The Exchange Student

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Third year; second term; January - June 1992

The second term of the year flew away, in between readings and writings. Nicolás wrote everything that could have been written about Apparition. How it works, why it works the way it does, how to manage it, the priorities in it, the intricacies in it, and the consequences of its bad use. 

All of his exams were passed with flawless grades, and finally, two weeks before the year ended, the Apparition course finally got to its end, where they could try and do it. 

Maybe it was first-time luck, or maybe the fact that he had been doing magic ever since he was nine, but it didn’t come as a difficulty to him. 

On his first try, he actually did it. It wasn’t really that complicated if you were a control freak like Nicolás, who was also an obsessive overthinker, so it wasn’t difficult to keep a destination in mind. 

With purpose, he Disapparated his body. It was a curious sensation, it felt as if his body completely shattered into a million pieces, before being sucked and forced through a very tight rubber tube. And it was a success. 

He did it ten more times before the instructor deemed it worthy of being licensed.  

In retrospect… okay, perhaps Nicolás had needed to have been more clever with Harry. It was very suspicious of him to ask about his namesake, Nicolas Flamel.  

He had told Harry everything about Flamel because he was searching for him in recent history books when Flamel had been recently like six centuries ago. 

Of course, he hadn’t expected Harry to actually be involved in any shape or form in anything related to Flamel’s Philosoper’s Stone. Because it turns out, it was not only hidden in Hogwarts itself but also attempted to be stolen!

And somehow, it was Harry and his two friends, Ron and Hermione, who stopped the robbery. 

Or at least, that’s what Nicolás could grasp from the frantic letter Caelum sent. But that was until his attention was claimed back by his mother’s letter, leaving him with a sour taste.

Dear Nico,

Honey, I wanted to tell you that I probably won’t be at home for the summer break. I’ll be in England discussing very important things. This is really a once-in-a-lifetime chance, but I don’t want to get your hopes high to a possible disappointment, so I won’t get into many details.

I was offered a very high position within the British Ministry of Magic. That is why I will be traveling there for some weeks. There are many things that need to be discussed, things that need to be settled before I even consider accepting.

I’ll be leaving in a few days before you arrive back. I’m really sorry I won’t get to see you. Aunt María and Caelum promised they would go for a few days to keep you company.

I hope I’ll get to see you before the summer ends.

With love,

Mom

•─────⋅☾☽⋅─────•

Summer Holidays 1992

The summer began with less excitement than Nicolás had anticipated. His mom's absence, being away in England for most of the season, left their typically lively home feeling empty. Nicolás’ eagerness to hear from Harry, normally filled with the comfort of their regular letters, was met with an unsettling silence.

Ten letters he'd sent since the summer started, six weeks ago, and none had received a reply.

Harry's silence hung over Nicolás like a thick fog. Their letters had always been a steady source of comfort, but now they were replaced with eerie quietness, leaving him with unspoken questions and worries.

As the summer days passed, Nicolás couldn't help but wonder what had happened on Harry's end. Was there something unexpected? Or a deeper reason for the silence? He longed for the day when he'd receive a response, a sign that their friendship remained strong.

He had tried to speak with his father, but Remus Lupin, as rational as he had always been, told him very firmly that there was nothing they could do. They had been traveling to England for years now, but nobody knew where Lily’s sister lived after she married and moved to a whole different town.

Caelum, who had also sent numerous letters, was also very worried. So much, that he convinced his mother to talk and try to get an audience with Dumbledore so they could pressure him for answers.

Amid this uncertainty, Nicolás found himself empathizing with Harry. Discovering family members who truly cared for him must have been overwhelming for the young boy. It was a stark contrast to the miserable life he'd lived with the Dursleys, where the true identity of his nature, and any form of love had been deliberately kept from him.

Thinking about Harry's situation tugged at Nicolás’ heart. He couldn't forget Harry's enthusiastic agreement to spend the summer with them, a promise of adventures in the magical creature reserve. It had been a glimmer of hope, a chance to give Harry the love and warmth he deserved.

But now, Harry's silence cast a long shadow on those dreams, leaving Nicolás with an unsettling worry that settled deep within him. He had a feeling that Harry's sudden quietness held more than met the eye, that there had to be a hidden story waiting to be uncovered.

Frustration and helplessness gnawed at Nicolás. The vast distance that separated him from Harry felt like an insurmountable barrier. Even Aunt María and Caelum's attempts to contact Professor Dumbledore, the only one who knew Harry's whereabouts, had yielded nothing but confusion and uncertainty. Nicolás felt trapped in his own powerlessness, desperate for the day when Harry's response would arrive and reveal the mysteries hidden within his silence.

The start of Nicolás’ summer was marked by shadows of worry and uncertainty, with his thoughts revolving around Harry and unanswered questions plaguing his mind. Amid this unease, his cousin and confidant, Caelum, provided a much-needed source of comfort. Caelum's company acted as a soothing balm for Nicolás’ troubled soul, easing the constant anxiety that had taken root.

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“Wait, I never told you about how the year ended, did I?” asked Caelum.

They were standing by the lake shore, the whole herd of eleven Hippogriffs around them, waiting for their turn to be bathed. 

Nicolás looked up from the soapy water in the bucket. “You sent a letter.” He grabbed the now wet cloth, gently scrubbing the wings of the Hippogriff he was attending. “You said there was a robbery and they stopped it, not much else.”

“Attempted robbery,” Caelum corrected. “And I didn’t tell you any detail then,” he said, slapping the hindquarters of the Hippogriff he was tending, the creature chirped loudly, almost like a laugh, smacking Caelum’s chest with his beak, before jumping eagerly inside the water of the lake.  

“You see, old Nicolas Flamel entrusted his precious Philosopher’s Stone to Dumbledore to keep safe in Hogwarts because apparently, Voldemort, or what’s left of him, or his followers, I’m not sure, had been researching for him. So, Dumbs took it to the castle, and put guess what, a gigantic three-headed dog to guard a door—”

“A Cerberus was inside the school?!”

“Yes, Nico. His name was Fluffy, anyway. Turns out the dog guarded a trap door, which led to a series of different rooms, before the stone.”

“Wait,” Nicolas interrupted. “Remind me who tried to steal it.”

“At the start, we all thought it was Snape, 'cause the slimy git is very suspicious, but turns out it was Quirrel! The DADA professor who was faking to be a stutterer! But hell to the no, the man was actually an agent of Voldemort, like literally, he had Voldemort’s face in the back of his head.” Caelum explained, moving his soapy hands, gesturing the back of his own head. 

“Voldemort’s face?”

Caelum shrugged. “That’s what Harry said, I had to stay behind to take Ron and Hermione back to the Hospital Wing.”

Looking lost for words, Nicolás said, “Water,” before the Hippogriff next to him moved, running to the lake to complete her bath. 

That was the last one, now all of them came out, soaked to the next week, waiting to be dried and get their wings brushed. High-maintenance creatures, they are called. 

“So, comes the last day of exams, and I was talking with them when Quirrell passes very suspiciously, obviously we followed him, and he got inside the chambers, we thought he was going to help stop Snape, so we got in, using some music to put Fluffy to sleep,” Caelum said as Nicolás waved his wand and hand, directing the wind to dry the Hippogriffs. 

“There were six chambers underground. First was a freaking Devil’s Snare,” Caelum continued. “Thank Merlin I listen to Abu Angela, so Hermione and I used blue flames to get it off Ron and Harry before they were strungled.”

“Then came a bunch of flying keys charmed to have wings. Harry as a Seeker went on a broomstick and caught the one to open the next door, which was a gigantic chess game transfigured and enchanted to play itself,” Caelum said, as they started to brush the Hippogriffs’ wings. 

“Anyway, Ron is a genius for Wizards’ Chest, so we played and he sacrificed himself at the end. Then there was a chamber with a Troll, but it was already out cold by the time we arrived,” Caelum shrugged. 

“Then there was a riddle with potions to pass a wall of fire, Hermione and I figured out which one was the Fire Protection Potion, but there was only one dose, so Harry chose to do it himself, while I took Hermione and Ron back to the Hospital Wing and alerted other professors,” Caelum finished. 

“What?! You left Harry alone?!” Nicolás exclaimed, dropping the brush into the Hippogriff’s back. The creature chirped, hitting his chest with its beak and giving him a judging side eye, “sorry, love,” Nicolás apologized, rubbing its feathers to calm him. 

“A single dose can’t be split Nico,” Caelum groaned, as the last Hippogriff flew away, now all the herd completely clean. “Anyway, when he got there, turns out it was Quirrell so they battled, but apparently because of Aunt Lily’s sacrifice, Voldemort or his essence, or whatever it was, couldn’t touch him, and he ended up killing Quirrell, unknowingly and unintentionally, mind you.”

“Do you think that he… that Voldemort…” 

“I don’t know, and I’m not sure I want to know,” Caelum sighed. “Let’s go back inside,” he added, wrapping an arm around his cousin’s shoulders —using his height advantage, the tower—, and dragged him back inside the cottage after collecting Twiggle, who was eating a bug in a tree branch nearby.

•─────⋅☾☽⋅─────•

On an August morning, charged with eager anticipation, Nicolás sat cross-legged on the living room floor. His fingers found solace in the golden fur of Ember, his ever-loyal companion. The moments leading up to this reunion had felt like an eternity, each second filled with mounting excitement.

Then, almost as if fate itself was orchestrating the moment, a distinct crack pierced the quiet. Nicolás’ heart soared as he recognized the unmistakable sound of a Portkey. He sprang to his feet, a surge of excitement coursing through his veins.

The door swung open, and there, like a dream come true, stood Carolina—his mother. Her return was the radiant light at the end of a long tunnel of separation, and Nicolás’ joy surged and overflowed.

“Mom! You're back!” he exclaimed, his voice brimming with relief and love. He rushed to her, enfolding her in a hug as warm and fierce as the bond they shared.

Nicolás clung to his mom, savoring the comfort of her presence. In that moment, he wished he could freeze time, as if holding onto her could shield her from the world's uncertainties.

While Nicolás and Carolina shared their heartfelt reunion, another figure appeared, having been occupied in the kitchen. It was his father, Remus. The sight of his wife's return was a joy too profound to hide, and Remus embraced her with love. Their lips met, sealing their reunion with a kiss that spoke of their profound love.

“I have news,” Carolina announced, her voice effervescent with excitement, and the secret she held felt like a hidden treasure, eager to be unveiled.

Within minutes, the whole family had gathered, their faces curious and eager. All eyes were on Carolina, ready to hear her revelation.

Carolina rose from her seat, her eyes sparkling with the joy of a storyteller about to share a long-kept tale. A sly smirk danced on her lips, and her family leaned in, ready to hear the revelation that had fueled her excitement, she faked to cough, before speaking up.

“You are all looking at the newly appointed Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures of the British Ministry of Magic,” Carolina declared, her voice illuminated with unbridled excitement.

Her announcement hung in the air like a spell, and her family sat there stunned, eyes wide, mouths agape.

The room held its breath, the weight of her words sinking in, until Nicolás’ exuberant squeal shattered the silence. He leaped into his mom's arms, a tight hug expressing his uncontainable joy.

Remus quickly followed, wrapping Carolina in an embrace filled with pride and affection. The room overflowed with joy.

One by one, the family members offered heartfelt congratulations and well-wishes, their smiles and words filling the room with warmth and love. It was a moment of shared happiness, celebrating Carolina's remarkable achievement and the love that bound their family.

However, as the jubilation and congratulations began to subside, Carolina's tone grew more serious. She knew her new role brought both responsibilities and challenges, and her words reflected her sense of duty and determination.

“Now, there are many more details to discuss,” Carolina declared, her words a reminder that her new position would bring significant changes and responsibilities, and their family life stood on the verge of a transformation.

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