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Chapter 2: The burrow.
🕑 Added 2024-10-31 05:36:38 +0000 UTCCelestial ascendancy
Chapter 2: The burrow.
The burrow.
Elias Blake.
"I want to thank you for hosting me, Mrs. Weasley." I smiled at the plump, redheaded woman in front of me. "If there is anywhere I can help while I am here, let me know."
Mrs Weasley smiled her usual motherly smile, "Shush, dear. We will always welcome you here after what you did for our daughter. She was quite anxious for you to arrive," she teased her youngest.
Looking at Ginny, I smiled, seeing her face resembling a tomato, and I opted to tease her even more. She was fun and probably my favorite Weasley after the twins.
"Oh?" I lifted my eyebrow, "Couldn't wait to see me, Ginny?"
Grunting a little when an elbow hit my ribs, I rubbed my stomach in pain, looking at Iris, who was glaring at me.
"Leave her alone," she hushed, "I don't want her to get her hopes up."
Ginny visibly slumped when she heard that, but I continued to stop making things awkward. "Sorry for that, Ginny. I missed you too. Maybe we can go flying as my apology?"
Flying was something I enjoyed in my free time, I was not like Iris, who loved being in the air and getting into some maneuvers that would make professionals slump in defeat, but even then, it was fun. One of my plans was to learn how to fly without a broom and without aid, and now that I had the celestial grimoire, my dream was possible. The only other way it would have happened was if I had learned the same way Voldemort did, but I did not know if I could get strong enough to pick his brain with Legilimency.
Legilimency was something I wished to learn for the sake of learning. I had enough auto control to not misuse the admittedly dangerous magic, or at least I hoped so.
Hermione coughed to break the awkward atmosphere in the room, "How was life in the orphanage, Elias?"
Rubbing the back of my neck, I took a deep breath: "Same old, same old. The children bother me with stories about school, and I'm almost losing my patience with them. I don't have the imagination to keep talking about a life I do not live."
"You still love them," teased Iris, and I huffed.
"They are a pain in my ass; that's what they are." but I could not hide the smile on my face. It was true; I had a soft spot for the children younger than me inside Wool’s orphanage, and I did my best to help whenever I could, but lying to the matrons where I found the money was hard.
The goblins had a service to change currencies, but it was tightly regulated so that muggle-borns like me did not find any workarounds. One thing I found out without trying to dig too deep was that in this world, the statue of secrecy was different from the one in canon, or at least I believed so. The goblins had contacts in human banks to do all kinds of services for the muggle-born, and the only way to do that was if the banks were founded by a magician, but I doubted that.
Even then, the use of magic outside school was the same. The trace was explained to us at the end of our first year. It was activated during the first trip on the Hogwarts Express, which was one of the reasons why every student was forced to go there, even if they lived near the castle.
There was a student whose parents lived in Hogsmeade, and she was even forced to travel all the way to King Cross station to go to Hogwarts.
"I would love that," squeaked Ginny with a red face. Her not-so-little crush on me was something that the girls and Ron tried to stop but were unsuccessful in their endeavors.
I did not think that the girls wanted to stop her because they had feelings for me since we were barely in our second year when it happened, but maybe they thought I would spend less time with them if Ginny was closer to me. Their jealousy was cute, if I were to be honest.
On the other hand, Ron did it because he could not imagine Ginny crushing on some boy, and maybe he felt jealous of the possibility of her doing what he could not do, thanks to his blunder in the first year and the beginning of the second one.
Since he and Iris ended their first year with a spat, he was one of the more vocal believers that Iris was the heir of Slytherin when her parselmouth slipped during the dueling club, but at least after saving Ginny, his attitude did a 180.
"Fred, George," I nodded to the twins. " Do you have any interesting adventures during the break?" I smirked at them. There was a reason why they were my favorite Weasleys. They always cracked me up with their jokes, and while some of their pranks went a little too far, they only did that to people who mostly deserved it.
Both twins smirked in unison before frowning. "We are grounded," grunted Fred while looking at Mrs. Weasley with anger. “Mom found the order forms for our trinkets, and she decided that it would not continue."
Hermione and Iris groaned simultaneously, "Why don't we all go to Ginny’s bedroom?"
Before I could ask for an explanation, Mione started pushing me toward the stairs that led to the bedrooms, and I let it happen. While I was taller than her, she had a strength that should not be possible in someone her height and weight; it was something we made fun of since it must be because of all the times she lifted books in the castle.
Before long, we reached Ginny's bedroom, and Iris unlocked the door and pushed me in before closing it in Ron's face. "You will go back when we go to sleep, mister." She teased me, "Ron's room is in front, so you won't have to worry about getting lost. Even if I would love to see Mrs. Weasley's face if you slept with us here."
Iris's relationship with Mrs. Weasley was rocky because she tried to mother her in every waking moment, something that Iris appreciated at first before growing tired of it. Even after trying to work with her, she had serious problems trusting adults, and when Mrs. Weasley tried to act as if she was the one in control of what she did, she snapped.
I believed that the only reason she still came back to the burrow was to use it as an escape from the Dursleys, the twins' presence, and Ginny, even if she would not admit it.
Iris had an independent streak a mile wide, and to be completely honest, I did not help at all with this. With me trying to keep the events in our first couple of years the same or as close as I could remember, Iris felt that adults did not help at all in school.
Before I could focus and reply with whatever teasing remark I could, I could feel the grimoire shivering inside me as if wanting to come out, but I pushed it back, and the feeling disappeared after some seconds. I would check it later when I was in the boy's room. I knew Ron was a heavy sleeper, and the twins were not that nosy.
100 CP awarded, 200 CP total.
"I could imagine it," Ginny shuddered in her bed. "Mom would blow a basket if she were to see that."
"See! See! I bet it would be funny," smirked Iris in front of me while Hermione blushed but kept silent.
"I don't wish to cause even more problems in this house, Iris." I deadpanned to my closest friend. "Also, I don't wish her to direct her shouts at me. It doesn't look fun being on the receiving end, and I am not a masochist. No offense, Ginny." I said, looking at Ginny apologetically.
"Eh," Ginny shrugged, "Mom is like that, I love her to bits, but I know she can be unbearable sometimes."
Snorting a bit, I lay down on the bed. "So, how was your summer, Iris? Did the Dursleys do something that requires my personal attention?"
Iris scowled while she got closer to me. It was something platonic, I was sure. She liked her personal space but was pretty close to me since I was her first friend. This was something new, surprising me, but I welcomed it all the same. I would do anything for her; she deserved it for all the help she provided without knowing.
When I joined Hogwarts, I was in a bad spot, mentally speaking. I was both depressed and unsure of the future, even more so when I met her and realized that most of the dangers I thought I had escaped from the castle since I was joining after her would be something I would suffer. Possessed professors, a goddamn basilisk, an animagus, the Triwizard tournament, and the war. I was afraid, and at that moment, I thought my best bet would be to join her and learn the same things she did. It would be dangerous; that was something I could not lie to myself, but I believed at that time that it would be worth it.
I almost chickened out when the troll came… Thanks to my cowardice, I nearly left her alone against the troll, but when it finished, I vowed to continue helping in any way I could.
"They were no worse than normal," Iris spat out, "At least I don't have to worry about food with the trick you showed me." She smiled at that. "Dobby has been a godsend gift, and he brings food from Hogwarts, so you know it is tasty."
Hermione frowned when she heard Dobby’s name, but she kept silent all the same. I had spent a long time explaining the symbiotic relationships the house elves had with their owners, and while I could not stop her from interfering, at least she understood that the bond was needed. Thanks to that her focus shifted to provide better things for the elves, without trying to free them.
"I can see you have been eating," I smirked at her, looking up and down. "I think you added some pounds of meat."
"Bastard," she bumped me in the head, "Thank you, Eli. I don't know what I would do without your help."
"Always, Iris." I smiled genuinely at her. "Tell me about Sirius. Did you talk with him?"
She smiled brightly. "Yes. He was the one who bought your ticket, Eli. He said it was in thanks for helping him and reminding him of someone."
"Oh?" I lifted my eyebrow, "Did he say who?"
Iris scowled, "When I asked in another letter, he just said it was a secret, and he drew himself with a smirk on his face. I wonder who the adult in our relationship is sometimes; he acts like a kid most of the time."
Patting her head softly, I shook my head, "From what we heard about him, he was always a prankster at heart, but I'm sure that his stunt in Azkaban did not help at all."
Hermione looked up from her book and said, with her know-it-all voice, when she knew something the rest didn't, "Dementors are dark creatures. They drain people's happiness and hope, leaving them in constant despair. He spent twelve years in Azkaban, I'm afraid he needs to see a mind healer soon."
"I would make him go to one if the ministry wasn’t led by dumbasses," scowled Iris, and Ginny nodded in agreement, "I swear to god, the people who voted for fudge were out of their minds."
"Ministry failings aside, does anyone want to explain what happened downstairs?" I asked.
Ginny sighed, "Mom found that the twins were selling their trinkets at Hogwarts, and they had been making some money out of it."
"Is that so bad?" I asked confusedly, "I knew that they were doing it, I am one of their customers, after all, and they must be making some galleons out of it."
"Mum wants them to work in the ministry when they graduate, but Fred and George want nothing to do with it. They got less O.W.L.s than Mum wanted, and she is furious with them." Ginny continued, "She wants to micromanage everything to do with our lives; that's why Percy is her favorite."
"What about the older ones? You told me that they would be here."
"Eh, they try and almost always manage to avoid Mum's nagging. She is not that happy with their life decisions, too," she sighed. Charlie works in a dragon reserve in Romania, and Bill is a curse breaker working for the goblins."
Hermione squealed from her seat, "Could you imagine every piece of history he obtains during his assignments? Oh, I would love to pick his brains about it, but he is always away from the rest of us, trying to escape Mrs Weasley."
Laughing at her, I asked, "What is the plan for today?"
"Waste time waiting for mum to finish dinner, survive her wrath when she starts fussing over everyone, and go to sleep, probably," deadpanned Ginny from her side of the bed.
I took the opportunity to check the room we were in; since it was Ginny's bedroom, I expected to see something girly or the like, but she was surprisingly tame, some posters of her favorite band, the Weird sisters, and some other posters of some of the quidditch teams from around the world.
"Anxious for tomorrow?" asked Iris, who was snuggling with me.
Nodding, I replied, "Yes, I'm not much of a fan of the sport, but I hope we have a great time together."
Inwardly, I was nervous. The Death Eater attack was probably going to happen, and in the wizarding world, a single spell could be your doom. I planned to make some rolls when the rest of the house was sleeping, hoping to find something that could help me more than my dust magic. Still, I did not have that many points available, and from simple logic, I expected that truly powerful magic or artifacts would be expensive.
I still did not understand how I got the points since they appeared to be at random intervals, but there wasn't anything I could do to obtain them faster, which was a shame.
"We're going to have so much fun," said Iris with a bright smile, "And another good thing is that I won't go back to the Dursleys after this. We will stay here until it's time to board the Hogwarts Express."
"Who do you think will win?" Ginny asked me, "Iris is supporting Ireland but thinks maybe Krum will manage to do something for Hungary."
Before I could answer, the grimoire stirred once more inside my soul.
100 CP awarded, 300 CP Total.
Choosing to bank the points once again, I looked at Ginny, "Ireland will win." I assured her.
"Is the seer speaking once more?" Iris teased once more while moving to get more comfortable in the bed.
She had her head on my legs, and I could not see her, thanks to my position.
"You could say that," I snorted. Thanks to my hidden knowledge, over the years, Iris and Hermione have made fun of me for being able to see the future. I never admitted anything, but they were smart enough to notice some of it. Thankfully, both knew that seeing scenes of the future was dangerous, and they kept it to themselves or just made it as a joke.
"Anything of importance?" she asked earnestly, which I noticed from her tone. I also saw Hermione looking up from her book with utmost seriousness.
"Later, in Hogwarts," I grunted. There was no way I would speak of the things that were going to happen outside of the room of requirements, where I knew no one would be listening in.
They nodded and got back to whatever they were doing, Iris dozing off and Hermione to her book of fourth-year charms.
"I think we should go back. Mum is probably done with dinner." Ginny broke the awkward silence in the room by standing up and putting on her shoes.
Grunting, I stood up, carrying Iris since she was sprawled atop me.
"Planning to walk?" I asked, shaking my head.
"No, comfy," she replied drowsily.
"You are lucky I like you," I snorted as we started walking downstairs to where the rest of the Weasleys were.
10:00 pm, the burrow.
Opening my eyes slowly, I calmed my breathing and listened closely to the smells in the room. The twins were the hardest to notice, but I could see them breathing slowly in their beds. Ron was the easy one since his snores could be heard at Hogwarts. I did not understand how I had managed to sleep through them all these years at school.
Thankfully, Percy, Bill, and Charlie slept in the other room, and Mr. Weasley and his wife slept below all of us.
The dinner at least had started pleasantly until Mr. Weasley picked up a wand on the floor, thinking it was from one of the young ones, and it turned into a rat who started running all over the table. A trinket from Weasley wizard wheezes, and Mrs. Weasley starts berating the twins again. The twins, clearly fed up with their mother's nagging, used the best strategy to escape a mother's wrath, pointing out the failing of another brother.
Then she started berating Bill from an admittedly cool earring and turned to Charlie. After that, both of the older sons ate in silence and ran away as soon as they had their fill, something the rest of us could relate to since the atmosphere was tense and awkward. Mrs. Weasly tried to open up more conversations, but things were weird, so most of us ate in silence.
Everything was good for me. I was anxious to be in bed to make some rolls, which I hoped would help me when we left for the World Cup.
Feeling the familiar stirrings in my soul, I accepted the feeling and pulled it inside me.
The grimoire popped on the bed with a soft thud, and I looked around frantically, but all present were heavy sleepers.
100 CP awarded, 400 CP Total.
400 points was the most I've ever had, and I prayed that I could get something useful.
Choosing to roll, the grimoire pages started turning at blinding speeds, and when they stopped, I smirked triumphantly.
[Slumbering Dragoncrest Ring] - 50 C.P.
This Ring was secretly worn by a surreptitious sorcerer at Vinheim Dragon School. Depicting a sleeping dragon on a brown background. Those who wear this enchanted Ring will no longer make sound from most common actions, like walking, running, breathing or swinging their weapon, allowing them to move in secret.
Feeling the Ring appear on my palm, I put it on. I loved this reward because it synergized amazingly with my first roll and the information that I could borrow someone else the artifacts I obtained from the grimoire. While the Ring alone was not that useful, combined with the cloak of death Iris had, Hermione could hide tomorrow during the attack. A plan began forming in my mind. Iris and I were playing as frontline fighters while Hermione was our Rogue, jinxing and cursing our enemies without showing where she was.
Iris was by far the best at defense, and I came close to second, but Hermione had some problems with her nerves. This way, while she was obscured, she could use her vast knowledge of spells to help us all.
350 CP in total
[The Shadows Beckon] - 200 CP
Now, this is certainly interesting. Your talents in subversion and concealing details have extended to the metaphysical. You have a singular gift for disappearing in a way that defies conventional detection methods. It would take a skilled investigator to even have a hope of finding you or what you seek to hide. With practice you can create a cloak of shadows to more effectively disappear even in plain sight. There are benefits to being one of cursed blood after all.
150 CP in total
Useful. It was undeniably helpful; I could feel knowledge entering my mind at breakneck speed; while it was of no help with offensive magic, I could feel it inside my being that I was going to be capable of using almost every kind of magic that had something to do with concealing things. I did not know if it was because my world's magic was so low, but I could do some very impressive things without studying the topic. Out of the top of my mind, I already had spells that hid me from the sight of my enemies that would skip the Homenum Revelio spell taught in Hogwarts.
Rolling for the last time, I felt the grimoire falter, trying to reach for something more significant than any other pull. With all my chances gone, I prepared to sleep once more. Tomorrow will be tiring, and I need all the energy I can have. Just in case, I already had a stock of pepper-up potions in my trunk.
