➣ 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝟗 “𝙜𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙝”
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As Professors Sinistra and Flitwick carried Justin’s body to the Hospital Wing, the murmurs and voices of the students started to rise, with Peeves' annoying voice filling the corridor before getting shut off by McGonagall.
“That’s enough, Peeves!” barked Professor McGonagall, and Peeves zoomed away backward, with his tongue out.
Professor McGonagall conjured a fan and instructed Ernie to use it to take Nearly Headless Nick up the stairs. Quickly, the woman sent everyone back to their classrooms with a single shout.
“This way, Cardona, Potter,” she said. Harry looked up to Nicolás in panic.
“Professor,” said Harry at once, “I swear I didn’t —”
“This is out of my hands, Potter,” said Professor McGonagall curtly.
They walked behind her. Nicolás rubbed his face, trying to calm down his new wave of anxiety. They made their way to the headmaster’s office, and after a ridiculous password, the stairs appeared, and they went up.
After entering, McGonagall told them to go in, and left.
Harry was looking around with curious eyes, trying to take in every single detail, probably already tasting their expulsion from the school.
Suddenly, Harry let go of Nicolás’ hand, approaching the Sorting Hat, and putting it on. After a couple of minutes, Harry took off the hat, looking annoyed.
“It didn’t tell you what you wanted, did it?” Nicolás asked with a smirk.
With rosy cheeks, Harry puffed, but before he could speak, a strange, gagging noise behind him made them look towards the big desk. It was Fawkes, and as Harry took a curious step towards the bird, it burst into flames, leaving nothing but a small pile of ashes.
“Thank, Merlin, it was about time,” thought Nicolás out loud. The poor bird already looked really ugly and ill.
The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very somber.
“Professor,” Harry gasped. “Your bird — I couldn’t do anything — he just caught fire —”
Dumbledore only smiled. “About time, too,” he said. “He’s been looking dreadful for days; I’ve been telling him to get a move on.”
He chuckled at the stunned look on Harry’s face.
“Fawkes is a Phoenix, Harry.” Nicolás told him, but Harry looked at him confused. “Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes. Watch him...”
They looked down in time to see a tiny, wrinkled, newborn bird poke its head out of the ashes. It was quite as ugly as the old one, just smaller.
“It’s a shame you two had to see him on a Burning Day,” said Dumbledore, seating himself behind his desk. “He’s really very handsome most of the time, wonderful red and gold plumage. Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets.”
Dumbledore sat himself in the highchair behind the desk and fixed Harry and Nicolás with his penetrating, light-blue stare.
Before Dumbledore could speak another word, however, the door of the office flew open with an almighty bang and Hagrid burst in, a wild look in his eyes, his balaclava perched on top of his shaggy black head and the dead rooster still swinging from his hand.
“It wasn’t them, Professor Dumbledore!” said Hagrid urgently. “I was talkin’ ter 'em seconds before that kid was found, they never had time, sir —”
Dumbledore tried to say something, but Hagrid went ranting on, waving the dead rooster around in his agitation, sending feathers everywhere.
“— it can’t’ve bin ‘em, I’ll swear it in front o’ the Ministry o’ Magic if I have to —”
“Hagrid, I —”
“— yeh’ve got the wrong boy, sir, I know Harry never —”
“Hagrid!” said Dumbledore loudly. “I do not think that Harry nor Nicolás attacked those people.”
“Oh,” said Hagrid, the rooster falling limply at his side. “Right. I’ll wait outside then, Headmaster.”
And he stomped out, looking embarrassed.
“You don’t think it was me, Professor?” Harry repeated hopefully as Dumbledore brushed rooster feathers off his desk.
“No, Harry, I don’t,” said Dumbledore, though his face was somber again. “But I still want to talk to you. Both of you.”
“I must ask you, both of you, whether there is anything you’d like to tell me,” he said gently. “Anything at all.”
Harry didn’t know what to say. He seemed to look at Nicolás for a moment, but Nicolás could only think of his aunt’s words from two years ago.
Dumbledore is a strategist. And unfortunately, even if he has the greater good in mind, he sees people as nothing more than pawns in his chess game. Once they complete their tasks, or if they are interfering with his vision, he doesn’t waste a second sacrificing them.
“No, Sir.,” said Nicolás in a solid voice. “There isn’t anything.”
•─────⋅☾☽⋅─────•
The dorm was quiet, all the other boys had already made their bags, and were out in the common room, refusing to leave until it was most necessary. Justin’s attack had everyone on hyper-alert.
“I won’t judge you if you want to go back home for Christmas, you know that, right?”
For the last hour, as Nicolás has been telling Cedric everything that happened, he felt the boy get more and more nervous, a slight panic behind the strong facade he put on. Every single Hufflepuff —as well as everyone from every house— had already gone in a panicked haste to secure their seats in the Hogwarts Express to go back home.
“I don’t want to leave you alone,” was Cedric’s stubborn answer.
With a gentle smile, Nicolás took one of Cedric’s hands, bringing him to sit on the bed.
“You couldn’t leave me alone, even if you wanted to,” said Nicolás, causing Cedric to snort. “Seriously, all you need is to go back home so you can calm down and recharge for the remaining term, eh?” Nicolás finished.
Cedric looked at him for a long moment, before sighing, his shoulders falling, his shoulders deflating. “My parents had been weird, you know?” he said, as his cheeks took a deep red.
“Weird how?” asked Nicolás.
“I don’t know, father started to ask about girlfriends the other day,” Cedric said in an annoyed tone, watching closely Nicolás’ reaction.
Nicolás forced out a chuckle, “And why’s that bad?”
“Because I have none!” Cedric said. “And it’s not like I want one,” he added in a hush, his cheeks flushing deeper.
Nicolás squeezed his hand. “Have you thought of telling him that?”
“Yes! But he says I’ll be of age soon.”
“You’re fifteen, Cedric.”
“I know, but he still seems… worried? I guess?”
“And how about boyfriends?” Nicolás asked, suddenly very interested in watching the pattern of Cedric’s sweater to avoid his eyes.
Cedric looked at him with wide eyes and rosy cheeks, he quickly drove his eyes to the floor, making sure to don’t look in Nicolás’ direction. Thankfully, Nicolás couldn’t hear the way Cedric’s heart hammered in his chest under his gaze.
“I-I haven’t thought of that,” Cedric said. But something in the way he spoke told Nicolás he was lying. “I don’t think they would care much, no one cares about that, anyway. They probably just want me to start dating someone,” he shrugged.
“And you don’t like anyone?” Nicolás asked, raising his eyes to meet Cedric’s.
Cedric looked at him for a moment, like in panic, feeling his blood pump strongly in his eardrums. “I-I — I don’t—” He seemed to be in panic.
Rubbing his thumb in circles on Cedirc’s palm, Nicolás spoke. “It doesn’t matter. For now, the only thing you need to worry about is to go home and rest, you’re a pureblood, anyway.”
Cedric sighed, “you’ll write, won’t you?”
“Of course, I will,” said Nicolás, squeezing Cedric’s hand. “You can’t get rid of me so easily, Buttercup.”
Snorting, with his strong flush painting his pretty cheeks, Cedric playfully pushed Nicolás. He stood up from the bed, looking down at Nicolás.
“I’ll go speak with Professor Sprout then, Snugglebug,” and just like that, he left, leaving Nicolás to choke on air on his own, only laughing in the distance.
•─────⋅☾☽⋅─────•
Christmas had been a serene event. The feast had been delectable; apart from Nicolás, Caelum, Harry, and Hermione, the entire Weasley clan, and a handful of Slytherins had been the only ones staying.
This time, Harry had received more presents than ever; apart from Ron’s and Hermione’s presents, and Mrs. Weasley’s sweater, he had received a limited edition of Quidditch Through the Ages from Caelum, a Broomstick Servicing Kit from Nicolás, other high-quality Quidditch supplies from Carolina, Remus, Abu Pedro, and María, and quite a few hand-knitted scarfs and gloves from Abu Angela.
Nicolás for his part had to repress a high-pitched squeal at his gifts. There were many of them, there were presents from Dorian, Alec, his parents, his Abus, his aunt, Caelum, Harry, the Weasley twins, there was a hand-kitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley —yellow with a big N, Caelum received a purple one with a big C—, there moving figurines of Ember and Zeus from Cedric, and a set of advanced set of Arithmancy books from Amelia and Lilith, not to mention, countless candies.
The day had been nice, Nicolás had sneaked into the Gryffindor common room using his Invisibility Cloak, and they spent the morning and early afternoon playing Explosive Snap.
At dinner, they found Dorian who, surprisingly, was also wearing a hand-knitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley, his being green with a silver D.
After dinner, Nicolás had gone to the Forbidden Forest for a moment to collect Ember. After a quick transfiguration, he hid the cat under the Invisibility Cloak, and went back to the Gryffindor common room. In the safety of Caelum’s dorm, Nico brought Ember’s original form back, relaxing in the warmth for a few hours.
It was around eight pm, when Nicolás started to notice weird things.
“What on this Earth could three twelve-year-olds be doing for over an hour in an off-service bathroom?”
Caelum looked up from his book with a raised brow. “What do you mean?”
Nicolás gestured to the wide-opened Marauder’s Map on the bed. On the second floor, under the inscription of Girls Bathroom, where there were three names. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley.
“Should we be worried about that?” Asked Caelum, closing his book.
“It’s Harry. Worry may be the only appropriate answer.”
With a heavy sigh, Nicolás got up, grabbing his cloak.
“I’ll go and check, you stay here. Ember, don’t make a mess.”
The Wampus Cat only meowed back at him, and Caelum sat back on the bed, nodding as he petted Ember’s head.
“Merlin, these children will be the death of me,” Nicolás groaned out loud.
Caelum barked a loud laugh. “You just sounded like an old and divorced single father.”
Nicolás rolled his eyes with a smile, “I may as well be one.”
As he made his way out of the portrait of the Fat Lady, Nicolás noticed how, on the map, Harry and Ron walked out of the bathroom, and directed themselves towards the Slytherin common room. What was weird, is that they left Hermione in the bathroom.
“Youngster fools,” Nicolás said under his breath as he walked towards the bathroom.
When he entered the bathroom, there seemed to be a mist, as if something had been brewed in there.
“Hermione? Are you Okay? I know you’re there.”
A faint gasp came from one of the stalls in the bathroom. “N-Nico!”
“Hermione, what—” As he spoke, Nicolás saw it. There was a cauldron on the side of the bathroom.
He approached the cauldron, eyeing the map, seeing how Harry and Ron had, somehow, gotten inside the Slytherin common room. He closed the map, looking down at the potion. It was thick, and dark, like mud.
He took one of the glasses beside the cauldron, smelling it. Then it hit him. The fact that they could enter the Slytherin common room…
“Oh, Lord—Hermione, tell me you didn’t brew Polyjuice Potion!”
Hermione seemed to be choking in sobs. It was obvious something went wrong with her transformation.
“Please, go away!” she cried.
Suddenly, a ghost, the girl Hermione mentioned to at Sir. Nick’s party came out, Moaning Myrtle, floated around him. “Ooooooh, wait till you see,” she said. “It’s awful—”
“Hermione! What went wrong with your transformation?” Nicolás pressed.
Hermione cried louder. “I didn’t know it was a cat hair!”
“Oh, Merlin—Polyjuice potion doesn’t work on animal transfigurations!”
“I know!” Hermione cried.
“Come out, I’ll take you to Madam Pomfrey, she’ll be able to do something.”
“You’ll be teased something dreadful,” said Myrtle happily.
“If you won’t offer help, then shut up, Myrtle!” Nicolás snapped at the ghost, who simply pouted, floating away.
It took a few more minutes to dissuade Hermione tofinally leave the stall, and covering her with his cloak, Nicolás took her to the Hospital Wing. Thankfully, Madam Pomfrey never asked too many questions.
•─────⋅☾☽⋅─────•
Dorian was watching from across the common room as Draco seemed to converse with Goyle and Crabbe. Draco seemed incredibly uncomfortable as the other two seemed to shower him with endless questions.
But that was weird. Goyle and Crabbe seemed to be talking too much. Those two probably had the same amount of brain cells as a sponge; they would never utter more than five words at a time, unless it was to repeat or magnify something Draco had said.
Draco had been making an effort to stay away from them, evident in how rigid his body was under their attention and their unrelenting questions.
As he approached, Goyle’s voice sounded a bit too focused, considering his usual character.
“You must have some idea who’s behind it all...”
Draco’s voice was stern, “I told you I don’t,” he snapped. “I only know it opened fifty years ago. Now leave me alone.”
As Goyle opened his mouth again, Dorian stopped behind Draco, seeing how the other two started to walk backward. “You heard him.”
Goyle and Crabbe walked fast toward another second-year Slytherin, Blaise Zabini.
“What did they want?” Dorian asked Draco.
“They were asking about the Chamber.” When Dorian looked back at him, raising a brow, Draco’s eyes went wide, “I have nothing to do with it!”
Dorian chuckled. “I know Draco, I know,” He looked back at where Goyle and Crabbe were accosting Zabini, probably about the same inquiries.
His Slytherin instincts told him the obvious. Those two weren’t Goyle and Crabbe, there was just no way, especially when the hair of one of them started to get tainted with, red? He walked to them, grabbed the back of their robes, and dragged them out of the common room.
They tried to fight, but Dorian was twice their size and strength.
“I don’t know how the two of you managed to brew Polyjuice Potion, or if either of you know it’s almost illegal to use it, and would probably get you expelled from here, but I think Nicolás will be incredibly disappointed in you for using it.” Dorian spoke between clenched teeth, he felt both of them tense.
Outside, the two looked at Dorian scared. “Now leave, before I consider calling Weasley or Clearwater, or even better, Nicolás, on both of you.”
The moment Nicolás’ name came again, the two quickly made their way out, trying to run as their bodies started to morph back to their original form.
•─────⋅☾☽⋅─────•
It took a little bit more than two months for Hermione to finally leave behind any reminiscence of a cat.
Of course, it didn’t save any of the three of them from Nicolás’ wrath, nor his scolding. The boy spent the most of twenty minutes trying to not let all his anger loose and scream out loud.in the middle of the Hospital Wing, before remembering a simple Silencing Charm.
In between the hurried and high-pitched sorry and excuses from the kids, many things were heard.
WHAT WERE YOU THINKING — YOU COULD’VE BEEN EXPELLED — YOU COULD’VE DIED IF ANY INGREDIENT WENT WRONG — YOU’RE LUCKY THOSE TWO IDIOTS PROBABLY FORGOT ABOUT IT, ANYONE ELSE WOULD’VE SEARCHED FOR YOU.
But anyway, by the time February came, Nicolás had almost forgotten about Lockhart’s existence, that is, of course, until he heard him speaking with Professor McGonagall. Something about a morale booster.
Lockhart’s idea of a morale-booster became evident in the breakfast of the fourteenth, Valentine’s Day.
The entire Great Hall was covered in pink, from the walls to the windows, there was heart-shaped confetti, also pink, falling from the ceiling.
Nicolás walked towards Cedric, at the Hufflepuff table, with a grimace.
“What the heck is this?” Nicolás asked.
Cedric only shrugged. Besides him were Aurora and Amara, who were looking from Cedric to Nicolás and then back again, giving them knowing looks, and weird raises of brows.
Before Nicolás could question the girls’ weird behavior, a flash of pink walked into the staff table. Lockhart was wearing horrid pink robes, matching the decorations and increasing the pain in Nicolás’ eyes. The rest of the teaching staff looked just as perturbed and disturbed as Nicolás felt.
“Happy Valentine’s Day!” Lockhart shouted. “And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all — and it doesn’t end here!”
Lockhart clapped his hands, and through the doors to the entrance hall marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. Not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them all wearing golden wings and carrying harps.
“My friendly, card-carrying cupids!” beamed Lockhart. “They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines!
And the fun doesn’t stop here! I’m sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you’re at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I’ve ever met, the sly old dog!”
Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands. Snape was looking as though the first person to ask him for a Love Potion would be force-fed poison.
All day long, the dwarfs kept barging into their classes to deliver valentines, to the annoyance of the teachers. By the end of the day, most people had a couple of letters and candies to carry around.
Even Nicolás received a few. Most of them were 'thank you' letters from the kids he sometimes tutored on the weekends.
However, between those, there was one that shone brighter, it was a really moving letter, and it was accompanied by creature-shaped chocolates, his favorites, with fruit filling. Though the letter was sent anonymously, there were aspects of its writing that seemed to tug parts of his brain and his heart, maybe telling him who sent it.
•─────⋅☾☽⋅─────•
“These people really know no limit, do they?” Nicolás commented, looking down at the space between him and Cedric in the latter’s bed; it was filled with an array of multiple candy brands, from chocolate to gummies, to traditional candy, with even ice cream, next to a pile of over forty letters.
It was… nice, to see Cedric be so appreciated. At least he could feel that, if he made the effort to ignore the bitter taste under his tongue, the green-eyed whispers behind his ears, and if he looked beyond the covetous silken veil that suddenly covered his eyes.
Cedric chuckled, taking one of the chocolate wands and opening it. “This is actually less than last year, thankfully.”
“Oh, yeah?” said Nicolás with a forced smirk, “So Caelum was right, eh? You’re a total heartbreaker, Sugar.”
What were those sudden feelings? Was he jealous of Cedric’s gifts? No way. If anything, he was glad to not have as much attention as poor Cedric had, with unknown people stopping him every five minutes to give him stuff. But then, if he wasn’t jealous of that, what was he jealous of?
Cedric feigned offense, “Sweets, I’m not. It is not my fault people simply fall at my wake. And even so, you’re one to talk, you also received a few of them.”
Why would he feel jealous? It was normal to receive Valentine’s presents, especially if you’re as pretty, nice, and popular as Cedric. But why did it leave a bad taste in his mouth? He knew he wasn’t jealous of Cedric or his appeal, was he jealous over the gifts? Sure, gifts are nice, but he didn’t need them… or was he… jealous over Cedric receiving them? But why would he…
Nicolás opened one of the large chocolate bars eating it, “Actually, most of them were ‘thank you’ notes from the kids I tutor. Trust me, in his panic towards Snape, I don’t think poor Neville has the energy to fancy me.” Unwrapping one package of Exploding bonbons, Nicolás gestured for Cedric, “Catch it!”
Then, he threw one of the small bonbons in the air. The bonbon made a perfect curve in the air, and Cedric moved on the bed, with his mouth open, letting the candy fall right inside. A few minor explosions sounded inside his mouth and throat, and smoke came out of his ears.
Because all Cedric did was gleam and twinkle. His eyes like pools of honey, and Nicolás had to do his best each time to not jump in.
And throughout the entire Valentine’s Day, it was like a gold rush, and Cedric was the biggest walking chunk of gold. With everyone dying to feel his touch, with everyone wondering what it would be like to love him.
Coughing, Cedric spoke, “You said ‘most of them’?”
“Yeah, there was one, a very sweet letter with some delicious chocolates. Everything very special if you ask me.”
“You didn’t show me,” muttered Cedric, in a pretentiously distracted voice, his eyes glued on the candies.
What must it be like to grow up that beautiful? With his hair falling into place like a perfect domino, even after playing Quidditch? Because each time Nicolás looked at him, all he could desire was to make masterpieces in his name, to turn his life into folklore, so it was passed down.
“Nope, you don’t need to see it,” Cedric’s eyes snapped back at Nicolás’ response, and opened comically. Nicolás raised an eyebrow, “It was very personal, there’s no need to share those feelings, right?”
Cedric seemed to swallow hard, a violent flush creeping up from his neck, and settling on his freckled cheeks. “Right,” he conceded.” And the chocolates?”
Nicolás beamed. “Those were also very special. Creature-shaped chocolates with fruit filling. They don’t sell them on Honeydukes.”
“Of course not, those are imported,” Cedric supplied before thinking. He stopped, thinking of his own words, as Nicolás smirked widely at him. He coughed on his fist, before continuing as if nothing had slipped past his treacherous tongue. “Sounds like a very well-thought gift,” commented Cedric, trying to act nonchalant, ruffling through the candies.
But oh Lord, Nicolás didn’t like the gold rush. Always anticipating when his face would flush the moment the next pet name came, seeing everything around Cedric in some kind of rose-blushed glasses, going all in slow motion.
“Yeah, someone who knows me very well.” Raising his eyes from the candies, Cedric’s eyes fixed on Nicolás’. “They said they’re not ready yet to understand their feelings. Only time will tell, right?”
“Yeah,” breathed Cedric. “And would—would you give them—um, a chance?”
Nicolás started to move the candies on the bed. “Well, I don’t know them, or at least not certainly, so I can´t say.”
“And what if—what if they’re a guy?”
Nicolás shrugged, “I don’t see the problem. It is not like we’re muggles, you know. Same-sex marriages for wizarding kind are as common as adopting a Crup.”
“Oh, you’re already thinking of marriage?” Cedric laughed; eyes cast down.
Nicolás chuckled, shaking his head. “Not right now, but I still don’t do hookups, you know.”
“Not even snogging?” Cedric raised his eyes to meet Nicolás’.
“Nope. Not unless it is the person I have in mind,” Nicolás commented, seeming in thought.
Because up til now, it’s felt like falling, but somehow he had been able to fly, and now all that's left is the bones’ crush and… oh.
“Oh,” muttered Cedric, and if Nicolás wasn’t out of tune, he could almost feel a certain… disappointment? Cedric’s body seemed to deflate a little. “And who is that?” he asked in a smaller voice.
“Keanu Reeves,” Nicolás thought out loud. He was fucking fucked.
“Who?!” asked Cedric, alarmed.
Nicolás barked a laugh because poor Cedric couldn’t be any worse at pretending, his almost panic so palpable.
“He’s a muggle actor,” Nicolás said laughing. “Anyway, for now, that’s only mine to know, right?” he asked, a smile on his lips and an eyebrow raised.
Cedric chuckled softly, “Right,” he breathed with a new and renowned smile.
•─────⋅☾☽⋅─────•
“Okay, no wait, let me see if I got everything straight,” Nicolás said, beside him, Caelum looked just as astonished. In front of them, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had unraveled a pretty crazy tale.
“So, you’re telling me that you simply found that diary in a bathroom, and that the diary doesn’t have anything written on it, but if you write, it will absorb your ink, and write a response back at you?” Nicolás said, Harry nodded. “And through that you met a Tom Riddle, from back in the forties, when the Chamber of Secrets was first opened.” Harry nodded once more. “And Riddle, who came from a muggle orphanage, told you he found the responsible, who was Hagrid, our Hagrid. And he handed him, so Hogwarts wasn’t closed, because a muggle-born girl died.” Another collective nod.
“And how do we know they caught the right person?” Caelum asked.
“Hagrid was expelled. That must be why,” Hermione answered in a matter-of-factly way.
“Well, wouldn’t be the first time the Ministry caught the wrong person,” Nicolás grumbled, the others looked at him quizzingly, but no one spoke. “Didn’t you say it was some kind of spider, probably an Acromantula.”
“Have you considered asking Hagrid directly?” Caelum asked.
“That’d be a cheerful visit,” said Ron. “‘Hello, Hagrid. Tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?’”
Caelum gave Ron a deadpanned face, while Nicolás chuckled.
“I still don’t think it was actually Hagrid,” Nicolás commented.
“But the monster had killed someone,” said Hermione.
“I never said it didn’t,” countered Nicolás.
Once they were done, Harry showed them the diary, and beside him, Nicolás felt how in an instant, Caelum seemed to get very tense, and his breathing seemed to get caught.
After the little ones finished their tale, they left, but Caelum moved Nicolás a more secluded area.
“What happened?” Nicolás asked his cousin.
Caelum fidgeted with his fingers for a moment. “Well, I — I don’t — well, not really — I can’t explain it — but I, um.”
Nicolás stopped him putting his hands on Caelum’s shoulders. “Cae, stop rambling, breathe in, and speak slowly.”
Caelum nodded, taking a deep breath. “I don’t know but that thing, that diary, it’s weird. I saw it but I got this… feeling? I don’t know what it is, but it feels creepy, like beyond-the-grave creepy, you know?”
For moments, Nicolás wasn’t sure how to respond. He only nodded, squeezing Caelum’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Cae, we can ask them, maybe it has some rational explanations, just, don’t fret for now, okay? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
His cousin only nodded, a hunted expression still on his face.
•─────⋅☾☽⋅─────•
“So, the urgent matter for this meeting was your Electives?”
The three young wizards and witch nodded eagerly.
Nicolás chuckled, and Caelum groaned, leaning his head on the table.
“Guys this is something intrinsically personal. Though, I can give you the basics on each Elective for you to pick.”
“But you take almost all of them,” inquired Hermione.
“Yes, I do.”
“How do you even do that?” questioned Ron, looking almost scared.
Nicolás laughed. “It’s simply a deal I made with the professors, I used to take more classes in Castelobruxo.”
“How many?” Hermione’s eyes seemed to brighten at the prospect of having more classes.
“Well, everything back there was a core subject. Charms, Transfigurations, DADA, Potions, Astronomy, Herbology, Alchemy, Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies, and Divination.
“And what do you take now?” asked Harry.
“Apart from the core ones here, I take Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, Study of Ancient Runes with others in my year, and Alchemy with some seventh years. I study Divination and Muggle Studies on my own.”
Hermione’s eyes seemed to be about to pop out of their sockets. “How can you take Alchemy with them when you’re in fourth year?”
Nicolás laughed, and as Caelum’s head rose, both boys spoke in unison. “Because Alchemy is not about your year, is about your skill.”
After that, Caelum returned to the table, seemingly dozing to sleep, they had been woken up early, anyway.
“What I mean, is that Hogwarts’ highest level offered is that of Elemental Adepts, Fourth Grade Alchemists, back at Castelobruxo I was already certified that level, I'm close to obtaining my Ouroboros level, or Fourth Grade.”
Hermione seemed to gasp for air a few times. “How?” was all she was able to muster.
“Our grandfather is one of the most proficient Alchemists in the world, not to mention one of the most relevant Potioneers of the last decades.”
“Why?”
“He worked with Damocles Belby; they both created the Wolfsbane Potion. They both were to receive an Order of Merlin Third Class, but my grandfather’s work at the Ministry with Newt Scamander, on Magizoology, granted him a Second Class.”
The three children looked at him with their eyes and mouths wide open.
“Now, as much as I love to talk about my Abus’ accomplishments, I believe there’s a matter to hand. Now, Care of Magical Creatures is a must-have, even if you’re not interested in Magizoology, in my personal opinion at least; it helps you develop compassion and respect for all beings. Now, Arithmancy is very interesting one; it involves the study of the magical properties of numbers—some people had been able to even predict the future with numbers. Ancient Runes studies ancient symbols and languages, and the ways to apply them. I don’t take Muggle Studies, because I already know some about muggles, and I don’t intend to live in their world anyway, and I think Professor Trelawney, from Divination, is a fraud.”
“Why?” asked Hermione, her interest picked at this.
“I don’t know, she talks like a muggle fortuneteller scam. She believes she has all the answers, which is constantly a problem, and she always credits her abilities on her ancestor, but that’s just no right,” Nicolás shrugged. “I believe that, if any of you will take Divination, you should search a way to intertwine it with Astronomy and Arithmancy, that way it’ll all make more sense. I studied Astronomy with Centaurs, so.”
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