portkey needed to reach Azkaban and return. It is time to prove yourself and demonstrate the skills many have praised." Voldemort said as he looked at all his followers and levitated an old fashioned key o a large metal key ring to his chosen subordinate.

    "As you wish my Lord." The raven haired female werewolf responded. "What of the Dementors? I was under the impression that they would be coming under your banner."

    "Have no fear. They know of your arrival and shall not interfere." The Dark Lord answered confidently.

    And why shouldn''t he be? The creatures remembered him and the last war. They remembered all the souls they were able to feast upon and it was all too easy to promise the return of those times.

    "Then I shall take my leave with your permission." She replied in a disciplined manner.

    "Go and bring my lost followers home. It is time for them to receive their rewards for their loyalty." Voldemort said as he sent the woman off.

    With a bow towards the Dark Lord, the wild beauty took her leave.

    "My lord, is it prudent to let a mercenary take on such a mission? A beast at that." A very cautious Lucius Malfoy asked, with silent support from a good number of those currently sitting at the large table.

    "You all need not fret. I have simply sent the dogs to kill a few men. Should they die, it would only mean they were not even useful enough to keep. Should they succeed then I simply have leashed mongrels to sick on those who would stand before me." The Dark Lord responded as he truly did not care for the lives of werewolves. They were only a temporary tool to spread fear.

    "As expected of you my lord. To perfectly use those beasts in order to serve their betters." The placated lieutenant said as the rest nodded in agreement.

    "Now I want everything to be ready for the return our loyal men and women. Although the Dementors are joining us, they would not show mercy on those loyal to me while I was indisposed and they will need treatment before those who return can fight once again." The grey-skinned man ordered, making those in charge start moving as he commanded.

    So with a flurry of activity within the manor, the woman they looked down upon as a simple beast, was fulfilling her own duties.

    ''My Lord,

    I have been ordered to assault Azkaban personally. I shall keep you updated on those who will be joining the target.

    Any new objectives?'' Was the message she sent to her true master.

    ''Everything you need has been prepared at New Moon safe house 6.

    Keep on mission unless something which crosses the bottomline occurs.

    One additional objective: Kill Ignacius Avery. Mandatory.

    Guards have already been changed to undesirables for the week. Lethal force authorized.

    Also, Scott says he loves and misses you.''

    "I miss him too." I sighed with a wistful smile on my face after reading Master''s reply.

    ''Alright, no time to be sad. After this Op these bastards will be quiet for a while in order to help the escapees recover. That''ll give me some time, plus I can say that I need to lay low just in case. It''ll also help that the holidays are near, it means most of those so called purebloods will need to attend some kind of function or gathering.

    Hehe, Scotty better be ready cause I''m a hungry wolf.'' I thought as I cheered myself up at the thought of enjoying the holidays with my love.

    But with my orders confirmed, I grabbed the proper portkey to reach the right safe house after sending out her own orders to her men.

    "Let''s see what toys Master has prepared for me." I say to myself with an excited smile as I approached the cozy looking home.

    It was a simple two story house, with faded white paint covering the wooden siding. It had a small porch with a few rocking chairs, a wide window from the living room, a garage and screen door. Something which a person would think about when they thought of a farmers home.

    I approached the garage door instead of the main house door and activated a simple looking ring on my right index finger.

    The silver band was something my master and his friend created for his trusted friends, family and subordinates. Each has access to a certain degree of his projects, properties or safe houses. They also come with a variety of protective enchantments and are made to only work for the wearer. They also include failsafes to shut down when the wearer''s mind has been influenced.

    "Truly amazing. But I expect nothing less from master''s friend." I proudly said to myself as the garage opens for me.

    I then walk to the workshop area at the back and then Stood in front of the tools hanging on the wall.

    "The left hand has come to take her blade." I spoke out as I channeled some Magic into my ring.

    With a blue glow of acceptance, the wall was then replaced by one full of infiltration, espionage and combat gear.

    ''Master is beyond a genius, but he can be a bit childish sometimes.'' I thought as I remembered him saying this inspired by muggle spy movies.

    ?Peruvian instant darkness powder: Perfect for quick getaways and to confuse your ennemies.

    ?Heat signature Specks: Useful when one is in the dark and doesn''t want to cast any Magic.

    ?Anti-Dementor Lockets: just like the name says, it stops Dementors from being able to feed of the wearer.

    ?Bombarda rune disks: Can stick to any surface, timer or trigger options, and is capable of bringing down a building if placed properly. Adjustable strength.

    ?Custom ward jammers: If they aren''t made by Master, then these will rip through pretty much anything.

    ?Custom Portkey/Apparition/Floo/communication blockers: No reinforcement for the target any time soon.

    ?Death Eater masks and robs: just to be safe.

    ?Utility belt: because apparently if a comic book character named after a bat is fine with it, I should be too. It is useful after the space expansion charms are added though.

    ?Schematics and guard patrol routes/schedule for Azkaban.

    After making sure I had everything, I walked out of the garage and waved my right hand to make the place lock itself. Then I apparated to the meeting location for my team.

    With a quiet apparition, I now stood outside a forest which was owned by master. He really owns a lot more than people could ever guess. Without hesitation, I walked towards the meeting area.

    "If you don''t tell me the password I''ll have to put you down. Even if you look like the boss." A rough male voice said from above as I could feel three other presences around me getting ready to attack.

    "We hunt big game tonight." I answered back, satisfied over my men''s caution.

    "That we do. Glad to see you too boss. So are we really doing it then?" The rough voiced man asked as he jumped down from a tree.

    He had short brown hair, wild blue eyes, a few claw marks on his face, and strong looking chin. He stood 6''3, muscles evident from whatever angle you looked and the feel of a predator like most of our kind.

    "That''s the job Jor. Got some goodies to get things done too, so let''s gather with everyone." I answered to my second in command.

    "Then this should be fun." He followed up with a wild smile spreading on his face. "At least more fun than all those babysitting gigs."

    "I''m pretty sure kidnapping some people isn''t what most would consider babysitting." I shot back with a wry smile.

    "That tends to happen when you tell them your a werewolf who''s feeling bity." I replied lightly as we reached the temporary camp my men set up for this meeting.

    "That it does." He simply said with a face which was reminiscing on fond memories.

    So with a soft sigh and a shake of my head, I called out to my team. "Alright boys and girls, gather up! I don''t want to explain this twice!"

    As my trusted team gathered, I transfigured the ground into a proper table to place the info I had of the op site.

    It took little time for my team of twelve to fall in and stand in attention.

    "Now that everyone''s here, I''ll start.

    Our mission is to break into Azkaban, kill all the guards and take out those willing to fight for target V. There is only one exception deemed to be too dangerous: Ignacius Avery. He must die.

    All guards have been identified and marked as undesirables, giving us clearance to use lethal force against all of them. But I would prefer leaving one survivor to really mess with the Ministry.

    Dementors have already been compromised, but I have additional protection in each of your goodie bags.

    With the basic parameters revealed, does anyone have questions about these before I move on to the attack plan?" I said with confidence and authority as I started at all my people.

    "Why kill one old man?" Jor questioned out of curiosity more than anything.

    "His research, insanity and lack of moral limitations have been marked as extremely dangerous by our Lord. He also personally tortured and experimented on him when the lord was still a child." I answered with barely contained fury at the thought of the man still breathing.

    The answer caused the entire team''s outrage to rise since. They are all very loyal to myself and the lord as well. All of them are people who''ve found a good life because of him and who would die for him if needed.

    "Got it. The old bastard won''t live past the night." Jor responded while looking deadly serious.

    "Good, moving on then.

    We''ll start with Daliah and Sean on infiltration. You two will plant the initial explosives at designated spots. You are also in charge of making sure Avery dies ''accidentally''.

    Jerome, David And Will, you three will be with Jor, attacking from an entry point at the top, which will be made by Daliah and Sean. The six of you will then work together to sweep towards the ground floor.

    The rest of you will be with me, taking the main entrance, making our own sweeps as we head upwards.

    We strike hard, fast and efficiently. Everyone will have a supply of darkness powder and a pair of Heat Specks, giving us an even better opening advantage." I explained as I distribute everyone''s roles. "Any questions?"

    "Yeah. How many guards?" One of my most skilled infiltrators asked. Sean is a smaller blonde man with grey eyes and a lithe build perfectly suited for flexibility and speed.

    "We have 18 confirmed in Azkaban less then an hour ago. Next shift is not until 8am and no new prisoners or visits have been scheduled. But be vigilant anyway." I answered almost immediately.

    "What''s the exit plan?" Jor asked this time as he looked at the schematics of the prison.

    "Target V has specified a drop-off site which is linked to the portkey he has given me. As soon as we finished our objectives and gathered the targets, I will bring them with me and all of you shall return here before dispersing." I answered the large man.

    I waited a few moments to let anyone else speak up, but seeing no one I decided to move on.

    "Alright. Look over the info and gear up, we leave in an hour."

    -mini time skip.

    "Everyone ready?" I asked as I looked around to see my crew in their death eater attires.

    Getting nods of confirmation, I held out the key, signaling to everyone to grab onto each other.

    A moment later, we all felt the familiar pull of the portkey activating and we moved through space itself. The feeling could be difficult for infrequent users, but to everyone here it is a mild annoyance at this point.

    We then landed right in the small cemetery for those unclaimed by their families after passing away during their time in the prison.

    While checking our surroundings before going invisible, I could tell why they call this place a hell on earth even without the hundreds of Dementors. The Fortress turned prison just radiated dread. From the dark stones making up the building, unceasing crashing of the waves under the ever present black cloud covered sky, the soul chilling feeling its inhabitants left upon the island and the hopelessness the prisoners have always felt within those walls.

    ''Master told me about how Barty Crouch Jr was smuggled out of this place. This meant Barty Crouch Sr left his own wife to be buried on this horrible island, under someone else''s name and without any possibility to be visited. Pissed me off when I learnt about that.'' I thought as I momentarily let my mind drift due to our present location.

    "You all know your roles. Begin the operation." I declared emotionlessly as I focused on the mission.

    With saying a word they all knew what to do.

    Jor and his group took out their brooms and headed near the infiltration point.

    Sean and Daliah immediately headed towards the entrance.

    Then my group split up in order to set up the ward jammers and teleport blockers around the island before regrouping near the entrance.

    Ten minutes later everyone was in position and awaiting the explosive sign to begin.

    And what a great sign it was. Just the explosion at the entrance left a massive hole in place of the heavily enchanted steel doors previously placed there. Plus the hole at the top and the darkness powder which was set to go off with the explosions, resulting in massive amounts of black smoke pouring out of the two new openings.

    I didn''t even speak, simply started sprinting towards the opening, my team following behind me as I expected.

    Running through the hole, I spotted two bodies with missing or partially torn off limbs, meaning only 16 guards were now known to be active.

    But I knew where to find more.

    I immediately turned down the left hallway and ran towards the rest room, knowing a few guards would undoubtedly be there.

    Before we even reached the place I could hear at least three different coughs coming from where the room was located.

    We finally spotted our targets, with four confirmed in the hallway itself as they tried to make their way to the exit.

    Without missing a beat, I quickly shot Master''s combat version of the severing charm and decapitated the closest target. Two spells were shot from my team, causing another''s head to explode and the third was vomited blood as his entrails were most likely exploding. This left only one guard who still didn''t notice our presence nor his coworkers deaths. But with a wave of my hand, a small knife flew out from my robe and went through his skull before returning no worse for wear. A gift from my Master.

    With a quick sweep of the ground floor, only finding an unfortunate man caught with his pants down as he hurriedly tried to make his way out of the toilet, we then moved to clear the other floors. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #.-168-the-fall-of-azkaban_51818549655690111 for visiting.

    We found a pair who appeared to have been patrolling when all the explosions went off. I didn''t even slow down as pierced one''s heart with my blade and made the other''s c.h.e.s.t explode.

    Passed another body which was caught in the opening fireworks.

    Then we made it to the middle of the towering prison, reaching the guard post which was set to help either the ground or top floors should something happen, as well as monitor the middle floors. And it seemed the three stationed there understood what was going on and had made a defensive formation.

    Too bad for them this wasn''t a duel and I had permission to kill all guards on site. So I took out an explosive disk, set it to 1/3 of the usual power and ordered my team to take cover. I did the same, threw the disk into the middle of the trio and just set it off, only giving them enough time for one last pain-filled scream as they died in pieces.

    We were about to continue on our way, but then Jor''s group entered the room meaning they had finished sweeping the top floors as well.

    So with a wave of my wand, I cleared out the already thinning smoke.

    "Report." I ordered the group.

    "5 confirmed kills, no injuries or fatalities on our side. No unintended casualties noted nor any escapees. Target A was confirmed dead. We even have a present for the boss if needed." Jor answered immediately.

    "Good. We have 13 confirmed kills from the ground to here, making the full 18. I want a full secondary sweep of the building to make sure we didn''t miss anything. Make sure to check for any useful information in either the records room. After that we will begin extracting the targets." I ordered, making my team take action immediately.

    After only 20 minutes since the beginning of our operation, we had full control over Azkaban and everything it contained. When then began to gather the imprisoned Death Eaters, past sympathizers and possible recruits for transport. The total was 23 individuals.

    And boy was Bellatrix Lestrange even worse than I was warned. It was extremely difficult to stop myself from killing the insane bitch who caused my master so much suffering. But master said she was to be allowed to live for now. So I ignored the crazy cackling witch and focused on finishing my mission.

    So with another successful mission, I had all of these so called people hold onto each other and activated the portkey once again.

 Chapter 169 - Ch. 169 Fallout of Azkaban

    -Ministry of Magic, Fudge POV, morning after the Azkaban raid.

    ''This can''t be happening. Not now of all times.'' I thought as my mind failed to grasp what my secretary just told me.

    "We need to lock down all information about this! We can''t let the people know Azkaban has fallen and that we lost control over the Dementors." I ordered the blonde woman in front of me as soon as I could think properly.

    "But sir, the news is already spreading throughout all the departments. It''s impossible to stop it at this point." The visibly nervous woman informed me.

    "Damn. What exactly are they saying?" I asked in frustration, needing something to use in order to not lose my office.

    "The biggest version is that, according to the inmates, Death Eaters raided Azkaban to take out all their convicted members and supporters." She answered as she looked at her notes.

    ''Not good. Not good at all. If people start thinking the Death Eaters are active again, then that means they''ll link this to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and then they''ll start thinking Dumbledore was right about him being back.

    I can''t let that happen! Not when I only need some more time for Dolores to remove him from Hogwarts. We just need one slip up and I''ll finally be rid of him. I can''t let him gain support or I''m finished.'' I thought in a panic as I ran my hands through my thinning hair.

    But then a sudden event came back to me as I was trying to figure out a way through this mess.

    "Emily, what is the status on the investigation of my assassination attempt and Peter Pettigrew?" I suddenly asked the blonde secretary.

    "Umm, I haven''t heard anything new sir. It seems like the Aurors haven''t been able to find much on either of them. But the last mention of Pettigrew was when The-Boy-Who-Lived reported to have seen him with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named at the end of the Triwizard tournament." She informed me after looking through some doc.u.ments on her clipboard.

    "Then here''s what I want the Prophet to write: Peter Pettigrew and his unknown accomplices have assaulted Azkaban. They''ve freed his master''s former servants to take revenge on Harry Potter. There is to be no mentions of the Ministry losing control of the Dementors, is that clear?" I ordered sternly, making sure to impart the seriousness of the situation.

    "Yes sir!" She immediately responded.

    "Good, now go inform the Prophet. This needs to be down as soon as possible." I said as I sent the woman away.

    ''I just need some more time to remove Dumbledore''s influence. Six months at most and then I can properly deal with everything after he is no longer undermining me. His supporters are being rooted out one by one, Dolores will be capable of taking away his last source of influence, and then I can start suppressing the Bones boy. He is becoming far too influential, just like his father was.'' I thought as I took out a bottle of fire whiskey and poured myself a glass.

    "All I need is a bit more time." I said aloud as I took a drink.

    -Emily Doreen, Minister for Magic Secretary, POV

    -Finally back to the MC POV

    ''A.S.SAULT ON AZKABAN AND MA.S.S BREAKOUT BY PETER PETTIGREW AND DISGUISED ACCOMPLICES.''

    That was the Prophet''s headline a day after I received a notice from Sherry Holmes regarding this development.

    ''He took all this time and effort just to put himself into check. I guess it''s time for me to put him out of his misery and checkmate him.'' I thought with a smile as I read the days paper.

    "Going by that smile I''d say you''re scheming again." I then heard Victoria say as she decided to sit on my l.a.p.

    Her loose hair flowing down her back, wearing one of my white shirts with a little knot to make it more appealing and a pair of comfortable grey pyjama shorts to show off her nice legs.

    "Read for yourself." I simply replied as I pass the paper to her, wrap my arms around her waist and start giving her some soft kisses on her tender neck.

    "Hm? Oh wow. He really did exactly like you said. *m.o.a.n* So you''re going to start the counter narrative? *m.o.a.n*" She asked in between arousing little m.o.a.ns from me kissing one of her soft spots.

    "Yeah. Like I said before, he''s going to be out of office by the end of the year." I answered as I softly spoke next to her ear and then gave her neck another kiss resulting in her shaking her nice toned a.s.s on my own s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e bits.

    "Tempting. Especially with such a beauty on my l.a.p." I whispered heatedly in her ear again as I make her squirm a bit.

    "Down boy. Today''s the day I can finally bring mother out and I don''t want to get teased to oblivion because she could tell we did something." She replied with a small slap to my c.h.e.s.t as her face went red from both embarrassment and some excitement.

    "Right, going to be living with the in-law for a while. How could I forget?" I said with fake sadness, acting like the typical man dreading the visit.

    "Yes, yes and she will be ordering around just for fun." She said as she played along.

    "My poor peace and tranquility." I said as I made it look like I was crying in my arm.

    "Poor hubby. How about a nice reward for your suffering after mother and I finish breaking my big bad dad? Would that make it better?" She the asked in a cooing voice.

    "And what would that reward be?" I asked in response with some curiosity.

    "Well, after we finish dealing with dear old dad, we can finally have our wedding." She answered with a sly smile.

    "Not that I don''t really want to marry you, but that doesn''t sound like a reward just for me." I replied as I acted a bit dumb.

    "Now that sounds more like a fun time." I responded with an almost animalistic smile.

    "Good. So be a good boy for a little longer while me and mother ruin him." She cheekily said to my with some mischief in her eyes.

    "Alright, alright. If it helps, I know for a fact that the uncle your father wants to hand the family down to escaped last night as well. That gives you gals an even better reason to stop that." I informed her with a sigh at her teasing because I know she wants it just as badly as I do, maybe even more.

    "Oooh, thanks for the type hubby~." Victoria replied with a quick kiss on the lips.

    But to her surprise, before she could escape I pulled her in once again and decided it was time to get some payback as I began dominating her mouth with a deep kiss of my own. I felt melt in my arms as my tongue tangled with hers and I did every little thing I knew made her weak in the knees, resulting in her blushing like crazy, panting s.e.xily and her eyes losing focus as I stopped.

    "Huh?" Was all that came out of the still confused beauty.

    "That''s for teasing me so much." I say with a c.o.c.ky smile as I gave her nice a.s.s a spank.

    "Eep! Aedan!" The woman said as she sent me a cute glare.

    "Hehe. You know you like a nice spanking Tory. But I had to wake you up since we don''t want to be late right?" I said with a teasing tone and smile at her reaction.

    "I look forward to it love." I answered with a bright smile.

    "Hmph. Let''s go get ready. You have a lot of students to deal with and I''ll probably have to placate a bunch of sheep during my shift with this latest stupidity." Victoria said as she turned around and let me see her lower body in action as she sent some hip sways at me as she went to our bedroom.

    "I love that girl." I said to myself with a smile as I got up to dress myself as well.

    -Small time skip to later that day.

    I gotta say that Tory was right about having to deal with a lot of kids because of today''s paper. All the professors were being questioned about the event and its ramifications, but my classes were even more difficult to get through because of its relation to the event. Dark creatures, Dark Witches and Wizards, and a lot of curses and deaths. So that was fun.

    At least I was able to inspire some drive into the kids so they can feel safe due to their skill instead of the place they hide in. The best source of courage is when you have confidence in yourself and those around you after all. Besides love anyway. But that can make a person do a lot of crazy things, not just brave ones, so I''m holding off on mentioning it at the moment.

    I decided to have a talk with the group I was currently teaching so that they would be in the loop about what''s really happening in the world. This being one of the things I always found weird in the canon, how no a.d.u.l.t would ever straight up the the golden trio anything straight and then they just run into everything blind. So even if I don''t reveal everything, I will still talk about what''s happening.

    So as a result, the trio, the twins, Suz, Neville, Ced, Luna and my three other dueling club successors were gathered. All students who I had a close relationship with one way or another and I had trust in.

    "I assume all of you have heard of or read today''s Prophet article." I start off so they know what''s going to be discussed.

    "How can the Prophet just run such an article? The Minister clearly knows about Peter Pettigrew, but he still forced them to print this." A huffy Hermione added.

    "That is the problem isn''t it? This is all politics. The Minister is desperate to have people forget this as quickly as possible. My father even said he''s been cracking down on this hard within the Ministry." Daphne Greengrass answered with her usual neutral expression.

    "Yeah, my father said the same when I asked about it earlier. He said the articles complete nonsense and that this was a bad move on the minister''s part." Cedric followed with a thoughtful expression.

    "Everyone is being affected by Wrackspurts, all fuzzy and unable to think properly." Luna then said in her usual dreamy tone as most just have wry smiles at her comment.

    "So what really happened then Professor? You wouldn''t have called us here to just have us guess." Harry finally asked as the question made everyone focus on me.

    "Very correct of you Harry. I have found that some of those present in this room, tend to be particularly involved when interesting events are occurring and tend to run into things rather blindly, while the rest are trustworthy, intelligent and loyal individuals. Hence I thought it best to inform you all of what has happened and you may do what you think is best with this information." I happily said with a bright smile.

    "Alright then,

    Spill it Professor" The twins said in their twinspeak.

    "Ok so hears the deal. Last night it was confirmed that a group of skilled and deadly witches and wizards broke into Azkaban. They killed every guard on duty and broke out all convicted Death Eaters and their sympathizers from the prison. They were said to all be dressed as Death Eaters themselves by the inmates still in the prison. The worst part, which the ministry is desperate to keep quiet about, is that they''ve lost complete control over the Dementors. They did not defend the prison and are no longer there." I said as I the group had almost horrified faces at the revelation of uncontrolled dementors on the loose.

    "Yeah I confirmed it with her and my own sources. Azkaban has fallen." I gravely confirmed.

    "So what can we do?" Harry then asked with a fire in his eyes.

    "You keep training and growing stronger. The lot of you are getting better every lesson and most a.d.u.l.t wizards would regret trying to do anything to you. But this time they freed their best and most loyal from that he''ll hole, so I''m going to up the regiment a bit. Also, if you guys still want me to train that group of yours, I''ll have to teach them the Patronus charm first and foremost to those who don''t know it due to the dementors. Aside from that, it just isn''t the right time to shine yet so try to have some patience, your times will come." I answered seriously as I looked at all of them.

    Although the information was shocking, I was proud to see all these people unwilling to step away from this. I mean even Luna who''s 14 is showing her own determination. And Neville is demonstrating pure will to improve at the news of Bellatrix''s escape.

    "I like the looks in all your eyes. It''ll be tough, but this is how you close the gap between those with more experience and power, by training your a.s.s off. I''ll hold a few more training sessions before the winter break and then we can really start the hardcore training. But for today it''ll be about the same as usual since I need some time to figure out each of your training schedules." I proudly said to the gathering of teens in front of me, momentarily forgetting that I''m not that much older.

    What followed was an intense session where every member put in 120% compared to the usual. Even Luna left with some sweat coming off of her.

    But before they could all leave, I asked Harry to stay behind for a minute.

    "What''s up Aedan? Did I do something wrong during training?" My pseudo little bro asked.

    "Not at all. I just want to ask if you have that book I gave you for Christmas back in your second year." I answered simply. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #.-169-fallout-of-azkaban_51915909316526907 for visiting.

    "Yeah, I always make sure it''s safe in my trunk. Why?" Harry asked curiously.

    "Because I think it''s time for you to learn how to cast Magic using parseltongue. You already know my spells, now it''s time to give them an even bigger boost by turning them into parselmagic." I answered again but with an excited grin this time.

    "Really?! You think I''m actually ready?" A surprised Harry responded.

    "Yeah, I do. You know the spells and can even cast pretty much all of them silently and with fewer wand movements. All your missing is raw power and experience. So I believe it''s time." I responded with a reassuring look and encouraging tone.

    "Great! I''ll start reading through it again to get ready! I won''t let you down!" A now really excited Harry said as he ran out of the room.

    "Guess that book meant a lot more than I thought if he''s that excited and already read through it a few times." I say to myself as I look to the open door. "Time to go home and get use to living with the in-law then."

 Chapter 170 - Ch. 170 The sinking starts

    ''MINISTRY WITHHOLDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE MAJOR BREAK IN AND MA.S.S ESCAPE FROM AZKABAN

    By Martha Cromwell.

    Yesterday we all received shocking news, Azkaban, the most secure and dangerous prison in Europe, has suffered both an attack and mass escape.

    It was reported by the Ministry and the Daily Prophet, that this event was orc.h.e.s.trated by Peter Pettigrew, the man found to be a rat animagus who betrayed his friends and close ones only to then frame the current Lord Black.

    We were told that a man who has never been to Azkaban, someone said to be so cowardly that he hid himself for ten years as a rat because he believed people would kill him should he emerge, a person which we have found to be less than average if his grades are to be believed and proven to be a traitor, that he would be able and willing to break into on of the most horrifying places in Europe to rescue his comrades.

    I ask you: does this sound likely to you dear reader?

    No.

    The ministry decided to ignore key information and refused to let everyone know of the true ramifications of this event in order to placate the people and continue pushing its political agenda instead.

    These two facts give rise to the very real and alarming possibility that some of the claims Albus Dumbledore has raised over the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named may have some kernel of truth. We at the Herald will not jump to conclusions on this subject. We do not want to cause our dear readers to experience the fear many of us suffered through, but we cannot turn a blind eye to this event. The very fact that Azkaban was not only successfully taken over and so many have horrible individuals are now loose in our country should be a wake up call to all of us. If He has returned or a new Dark Lord has risen, we must know even if the answer frightens us.

    But here is the most dangerous piece of information our sources within the ministry itself as confirmed: the ministry has lost control over the Dementors.

    I know this piece of news is more than horrifying for you dear reader, but this is the truth. We received confirmation from multiple sources about this fact and the gag order the Minister wished to put on the subject while he ignores this incredible danger in favor of other priorities. The Minister has even ordered Aurors not to be deployed when a mass breakout and Dementors are on the loose, something our head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Amelia Black (N¨¦e Bones), has been reported to have argued about repeatedly but to no avail, leaving all of us without any sort of protection when it comes to the dark witches and wizards now running amok and the Dementors which have disappeared to who knows where.

    So we are now asking all of you dear readers to not fall to fear, but to rise above it and recognize that actions must be taken. We have many trained and willing people ready to help all of us, but they need to be allowed to do their jobs properly. And if our very own Minister believes otherwise, then maybe he isn''t truly OUR minister.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE ESCAPED PRISONERS TURN TO P.4

    FOR WHAT TO DO IN THE FACE OF A DEMENTOR TURN TO P.7

    FOR INFORMATION ON CURRENT MINISTRY ACTIVITES TURN TO P.9''

    "Well damn. Martha really wanted to turn people against the idiot. Nice of her to throw mother some positivity though." I said aloud as I put the paper down.

    "I really like how ruthless she can be sometimes. But she is fair as well. I remember a few interviews I had with her because of my work." Tory said as rested her head on my shoulder from behind and squeezed her softness against my back.

    "Sounds about right. This is the woman who hit herself with a wonky obliviation spell just to be able to get into my department and interview me." Victoria followed up with a wry smile.

    "Of course she did that." I said with a sigh as I felt some pity for her husband.

    "But what I wouldn''t give to see that sad excuse for a Minister''s reaction when he learns of today''s paper. He''ll do something profoundly stupid and I''m certain of it." My beauty said before giving me a quick peck on the cheek.

    "You both know that I am right here yes?" A m.a.t.u.r.e woman''s voice said from the other said of the dinning table. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #.-170-the-sinking-starts_52048353223042766 for visiting.

    "You can just call it our honeymoon phase." Tory answered dismissively.

    "You two aren''t even married." The raven haired woman said with an exasperated eye roll.

    "At least we let you know that we love each other Selene." I responded with a small smile at her eyes rolling again.

    "Yes yes. You two love each other so much you have to show it off in front of everyone. Still doesn''t mean I enjoy seeing my daughter giving someone ''f.u.c.k me'' eyes." My future mother-in-law bluntly said, causing me to cough a bit due to hearing that while I was drinking some juice and Tory to turn red.

    "Mom! Can you not say stuff like that at the table!" My fl.u.s.tered fianc¨¦ said in a hurry.

    "*cough cough* Got it. We''ll try to tone it down a bit." I managed to say after recovering from my coughing fit.

    "Good. As much as I like seeing you two actually caring about each other, it is not great watching my daughter try to seduce someone so early in the morning and at the table." Selene said with a satisfied nod.

    "Alright fine. But you can''t interrupt our evening cuddle time." Victoria countered because she really likes when we just relax while holding each other.

    "Yes princess. You can cuddle your prince all you want and you won''t hear a peep from me." Selene replied as she acquiesced.

    "Good." A satisfied Victoria responded as she puffed out her c.h.e.s.t a bit in satisfaction.

    Then the two looked into each other''s eyes for a moment, only to burst out into giggles over what just happened.

    I simply watched with a warm smile as the mother-daughter pair enjoyed being able to have such ''normal'' interactions with each other again.

    -now to someone who''s really having a rough start this morning.

    "Damn! Damn! Damn! Who talked to the press?! I want them out of the ministry immediately!" A furious Fudge roared as he felt intense anger over this morning''s Herald, ''scaring'' his secretary.

    ''Doesn''t stop anyone from informing us before you got to them though.'' Thought Emily as she watched the show in front of her.

    "Find out who talked and remove them. I want the Prophet to run a counter story about the Pettigrew being the true culprit and denying any possibility of a Dark Lord being in our midst. We cannot let the people think something so ludicrous. It is all Dumbledore''s fabrication. As for the Dementors, just say they were relocated for the reconstruction of the prison so they do not interfere." The Minister ordered as his mind raced to find a way to not lose his position.

    "But what about the escapees? People will want something to be done after this." The cautious secretary pointed out to her ''boss''.

    "Get some of the Aurors in my pocket to investigate and report that they fled the country to most likely recover from their time in Azkaban. Then ask for aid from the other ministries as well as send a warning over escaped prisoners loose in Europe." He answered as he thought of every way he knew to push the blame to others.

    ''I have to stop people from thinking about this or Dumbledore will win. They need to believe that everything is already handled so I can focus on securing my position.'' The desperate man thought as he issued his orders.

    "Yes sir. Right away." Emily answered before leaving the office in a hurry.

    ''Too bad they aren''t in his pocket anymore, but he doesn''t need to know that.'' Thought the secretary as she left with a smile on her face and started relaying the minister''s orders.

    -Scene change to someone who''s been having an incredibly bad week, but who really deserves it.

    "F.u.c.k f.u.c.k f.u.c.k!! How dare those sharp-toothed mongrels lock my account! I am Lord Travers and those lowly creatures should be grateful we wizards let them protect our gold! Let''s see how they feel when my Lord slaughters all these pathetic Goblins and takes their precious gold from them!" A black haired man shouted in rage outside Gringotts.

    -a bit later.

    "Why can''t I get into my house?! Who could activate the wards except for me? That pathetic excuse for a daughter can''t possibly do this, I never gave her any kind of authority! Who in the world did this?!" The middle-aged man raged once again, but this time because his own house kicked him out too.

    He couldn''t possibly know that said ''pathetic'' daughter was in fact responsible for him being removed from the Travers manor.

    Victoria is a master infiltrator and is supported by a very ingenious fianc¨¦e, making breaking into a place she knew inside and out child''s play. Then with the help of her mother, the true Travers blood, they removed the so called lord Travers control from the family wards and denied him access. This was after she had done the same thing to every piece of property owned by the Travers of course, effectively rendering her ''Father'' homeless from now on.

    -after the s.p.e.r.m donor found a place to stay with the meager sum he carried on his person.

    "At least I can take out my frustration on this mudblood. Even though she isn''t a real witch, she still has a good body." The ''lord'' Travers said with l.u.s.t apparent from his entire person as he controlled the imperioused woman.

    The poor woman was a twenty-three year old with a slim body, silky blonde hair, bleu eyes and pretty face who the man coincidentally spotted when he was drinking his anger away that night.

    "Now that we''re here I can really start enjoying this." He said aloud as he sat on his rooms bed and commanded the woman to strip for him.

    Forced to obey, she mechanically removed her clothing to reveal her flat stomach, modest b.r.e.a.s.t, full h.i.p.s and neatly trimmed garden.

    But a few minutes into the act, he began to realize something.

    "Why aren''t I get hard!?" He suddenly yelled out in extreme frustration over his inactive manhood.

    He couldn''t know that a certain someone who had been a victim of that manhood decided that it wasn''t something anyone else needed to experience anymore. So she slipped a potion her daughter created to turn the man into a impotent and infertile fool.

    And to make matters worse, the next moment his room door burst open and two women and a man shot spells at the so called Lord Travers, disarming him and then stunning him, resulting in the woman being freed from his spell.

    "We are Hit Wizards, you''re safe now ma''am. Donovan, take that little shit out and bring him to the holding pen. Sophie, help me with this one." Said the tall blonde one with striking green eyes as she ordered her two teammates.

    Without any hesitation they followed her orders and no sooner had the men left, the poor young woman broke down in tears as the two Hit Witches comforted her.

    ''I am sorry you suffered through, I will make sure to compensate you properly for his actions.'' Thought an enraged observer who had reported the crime in progress.

    -two days later, Aedan POV

    ''LORD TRAVERS TO BE ON TRIAL FOR ATTEMPTED **** AND USAGE OF ONE OF THE UNFORGIVABLES''

    "Wow didn''t think he was going to get himself caught. I thought you two were going to break him down more." I said to the mother-daughter pair.

    "How could we predict the bastard would just try to **** someone? We couldn''t just let it happen. Not for our revenge. An innocent shouldn''t suffer because of that." Victoria responded with a sigh over what happened.

    "And you were right to do so dear. Although he has not suffered nearly enough, we still already took his lordship, money, properties and manhood from him already. This just forces us to forgo taking away the rest of his bodies usage and taking his magic, but I''m sure we can have someone slip something into his food once he''s imprisoned." Selene said as she stroked her daughter''s hair.

    "You''re right mother. Prison will not let that bastard escape his true punishment." The reinvigorated Tory said with some spirit.

    "You know I pity those you arouse your ires." I added in as I listened to these two talking.

    "Know you learned not to earn a woman''s true fury." Selene responded with a smile that wasn''t a smile.

    "I already knew that and never thought of earning either of your furies, but thanks for the reminder anyway. Besides that, do you two want any assistance for the trial or are you good?" I asked after reassuring my mother-in-law of my d.e.s.i.r.e to make Tory happy.

    "It''s ok dear, we have everything covered. The s.p.e.r.m donor will be in for one hell of a surprise when we appear though." Selene answered with a very sadistic smile on her face.

    "Plus we have way too much evidence and we already added the charges onto the trial, so on top of attempted **** and using an unforgivable, the bastard will be judged for murder, attempted murder, ****, arson, torture, usurpation of lordship, child abuse, embezzlement, a few counts of theft and a some intimidation for good measure. He''s going to be found guilty for sure, but we''re not sure where he''s going to be jailed and what his official punishment will be without the Dementors available anymore." Added Victoria with he own devil''s smile.

    "Hmm, I''ll have Oliver offer our holding facilities for the time being and I''m sure I can come up with an equally painful way to execute people besides the Kiss later if you both want one." I said as I told them my thoughts.

    "We''ll think about that after we''re done destroying him." Selene replied with Tory nodding to show she thought the same.

    "Alright then. I''ll leave you two to it. Gotta head to work now." I said since the two had everything under control.

    "Have a good day at work." Tory said before giving me a chaste kiss on the lips.

    "I think I''ll have a great day now." I replied with a happy smile.

 Chapter 171 - Ch. 171 What is left of the raven

    "Well I guess I''ve put this off long enough already. Let''s cleanse Rowena''s Diadem." I declared to myself as I was relaxing during one of my rare free periods.

    I should probably have done this earlier or cared more, but I never needed the diadem itself. In fact, it remaining as a Horcrux helped me more to keep things close enough to canon at Hogwarts.

    The biggest reason for that thought is because the Diadem is also what is powering the curse on the DADA position. So I used it to my advantage and to make sure every Professor came and went. Quirrell was always going to die since Voldemort possessed him and nothing could be done about that, it helped ensure we wouldn''t have to suffer through a second year of Lockhart or I would have had him jailed if he didn''t screw himself over with Ron''s old wand, I got the chance to approach Lupin and bring him into my werewolf school program, and the subtle influence helped me corner Crouch Jr and let me ensure his death. But now it''s my turn and I''m not about to let little Tom''s tantrum stop me from doing whatever I want. Even if I end up not returning to teach next year, it will be my choice and not some random bullshit screwing with me.

    Might seem selfish but can you honestly blame me? Voldemort''s puppet died, serial mind rapist, liar, conman and dirtbag self-lobotomized, werewolf teacher gets dream job and tones of benefits, and insane fanatic who helped murder my parents and kidnap me gets his soul s.u.c.k.e.d out. I think things work out quite well all things considered. Everyone got what they deserved in my opinion. Except maybe Quirrell, but I couldn''t really do anything about him nor did I know what type a person he truly was. I couldn''t track every forest in Albania, my network was still in its growth phase and Tom would have just found someone else to take over in the end.

    But now I have some free time, the power, the knowledge and all the stuff I need to kill a soul fragment. Plus it''ll serve as good practice for when I''ll help Harry deal with his own. Not letting my lil bro get Avada Kedavra''d again just so he can get rid of it.

    So anyway, I arrived at the RoR with no trouble whatsoever. All students are either in class, the library, the Great Hall or their common rooms, with sparse few in other places when they have a free period like myself.

    Thus I found myself back in a place I haven''t visited in a while, the Room of Hidden Things.

    Ever since I found my time turner, I haven''t spent much time here. I knew exactly where the Diadem was since I hid it until the time was right. But the room gave me a sense of nostalgia as I could almost see my first year self searching through the pills of lost or discard objects in order to obtain his prize.

    ''Seven years huh. It already feels like a lifetime ago. So much has changed from back then.'' I thought with soft smile on my face as I looked around.

    It was quite easy to find the Diadem in this room. Even if someone had moved it by some chance, I could feel it. In fact, it is the most distinct magical signature in this room and it was one of temptation. The Horcrux wanted to be found and worn. It wanted to be ''used'' by someone believing in the effects of Rowena Ravenclaw''s legendary Diadem. All so it could easily access the mind of the wearer. After that there are only two options: the first is for the Horcrux to ''help'' the wearer and become indispensable, later forming a sort of dependency as the wearer slowly gets taken over by Tom''s soul, or the second which aggressively breaks the wearer and turns them into a subservient puppet.

    ''Magical mind parasite or brainwashing. Sounds like Tommy alright.'' I thought with a sigh at the sight of the now cursed object.

    Just like I remembered it too. The beautifully cut oval sapphire which would rest on the wearers forehead as twisting bands of enchanted silver supported it and wrapped around to form the elegant diadem bearing its original owners colors and motto.

    ''Wit beyond measure is man''s greatest treasure.''

    "Wit, truly it is a great treasure, but it can also led to great suffering. Aren''t I correct my lady?" I suddenly said aloud as I gazed upon the cursed diadem.

    "You knew of my presence." A woman''s slightly echoed sounded from behind me.

    "Yes. I always feel everything around me, a benefit from over a decade of practice." I replied as I turned around to face none other than the Grey Lady.

    She floated there, a few inches above the floor, with her black waist length hair and full-length cloak swaying lightly as is a breeze was playing with them. One could see her beauty, her pride which was engraved into her very soul, but it was heavily impacted by her guilt and sorrow which laid hidden behind her serene facade.

    "Did you bait me?" She asked with a bit more of an edge in her voice.

    Just like I just said, the Grey Lady is still a rather curious ghost. Not in a sense of weirdness, but she still retained her curiosity and d.e.s.i.r.e to learn even after her death. She regularly listens in on classes she finds useful and can be found reading in quiet corners of the library. And I''ve always known she had and interest in me to a certain extent, mostly because I could often sense her near me throughout my years as a student. And I have a few ideas why. All from a distance of course.

    "And why would you do this?" She asked with suspicion this time.

    "Because I knew you would be near desperate for someone to fix such an important link to your mother, even if it holds bad memories." I answered, but in a softer tone of voice this time.

    "How do you know about that?" She asked in a freezing tone of voice as her hair seems to rise a bit in response to her emotions.

    "I know the tales of all the ghosts in this castle, the past of the professors, the stories behind the paintings, the reasons behind the castles enchantments and architecture. It is in my nature to want to know." I answered as the look in my eyes softened the more I looked at her, but the answer made her pause.

    That statement is actually true. Hogwarts itself is one of the things I have studied the most in this life. How the castle works, how it has partial sentience, every secret passage, why Peeves is a thing, what defenses are in place and how the wards function. I know the place inside and out. But I''ll never say I know all of its secrets, and I know I don''t actually want to know all of them because then it would lose some of its wonder.

    "Then prove it. You say you know my story and my past, so tell me." She demanded as she put up a strong front, but I could see the emotions in her eyes.

    "Helena. You are not to blame for your mother''s passing. You were a child raised to reach standards which were not your own and it slowly crushed you until you knew not how to escape from the pressure. This pressure slowly turned to resentment of its source, but that is normal. It is normal for humans to want to reject what causes them pain and when a person becomes desperate to escape it, they act rashly. That is all you have done. You wanted to escape the expectations and pressure put on you by others to become someone else, with those around you ignoring the fact that no one can become another, they can only be themselves.

    And that is why I was saddened by your story Helena. Because even you forgot that you were not just Rowena Ravenclaw''s daughter in the end." I said softly to the woman who has lived in regret and guilt for almost a millennia.

    "Because I can feel your pain Helena. Because of my gifts I possess a form of empathy allowing me to feel the emotions of others, and ghosts as well apparently.

    And your story is one I think about often as well. If I am even able to have children anymore, I want to avoid having them living a life like yours as much as possible. I want them to be able to follow their dreams and hopefully lead happy lives, not try to become me." I gently answered, causing her to to lose a lot of her hostility.

    "You can feel my emotions?" She asked in a surprised manner as her eyes widened.

    "Yes my lady." I softly answered with a nod and gentle eyes.

    "Wait a moment. Aren''t engaged with your Slytherin friend? What do you mean ''If I am even able to have children anymore''?" She then asked.

    ''Shit, I let that slip by accident and she picked up on it. I haven''t even brought it up to Tory yet.'' I thought as I mentally scolded myself for the blunder.

    "I''ll just say that there is always a price to pay for excellence, that is why it is never called perfection." I answered with a bit of a sad smile.

    "A price to pay." Helena repeated softly as she took in my words so far.

    "But as much as I enjoy having deeply emotional conversations, I should probably do what I came here to do in the first place." I suddenly declared as I recovered from my own emotions and noticed she was still mulling over her own.

    "*gasp* where is your wand? How could you do this level of Magic without one?" The Grey Lady suddenly asked as she noticed what I just did and of course she did, she spent a over 900 years in one of the best Magic schools in the world, so she knows a thing or two.

    "I became one with it. It was the only way which would allow me the keep progressing along my path as a wizard, hence we merged. I was almost certain the founders achieved the same thing, was I wrong?" I answered before asking her out of curiosity. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #.-171-what-is-left-of-the-raven_52071272259044000 for visiting.

    "Well, yes they did, but that''s not the point. You''re not even twenty yet, how in the world did you achieve something even mother couldn''t before she was 50?" She asked in shock.

    "Like I said before, excellence has a price." I answered with a bit of a self derisive smile, resulting in her flinching a bit as a result.

    But then I put my attention back towards my task. I needed to test a few different methods and see if with I wanted to do to Harry was possible. So I was going to mess with Tom''s soul a bit.

    The first thing I did was set up a Magic barrier using the best containment runes i knew, in this case it was actually based on the Room of Requirements itself. The RoR has the most powerful runic enchantment I''ve ever seen, capable of self expansion, modification, minor awareness, some legilimantic abilities, summoning programs, nearly indestructible from the inside and fully contains Magic within the room. So I studied them in great detail and came up with different models based on my own runic binary language to suit various needs. In this case I wanted something to completely contain the soul piece should it try anything. It activates using a simple mental command from the creator and forms a cage which can shrink or expand on command, hence is perfect for the occasion.

    Now I can check all the defenses on the diadem and the link to the DADA curse. I already knew everything from Tom''s memories back when I had my subscription to V-TV, but I am not taking any chances when it comes to this level of the dark arts. Especially when it comes to something containing an piece of a soul. I don''t want any unexpected mutations in the defenses as a result of its long ''life''. But I was happy to see that the Horcrux was just as Tom remembered, weaker than that actually. My guess is that powering such a curse like the DADA one, him actually dying once and having to survive as an incomplete soul for a decade put a lot of strain on his Horcruxes. The only way I could see them getting as dangerous as they were originally is to go down the diary route, meaning using the life force of someone constantly using or carrying a Horcrux.

    But with that step done, i can begin setting up my different methods today.

    My first is going to be about half of what I want to use on Harry. The reason I say half is because I can''t test out the other half in this situation since it requires the person to be in Harry''s situation and what I have is just a diadem. But I''ll be testing a way to essentially isolate the soul from its connection to Harry and Tom, then set up what is basically a seal to control the soul fragment to render it completely harmless without outside interference. This will be achieved using a specially created rune disk which will imprint temporary runes onto the diadem. I have a few different versions to test which has the best performance.

    And lastly I will be testing the effect of Holy Water on the thing. Of course i won''t just dunk the diadem into a bucket of the stuff since I am certain that would cause the thing to disintegrate if the soul piece isn''t removed before hand. No, I''ll be testing version levels of diluted Holy Water to see how strong its effects will be. And to do that instead of one bucket of Holy Water I have a dozen or so buckets out at the moment with different numbers of drops put into normal water.

    "What is with those buckets?! Why can''t I be near them?" Helena suddenly said as she backed away from where I put the buckets down.

    "Wait, you can''t come near them or does it hurt you to be near them?" I asked by to clarify something.

    "It feels like I''m being pushed back. Like I''m not allowed near them. It got worse and worse as you pulled out more buckets too." She answered while wearily gazing at the buckets filled with what looks like normal water.

    "Fascinating. I didn''t expect it to have ghost repelling properties, maybe even ghost trapping utility is used properly. Should test the limits later with a volunteer." I muttered to myself as I started doing some hypothetical scenarios and mental calculations on the subject.

    "Do not just ignore me! Tell what is in those buckets. I''ve never heard of anything capable of doing something like this before." She said as her curiosity got the better of her and tried to get my attention.

    "It''s an alchemical solution my fianc¨¦e and I created when we were trying various things. As a result of its effects we named it Holy Water, because of its appearance and the fact that it acts very similarly to what the Christian faith says its holy water acts." I answered automatically as I was still deep in thought, resulting in a short and to the point introduction.

    "You mean to say a few buckets of your Holy Water can actually deny a ghost? That rather impressive." She responded with an appreciative look on her face.

    "Those buckets aren''t full of holy water, they only have a few drops at most with the lowest only having one." I off-handedly replied to the ghost.

    "Hmm? Oh sorry I wasn''t paying much attention when I went off into my own little world and was responding automatically. Mother often scolded for that since I am apparently quite direct when that happens." I said as she broke me out of my thoughts because of that yell.

    "Never mind that! Did you just say a few drops of you Holy Water is strong enough to keep me a good 20ft away?" She hurriedly asked with some intensity in her ghostly eyes.

    "Damn, I told you about the water. But yes it apparently can. I also have a hunch on the effects the water would have if it came in direct contact with a ghost, but I''m probably not going to verify that anytime soon. But please don''t mention this to anyone, we didn''t really plan on people knowing about this anytime soon." I answered with some regret, but I felt like I should just be honest with Helena or she would be coming back later to satiate her curiosity.

    "Yes yes, no one even talks to me anyway so who would I tell? Now explain what that solution is and what you are planning to do with it." She enthusiastically asked as she seemed to become much more energetic.

    "I don''t really have the time to explain the water now because I have a class later, as for its use today I want to test the effects of the diluted water on such a corrupted object in the hopes of cleansing it without destroying it." I answered after a moments thought.

    "It can actually do that?! Then mother''s Diadem can be free from that bastards corruption!" She said in a mix of emotions, resulting in a tear consisting of ectoplasm to actually roll down her cheeks.

    "I did say that''s what I was going to do didn''t I?" I responded with a small smile. "Well it is natural to forget about that after our discussion."

    That got her quite fl.u.s.tered surprisingly.

    ''Who knew teasing a ghost could be fun?'' I thought to myself with a chuckle.

    "But anyway, I would suggest you distance yourself Helena. The Magic i am going to use is very closely tied to the Holy Water and I don''t want to accidentally harm you while I work." I warned since I''m almost certain white Magic would adversely affect a ghost.

    "Um, yes, very well. I''ll be over by that pill to make sure mother''s diadem does not get damaged." She responded with a bit of a delay, but she did as I asked.

    ''Let''s see, there is one major connection to the Horcrux which is undoubtedly Tom and then there are five smaller connections linked to it. This means Tom already has Nagini as a Horcrux on top of the cup, locker, ring and Harry. I already ordered Jennifer to signal me if Tom feels any of what I''m about to do, so here goes nothing.'' I thought as I began my various tests.

    My first task went well from any angle I could look at it from. The moment my rune disk activated all connections I could observe were severed, even the ones the diadem had to the school, meaning this could actually break the DADA curse of its own. I also reserved no notices from Jennifer''s end so I could only assume no significant changes occurred, but this might just be because I hadn''t actually destroyed the Horcrux yet. Overall the effect was as I wished and I''m certain I could achieve the same effect for Harry by having carry something on his person at all time to block Tom from his mind.

    Next up was testing the white Magic on the thing since I would find it ridiculous if only thing like basilisk venom, fiendfyre or killing curses could actually destroy these damn things. And as it turns out I am right. These things couldn''t handle a spell casted by something at the level of second core white Magic without showing signs of stress. This was while I was being extremely careful and closely observing the soul inside the diadem, meaning a second level core wizard giving his all could actually destroy a Horcrux of this level using white Magic. On a side note, that soul piece was screaming like a little bitch when this was happening and boy was that satisfying.

    I was kind of starting to feel a bit of sadistic glee when I started the last tests of I was being honest. Something about actually being able to make a piece of Tom''s soul feel like it was constantly about to drown was just so satisfying. I could feel its panic and fear as I slowly killed it by dunking the diadem in the progressively stronger concentrations of Holy Water.

    ''I would have had Harry experience this if he could feel the things emotions like I could. Would have been ther.a.p.eutic for the kid to learn that the man wasn''t all powerful, nor was he fearless nor indestructible.'' I thought with a sigh as I dunked the diadem into the 8th bucket, only to finally feel the last vestige of all the darkness fade away.

    "Well would you look at that, I guess either eight drops was enough or the progressively strong dosage managed to kill it gradually. Either way this thing is now as wholesome as it was supposed to be." I declared with a happy smile on my face at the great successes of today.

    Deciding to check the time because I kind of forgot myself when I got into testing, I noticed I only had 3 minutes before my class started.

    "Bollocks! I forgot the time!" I loudly said as I lost composer for a moment.

    ''Wait! It''s fine. I just need to get out of the Room and flame myself to my office and I won''t be late.'' I thought as I quickly found a way to cheat the system.

    As a result I hurriedly put away everything I used into my shrunken trunk and ran towards the exit leaving a completely stunned Helena behind me as she numbly approached the Diadem I decided to leave behind to retrieve later.

    "He actually did it." I faintly heard as I ran for the exit, not noticing the tears of relief and happiness coming from the Grey Lady.

 Chapter 172 - Ch. 172 Happenings before the holidays

    The following week saw two interesting bits of news for the residents of Hogwarts: Hagrid had officially returned to the castle and it seems like I was basically being haunted by the Grey Lady now.

    I am not kidding, Helena has been following me pretty much everywhere besides the restroom since I cleansed the diadem so it looks like she''s haunting me. But it was kind of fun to catch her following a few times by ''accident'' so she can quickly try to hide from me looking all fl.u.s.tered. Felt like I was in an anime instead of Harry Potter and it gave me a few chuckles.

    And during my haunting, I decided to go welcome Hagrid back from his mission since it has been a while since I saw my large friend. I also want to check if he''s alright because he had returned with some injuries in the canon and I wanted to help the man. He couldn''t go see Poppy because she just didn''t have the raw power to bypass Hagrid''s natural resistance to Magic as a half-giant, something shown when he could just tank stunners from half a dozen Aurors in canon, but I have both the power and skills to heal so why not help a friend.

    ''Wonder if my new stalker is going to follow me outside? It would be difficult for her to hide once i''m out of the castle and it appears she still didn''t realize my sensing range is a lot wider than she imagines, probably because I never react to her.'' I thought with an amused smile on my face as I walked the path to Hagrid''s hut.

    Reaching the hut I found out that I wasn''t the only visitor today, something I should have guessed knowing them.

    *knock knock*

    "Who''s there?" A cautious sounding Hagrid asked.

    "Hagrid open up. I wanted to see how you were doing and give you some papers your substitute left with me." I answered clearly.

    The papers thing was true since I was probably one of the people with a very good relationship with Hagrid and I volunteered.

    "Oh Aedan, give me a moment." He replied as I heard some stumbling about from behind the door before it opened.

    """Giants?!?""" A triple yell rung out from the hut.

    "Oh, is that the kids? This''ll save me time later when they come to ask me about you." I said as I looked at the now nervous half-giant.

    "They shouldn''t know, top secret Dumbledore said." The very large man tried to say like this was a big deal.

    "Hagrid it''s ok. After you left I had a meeting with the Headmaster and the Order in which we agreed it was for the best that the kids close to everything should know things to better prepare themselves for what is to come. I''ve been training them too, so they can all be safe when the time comes." I reassured the man as he visibly calmed down.

    "Oh alright. Come on in then. No point in talking outside." He finally said as he ushered me in.

    "Hello to you three as well. I am guessing you snuck out like usual when you heard our jolly not-so-green half-giant returned to the castle." I said in greeting to the golden trio.

    "Haha, yeah. We couldn''t wait to see Hagrid and ask where he''s been all this time." Harry sheepishly admitted straight away since he knew better than try half-baked lies against me.

    "But blimey, you went to see giants Hagrid. How are they like?" Asked an astonished Ron.

    "I read that they are a rather barbarous race who tend to employ violence to solve all their problems. Goodness, is that what happened to you Hagrid?" Hermione followed up as she suddenly guessed at Hagrid''s bruises.

    "Yes, Giants are a race that tends to embrace their aggressive side. I am sure you three remember the troll back in your first year yes?" I asked, getting a small shiver from Hermione due to the slightly traumatizing event but they all nod anyway. "Well although many wizards compare the two, the differences make Giants far more dangerous than trolls. For one, Giants can be 1.5 to 2 times bigger than trolls on average, with the great strength that comes with a being of that size. They are also much smarter than trolls, although not at normal human levels, and are capable of crafting their weapons, tools, clothing and sometimes armor. And they also possess a natural resistance to Magic comparable to dragons, thus making them a lot more dangerous."

    "Then how do you take one of those big bastards down. Ah, no offense Hagrid." Ron said as he digested the mini lesson.

    "Well, if one is alone against a giant then things like stunners and non-lethal spells are completely useless unless you have raw power like mine and Dumbledore. Your best beat would be conjuring weapons to shoot at vulnerable points, creating a trap while buying time, transfigurating the ground to harm it or slow it down. But if you only need to escape it or distract it, one only needs a bit of showy Magic to attract their attention or giving them something else to chase since they have very poor eyesight. The conjunctivitis curse can be rather useful against them as well now that I think about it." I answered in Professor mode, to which the listened to with great interest and Hermione even bringing out a notebook from who knows where in order to write down what I just said.

    "But why did you go to the Giants Hagrid? You even missed so much of the school year for it." Harry asked as he looked over to the big man.

    "I can answer for you if you aren''t comfortable answering." I said as I gave the man an encouraging look.

    "No no, I can say it just fine. This stays between us though." Hagrid said as he declined my offer.

    He told about how giants followed Tom back in the first war and that Dumbledore wanted them to be at least neutral this time, but what followed was pretty much the canon except McNair was already dead so they sent some other Death Eater to convince the tribes in Minsk to join their cause. The death eaters succeeded like the original and Hagrid came back with his half-brother.

    He didn''t tell the trio about that last part, but I knew for sure since I used my network to make sure he would be able to bring him in ''secretly''. I mean honestly, the only way he could have possibly achieved this in the original work was if Dumbledore somehow helped. It''s not exactly easy to sneak a freaking giant into an island nation after all. But that did remind me to have my people pay extra attention to the points of entry even in the Muggle world. I want to know the moment a giant enters the country cause those things aren''t coming here through Floo, apparition or portkey, so that pretty much leaves boats as the only way to get fully grown giants into England without anyone knowing.

    Once that explanation was done, the trio''s curiosity was satisfied and I was able to convince them to at least leave for the night so they wouldn''t get in nearly as much trouble if they simply got caught wondering, since getting caught after curfew can be quite strict especially with the toad around.

    Now I only had one last thing to do before going back home and that was to have a chat with my new stalker. One who apparently decided to snoop on my visit as soon as I went inside the hut. I can only assume she doesn''t think I can sense through walls or something at this rate.

    So when I reached my office I simply called out "My lady, could you please come out so we can have a proper conversation."

    It took a few moments but she came in through the door, meaning actually through the door without opening it.

    "How long have you known?" She cautiously asks as she maintained a calm demeanor.

    "Since you started the day after the diadem cleansing." I truthfully answered.

    And I kid you not, I actually saw a ghost change color that day due to embarrassment.

    "I, well, that is because..." She struggled to answer through her emotions and thoughts going wild to try and find an excuse.

    "Helena, it does not bother me in the least. I actually found it somewhat cute that a lady such as yourself could act in such an innocent manner. But I would prefer to be able to talk with you instead of you simply following behind me." I said with a gentle smile as I did my best to calm the ghost in front of me.

    "I am sorry for displaying such improper behavior." She finally said as she did a small curtsy, showing her upbringing was still going strong.

    "Nevertheless, I have not exactly shown much in the way of proper behavior since our last meeting and I thought an apology was in order." She stubbornly said as kept her curtsy.

    "Alright I understand. Apology accepted Lady Helena. So can we now talk about why you have been following?" I asked as she finally returned to her neutral stance.

    "Well, after you were successful in restoring mother''s diadem, I became curious as to what you were truly like. Even though I knew of you during your school years, I did not truly pay attention nor try to really learn more about you, thus I resolved myself to rectify that. I also said some rather harsh things to you in a heated moment and did not want to carelessly repeat past mistakes, hence I followed you." She answered eloquently as she basically apologized for what she said last time.

    "I didn''t mind that as well you know. It wasn''t even the first time someone told me something similar. My fianc¨¦e was quite antagonistic towards me before we became friends." I said with a smile as i remembered that day in the infirmary.

    "She truly said something like that to your face and you are now planning to marry her?" She asked in an incredulous manner.

    "Why yes. She is a bright, passionate and determined witch capable of naming every bone in your body as she breaks them and I wouldn''t have her be any other way." I answered with a brilliant smile at the thought of my raven haired beauty.

    "Then it is too bad I was not able to properly meet her during her time in the castle. I am sure we would have much to discuss." She replied with a small smile.

    "I''m sure I can arrange that if you both want to meet someday. But anyway, how goes your observation? I am curious as to what you''ve decided to think of me." I asked as I move on from my love life.

    "Well, I do believe it was inappropriate to simply say you are like my mother." She answered with a bit of a sigh and some melancholy in her eyes. "If you didn''t know, my mother was not an affectionate or emotional woman. She was cold, calculating, she never told me she loved me, never told me she liked me. (Guess the Easter egg) She was systematic in everything she did, from learning, to teaching, to working and to life. She would explain everything at the level she believed you should be because that is where she was at the time and never cared much for what others thought.

    But you are not like her. You actually remind me more of uncle Godric when you teach your classes since he always believed that books can only do so much and that without training your body you were a sitting duck. But then you also reminded me of aunty Helga when you try to help everyone equally and even treat the house elves well. All this even when you clearly have a mind rivaling mother without the advantage of the Diadem. All you were missing was some more cunning like uncle Salazar and I would have thought you were the spirit of Hogwarts come to life."

    "That is high praise coming from you my lady, but I can assure that I do have quite a bit of cunning and ambition. The ambition is actually help this country be a great place to live in for all races and standing, while also having Hogwarts truly become the best place to learn Magic once again. While my cunning is to be used against my enemies and those who stand in my way." I replied with a bit of a savage smile on my face making my guest quite surprised.

    "Oh my, it does seem like I was mistaken about you not having any of uncle Salazar in you. But I must ask, who do you consider your enemy?" She seriously asked.

    "Tom Riddle and his ilk. Their stupidity has been slowly rotting the very core of our society and it is time to prune them." I coldly answer as I eyes flash with power for a moment. "Also, I do not blame you for the Horcrux. Although Tom''s ideals are completely hopeless, he was nothing if not clever, manipulative and driven. He would have done anything to find your mother''s diadem in order to fulfill his psychological need to feel superior to the founders. He even worked in a pawn shop for some time before he got his hands of Helga Hufflepuff''s cup."

    "He turned aunty Helga''s cup into one of those abominations?!" Helena hissed in anger at the revelation.

    "And Salazar Slytherin''s locket as well." I added in.

    "He dares besmirch not only mother''s legacy but theirs as well." She said in a cold rage, showing just how pissed she was.

    "Yes. Luckily he was not able to get his hands on Godric Gryffindor''s sword or he would have completed his twisted needs." I decided to say in order to placate her slightly.

    "Like that cowardly slime could ever summon uncle''s sword. It would sooner chop him in half than be held by him." She snorted as she dismissed the possibility of him ever getting the sword when even goblins haven''t been able to force that thing to return to them.

    "Good. I believe a man of your caliber will not speak idle words." She responded with a firm nod.

    "I don''t. But if it is alright with you my lady, I would like to return to the original reason for our talk." I said as I steered the conversation away from Riddle.

    "Yes, we should take care of our own situation first before speaking of others." She agreed as she cooled down significantly.

    "Alright. So my preferred solution is that we become friends and you can simply approach me whenever I am not teaching. I think it would be quite enlightening to be able to talk to a woman of your calibre. We can discuss Magic, life/death, general happenings, you know things peers do with one another." I suggest with a smile on my face.

    "What?" She simply asked with a really confused look on her face like what I just said didn''t compute.

    "What''s there to be confused about?" I asked in response as I wasn''t sure what the problem was.

    "You want to be friends with me?" She incredulously asked as she looked at me weirdly.

    "Yes. What''s so wrong about that?" I responded with a raised eyebrow.

    "I am a ghost." She stated like that was a completely valid response. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #.-172-happenings-before-the-holidays_52145611432054883 for visiting.

    "So?" I shot back as I looked at her weirdly now.

    "What kind of person wants to be friends with a ghost?" She then asked with a slightly higher tone of voice this time.

    "Me. I don''t really care where someone is from or what they are as long as I want to be friends with them then the offer is there." I replied simply as I looked straight into her eyes.

    "Why would you even want to be my friend? I am not smart like mother, I can be cold and even gloomy, I am not sociable like Nick and I am certain you could have more fun with the other people you know." She explained as if comparing herself to others would stop me.

    "Why should I care about who you''re not? I want to be friends with the woman who did not even let death stop her from improving herself. I want to be friends with the woman cares so much for those she loves that she has stopped herself from moving to show her regret. I want to befriend the person who would help others from behind the scenes while not expecting any recognition. So do not degrade yourself in front of me Helena. I asked you to be my friend because of who you are, that''s all." I passionately countered as I pushed my point across so the woman can understand.

    (Do not judge me. From my understanding of her character she should have a sort of inferiority complex, hence she doubts herself. So a very direct approach is needed.)

    "Are you sure?" She asked with some warmth in her eyes.

    "Yes. Helena will you be my friend?" I simply ask.

    "I would be honored." She softly answered with a warm and gentle smile spreading on her face.

 Chapter 173 - Ch. 173 A dream of snakes

    What came after that day was me gaining a friend which I could discuss many topics with. Helena being very enthusiastic about gaining a friend took every opportunity to enjoy it.

    This resulted in her being present for all my classes and watching me teach with a small smile on her face, while also taking notes in a notebook I gave her. Then when a class ends we can discuss freely. And I was not joking when I said Helena never stopped learning ever since she returned to Hogwarts as a ghost. I might be a master of modern Magic, but she has had the time to learn things long forgotten by others. So we discussed old Magic, interesting or important individuals as well as contemporary views on historical events of the last thousand years, and most prominently my dozens of little white magic projects. She gets really enthusiastic when we talk about my new stuff and also enjoys hearing about what my friends can do.

    What was somewhat unexpected was that I apparently felt warm to Helena. From what she described, she felt like she was next to a gentle flame slowly warming her up. This was fascinating to hear because ghost typically feel the cold of being dead and can only almost experience past sensations, as was demonstrated during Nearly-Headless Nick''s deathday celebration. So that led to a few tests and we found out that my azure flame could interact with spirits and souls, hence why she could fell its heat. As a result, Helena was more determined than ever to stay near me since she could attain the warmth she lost long ago, even if it was sometimes unconsciously.

    So as a result of all this, I was now no longer said to be haunted by the Grey Lady, however I''ve heard some strange murmurs from the female students saying my looks can even charm the dead before running away. And there seems to be an increase of girls getting really into amateurish looking books while either blushing or breathing heavily.

    Been a while since that happened. Wonder what those books are about, especially since I''ve never seen any guy with one.

    Whatever, it''s never been important since it just looks like p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e reading instead of anything useful.

    So time passed relatively peacefully as the holidays neared. I was enjoying teaching, the Orderlings were getting better, the toad was suspiciously silent but I was keeping an eye on her, the ministry was still trying the put out the fire under its arse, and my time at home was fulfilling as I cherished each little moment with Victoria, even if her mother was still there to kill the mood sometimes.

    But then, only a few days away from the break, I felt a spell try to come through the wards I had set up for the house whilst Tory and I slept in our bed.

    I knew exactly what it was so I let it in, and a moment later an ethereal silver Phoenix hovered in our bedroom.

    "Aedan I require your immediate assistance in my office. It''s about Harry. My Floo is open." Dumbledore''s voice said from the patronus.

    "I''m going to spike that old man''s lemon drops." A cranky voice murmured from besides me.

    "You better be. It''s cold without you." She said in a slightly childish manner as she wrapped herself in blankets.

    "Then I''ll have to be extra quick." I responded with a whisper to her ear.

    "Good." She simply said as she made herself comfortable again since she was losing her pillow, meaning me.

    I quickly put on a simple outfit of white t-shirt, jeans and sneakers, then covered myself with a black wizard robe to stay warm. Walking to the fireplace I activated the Floo setting, dismissed Dobby who appeared thinking I would need something, then flashed away to the headmaster''s office.

    I walked out of the fireplace to find Dumbledore, Harry, Minerva and the Weasleys all looking at me.

    I then noticed Harry''s emotions were in great turmoil at the moment.

    "Harry it''ll be alright. Whatever happened we will be able to help you. Now can I know precisely what just happened?" I opened with as I needed to look like I didn''t know.

    "It appears Arthur was found wounded in the Ministry. It was his turn." Dumbledore answered seriously, just leaving enough information for someone who was in the know to understand.

    Obviously I knew about the event even if I wasn''t sure it would still be the exact same as in canon. But I also warned the Order about Tom''s interest with the prophecy so they kept me informed about their plans while I fed them information to facilitate everything.

    "I had a dream or a nightmare. I saw Mr. Weasley get attacked. Like I was the one attacking him. But it wasn''t with magic, it was like I was a beast." Harry answered as he struggled to put what he saw into words.

    "Alright so that gives validation to a few theories and kills a lot of them. But this isn''t the first time, so why call me now Headmaster? I know Harry has had these types of dreams before." I say as I turn back to my current boss.

    "You know what this means Aedan. Harry needs to learn to protect himself and you are without a doubt the most qualified. Severus would be far too hard on him." Answered the Headmaster with a serious look on his face.

    "But Aedan''s already teaching me how to fight. How''s learning more going to help me with this?" A nervous Harry asked as he looked between Albus and I.

    "Not self-defense Harry, but Occlumency. You need to learn to close your mind before it is too late." Dumbledore answered with a look of concern.

    "I''ve tried but Aedan said I wasn''t in the right place to learn it properly. But why do I need to learn it now? What''s happening to me?" He asked, no almost pleaded to know.

    "Harry, as you know, you and Voldemort have connection. Through your fates, your wands and now even your blood. What the headmaster and I fear is that after his revival, this connection might have been strengthened. We believe that this is why you were able to see tonight''s attack on Arthur Weasley. And the reason the Headmaster believes it is urgent for you to learn Occlumency is because when Voldemort realizes this new mental connection, he will try to take advantage of it. He is one of the strongest Legilimens in the world and it would be easy for him to try and mess with you if you don''t have any defenses." I explained as delicately as possible.

    I knew that if I was not careful, Harry would start seeing himself as dangerous or try to do something rash.

    "Then what am I supposed to do?! I tried every year to see if I could learn Occlumency but I could never get it right. How am I supposed to master it when I can''t even do the first step?" He asked as he began getting more unstable.

    The necklace was quite simple so either gender would be comfortable wearing it. I just asked James to make me one so I could enchant it. Fully made from goblin silver, the silver chain held a smooth locket in which I decided to put a picture of Harry''s parents. The thing was enchanted with mental shields, soul piece containment, poison/potion detection and a three use shield capable of blocking the Unforgivables before it needs to recharge. Perfect for a chosen one.

    "A necklace?" Harry confusedly asked as he looked at me weirdly. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #.-173-a-dream-of-snakes_52165911309765528 for visiting.

    "Don''t look at me like that. I enchanted it myself and James made it. It is basically a lord ring on steroids. This thing can protect for mind from pretty much everything and it can shield you in case someone tries to harm you. It can also detect if someone spiked your food or drink and there''s an additional surprise inside." I explained as I tossed the thing over to the teen.

    He was caught off guard by the sudden projectile, but he caught it none the less and he apparently felt its effects because he already looked a bit better.

    "It was supposed to be your Christmas gift, but things happen." I said with a shrug.

    "A marvelous piece of enchantment Aedan. You truly have a gift with runes as well. Such a shame you did not feel a need to learn alchemy." Dumbledore said as he looked at the locket, undoubtedly sensing the magic imbued in it.

    "Well at least James is working on it while in France." I answered with a smile.

    "A yes, young James had a particular interest in creating things didn''t he? I do hope Severus didn''t make his time learning the art more difficult than necessary. Alchemy needs some new blood after all." Dumbledore said as he c.a.r.e.s.sed his beard.

    But then we suddenly heard something from the portraits, "It was close Albus, but they found him in time. He should be alright."

    "Is dad ok?" Ginny suddenly said as her worries got the better of her.

    "Yeah, is he ok? Can we see him?" Ron followed up as he stood beside his sister.

    "I will work on getting permission for all of you to go to St. Mungo''s to visit him, but have no fear, your father his alright." Dumbledore said as he tried to calm the redheads.

    "I''ll ask Tory to take a look at him tomorrow. She''s the best they have and I''m sure she''ll have back up on his feet in no time." I added to help the quartet relax since this was someone they knew and had gotten famous over the last few months.

    "Thanks Professor." Fred said honestly.

    "Yeah, and with the Queen on board dad''s going to have to fake it in order to escape mom''s clutches." George then said, getting a chuckle from his brothers and sister.

    Seeing as they were capable of joking around, I would say their fears were at least taken cared of for now. But these kids have nothing worry about since I''m sure he''ll be alright. With that, I turned my attention back to Harry who was lost looking at the picture of his parents I had placed in the locket.

    Now before anyone thinks negatively, I have done what I could to make sure Harry would know about his parents and have what I could find regarding the two. So this isn''t the first time he''s seen them, and even if I wasn''t around Hagrid had given him that photo album back in Harry''s first year. What was different this time was that the photo in that locket was one from when Harry was only a few days old, resting in his mother''s embrace as she gave him a look of pure love and his father gently hugging her shoulder as he looked at the two with infinite warmth in his eyes.

    It wasn''t a moving picture, but it was the one I thought Harry needed with him the most.

    "Hm? Er yeah. Sorry I kinda lost focus there." He replied as he snapped out of his daze.

    "That''s alright. They''ll protect you from now on, so make sure to keep them close to heart." I said as I saw him look back at the picture.

    "You''re wrong, they''ve always been protecting me." Harry said with a small smile making its way onto face.

    "You''re right." I simply said as I looked at my little brother.

    What happened following that was everyone returning to their rooms since nothing could be done at the moment. Harry put on the locket, Dumbledore made sure everything was in order, Minerva then led her lions back to their dorms and I went back home to my girl and bed. The next few days might be a bit more stressful for the Weasleys, but overall everything would be ok.

 Chapter 174 - Ch. 174 Lively Holidays

    With Harry''s current dilemma taken cared of, the few remaining days before the break were spent rather calmly.

    I had no doubt the brilliant idea of taking off the locket to try and see what Tom was up to would flash through the kids head at one point, but at least he would be protected whenever he wanted to be. Harry was just too reckless sometimes, hoping to prove himself for various reasons.

    The other part of the incident was being taken cared of as well. Victoria was quite willing to go see Arthur Weasley, after I explained why he was hurt and that it would be better for everyone''s spirit if he could be there for Christmas at the very least.

    The injuries were dangerous, that is certain. The movie didn''t really show the attack properly, but Nagini''s fangs are truly deadly and have been enhanced through poison and curses, making healing her bites a nightmare for almost all healers. The wounds are incredibly difficult to close, causing continuous bleeding from the large puncture wounds, and the poison is quite easily able to kill a grown man. I am not actually entirely sure how they managed to have Arthur be able to be home for Christmas in the canon, but the liberal use of blood-replenishing potions had to be one of the reasons. I even think they might have overdosed him to get the poison out through brute force since curing it is very difficult.

    Thankfully all of that was no problem for my beauty. She easily closed the bites using white Magic, cleansed the man''s blood of the venom via a very dumbed down version of our holy water which acts as a blood cleanser (not holy water, just a potion they made in an effort to create less powerful stuff), gave him some blood-replenishing potions, and then fixed a few old or mild problems just because she could. The man would actually be feeling better than he had in years due to his visit to St. Mungo''s. I even had a funny thought about him trying to make another Weasley because he would feel younger.

    This was very good news for the Weasley clan members still in Hogwarts. Arthur was basically going to be released after spending only three days in the hospital, but Dumbledore still thought it best to allow them to go and visit in the evening since I had reported the fact that he was no longer in any danger.

    Beyond that, nothing else happened and everyone was free to enjoy their holidays as they pleased.

    From what I knew my friends were all returning to their homes for the break. Harry and the Weasleys would be going to Grimmauld place where Susan would follow since mother was living there with her new husband for now. Neville would go to his family, but would be joining us for a Christmas party held for all willing order members. I convinced Hermione to go spend time with her parents, promising that they could come to the party as well. Luna and Cedric were going to be spending time with their fathers. Last I heard from Christian was that his family and was going to go to Alaska in order to look for a yeti colony said to be there. James on the other hand was paying for his family to fly over to France for the holidays, wanting to introduce his girlfriend and help them enjoy Christmas in a different way. Finally, Tory and I would be enjoying our time together since she was able to take most of the break off, probably leading to mother-in-law nagging us later.

    But soon enough everyone parted ways for now, excited to spend time with their families. Especially Neville and Harry who had that taken from them, letting the two appreciate it all the more.

    My first few days were a bit busier since it was time for the biannual report of everything happening.

    Breaking Grounds was completely dominating the European market and making its name more prominent in Africa. It was also making a sizable stockpile of potions for battle injuries and poisons of all kind. But we have also stopped any expansion plans to put enough attention on the coming problems at home and to properly solidify our positions before moving forward. Constantly expanding is never a sustainable option. One must stabilize their gains to not lose everything.

    Natural Cultivation is seeing success across the board, even in pushing certain legal decisions regarding the rights for our underwater city. Aside from that, the various biomes like the Siberian farm for herbs which grow only in the cold, the one in the Egyptian deserts and our island, were all going splendidly as we were able to reap our rewards. This had the effect of many Herbology masters wanting to be employed, just to be able to partake in such fulfilling work. I even sent Professor Sprout an offer to your various cultivation biomes as a Christmas present. Beyond that, creature island project was slowly taking shape as more and more beasts were successfully acclimating to this new environnement. If our estimates are accurate, we could have a sustainable source of magical creature material within the next two years at most, giving the company an even better edge in the field of magical ingredients.

    FIRM was keeping the course as they helped fill Ministry positions which were being opened due to all the recent scandals. Not to say they were getting high power jobs, but positions were opened because of my people getting promoted. This was slowly allowing more half-bloods and muggleborns into the ministry and taking power slowly but surely from the inside. We''ve also been able to open a few different magical rec centers for those who live in Muggle communities, but still want to practice magic from time to times. These centers help those who can''t regularly go to Diagon Alley, also offering course and seminars. They would also serve as safety zones for muggleborns and their families should they feel it''s too dangerous when Tom officially comes back.

    The Muggle ToyBox was successful in creating protected versions of Televisions, game consoles and games, something they''ve been advertising for a while and recent figures showed it would be a wonderful earner during this season. Beyond that, the projects revolving various automobiles were making significant progress, with a variety of models ranging from unassuming to luxurious being prepared.

    Then I have my spymaster''s report. Scandals allowed for an increase of some of our agents authority, more people are willing to talk and offer information as Fudge''s ship is slowly sinking and more death eater sympathizers are being identified lately. Sherry was apparently, and I quote here, ''really enjoying playing with so many naughty people.'' I even asked if she wouldn''t prefer for me to pay for a vacation, but she denied with an excuse on ''poor kids being forced to work on Christmas are such delicious prey and could not be allowed to be gobbled up by others.'' After that I just let her have her own brand of fun. I''m glad she actually enjoys her job, but I think I helped awaken something which might traumatize some men in the future.

    Jennifer was very much enjoying having a house and Scott to herself after being able to take a break from her infiltration. She''s still getting reports from her second, but nothing is really happening for now because of the recuperation of the jail broken Death Eaters and the fact that Tom was focusing on messing with Harry right now. Pretty sure he''ll find out soon that he can''t get in anymore, so that''ll be interesting to read about later.

    Elaine was gaining increasing prestige within Mother''s department, especially with the all time high cohesion of the place. With the cleaning up and the prestige she and her team had, the Golden Wand is quickly becoming the person of choice for the next head of the Hit Wizards due to her skills, fame and reputation. My guess is that when Mother becomes the next minister, she might set up that promotion to support someone she likes and as a political maneuver which could help her gain the supporters of the Golden Wand.

    Then I have Fortress Protection still on high alert, just in case an unexpected or spontaneous attack occurs. I know Tom is not even close to ready for the war yet, but most of his people are either fanatical or desperate, so not waiting for thought out moves from that group. Besides that, I have people patrolling every key area of our community under disguise or working undercover in shops after being recommended by FIRM. This is the beauty of having multiple influential partners working together. And I have my elite Shadows protecting my important people such as mother and Susan, my friends and their families, my key subordinates and colleagues, all without them knowing of course. It can be a bit boring for them, but that''s a good thing in this line of work, plus we do alternate them so it''s not a big deal.

    And finally Bonesworks is getting its predicted Christmas boom in profits as people saved up to buy our brooms. But in the branches outside of Britain, wizards and witches were rushing to buy the books on white Magic which had been officially approved by every single ministry they had been sent to. This book had people fighting to get it in order to feel safer in the face of the dark arts and their practitioners. It was also immensely popular within academic circles for the entirely new field of study and the flexibility of it. From Herbology to Transfiguration, White Magic could be applied to all of it in order to form new Magic unseen in this world before. The fervor also resulted in the name Aedan Bones resounding across the magical communities of the world again. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #.-174-lively-holidays_52304002829836691 for visiting.

    As a whole, my fame, power and influence were growing across the entire magical world in a way no one had seen since the founders, Merlin, Flamel and Dumbledore after taking down Grindelwald. All that was left was for me to give a true show a power for the world to completely acknowledge me to be part of the greats. But that show was coming and my wonderful helpers were all gathering together to help me with it.

    *CRACK* *BOOM*

    ''Maybe I should tone down the sinister way of thinking for a while. I feel like that lightning was because of me and I''m not a goddamn cartoon villain.'' I though as I finished going through all of my reports.

    Anyway, after having dealt with all my business/lord work for the break, I fully relaxed with my girl. Took her out on few dates, went to some nice places, took her shopping and even managed to get her mom out of the house for the day by getting her a full spa treatment. Unfortunately for me, my mother-in-law saw through that and convinced Victoria that it would be great for them to have a mother-daughter day at said spa, leaving me alone for most of the day.

    Can''t win them all. But I could at least make the most of it and enjoy playing with magic itself.

    Besides all of that, Christmas was a lot livelier than before.

    The main reason for that was mother''s marriage to Sirius. This meant she and Susan would obviously be spending Christmas at his place since the newlyweds moved in together. That also meant Harry would be there since he lives there too, then the Weasleys come as a bundle, add some other order members, maybe Dumbledore, and that means Selene (in-law), Tory and I would now be partaking in a very active atmosphere.

    It was also kinda interesting when I thought about how many people Tory healed were going to be at the party. Arthur was the most direct and easy case, the Longbottoms were the first patients to go through her process, and then Selene would also be there. Four people were joining a gathering which many thought they would not, for most of them they were told that it would never happen again too. Just proves that my girl is great.

    Arriving at Grimmauld place wasn''t hard at this point. But coming in was an interesting experience.

    The place was decorated extensively, with garland on the walls, a roof someone enchanted to make it snow, mistletoe above pretty much every doorway, a wonderfully decorated tree in the living room, some stockings above the fireplace, some flying Santa ornements having a dogfight I have no doubt the twins were involved with, and people talking or walking all over the place in festive outfits or jolly moods.

    I saw most of the men together with some firewhiskey as the laughed, the group involving Sirius, Lupin, Edward Tonks, Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Theodore Granger and Frank Longbottom. The were enjoying a men''s only gathering.

    It seems that the house-elves are the ones preparing the food this time instead of Molly. Good thing since I even sent Dobby and Winky to join Tilly and whichever other elf was already working just to make sure everything could be done on time. Not sure if mother and Sirius actually kept Kreacher at this point, but I can feel the Horcrux in the house so I''m sure he''s around.

    I then noticed the younger ones in their own group, talking about what they''ve been up to during the first few days of the break. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Susan and the Twins were all having their own fun as they enjoyed the atmosphere.

    But since I was now a fully functional a.d.u.l.t, I decided to join the gentlemen while we waited for the food.

    The conversation was light hearted and interesting. Stories about things we all did during our school days, funny workplace stories, good family moments and plain old male (metaphorical) d.i.c.k measuring as we talked about our badass moments. Basically bragging, embarrassing and trying to show up one another. Typical guy behavior.

    What followed was a scrumptious and active feast as over twenty people gathered to the real dinning room of the place, not that tiny table shown in the movie, and started to pass plates around as we filled our own.

    You could see everyone talking to each other as they ate in glee. Toasts were done in high spirits leading to wives glaring at their idiot husbands, others chowed down like food was going to be stolen from them, gossip was being discussed by some of the women, laughter rang out from time to time, and all around you could see people smiling.

    It was a good meal which brought a warm smile to my own face.

    I still think I might prefer a quieter Christmas with my truly close and loved ones, but this was also nice. Reminded me of the big family get togethers I had in my past life, which gave me a moment of melancholy, but I moved past it as soon as I felt Tory''s hand in mine.

    Another feeling which hit me was a small sense of disbelief as I looked at all the people I came to know and talked with, people who were only characters in books and movies before, and now I sat amongst them. It was a rather strange thought, but I couldn''t really think of them as characters since they were my family, friends and loved ones.

    But in my mind I had already made a promise to myself. One to make sure each person here was going to make it through Tom''s stupidity. These people did not deserve to die because of his idiocy and I would make sure of that.

 Chapter 175 - Ch. 175 Mother and son

    Aside from running a vast business empire, an intelligence network, having my magical fun time (research) and spending time with my loved ones, I didn''t really have all that much going on during the break. All things considered, it was pretty light compared to what I usually have to deal with.

    I had a short meeting with the Headmaster in order to inform him that I had destroyed a Horcrux which I had found within the castle and end the curse on my position at the same time. I simply told him it was the Ravenclaw Diadem and that is why I had become close to the Grey Lady. He was quite happy about the news, a Horcrux being destroyed and the fact that even if I left my position as a Professor he could fill it permanently. He said it was a very good Christmas present indeed, even better than the socks I had sent him.

    Made sure everyone from the business side of things was doing alright, which they were.

    I''m pretty sure Jennifer is wringing Scott dry at every opportunity, her happy face and his eyes having dark circles told me that.

    No real movements from anyone since Death Eaters still need to uphold the facade of upstanding citizens, meaning winter events and family gatherings. While the ministry was basically going through the same thing even when the minister''s a.s.s was on fire from all the Herald articles. Him trying to force Ministry employees to work during the holidays because of his own f.u.c.k-ups really didn''t help his standing in peoples eyes too.

    Meanwhile, I knew two people I am involved with were certainly having some more important moments.

    -Narcissa Black (formerly Malfoy) POV. Currently residing in Spanish villa located near Barcelona.

    The last few months of my life have probably been the most pleasant I have ever experienced.

    Although I had to leave the country, this villa Lord Bones gifted me can more than make up for it.

    The two-story villa was not grand or ostentatious, but rather comfortable and warm, something I never had the opportunity to experience due to my upbringing. But it seems the young Lord does have good taste. This was especially true when I was enjoying the various furniture as I lounged about on lazy days, indulging myself in the comforts brought to me by the enchantments and original quality. The plants decorating the villa might have mostly been from muggle origins, but they gave the place some life which could not be denied. Soothing pieces of art hung on the walls, the abundant light coming from all the windows, the pleasant and vibrant colors of the decorations and the sounds and smell of the ocean all lifted and helped heal my spirits as they clashed against the memories of the dark, cold and silent ''homes'' I had inhabited in the past.

    Having a private pool and hot tube in my private inner courtyard was most appreciated as well, because sometimes one just feels like taking a dip without being ogled at, another thing which was relatively new to me. This villa was located on the Spanish coast near the city of Barcelona, within a protected area exclusively for those with magic. So I naturally enjoyed spending time on the beach since it is only a short walk away and all amenities were already present. What I did not expect was the various instances of men approaching me to proposition various uncouth activities when I partook in sunbathing or the sea itself.

    It appears I was able to maintain my figure quite well, even after having Draco. A small amount of pride was added, even if I would never agree to their advances. I have only just been freed and I will not chain myself down for some man''s short lived d.e.s.i.r.e.

    Later I was informed of the influence one needs to even learn of this place''s existence. From what I gathered when listening to others gossip, brag or just when I talked to some of the other women over drinks, this place is exclusively for some of the wealthiest or most ancient families in the wizarding world. It offered many services and entertainments, house-elves for residents, delivery service for whatever one requires and a good environment. This meant that the young lord certainly did not plan on treating me badly.

    The former I used to go visit Spain''s El Rastro Escondido, the magical market in this country. My guide informed me the muggles even copied the original name of El Rastro for a market they still hold every week after they heard some wizards talk about how great the market was, only to find none and someone decided to make his own, resulting in wizards adding Escondido or hidden to their own market. The magical market itself was much livelier than the Diagon Alley I was accustomed to, with vendors specializing in many goods from many countries having set up booth and the permanent stores hawking their wares as people look from one place to another. It made me compare how dreary England is again after my visit, making me think that Lord Bones certainly has valid reasons for thinking of Death Eaters as rot.

    Then for my second new privilege, I decided to use my abundance of free time to study potions and ancient runes. I was rather gifted in the two fields during my younger years and the idea of potentially becoming a potion mistress was appealing, with runes being more of a hobby. Not even a week after that decision I was informed of two tutors coming to help me with my endeavor, a pleasant surprise if I was being honest, and one I did not refuse. Goals and hobbies are perfect for staving off boredom after all and it was all payed for.

    It was a good move to fool Lucius, earning me personal wealth and more freedom. And i am not so foolish to lose such a good position by trying to undermine the young lord Bones. He is not soft like Dumbledore, but also not iron-fisted like the dark lord, knowing when to kill and when to forgive. I could understand that when I met him. Although he treats me very well for someone he only has contractual obligations with, I did not forget the cold and emotionless look in his eyes when I begged for his help and the feeling of having death waiting to claim me at a moments notice as he pressured me. He would have killed me if he did not deem me to be an injured party instead of a silent supporter when it came to Lucius'' activities, of this I have no doubt.

    But overall, Aedan Bones has treated me better than my own family and ex-husband by far. A slightly sad thought, but I hold no love for most of them. Andy I envied because she could escape from the Black name and find love, while Bella at least tried to protect me when she hadn''t completely lost herself in her so called devotion. And I doubt Sirius would ever really treat me like family, not that I''ve ever given him a reason to do so.

    But I hope I can truly reconnect with Andy one day at least. We''ve been talking, but I''m just hoping she can forgive me.

    On the topic of family, I was informed of my own son''s d.e.s.i.r.e to see me and his impending arrival, something which brought me some hope in the matter of taking him away from Lucius. If I could help it, I would not have my child anywhere close to the Dark Lord, forced to act as a servant, scared of dying whenever he is angered and only causing death wherever he goes. But his cowardly, Morgana-damned, two-faced, incapable, bitch of a father had thoroughly influenced him. But I won''t give up on my child. I will do whatever I can to protect him, even if I hated the man who fathered him.

    "Mistress Black, the guest scheduled for you has arrived. Shall we let him in?" A squeaky voiced asked from behind me as I was brought out of my musing.

    There stood the house-elf in charge of my care and well-being, Jose. Unlike the Malfoy elves or Kreacher, Jose was well dressed in a button-up shirt and dress pants, had proper training as a servant and was capable of making appropriate decisions without explicit orders or punishment. He would probably feel insulted being compared to how Dobby was during his time under Lucius.

    "Yes Jose, bring him in please." I calmly answered, but I could feel some nervousness in my heart.

    Only a few moments passed before Jose reappeared with my son by his side.

    My growing boy looked thinner than I remembered, his blonde hair a bit too long, properly dressed in one of the black suits I had gotten him last summer but I could see some usage on it, telling me no one was taking proper care of it. I could also see worry in his grey eyes as he was also anxious.

    ''Lucius cannot even properly take care of my son! The worthless flobberworm is probably too busy groveling before the Dark Lord to even care.'' I thought with fury and disgust as I looked at my baby boy.

    "Draco come here and let me take a proper look." I softly said as I beckoned him closer.

    As soon as he came within my range I began to look for any signs of Draco being hurt.

    "Hmph that useless man cannot even make sure you''re properly dressed. You also look hungry so let''s have Jose make some food for us, I already told him about all your favorites. I need to book you an appointment at the stylist and order some new outfits to be made for you." I muttered as i fussed over my son''s neglected state.

    "I''m fine mother. I''m more worried about you. You left without saying much and haven''t returned home in months. Then you tell me Professor Bones is the only person who can help me, and he is protecting you for some reason." Draco said as he struggled a bit to get away from my fussing.

    "I am well dear. In fact this has probably been some of the best times of my life. The only thing which could make it perfect would be having you with me." I replied lovingly as I looked at my son.

    "But why did you leave?" Draco asked in an emotional tone.

    Jose had already set up everything as I ordered previously. The tea I usually drank with Draco, his favorite sweets, a nice view and comfortable chairs.

    I think it was mostly for my own nerves that I prepared all this. I just didn''t know how Draco would react and it scared me to think about losing my son.

    Only after we both sat down and tea was brewed did I decide to begin this talk.

    "I know young Lord Bones has talked to you about my situation, ask whatever questions you have son." I gently said as I put my tea cup down.

    "Is what the Professor said true? Were you only with father because of a contract?" He asked with a lot of confusion in his Grey eyes.

    "Yes. I only married Lucius because of a contract." I calmly answered as I did my best not to let my own emotions show.

    "Then is it true that the contract also made you father''s servant?" Draco followed up.

    "Unfortunately it was so." I confirmed with a small nod.

    "And am I... am I simply part of that contract?" My own son asked with great difficulty, almost making me hug him that very moment.

    The biggest problem is Lucius'' own preferences, but the contract forced him to produce an heir with me, this resulted in him doing everything in his power to fulfill that clause in one try, even performing rituals and drinking potions. As a result you were born, but Lucius never even touched me again." I explained slowly as I did my best to not make my son break down.

    "Is that why you left? Because father never loved you. If so, what about me?" My darling boy asked in great turmoil.

    "I love you more than anything Draco. You are the reason why I had the d.e.s.i.r.e to live through the pain I suffered under Lucius. Without you I would have been broken a long time ago." I responded as tears started to form on my eyes at the sight of my son struggling so much. "Leaving you behind when I left was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but I knew you would be safe for now. My only hope was that you would be able to break free from the shackles Lucius placed on you after seeing the truth of what the Dark Lord and his followers truly are: Master and his Slaves. Not allies working towards a noble goal, but a tyrant desiring power at all cost and those who have deluded themselves into thinking they are his generals, when in truth they are simply pawns."

    "If that''s what you believe then why didn''t you take me with you?" Draco asked with doubt in his voice.

    "Because of how much you believed in it all. How far gone your father had brought you into believing the pureblood supremacy rhetoric. You were only starting to show more independent thoughts on the subject when you attended Hogwarts. But without seeing the truth for yourself, I knew you couldn''t break the chains Lucius had made for you so I left in the hope that it would help you break free." I answered as I got up to sit besides my son.

    I was relieved to see him not reject me as I sat down next to him.

    "But what can I do about it? I saw what they do people and father would disown me as soon as he heard about me leaving. I don''t know what to do mother." Draco said as his body deflated from lack of hope.

    "Talk to Lord Bones Draco. I know he offered you sanctuary from everything if you d.e.s.i.r.ed it. I am also certain he would be willing to send you here to live with me. As for your father disowning you, I can assure you that you will not be missing out on much." I reassured Draco as I gave him a path.

    "I know he brought you here, but can the Professor really protect me from them? From him? And why wouldn''t I be missing out if father disinherits me?" My son asked with some fear and doubt.

    "How can that be? I know he''s a prodigy, but how can he fight against the Dark Lord?" Draco loudly replied as his disbelief overpowered him and his fear of the Dark Lord made him look invincible.

    "Because he has already fought him to a standstill and come out of it without a single scratch. The Dark Lord does not believe he is a true threat, but that will be his downfall. All of them severely underestimate Aedan Bones.

    At the age of 18 he was able to almost casually fight against the Dark Lord. His business has ties throughout Europe, through multiple governments, grants him an enormous revenue and displays his genius when they sell his products or books. His political influence grows every day as his fame, titles and power help him gain more and more allies, all the while his own mother figure completely controls the DMLE and no one has ever heard of any kind of negative event regarding him.

    Do you know what this means?

    He has complete control over how he is viewed and no one actually sees him as a threat.

    Do you understand how terrifying that is?

    The Dark Lord only truly sees Dumbledore and Harry Potter as threats to him gaining power while lord Bones is only a minor threat which can be killed later, and Fudge believes he can easily sweep the young Lord under the rug whenever he''s done with Dumbledore.

    Meanwhile he has been doing who knows what from the shadows and no one is noticing any of it.

    That is how I know he can protect us. I have stood in front of the Dark Lord and Dumbledore, but only he gave me the feeling that he was unfathomable." I replied with all the seriousness I could muster.

    "If what you said is true mother, then isn''t he the most dangerous person to be around?" Draco nervously asked as the gravity of what I said sunk in.

    "Only for his enemies. His allies will prosper and those who remain neutral shall be untouched, this much I know for certain. And I have chosen to be an ally so that the both of us can live lives free of all our restraints." I softly said as I tried to sooth the fear I had given my son.

    "Can I really just leave all of it?" My son asked with some hope and hesitation as he looked at me.

    "Of course Draco. Even if you are no longer the heir of the Malfoy family, so what? You are a bright and talented young man, capable of so much more than just following Lucius'' shadow. And once you''re free from all that pressure, I am sure you will be able to truly enjoy your life and not have to live the life of heir Malfoy." I answered with a gentle smile as I held my his hand.

    It took a few minutes of thinking before Draco talked again, properly going through everything he learned and his options.

    "Then can I stay with you for the rest of the break Mother? I really don''t want to be in the Manor anymore." He hopefully asked, making joy spread through me as my boy made a good decision.

    "Nothing would make me happier Draco." I answered with a warm smile.

    We then spent some time finishing our tea and having some less serious conversation, enjoying catching up since I''ve been here.

    "Oh I can''t wait to finally show the ladies my handsome son. They have been bragging about their children for weeks now, but we will have to get you cleaned up properly. Then I can introduce you to some lovely young ladies I had the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e of meeting during my stay. I am sure we can finally get you into a relationship." I said as I started planning the rest of the day in order to get my son to be as handsome as he should be. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #.-175-mother-and-son_52398539891859313 for visiting.

    "Mother!" Draco said with red creeping on his face.

    "Now don''t you worry dear. I will take care of everything." I replied with a happy smile as I dragged him into the house to prepare for some socializing.

 Chapter 176 - Ch. 176 Time to play hardball

    In the last days of the break, I received a sincere ''thank you'' from Narcissa and confirmation regarding Draco declaring his intent to remain with his mother instead of following his Father''s stupidity. Her gratitude for regaining her son resulted in an offer to increase my influence and political clout in Spain, something she said she was open to, but I told her there was no need. Instead I asked her if she was willing to take charge in a new business venture I had thought about in the past, but hadn''t really seriously committed myself to: magical spas.

    After explaining what a spa was, I could practically feel her willingness to make it a reality through her messages. Ms. Black was very optimistic about such facilities becoming very popular amongst the ladies and even began to plan on having the first one being made near her current community in order to test it on those accustomed to life''s so called finer things. It would take time of course. Proper research on exactly what would/could be offered needed to be done. I would get the supplies and manpower, while Narcissa would be in charge of coordinating things and deciding what exactly was going to be happening. Having a woman in charge of something pretty much designed to attract women was appropriate to me, especially a cunning one like Narcissa who could get the best results possible once she applies herself.

    She would have free reins on this project, with me only helping when it comes to some of the treatments which could be offered using my vast knowledge regarding beasts, herbs and potions. This would also act as a sort of test to understand Narcissa''s abilities better, but if she is truly interested in this opportunity then I have little doubt she shall succeed.

    If I decide to keep Lucius alive beyond the coming battles for some reason, it would be hilarious to watch his reaction as his ex-wife returns to the country after taking pretty much everything from him, opening a new branch of a very successful business which was inspired by muggles, with their son on her side, and finally realizing that all his personal failures are still caused by me. But it probably won''t happen because there''s a 50% chance Lucius is going to die this year and a 90% he''ll die within the next two.

    The only reason I am currently debating killing him is because of the impact it would have on Draco. I know I am putting a lot of focus on the kid, but he is currently my student and trying to change for the better. His current psychological state is unstable at the moment however, making the choice to wait for another year the better option. The man will die however. I could never wrap my head around how the bastard got away with serving Tom as a Death Eater lieutenant twice, just because he didn''t go a try to slaughter school kids a second time when his lord was kinda losing.

    And besides, Lucius is not the only Death Eater I am currently stopping myself from killing on sight.

    The Parkinson family is touchy since their only daughter, Pansy, has not exhibited any positive character developments so far, only showing me the classic case of a bully. The girl will harass those she is told are below her and fear those better than her, displaying the symptoms of a child no one has ever taught properly. Her family is supporting the effort from the back by funding the Tom, too cowardly to openly fight like many families were during the first war. A family full of classic blood supremacist, those passing on their stupid hate and bias. But I am undecided between erasing them or making them lose everything.

    The Nott patriarch has always been on thin ice in my book. It was hinted in the books that he killed his wife and the mother of Theodore Nott in front of the child, something which has already placed him on my shit list. But I needed to have a proper talk with Theodore to understand just where he stands regarding to his father. If he wishes to be free of him then the man will die when he crosses my path, and if not I will have to determine my options after seeing the kid.

    Crabbe and Goyle Sr are weird for me in all honesty. This is because their sons are too thick to actually predict how the death of their fathers would affect them. I really don''t know if losing their fathers would impact them in anyway except some kids either mocking them or sympathizing with them. Trying to teach them made me understand why Draco was surprised when Harry And Ron were disguised as them in their second year, exclaiming that he was shocked one of them could read.

    Besides them, there are many who will disappear in the coming times, but they are all either have no other relatives, have been rejected by the rest of their families or the entire family is too far gone. These bastards must learn the hard way that actions have consequences, whether they learn it in death or life is all that''s left to decide.

    Moving on from the morbid topic of people who actually call themselves Death Eaters, the continuation of the school year brought a comfortable status quo within the school.

    I was still closely monitoring the toad, but my actions have been driving her nuts since she hasn''t been able to achieve anything except annoy everyone. None of her so called ''educational decrees'' have succeeded, any attempt to gain some kind of power over others was heavily restricted, she could not find any faults from the staff because we were all supporting each other and yes I am including Professor Trelawney because I personally helped her create proper lesson plans, and there are no ''unapproved'' activities in the castle to attack the headmaster with because all of the faculty is using the loopholes i pointed out. The woman wasn''t even able to recruit any members for her stupid inquisitorial squad because she is seen as a joke by most students, an annoying one at that.

    And it was time to really start pressuring the ministry from all angles.

    I was going to start really swinging my weight around, not like I was doing before by ''barely'' changing decree no. 23. No. It was time to start really destroying the Fudge administration. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #.-176-time-to-play-hardball_52491957326372460 for visiting.

    The process to get it Ministry approved was already done using my people. This meant no one knew about this and it was really going to annoy Fudge and Umbridge.

    The move was made to put pressure mostly on Umbitch and Tom. I wanted them to feel more pressed to act. I needed them unstable so they would make mistakes. Although I am not actually sure on how long it would take Tom and his gloomy band to learn about this books, mostly because I''m pretty sure none of them are very academic or inclined towards learning new things beyond how to hurt those weaker than them, Umbridge will be able to see me teach the magic first hand.

    The toad hates what makes her feel inferior, it is one of the major personality defects she shares with Tom. She will want white magic to be banned for a variety of stupid, weak, bigoted and downright bullshit reasons, and if Tom actually has retained his intelligence he will fear what this magic means and do what he can to destroy it. And for either to do anything, the must act.

    I was breaking the current stalemate.

    A bit reckless, but I have people everywhere. I have even had an increasing number of people infiltrate the lower ranks of Tom''s gathering force. He thought just getting criminals and dark wizards from Europe without proper background and identity checks was smart, bless him. Then I combine that with Jennifer and the info I get from Dumbledore/Snape, and I can pretty know whenever Tom makes a move.

    It also helps that I''ve had Jennifer sneak a magical version of a tracking device into Nagini''s ''food''. Can''t really put anything on Tom since he barely wears a robe which he uses as a weapon and only carries his wand with him, leaving the snake as the best option to track his movements. Plus snakes have long digesting periods and the tracker very small while also being resistant to most harm.

    So even if Riddle just decides to go on a solo rampage I''ll know where because he always takes the snake with him or uses her for something. And if he decides to send her somewhere alone like when he did that disgusting thing with Bathilda Bagshot''s corpse in canon, it will be an opportunity to end the snake.

    Following that, I will mostly turn the Prophet against the minister. I was tired of letting Fudge ruin the people''s faith in the paper. Although I would let him keep the pressure on Dumbledore and try to conceal the Azkaban destruction, the coming scandals would be reported by both the Herald and the Prophet. This would help maintain the Prophet''s reputation for the future, which is nice since I own most of it, while shaking Fudge''s grip on it.

    Then my third move was to get rid of the last incompetent members of the Board of Governors. Everyone that supported Fudge in trying to screw Hogwarts over for political bullshit was going to be removed the same way Lucius had been, then replaced with much better members. Already had Carl Greengrass, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Hannah Abbot''s father Jason Abbot, my future mother-in-law Selene Travers and maybe Narcissa or Draco in the future, all ready to take the emptied seats.

    Next was to start the sweep of Fudge''s supporters and cabinet.

    I am going to have Umbitch murdered so I''m skipping over her, but a good number of officials are going to be politically dead or stuck in dead end carriers after I''m done shaking the Ministry. If they thought I was annoying before then I''m going to make them puke Blood just like Lucius after I''m done. This is because all those assholes who get away with harassment, corruption, s.e.x.u.a.l assault, embezzlement, suppressing actually talented employees and sometimes even killing someone, they all have to pay someone higher than them to do and a large cut of that money goes to Fudge, letting me have a wonderful way to clean things up.

    Watergate wishes it could be as expansive as what I''m going to do because Fudge isn''t getting a pardon from his replacement. In fact most of these people will be lucky to not go to Fortress'' Jails after this is done. And all too conveniently, I had qualified and driven workers of all status'' in place to take over. In one move I would sweep almost a third of the problems plaguing the Ministry and lay the foundation for improving everything else while giving my intelligence network an expansion.

    My last step for the year would unfortunately have to wait until Tom revealed himself properly to complete, simply because the cleaning of the Wizengamot is not an easy thing. There are simply too many old bastards clinging to their seats and holding way too much influence on the country. After my previous step I will be able to get rid of the incompetents put there by Fudge and also gain the seats for the various important members of the Ministry, but the majority of the other seats are owned by noble houses, hence are difficult to change.

    Malfoy will lose his seat, something which I''ll try to get for Draco or Narcissa later, Selene will regain hers after the trial, a few other decent family members are being selected to inherit such positions and some seats will just have to remain empty because I''m going to end their bloodline. That''s what you get when you go out to murder, **** and torture random innocent people.

    By the time the next school year begins, the Ministry will be ushered into a new age. One where it actually works, does its jobs properly and actively works to better the country. You know, what governments are supposed to do.

    It was time to start playing hardball with everyone.

    So let the games begin~

 Chapter 177 - Ch. 177 Sometimes you just want to watch the world burn a bit.

    -3rd person POV because I just kinda felt like it.

    Inside an office with an academics flare, bookshelves filled with tomes and journals, new and old artifacts, and parchments covering a finely crafted ebony wood desk, one could hear the animated voice of the WWN radio host announcing this month''s latest scandal coming from the radio behind the man working at said desk.

    "We have another damning report from the reporters of the Herald.

    From the investigation and evidence submitted to the DMLE, Frederick Bulstrode, Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, has been charged of several crimes which have not only endangered the statute of secrecy and the lives of those living in this country, but also embezzlement, bribery and forgery to name a few.

    The most distressing acts this man has committed were to accept bribes from various sources, letting dangerous, rare and/or illegal creatures and beings into our country. The kinds of creatures illegally imported without anyone''s knowledge was said to contain various species of dragons, Nundus, a Quintaped, Chimaeras, Whampus Cats and he was even found to have been involved in the infamous Phoenix egg theft a decade ago. Meanwhile, he smuggled in Vampires and Werewolves wanted in other European countries, A few Trolls and most distressingly members of a giant tribe.

    You heard me right listeners, the man helped smuggle in Vampires, Dragons and Giants!

    All of which are currently loose in our country without any of us having a single clue. Any of these could seriously endanger both our lives and our safety through secrecy.

    And although this process has been brought in front of the Wizengamot, and a conviction is nearly assured with how much evidence was said to have been submitted, we cannot let this go. This has been another example of how corrupt and utterly broken the ministry of magic had become. So called Pureblooded wizards have again been shown to only care about themselves and not about the majority of witches and wizards considered half-bloods or Muggleborns, with only scant few truly trying to better our lives or uphold the duties given to them.

    Our so called ''Minister'' has once again claimed he knew nothing of these matters and quickly distanced himself from his former ally Frederick Bulstrode, claiming that ''Frederick always seemed so driven to properly regulate magical creatures,'' and that ''he was very efficient in the handling of his duties.'' But we have found two reasons for these words: His drive was regarding the harsh punishment of those he considered subhuman like werewolves and Veelas, while he had sadistic tendencies towards animals which was proven when a Hit wizard raid was conducted in his home and multiple heavily abused creatures were found in his bas.e.m.e.nt, while his work efficiency has now been attributed to Mr. Bulstrode forcing his work onto his subordinates while he went to lavish establishments, drank, engaged in i.n.t.e.r.c.o.u.r.s.e in his office with random women or simply didn''t come in for work days at a time..."

    The outraged man''s voice continued but the man at the desk turned down the volume of the radio in favor of the newspaper he had picked up from his desk.

    ''SCANDAL FROM THE WAR: THE FLOO BLOCKERS.

    A large list of previously unknown names was released after an extensive investigation in various cold cases resting in the DMLE, which our Aurors and Hit Wizards were forced to let rest because of the ever increasing restrictions the department had placed on them from our very own Minister.

    This list connects 23 current Ministry employees who were found to have assisted He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named''s efforts in the war. These individuals actively disconnected registered homes from the Floo network when they were informed an attack was planned on said home. Their actions have been linked to 184 murders so far, as well as implicating the current vice-head of the department itself.''

    The Prophet article was put down and another paper was picked up.

    ''HOGWARTS GOVERNORS: EMBEZZLEMENT, BRIBERY AND BLACKMAIL.

    Well it would seem the Minister himself felt the need to emulate his actions.

    Evidence was found that most members who were able to escape prosecution last time, were now involved in the Minister''s attempt to take control of the famously independent Hogwarts, due to the political war he is waging against Albus Dumbledore.

    That''s right, Minister Cornelius Fudge, who we reported earlier this year to be attacking Albus Dumbledore because he believes he is trying to gain a position many have been begging him to take for the last 60 years, has been trying time and time again to control and shackle Hogwarts. These attempts have come in the form of so-called ''educational decrees'', laws the ministry somehow passed in order to feel more in control of the school.

    These decrees vary widely in scope. One actually said that only teams, clubs, societies or groups approved by an inquisitor could exist, effectively trying to cancel even the historic Quidditch cup. Another dictates that no professors are even allowed to talk to students about things outside their teaching matter, attempting to neuter the right to free speech. Next we have the ministry banning any and all means of students enjoying themselves, meaning no chess, toys, p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e reading, minor prank objects, Muggle Toy Box products or even candies. And the most alarming was the ministry trying to give itself the right to punish any student of any age in any way they deemed fit, which was thankfully modified by a few of the more outstanding members of the Board.

    The worst part dear readers, is that all of this is currently being overseen by one of the worst individuals in the ministry: Delores Umbridge. That''s right, the infamous bigot and racist. A woman who has attempted to classify people with magical being ancestry as beasts, has a record of extreme blood supremacy, was reported on by multiple ministry employees for abuse of power, showcases fanatical levels of worship for the ''absolute power'' of the ministry, and many other negative associations. She was put in charge of creating laws which directly impact your children, your alma mater and/or the place your children would attend based on whatever she felt was right.

    All this enabled by the corrupt Board of Governors which has been seen to only remain functional because of the minority which continues to fight for the bettering of the historic school. These men and women like Lady Andromeda Tonks-Black, Dowager Augusta Longbottom and Lord Aedan Bones, have all passionately defended the schools against such acts and now is the time for us to step forward to help.''

    The man once again put the paper down and this time he picked up a report given to him by his intelligence network.

    ''Fudge has been undergoing extreme stress and pressure. We expect he will commit to drastic measures very soon.

    He has also been confirmed to have an increased dependence on alcohol, some banned substances from Brazil and has been taking out loans to pay his way out of the media''s eyesight. But with the loss of so many corrupt officials he is rapidly losing support.

    PS: I think the Quibbler would love to spin an interesting theory on why Fudge is rapidly losing his hair.''

    With a chuckle from reading the last lines, the man simply watched as the report bursted in blue flames and turned into nothing in mere moments.

    He then looked at the pile of newspapers behind his desk, the ones about the great number of scandals and crimes which had happened in the last two months.

    ''LADY SELENE TRAVERS: TRUTH OF HER COMA.

    FORMER LORD TRAVERS FOUND GUILTY OF BEING A DEATH EATER, ATTEMPTED MURDER AND USURPATION OF LORDSHIP.

    WLHELM TRAVERS DISCOVERED DEAD IN HIS CELL, DRAINED OF ALL BLOOD. SUSPECTED TO BE DONE BY VAMPIRES.''

    "Still find it amusing that they meant it literally when the ladies said they would drain the life out of him." The silver haired man said with a smirk on his face.

    ''12 ARRESTED IN DARK ARTIFACT RAID LED BY ARTHUR WEASLEY.

    VICE DEPARTMENT HEAD DRUMPF ACCUSED OF MULTIPLE R.A.P.ES AND ILLEGAL IMPRISONMENTS.

    ALBUS DUMBLEDORE REINSTATED AS CHIEF WARLOCK AFTER 5 MEMBERS AND HIS REPLACEMENT WERE FOUND GUILTY.

    MIRACLE RECOVERY BY HEALING MISTRESS VICTORIA TRAVERS LEADS TO THE LAST HEIR OF THE MOST ANCIENT AND NOBLE HOUSE ROSIER''S SHOCKING STATEMENT: LORD MALFOY POISONED ME FOR MY FAMILY SEAT!

    NEW INHIBITION COLLARS CREATED BY RISING STAR JAMES CALLOWAY HAVE BEEN OFFICIALLY ADOPTED BY DMLE FOR DETAINMENT OF CRIMINALS.

    QUIBBLER ARTICLE LEADS TO VAMPIRE NEST.

    MULTIPLE XXXXX AND XXXX ILLEGALLY SMUGGLED CREATURES CAPTURED BY MASTER MAGIZOOLOGIST CHRISTIAN WARD.''

    "So much chaos in the Ministry and only the Departments under my influence and the DMLE are working properly and without any significant scandal. This is going to really screw Fudge and the Pureblood supremacists." The silver haired scholar said in a smooth voice.

    He then picked up another report from his private vanishing box. A perk of being its creator.

    ''My lord,

    The primary target has shown signs of accelerating his plans, but cannot move immediately due to his d.e.s.i.r.e for his right hand being healed.

    Target has even shown bouts of positivity from time to time, hinting at a plot he was working on but has not revealed.

    Beyond the primary target, target geh has become increasingly desperate after realizing he lost almost everything, secondary target has shown a great deal of dedication to her rehabilitation, the cloaks are currently in Russia since everything there is already cold and depressing, the bats are said to be located somewhere in London''s old sewers because it''s always dark and people won''t notice if a person disappears in a city as big as London, and the big boys are currently in the Dartmoor region because the terrain and history can help hide them.''

    "Bastards really smuggled actual vampires into the country. Are they that desperate? The Ministry brokered a deal with the Transylvanian royal clan so they would stay out and now they bring some blood addicted little shits and let them loose on London.

    I''ll have some of the guards from the werewolf town team up with Fortress to sweep the sewers and find all their hidey holes in one shot. Werewolves are perfect to hunt vampires and vice versa since they can''t infect each other, and the wolves can help sniff them out if necessary. Most have been trained in white magic and I''ll ask James if he can come up with something to detect vampires, if he can''t I''ll have to have the Toy Box figure out how to protect thermal-vision devices." The young silver haired man said with distaste apparent in his voice.

    "Oh well. I lit the fire, gotta be responsible for the flames." He then added with a sigh as he started writing instructions to the afore mentioned people.

    But suddenly he brought out his vanishing box again and read the new message it displayed with great focus. This was because it came in with the box indicating the message was ''urgent'' and ''important''. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #.-177-sometimes-you-just-want-to-watch-the-world-burn-a-bit._52542286558454580 for visiting.

    ''I just received a report from my girl in Fudge''s office. He gave the toad permission to use goddamn veritaserum on school kids! The incompetent bastard is that desperate.

    We have a copy of the order, but you can''t let her do this, it might psychologically traumatize whoever drinks it.''

    With that warning and the sudden alarm that the toads office which just signaled that she had brought someone with her. A quick check of my version of the Marauders Map and he finds the name Harry Potter next to the toad''s.

    -1st person POV like god intended.

    ''That f.u.c.k.i.n.g bitch. I am going to wreck her. I couldn''t f.u.c.k.i.n.g flame myself near them because there were too many people around her office and I didn''t want to burn or explode anyone by flaming there.

    I also don''t know if she actually has the veritaserum. In canon Snape just gave her some water and she couldn''t tell the difference when she dumped the whole bottle in a cup of tea, but she might have not went to him this time around. Good thing I have the antidote on me at all times.'' I thought as I ran through the halls, ignoring anyone spotting me.

    ''How the hell did she even catch Harry so quick? I just received confirmation that Fudge gave her permission, so how did the kid get caught immediately after?'' I then thought in annoyance and astonishment at the bad luck needed for that to happen.

    The kid somehow came across Umbitch as soon as she''s ''allowed'' to f.u.c.k with the minds of kids at the exact moment she can somehow punish I''m for something.

    In less than 2 minutes I made it to her abomination of an office, and I could hear her yelling.

    "YOU WILL TELL ME! CRU-" I heard the bitch yell through the door.

    ''Oh f.u.c.k no.'' I thought as I just bust down the door like a damn Spartan and cast Protego Sanctum around Harry.

    "-CIO!" Umbridge finished as the invisible bolt shot towards my little bro, only to be blocked.

    So angry in fact, that the toad couldn''t breath because of the overwhelming amount of power I was crushing her with.

    My eyes were emitting pure power as blue energy seemed to leak out of them and dance like flames from the corner of my eyes. My long silver floated behind me and shined slightly as Magic coursed through every inch of me.

    "You insignificant toad. Did you just try to use an Unforgivable on my little brother?" I rhetorically asked in a tone of voice filled with an icy edge.

    Not seeing her capable of answering I turned to Harry and reined in my power and emotions.

    "You ok Harry?" I asked with some worry she had done something before I got here.

    "I''m ok. She tried to get me to drink a potion, but I just tossed it in her plant when she wasn''t looking." He answered with a smirk on his face.

    "Good." I replied with a nod and turned my attention to the toad.

    I retracted the power used to pressure her, making her gasp for air immediately. In the meantime I waved my hand to repair the door, put it back in place and make it so no one would be able to hear what happens next.

    "Could you go get the Headmaster Harry? I am sure he would very much like to hear what the Inquisitor just tried to do." I asked a bit forcefully, making Harry jump up from his seat in a hurry.

    "No problem." He seriously answered and headed out the now repaired door.

    A few moments later Harry was gone and Umbitch had finally caught her breath.

    But in a bout of what I can only assume was insanity from the crazed look in her eyes, she then quickly pointed her wand at me and started to yell: "AVADA-!"

    Only to be disarmed before she could finish the curse, resulting in an unearthly shriek of pain.

    Yeah, when I said disarmed, I meant she lost an arm. I didn''t use Expelliarmus, no I used a super heated cutting charm to remover her arm from the shoulder. It''s like she got lightsaber''d.

    I then summoned her wand to me, it being excellent evidence since the last spell it casted was the Cruciatus curse. If they could try to blame Harry for the Dark Mark at the World Cup because his wand casted it, then this will do as well.

    In the meantime, I was casted a silencing bubble over the bitch and undid the one around the entire office, then just watched as she rolled around clutching her stump and silently probably yelled out every insult or threat she could muster.

    Just to mess with her more I conjured some chains to tie her up and left her on the floor to glare at me with absolute fury.

    A few minutes later, Harry came back with our headmaster and his deputy.

    "My goodness. Professor Bones what have you done?" McGonagall asks with a gasp as her complexion visibly whitens.

    "I would like a proper explanation as to why you have dismembered Miss Umbridge Aedan." Albus supported as he focused on me for a proper answer.

    "She tried to make Harry drink Veritaserum, which he nicely dodged, but when that didn''t work she wanted to torture whatever information she d.e.s.i.r.ed out of him so she casted the Cruciatus curse at him. I was on my way here and heard her yell out the first part, so I kicked the door down and shielded Harry, then I immobilized her. After that I sent Harry to notify you Headmaster, but after he was gone she seemed to become desperate enough to try and cast the killing curse at me, so I took her casting arm off and confiscated the wand." I calmly answered the elderly duo.

    "This is very troubling indeed. But I assume you already have plans in place. You are not one to lose yourself in anger, you would use it for greater payback." Dumbledore responded as he looked at me for the reveal.

    "This signaled the end of Fudge''s time in office. He won''t last another month." I said with absolute certainty.

    "It would appear you have things under control then. I look forward to Amelia''s time in office. She will make a wonderful Minister." Dumbledore said with a slight smile as he turned around and took his leave.

    "What? Aunt Amelia is going to become Minister?" A shocked Harry asked as he looked at me.

    "Not hard to guess with all the shit happening lately, but don''t worry she is very ready for it." I said to the kid, getting a slow nod.

    "Well, then I guess I should prepare something to congratulate Amelia. First a wedding and now becoming a Minister, quite a year for her. Come along Mr Potter, we shall go see Poppy to make sure nothing is wrong with you." Minerva said as she moved on from the now left handed Umbridge and dragged Harry out.

    She worked in the DMLE and actively participated in the last war, the woman has seen worst than someone losing an arm. Hell, I''m half sure she''s seen worse just teaching here. Just those apparition f.u.c.k ups can really do some damage.

    "Well you annoying bitch of a toad, I am going to leave too. I have things to do which are much more important than you. Besides the Aurors will be here for you in not too long so you can just stay here. Cool?" I said to the muted, chained, wandless and one armed woman on the floor.

    She tried to yell something, but yeah, muted. So I just blocked off her fireplace since it''s connected to the floo network and sealed the office completely so no one could help her get away.

    I then left to contact my mother.

 Chapter 178 - Ch. 178 A plot stopped by a dinner

    The next day''s headline brought almost complete hysteria to witches and wizards of the country.

    ''HIGH INQUISITOR CASTS UNFORGIVABLE AT HARRY POTTER!''

    Yeah, that title alone was going to ruin a good amount of peoples day.

    "I cannot believe how brazen that harlot was. Who does she think she is? Trying to torture children and harm one loved by Hogwarts when within its walls." Ranted one angry female ghost as I showed her this mornings paper.

    "The woman has done many horrible things in the past, but you don''t have to care about someone such as her Helena. She is not worth it at all. Also, I have my doubts about her actually being able to harm me. She just doesn''t have the power to cast a proper killing curse and I am very resistant to dark magic." I said as I tried to placate my ghostly friend.

    "Hmph. She should be grateful you only took an arm from her. Hogwarts would have trapped her in its lost dungeons and make some of the armors pay her back." The still upset Helena grumbled as she started going down a rather dark option.

    "Not to interrupt, but did you say Hogwarts would trap a person? Like, it would decide to do something and act on it?" I asked as what she had said clicked.

    "Hmm? I thought you knew Hogwarts was semi-sentient." She responded with a bit of confusion over my question.

    "Yes it has been my belief that the school holds some measure of sentience due to various evidence, but what you just said was very different from semi-sentience. That sounded like Hogwarts has the ability to make actual decisions." I explained as the unasked question behind that was told.

    "Oh, that''s where you are confused. Well I guess the differences in how we define semi-sentience would be the problem here. How do you define it Aedan?" Helena said as she began her way of making me understand.

    (This next part might be completely bull or trash to some, but this is what I''m going with.)

    "My understanding would be that it classifies a being without true conscious thought and actions. A thing operating based on instinctual actions or without a sense of self." I answered after giving some thought to the rather philosophical topic.

    "In a sense you are correct, but it is also not complete. You see, Hogwarts acts based on the beliefs of both its creators and the school''s values.

    Although in practice the castle mainly protects students, redirecting away from harm, helping teachers stumble across bullying, a shortcut to class or even a little punishment for bad students from time to time. You don''t see it, but Hogwarts is always there.

    In your case, Hogwarts has shown to be very fond of you for many reasons, mostly your values and spirit. You have the best of the founders in you and uphold the values of the school, so when you were threatened within her halls she was, for lack of a better word, angered. That woman attacked a student and attempted to do the same to a person who perfectly represents this place''s values, hence it would have retaliated in a manner deemed fit for the offender." The Grey Lady explained as she took on her scholarly demeanor.

    "I see, so it is basically a programmed response with various sets of protocols based off of the set parameters. Who knew wizards had programmed things almost a millennia before Muggle could? I''m guessing Peeves is basically a kind of offshoot of the schools values due to the way students view their time here, giving birth to a purely mischievous spirit. While the Room of Requirements would be a sort of student help room governed by the castle itself." I said with a chuckle at the realization.

    "I am not sure what those words mean, but you are correct about Peeves and the Mother''s room. The castle itself made them what they are today, hence one cannot remove them or permanently destroy them." Helena said as she dropped another little bomb on me today, but I''ll just internalize that one.

    ''Glad I distracted her from Umbridge. I honestly don''t care enough about her anymore. She served her purpose, now she can rot in jail and annoy everyone there with her vile views.'' I thought before beginning to explain advances in modern computing.

    The following days were pretty great at Hogwarts.

    With Umbridge gone and the minister being totally f.u.c.k.e.d right now, meaning everyone was basically just waiting for elections to be called, the school gained its peace once again.

    Teachers no longer had to be present at every extracurricular activity, students were free to be kids, teens and young a.d.u.l.ts again without having to fear absurd punishments, the faculty gave a week of no homework to celebrate while a feast was organized just because we could, and everyone felt positive in general. The twins even used all those fireworks they had in canon to give everyone a good show, and maybe do a little advertising for the shop they planned to open this summer. As an investor I was quite pleased with the business savviness on display.

    My extra class for Orderlings and those with some brains/guts were continuing, only with a lot less secrecy than before. I was technically working within my subject when doing these, but they were definitely what the toad would have targeted before her arrest, so I had everyone keep quiet. And I have to say that they were shaping up quite well overall, with maybe about half being able to at least take one normal Death Eaters and the rest just being too young to have the power to do so. None of them will die quick though that''s for certain and it''s not like power is the only way to win, but they''ll need to be smart and lucky.

    On the family side of things... well there''s no easy way to say this but, I haven''t seen mother that pissed since Ignacius Avery''s trial. (guy who experimented on him for people who forget stuff.)

    The woman was going on a goddamn warpath against the toad and no one was going to stop her. Harry was legally her godson and she''s been helping take care of him for four years now, so when she heard a person she and everyone hated tried to hurt him, oooh boy. She was drafting up a proposal to make a freaking death cell like the Americans had, just so they could properly execute the bitch. Mother said that since the ministry won''t be able to use Dementors anymore, they might as well adopt another country''s method.

    Sirius was just smiling and nodding during this bit, while also subtly using the Black family''s wealth to help things along in order to support his wife. The fact that he was also really angry at the toad motivated his inner Slytherin a bit that''s for sure.

    Well, that was after the two of them came over to fuss over Harry for a while. The kid might have been embarrassed to no end, but I knew he was actually happy to have people caring so much.

    I decided to be petty as well and had my people send a notice to mother about a rather nasty semi-sentient poison i had created with some masters from Breaking Grounds, which resembles the thing used in America. I am not exactly proud of that thing, but sometimes you just want to see how far you can go. Now, this wasn''t the worst poison we had created, just the best one for the job. We actually made something which can dissolve goblin materials, a material said to be able to absorb anything to strengthen itself, but it was overkill and nothing could properly contain it without melting so we stopped at that point and destroyed the research to avoid someone doing something stupid with the stuff.

    And then I helped lobby for the new death penalty and a revamped prison system at the same time. This was mostly because I wanted to either have Azkaban up and running without Dementors instead of using all of Fortress'' jails, simply because they weren''t meant for long term detainment and it paints a target on their backs. Plus it''s the Ministry''s job to take care of this, not a private business.

    Meanwhile pretty much everyone was done with Fudge. His actions, general attitude and lack of abilities already put him in a wobbly position, but now he was just done. He would never hold any office again and would be extremely lucky to avoid even half the charges which were now being levied against him since he was linked to the majority of the scandals rocking the Ministry.

    There was now officially a Wizengamot gathering called for the end of the week in order to officially dismiss him from the position of Minister for Magic and begin the election process.

    I was certain mother would be the best candidate. Her track record, reputation, political platforms and her abilities all placed her as the best choice. The only people who could have threatened her would be Dumbledore who doesn''t want the office, the now deceased Crouch sr and maybe me but I don''t want it either.

    It also helped that she would receive the backing of many members of the Wizengamot, with Ministry officials and employees believing in her, the vast amounts of money both her husband and son have at their disposal, and the boost she gets from being the legal guardian of Harry Potter and having married someone now recognized as a war hero.

    Yeah, Minister Bones was going to happen and if someone tries to stop that, they''ll be dealing with me.

    This was actually something I was discussing with her at this moment since we were having a pleasant dinner. It was just the immediate family present; Mother, Sirius, Selene, Victoria and myself. We wanted to have a nice time, get the in-laws to know each other more and plan out the upcoming election a bit, while also getting the chance to see each other. Mother felt the need to see each other since it had been a while and who am I to disagree?

    "Haha! You should have seen the look of Fudge''s face when they dismissed him! It was golden!" Sirius happily said as he was feeling the effect of his fourth glass of wine.

    "Yes you big lout, most of us were there when it happened." Mother admonish''s with a wry smile.

    "*Sigh* He really hasn''t changed much since our school days." Selene stated as she watched the man start making a fool of himself.

    "You were there at the same time as him mom?" A curious Tory asked before taking a sip of wine.

    "Oh indeed we were. I was lucky to be in Slytherin or that hound dog would have tried to hit on me too. Still can''t figure out how you collared him Amelia." Selene admitted with a sly glance in mother''s direction.

    "You just need to know how to crack the proper whip that''s all. Once you know how it''s rather simple. Also, I do remember a certain prefect trying to peek into bath''s during the boys turn." Mother shot back, making Selene blush as she turned her head.

    "No way! Mum really did that!" A scandalized Tory said, but the smile on her face told everyone she wanted to hear more.

    "Amelia don''t you-" Selene tried to say but it was too late.

    "Oh did your mother have a crush on Sirius'' brother back then. She tried to peak on him, sent him anonymous chocolates and even targeted Sirius'' little group to appeal to him. A true fan girl at the time." Mother said as she revealed my future mother-in-law''s ''dark'' history.

    "So that''s why you had such a stick up your a.s.s back then, you wanted to bed Regi!" Barked Sirius as I knew the wine officially made him lose most of his control if he could talk about his brother.

    "But how come you never got together?" Victoria asked since it was obvious she would have preferred Sirius''s brother over her father.

    "Politics and power play''s happened. I had to inherit the Travers name and that meant someone had to marry into the family. At the same time, Regulus was the heir to the Black family, meaning it would take away the only person willing and able to become Lord Black from their family should he marry into the Travers. The two families could never come into an agreement so your grandfather found a willing partner elsewhere." Selene answered with some sadness in her voice as she remembered those days.

    "Sorry about that. If I hadn''t run away, a lot of things could have been avoided." Sirius suddenly said in a drunk manner, probably thinking about a lot of his youthful mistakes.

    "I don''t blame you Sirius. In the end I made the decision to stay and marry. At least one good thing came out of it." She responded as she looked lovingly at her daughter.

    "Mom." The teary eyes Tory said as she got up to hug her mother.

    As we watched the mother-daughter moment, one of my house-elves suddenly popped in holding my vanishing box.

    "Master Bones, the box is saying it''s urgent." The still slightly gloomy Winky said as she handed it to me.

    "Thank you for bringing this to me Winky. Could you bring me a sobering potion for Sirius? I think it''s about time for everyone to head home soon and I don''t want anyone being drunk when apparating." I requested of the little elf.

    "Yes master Bones. Winky will get the medicine for the loud dog." She responded as she popped out.

    "Hey! What are you teaching your elf?" The slightly miffed Sirius said after he heard Winky.

    "Nothing. We just told her that if she ever finds a big black dog walking around the house, that it was you. Everything else comes from your behavior." I teased as he looked ready to counter before mother glared him into submission. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#.-178-a-plot-stopped-by-a-dinner_52653223667884496">#.-178-a-plot-stopped-by-a-dinner_52653223667884496</a> for visiting.

    With a chuckle I began to read the urgent message.

    ''Aedan, Voldemort has Sirius in the Ministry of Magic. Professor Dumbledore isn''t here and I can''t reach Sirius or Aunty. I can''t just let this happen and I need your help to rescue him.'' The message from Harry said.

    ''So I''m guessing Tom moved up his plan since he knows things will be very different once mother becomes Minister.'' I thought after reading Harry''s message.

    "What does the message say dear?" Mother asked as she became curious over the matter of an urgent message.

    "Well, it would seem Sirius is being tortured in the Ministry of Magic and Harry wants to rescue him." I answered with a little smirk.

    """"What?"""" The confused members asked as most sobered up real quick.

    "Who''s the idiot that wrote that? I''m right here." The still not really functioning right.

    Lucky for me, Winky popped in and gave me the sobering potion which I immediately stuffed down Sirius'' throat to his disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e.

    So while he got over having something gross forced down his throat (degenerates beware), I answered simply: "your godson."

    "*cough cough* Why would Harry *cough* think I''m being tortured?" He asked as his faculties started returning to him.

    "I''m guessing he wanted to be useful and took off the necklace I gave him in the hopes of seeing what Voldemort was up to. Most likely he was emboldened by the successful case of Arthur." I answered seriously.

    "I am going to have a good talk with that boy. He gets this from you encouraging him you know." Mother said as she glared at her husband, who wisely shut up.

    While that was happening, I wrote back to Harry about the fact that Sirius was in front of me right now because we had been having dinner.

    ''Wait, what?'' Came back the stunned reply.

    ''Voldemort made you see things to lure you to the ministry. This means he wants you there for some reason and probably has some of his Death Eaters ready for you. Don''t do anything drastic, we will be at Hogwarts in a few minutes.'' I wrote to him, hoping he won''t just rush off for no reason.

    "Alright everyone, we have a plot to counter and some Death Eaters to beat. So sober up and let''s get to Hogwarts. I''ll call for the Headmaster, mother I''ll need you to be ready to help apprehend them but you''ll have to hang back a bit so we don''t tip them off, Sirius will go with me to Hogwarts, Tory you''ll come with me for this and Selene I''ll need you to contact our allies to prepare them for some trails. We can''t let those who show up get away like the last war." I swiftly ordered as the a.d.u.l.ts began getting ready.

    All of them have been through the war and know how to move when called for.

    "Be careful until I get there and keep my idiot safe." Mother said as she prepared to Floo away.

    "I promise to bring him back. You be safe too." I replied, getting a nod and a flash of green fire.

    "You keep my daughter safe. If she gets hurt it''ll be your a.s.s." Selene then threatened out of concern as she stepped up to the fire place.

    "I''m sure she''ll try to protect me at this point, but I''ll make sure to bring her back safe and sound." I said with a small joke before getting serious.

    "Good." The woman simply said as she disappeared to do her job.

    I quickly sent an urgent message to Dumbledore and headed out with Sirius and Tory to my bike.

    I then summoned the bikes sidecar from the shed and got everything hooked up magically, passed a helmet to Sirius and Tory, then got on.

    "You''ve got to be kidding me." Murmured Sirius as he got in the sidecar.

    "Deal with it. I sure as hell didn''t want you holding my waste and I wasn''t about to let you drive." I said as Tory got behind me.

    "Yeah yeah, let''s just go. At least no ones going to see me in this thing." The man said in response, getting Victoria to giggle a bit at his circ.u.mstances.

    Without further ado, I turned on my bike and took off towards the castle.

    It was time make everyone know who was back and who was on his side.

 Chapter 179 - Ch. 179 Battle of the Ministry pt.1

    (No there isn''t a missing chapter, I''m just trying something since some people were kind of annoyed that I usually lay out all the plans before the action, so here you go.)

    -3rd person POV, Ministry of Magic.

    "Wow, Aedan wasn''t kidding when he said that Ministry security is a joke." Muttered a baffled Harry Potter as he and his friends made their way through the Atrium.

    "This is ridiculous. No guards. No wards. No restrictions. We are just walking into the center of Magical Britain, at night, and nothing is stopping us." Joined in his close female friend and all around book lover Hermione as she looked around in disbelief.

    "Dad never mentioned this. I always thought you actually couldn''t get in through the floo or Muggle entrance at night. There''s not even an Auror or any alarms. This is mental." One Ron capable of thinking properly added.

    "You know Fred, this gives rise to many opportunities." George said with a mischievous grin to his twin.

    "George I was thinking the exact same thing." Fred confirmed with the exact same grin.

    "Could you two at least avoid mom''s department? She has enough to worry about lately." Susan asked the twins with a sigh.

    "I think we should listen to her George, what do you think?" Fred said as he looked at his brother.

    "Depends, what do you reckon the esteemed Madame Bones'' reaction to us would be?" George asked back with a look of contemplation.

    "I believe it would not be pretty. She does have a Professor who is skilled in our art at her disposal after all." Answered Fred thoughtfully.

    "That just makes me more tempted." Countered George with some excitement.

    "True, a war against the good professor would certainly prove exciting. But I believe we should at least refrain for now unfortunately." Fred then said with a disappointed sigh.

    "Yeah, just Moody would be difficult to escape from. If we mess up the professor''s efforts to help the Madame become minister, then I dread what he''ll put us through." George agreed as both felt a slight shiver going through their spines at the thought.

    "You two never let up do you?" Sighed Cedric Diggory as he looked at the two redheads.

    ""Of course not great lord Head Boy."" Fred and George replied with a grin.

    "I am having second thoughts regarding this group of ours." The cold voice of Daphne Greengrass said as she watched the twins plan to terrorize the ministry in the future.

    "Oh c''mon Daph, even if they''re goofy they can still cast some nasty spells." Susan replied as she grabbed her friend.

    "Hmph, that would inspire more confidence in me if our instructor stopped showing them how to prank their opponents while in combat." Daphne shot back as she slightly glared at the twins.

    "Well that''s what they''re best at. But think about this as a chance to make yourself look better in front of your future brother-in-laws and you''ll feel better." Was what Susan whispered into her Good friend''s ear, causing the ice Queen to blush fiercely.

    "Wh-what nonsense are you talking about?!" The fl.u.s.tered Daphne asked.

    "Don''t try that with me, we both know why you really made so much effort to join my bro''s extra lessons and come with us today." Susan answered with a wide grin as she glanced towards a particular Weasley.

    "I-I have no idea what you''re talking about. I joined the professor''s classes because it was the best opportunity to learn from the best and I wished to test myself by coming here." Daphne defended herself at the same time her ears turned red.

    "What are you two talking about? We gotta hurry." Ron suddenly said to the girls since they were the last to reach the elevator.

    "Nothing!!" The supposed Ice Queen of Hogwarts answered as she hoped the he didn''t hear anything.

    "Just some girl stuff to relax a bit before the chaos." Susan smoothly answered from her end. "Why don''t you help Daph a bit? She''s a tense since this is her first real fight."

    Daphne could only look at her friend in shock as she pushed her towards Ron.

    Feeling his friend and rival stiffen up Ron immediately tried to overcome the emotional range of a teaspoon most men are born with.

    "It''ll be alright. You just have to do it like we practice, yeah. Break their rhythm and incapacitate whoever gets in your way. Also don''t stop moving. We''ll work together just like always." The redhead said as he tried to ''reassure'' the girl he thought was nervous.

    At the same time, the twins and Susan were looking at this scene with knowing grins and the intent to tease the two later.

    "I like the Jorknicks when they dance like that." Luna suddenly said from right behind the trio, making them jump a bit at the same time the elevator starts going down.

    ""Bloody he-"" The twins tried to swear.

    "Language! We don''t swear around Luna." Cedric decisively said as he cut the twins off.

    Like a lot of the older students who were acquainted with Christian, James, Victoria and Aedan, he too thought the girl should be kept as innocent as possible.

    "Guys, I appreciate you all being here, but I think it''s time to get serious." Harry then said as he got everyone to focus on the task at hand.

    "Let''s get going. We need to find the Hall of Prophecy. That''s where they should be waiting according to the Professors and where what they want is." Hermione strictly laid out for all those present.

    Although they were young, each one of them had been taught by the person standing act the peak. With a few of them even receiving lessons for years now. Harry, Susan and Cedric were the best of their group, with the permission to fight even lieutenant Death Eaters. Ron, Daphne and the twins could push back lieutenants at most. While Hermione, Luna, Neville and Ginny were capable of taking on a normal Death Eaters or two at once.

    Keep in mind that this is due in large because of the white Magic they were all taught. Without it they would be in a rather tough spot.

    The group immediately made their way to the door Harry had dreamed of, only to find a hallway similar to the one they had just left but with over a dozen doors to chose from. If that wasn''t enough, the hall began to rearrange itself, making the group unsure about where they even entered.

    "So that''s why Aedan insisted on me taking this compass." Harry exclaimed as he fished out a black compass from his pocket. "He said that the Department truly fit its name and that unless you work here, finding a specific room would be difficult."

    "How does he even have something to get to a specific room in this place?" Questioned Hermione as she tried to see if anything made the compass special.

    "No clue. He said something about having some people in the Department. But he didn''t explain anything beyond that." Answered Harry as he looked at the arrow pointing him to a door on the right.

    "It looks like James helped. I can see his fuzzlers on it." Luna happily said as she looked at magical device.

    Half the group gave Luna a surprised look for guessing who made it, which she completely ignores as she looks at a wall with some fascination, but then they began following the compass since it was the best solution to finding the right room.

    The students went through a few rooms before they could finally reach the part Harry could remember from his dreams. One such room was the one known as the Time room, which contained the Ministry''s time turners, clocks everywhere and the unending time loop of a small hummingbird.

    And in this room the group stood in front of the door they were looking for.

    "Ok. Everybody knows the plan. After we get the prophecy the Death Eaters are going to stop hiding in order to get it. We need to break free and run out of the room, to the one called the Room of Death. It''s a large room which only has an old archway, and that''s where the Order will be waiting. The compass will point to it as soon as we enter this room, so even if I somehow drop it we just have to follow whoever picks it up. If you get separated activate your tokens, Aedan said they''ll punch right through the wards and get you someplace safe. Everybody clear?" Harry says as he breaks down the general plan.

    "Yes/yeah/of course/ you got mate/ y-yeah/*silent nod*/ *double* yep/ hehe good little wronkingsling." Everyone said as Luna smiled at her token and petted it.

    Harry then proceeded to open the door and lead his group into the cathedral sized room. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#.-179-battle-of-the-ministry-pt.1_52778949977106901">#.-179-battle-of-the-ministry-pt.1_52778949977106901</a> for visiting.

    The students stated in awe for a second at the giant shelves inhabiting the room, each filled with glass orbs emitting low amounts of light and the corridors illuminated by small blue flames.

    "Blimey. How many prophecies could there be?" Whispered Ron under his breath.

    "I have to assume many of these have already passed or were quite mundane. If not the world would be in quite a bit of danger." Hermione said in a bit of a nervous manner.

    "We''ll think about it later. Let''s go." Harry said as he shook the group out of their thoughts and moved forward.

    Shelf after shelf was passed as Harry ran through the Hall of Prophecy, heading to where Voldemort had shown him Sirius being tortured.

    He knew it was fake, he had seen Sirius not too long ago when they made the plan for tonight. But Aedan and Dumbledore guessed that the prophecy Voldemort wanted, the one about himself and Harry, was located where Sirius was ''tortured''.

    They didn''t know why the Dark Lord didn''t just go get it himself if his Death Eaters could pretty easily lay in ambush near the prophecy, but the Order would use this to their advantage.

    "We''re here." Harry called out as they reached the shelf in his dream.

    He looked around, as if confused, trying to find the glass ball which should be his. That is until one of them suddenly grabs his attention.

    ''S.P.T to A.P.W.B.D: DARK LORD AND (?) HARRY POTTER''

    Harry reached out and took the from its place and not a moment later those bidding in the dark corners of the dimly light room emerged.

    "Very good, Potter. Now turn around nice and slowly, and give that to me." The slippery voice of Lucius Malfoy said as Harry quickly turns around and draws his wand.

    What Harry could see was actually a bit of a surprise. Unlike the last time he saw Draco''s father, he now looked at lot worse for wear. Lucius no longer had a smooth face as stubble grew, his hair was slightly disheveled, his clothing had some wear and tear, especially his knees, and he looked tired.

    At the same time, Harry also looked at the dozen Death Eaters pointing their slightly glowing wands at his group. Thankfully they didn''t manage to capture anyone outright since we were ready for this, but you could also see that some of these people were from the escapees of Azkaban and they were not fully recovered yet.

    "That was not slow nor easy. But nevertheless, hand over the prophecy and all of this can be over." Lucius said as his annoyance became apparent due to Harry ignoring him in favor of looking around.

    "Now now, Lucy. Why bother talking to them at all. Just kill them and take the prophecy." A woman''s voice said as she appeared besides Lucius.

    The woman had long, thick black hair which had seen better days, a hollow face and pale skin which damage what would have been a fairly attractive woman, but the fanatical look in her black eyes would make any distance themselves to not be caught in her madness.

    "Bellatrix Lestrange." Spat out Neville as he pointed his wand directly at the person responsible for his parents suffering for so long.

    The sudden act caused many on both sides to raise their wands as well, but Cedric held Neville back while Lucius did the same for Bellatrix.

    "We need the prophecy intact Bellatrix! And they are only children, they will listen to their elders and their betters." Malfoy said as he glared at the mad witch.

    "You don''t get to call me Bellatrix you slimy coward! My sister and nephew are missing because of you and it is not only the Dark Lord who is displeased about that!" She hissed back in anger as she glared at the man.

    "Be that as it may, we have a task to accomplish." Lucius responded as he moved away from the topic while subconsciously touching his dark mark.

    "Yeah well, I guess Voldemort will have to be disappointed." Harry said to the duo with a smirk.

    "You dare say his name you filthy half-blood!" Bellatrix screeched as she tried to attack Harry, only to be held back by Lucius.

    "Yes I do. Now!" Harry replied as he gave a command causing his group to throw small beads on the ground as they closed their eyes.

    As soon as all the beads it the ground, they exploded into blinding lights and completely stunned the death eaters as pain assaulted their eyes. This was doubly effective since they had been waiting in near darkness for quite some time now, making their eyes accustomed to it.

    "Let''s go!" Harry ordered as he and Cedric stunned Lucius and Bellatrix who stood in the way of their exit point.

    The other death eaters would most likely revive them, but the thought of killing hadn''t even made its way into their heads because of their inexperience and kind natures.

    The rest of the group also gave some cheap shots before bolting after Harry. Hoping to slow down the Death Eaters even further.

    Although they had a plan, the possibility of death was still very real this time and any additional advantage was helpful. Some did have the urge to try and take down all those present, but they were told that fighting in the Hall of Prophecy would result in the destruction of a lot of important prophecies and that they didn''t want to take any more chances with their lives, even if the a.d.u.l.ts let them help this time.

    They quickly made it back to the Time Room, hearing curses being yelled out from behind them as Harry guided them towards the rendezvous point.

    It would seem Bellatrix was back in action because the group could hear her mad yell as she began her chase alongside the other Death Eaters.

    Harry''s group on the other hand kept on running as they left a trail of open doors so the Death Eaters could follow. And unfortunately for said murderers, the twins decided to leave them some presents as they ran as well. ''To keep them motivated'' they had answered when Ginny had asked them what they were doing.

    As they heard the yells of rage and attempts to curses them, Harry and his friends finally made it to the place called the Death Room, gathering near the Archway as their pursuers finally caught up.

    It was honestly difficult for some in the group to not openly laugh at the now multicolored Death Eaters standing there as they breathed heavily in anger. Bellatrix was now colored pink with rainbow hair, Lucius was sporting pig tails and something akin to flour on his face, various Death Eater masks now looked like clown masks, and a few had a new tail or feathers.

    "George I do believe they quite liked our products." Fred said with a grin, causing Ginny to snort a bit as she tried not to burst out laughing.

    "I do believe you''re right dear brother of mine. Do you think they''d be willing to fill out a review form?" George asked with a nod.

    That one got a few laughs from Ron, Luna and Ginny, causing one of the Death Eaters to snap.

    "I''ll kill you brats!!" He roared as his body was envelopper in black smoke and he flew toasts the group.

    "I guess he''s not in the mood." George said with some fake disappointment in his voice to aggravate the man more, just like Aedan had taught him.

    "Maybe he''ll be more open to the idea later." Followed up Fred as the group split up to avoid the flying man.

    It was too bad for the enraged Death Eater because as he flew in rage, the Order members lying in ambush revealed themselves.

    Moody, Remus, Tonks, Sirius, Shacklebolt and the older Weasley brothers had come, resulting in the Death Eaters to be outnumbered.

    Alastor was quite happy to take advantage of the rushing flyer as he stunned the man from the side as they all took of their invisibility cloaks.

    "Nice job taunting him kids. Makes it easy." The scarred man said with a smirk on his face.

    With one man down already, the remaining Death Eaters immediately went on the attack. Starting the first true battle of the second war.

 Chapter 180 - Ch. 180 Battle of the Ministry pt.2

    "Now then. Which one of you tried to bully my godson?" The newly revealed Sirius Black asked as he stared at the ridiculous looking Death Eaters.

    "Kinda feels like the kids bullied them Uncle." Tonks said with a massive grin on her face as she looked at the group.

    "It was the Malfoy Sir Padfoot." Fred yelled out to one of his idols.

    "He''s been calling the shots." George added as they taddled on the man.

    "Good to know. I call dibs." The former marauder said as he began casting spells at the pigtailed man with a smile.

    This was the catalyst to begin the battle.

    Each order member immediately targeted those they knew were more dangerous thanks to the information they had received prior to coming here.

    Although they looked a bit different and some masks were sporting new coloring, all members were intelligent enough to ignore the minor details and go after their targets.

    (As far as I know the masks of most death eaters are pretty unique, so you could identify a person by them. You just can''t use that in court though since it''s a mask.)

    Aedan had done a thorough job in investigating known and possible Death Eaters after all. From their pasts, to their time at Hogwarts, accounts of conflict, known habits and general skill levels. He had files on every member could recruit in the British isles at least and a good amount for Tom''s potential allies or servants from the whole of Europe. And although Sirius and Tonks had joked a bit when he mentioned this, they were both stunned when they got the information.

    And as the Order members started fighting throughout the room, the Hogwarts group paired up quickly as they took on the leftovers.

    Cedric paired up with Luna since he had the most experience with her. Luna was in charge of shielding and distractions since she really enjoyed doing beautiful pieces of Magic, causing their foe to be constantly distracted as lights flashed and tried to strike him with unknown Magic. She also helped block when Cedric was on attack, using the protective spells she put a great deal of time and effort to learn. At the same time Cedric used the girls rhythm to strike at the masked Death Eater in front of them, using minor curses and hexes to gradually slow the man down, aiming for a slip up sooner or later. He also had to make sure his Junior was safe and sound as well.

    Ginny and Hermione paired up because they frequently sparred against each other. They complimented each other well since Ginny had a lot of fire in her and Hermione was much more conservative in her actions. So the youngest Weasley was heavily focusing on attacking as she showed just why her Bat-Boogey spell was so feared in Hogwarts, while Hermione displayed how a solid and systematic foundation can really protect someone, also not forgetting to throw in a curse or hex from time to time to stop their foe from believing she was harmless.

    Ron and Daphne began to lay a choreographed beat down on one poor Death Eater. The man couldn''t even get a curse in as he was perpetually stuck on defense against the two. The man was desperate, but any moment he thought he could counterattack was but a calculated pause by the two as they almost beat him multiple times already. Ron was passionate in both his attacks and defenses, while Daphne was ruthless in her efforts to end the man in front of them.

    Susan got Neville since she actually helped in the most during training, giving hints and tricks she likes since they have some similar interests. The young Bones was probably the most relaxed amongst those present simply because she knew she could wipe the floor with the Death Eater in front of her. Make no mistake though, she was not letting her guard down one bit, something her brother had thoroughly ingrained into her, Susan was simply confident in herself. She also decided to let Neville get as much experience and confidence as possible from this confrontation, thinking it would help the guy to feel like he''s growing after her bro and his parents taught him. As a result the Death Eater was currently thinking he had the advantage, but the tide was slowly turning against him as Neville gains more experience.

    And lastly, Harry was now with Sirius near the Archway as they fought against Lucius and his comrade.

    The Godfather and godson duo were really putting the pressure on their chosen foes. Harry having trained for a few years with Sirius knew exactly what to do and Sirius covered up for his charges minor mistakes through experience and skill.

    Padfoot and Prongslet combo''d their attacks as the four exchanged volleys of spells, the fight actually filling Sirius with pride as he saw his best friend''s son cast spell after spell with him.

    Then Harry saw a chance as Sirius'' attack left both opponents unstable.

    He quickly chained a flipendo-expelliarmus-stupefy and completely incapacitated Lucius'' helper as he barely blocked the first attack, lost his wand in the second and was knocked out with the third, leaving Lucius all alone against the duo.

    "Nice one Harry!" An ecstatic Sirius yelled out with pride as he attacked Malfoy with greater fervor to not lose out against his godson.

    Although Lucius had some experience and knew many dark arts his master had taught him, he was still too accustomed to punching down. He is a man who spent nearly his whole hitting those weaker than him, hurting the ones who couldn''t even defend themselves, killing those at his level or higher through group assaults or with his lord by his side. He was simply not able to keep up against someone experienced in one-on-many battles, a man who devoted himself to retraining so he could protect his wife and loved ones, a wizard who was even given help the two of the greatest wizards of the modern age. And so Lucius lost as he was disarmed and blasted away with a strong stunner. Sirius watched his angered face with glee as a man he hated was blasted away to unconsciousness.

    "Haha! We got them pup!" Sirius said with a hearty laugh as he look around the battlefield.

    He could see that most Death Eaters were already down, with the rest about to join them as Order members and students ganged up on whoever was left.

    "Avada Kedavra!" A crazed voice Sirius recognized as his cousin''s shouted from his blind spot.

    "Sirius!" A desperate Harry yelled out as he watched the green bolt inch closer to his family again.

    "Can''t have that. I promised mother you would be back safe and sound." A calm and confident voice resounded as a blue flame erupted in the unforgivable''s path.

    The room then heard of the song of the large Azure Phoenix which appeared from the flame at the same time as a hand simply catches a curse which should kill any who come in contact with it. (I hope yoda would be proud.)

    As the Phoenix circled the room and sang, giving those it saw as friends courage, the blue flames receded to reveal the silver haired, blue eyed and handsome, Lord Aedan Bones in his full glory.

    -1st person POV

    "You know, I really hate how cheap this curse is." I said as only small green particles escaped my now open hand.

    "Aedan!" Harry yelled out in relief as he ran up to me.

    "Hey Harry. Looks like everything went pretty well. Good job." I said to the kid as I looked around to find only the completely stunned Bellatrix remaining as a possible threat.

    "Thanks for the save kid." A very relieved Sirius said with a pat on my shoulder.

    "You do know I''ll have to tell mother right?" I simply said with a raised eyebrow at the man.

    "Oh come on, don''t do that to me! Amelia will never let me do another mission if she hears about this." Sirius pled as he knew just how bad it will be if mother hears he almost died.

    "Hehe. Take it like all married men. She''ll yell at you sure, but that''s just to show how much she loves you and cares about you." I replied as Sol landed on my left forearm with a melodic chirp.

    ''Oh look at that, Bellatrix finally rebooted.'' I thought as made sure to keep an eye on her.

    "Avada Kedavra!" She yelled out again as she casted towards me this time.

    I decided to show off a bit using the only time Kylo Ren ever looked cool as an inspiration, by freezing the curse in midair.

    "Really? That''s the best you have?" I mockingly said as I look at her.

    This infuriated her, but she also felt some measure of fear over the feat even her beloved master has never demonstrated. Sure he can''t be truly killed by the killing curse, but he can''t stop it so effortlessly either.

    Under the eyes of the stunned order members and Hogwarts students, I completely played with the feared Bellatrix Lestrange as if she was a child.

    She casted curse after curse, hex upon hex and even some nasty charms, all of which joined the green bolt as they stopped in midair, forming a growing gathering of lights.

    "Are you done yet?" I simply asked as I looked at her with some sadistic glee over her haggard state.

    She was breathing heavily after that barrage, because even as feared as she is, Bellatrix is still only a second stage witch. She is incredibly deadly and knows the dark arts in great depths, but she is still limited in power and stamina.

    In comparison, it would be if a first year, who was taught some dark arts before coming to Hogwarts, challenged Dumbledore to a fight. Just the thought was ridiculous since the child simply had no chance no matter what he/she did and this is pretty much the same scenario except done by two a.d.u.l.ts.

    "Well that''s enough of that." I finally said as I just yanked her wand out of her hand through magic.

    I also gathered all the loose wands lying around the room as a result of all the death eaters being defeated into one bunch and...

    *crack*

    Then with a loud series of cracks, only pieces of their wands remained.

    "Noo!" Bellatrix yelled out as she looked at her broken wand.

    "Isn''t that a bit too far kid?" Sirius asked with some shock over my action.

    It is understandable due to the great bond between wizards and their wands. Snapping them is considered one of the greatest punishment after all.

    "If you don''t want to kill them then that''s your deal. But I will not let them simply keep something they''ve used to terrorize and murder others when they are the enemy. This way even if they get back up they will no longer be threats." I sharply answered back.

    ''I may have promised Dumbledore to not slaughter these animals without trial since these aren''t wartime''s yet and he made several solid points on the demerits of such actions, but this doesn''t stop me from at least punishing them in a none lethal manner. And what better way to humiliate those so proud of being wizards than by breaking the very symbol of one.'' I thought with a cold smile.

    "Aedan, Bellatrix is trying to run!" Harry suddenly yelled out.

    "She is good. Using the time everyone was distracted by my actions to flee. But it doesn''t matter, let''s go." I replied calmly as signaled for Harry to follow.

    "I''m coming with." Sirius said as he saw us start to leave.

    "No. You and the other order members secure the rest and make sure they don''t killl themselves somehow. Bellatrix only has one way out now and that''s through the Atrium. The same Atrium the Headmaster will soon arrive in and the rest of the Ministry after that." I countered strictly since I really didn''t want fate to just f.u.c.k with me and still kill Sirius somehow.

    If the man still dies when he is surrounded my capable allies, with incapacitated enemies with no wands and nothing actually life threatening beyond the archway in the room, then I really don''t know what to say.

    "Also, stay away from the arch. It''s a a doorway to death itself so you don''t want to go anywhere near it. Make sure no one succ.u.mbs to its tempting whispers, especially those who''ve lost dear ones." I added on now that I was thinking about it.

    "Sol, keep them safe for me ok?" I asked my grown up girl, to which she chirped I acceptance of her duties and flew to rest on top of the archway itself.

    After that I ran towards the elevators alongside Harry, going through the various hallways and changing doors of the Department of Mysteries, finally reaching them just as Bellatrix''s own started going up.

    "You still have the prophecy?" I asked Harry as his tension was rising.

    "Hm? What? Oh yeah." He answered at my sudden question and tried to take the glass ball out of his jacket''s pocket.

    "Good. We''re going to do something that''ll really piss Voldy." I said with a grin as I looked at the ord.

    "What''s that?" My little bro asked curiously.

    "You''re going to smash that thing right in front of him." I answered as a grin became larger.

    "Don''t we need it?" Harry nervously asked as his grip tightened on the prophecy.

    "We already know the prophecy. Well me, Dumbledore and a very small number. I can tell you later if you''re curious. So this thing is only really worth something to the Tom and a bit to the Ministry." I replied as Harry''s face told me exactly what he was going to ask next.

    "You knew and didn''t tell me?" He predictably asked.

    "Yes. The reason for no one telling you is because you were already under enough pressure without it and it honestly wouldn''t change much except maybe make you act somewhat recklessly. You''ll understand when you hear it." I answered seriously as I told my honest opinion on this matter.

    I truly believe that the major effects on Harry because of this prophecy have already happened. The only that Harry will learn is why his life is the way it is and that his conflict with Voldemort is inevitable.

    He is m.a.t.u.r.e enough to learn why and he will soon be able to at least fight back against his destined foe thanks to some things I''ve cooked up. Hence it makes the prophecy pretty useless to our side overall.

    Plus Tom will always have that voice in his head to make him doubt his actions since he believes in that prophecy so much. He will wonder if the second half told us how to defeat him, or divulged a weakness, if it might have helped him avoid many pitfalls or even helped him achieve his goals already. Just another way to unbalance the fool more.

    *ding* ''level 8 - Atrium''

    As the elevator door opened we could see Bellatrix desperately running for the fireplaces.

    Harry ran to catch up with wand in hand, but I just waved my hand to make the woman''s leg lock up as my spell hit her, resulting in the feared Bellatrix Lestrange face planting in the Ministry of Magic.

    "You can''t leave without a proper goodbye Mrs...wait you aren''t technically married anymore so which name are you using nowadays?" I asked as I was genuinely curious as to how broken this woman was.

    If she chose Lestrange then she would truly be insane simply because she has become so attached to her identity under Voldemort that she doesn''t recognize any other. On the other, if she says Black then I have to see her as more dangerous because she still retains some of the cunning witch she once was.

    "My lord will torture you in ways you can''t imagine you filthy half-blood! I will laugh as he does so in order to show you your place!" She angrily spat out with her face still on the floor, making the whole scene far less intimidating.

    "Right. Lestrange it is then. I doubt you remember me. You are after all basically an insane fanatic at this point, but I let you run to get some revenge you see." I began as my aura became colder and more oppressive as I spoke. "Your ilk took my family and made those I love suffer, while you personally killed my mother in a horrible fashion and took me to be experimented on and tortured under your very home."

    I then made her float in front of me a she did her best to seem unaffected by the pressure I was omitting. Too bad I could feel the fear just under the surface after what I have demonstrated tonight and the absence of her lord.

    "Aedan, I know you''re mad but are you sure?" Harry asked softly as I could see him worrying about me.

    "Yes Harry. She is naught but a monster who has hurt far too many. But she won''t die tonight. That would be far too easy after all." I calmly answered as I prepared my little gift for the insane Witch.

    "Alright then. Do what you have to, just don''t go too far alright." Harry said as he turned his head to what would happen next. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#.-180-battle-of-the-ministry-pt.2_52818987393796004">#.-180-battle-of-the-ministry-pt.2_52818987393796004</a> for visiting.

    "I dare you to touch me! My lord will pay you back ten fold!" The woman yelled out with some bravado.

    "It''s alright little Bella. I''m actually giving you a present." I softly said with a very cold smile as I lifted my hand and made a tiny blue flame appear. "You see this little flame is very pure and can do wonders for the body and soul. It can burn away harmful components and strengthen the person exposed to it. The only problem is that the more crap inside, the more aggressive it becomes, but I''m sure you''ll live."

    I then pushed the tiny flame towards Bellatrix as she begins to violently struggle in an effort to not be touched by the little flame her very soul was telling her to avoid. Too bad her panicked expression and trashing about in the air did not help her as the flame completely entered her body.

    For a moment nobody said or did anything as they waited for her to burst into flames or something.

    "Why is nothing happening?" A confused Harry asked.

    "Because it is not meant to happen now. Only when I designed it to act will she understand what I''ve done." I answered with a vicious smile as I looked at the woman.

    She instinctively felt the danger that the flame possessed, even when it appeared to have done nothing.

    "I am done with you now. You''re punishment has begun. I hope to see you again after it truly starts taking effect little Bellatrix. It would be so satisfying." I then said as I dropped the woman.

    At the same time it seems like the Dark Lord could no longer stay his hand as he appeared like a specter behind his loyal hand.

    "It would seem like the others have failed. But no matter you, my dear Bellatrix, have brought me my prize for tonight, as well as a few extra. You have done well and shall be rewarded later." Tom said in something like a whisper, but it was also very clear to all of us.

    "Thank you for your generosity my lord!" Bellatrix fervently cried as she was moved by her lord.

    "Now retreat. I shall take care of these two and show them their place beneath me." Tom ordered as Bellatrix swiftly entered one of the fireplaces after being freed from my little spell by her master.

    "Aedan shouldn''t we do something?" Harry nervously asked from beside me as he gripped his wand.

    "No, tonight''s finally is unfortunately not for us to star in." I answered with a bit of disappointment over not being able to wax his hairless noggin by using the polished floor.

    "Then who-" Harry began to ask but he was interrupted by the appearance of Albus Dumbledore.

    "It was foolish of you to come tonight Tom. The Aurors are on their way." Dumbledore calmly stated as he held his wand.

    "By the time they arrive I shall have my prize and three new corpses shall lay to welcome them." Voldemort confidently replied due to him not understanding just how outclassed he is.

    I mean, just Harry could probably give him a few good hits with how good he''s become with white magic.

    "Aedan, if you please." The Headmaster simply said without looking away from his opponent.

    "No problem. You are free to fight without worrying Headmaster." I replied as three glowing circles emerged around Harry and myself.

    "Aedan what''s going on? And what are those circles?" My younger brother asked as his nerves got the best of him.

    "This will be a fight for the world to remember one of its defenders and for you to see exactly what you will have to face in the future. These circles are to protect you so the Headmaster can fight without worrying about your safety. So now watch. Watch and learn this lesson from the Headmaster." I seriously answered as I looked at the two closest to me in terms of power and skills.

    Harry gripped his wand and the prophecy tightly as he listened to me. He then put his entire focus towards the two powerful men before us.

    And so, the last act of this play was set to begin as they both raised their wands.

 Chapter 181 - Ch. 181 Battle of the Ministry pt.3

    Both old men simultaneously casted at the same time. Tom shooting out a green stream of Magic as Dumbledore did the same with his red. (Tom is almost in his 70''s and Dumbledore is in his 100''s so two old men.)

    Although it annoyed me to see magical battles reduced to that so much during the canon, i know precisely what is happening at this moment.

    Since both men are in the same level of power, they are testing to see who has the edge in pure power in order to properly plan out how to fight each other. This also involves some subtle psychological plays as an adversary can purposefully lower his output to catch his foe off guard, leading to experienced combatants never truly trusting the results of the initial clash.

    Like in canon, Tom tried to shoot bolts of magic from his clash with the headmaster, something which Albus did actually properly redirect enough in canon so Harry didn''t explode. I mean did everyone think it was a coincidence? But this time his little cheap shots were worth shit as my shields just blocked them easily. And with Dumbledore knowing full well Tom wasn''t my match, he wasn''t even a tiny bit worried about such a weak attack even harming the spectators, this resulted in the old man taking advantage of the situation by focusing some more power and breaking the stalemate.

    We could see his red beam gaining ground as Tom realized his mistake in this fight. The noseless man wanted to split Dumbledore''s attention by attacking those he saw as people he would protect before himself, too bad this put him on the back foot.

    Voldemort''s face lost its sadistic smile as he became very serious in his efforts to push back his old teacher''s magic. I might have said this was basically a measuring stage, but it is still very deadly to lose such a confrontation of magic. If one gets completely overpowered then it could lead to loss of limb, severe blunt force trauma, sudden death, exploding, or if one is in a strictly non-lethal duel you can maybe get blown away or disarmed. Too bad these two are not holding back. Tom would ''live'' without any doubts anyway, so why hold back.

    Seeing his growing disadvantage, the Grey fool decided to break off the conflict by deflecting the streams to the side, effectively slicing one of the fireplaces in half with an angered yell.

    You could see the anger on his face because of the blow to his ego this is. He, the Dark Lord, lost in a direct confrontation against his ''only real threat besides Harry''. So he was not a happy camper.

    With a flick of his bone-like wand, Tom levitated the debris from the fireplace and then transfigured them into spears which shot out towards Dumbledore, who did not just watch has he gathered the water from the racist fountain in the middle of the Atrium in preparation. What was interesting was that the Headmaster had changed the consistency of the water, making it like a gel, resulting in the spears losing their momentum to the point of harmlessness.

    During this moment, Tom animated part of the sculpture on the fountain to attack Albus from behind. So to defend himself Dumbledore shot the liquid he controlled towards Tom as a wave, then turned around and instead of destroying the sculpture or removing Tom''s spell, he transfigured the thing''s joints to make them completely solid again. As a result he forced Voldemort to deal with his distraction and made the statue fall to the ground where it couldn''t even move much anymore.

    These exchanges were a great show of high level transfiguration and the applicabilities the field has in combat. Too bad it takes too much power to use it a lot in combat and require a lot of studying to bring it to the proper level to be useful.

    Harry was watching these exchanges very seriously so far. I''ve taught him a lot and trained him, but this is his first time seeing two powerful wizards really trying to beat each other, without being involved anyway.

    So now we watched as Tom''s face became very cold over Dumbledore''s continuous success in stopping him. Deciding to kick things up a notched, using some of those robe based Dark spells, sending a stream of darkness towards Dumbledore.

    I know the spell he''s using from my time bumming off of Quirrell''s subscription to V-TV. It is quite a nasty bit of dark magic since it sucks the vitality of whatever it hits until only dust remains.

    The Headmaster on the other hand used something which made me smile.

    ''The old man truly has a genius level intellect to have learned my spells already and use them in battle.'' I thought as I watched the man use my variation of Lumos to form a shield against the darkness using the light.

    And the more power he pumped into it the larger the range. Plus the spell isn''t even difficult to cast since the power requirements are about the same as lumos, just requiring more in the will and intelligence departments.

    This spell actually surprised the Dark Lord because he knew the power behind his own spell and seeing repelled so easily with Dumbledore using a ''simple lumos'' inwardly shocked him. But seeing his magic being pushed back, he decided to change his approach by gathering the remaining darkness and adding some additional power to create a shockwave which shattered the office windows employees had that oversaw the Atrium.

    Unlike canon where he destabilized Dumbledore with that little move, this time he was already dealing with the falling shards of glass by changing it to sand as they fell through the blanket of Magic he had spread over the area.

    During this exchange i noticed two things I deemed important.

    The first was that Tom had some burns on his hands and head, which I''m not sure he noticed or thought it was because of something else. This confirms my theories on white Magic''s effects on Tom''s body. His mind, body and soul are all completely made of dark magic at this point with his blood ritual to not die when he touches Harry anymore, his soul being completely mangle and tainted because of his Horcruxes, and him basically giving up every other form of magic besides Transfiguration to master the Dark Arts further. As a result it''s like White magic became four time more effective on the asshole.

    The second thing I noticed was actually the fact that Dumbledore had to put more effort into casting that spell than the others he''s used so far, as a result of the Elder Wand seemingly resisting it. Now that was fascinating to feel once I noticed. Although more testing would be needed, the initial theories would be that this reaction is because of its history, origins or the materials it is made out of. Possibly a mix of the three. The Elder wand''s history of death and bloodshed might have had a much bigger impact on the wand than I first thought, the mythical origin of it being death''s wand might have actually imbued some properties which clash against the ''life'' in white magic, and/or the Thestral parts have an affinity with death which could be rejecting the magic. As a result of one or many reasons above, it diminishes the efficiency and power of white magic.

    Kinda of ironic that Dumbledore''s wand is helping Voldemort in not getting purified because it doesn''t like the magic.

    Anyway, out of my thoughts and back to the fight. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#.-181-battle-of-the-ministry-pt.3_52848169297437641">#.-181-battle-of-the-ministry-pt.3_52848169297437641</a> for visiting.

    After the two old men finished trying to turn the Atrium into an indoor beach, Dumbledore was covered and surrounded by the sand he created from the broken glass, while Voldemort stood amidst the ministry fireplaces soaked to the bone and with his red eyes glowing from the ego slaps he keeps getting today.

    Tom deciding he wanted to dry himself most likely, summoned Fiendfyre from his mouth just to show off, letting the curses flame take a shape reminiscent of a basilisk.

    Just as the giant fire snake was about to move, Dumbledore burst into action by using his great mastery over fire to start beating down Voldemort''s curse. This happened in the form of multiple controlled explosions across the snakes body as Tom struggled to force it to attack through them all, only for it to be beaten back. The finishing touch came when the Headmaster used the Purefyre which was derived from mine and Sol''s positive aspects. The blue flame imbedded itself into the Fiendfyre, broke Voldemort''s control over it and starts causing it to implode as it basically consumed all the curses fire.

    Having one of his most powerful curses dealt so handedly made Tom realize that he was not winning this battle so far, making him look for alternatives like messing with Dumbledore''s ''wards'' or just escaping before the ministry officials arrived to continue ''not being alive''. But I saw the look he gave Harry.

    "Harry if you could smash it now, that would be lovely." I simply said as I watched the bald man with some sadism in my eyes.

    I enjoyed messing with the genocidal moron.

    "What? Now?" He questioned in surprise over my timing.

    "Yes. Voldy wants to mess with us, so we mess with him first." I answered with a mischievous smile which makes my little bro wryly shake his head as he took out the prophecy.

    Seeing his prize Tom became more assured in his decision to try and mess with Harry like canon, but then his expression changed into momentary shock and then rage as he noticed Harry swinging his arm in a throwing motion, aimed at the ground, with the prophecy in his hand.

    "NOO!!" The grey man yelled out in semi-desperation as he watched it shatter all over the floor and let out some smoke.

    Dumbledore decided to not miss that little chance as he blasted a spell at Tom who barely blocked before the Headmaster started showing an impressive fluidity and grace as he whipped out some sweet combos to keep Tommy boy on the defense for once.

    "You really shouldn''t look away during a duel. Especially when you''re getting beat already." I happily ''advised'' the magic nazi with a bright smile.

    That almost got him nailed by one of Dumbledore''s stunners when he almost growled at me who just looked back at him with a mocking grin. But Tom is nothing if not very determined to not lose his body again, so he managed to stabilize the duel by finding Albus'' next chain in his combo and quickly countering with his own nasty curses.

    This sparked a few rounds of exchanges between the two as they destroyed their immediate surroundings with dodged or deflected spells. They also showed magnificent mastery over apparition as they both used it to dodge and attack from blindspots, dancing through space itself as they both tried to one up each other. The problem was that now the Dark Lord began to feel more pressed for time. Harry had ruined his goal and ''stopped'' him once again, he was not even close to killing any of us so far and now the ministry forces could appear at any moment and reveal that he was in fact back.

    So he made a decision to try and at least get something out of tonight.

    During his next chain of curses, Tom purposefully missed Dumbledore to target the sculpture which laid on the floor behind him, causing it to shatter as the Headmaster was about to take advantage of the ''mistake''. The flying rubble distracted Albus as he did his best to not receive any broken bones from the large chunks of rock flying at him. This moment gave Voldemort the chance he was aiming for, so he gathered the sand Dumbledore had created earlier and used it to obscure himself, disappearing as the small sand twister ceased.

    I knew what was going to happen next, so I finally sent the signal for people to start showing up.

    And not a moment after I had done that, one hairless blue-man group reject was violently sent flying towards the fountain as he tried to enter the perimeter of my shields.

    "Fool thought he could just walk through my spells. Hmph." I snorted as I looked at the mongrel. (Channeling his inner Gilgamesh right now.)

    And at this moment the Ministry''s people started arriving one after another through the fireplaces, just in time to see Albus Dumbledore standing over a struggling and slightly smoldering Voldemort since his arm suffered some severe burns from trying to grab Harry through my shields. It was a really powerful image, all perfectly times by yours truly to maximize the efficiency of what would come next. I even heard the sounds of cameras going off just like I planned.

    Can''t let the good people of this country not see this pretty epic scene.

    "He''s back. He''s really back." Loudly whispered Fudge in complete horror at the reveal.

    He was technically still the Minister, but all his powers were stripped and everyone was just waiting until the election results before he was put on trial for his crimes. It was weird that he couldn''t officially be trialed yet because of some weird laws about positions and pureblood nonsense.

    Mother on the hand had a very different reaction since she already knew, and that was to order every Auror already present to fire spells without restraint.

    But unfortunately Tommy knew when to escape like the slippery coward he truly is. As strong as he believed himself, he knew his limits and this was far beyond them right now. He was getting low on magic from his duel, mentally unbalanced from Dumbledore''s handling of him, Harry breaking the prophecy in his face and me mocking, while he also suffered some injuries. So he once again blew sand all over the place and vanished.

    The few dozen people who had seen Voldemort personally were simply shellshocked at the moment. None of them moved, blinked or talked, while some of them even forgot to breath like they had just stood in front of their natural predator.

    Mother was having none of it.

    "What are you all looking at? We have things to do. Pavus and Constantine, you two are managing the Atrium with squads 4 and 7! I want a full sweep, statements and crowd control ASAP! No one leaves before my say so!" She commanded like true commander to a slightly tanned man with short black hair, well groomed facial hair done in the imperial style, a bit c.o.c.ky in his bearings and an outfit which shows practicality and an understanding of the finer things in life, and a man with short blonde hair, a five o''clock shadow, looking like he drank a lot the night prior and wearing a beige trench-coat over his white button up with a loosely worn tie.

    "Hawke I want you to make the bureaucrats to authorize what we''ll need and have them bring in the rest of the department!" This time mother ordered a tough looking woman who happened to be her vice-department head, a short black haired woman with some pieces of enchanted armor hidden under her black frock jacket which wasn''t buttoned up just to show the leather armor she had under it.

    I actually pointed mother to her a few years back and she then began training her up as her the next head Auror since Scrimgeour is almost certainly going to be head of the DMLE after mother becomes Minister. She''s tough, skilled, charismatic and a good person. That last one is the hardest to find. But after a few more years to gain experience, she could very well become the Head of the DMLE in the future. The woman was also a very loyal supporter of mother''s as they shared many ideals. She immediately went to kick some bureaucrats into action after she received her orders.

    (And yes I just wanted to throw in some people for some fun.)

    "Squads 1, 2 and 6 are coming with me to the Department of Mysteries! I received word from Moody, Kingsley and Tonks that they captured Death Eaters in the Death Room! Get me some Unspeakables here on the double because I do not want to waste time navigating that damn level! Meanwhile everyone else is to make a complete sweep of the ministry and gather everyone you find for questioning! I want to know what they were doing while damn death eaters and their Lord ran a mock in the Ministry!" Amelia ordered as she finished yelling.

    Her orders made her people come to life as they all followed her words and did everything properly. Constantine went to control the crowd and stop any journalists from making through to snoop or bother Dumbledore, Harry and myself, while Pavus came over to get our statements of tonight''s events.

    The official statement which was from Dumbledore said that Harry was lured by Voldemort in an effort to obtain the prophecy regarding the two. The Dark Lord then set an ambush for and his group which they escaped. They were then helped by senior Aurors who Harry had contacted, and after their arrival they managed to subdue almost all Death Eaters who participated in the ambush. The Voldemort appeared to as they chased down Bellatrix Lestrange who had escaped, saying his prize was the prophecy and Harry''s life would make things perfect. Then Albus arrived as he had heard of tonight''s happening from a close friend and faced Voldemort in combat, pushing him to the point they had arrived at.

    It was a statement to make Harry look more heroic in the people''s eyes and make Dumbledore look near saintly from him beating back their worst fear. Meanwhile I get to basically slip under the radar and no one knows I orc.h.e.s.trated the entire nights events.

    I am a bit sad I didn''t get to go on a rampage and just beat down Tom, Hulk on Loki style, but this way Tommy won''t be too desperate and do horrible things to even the playing field. So at least there''s a positive.

    After our statement was done Dumbledore guided us to nearest fireplace as we ignored the very energetic press and we Floo traveled back to his office so we could get some rest without having to deal with hours of ministry stuff.

    I doubt Harry was going to get much sleep after tonight''s events, but I had a hot fianc¨¦ waiting for me, laying in our bed and wearing close to nothing. So I just called Sol over through our bond and flamed away.

    I knew I was going to get a treat when I tell her how I my plans are going to manipulate the entire country again. Making this a very pleasant way to end the Battle of the Ministry in my opinion.

 Chapter 182 - Ch. 182 Minister Black

    ''HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED HAS RETURNED: FUDGE''S DENIAL NEARLY DOOMS US ALL!

    MINISTER FOR MAGIC AMELIA BLACK ELECTED BY LANDSLIDE!

    8 LORDS CAPTURED DURING THE BATTLE OF THE MINISTRY! (I know there''s twelve, but only eight are actual lords, even if they don''t have that much money. I mean technically Crabbe and Goyle sr should be lords. The rest are just purebloods.)

    ALBUS DUMBLEDORE DEFEATS THE DARK LORD, BUT HE MANAGES TO ESCAPE!''

    The aftermath of what has officially been called ''The Battle of the Ministry'' has been far reaching to say the least.

    The news that Voldemort was indeed back caused fear throughout the country. Thanks to my timing and preparations however, much of the chaos which would have occurred due to his return was preemptively stopped. The image of Dumbledore standing at the ready as Voldemort laid at a fountains feet looking defeated and wounded was a powerful one for the regular people. It brought hope and a feeling of safety even if they didn''t know the whole truth, but that was the point this time. I wanted these people pacified during mother''s transition into her new position as Minister, giving her the time she needs to properly restructure and organize the completely shit hole Fudge had made the Ministry over the years by never fixing any of the systemic problems, damages of the last war or even by passing laws which didn''t directly benefit purebloods and harm pretty much everyone else.

    And yes mother became the new Minister for Magic by a landslide.

    Not only is her reputation basically Golden at this point, the fact that she was known to have actively fought against the Death Eaters during the last war and was said to still be capable of schooling most Aurors brought much comfort and respect, then she gets Dumbledore''s endors.e.m.e.nt, big reveal that she married a rich war hero (even if he still almost a big kid), add the support of every Department I had my people take over and the political group I formed, and you have the new Minister Black.

    And boy was mother moving.

    With some sneaky advice from her beloved son, she realized that delaying the trials of the dozen Death Eaters captured, of which the majority just so happen to be seat holding members of the Wizengamot, was going to help pass the urgent measures needed to have the planned reforms happen.

    Incidentally, she was quite on board with just letting Lucius and his band of bigots wait in jail like they weren''t even worth the bother. It made them feel like they weren''t even important enough to have urgent and high profile trials put in place for them. After Tory explained that it was a psychological trick which drove people who saw themselves as important or better than others wild. Treat them like they are average prisoners of no importance and they''ll rage for attention or special treatment. It''s been working wonders against those high and mighty lords that''s for sure.

    Yeah, my girl is probably one of the leading psychologists in the world without muggles knowing about and wizards not even understanding the damage she could inflict or heal with that knowledge. It''s one of the reasons I don''t make my potion/healing mistress upset, even if it''s not really directly dangerous for me. But she did make a great point to mother about how to handle all of this, which was to stop making Tom and his band feel like they were important and what they were doing was meaningful. These people get emboldened by the attention and believe it will help others join their cause as they show their ''strength and success''. Tory on the other hand was joining up to help mother formulate speeches on the matter, reassuring the public and subtly lowering the standing of any Death Eater.

    I was so proud of her.

    The both of us also helped in other places, but mother''s time in office was set up to be the most productive and cohesive in the history of this country. I am not kidding about that. I really like being able to help her out like this and I''m glad years of work and planning are going to start paying off for the country as a whole. Well, after Tom is really dead but that''s not really a hard thing, I just want all his buddies in one place so I can erase them with no guilt or consequences.

    From what I heard of my uncle/father-in-law (no Alabama nonsense, just Sirius being with his mother figure aunty), she has actually been quite happy even if she''s been busier and the Voldy situation was ongoing. She knew quite a few of my plans for what was to come, had a very loving family which supported her the entire time, her dream was on track and she was pretty proactive in showing her thanks to Sirius which served as a great de-stresser for her too. That last one I was both happy and mortified about.

    Other than that, Minister Black was doing what she believed would actually protect them all from deranged fools with too much dark magic in their brains and low IQ''s. Her first move was to actually fund the forces meant to protect the country, open up their recruitment which saw a good number of students who had graduated from Hogwarts and participated in the Dueling club appearing, hired James, myself, some goblins and other experts to ward and enchant the shit out of the ministry so nonsense like that last battle does not happen again, and then initiated a few of my plans which I passed to her as well as get Fortress Protection on board officially.

    Yeah, Tommy boy and his bum buddies were not going to take over the ministry like canon. They were going to f.u.c.k.i.n.g bleed for every inch and that''s if they weren''t going to immediately going to run away to not get captured or killed by the reinforcements which would come after the ministry is attacked. I kind of want them to try, just so mother and I can laugh at them when they''re being pounded into the dirt.

    Our new and beloved Minister also began to implement what was basically an evacuation process for families with muggleborns or those who lived in Muggle communities, making the hidden town I created a semi-open secret. This was being handled methodically by trusted men and women only as they did their best to make them understand what was going to happen and what this evacuation was. I kid you not when I say that the only true detriments to changing location was basically having to kinda move and not being able to have your neighborhood friends for sometime. I set everything up so everyone would still be able to commute to work from the various magic Rec centers I had built through FIRM, we got all the British tv and phone networks properly hooked up, everything kids and a.d.u.l.ts could really need, and various rules and protocols regarding seeing friends and family since I honestly doubt Death Eaters do in depth research before attacking someone who isn''t known to be a powerful wizard. All they would have to do is move to fully furnished modern/magic homes and agree to go through the security measures in place to stop infiltrators, then they are good to go and get some compensation for having to drop some of their lives.

    It''s as perfect as we can make it while also placating human psychological annoyances, and even then we have back up plans for this. What can I say, I try to be thorough when i do things.

    Beyond the ministry, the battle also had a large effect on the students of Hogwarts.

    The impact of Voldemort being alive varied from student to student, this really depended on your parental situation for the most parts.

    Pureblooded students from noble families or from at least 3 generations of magical blood, were a lot less frightened but understood the impact of events more than others in general. There were even some kids showing positivity in the face of these events, telling me all I needed to know about how they were raised, but the fact that they were a small minority even in Slytherin made me feel better.

    Half-bloods were probably the most negatively impacted group, due to the fact that one of their parents lived through the last war with their Muggle or magical being lovers, something which was very dangerous for them at the time. These parents have probably told them some scary stories of those times before to explain some things or even turn Death Eaters into something like bogeymen. But at least the ministry''s actions were making them feel better.

    And finally the Muggleborns. This group was kind of experiencing this from an outside perspective since they didn''t really have anyone to truly make them understand the fear the last war engraved into this country. The smarter ones began to look things up to try and understand, others just took their friends or seniors words for it, and others just didn''t even take this seriously for the most part. But the majority knew that they were the ones Voldy and his idiots targeted as the source of their problems. That was enough to put most of them on their toes.

    On the whole though, a lot more students were taking my lessons seriously and Professor Flitwick, myself and the Dueling Club presidents received many, many requests to expand the club by students, teachers and even our esteemed Headmaster, so that was happening. Turns out unknown threats to their lives is what it takes to finally make some of these kids take learning magic seriously, it was about time. So we doubled recruitment and added another room under the club''s name, resulting in the junior and senior sections for pre and post OWL members.

    There was also students who heard about the extra lessons I was putting the Orderlings and friends through, a few were actually quite surprising.

    "Alright, so as you can see we have some new members today. These are people I''ve judged to be serious about training and learning how to survive and fight, so get along properly." I announced as a small group stood behind me, with some members felling a bit awkward.

    They were Sue Li, a young and polite Asian teen from Harry''s year but in Ravenclaw. Katie Bell, a gentle and kind Gryffindor 6th year off the Quidditch pitch, but can fly around with a passion on it. One Kouta Ohnishi, a rather talented and driven 4th year Hufflepuff Susan recommended. Part of my surprise as Theodore Nott approached me to learn under me, as well as wanting help to escape from his abusive Death Eater father. The prior was due to the last addition to the group which was-

    ""What''s Malfoy doing here?"" Harry And Ron both asked as they looked at the pale teen in outrage.

    I simply stood behind him and patted his shoulder with a reassuring smile to help him out.

    "That his because Draco has made the very difficult decision to not follow his father anymore, wishing to grow as individual and improve himself. Both he and Theodore have come to me in order to not be forced into becoming Death Eaters like their fathers. So although I know you four have had a bad relationship so far, I ask that you at least give him a chance to let him change." I explained as I knew a lot of those present didn''t have the greatest impression of Draco due to his past behavior. Something understandable.

    "But he''s Draco!" Ron countered as he couldn''t really put into words just how wrong it is for them to hear Draco not wanting to be a twit anymore.

    "I know I have been spiteful and petty at times. But I''ve come to learn that many of the things I was taught were... extreme and biased. I was so desperate to receive my father''s approval that I did and said things I am no longer proud of, so I would like to apologize." The blonde teen said as he looked at the golden trio and took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "I am sorry."

    The three of them just stopped in place as Draco Malfoy apologizing to a ''mudblood, blood traitor and his nemesis'' just didn''t compute.

    I just chuckled in amus.e.m.e.nt at the sight.

    "Did the junior snake just-

    Apologize to them?" The twins asked as they were also blow away.

    "I am happy that his wrackspurts are going away." Luna said as she watched with a gentle smile.

    "Me too. It might be hard, but apologizing can lift burdens we didn''t even know we had." I said as I ruffled the girls hair a bit, something she quite enjoyed.

    "You know what? I am glad you are no longer going to be a prat Malfoy." Daphne said as she had adopted Tory''s attitude towards him and his followers prior to this.

    "Y-Yeah. Sorry about that." He awkwardly said as he kept glancing at Daphne''s little sister who stood besides her with a slight blush.

    "Aedan, is this for real?" Harry asked as he finished rebooting.

    "Yes. Draco took the major step of distancing himself from his father after he himself realized that much of what he was taught had been oversold. He and his mother have come under my protection to be away from Voldemort''s grasp and live the lives they wish to have." I answered seriously, trying to impart the courage Draco had to step away from something he now saw as wrong even if he lost the possibility of becoming a lord.

    "His mother? Aunt Andy''s sister? The one she said was like a doll when they grew up?" Harry curiously asked, which kinda surprised me a bit.

    "I guess so. She was freed from what was basically a slave contract after I told Sirius about messing with Voldy''s finances by cutting them off of the Black family money. After that she asked for help and she convinced me. She''s been doing some really good work. She also wants to try and reconnect with Andromeda, so if you could help a bit in that regard it would be great." I informed him as I also try to reunite two sisters.

    "Eh, yeah sure, no problem." Harry replied in a bit of a daze from the new information.

    While I was explaining things to Harry, Hermione actually put on a stern look and approached Draco which made him a bit nervous. I think it''s because the last time that happened she punched him in the face.

    "Are you being serious about changing?" She asked as she stared directly into his eyes.

    "Yes." He answered with some nervousness.

    "And you won''t be harassing others or bullying muggleborns anymore?" She asked this time as she narrowed her eyes slightly.

    "Not after talking things out with Professor Bones. He made me understand a lot of things." He answered a bit more confidently this time.

    "And did you really mean it when you said you were sorry?" She asked as she kept looking right into Draco''s eyes.

    "Yes. I am sorry for what I did." He answered with some guilt for this one.

    "... Alright. Apology accepted." Hermione then said with a pleased nod as backed away from a slightly baffled Draco.

    "Miony, are you really going to forgive him that easily?" Ron asked as he finally spoke again.

    "He wants to change Ron, just like you did. So if he wants to apologize sincerely and try to be better then I say we can at least accept it." She replied, causing the redhead to falter back a bit and think.

    Ron then approached Draco with his own serious look, making the chatter quiet down as everyone knew he had the highest chance of actually attacking Malfoy. It didn''t help that Ron was growing a good amount of muscles as he kept getting taller, making him physically more intimidating than the majority of students.

    "Malfoy, If you''re serious about this then I won''t say anything more. But, if this is a trick to hurt everyone here, I''ll do everything I can to pay you back for breaking the professor''s trust and for being a rat." Ron said with a cold gleam in his eyes as he put some pressure on Draco.

    (Just so everyone gets it, Ron actually has a lot of respect for Aedan because he helped him change, improve and find a place for himself. Also, giving someone a chance to change themselves for the better is a soft spot for him because of this.)

    "I am very serious about this. I don''t want to be like my father anymore." Draco answered as he felt that he shouldn''t back down as he stated right into Ron''s eyes with some fire.

    "Good. Then I accept your apology Malfoy and I apologize for the things I''ve said to you too." Ron said as he reached out with his hand. (Deal with it, my Ron is becoming a genuinely good person.)

    Slightly surprised from getting an apology too, Draco quickly shook it off and took Ron''s hand. (Do not write what I know you will think. -_-)

    "Thanks Weasley. I assure you that it won''t be necessary for you to hunt me down." Draco replied with a confidant voice as the two reconciled.

    -End of flashback.

    So yeah, I''m teaching Draco how to fight better now. He was already pretty good for his age since his father hammered stuff into him so he ''wouldn''t be a disgrace should he need to duel for his honor.'' Must have been the reason he could give Harry a hard time in 6th years canon.

    But in general, Hogwarts was a lot tenser than usual. At least the large majority of students felt safe with the Headmaster in charge since those pictures of him triumphant over Tom were really effective. Too bad it was nearing exam season and they were going to become progressively more nervous anyway, and even the headmaster couldn''t help them with this one. Without good reason anyway since the man did cancel most exams after the basilisk fiasco.

    Outside of official establishments, I was busy doing some personal stuff and some stuff to avoid having to deal with a second war. You know, just in case.

    If you''re curious by what I mean by second war, well I''m talking about Goblins.

    I don''t know how they got whooped by the snake f.u.c.ker in canon because those little guys can give the entire country a run for their money and still not truly lose. I mean the entire country too since all wizards teamed up during the last war in order to not get beaten and Goblins still didn''t suffer any big losses, only having to sign some treaties more valuable in wizard eyes than goblin ones. My only guess was that Tom was in and out before the real goblin forces showed up or he would have been tortured for years after they broke his legs and wand for killing so many goblins and blemishing Gringott''s honor.

    Anyway back on topic. Since I have a good relationship with the Goblin nation and even my friend is their king''s disciple, I decided to preemptively stop any thoughts of striking wizards while they''re down. This came in the form of extensive bartering and me sneakily offering alternative to screw over the assholes who are joining Tom of their own volition. So food and raw materials, fun ways to mess with rich people who always look at them with disgust, a few brawls because any goblin deal making without blood is seen as insincere, and I secured peace for after the war.

    Felt good letting loose with my body instead of magic for once. The name Bones-Crusher rang out in the arenas that weekend I tell you. Victoria did role her eyes when she saw what she called ''barbaric acts'', but the wet p.a.n.t.i.e.s don''t lie.

    It was really hard to not go at it that day. But we promised our parents and her mom will not leave until we''re married just to be sure. Really hard for a girl to stay in the mood when her mom is actually prepared to interrupt.

    At least our wedding is coming up soon. Which is the other thing keeping me busy.

    Yeah, Tory and I are finally getting married and I actually dare Tom to try something because I will rip him and his fools to pieces saying f.u.c.k the prophecy. As long as I keep him in his body it''s all good right? Harry can go Horcrux hunting and still ''kill'' him after that. The only thing holding me back from trying this is destiny, but if she crosses me I will tell that bitch to f.u.c.k off. (You know, cause destiny''s a bitch.)

    Aside from that mental preparation, the wedding stuff was going pretty smoothly since I had a lot of it ready since Mother''s ceremony. Tory''s dress was made custom using the best material, my tux was ready, the rings were perfect, the venue was reserved, decorations were in storage until things could be set up, food was set, and the guest list and seating was being arranged. The only things really going on were the changes women make after a certain period of time, you know the thing where they don''t like the napkins they chose a month ago, but I don''t really care since I have money and we have two months before the wedding.

    We are both really looking forward to it, even if we''ve been busy with everything lately.

 Chapter 183 - Ch. 183 How to burn a witch

    *Crash*

    *Smash*

    *Bang*

    "IT BURNS! IT BURNS! WHY DOESN''T THE FEELING STOP?! PLEASE MY LORD, HELP THIS SERVANT!" Was what could be heard from a woman''s shrieking has she tore up her room due to the pain she felt.

    Those who heard the frenzied yells and the sounds of the room being torn apart knew not what to do, but decided they did not want to stay close in case they became the next broken thing in that room.

    -Bellatrix POV

    The constant burning just doesn''t stop!

    It started out small. A slight warmth i could feel every time I casted a curse at those incompetent fools or those filthy muggles and mudbloods.

    I thought it was simply my d.e.s.i.r.e to please my lord and the euphoria I felt completing his orders. The shiver of excitement when he praises me, the joy of being acknowledged by him, and now this warmth as I followed his teachings, these were my rewards for my devotion as I crushed the filth.

    But now all I feel is that constant burning. Like my soul itself is being devoured by Fiendfyre. Like my entire body is covered in flames which do not harm me, only letting me feel the pain.

    I have experienced being crucio''d. Oh yes, mummy and daddy dearest did not spare the rod on little Bella when they were grooming her. No she needed to be better, stronger, faster, more powerful. She needed to be the weapon of the family, to be the witch which would make the wizarding world fear the family. And what better motivation to use than pain when driving a little Bella?

    They were not the only ones to do so, Rodolphus enjoyed seeing me squirm. That pathetic excuse of a mongrel hated that he was weaker than me, the way I looked down on him for his meager intelligence and finances, and how I rejected and suppressed him during our time in Hogwarts. This stopped once in gained the lord''s favor and became his hand however, from then on I was the leader. And was it ever satisfying to enact my revenge on the fool after I felt that damnable contract being cancelled.

    But now it was different. Crucio could only make me feel pain of the body. It could not attack the mind like my lord could, even if the pain that legilimency dealt could drive one to madness. I knew that very well. And it could not make me feel the pain I am under now.

    It felt like my very soul was being burnt. Like my very self is slowly being eaten away under the excoriating pain.

    I could resist torture. My dear parents saw to that personally. I could withstand my mind being broken into thanks to my lord''s teachings. But the feeling of my soul being slowly burnt was unbearable.

    From that warmth I could feel every time I casted dark magic, it slowly started itching, then it felt like I was always hot, some slight aches, twinges of pain, constant low levels of pain then started but I could not burden my lord for such trifle, and only when the pain became too much to ignore did I consult him.

    But he did not know what sort of Dark Magic I was under.

    I trusted my lord without fault and believed he would save me from this torment, but a part of me had a different thought. A part of me I had thought gone, the calm and collected Bella who could dismantle a spell and reconstruct it into a deadly weapon, she made me remember the face of that half-blood welp. The one who made me feel helpless and broke my wand.

    His face was handsome for someone with muddied blood, but I remember his the smile on his face, the same type of smile I have when a prey I''ve been hunting for was finally in my grasp. I also remember his blue eyes, but not because of the power behind them, no it was the cold and sadistic anger he had when he looked at my helpless form when I was at his mercy. Then that logical part of me remembered the small blue flame which he put in me, the same thing in felt like my entire self should stay very far away from.

    These thoughts made me think.

    ''Is my lord wrong? Is my suffering truly because of Dark Magic?'' I thought in a moment of weakness.

    But no. I must never doubt my lord. He is the only thing which matters in this world.

    I will overcome this trial and return to his side.

    Only at his side am I needed.

    Only he sees me.

    But it burns so much, hurry and free me once again my lord.

    I finally know why Voldemort is my enemy.

    It was like some weight was lifted off my shoulders when Professor Dumbledore and Aedan explained the prophecy to me.

    I also knew why he personally came and took my parents from me.

    Don''t get me wrong, Sirius is great and Aunt Amelia tries really hard to make me feel safe, but it always feels like there''s a small something missing. I think it''s Sirius'' guilt and lack of fatherly features. He tries to hide it, but I can tell, I became very good at reading negative emotions when I was younger. He''s great, but he''s more like an uncle. But they still try and that''s all I need to feel warm with them. Plus it''s great to have a friend like Susan nearby when Sirius tries to be romantic with Amelia.

    But yeah, ''Either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.'' That was heavy.

    It means that I have to kill Voldemort. It''s not Professor Dumbledore or Aedan, both of them could probably do it too, but it has to be me.

    I understood why they both didn''t really want me to know because when that was said, I felt like someone was pranking me.

    Who would honestly believe that a teenager or child is the only one who can kill the most terrible Dark Lord of modern times? But there it is, from people I know and trust, I had to be the one to do it.

    It kinda makes sense why Aedan tried so hard to train me on how to really fight instead of having me join his dueling club. I am really thankful he went through the trouble though. Can you imagine if I was never taught how to fight properly and had to run around with half baked knowledge as I try to stop Voldemort? It would be mental. Good thing Aedan is really good at teaching and made me take school seriously while also showing me how to manage my time so I can have fun too.

    Someone loyal to Voldemort half heard the prophecy and rushed to him after they heard that a baby born at the end of June would defeat him. But he had to be born from someone who fought against him three times. And from all the magical babies born that fit the criteria, it was only me and Neville. So in the end Voldemort decided to attack me personally and send Bellatrix and Barty Crouch jr to go for Neville. The results were my parents dying, Voldemort losing his body, me getting my scar, Neville''s parents going insane, and the end of the war.

    It was weird to hear about why my life is like it is, but it did bring some closure.

    The headmaster and Aedan also explained that to defeat Voldemort we had to destroy his Horcruxes, something which I had apparently already started doing since the destruction of Tom Riddle''s diary in second year. They don''t know exactly how many he has, but they said they''re working on finding out as much information on the subject as possible. Professor Dumbledore even said he would probably request my assistance for this during the summer, which feels good. I want to be able to help, to contribute something when people I know are fighting out there and this is my chance to help bring in someone who knows more on Voldemort''s creation of his Horcruxes.

    Although they did tell me about the person and apparently I would be helping to convince him by just being myself. Not sure how being me will help convince someone, but I am curious about the potion teacher and previous head of Slytherin. I hear he''s nothing like Snape, but he likes meeting important or talented people instead.

    But before all that, I have to get through these damnable OWL''s.

    I thought the older students were kidding about the difficulty, but it turns out that they weren''t. The professors have been merciless lately, with Snape being crueler than usual, but Aedan''s been less mentally stressful as he makes us learn by doing a lot of practical training to be able to properly cast spells in many different conditions. He even took us out to the Forbidden Forest for some experience in dealing with some dark creatures along with Hagrid as our guide. He said nothing would make the lesson stick better than having an extreme memory attached to it. A bit insane, but incredibly effective after students learnt what not to do very quickly.

    Ron''s been struggling with all the theoretical stuff since he''s more hands on, but he at least knows a good amount for charms, DADA and CoMC since they''re the ones we can be the most active with. He''s hopeless for Divination, History and potions though. But he''s not giving up on getting a high enough grade in potions since he wants to become an Auror later. I think that''s brilliant and his family has actually been pretty supportive of it, especially his mum when she heard he wanted to work in the ministry, even if it''s in a dangerous job.

    Hermione I think might have gone a bit mental with her studying. She keeps saying she will become the next to earn an O++ like Aedan and his friends. Something which I believe she might be able to do, but Aedan had a different opinion which both confused her and made her want to prove him wrong. Hermione actually asked him how she could get that grade, but he decided to answer it by telling her what he believes the grades represent.

    Troll (T): Completely Hopeless.

    Poor (P): You tried and could pass with some work.

    Acceptable (A): Good understanding of all material so far.

    Exceeds Expectations (E): Great understanding of the subject, but could use polish.

    Outstanding (O): You''ve perfectly learnt what can be expected of your level.

    Outstanding with distinction (O+): You''re making the subject yours.

    Beyond Outstanding (O++): You are beyond books and aren''t bound by the views of others.

    Hermione had a hard time accepting the last two. I don''t think she understands his hint that to get those kinds of grades you need to look at the magic beyond what the books say. Aedan actually thinks Luna has the best chances of getting an O++ in charms due to her unique views, if she studies up on the normal way to describe magic that is.

    I would know, he''s been teaching me about it since I was turning twelve. I actually feel really confident going into the Transfiguration, Charms and DADA exams, CoMC and Herbology should be in the bag too, but I''m still feeling nervous about Potions.

    Still, I want to show everyone that I''m not just lucky and that I can do more to help so I won''t working hard.

    ''But that means I have to keep going through this unending pile of books.'' I lamented with a heavy sigh.

    "Is something wrong Harry?" Hermione asked with a concerned look as she looked away from the book she''s read three time already.

    "Just a lot on my mind." I answered wearily.

    "Cheer up mate. How about we go for a spar to unwind a bit? Or go for a flight?" Ron suggested as a means of temporarily escaping studying.

    "Exams are just around the corner, you can''t just slack off." Hermione chided as she glared at the both of us.

    "C''mon Miony, you know stressing out over this is going to do more harm than good. Let''s have a bit of fun." The redhead countered with a smile.

    "He''s right. Plus i think trying some of this stuff for real would help a lot to remember it better." I added as I looked at our studious friend.

    Under the eyes of her two close friends she could only fold.

    "Alright fine. We''ll go to the Exchange to practice charms and transfiguration, then the dueling club for some Defense Against the Dark Arts tomorrow." She said with a sigh of her own, but she smiled when she saw Ron and I celebrate our small victory.

    "Then let''s finish up for tonight, I want to be well rested for tomorrow''s exercises." I said as I closed my book.

    "With you there mate. You gonna stay Miony?" Ron asked as he started to put away his own books.

    "You know what? Some proper rest sounds lovely." She answered as she placed a bookmark on her page and stood up as well.

    Ron and I shared a small look of surprise as Hermione willingly stoped studying near exams.

    "What? What''s with that look?" She asked as she caught us.

    ""Nothing."" We simultaneously answered.

    She gave us a look of suspicion, but we kept quiet as we all finished packing up.

    ''At least i know I''m not going to have to do everything that''s coming alone.'' I thought as we walked back to our dorm and remembered everyone who has supported me so far with a smile.

 Chapter 184 - Ch. 184 First year of professorship finished

    The time before summer was one with both dread and determination for many. Even with a second war brewing, students still dreaded exams like nothing else.

    Personally I try to have my students ready for their OWLs and NEWTs by making my exams have a similar format. C.u.mulative theory test and then a practical. Kids have to know what they''re fighting and how to fight it, I teach DADA not math, this stuff will save their lives and they better know how to do it.

    If I was being honest, I kind of felt a bit bad for some of these kids who were excited for the summer. They just didn''t really grasp what the incoming conflict would do. The papers just said that Tom is back and that he has shown no indication that he would not continue the war from over a decade ago. The kids just didn''t realize this because of the quiet before the storm.

    But this lull was good for our side. During a time of transition one needs some time to get everything working properly and this calm before the storm was just what mother needed to solidify her position and strength. The more time passed, the better prepared she was.

    It''s not like Tom wouldn''t love to start his offensive immediately, it''s just that he can''t. After the debacle in the ministry his position and forces have been weakened.

    From my own analysis and Jennifer''s reports, Tom has almost been hamstrung because of the results of his little plan. Many of his high level supporters, meaning politically and hierarchically, have been jailed and identified, making him lose access to a great amount of funding, influence and subordinates to act in his stead. His publicized defeat also weakened the confidence of his supporters from the underworld and the races he allied himself with. The giants were apparently quite open about their dissatisfaction over their new ''chief'' losing, the vampires saw themselves as better than others by nature and did not pass the opportunity to mock the bald man. Well until he killed the annoying ones which counts as a good thing for me, and I had Jennifer tell the man that her pack had been getting restless due to his failures as well.

    Meanwhile, Fortress and the ministry were forcing the fools forces into running and hiding due to their hunt. Mother made successful hunts for vampires very public as she demonstrated that she wasn''t all talk in her efforts to fix all the monumental f.u.c.k ups of past administrations. It was just too bad the giants were more difficult to take care of, simply because of their innate resistance to Magic and the fact that the entire tribe came, meaning they would need to put a lot of manpower in to take them down, with a lot of risks for injuries or death. So as long as they stayed still, they were considered less of a threat for now.

    I even arranged to have drugged goats and cattle moved near the tribe to keep them full and sleepy. I could probably kill most of the tribe myself, but that would be giving away too much for now. Better to hunt them down when they separate, makes things a lot easier to manage when you know their numbers, names and appearances. You just have to think about it simply: organize 20 men to slowly and expertly take down one giant at a time, or try to organize at least a hundred to take down the entire tribe in a head on conflict? Not exactly a difficult decision for me.

    Beyond that, we are taking care of the vampires draining people''s blood in London. That was a higher priority at the moment since we did not want the annoyances spreading and forming a proper foothold in this country. Especially if the ones forming the clan, as they call it, are a bunch of blood-crazed animals.

    I personally don''t have many issues regarding vampires, but they are not the same as werewolves in my mind. Werewolves mainly have to deal with increased senses, mild physical improvements and their once a month transformation. Very manageable symptoms, especially now. But vampires are different because they are permanently transformed. They can no longer return to being human. I can stop someone from transforming if they''ve just been bitten, but the window for that is a short one. Then their needs change once they finish converting, turning the vast majority of humanity into both food source and possible new member. The increased lifespan, unique vampire abilities, vampiric Magic if the one transformed was magical, and the new possibilities within their hierarchy give many reasons for someone to embrace their new nature as well, unlike werewolves who only had someone like Fenrir trying to gather them into a large group of savages.

    But the problem ultimately lies in their culture and beliefs. I could easily create something like a blood potion from the Dawnguard DLC of Skyrim from my past life. Use my knowledge to create a system where they can feed themselves without the need for humans to be involved at all, teaching them the recipe and letting them grow everything they need. But this would be treated as me spitting on their history and only those who would truly seek coexistence with beings they have been forced to view as food could agree to it. At best it forms a small rift that can be mended through civilized debates and practical demonstrations of benefits, and at worst I could be hunted down by every vampire who would be against it, start a vampire civil war which could led to the deaths of thousands of innocent bystanders and the drastic increase in sadistic behavior towards humans by the unwilling, or even the irreparable breaking of the magical world''s secrecy.

    So yeah, not really a great fan of dealing with vampires in general. Even less when it comes to those who are addicted to blood like it''s cocaine and everyone around them is full of it and they can''t stop you. Those little shits make me wish Blade was around.

    Good thing the clans were banned from coming to the British isles a few centuries ago after one of their nobles slaughtered an entire pureblood family because they tasted great and caused an all out war. As a result the royal clan had to intervene and agreed that just not going to the relatively small countries in the isles was easier than having a powerful Magic community being hostile to them. The Ministry and royals brokered a peace treaty and no vampire has appeared in the UK since. Officially anyway, there''s always one bold or reckless twit who''s going to ignore the rules or think that this makes the place a perfect hiding spot if they f.u.c.k up.

    At least the royal clan disavowed the actions of those in the UK right now and even encouraged the culling of those they''ve deemed as ''insults to their prestige''. There were other flowery and creative ways of them saying kill all the little shits who spat on the words of the royal anyway you like, some of which would make Shakespeare cry at his own lack of creativity in that department. Pretty good read if I was honest, Tory and I had a good laugh at some of what was written.

    And to prove they weren''t just letting us clean up after their people''s breaking the treaty, even if our dark lord convinced them, they are now monitoring anywhere vampires could use to reach the UK using Muggle or magical means. But I think it''s to find the undesirables in their midsts more than upholding the treaty. It''s a good excuse to get rid of those who ''sully the name of vampires''.

    The reason I''m mentioning all this is that aside from the reforms and clean up mother has been engaging with, some minor wedding preparations and Hogwarts exams, nothing has really been happening. So the delicate situation involving a possible return of vampires to the UK has been my biggest concern lately. Although that worry has lessened significantly after the colorful letter from the royals, it is never good to let down your guard around centuries old beings. Good thing Fortress has ample experience hunting vampires from their time in Bulgaria and my White Magic kills them on contact. It makes things a lot easier to deal with.

    (Also some people found it weird that Aedan helps Werewolves and not Vampires, well this basically why. And there''s not much info of HP vampires, so I made all this up.)

    -Small time skip to the end of the school year.

    ''This is going to be a busy summer. 50% chance of the war breaking out in the next two months, 80% chance of Voldemort freeing his lieutenants from their jails soon, and I''m sure that FIRM is going to be hit when he starts going at it. The place is simply too far against everything those idiots stand for.'' I thought with some annoyance over their self-destructive actions.

    "Oh well, at least the year finished relatively quietly compared to the last few years." I sighed as finished putting away all my teaching equipment for the summer.

    "I do agree with you there. Last year had that tournament which led to that manipulative bastard coming back. Year before that was the discovery of the real traitor of the Potters and an attempted assassination on the Minister. Then there was that Basilisk you killed and that blowhard lobotomizing himself. And finally a possessed Professor tries to steal one of the most valuable magical artifacts in the world and ends up as powder. It as been quite tame in the castle this year by comparison. The only issue was that annoying toad, but you dealt with her." Helena said as she floated behind me as usual.

    "Yeah, Harry''s fate makes it hard to have an uneventful year. And the Headmaster doesn''t help when he basically taunts said fate into making things difficult." I replied with a wry smile as I looked at the floating woman.

    "I do feel bad for the boy. Aunty Helga was a gifted seer and I''ve seen many driven desperate by the fates she foretold. His is a difficult one to come out the winner from.

    Well, if he didn''t have someone who could even make uncle Salazar approve of his cunning in his corner like you." She replied with some pity in her eyes for Harry and a smirk for me.

    "Yes yes, I am a schemer. Better that than unprepared and defenseless." I helplessly with a shake of my head.

    "It is good that you admit it. Now what is this big bad schemer going to do during the summer while he''s away from the castle." My ghostly friend asked with a nod of satisfaction over my admission.

    "Dealing with some nocturnal parasites, continuing the implementation of some preventative measures and probably playing around from behind the scenes. I''ve also got my wedding. So a good amount is happening in the next couple of months." I answered as I finished everything I needed to do before locking up my classrooms.

    "Thank you for the invitation by the way, but won''t it be odd for a ghost like myself to be present?" Helena asked with some sadness and worry.

    "Not for me. You are a good friend Helena and I would very much appreciate you being there. Plus Tory already agreed, so no issues there." I answered with a smile as I looked at my ghostly friend.

    "Thank you. But don''t expect a present." She replied with some embarrassment as she looked away, trying to not look too happy.

    ''Cute reaction for a thousand year old ghost.'' I thought with my smile turning into a teasing one.

    "You just thought something rude didn''t you?" She then suddenly said as she turned and glared at me.

    "Not at all. Just happy that you''re up for coming to the wedding. I even prepared something a ghost can enjoy." I answered as I just pumped all my focus into my Occlumency, making myself look completely innocent.

    "Hmmmm, fine. I look forward to it then." She simply answered as she stopped glaring at me intensely.

    With that said, I locked up my classroom and the both of us headed for the Great Hall to attend the end of the year feast and graduation ceremony.

    It was interesting to think about the little changes my actions have caused like Cedric being alive and graduating as the best of his year, the twins actually finishing their education and a good amount of the graduating class actually having jobs lined up. That last one is something I kind of forgot I helped happen, because it isn''t a result of my direct actions, but simply my subordinates expanding causing an improvement in the job market and mother''s administration opening a lot of opportunities within the ministry for good jobs for competent people.

    Fortunately the feast came afterwards to lighten up the mood and the merriment began. Graduates said their goodbyes to younger friends, I saw Angelina Johnson talking to Harry about his new position as Quidditch captain next year, the twins advertising for their shop which will open near the Muggle Toy Box and the FIRM office, Cedric giving Luna some advice for her Exchange duties next year, and I even saw some seventh year Slytherins talking to Draco about things which might be good.

    ''Right, I should contact Narcissa and see how that spa is coming along. I should also write a translation guide for Luna. People are going to be really confused when she uses her unique terminology to describe how Magic works.'' I thought as I remembered two additional things to add to my to-do list.

    But all good things must come to an end. There were some tearful goodbyes, promises to keep in touch and some displays of bravery as individuals took this ''last'' chance to confess to their crushes.

    Helena laughed from behind me when half of them came and confessed to me.

    I felt bad rejecting them, but it''s hard to believe they didn''t know that I would do so. I mean, i am engaged and going to hold my wedding soon. It''s not like a random underclassman I''ve barely interacted with is going to convince me to abandon the woman I love. But I''m pretty sure this is mostly so they can leave without any sort of regret instead of actually thinking they''ll succeed.

    After that I saw the graduates off with the rest of the staff and went home as my first year as a Professor ended.

 Chapter 185 - Heads up

    So, I''ve been struggling to write lately.

    Half is because life''s being annoying. First exams and now my landlord wants to sell the house I''m renting in, which means I''ve gotta find a new place.

    The other half is just because I can''t get into it and I feel like I''m forcing myself whenever I try to write.

    So to combat this I''ve come up with a solution: take a small break from this story and write some stuff for another one I''ve been having troubles getting off my brain.

    Problem is I''m kinda torn over two worlds to set my story in lately.

    -Remnant, going to play in RWBY

    -Douluo, let''s cultivate with spirit rings

    I did have thoughts before between things like mass effect, Marvel, DC and a few anime''s. Hell, I even had some thoughts for a group chat. But right now the two above are the ones really monopolizing my brain.

    This isn''t to say I''m dropping the Harry Potter one. I generally know how I want to finish this and as a minor spoiler it was going to end before Harry gets to his seventh year. That''s because Aedan is just way too on the ball and I can''t think of any legitimate reasons for him to not end this as soon as possible, letting people get killed if he doesn''t.

    So yeah, any thoughts on which world would be nice and I hope I''m not making people too upset.

    Thanks for the support so far, I will finish this thing.