《Harry Potter and the Dovahkiin》 Dovahkiin and Murphy’s law [Prologue] "Ben, will you say something? Have I been talking to myself this whole time?" "No, I listening, Ma." "Then say something! How long are you going to keep ignoring us and living like this?" "I''m doing just fine, Mom." "And is all you''re doing with your life. We had so many dreams for you! When are you going to get a real job? Come back home. Your cousin says he can get you an internship at his company." "I already told you, Im doing what I love, and its enough to pay my bills." It wasnt, to be honest. I was barely getting bybut hey, optimism counts for something. "Enough to pay bills, sure, but thats not enough! How are you going to start a family like this?" "MOM, I told you, I dont want to talk about that. Im hanging up." "At least tell me if you have a girlfr" I was tired of having the same conversation over and over again. Long story short? I was a disappointment to my family. Why? Well, like every other brown kid who grew up in a middle-class family, I had three choices in life: become a doctor, become an engineer, or become a disappointment. For the first time in my life, I showed some courage and picked the third option. Not that I started out as one. No, my tragic downfall came laterafter I quit my engineering job and decided to pursue my passion. I became a freelance artist. I did mostly digital work but also took up painting jobs around the neighbourhood. I started small, but over time, I built up my portfolio, made connections, and put in the work to polish my skills. Eventually, I reached a point where I could sustain myself doing what I loved. Id always wanted this, but growing up, I never had the guts to tell my parents that the life they had planned for me wasnt the life I wanted. I had good grades in school despite barely studying. I didnt have a photographic memory or anything, but I picked things up quickly and had a knack for remembering them. Teachers loved me (only in the classroomI was a menace outside). I was well on my way to becoming an engineer. And, being the good, obedient son, I went along with it. Conflict-avoidant, lets call it. It wasnt until I left for collegegot some distancethat I finally spread my wings. I threw myself into my craft in my free time, honing my skills. But I didnt slack off on my studies either. I did well, graduated, landed a decent-paying job and quit six months in. Honestly? I still have no clue what the hell I was actually doing there. Now, I lived in a small one-bedroom apartment with walls covered in sketches. Saved me money on paint. Every inch of space had somethingcharacters from my favourite games, landscapes of places I wanted to visit, even those awful anatomy studies from when I was still learning. The only thing of real value in my room was my PC. An i7 9th-gen build. Nothing fancy to most people, but Id saved for ages to afford it, and it got the job done. After that conversation with my mother, I needed to unwind. So, I did what every player is guilty ofmurdering the people of Whiterun. It all started when I popped into Belethor''s General Goods to offload some cabbages, cheese, and other junk. Then, I swung by Arcadia''s Cauldron for some potions and alchemy ingredients. A normal day in . And then showed up. Sarch* The N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Do you get to the Cloud District very often? Oh, what am I saying? Of course you dont." Nazeem. So, naturally, I torched his smug ass and sent him flying into the sky with a well-placed . Thats when things got out of hand. Guards swarmed me. I took an arrow to the knee. My health bar was in shambles. No big deal. Id get Nazeem next time. But before I could even reload my last save, my PC shut down. Just. I frowned at the black screen, staring at my own reflection. ''Huh. I need a haircut. And a shave.'' Thunder rumbled outside, and the room went dark. "Great," I muttered, glancing at the open window. My clothesfreshly washed and dryingwere seconds away from being claimed by the wind. Fantastic. I rushed out to grab them, cursing my past self for being too lazy to use clothespins. My favourite hoodie tumbled through the air like a kite. I snatched a white t-shirt off the groundthe only one that had miraculously stayed put. It was an old shirt, one of those obligatory purchases every Harry Potter fan made at some point. The design had Death at the centre, wings spread, arms open. I used to love this shirt. Somewhere along the way, I got bored of it. As I held it, I frowned. The mist around the figure of Death looked... odd. More detailed than I remembered. Then, it moved. A chill ran down my spine. "I should get back inside." Inside, as I sit in my chair, I cant help but stare at the t-shirt again. The mist that was previously only around the figure of Death has now covered the whole shirt and is creeping outward. I watch, wide-eyed, as the thick black mist spreads, curling around me and everything in the room. A slight tugging sensation starts in the pit of my stomach, pulling me toward the shirt as the dark mist swirls like a whirlpool toward the centre of the Deathly Hallows. "Ughhh..." Thunder roared outside. Light flashed through the window. The mist spiralled faster. And then . Murphys Law. Everything that could go wrong, go wrong. As the last thing I saw was a flash of white light, I heard a familiar melody rising through the chaos Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin, naal ok zin los vahriin My PC, still in the room with me, was being dragged along. Wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal! A chill shot down my spine. Ahrk fin norok paal graan Thendarkness. -One They Fear Jeremy Soule I swear I wasn’t playing with my stick "Ughhh." My head felt like a brick, and my heart was auditioning for a rock band. Maybejust maybeit was time to cut back on the caffeine. As I forced my eyes open, I found myself staring at a ceiling that was most definitely not mine. Wooden beams, old and weathered, stretched above me. The last time I saw something like this was at our ancestral home when we visited Grandmaexcept this place looked even older. Like, ''it probably creaks ominously for dramatic effect'' old. "Where the hell am I?" I muttered, glancing around the damp attic. The air was thick with the scent of moss and rotting wood, and the floor was littered with all sorts of junk. ''Did a storm hit this place or what?'' I thought, eyeing the gaping hole in the thatched roof and the attic window that looked one strong breeze away from giving up entirely. "Let''s hope that wasn''t my doing," I muttered, forcing a chuckle. "Ben, what the hell are you doing up there? Trying to blow the house up already?" called a woman from below. Her voice rang with familiarity, yet I was certain I''d never heard it before. I hesitated. "Benedict! Are you alright? I''m coming up! And you better not be playing with your wand!" she shouted, her footsteps thundering up the stairs. I thought, then grimaced. I let out a dry chuckle. "If my little wand could do this much damage, I''d be in a very different line of work." "Good lord, what in Merlin''s name did you do?" The moment I met her wide, beautiful brown eyeseyes that perfectly matched her wild curls and her utterly shocked expressionI knew exactly who she was. Dorothea Brown. My mother. And I was Benedict Brown. But how? My memories told me this was real. This house, this attic, But if this was real what about my other life? Was that just a dream? Her voice snapped me back. "What happened to you? Why are you staring into oblivion? And" her eyes swept over me "what happened to your clothes?" I blinked down at myself. My shirt was barely holding together, and one of my trouser legs had completely vanished. Somehow, I looked even worse than the room. "I don''t know," I muttered, shaking my head. "I blacked out, and this is how I woke up. I don''t remember a thing." That wasn''t entirely true. I remember somethingbut not from this life. And that was the problem. "Oh dear lord, let me have a look at you." She pulled a wand from her sleevean actual, honest-to-God and before I could react, she flicked it at me, murmuring something under her breath. A soft glow passed over my body. "Everything seems to be in order with you," she said, studying me. "Your clothes, on the other hand-" She flicked her wand again, and my tattered clothes stitched themselves back togetherwell, mostly. My trousers were still missing a leg, and my shirt had a rather indecent hole in the chest. She frowned. "Blimey, these are beyond saving. Let me fix the roof before it collapses on usReparo." With a few graceful flicks of her wand, the cracked beams sealed, the broken thatch wove itself together, and the entire attic transformed from to "WOAH." I wasn''t sure if I''d said that or just thought it really loudly. "You are in big trouble, young man. What did we tell you? No wand-waving without supervision." "But Mum! I don''t even have my wand with meit''s in my room!" "Oh, for Merlin''s sake! You mean to tell me you did this without a wand?" "I do it! It was already like this when I woke up. And now my head''s splitting, so please, can I just lie down before I keel over?" Mum sighed, rubbing her forehead like she was reconsidering all her life choices. "Fine, go lie down. But you cleaning this up laterthis is still your mess." "I will, I promise." "And we''ll talk about this when your father gets home." "Ugh, ." I trudged down the rickety attic stairs, through the dimly lit hallway with its peeling wallpaper and warped wooden floors. The whole place had the feel of an old wizarding houselived-in, full of history, and stubbornly refusing to collapse despite its condition. Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. My room wasn''t much better. The wallpaper was torn in places, but what remained was elegantgold-etched trees and birds curling across a deep brown background. The furniture, though scuffed, was solid and well-crafted, the kind that had been in the family for generations. I stepped inside, shutting the door behind me, and sat on the edge of my bed. The mattress creaked under my weight, but I barely noticed. My gaze had already locked onto the bedside table. There, resting on top of it, was a wand. "This is obviously the world of..." The Brown family tree If you like my work, you can support me at patren/DreamyApe ''There is no doubt about where I am,'' I thought, staring at the wand resting on my bedside table. "This is obviously the world of , and I am a wizard." ''I can practically hear Hagrid saying, in my head.'' ''Now, assuming I haven''t gone completely mental, that means my T-shirt somehow sucked me into a swirling whirlpool of dark mist, I got struck by lightning, and now I''ve woken up as Benedict Brown in the Wizarding World.'' "What kind of absurd nonsense is this?" ''I don''t recall a character named Benedict Brown. The only Brown I know is Lavender Brown, and as far as I can tell, she doesn''t exist in this worldat least, not in the way I remember.'' "Ughh, what a bloody mess." ''I barely even know anything about Lavender Brown. All I remember is that she was the girliest girl in the seriesa stereotypical teenage girl who dated Ron Weasley and called him .'' "It''s the 25th of August, 1991, and I''m eleven years old. I''ll be going to Hogwarts in a week." ''If there''s no Lavender Brown, that means I''ve taken her place. This world must be different from the one I know.'' "This is not good," I muttered, rubbing my temples. ''From what I remember, Lavender Brown''s fate in the books was... . In the movies, she straight-up got mauled to death by a werewolf. Not to mention, she was randomly race-swapped between films.'' "What a load of bollocks," I grumbled, glancing at the mirror. A pale-skinned, brown-haired boy stared back at me. He looked eerily similar to the Lavender Brown from the movie. Turns out, having ''Brown'' in the name doesn''t mean you have brown skinand honestly, it would''ve been a bit on the nose if it did. Imagine if Sirius Black was actually a Black man who got imprisoned without a trial. Now that would be tragically ironic. "Ahh, I''m wiped. Might as well lie down for a bit," I muttered, collapsing onto my pillow. ''Benedict doesn''t seem to have been the sharpest tool in the shed. All heor now seemed to care about was Quidditch and lounging around with his mates.'' There wasn''t much in my memories about the Brown family history. What I did know was about my Uncle Arthurhis bravery, his sacrifice. He was only eighteen when he died, killed in the First Wizarding War while protecting a Muggle family. Just four months after joining the Auror recruitment. ''My father must''ve loved his little brother dearly.'' Nigel Brown spoke about Arthur often. His death had clearly left a markone that made my father about my safety. I wasn''t even allowed to sleep over at friends'' houses. I had never even touched a broom. Maybe that''s why I was so obsessed with Quidditch. ''So, an overprotective father instead of an overprotective mother in this life, huh?'' I thought as I drifted off to sleep. -- In the evening, after cleaning up the attic, I got an earful from my father about how dangerous magic could be and how I should be careful using it. To top it off, he confiscated my wand until I left for schooleven though the poor thing had done absolutely nothing wrong. My father, Nigel Brown, was a slender man, about 5''11'''' in height. His figure didn''t exactly inspire confidence, but his voice carried concern for my safety. "How am I supposed to learn if I don''t practice and make mistakes?" I argued. "You''ll do plenty of wand-waving at Hogwarts," he shot back. ''Some things never change, huh?'' I thought bitterly. '''' After sulking for a bit, I made my way toward the basement. If there was any information on the Brown family history, I''d probably find it down there. The cold, dimly lit basement wasn''t exactly inviting, but I started rummaging through the old storage boxes anyway. Most of them were filled with useless junkfaded robes, broken potion bottles, and a disturbingly large collection of editions. There were a few covered portraits stacked against the wall. I pulled the sheet off one, only for the painted wizard inside to snore loudly, mumbling something about a Another portrait, slurring his words, challenged me to a horse race before promptly passing out. ''Well, that explains why they were covered up.'' I sighed, tossing the sheets back over them. But then, something caught my eyea wall hidden behind all the clutter. On it, a massive tree stretched its branches, each inscribed with names in shimmering gold. "A literal family tree," I murmured. My nameor my parents'' namesweren''t on it. Clearly, it hadn''t been updated in a while. I spot a "Benedicte" among the branches, but it wasn''t me. That much was obvious from the sheer number of names branching off from it. ''This is enough to go on for now. I can question Mum and Dad about it later.'' As I headed back upstairs, I couldn''t shake a nagging thought. Calling them and felt... weird. Was I really their son? Or was I just an impostersomeone who had hijacked Benedict''s body, leaving the real him to rot in the afterlife? Not that it really mattered. I hadn''t to be reincarnated here, but now that I was, I had to make the best of it. Sar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Benedict was gone. If there was no reincarnation in this world, then his soul was with Death herself. And if my theory was right, then was the one who pulled me here. Why? No idea. She didn''t exactly leave me a memo. Maybe I''d find out someday. For now, though, I had bigger things to worry about. Like surviving And not getting --- A/N: Who are your favourite Harry Potter characters? Comment down below. Family History If you enjoy my work, buy me a banana smoothy here: patren/DreamyApe ''I wonder how my parents reacted to my death. They''ll get over it, I''m surethough I''m not even certain there was a body left for cremation.'' After giving myself some much-needed self-therapy to process the situation, I went looking for my dad to ask about the family tree and the Brown family history. A small history lesson later, I had a much clearer picture of my origins. Turns out the Brown family had been living in the British Isles since the 1100s, originally coming over from Scotland. The first wizard in the family, Robert le Brun, was born in 1334. I think I remember seeing his portraithe had a beard even longer than Gandalf''s. He established the Brown wizarding family and bought the land where this cottage and the entire village of Upminster were built. ''Looks like I finally got good beard genetics. I''m going to be such a chad.'' It turned out I was named after Benedicte Brown, who married Angelica Travers and brought the Brown family to prominence in the early 1700s. His portrait, however, was nowhere to be found. Just three generations later, all our lands and wealth were gambled away by his great-grandson, Cenhelm Brown, leaving only the family cottage. ''I remember that fat drunk bastard. Should I set fire to his portrait?'' The thought came so naturally that I knew it wasn''t entirely mine. The memories I''d inherited from Benedict were already settling in, pulling me into this family whether I liked it or not. "Floreat majestas," I muttered, my gaze landing on the Brown family''s coat of arms hanging on the walla lion clutching a fleur-de-lys, surrounded by decorative vines. ''Maybe I''ll be the one to restore the Brown family''s name. That''s probably what my parents hoped for when they named me Benedict. It means "the blessed one," after all. I remember my mother telling me that.'' But all of that could wait. We were doing well enough for now. Last year, we''d sold our flat in central London and moved back to the family cottage. Dad claimed he hated living in the city, surrounded by Muggles, but I knew the real reasonhe wanted to fix this place up. Maybe Nigel had his own dreams of restoring the Brown family to its former glory. Now that I was about to head off to Hogwarts, he and Mum would have more time to focus on whatever it was they were planning. I suspected they were considering starting a business. He worked in the Department of Magical Transportation, so we weren''t struggling financially. If the Weasleys could feed a family of nine on a single Ministry salary, then three people should be just fine. Mum used to work for the Ministry too, where she met Dad while doing desk jobsduplicating pamphlets on how to stay safe during the war. She took a break when I was born, and after Nigel got promoted a year later, she never went back. ''I guess that explains why I''m a lot closer to Mum.'' The more I thought about it, the more I realised how easily I''d started calling them "Mum" and "Dad." Benedict''s memories weren''t just affecting methey were becoming part of me. They were my parents, and I could feel the love he''d had for them. I only hoped his memories wouldn''t mess with my own tastes too much. My new fondness for pumpkin juice and pumpkin pie was already suspicious. Later that evening, the dinner table was stacked with so much food it seemed impossible for just three people to finish. The massive pumpkin pie alone could have fed me for a day. Roast chicken, pastries, stew, pumpkin juice, elderflower winethere was enough variety to put most buffets to shame. Yet somehow, all of it was gone by the end of the meal, and I still had room left. ''Where does all that food even go?'' I wondered, glancing at my father''s thin frame. After dinner, I headed back to my room to plan out what I''d do with the week before Hogwarts. ''I don''t have my wand, so spell practice is off the table. And as for wandless magic well, I''d rather not accidentally blow up my room.'' See, even a child can use magic without a wandthe problem is controlling it. Wandless magic can be volatile if not properly handled. Accidental magic is a great example. The user isn''t usually in control of it. I couldn''t even perform proper spells a wand yet, so trying to do it wandlessly was out of the question. sea??h th Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then there was the Trace. The Ministry supposedly monitored all underage magic, but in my opinion, I wouldn''t get caught if I used magic here. The Trace didn''t work well in areas with a high concentration of magicplaces like Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and wizarding residences. Six centuries of magical energy should be enough to hide anything I did in the Brown family cottage. Still, better safe than sorry. There wasn''t much information about the Trace in the booksit was mostly used as a plot devicebut from what I knew, pure-blood kids got away with magic at home all the time, while Muggle-borns got caught the moment they sneezed the wrong way. Typical Ministry efficiency. ''Laws in magical Britain are only enforced if you''re caught, which is hardly ever. They mostly care about keeping the Statute of Secrecy intact.'' For now, my best bet was to read through the first-year books and familiarise myself with the course material. That way, I''d know what to expect and could plan accordingly. "I''ll start tomorrow. Still as lazy as ever, eh?" I muttered, stretching before flopping onto my bed like a sack of potatoes. Week before Hogwarts If you enjoy my work, buy me a banana pie at patren/DreamyApe I woke up before dawn that morning and decided to have a crack at my books. It wasn''t as easy as I''d expectedturns out that having the memories of a grown-up doesn''t mean my brain is grown-up too. My underdeveloped eleven-year-old brain wasn''t as sharp as I''d hoped. It had a short attention span, but sheer willpower had to make up for it. After four hours of shuffling through pages, I had a better picture of the first-year curriculum. "Ben, come on down for breakfast." "Coming." After breakfast, I decided to try a few charms from the book. I reckoned a levitation charm wouldn''t do any harm. I waved my hand, finger pointed at a piece of paper, and said the incantation very slowly: Nothing happened. The second time, I tried saying it a little faster, but still, no result. With that thought, I tried again, this time imagining the paper lifting off the ground. All the books on my desk went flying, landing all over the room and breaking a few things in the process. "Benedict, what are you doing up there?" "Umm nothing, I just dropped my books." "You better not break the window again." "I won''t, I promise." I thought as I started picking up the books from the floor. After that, I sat cross-legged on my bed, closed my eyes, and tried to remember the feeling of casting the spell. Yes, I tried meditating. For a brief moment, I could feel the flow of magic through my hand. It was a comfortable sensation. Like every other transmigrator, my biggest fear in this world was Legilimency. I had far too many secrets to hide, and the thought of someone peering into my mind was terrifying. It only made things worse knowing that Hogwarts was full of expert Legilimens. Even the Sorting Hat used Legilimency. Even though there was nothing outwardly suspicious about me, I still worried. "Dumbledore might not have been a dark wizard, but he was a bloody manipulator. His willingness to sacrifice anyone for the ''greater good'' made him the biggest threat to my safetyor so every fanfiction I''d ever read had led me to believe. Maybe he was actually a chill guy in reality, but I wasn''t about to bet on it." Voldemort, on the other hand, could be dealt withespecially by someone like me who knew all his secrets. At the moment, he was nothing more than a parasite. Even after his resurrection, he would only have, at best, a seventh of his soul leftor at worst, a sixty-fourth. Such a fragmented soul couldn''t possibly sustain a sound mind. At the same time, my knowledge of this world was a double-edged sword. If Voldemort ever got a glimpse into my thoughts, he''d know everything. If that happened, this world was doomedwith me in it. Which meant learning to guard my mind was not just a precaution. It was a necessity. So, I started my attempt at Occlumency. I tried emptying my mind, just like Snape had told Harry to do. I didn''t have much success. Thoughts kept popping up. The more I tried to think of something, the more my mind latched onto it. After failing who-knows-how-many times, I remembered something from my past life. Back when I was a kid, my school had weekly meditation sessions in the mornings. I hadn''t followed it much in later years, but I still remembered the teachings. I heard that in every session. It was funny back then, but now I realised how spot-on it was. So, I closed my eyes and tried again. But this time, instead of forcing my thoughts away, I focused on my breathing. Time passedhow much, I didn''t knowbut eventually, I managed it. The idle chatter in my mind dulled, all because I focused on a single, steady rhythm: inhale, exhale. For a week, I spent every waking moment either reading or meditating. Focusing on my breath was getting easier and easier, and now I could even do it with my eyes open. I had also finished reading , read ahead on potions theory, and learned the incantations to all the first-year charmsthough I hadn''t practised them. I was excitedbecause today, I was getting my wand back. I went to find my mum. "Have you packed all your stuff for Hogwarts?" "Yes, Mum. I already did that this morning. Can I get my wand back now, please? I promise I won''t break anything," I said, putting on a face no mother could resist. Believe it or not, I was my mother''s favourite. Then again, I was also her only child, so that wasn''t saying much. "Aww, my baby, I''m going to miss you so much. Promise me you''ll owl me every day." "Bit excessive, isn''t it? I''ll write every week." "My baby boy is already trying to get away from his mother! Come heregive me a hug if you want your wand back." She pulled me in for a tight hug, practically suffocating me. "Can''t breathetoo tight, Ma!" sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She finally let go and handed me the box with my wand. "Make sure to come down for dinner on time. There''s something special on the menu tonight." I nodded and ran back to my room. It was finally time to shake this stick. Akatosh’s blessing If you enjoy my work, you can buy me a cart full of bananas at patren/DreamyApe ********************************************************************************************************* As soon as I took the wand out of the box, I knew that my worst fear had come true. I felt the wand''s discomfort at my touch. It''s not that the Wand didn''t recognise me as its owner, but rather, it sensed the changes in me, and it did not approve of them. Our natures do not match anymore. 12" in length, Rowen wood with a Unicorn hair core. Rowen wood, great for defensive magic, has never been owned by a dark wizard and is happiest when placed with someone clear-headed and pure-hearted. Unicorn hair, most faithful of cores but most difficult to turn to the Dark Arts and prone to melancholy if mishandled. I may consider myself clear-headed, but in reality, I can be quite temperamental, purity of my heart is debatable at best and when it comes to Dark Arts, I am touched by death itself. I can see why my wand does not like the changes that it senses me. It is only the faithful nature of the core that is keeping it from rejecting me. "Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa," I said pointing at a piece of paper. This time I was able to gently lift the paper. I could feel the resistance from the wand and I had to concentrate a bit harder to overcome that resistance. It was as if the wand was showing its displeasure by not doing its job properly. ''This is going to be a problem, how am I going to face the likes of death eaters with a wand that fights me every step of the way, it is only a matter of time before it explodes in my face.'' Hogwarts is not your average boarding school, with the number of things Harry Potter faces in the series, I am not comfortable with anything less than the death stick, let alone a wand that''s a wrong spell away from blowing in my face. ''This can be happening, I am not even a gifted wizard, to begin with, without a proper wand, I am not going to have an easy time at Hogwarts.'' "I will need a new wand, I wonder if I have enough money." I pulled out a box from among the pile of magical toys under my bed, this simple-looking wooden box was my treasure chest. I open the lid to reveal its contents. A small wooden figurine of a Griffin guarding a stack of chocolate frog cards, some gold, silver, bronze coins and a few other small trinkets. The Griffin came to life and let out a cute scream at me that sounded like a screech and a growl at the same time. I rubbed my finger on its tine beak and it let out another cute scream and then went back to sleep. I took out all the coins and counted. "Three galleons, seven sickles and fourteen knuts." *SIGH* This is not enough, even if it were, how am I to explain why I need a new wand. I just got it last week from Ollivander''s.'' "I wish there was another wand shop" Everything went quiet for a moment and I felt a sharp pain in my chest followed by a loud heartbeat. *TREMBLE* *BADUM-BA-DUMP* I felt a sudden surge of warmth arise from my heart that was now beating like a drum, it slowly spread through my whole body making me swallow a huge breath and throw my head back. Soon my body was covered with sweat, and I could feel a strange power pumping through my veins, my non-existent muscles started to swell as if I just had an intense workout. As my heartbeat calmed a little and my breathing became normal, a dense dark mist-like substance with white flashes of light mixed in it started to come out of my chest and formed a black screen with a bright seal of Akatosh shining in the middle. Sarch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''What in Merlin''s name is happening to me?'' I thought as I tried to touch it, but my hand disappeared into the black screen. I would have doubted my eyes, but I could feel it with my hand. It felt like running my hand through a stream of water but only It was a lot softer, somewhere between liquid and gas. As I was beginning to question my sanity, the shining seal of Akatosh in the middle dispersed and transformed into a list of items. The messy list included all kinds of things. ''Is this real? I have a shop in my body and it''s Skyrim-themed?'' "Can I buy spells tomes here?" As soon as I said that, the list transformed again, and this time it only showed spell tomes. These were all novice-level spells from the game. *************************************************************************************************** Alteration : Candlelight, Oakflesh. Conjuration : Bound Dagger, Bound sword, Conjure Familiar, Raise Zombie. Destruction : Flames, Frostbite, Sparks. Illusion : Clairvoyance, Courage, Fury. Restoration: Healing, Lesser Ward. ********************************************************************************************************* A/N: Removed CC spells that I had previously included. "Merlin''s beard, this is bonkers." I thought about what else was there, and I was presented with a list of all the other items in the shop. It was a little disappointing, there were only novice spell tomes, a lot of level one potions, poisons, a few food items like apples and carrots, a few jewels, iron ores and iron ingots. "Not much, but it will do for now, I''m sure there will be more in the future." ''Now what to buy first? Let''s see here, the cheapest spell is bounded dagger and it''s 38 septims'' "Now where in the world do I get septims from?" As soon as I said that, the list in front of me disappeared and it became a black mist with bright flashes of light in it. "I wonder if?" I murmured as I took all three galleons out of my treasure box and pushed them into the screen. The galleons started to melt as soon as they touched the screen and dispersed like drops of gold ink in water and then reformed into a shiny gold coin with the seal of Akatosh in the middle. ''Three galleons into one septim? This is a terrible conversion rate.'' I could buy 3 ounces of dragon liver with 3 galleons but a septim is only worth a carrot in this shop. "Maybe I could." ********************************************************************************************************* A/N: Cliffhanger san is back, comment what you think the MC is about to do. 8th-grader syndrome If you like my work, buy me a butter beer at patren/DreamyApe -- "Three galleons into one septim? This is a terrible conversion rate." One could buy an ounce of dragon liver with 1 galleon, Fred and George''s ''Headless Hat'' was only 2 galleons, but a septim can buy only a carrot in this shop. Ben grabbed the shinning gold coin in front of him and inspected it carefully, the dragon in the middle was radiating a powerful aura as if it was alive, he flipped the coin around and his blood ran cold, there it was, the same symbol that started this all, the deathly hallows, only there was no death in the middle this time. He swallowed hard to ease his throat which had dried with fear. It looked like this was not a system given by some Random Omnipotent Being, things were much more complicated than that. ''Death definitely has something to do with this, I can feel it in this dense black mist, but what about the Dragon made out of light, and why is everything sold here from Skyrim? I only remember playing Skyrim before I died, if I can buy spell tomes, can I be a Dragonborn too? That would explain the pain I went through before, and the sudden increase in strength that I feel in my body, I think I even grew a bit taller.'' "Hahaha, I knew that I was meant for greatness, I can finally be the protagonist that I''ve always wanted to be." Although It seemed that he had suddenly gone coo-coo, he was in reality, trying to reassure himself that everything was alright. Ben knew that there was no use worrying about things that were out of his control, he was not strong enough to worry about how he got this power, and should rather focus on how to use it. Things would reveal themselves slowly, as they always do. "I hope it can go back inside, can''t have this following me around." As he said that, the screen dissolved itself and went back inside his chest. "Woah... that felt...weird? At least it wasn''t painful this time." ''Now to call it back, let''s try this like every other protagonist with a system.'' "SYSTEM OUT" He screamed out loud with his hand stretched in front of him, posing like a power ranger. -- A/N: Oh no, looks like the system was cursed and gave him 8th-grader syndrome. MC: NO! It did not! A/N: Ah, my bad, he always had that. MC: NO I don''t! And get out of my portion, you get to speak at the end. A/N: Jeez, I didn''t know you were so sensitive, talk about snowflakes. -- *WOOSH* Ahum, so nothing happened and Ben could only hear the wind billowing through the window. Ben''s ears went pink with embarrassment and he looked around to make sure no one saw him making a fool out of himself. ''Okay, let''s try again, this time, without the pose,'' he thought and focused on what he wanted. "STATUS" *BADUMP* His heart made a loud sound and dark mist mixed with bright flashes of light came out of his chest once again. This time the screen was different, there was an image of him on the left side of the screen, and on the right, a bunch of details about him. -- Name: Benedict Nigel Brown. Species: Human[Wizard]. Age: 11 years 3 months 19 days. Job: NONE. Title: Dragonborn[Level 1]. Vitality: 100. Magicka: 100. SKILLS: NONE. ********************************************************************************************************* "Well, I''ll be damned, It is the legendary Status screen, it looks a bit empty though." The one thing that caught the most attention was the title, Dragonborn. ''I really am a Dragonborn.'' Ben focused on the title and more words formed below it. **** "The Dragonborn is a mortal being blessed with the blood and the soul of a dragon. He is kin as well as a bane of all dragons, born with the innate abilities of dragons, the Dovahkiin can absorb the strength of his slain foes and project his voice and use the Thu''um also known as the dragon shout." **** ''Will I be able to use the Thu''um as well? Good heavens! I am going to be a legend.'' Ben, then focused on the two stats. *** Vitality: Blessed with the blood of a dragon, the Dragonborn possess an enormous amount of vitality, which makes him immune to most diseases and poisons, and gives him enough strength to rival Dragons. Magicka: It is the energy originating from the Immortal Plane of Aetherius, it is also what makes up the life force of all living organisms. The Dragonborn, blessed with the soul of a Dragon, can harness and store a huge amount of Magicka in his soul. *** ''Merlin''s beard, this explains my sudden increase in power, but I certainly don''t feel as strong as a dragon, maybe that''s where levels come in.'' "Now that I have a general feel for the thing, it''s time to obtain some skills." "I need to sell some things first." He then tried selling different things, a broken toy, an empty notebook, about 100 chocolate frog cards and a lot of other useless things. After noticing that the things that were magical in nature, gave out more septims, he finally decided to say goodbye to his trusty Griffin figure. "You have served me well and guarded my treasure with your life, now it''s time for you to become the treasure," he said pushing the Griffin into the screen, it dissolved like ink into water and reformed into 5 shiny septims. ''I will honour your sacrifice,'' he thought as he held about 50 septims in his hands and looked around at a room that looked like the crime scene of a burglary. Sar?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I''m rich now, let me try buying something," the cheapest thing he could buy was a carrot for one septim, and it was also the one that perplexed him the most. As soon as Ben thought of buying it, a dull image of a carrot appeared on the screen, he pushed one septim into the screen, and it melted into the mist and transformed into a fresh carrot. "Merlin''s beard, this is impossible, food is the first of the five Principal Exceptions to Gamp''s Law of Elemental Transfiguration, and also the only exception I know of, you can not transfigure good food out of nothing, you can only summon it if you know where it is, transform it or increase its quantity." The key word being, "Good food", consumable things such as sauces, wine, and water could be, as they were not particularly nutritious substances. Ben took a bite of the carrot and it was the best carrot he had ever tasted, it was juicy and crunchy. It was real food and defied the Gamp''s law. The system could also transfigure real gold and thus breaking Gamp''s law again, the only other object capable of doing so was the philosopher''s stone. ''This dark mist defies the laws of magic in this world and converts the things that I feed it into this strange form of energy and then stores it in the form of septims. It can then convert those septims into anything, even nutrition. Does that mean that things with more energy can be converted into more septims?'' "Let''s try this," as I focused on closing the shop, the mist once again went inside my chest. -END OF CHAPTER- A/N: Here it is, our MC has become a Chniby and thinks he is special, he seems to have forgotten about a million other protagonists with systems, roaming around in different worlds. Comment your ideas and suggestions below, what spells should he buy first and what should he sell next. MC: Stop asking them for ideas, that''s your job you lazy piece of Merlin''s crooked hat. A/N: Get the hell out of here or I''ll make Umbridge your love interest. MC: ........ Cleaning House If you like my work, you can buy me banana meat pie at patren/DreamyApe -- ''This dark mist defies the laws of magic in this world and converts the things that I feed it into this strange form of energy and then stores it in the form of septims. It can then convert those septims into anything, even nutrition. Does that mean that things with more energy can be converted into more septims?'' "Let''s try this," as he focused on closing the shop, the mist once again went inside his chest. "Ughh, still feels a bit funny." Ben went down the squeaking wooden stairs that showed clear signs of use throughout the centuries, to his destination, the kitchen. Once there he grabbed as many fruits and vegetables as possible and ran back up the squeaking steps to his room. Luckily for him, his mother seemed to have not heard him, or he would have gotten another scolding for running through the stairs. Back in his room, he quickly opened the store and pushed a massive pumpkin into the mist, it quickly dissolved and turned into a septim, this brought a smile to his face, then he pushed a carrot into the mist but it did not turn into a coin, only after pushing 2 more carrots did the coin form. "I suspected as much, although the shop sells a carrot for 1 septim, the carrot itself was no ordinary carrot, it was a lot more nutritious and full of vitality." After converting everything he borrowed from the kitchen, he now left with a total of 60 septims, 10 septims just with a handful of vegetables, this seemed a profitable business. "I bet magical ingredients will give me even more, hmm, I''ll try when I get my hands on some." ''I still only have enough to buy one spell tome, maybe I should get rid of all the trash in the basement.'' And so, after an hour of diligent cleaning around the house, Ben was rewarded with 200 shiny septims, this was the most gold he had seen in his life, and it had come from cleaning out junk. ''Maybe I should skip Hogwarts and start a junkyard business.'' "Haha, ain''t no way I am missing Hogwarts." Ben had been a huge fan of the Harry Potter series in his previous life and had wished that he too could go to the school of witchcraft and wizardry instead of his boring school. In this life, Ben had grown up hearing tales of his uncle Arthur''s bravery and sacrifice, he was filled with dreams of going to Hogwarts and becoming just as strong and brave as his uncle and becoming an Auror. This filled his father with as much pride as it did with fear, he worried that he may lose his son, just as he lost his brother. "It''s time to go on a shopping spree," Ben said with a glint in his eyes as he focused on bringing out the mist which then took the form of a rectangle which listed various novice spells tomes. -- Alteration: Candlelight[44], Oakflesh[44]. Conjuration: Bound Dagger[38], Bound sword[49], Conjure Familiar[49], Raise Zombie[49]. Destruction: Flames[50], Frostbite[47], Sparks[46]. Illusion: Clairvoyance[50], Courage[46], Fury[43]. Restoration: Healing[50], Lesser Ward[45]. -- A/N: I had included a few Creative Club spells in the previous chapter which I have now decided to remove. ''I have enough to buy at least four spells, Healing is the most important one, I am bound to get a bit roughed up practising spells and doing lord knows what, this spell will prevent me from visiting the hospital wing too often for 50 septims.'' ''As for destruction, let''s stay away from flames for a bit, as tempting as it may seem, I don''t want to burn this house down. Frostbite is just that, cold enough to give frostbites, interesting, but it can wait, whereas Sparks can come in a lot handier, it''s basically my own tazer gun, a bit of shock therapy ought to keep bullies at bay, it also has the longest range among the three, 50ft and no one can dodge lightning.'' ''Next is conjuration, the most versatile of all, I can not go about conjuring ghost wolves and raising dead bodies everywhere, so those two are out, out of bound sword and dagger, let''s go with the less conspicuous one, I will be able to practice it a lot more without having less trouble hiding it.'' ''Now I am left with 66 septims, I can only buy one more spell tome.'' ''Although there are quite a few very useful alteration spells, these two are not among them, Candlelight is just the same as Lumos, and Oakflesh is just not worth it at this point. On the other hand, Clairvoyance will come in quite handy in an ever-changing maze of a place that is Hogwarts.'' After deciding which spells to buy, Ben focused on which spell tomes to buy and one buy one bought each of them, in the end, he was left with 4 spell tomes with distinct cover designs and 16 septims on his hands. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He picked out a tome with the Daedric symbol ''Oht'' on the cover, it can be translated to the letter ''O'' and stands for Oblivion, Conjuration itself is the act of summoning things or beings from the oblivion, but Ben was not thinking about any of this, this mind was filled with the excitement of learning his first spell tome, he opened the book and blinding light poured out it as the book itself dissolved into it and rushed towards Ben''s face. Ben felt as if he had suddenly remembered something long forgotten, he could vaguely remember how to gather Magicka towards his hand and how to focus his mind to conjure a dagger from the beyond. As he felt his Magicka rush through his body, towards his hand and gather on his palm, he closed his eyes and focused his mind on conjuring a dagger, a narrow connection formed between himself and something else, he opened his eyes when he felt something heavy on his palm, it was an ethereal Daedric dagger, 16" of solid purple aura, the flashing jagged edge of the blade, inspired fear in any who face it. "HoHo! Master Windu is here witches," He exclaimed with a huge grin on his face as he firmly held his deadly weapon in hand. -- A/N: So, our protagonist does not know the difference between a dagger and a sabre, just cause it''s purple doesn''t mean it''s the real deal, alright. MC: I am SO gonna be a Jedi Master with a Purple sabre, I can even shoot lightning from my hands. A/N: Sparks. MC: ..... Sparks and Clairvoyance If you like my work, you can buy me a banana smoothie at patren/DreamyApe -- "HoHo! Master Windu is here witches," He exclaimed with a huge grin on his face as he firmly held his deadly weapon in hand. After two minutes of waving and posing with the dagger in front of the mirror, it slowly grew faint and disappeared. ''So it lasts 2 minutes and consumes half of my current Magicka, I feel like I can increase the duration with a bit of practice.'' He could already feel his exhausted Magicka replenish slowly and was already full again. In the game, he could recover about 1% in combat and about 3% out of combat, he wondered if it was the same here. He will have to find out later. ''Alright, let''s get to the other spells,'' he thought as he picked up a tome with a burning palm on the cover, after performing his first spell successfully, Ben was feeling quite confident and decided to go for the destruction spell model, ''Sparks''. He was once again blinded by a flash of light and a bunch of memories emerged in his mind, he pointed his hand outside his window this time to avoid any unforeseen damage to the room. He focused on channelling his Magicka towards his right hand, his fingers started feeling a bit numb as small sparks of electricity danced around his hand. *ZAPP* A bright flash of blue lightning escaped his hand and bolted towards the thin oak branch that was hanging outside his window. *Crack* *Thump* "Ben! What are you doing up there?" "Uh... Nothing mum, just.. clearing out the branches, they are coming too close to the window." "Don''t fall down the window, again." "That was years ago, I''m not a kid anymore." "Right.." ''Phew, that was more powerful than I had imagined, definitely stronger than a taser from my last life, strong enough to knock a wizard out cold, maybe not, wizards are considerably sturdier than muggles.'' "I can only maintain that for about 5 seconds before drying up my Magicka, good thing it seems to recover pretty fast, I am back to full in just about half a minute. I will be able to maintain it longer once my Magicka grows." After resting for a bit, he decided to learn the remaining spell tomes, one with three circles, one on top of two, forming a triangle, on the cover, Clairvoyance, and another with a Phoenix covered with red flames on the cover, Healing. After two flashes of bright light, he learned them both. To test the effectiveness of healing, he conjured his bound dagger again which felt a lot easier than the last time and nicked his palm with it. A small amount of blood flowed out of it. ''Let''s start small and see how it feels.'' Ben focused his mind and a dim orange glow covered his whole body, the scratch on his hand got healed immediately and there was no sign of it left, except the blood that had flowed out of it. ''This is pretty useful, but I can only use it on my own body, let''s see if it can recover deeper wounds.'' "Let''s not. I''m not enjoying it at all." After arguing with himself, he reluctantly decided to cut his palm just a bit deeper, which was no effort at all with his dagger. Sarch* The Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Gaah" Ignoring the pain and the blood pooling in his hand, he focused on healing again and was covered by the orange glow once more, the wound stopped bleeding immediately and started to heal, when only a thin line was left in its place, the healing stopped, he was out of Magicka. ''The spell is very powerful, but my Magicka reserves are not enough, I can use healing for about 8 seconds.'' After recovering for a bit, he was able to heal his wound completely. One thing to note was that not only was his wound healed, but his body also felt a lot more relaxed, it was as if he had just taken a nap. The spell seemed to recover his stamina too, which made sense as Vitality and Magicka were the only two stats he had. The spell seemed to use Magicka to boost his Vitality. "Now for the spell, I have been waiting for, Clairvoyance." Ben had the most expectations from this spell, in this unfamiliar world, a spell that shows the way would come in handy the most, after all, he did not have ''The Marauder''s map''. He closed his eyes and focused on channelling his Magicka towards them, he could feel his senses quieting down and the world around him turned silent, he opened his eyes which now seemed to hold white clouds in them. He looked around the room with his now blurry vision. ''Well, that didn''t work. I don''t see any path leading anywhere, Ahh, right, have to think of a goal first.'' His blurry vision turned back to normal and his senses returned too, it was like coming out of the water and being able to hear again, after recovering his Magicka, he tried again. ''Let''s see here, I must form a clear image of what I want to find, a vague idea also works, but it will also give vague results.'' He focused hard and pictured his old room in their London flat, his senses dulled and his vision grew foggy as he drove Magicka to his eyes, in front of him, he could see an arrow made of blue light pointing westwards. Unlike in the game, the spell seemed to only show direction, to test his theory, Ben recast the spell, picturing his mother''s face, this time the arrow was pointing downwards, towards the kitchen, it seemed she was already preparing for dinner. ''Haa, this is the hardest spell to perform so far, and I could only maintain it for only a second and it cost me a quarter of my Magicka, it takes a lot of concentration to gather Magicka to my eyes and form a clear image in my head at the same time.'' Even though the spell took a lot of effort, Ben was satisfied with it, even if it did not form a path, it was a very useful spell nonetheless. After that Ben continued practising the spells until Dorothea called him for dinner, before going down he decided to take a look at his STATUS. -- Name: Benedict Nigel Brown. Species: Human[Wizard]. Age: 11 years 3 months 19 days. Job: None. Title: Dragonborn[Level 1]. Vitality: 100. Magicka: 100. -------------------------------------------------SKILLS----------------------------------------------------- Conjuration[Level 2(Novice)]: Bound Dagger. Destruction[Level 1(Novice)] : Sparks. Illusion[Level 2(Novice)]: Clairvoyance. Restoration[Level 1(Novice)] : Healing. -- He had levelled Conjuration and Illusion to level 2, he felt that he was also close to levelling up Restoration but Destruction will have to wait until he finds a place to practice it properly, he had not cast the spell again after blowing up the poor branch. One interesting thing that he noticed was that when he used his wand, he didn''t seem to be using Magicka, the Magic power that he used when casting the levitation charm did not feel as intimate as the Magicka, which he could feel in his very soul. The Magic was in him and around him, the whole world seem to be entangled in magic, whereas the Magicka felt as if it came from a place deep within him, perhaps his soul. With that thought, he absorbed the Mist back into his chest and ran down the stairs for supper. -END OF CHAPTER- A/N: Yes the whole chapter is just Spell descriptions and him using them, I didn''t want to skip this part because there is a difference in how these spells work outside of a game. I also made a distinction between Magicka and the Magic that everyone else uses in HP because after reading the books and searching the internet, I did not find a way to define the quantity of Magic a person uses, they usually get stronger during intense emotional states and with stronger wands and also grow stronger with age, which can be termed as experience. There will be different implications of these differences which will come later. Aquila and Novice Mage If you like my work, you can buy me a banana smoothie at patren/DreamyApe ********************************************************************************************************* After finishing up the food at the dinner table, Ben couldn''t even move, he was so stuffed that he was hardly left with any breathing space, Dorothea''s food was exceptional and she had gone a few miles extra with tonight''s food, Nigel too seemed to be very excited tonight, reminding Ben to pack everything on the list and talking about own first day at Hogwarts and how didn''t take enough pair of socks with him and had to owl home when he lost a pair. After the dinner, Nigel went into his bedroom and came back with something on his arm, it was a little Eagle-owl that was only beginning to grow his ear tufts. It stared at ben with its big bright orange eyes. Its golden-brown feathers with black markings beautifully shined in the light of the torches. It let out a low-pitched call looking at Ben. "Oohu-Oohu-Oohu" "Ah, this little bugger, knows who his companion is, doesn''t he?" Said Nigel. "Go, on now, hold him, he''s yours," said Thea. "Really? I thought you said, I''ll get one next year?" Ben asked them with confusion in his eyes as he looked at the cute little guy, the owl took off from Nigel''s arm and landed on Ben''s shoulder and let out a low cry as he rubbed his head on his hair. "I didn''t think you''d be able to care for one, but Thea convinced me otherwise. I have always been too protective of you, son, I was afraid of losing you too, but when I saw this little fella, I realised that just like this little guy, your place is out there. I can''t protect you forever and I shouldn''t hold you back either." Nigel said and the owl hooted in agreement. "Don''t worry Dad, I''ll be okay," said Ben as he slowly hugged his father. "And where''s my hug, I convinced him, remember?" Thea said as she hugged them both and the cute little eagle owl too spread his wings to envelop them. "Aww, isn''t she adorable Ben? what are you going to call her? or is it him?" asked Thea, looking at the bird. "You can''t really tell can you, little fella hasn''t fully grown his tufts yet, and even then it''s hard to tell," said Nigel. "I''ll call her Aquila." "Isn''t that just Latin for eagle? Is it cause she''s an eagle owl?" Questioned Thea with a chuckle. "Really? I didn''t know that. It''s a beautiful name, and she likes it, don''t you Aquila?" "Oohu-Oohu-Oohu," she said and nodded her head in agreement. "Aren''t you the clever one, here, have this," said Ben feeding Aquila a piece of meat. "Mom, can I go hunt some mice in the barn with her, I saw some there earlier, we''ll be back quick," Aquila too hooted with excitement. "Okay, but you better be back here in 20 minutes." "We''ll be back in 19, won''t we girl?" "Oohu-Oohu-Oohu," -----Scene Break----- "Ben, come on down quick, we will be leaving for the King''s Cross in 10 minutes." "I''ll be there in a jiffy," Ben replied as he looked one last time into the mirror, he quickly combed his fingers through his messy hair and roughly styled them back, he had always wanted such obedient hair, in his last life, his hair refused to listen to him at all, he had to spend a lot of time just to make sure his head didn''t end up looking like a bird''s nest. As grateful as he was about his wonderful brown hair in this life, they weren''t the reason for the beaming smile, stuck on his face, nor were his new clothes, that fit him perfectly despite his recent rapid growth, not even the fact that he was finally going to start his magical journey today with the Hogwarts Express, believe it or not, the reason for the smile stuck on his face was last night''s rat hunt with Aquila. Although it was fun to finally get revenge on the pests that had been stealing their grain for months, Ben''s real target this time was all the junk still lying around in the Barn and also some spoilt grain. He already got rid of everything, that wouldn''t be missed, from the House and the only places left were the garden and the Barn and even Ben wasn''t crazy enough to touch Thea''s garden. After rummaging through the Barn, his total wealth reached 82 septims. He had just the spell in mind, Oakflesh[44] an Alteration spell that made his skin as strong as an oak. He had yet to learn any Alteration spells, and he had a feeling that something amazing was going to happen once he did. Once he opened the spell tome with a half-dead, half-alive tree on the cover, and gained the knowledge on Alteration, his mind got flooded with even more information on Magicka and more efficient ways of Magicka flow, he suddenly knew how to use Magicka more effortlessly while performing Novice spells, he opened his STATUS and was not very surprised to see a new entry under Job. ********************************************************************************************************* Name: Benedict Nigel Brown. Species: Human[Wizard]. Age: 11 years 3 months 19 days. Job: Novice Mage. Title: Dragonborn[Level 1]. Vitality: 100. Magicka: 100. -------------------------------------------------SKILLS----------------------------------------------------- Alteration[Level 1(Novice)]: Oakflesh. Conjuration[Level 2(Novice)]: Bound Dagger. Destruction[Level 1(Novice)] : Sparks. Illusion[Level 2(Novice)]: Clairvoyance. Restoration[Level 1(Novice)] : Healing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Novice Mage: You have gained some knowledge of Magicka and have taken your first steps towards becoming a full-fledged mage. Increased knowledge on Magicka flow doubles your Magicka efficiency when casting Novice spells. ********************************************************************************************************* "Hot damn, this system does not care for balances at all, I''ll be too OP at this rate," Ben had joked to himself, but to his surprise, Aquila too had expressed her agreement with a deep "Oohu Oohu". Ben locked his room and made his way down while tossing a gold coin in the air and humming to himself. "My money don''t jiggle, jiggle, it folds Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I''d like to see you wiggle, wiggle, for sure It makes me wanna dribble, dribble, you know Riding in my Fiat You really have to see it." But contrary to the song, his money really did go "Jiggle Jiggle" in his coin purse inside his pocket. He had about 37 septims in there plus the one in his hand, just a few more and he''ll be able to buy one more spell tome, but that can wait. Right now Ben was about to start his Hogwarts Journey. ********************************************************************************************************* A/N: Next station, umm.. the King Cross station. Comment who you would like the MC to interact with and also what house you''d like to see him join. I''m a Slytherin through and through and I wish that he too would join me in my grand plans. MC: Jiggle, jiggle I like to see you, wiggle, wiggle Jiggle, jiggle I like to see you, wiggle, wiggle A/N: Maybe not, Hufflepuffs will take him in, surely. All Abord Standing between platforms 9 and 10, Ben was staring at a very ordinary-looking wall which was anything but ordinary, it was the gateway to the magical world, and it was through this gateway that countless wizards had started their Magical journeys. "Come on Ben, Let''s go," said Thea placing a hand on Ben''s shoulder and reassuring him. "Un" nodded Ben and pushed his trolly towards the wall. The wall got closer, and Aquila let out an excited screech from her cage. Just when the Trolly was about to collide with the wall, it went straight through and Ben followed after. On the other side of the wall, Ben saw the scarlet steam engine waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven o''clock. Ben looked behind him and saw an archway where the wall had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. This really was a whole different world, packed full of people dressed as if to attend a Harry Potter-themed party. The smoke from Hogwarts Express made everything seem like a scene from a vintage movie. There were all kinds of animals with people on the platform, Ben could not help but stare around, owls screaming everywhere and cats running about under the chattering crowd. "Ah, it''s amazing, isn''t it Ben?" said Nigel who came through the Barrier after him still holding his wife''s hand. "It is," said Ben. "A bit nostalgic as well, It''s like I''m going back to Hogwarts." Ben eyed Nigel at that statement, ''aren''t you too old to be going to school old man,'' he thought to himself even though he himself was a 23-year-old man going to school again. "Let''s get you settled dear, your father can be nostalgic all day but you are the one going to Hogwarts." said his mother. As they passed through the crowd looking for an empty compartment, Ben saw a blond boy bragging about something to two other boys. There was also a chubby boy stumbling after a toad, then there was a whole crowd around a boy showing off a giant tarantula. "Mr Brown, here to drop your boy are you?" said a Witch waving towards them. "Ah, Madam Edgecombe, yes Ben is starting this year." Ben knew who she was, she worked together with his father at the ministry in the Department of Magical Transportation. He had met her when he went to the Ministry with his father. "Growing up fast are you lad, you are already taller than my Marie and she started Hogwarts last year." She said pointing to her daughter who was talking to some of her friends. She then called her daughter over. "Marietta, come over here dear. This is Ben, he is starting Hogwarts this year." "Hello," said the girl. "H-Hello," said Ben as he stopped himself from staring at her. ''She''s Marietta Edgecombe, Cho Chang''s best friend and the one who betrayed the DA, Woah.'' But the girl thought he was staring at her bushy reddish-blond hair and got a little embarrassed. "Why don''t you help Ben find a place on the train Marie, it''s his first time here." "Alright, let''s go, it''s already getting full," said Marietta as she helped Ben push the trolly. "Now did you hear what they were saying, Mrs Brown?" said the witch getting close to Thea. "They say a lot of things, Madam Edgecombe, what one are you talking about?" said Thea, she did not seem to be a big fan of the witch. "About the Boy-who-lived, they are saying he is back in the wizarding world and will be going to Hogwarts this year." "Yes, I''ve heard, that''s all that people seem to be talking about these days." Ben heard them talk about Harry Potter and froze on the ground, he was about to meet Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived. "Let''s go, don''t just stand there. People have been talking about him the whole month," said Marietta. "Really? do you think we will see him on the train?" "Not sure about the train, but you will definitely see him at Hogwarts, you might even get sorted in the same house with him." "Huh. No thanks."Ben blurted out subconsciously. He wouldn''t want to live in the shadow of the Chosen one for whole 7 years. "What do you mean? I thought you were a fan." "Nah, I''m just curious that''s all." "Yeah, the way people are talking about him, you can''t help but wonder. Anyway here, this last compartment seems to be empty." She said and helped him carry his luggage onto the train, Ben hardly needed any help, after yesterday''s painful and unexpected transformation, he was strong as a horse. "Woah, you''ve got a beautiful owl." "Yeah, she''s Aquila, I got her last night," said Ben. "Okay, I''ve got to go meet my friends now, I''ll see you at Hogwarts then." "Okay, thanks for the help," Ben said as she left to meet her friends. Ben''s parents had caught up to him by now. "Ben, I hope that I don''t have to remind you not to cause trouble at school," said Nigel. "And I hope I don''t have to send howlers to remind you to write back home, alright," said Thea. Sarch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ben''s blood ran cold at the mention of howlers. He did not want to become a joke at the breakfast table. "Mom, please no howlers, I''ll do anything you say, but no howlers.", for now, he had to comply but only until he learnt how to deal with the howlers. "Alright, get back in there, make sure to make a lot of friends okay?" "Okay, I''ll try." and with that, Ben escaped into the train before Thea could apply any more conditions. He tucked away his trunk in the corner and placed Aquilla''s cage on top of it. He then found a seat near the window. From there he could see his parents standing at the back holding hands and looking at him. He waved at them and then went to get a book out of his trunk. This was going to be a long journey and he was not used to not doing anything, he always had books to read on his phone in his previous life. He got his ''A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot'' out and sat against the window reading. He tuned out all the chatter outside and focused on the book. A knock on the door interrupted him from wondering how a Blizzard of soap bubbles had managed cause an economic crash. There was a scrawny kid with glasses in green eyes, he seemed very nervous. "Um, Excuse me. Mind if I sit here? Everywhere else seems to be full." He said. Ben just stared at the boy without saying anything making the boy even more nervous. He recognised to boy instantly, it was Harry Potter after all, but he couldn''t believe that he was sitting where Harry Potter was supposed to sit. But it made sense, Lavender would have sat with Marietta and this compartment would have been empty. "Umm is something the matter?" the boy asked. "No No, you can sit here, it''s just that I was surprised to see you." "Me?" "Yeah, you are him aren''t you? You''re Harry Potter." Ben asked. "Ah, him. I mean yes. I am Harry Potter" "Cool" "Cool?" Harry asked. "Ah, never mind that, I''m Benedict Brown, but everyone calls me Ben," said Ben shaking Harry''s Hand. "You are very famous around here you know," Ben said. "Yes, that seems to be the case," Harry said as he looked out the window at the commotion. Ben too looked out to see a bunch of redheads. The twins were telling them about their meeting with Harry Potter and the smallest one wanted to get on the train to see him. Ben was amazed to see all the characters he''d read come to life. "Don''t worry, you''ll get used to it," Ben told Harry, who just nodded. The train was starting to move and Ben smiled and waved goodbye to a teary-eyed Thea and Nigel. Journey 1 Ben watched as the people got distant and smaller, the train picked up speed and houses flashed by the window. He had been on many trains in his previous life, his very first train journey had been almost two days long. The compartment door slid open as Ben was going through those memories and feeling nostalgic. "Got room for one more? Everywhere else is full," said the awkwardly built redhead. I nodded my head, and he sat beside Harry, taking a glance at Harry''s forehead. "I''m Ron by the way." He said, introducing himself to Ben. ''Duh, who else could you be?'' thought Ben, staring at the dirt on his nose. "Ben," I said, nodding at him. Awkward silence took over the compartment as nobody said anything. "Hey, Ron" A pair of twins walked in. ''Wow, they really are identical.'' "Listen, we''re going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan''s got a giant tarantula down there." "Right," mumbled Ron. "Harry," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. And he is..." "I don''t think we''ve met him before George" "I''m Ben Brown" "Have we stopped growing or are firsties getting taller George." "We have to do something about that Fred, first Ron and now him." "Anyways, see you later." said the twins. "Wait! Can I come too? I-- I''m curious about the spider." asked Ben as he followed the twins out of the compartment. "You hear that? George." "This one''s braver than Ron, that''s for sure." "You can tag along, but we don''t guarantee your safety, right Fred?" He said with a mischievous smile on his face. Ben was already starting to regret this, he followed the twins because he didn''t want to come in between Harry and Ron''s first meeting. He had been a Harry Potter fan in the past, but that was when it was just a story. Now it was real life and he wanted to play it safe, for now. He didn''t want to make any significant changes to the story and keep some distance from Harry to avoid Dumbledork''s attention. Ben did not trust that meddling old fool one bit, he wanted to stay as far away from his radar as possible. Stalking an 11-year-old and making elaborate plans to test and shape his character so that one day, he will join your secret order of the chicken and sacrifice his life for the greater good. That''s called grooming and it is creepy. Ben did not want to be a part of that. Ben got down to the middle of the train where there was already a bit of a crowd gathering, in the middle was a boy with dreadlocks and a huge tarantula on his head. Ben had seen the spider on the platform and it was normal-sized then, but now it had grown to the size of his head. "Blimey Lee, how did you get it this big?" "You used the Engorgement Charm on it, didn''t you Lee?" asked the other twin. Ben was astonished by the size of the spider. He remembered seeing Charm in the movies before. ''Have to learn that'' "Oh yeah, been practising this summer, did explode a few things in the process" "Wicked, I blew up my attic last week," said Ben, and the twins looked at him approvingly. "We''ve blown up the attic before. Haven''t we, George?" "Oh, twice, I believe. Mom was livid." said the other twin, who may or may not have been George. The twins often swapped their names. "Oh, blowing things up is tight." Ben couldn''t help but say, he was a fan of Pitch meetings. He did get weird looks from everyone around. Most of the people around just wanted to see the spider from a distance, they didn''t want to touch it at all, except Fred and George. They got to their weird antics and even tried to prank Ben by placing the huge spider on his shoulder when he was not looking. Although Ben was a little startled, he was prepared for something like this. He used [Oakflesh] and hardened his skin and then gently picked up the spider and placed it on the shoulder of another unsuspecting boy. One drawback of this spell is reduced sensory feedback, it can be useful in situations such as this. The resulting screaming and jumping dance from the boy got him some approving looks from the pranksters. After some time, the crowd was dispersed by the Prefects and everyone went back to their seats. While the twins were taking Jabs at Percy for being too uptight, Ben decided to go back to his compartment, this one was already pretty crowded as the Twins were quite popular. Harry and Ron were sitting quietly in their seats, it seemed that they had run out of things to talk about. Ron was now sitting next to the window, so I sat beside him. They both were staring out the window quietly. It was getting a little awkward. "You guys should have seen that spider, it was the size of my head." Ron made a weird face, it seemed that the thought of the Tarantula sent shivers down his spine. "Are they common? The spiders that size." Harry asked. Sar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Oh that was just a regular-sized spider, but Lee enlarged it with Magic," Ben replied. "But I''ve heard there are some huge spiders in the Forbidden Forest." "W-What!! Are there really?" Ron asked with a pale face. ''Wow, he''s really scared of spiders, isn''t he?'' Thought Ben as a menacing light flashed in his eyes. Ben had always enjoyed messing with children, he was the eldest child in the family and all his cousins were at least 10 years younger than him. He used to tell them ghost stories and throw fake snakes and lizards at their feet. He had to spend summer vacations with them every year, might as well find ways to stay amused. "Who knows, there might even be some in the castle," said Ben and watched the blood drain from Ron''s face even further. Before Ben could terrify the poor lad further, the trolly witch slid open the door and said, "Anything off the trolley, dears?" Journey 2 "Anything off the cart, dears?" Honeydukes Express was here, Harry lept to his feet and rushed to the trolly while Ron muttered that he''d brought sandwiches with a flushed face. Thea wanted to pack sandwiches too, but Ben managed to convince her otherwise, he got some extra allowance to spend on the train. When Harry bought some of everything from the cart and Ron stared with his mouth open, Ben decided to buy some too, he got a few packs of Bettie Bott''s Every Flavor Beans, some Drooble''s Best Blowing Gum, a few boxes of Chocolate Frogs to restart his card collection and few Pumpkin Pasties for the way. Ben wasn''t a fan of Pumpkins in his previous life, it was something that he got after he arrived here, it made him wonder what else changed about him. He put most of what he bought in the trunk, he won''t be able to visit Hogsmead anytime soon and he didn''t want poor Aquila to haul snacks for him just yet. "You guys are really hungry huh," said Ron. "Starving," said Harry. "Here, have some," Ben said handing a pumpkin pastry to Ron, which Ron took hesitatingly. Harry also offered to trade some for corn beef sandwiches with Ron, they chatted while sharing treats, Ben mostly just listened and occasionally participated, when Ben said that he sold his chocolate frog cards collection for 3 galleons(one septim), Ron almost lost his marbles. He wanted to sell his cards too, but unfortunately Ben couldn''t afford to spend more galleons and no one would accept septims as payment. There was a knock on the door and a round-faced boy came in. "Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?" Harry and Ron shook their heads. "No, maybe it became someone''s lunch," Ben said and the poor boy almost cried. Ben had to reassure him that it''ll turn up eventually and maybe it just wanted to explore the train. Neville reminded Ben of someone he went to middle school with, he was his distant cousin and cried very easily and was bullied because of it. Ben remembered that he liked to tease him a lot but would feel terrible when he started to shed tears afterwards. In this life, Neville was in fact his distant cousin and he felt terrible when he made him almost cry. While Ben was reminiscing his past, Ron was trying to make his rat yellow. Just as he raised his wand, the door slid open again and Neville was back, this time with a tiny girl with large front teeth and bush brown hair. "Has anyone seen a toad? Neville''s lost one," she almost commanded, it was as if she was already a prefect. "We''ve already told him we haven''t seen it," said Ron, he seemed annoyed, maybe because she reminded him of Percy. "Oh, are you doing magic? Let''s see it, then." She sat down next to Harry. "Er - all right." Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow." Everyone just stared at the rat for a while but nothing happened. "Maybe shake the rat a little, it''ll spread the colour evenly on him," Ben joked but to his surprise, Ron actually gave the poor old man a good shake. Now everyone stared at Ben. "I was only kidding, I didn''t think you''d actually do it," Ben shrugged. "Are you sure that''s a real spell?" said the girl and started talking so fast that Ben could hardly catch anything from what she said. "I''m Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?" She said at last. Looking at the stunned faces around, Ben was certain that nobody understood what she said. "I''m Ron Weasley," Ron muttered. "Benedict Brown" "Harry Potter," said Harry. "Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course-" and then she started listing all the books that mentioned Harry Potter. At some point Ben was expecting her to name all of Rowling''s books and break the fourth wall too, he was relieved when that did not happen but the wall was broken nonetheless. "Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed. "Goodness, didn''t you know, I''d have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you''ll be in? I''ve been asking around, and I hope I''m in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn''t be too bad...Anyway, we''d better go and look for Neville''s toad. You three had better change, you know, I expect we''ll be there soon." She again started speaking at 1.75 times the normal speed and then left with Neville in tow. ''She''s had too much sugar for sure'' "Whatever house I''m in, I hope she''s not in it," said Ron. "Now you''ve jinxed it," said Ben with certainty. Ron started talking about Houses and Harry asked him what his brothers did, Ben did not want to participate in this talk lest he ends up with a Slytherin Harry Potter. He pulled out his history book and started reading and they left him alone. The History of Magic book for Ben was like a missing Harry Potter Wiki article, everything in it was fascinating and made him realize the realness of this world, it no longer was a world that he used to escape to once a year, but a living, breathing, magical world full of real conflicts and problems. There were more ways a person could die here than an Avada Kedavra, all sorts of magical creatures that were less than harmless and unimaginable magical calamities that can wipe out city blocks without anyone knowing. This was no longer a children''s book that grew up with its readers and showed the triumph of good over evil with the power of love and friendship. As the realness of this world and its dangers set in, so did Ben''s anxiety. He was just a normal guy living in the city, he was not made for this shit. The last time he faced a beast, he was in front of a TV, let alone a magical beast. The door to their compartment was opened again and three boys stepped in. A/N: Young master is about to enter the scene, get ready for some face slapping. Young Master The door to their compartment was opened again and three boys stepped in, it was a young master and his cronies. The young master stepped forward and- "Is it true?" he said. "They''re saying all down the train that Harry Potter''s in this compartment. So it''s you, is it?" "Yes," said Harry looking at two troll-human hybrids with a mean look in their eyes. "Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," he said carelessly "and my name''s Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." ''Someone''s watched too many bond films.'' Ben thought amusedly. It seemed Ben was not the only one amused, the young master looked at him. "Think my name''s funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford." Ben could not help but chuckle at this, a bit of Ron bashing was always welcomed and sometimes Darco did voice what was on everyone else''s mind. "And who might you be?" the young master asked, pleased with Ben laughing at Ron. The other two were not so impressed. "Benedict Brown, at your service young master." Ben stood up and bowed a little, trying to match the Young master''s sauve. "Brown, hm-never heard of you." The young master was now even more pleased, seeing the peasant falling in line. He turned back to Harry. "You''ll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter, Brown seems to understand this. You don''t want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." He held out his hand to shake Harry''s, but Harry didn''t take it. "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly. The young master was slapped in the face by the protagonist and was not pleased, a pink tinge appeared on his jade white cheeks. Id be careful if I were you, Potter, he said slowly. Unless youre a bit politer youll go the same way as your parents. They didnt know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and itll rub off on you. Both Harry and Ron stood up. Say that again, Ron said, his face as red as his hair. Oh, youre going to fight us, are you? The young master sneered. Unless you get out now, said Harry, with as much courage as he could muster in front of the troll halflings. But we dont feel like leaving, do we, boys? Weve eaten all our food and you still seem to have some. Before the trio could take a step forward, a blue flash of lightning struck in front of them. "Ah- apologies young master, there was a big spider there," said Ben stuttering. "Y-you see I''m v-very scared of s-spiders, it triggers my magic." There was a shocked look on everyone''s faces, no one understood what was going on. "T-there!" Ben screamed and pointed between the Troll''s legs and a flash of lightning struck between his legs. Then he pointed between the other lackey''s legs and another flash of lightning struck. The trolls started screaming and crying for their mother, not caring about the young master''s image. "M-my apologies, young master, I-I can''t control it. There it is!" Ben stuttered and put up an act that could put Quirrell to shame and blasted another spark of lightning between Malfoys legs. The Young master lept and grabbed his lacked and ran out of the compartment. "My father will know about this!!" He yelled. ''Typical Young master.'' Ben smirked and returned to his seat, he was faced with two staring faces with unhinged jaws. He just shrugged at them like every other protagonist ever. "Merlin''s saggy ball sack, how did you do that?" Ron asked with a shake in his voice. "As I said, I''m scared of spiders, it happened on its own," Ben said calmly opening his book. "That''s Hippogriff shit and you know it, I''m the one that''s scared of spiders, and that''s never happened to me," Ron said, unwilling to buy whatever Ben was selling. Harry on the other hand didn''t have any words left, he had electrified uncle Vernon with magic before but he had never been able to control it. Soon Hermione Granger entered the compartment. What has been going on? she said, looking at the burnt marks on the floor. "Nothing, just a spider came in the room," Ben replied. "There''s no spider, I''m willing to eat my wand if there is." said the read-head looking at Harry. "Can we help you with something?" Ben asked Hermione, trying to divert their attention. Youd better hurry up and put your robes on, Ive just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says were nearly there. You havent been fighting, have you? Youll be in trouble before we even get there! "Tell him that, we haven''t lifted a finger," said Ron pointing at me. "It was accidental magic, I didn''t even touch my wand." Everyone looked at him, Ron and Harry finding it hard to believe, but they decided not to comment any further. "Would you mind leaving while we change?" said Ron. sea??h th ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. All right, I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors, said Hermione in a sniffy voice. And youve got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know? Unlike in the movies, there was no uniform for Hogwarts, except for the robe. So the boys took off their jackets and put on their long black robes. Ron and Harry started talking about Malfoys and their own experiences with accidental magic. It was almost nighttime, the sky was deep purple when a voice echoed in the train announcing that they will be arriving at their station in five minutes. Harry and Ron stuffed the remaining food in their pockets while Ben had already stashed everything in his trunk. The train slowed down and people rushed towards the door, Ben was not in a hurry and slowly walked out behind Harry and Ron. "Thanks for helping back there," said Harry before climbing down the train, and Ben nodded a little like the protagonist of a poorly written novel. The shivering cold air assaulted their bodies as they left the comfort of the train, and then a lamp came bobbing over everyone. Then a gruff loud voice was heard. Firs years! Firs years over here! All right there, Harry? A/N:I am not sure whether I wrote "Young Master" 12 or 14 times in this chapter, comment down below if you kept the count. Great Hall "First years! Firs'' years over here! All right there, Harry?" A huge mountain of fur coats was walking towards Ben, as it got closer, Ben recognized it as the half-giant Hagrid. "C''mon, follow me any more firs'' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs'' years follow me!" Everyone followed the giant through a narrow path, nobody made a sound except for the footsteps, the path opened suddenly at the edge of a great black lake, it was the biggest Ben had seen in his life. On the other side of the lake was a vast castle in all its majestic glory with its many towers and turrets and windows sparkling in the moonlight. Ben could only stare wide-eyed and try to capture it all in his mind cause it won''t be the same the second time. "No more''n four to a boat!" Hagrid called and brought Ben''s attention to the fleet of little boats standing near the shore, Ben found an empty boat and was joined by three more people that he did not recognise. The fleet of boats glided across as the smooth waters of the lake, everyone was amazed by the view as they stared at the great castle overhead, Ben was looking at the waters, trying to find a glimpse of the Giant Squid that he''d read about. He even considered jumping into the lake as he remembered reading that it helped the students that fell into the waters. "Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as they reached the cliff that contained a passage hidden by a curtain of ivy, there was enough space under the ivy for everyone to pass through except for the Half-giant, they travelled through the dark passage and reached right underneath the castle at some kind of harbour, everyone then made out of their little boats and hurried up a long flight of stone steps and reached a huge oak door. The giant knocked on the door three times with his gigantic fist and the door swung open at once. A tall dark haired witch in emerald robes stood there, Ben recognised her straight away. Professor Minerva McGonagall, Order of Merlin (First class), Deputy headmistress of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, head of the transfiguration department, head of Gryffindor House, a quidditch fanatic and a Tabby cat animagus. Thinking about her description, Ben felt that she was seriously overworked at this school. He had looked at every cat with suspicion ever since he''d read about her. "The firs'' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid. "Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here," she said in a voice that reminded him of some of his senior professors. It sounded strict and polite at the same time. Everyone followed her through the entrance hall towards a bright shiny door, Ben could hear many muffled voices coming from the other side. "Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend your free time in your house common room." Then she started talking about Houses and the wretched House points system they had going on here. Ben already knew that he was going to lose his house a lot of points, he had been an ideal student in the past, he kept his uniform tidy, his hair and nails short and his shoes polished. He was on time for every class, submitted all his assignments and did everything he could to be the ideal student and do everything his parents expected of him. This was Ben''s second shot at life and he was not going to torture himself again, if it means his house being the last, then so be it. Not like there was a prize for winning. While Ben was having his inner monologue, the professor had already entered the Great hall leaving a lot of nervous kids behind. "How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Ben heard someone whispering near him. "Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking." said another boy. sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "We have to defeat a troll of course, didn''t you know?" Ben whispered to the poor boy. He said it with such conviction that the boy''s face lost all colour. As if the thought of fighting a troll wasn''t enough, a fleet of ghosts came arguing down the hall. "I say, what are you all doing here?" Said a ghost dressed in a doublet, a dashing plumed hat, and a tunic with a ruff asked the crowd gathered in the hall. "New students!" said the fat ghost, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?" Ben had only heard of ghosts till now and had never seen any, it was weird watching them float there because he could see right through them. "Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony''s about to start." The ghosts floated straight towards the wall and went right through it. "Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me. The door fully opened and everyone got a view of the Great hall for the first time. It was a magical place, with thousands and thousands of candles floating in the air and hundreds of students sitting at four long tables laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. Ben quickly looked up towards to ceiling and it was filled with a velvety night sky dotted with twinkling stars. "It''s bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History." He heard someone whisper, who else could it be but Hermione? Ben looked towards the top of the hall with another long table that had all the teachers sitting. At the centre, in a golden chair was sitting an old man with a long long beard wearing a purple rope and a pointed hat giving out harmless grandfatherly vibes. Ben instantly recognised him as Dumbledork, a man with a very long ass name that he did not remember. He has conflicted feelings about the man and reminded himself to not look into his twinkling eyes. ''Oh, Merlin''s fat hat, I almost fell for it.'' Avoiding the twinkle behind the half-moon glasses, Ben looked to the right at a pale face with a crooked long nose and greasy black hair on top, dressed in a long black robe who was staring intensely at someone. Ben followed his gaze which led to the one Harry James Potter, the chosen one. SORTING Avoiding the twinkle behind the half-moon glasses, Ben looked at a pale face with a crooked long nose and greasy black hair on top, dressed in a long black robe who was staring intensely at someone. Ben followed his gaze which led to the one Harry James Potter, the chosen one. Severus Snape was a man shrouded in darkness, the biggest kept secret of the whole series. He was the eccentric potions master that was also the worst nightmare of many students. Many believed that he was a vampire, looking at his very pale skin and his unnecessarily long black robe, even Ben doubted the nature of his diet. To Ben, Severus Snape was a man who could never let go, he was a man haunted by his past and his love for Lily Potter. And for this love, he sold his soul, not once, but twice. Whether his love for Lily was true or just an infatuation turned obsession, was debatable, but the lengths to which he was willing to go for it were remarkable nonetheless. Then there was the man, or rather were the men sitting beside Snape. Professor Quirinus Quirrell, and the parasite on his head. Quirrell was a young man who was not ready to face the evils of this world, and when he was faced with this evil, he was shown the ugly truth, that power always reigned supreme. It does not matter whether you are good or evil as long as you are weak, you run the risk of being at the mercy of someone else''s whims and fancies. The fate of Quirrell was a fate that Ben dreaded the most, in the modern world, even if you don''t have true freedom, you at least have the illusion of it. There was no such privilege for the weak in the wizarding world, he was lucky to be born a human here, there were fates much much worse. Speaking of fate, the fate of the whole world was on the shoulders of an eleven-year-old boy. By the time Ben stopped brooding, the shabby-patched talking hat was done singing its complementary song and the whole hall was bursting with applause. "So we''ve just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered. "You said we''ve to fight a troll." "Just having a laugh mate, you need to lighten up," Ben told him, he did not look pleased. Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment and Ben started to panic a little, he was worried that all his secrets will be laid bare in front of the hat. He had practised keeping his mind clear of any unnecessary thoughts, but that was only going to work against surface legilimency, the hat was about to take a deep dive into his brain and there was nothing he could do to prevent that. Ben focused all his thought on what house he wanted to join anything that would make the hat''s job easier and save him from a deep inspection. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!" "HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat. "Bones, Susan!" "HUFFLEPUFF!" "Boot, Terry!" "RAVENCLAW!" "Brocklehurst, Mandy!" "RAVENCLAW!" Each house welcomed its new students with a loud cheer. "Brown, Benedict!" Finally, it was Ben''s turn, he calmly walked towards the stool, but he was very nervous on the inside. "Hmm, what is this? Projecting very hard, aren''t you? Interesting." the hat muttered as soon as it was placed on top of his head. For a moment Ben felt his heart miss a beat. "Now, where shall I put you?" ''Ravenclaw!'' Ben screamed immediately in his head. "Curious, very curious, hmm." ''What is?'' "I can sense your thoughts, but not your memories. Hmm." ''Then place me in Ravenclaw, I love books.'' Ben quickly thought to the hat, trying to hide his surprise. "Hmm, you do seem to have a good head on you. Well, if you''re so sure- RAVENCLAW." Ben quickly took off the hat and quickly made his way towards the Ravenclaw table, the Ravenclaws were roaring with applause, they got three new first years back to back. He sat down next to Terry Boot and Mandy Brocklehurst. As soon as he sat down, he let out a huge sigh that he had been holding for who knows how long. Not only did he get the House he wanted, but somehow his secrets were safe as well. Ben was worried a bit because based on the memories of the original Ben, he would be sorted into Griffindor and he did not want to be so close to the action. He also did not want to live in the shadows of the chosen one for seven years. Sar?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Something that Ben noticed was that as time passed, especially after he became the Dragonborn, he was getting distant from the memories of the 11-year-old Ben. When he first arrived in this world, he could not even distinguish the two personalities, now he was somewhat clear. It seemed the changes brought about by the system were deeper than they seemed previously. There were not any changes in the sorting except for Ben, he was soon joined at the table by Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, Kevin Entwhistle, Stephen Cornfoot, Padma Patil, Su Li, Lisa Turpin and Morag Macdougal. Ben didn''t even remember hearing some of their names. There were many students at Hogwarts and only a few were mentioned in the books, so it did not surprise Ben. Suddenly the hall quietened down, the old Goat had gotten to his feet. "Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are- Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! "Thank you!" He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Ben did not know why the headmaster was hurling out playground slurs, nor was he interested in finding out. He did not have a great impression of Dumbledore. Ben knew that Dumbledore was not evil or a dark lord in disguise, but he was manipulative and incompetent and had a godfather complex on top of that. Greatest wizard in the world they said, but could not find a single Horcrux in a decade. Makes you wonder what he did till Harry showed up, was he just waiting for the lamb to grow up, sucking on lemon drops in the meanwhile? Tom finds out about Horcruxes in the library of the school and the Headmaster has no clue as to how he turned immortal. Dumbledore was like the Jedi council, blinded to the dark side. Ben did not want to be involved in Dumbledore''s plans and be his pawn. No self-respecting man(person) likes to be led around by the nose. Ben saw that house ghosts were floating around their respective house table. The grey lady didn''t interact much, while the Fat Frier and Nearly Headless Nick were mingling with the new students. Griffindor''s ghost even started to sing a ballad. It was a mistake any wizard could make, Who was tired and caught on the hop, One piffling error, and then, to my terror, I found myself facing the chop. Alas for the eve when I met Lady Grieve, A-strolling the park in the dusk! She was of the belief I could straighten her teeth, Next moment she''d sprouted a tusk. I cried through the night that I''d soon put her right, But the process of justice was lax; They''d brought out the block, though they''d mislaid the rock, Where they usually sharpened the axe. Next morning at dawn, with a face most forlorn, The priest said to try not to cry, "You can come just like that, no, you won''t need a hat," And I knew that my end must be nigh. The man in the mask who would have the sad task, Of cleaving my head from my neck, Said "Nick, if you please, will you get to your knees," And I turned to a gibbering wreck. "This may sting a bit," said the cack-handed twit, As he swung the axe up in the air, But oh the blunt blade! No difference it made, My head was still definitely there.'''' The axeman he hacked and he whacked and he thwacked, "Won''t be too long", he assured me, But quick it was not, and the bone-headed clot, Took forty-five goes ''til he floored me. And so I was dead, but my faithful old head, It never saw fit to desert me, It still lingers on, that''s the end of my song, And now, please applaud, or you''ll hurt me. Dorm Ben made some small talk while enjoying the feast. There was so much food on the table that Ben did not think it was possible to finish it, but he was again reminded of the crazy wizard''s appetite. Ben especially enjoyed the desserts that seemingly appeared out of nowhere after the food remaining vanished. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''Magic is the best thing ever,'' he thought as he enjoyed his rice pudding. Soon after the Headmaster stood up again. "Ahem just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. "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." Dumbledore''s twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins. "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. "Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. "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." ''Yeah sure. Filled with obstacles that even first years can overcome.'' "Is he being serious about that?" Terry Boot asked Ben. "Who knows, he seems like a nutjob to me." Ben already knows what the old man is trying to do, he''s trying to kill two birds with one stone, the sorcerer''s stone. ''He wants to lure in both Voldermort and Harry Potter with the stone. He gets to test Harry and also get him to face Quirrelmort and see how effective Lily''s protection really is.'' Dumbledore is shooting in the dark at this point. He has no idea how to defeat Voldermort so he might as well get Harry to face Voldermort again and see what happens, at the same time he''ll be able to test Harry''s character and see how he can be groomed. One thing Fumbledore did not expect was for Harry to actually get the stone, he even tested Harry with the mirror during the Christmas holidays. ''Now he is going to spend the entire year making sure Harry and Quirellmort face each other at the end of the year, Lame.'' "And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Said Dumbledore and then everyone sang the stupid song, only Weasly twins seemed to enjoy it at the end. ''Finally, it''s over, always hated school assembly.'' Finally, the first years followed their house prefects to their common rooms. Ben seemed to hate Hogwart''s school song with passion. He quietly followed Penelope Clearwater to the Ravenclaw common room on the fifth floor. Looking at all the twisted stairways that led to who knows where he realised that it was not going to be easy getting anywhere in this castle. Luckily they did not encounter Peeves way, unlike the poor Gryffindors and reached the Ravenclaw tower soon after. At the top of a spiral staircase located somewhere on the fifth floor, was a door without a doorknob or keyhole, but a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle. "This is the entrance to our Commonroom, only true Ravenclaws can enter from here." *Knock-Knock* She knocked on the door and a voice came from the bronze knocker. "I am neither a guest or a trespasser be, to this place I belong, it belongs also to me." "Home," she answered and the door swung open. "See, you just have to solve the riddle to enter." There were a lot of shocked faces and a few of them looked worried. "Don''t worry if you can''t solve one, you just have to wait for someone else to come along. It happens quite frequently actually." Ben didn''t think the riddle was that hard, but then again, wizards are notorious for lacking common sense. Logic is not their strong point. The Ravenclaw entrance allows entry to anyone that can solve the riddle and also help students learn at the same time. It seems quite fair if you think about it, anyone can enter as long as he''s qualified. Ben actually went to a school with a house system in his previous life. Since the school was at the foothills of a mountain, the houses were named after four different peaks of that mountain. Once a week they wore their house colours and competed in different events. It evoked a bit of friendly rivalry between houses and made the events a bit more interesting. But Ben also knew of a boarding school with houses that his friend went to and the rivalry between the houses in that school was not so friendly. The same is the case with the Hogwarts houses, Gryffindors and Slytherins are always at each other''s throats, Ravenclaws are- just there with their books and Hufflepuffs are all useless sheep. Although the truth is a lot more complex than that, it doesn''t matter. Most of the Gryffindors are hotheaded fools, Slytherin is filled with blood supremacists, Ravenclaws do love their books and Hufflepuffs do have a herd mentality. As for the deeper debate about what each house is supposed to represent and how people are more than just their house traits, Ben couldn''t care less at the moment. Stereotypes exist for a reason and till that reason exists, it''s better to pay heed to the stereotype. Since Ben wanted to avoid the spotlight, the best place would be Hufflepuff, but since he also wanted to be left alone to his devices and not be dragged around by the herd, Ravenclaw was the obvious choice. The Ravenclaw common room was one of the airiest rooms at Hogwarts. It was a wide, circular room with arched windows hung with blue and bronze silks and a midnight blue carpet covered in stars. The room was furnished with tables, chairs, and bookcases; and by the door leading up to the dormitories stood a tall statue of Rowena Ravenclaw made of white marble. Some of the new Ravenclaws were quickly attracted to the bookshelves, Ben, on the other hand, was too tired and was turning Grumpy. He quickly followed the male prefect whose name he did not bother remembering, and made to his way up to the boys'' dormitory. "Our dormitories are in turrets off the main tower; our four-poster beds are covered in sky blue silk eiderdowns and the sound of the wind whistling around the windows is very relaxing. And once again: well done on becoming a member of the cleverest, quirkiest and most interesting house at Hogwarts." said the guy as he led them up their dormitory. The circular room had six four-poster beds, it was a magical castle and it can change according to the needs of its occupants. One of the walls was decorated with the Ravenclaw crest and the windows had blue curtains. Ben found his own four-poster bed, there was a wooden nightstand next to it and his school trunk at the foot of the bed with his name on it. There were two shelves at the back of the bed, an owl perch on one side, a small carpet next to the bed and a wooden nightstand at the end of the bed on one side. The owl perch was already occupied by Aquila, who let out a happy screech when Ben entered the room to welcome him. He gave her some treats and quickly slumped on the bed. It had been a long and tiring day, the sound of wind whistling around the windows of the tower was very relaxing and he quickly fell asleep. FIRST DAY Ben got up early the next morning, Aquila was missing from her perch, and Ben figured she went out to the Owlery. He quickly took a bath and went down to the common room. It was still pretty early and Breakfast did not start till 7:30 AM, so he decided to check out the Ravenclaw common room in the meanwhile. Ben shared the dormitory with five other Ravenclaw boys. He has Terry Boot and Michael Corner to his left and his right respectively, then there was Stephen Cornfoot, Kevin Entwistle and Anthony Goldstein, they were all fast asleep when Ben left the room. Ben still had about an hour before Breakfast and there were only a few students in the common room, he decided to browse through the Bookshelves. He found Books from year one to seven of the Hogwarts curriculum and extra reading material for each year. There were books for leisure reading as well as some advanced magical theory books. Some of the books here were added by the students and some by the Head of the House. Professor Flitwick adds new books each week. Ben got a copy of ''One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi'' and started reading, he knew that Snape was going to be a pain in his ass, and prepared accordingly. After about fifteen minutes, Ben noticed that his brain was soaking the information like a sponge, at first he thought he had entered a flow state, but now he thought otherwise. He had read through the book once before at home, but he only managed to retain some of what he had read at that time. Now it seemed like he was able to remember about ninety percent of it after reading it once. Benedict could only think of one reason for this change. After that dark mist came out of his chest and he became a Dragonborn, he noticed a clear change in his personality. Earlier he was a mix of an eleven-year-old and a twenty-two-year-old, the two personalities were so mixed up that there was no clarity as to which one was true. After that incident, there was now a clear separation of memories, he was a twenty-two-year-old in the body of an eleven-year-old. His mind was a lot more organized and in fact, the change was still ongoing. Today his head felt a lot more clear than yesterday, perhaps that was the reason for his exhaustion last night. Ben first became aware of this change when the Sorting Hat couldn''t read his memories, they were now organized and shielded, but his thoughts were still vulnerable as they were at front of his mind. Benedict also noticed a change in his attitude, earlier he was still behaving like a kid. His feelings toward Thea and Nigel also seemed to have changed a bit. He still thinks of them as his parents, but those memories are a lot more distant, just like the memories from his previous childhood. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ben was also puzzled by the abilities of the mist that lived inside him, he needed to find out the extent of its abilities, after all, it was something capable of ignoring the magical laws. ''This is going to make school a lot more bearable this time,'' he thought. Magic was not just about waving a stick and muttering gibberish. There was a lot of studying involved, there was no one shoe that fit all sorts of deals in the magical world. Magical energy manifested itself in infinite ways, countless unique magical phenomenons were caused by countless forms of magical flora and fauna. All sorts of ways in which wizards used magic and magical ingredients and now Ben had to learn them. Well, he didn''t need to, there were a lot of clueless wizards out there, but Ben wanted to learn it all. What sort of person goes to a magical world and doesn''t want to learn all the magic there is to learn? No need to answer, Ben is not that sort of person. He wanna be the very best, like no one ever was. After about an hour, Ben had gone through a good chunk of the book, even with a light read, he remembered most of what he read. *Grumble* *Grumble* "I better get something to eat." It was just about the time for breakfast when he made his way down to the Great Hall. Ben could hear just about everyone talking about the boy with a lightning scar on his forehead. He saw a small crowd gathered outside the Great Hall, waiting for Harry Potter to show up for lunch and get a close look at his lightning scar. Inside the great hall, the tables were a lot more crowded on the sides closer to the Gryffindor table. ''I had almost forgotten how famous Potter was here.'' Ben took his seat and waited for the Breakfast to be served, he was soon joined by other first years. When a group of Ravenclaw girls entered the hall, Ben recognized and waved at Marietta Edgecombe. She had welcomed Ben at the table after the sorting and congratulated him, something about being in the best house in Hogwarts. There was a big commotion in the hall when a boy in glasses with a lightning scar on his forehead entered the Great Hall with a tall kid with red hair. Ben chose to focus on the delicious breakfast that appeared out of nowhere in front of him, food at Hogwarts was great, it made Ben wish they had a house elf at home. Ben received his first-year timetable during breakfast, he was glad to know that he had a free first period, his first DADA class started at 9:55 and he had plenty of time to look for the classroom. He spent his free time at the first-floor library after breakfast with his roommates and later accompanied them to the DADA classroom. They were joined there by a flock of Hufflepuffs who also had a free period and spent it exploring the castle together. Gryffindors and Slytherins later joined them in the classroom. Quirell kept stammering the whole class while giving off a strong stench of garlic. Next was the charms lesson. Professor Flitwick reminded Ben of a circus dwarf, the fact that he was standing on top of a stack of books did not help his image at all. After lunch, there was a Magical theory class and after that Ben went to explore the castle alone, during the day, students kept passing by the hallways outside of their classrooms, hoping to get a glimpse of Harry Potter. Ben did not envy the boy''s fame in the slightest. At the end of the day, when Ben reached his room, Aquilla came in with a letter from Thea, complaining that he did not write to inform them of the sorting. Ben scribbled a brief letter informing them of the day''s events while fighting his tiredness. He handed the letter to Aquilla and quickly fell asleep. FLYING On Wednesday evening, when Ben came up from the Dungeons after double potions lessons with Severus Snape, the castle buzzed with the news of Harry Potter becoming the youngest house player in a century. Ben hadn''t had his first flying lesson yet. He was excited but also nervous. After all, he hadn''t touched a broom before and didn''t want to end up in the Hospital Wing like Longbottom. During Dinner, Ben watched Malfoy challenge Harry for a wizard''s duel, he couldn''t hear anything, but he knew what they were talking about. He chose to ignore what was going on and focus on eating, his appetite was increasing daily. Malfoy hadn''t forgotten the incident on the train and had been giving Ben the stink eye ever since. After talking to Potter, he came to the Ravenclaw table with his cronies. "Ah, Young master Malfoy. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit," Ben said in a lazy voice while stuffing lamb into his face. "Are you trying to make fun of me, Brown?" He said with a look of disdain. "Oh, no! How dare I?" "I will not be insulted by the likes of you. I challenge you to a wizard''s duel." Ben did not have any words to say, it seemed that Malfoy was proud of his plan and wanted to kill two birds with one stone. Watching the surprise on his face, Malfoy couldn''t help but smirk. "Haven''t heard of wizard''s duel before have you?" "Oh, I have. I''m ready when you are." Ben smirked back at him. "I''ll see you at midnight then, come to the trophy room, it''s always open." He said as he walked, looking pleased with himself. "You''re not seriously thinking of going, are you?" Asked Anthony Goldstein, who was sitting to his right. "Do you take me for a Griffindor?" replied Ben. "I wouldn''t go either, there''s no shame in that." "What did you even do to him, he''s always looking at you weird," asked Terry Boot. Sarch* The ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Nothing, I just chased away a spider." He shrugged. "Slytherins are despicable," said Michael Corner. Ben went to bed after dinner, he was in no mood to face a giant three-headed dog, not when Dumbledore was watching, then again, when was he not watching? The next morning, Malfoy was fuming at the Slytherin table. His genius plan seemed to have failed. Ben enjoyed the look on Malfoy''s face when Harry gave him the credit for his new Nimbus Two Thousand. Ben made his way to the Quidditch Pitch for his first flying lesson that afternoon. His heart was thumping with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. Madam Hooch, their flying instructor came in a hurry and made everyone stand by a broom. "Now, before we start, I want to make this very clear." She said in a stern voice. "If a single broom leaves the ground without my permission, I''ll make sure you never touch one again in this school." Madam Hooch seemed to be very upset about yesterday. "Bet it''s cause of Potter and Malfoy," Whispered Terry. "They have all the fun, while we get punished. Doesn''t seem fair, does it?" Michael Corner conveyed his annoyance. "Get used to it, nothing is fair in this world." Ben gave his two cents to the boys. "Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say ''Up!''" Ben, as full of himself as he was, tried doing it non-verbally. After a bit of intense staring and mental screaming, he managed to summon the broom to his hand. After everyone''s riding posture and holding grip were corrected by Madam Hooch, it was finally time to ride the broom. Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard, said Madam Hooch. Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle - three - two - three. Luckily there was no Longbottom in this class and no one was launched to the sky. Ben kicked off the ground with a bit more force than he meant to, but he quickly slowed down by leaning forward and then slowly descended. Not everyone was as successful as him. Some fell, some ahead with great speed and some couldn''t even lift off the ground. Luckily, no one was hurt. After about half an hour, when everyone had somewhat succeeded in doing the exercise, Madam Hooch showed them how to move forward and turn. She then got them to fly rounds around the field. Ben felt the wind crashing against his skin and was reminded of the time he first rode his Grandpa''s motorbike. Unlike riding the bike, there were no bumps on the road, because there was no road. He slithered like a snake flying above the ground, imitating a Chinese dragon. "Wohoo, I''m never stopping this." Ben had never thought that he''d like riding a broom so much. He could only imagine how much he''d like flying a motorbike. ''I don''t think that Hagrid''s gonna let me fly his, I might have to get my own.'' Ben thought as he drew pretzels in the air. Ben received detention after class for going bonkers in the air while Madam Hooch kept blowing her whistle on the ground. He spent the hour cleaning broomsticks in the storage. ''Worth it.'' Too bad, Flitwick was not as obsessed with Quidditch as McGonagall. Ben didn''t think he''d be allowed on the team, or get special treatment and be allowed to have a broomstick. Ben''s parents had not allowed him to fly till now, so he had no hope of getting a broomstick from them either. Ben decided to go for the Quidditch tryouts next year and focus on studying this year. After all, he didn''t know a single useful spell yet, even after being here for almost two weeks now. ''I need to find a way to make money, and find a place to practice spells.'' He did have a place in mind, but he was afraid of getting caught. Not only was there a dark lord roaming the castle, but the white lord was also hiding in the shadows. To top it all, the Weasley twins were in possession of a map capable of monitoring everyone in the castle. ''If I want to move freely in the castle, I''ll need to get my hands on the Marauders Map.'' THE ROOM OF HIDDEN THINGS On a Friday morning, in late October, Ben made his way to the seventh floor. He didn''t have any classes till eleven today. Snape had double potions with the golden trio, and Quirrell was teaching third-years. The only people unaccounted for were: Dumbledore, Filtch and his cat. Ben ran up the stairs with a bounce, which was the result of a weak softening charm, that he managed to apply to his shoes. They not only became squishy but a lot more quiet as well. He reached the seventh floor and looked for the tapestry showing Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls to dance the ballet. Opposite the tapestry was a blank wall. After making sure that no one was around, he walked back and forth three times across the section of the blank wall and concentrated hard on his need to hide something. A large, illusory door formed on the blank wall which slowly became turned solid. Ben quickly pushed the large door open and went in. Inside he saw mountains and mountains of stuff. There were huge piles of broken furniture, big stacks containing thousands and thousands of books, stacks of rusty weapons, brooms, empty vials and pots. There were even huge skeletons of Magical beasts. There were a lot of things that Ben did not recognise, but there were also things from around the castle, like the broken furniture, chandeliers and disfigured armour. "Ah, the Room of Hidden Things, you and me, we''re gonna be the best of pals," Ben said out loud, looking around at the mountains of stuff. Ben originally had thirty-eight septims left. In the past two months, he had tried to find things to sell, but he only managed to earn ten more septims. He had bought the spell tome for [Frostbite] and was left with one single septim. This spell did as the name suggested, it sent out a wave of cold that could give normal humans frostbite if exposed for long, wizards were a lot more sturdy. The only use Ben could think of this spell was to get a cup of iced tea. It did create a thin layer of frost over the target area, so he might be able to make someone slip. Ben went over to a large pile of broken furniture and summoned the mist, which transformed into the shop window. He picked up the furniture one by one and pushed it into the mist. Soon his pockets were full of gold. Most of the stuff in here was magical and was sold for more. He quickly bought the spell tome for [Flames] and with a flash of light, he learnt it on the spot. He aimed at the now empty spot in front of him and a jet of flames gushed out of his palm. Looking at the dull, cherry red colour of the flame, Ben could tell that it was bout eight hundred degree celsius, a bonfire runs at about six hundred degrees celsius and can reach up to a thousand degrees. So, it was right in the middle. Ben could maintain the flames for about five seconds, and it took about thirty seconds for his Magicka to be full again. ''It''s not much, but at least I can control it, unlike the fire-making charm.'' Ben shook his head as he remembered how he almost burnt the whole greenhouse during Herbology. His wand was getting harder and harder to control and at this point, he was even scared to use it. At first, he was able to make his matchsticks pointy during Transfiguration class, even though it took a lot of effort and concentration. But as the days passed, the wand''s resistance only got stronger. Finally, when he performed the Incedio on the Devil''s snare, it went out of control and ended up burning the whole plant. Luckily, Professor Sprout was close by and quickly cast an extinguishing charm, preventing him from burning down the whole place. Looking at the small pile of gold, Ben decided to buy the rest of the spell tomes. After a few flashes of light, new spells were added to his status panel. [Name: Benedict Nigel Brown. Species: Human[Wizard]. Job: Novice Mage. Title: Dragonborn[Level 4]. Vitality: 140. Magicka: 140. [SKILLS- Alteration[Level 12(Novice)]: Oakflesh, Candlelight*. Conjuration[Level 9(Novice)]: Bound Dagger, Bound Sword*, Conjure Familiar*, Raise Zombie*. Destruction[Level 3(Novice)] : Flames, Frostbite, Sparks. Illusion[Level 7(Novice)]: Clairvoyance, Courage*, Fury*. Restoration[Level 7(Novice)] : Healing, Lesser Ward*. Sarch* The N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ] [Candlelight: Produces a hovering light for as long as Magicka is provided, the brightness can be controlled depending on the skill mastery.] [Bound Sword: Conjures a magic sword for as long as the Magicka is supplied.] [Conjure Familiar: Conjures a translucent Wolf Familiar for as long as Magicka is supplied.] [Raise Zombie: Can rise dead bodies to fight for you, the Zombie will consume the magic from the dead body and turn to ashes when it is exhausted. Success depends on skill level.] [Courage: Fills the target with courage and temporarily increases vitality. Target can resist.] [Fury: Fills the target with anger and makes him attack indiscriminately, increasing vitality for the duration. Target can resist.] [Lesser Ward: Creates a barrier of Magicks around you which can negate novice level spells. The degree of negation depends on the skill level.] ] Ben had been practising the spells at night, except for destruction, his other skills were progressing at a steady pace. The easiest to practice was Alteration. He could harden his skin and unless someone paid close attention, no one would notice. Practising Restoration was also a bit tricky, he only had [Healing] till now, which could only be used when tired or hurt, which led to slow progress. The illusion had also been hard to practice since he only had Clairvoyance till now, which actually made his eyes turn cloudy, he could only practice it at night after everyone was asleep. Clairvoyance was the most useful spell in Ben''s arsenal, as his mastery increased, he was able to gain more information about the target. He was also able to use the spell to monitor Dumbledore''s location. It usually pointed towards his office. ''Let''s see what else we can spend this gold on.'' Well, now that he was practically surrounded by gold, he decided to put his plan into action. He exchanged another mountain of broken furniture for a mound of gold and exchanged all of it for.... A/N: Tudummm Cliffhanger, let me know what you think is going to happen next. WANDS In the last two months, Ben had spent most of his time studying. Besides roaming the castle during his free periods, he did not dare wander around. He behaved like a model first-year student, even though it was very frustrating for him. Because of the memory boost, studying was a piece of cake for him. He memorized all his textbooks after going through them twice. This also became the source of his frustration, classes were getting very boring, and he was tired of writing long essays for homework. He never liked school in the first place, but now that he was in for a second time, it was starting to feel even worse. Ben had also started to feel like a prisoner in the castle, it wasn''t that he was being monitored the whole day, but his paranoia was finally getting to him. He felt incredibly weak and limited and it made him a little scared. sea??h th ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He had been planning on ways to get strong, but they all somehow included the Room of Requirement. It was the biggest resource in Hogwarts and also the least used. Well, now that he was in the room and was practically surrounded by gold, he decided to put his plan into action. He exchanged another mountain of broken furniture for a mound of gold and exchanged all of it for twelve vials of [Potion of Brief Invisibility]. [Potion of Brief Invisibility: Turns the user invisible for sixty seconds-214 Gold.] Ben looked at the small vials containing colourless liquid, it had cost him more than two and a half thousand septims. That''s about seven and a half thousand galleons and he got that all from selling broken furniture. ''It''s great to have a broken system, Once I learn how to conjure things with magic, I will literally be able to turn air into gold.'' The invisibility Potion gave Ben some insurance, he will at least be able to escape most troubles now. After a lot of planning and consideration, Ben had come to the conclusion that he needed to get his hands on The Marauder''s Map. Although he had [Clairvoyance], it was not comparable to the Map. He could ask the twins for it politely or even offer some gold, but Ben had something else in mind. Ben liked the twins'' company and had spent some free time around them in the last two months, but more often than not, he ended up being a subject to their pranks and experiments. Now it was time for some payback. Until now, he had no way to fight back. His Skyrim spells were not that useful and he could hardly do any magic. What frustrated him the most was that he could not practice magic, his wand resisted him every step of the way. He had even earned himself a reputation on par with Sheamus. This was his second reason for coming to The Room of Requirement, the room could provide him with a lot of things, it was said that Dumbledore found the Mirror of Erised in the Room of Requirement. He went out of the room and watched as the door vanished, he then focused on his need for a wand and walked back and forth in front of the wall three times. The door appeared again and he quickly entered the room. This time, the room was a lot smaller, there were many shelves on the wall, containing small boxes. There was a small workbench in the middle of the room which looked like a woodworking station, the cabinet near the workbench was filled with all sorts of ingredients used as wand cores. There was a large pile of different kinds of wood in the corner. The purpose was this room was clear, this place had everything necessary for someone in need of a wand. Ben ignored the workbench, as he did not know the first thing about wand making. He went to the nearest shelf and opened a wooden box, it held a wand that was clearly not in its best shape. It reminded him of Ron''s wand, its core was exposed at the end and the wood was chipped. When Ben held the wand in his hand, he knew that it was not suitable. There were many wands here and most of them were in bad shape. Some were old and oddly shaped, some had cracks in them, some were held together with adhesives while some held dead cores. After going through about a dozen wands and causing a few explosions, he realised that it was going to take a long time. He still had a class in about an hour so he decided to try something different. The Room of Requirement worked better when provided with a more specific need. He left the room and walked back and forth again, this time focusing on his need for a better-suited wand. This time, Ben walked into an even smaller room, the workbench was still there and so was the cabinet, but there were fewer ingredients in it. The wood stack was smaller and there were only about half a dozen boxes on the wall shelves. The room was clearly telling Ben to craft his own. Ben opened the boxes and inspected the wands one by one. All of them were in terrible states. Chipped, bent, burnt and scorched. Despite their appearance, they all felt sturdy when Ben picked them up. He could feel an attraction to all of them, yet they all felt unique to Ben. Looking at the six wands in front of him, Ben remembered something. ''Snape was shown to have about ten wands when he was teaching Occlomancy to Potter.'' Ben did not know whether it was just in the movies or if Snape really had different wands suited for different uses. What he did know was that he now owned six compatible wands, each giving off a very distinct feeling when he tried different spells. One felt better when he tried transfiguration, one had a bit of earthy feel, one felt a bit aggressive and one gave a feeling of security. There were two wands that piqued his interest the most. Lichtenberg Wand The last two wands were the most interesting, one was carved out of bone and was a little bit charred, it somehow gave a very chilly and dark feeling. ''Well, I think I know what you are best at.'' He thought as he held the wand. If he knew any dark magic, he would have been able to test his theory. Then there was the last and most interesting one. This wand had shallow scorch marks running along its fourteen inches of alder wood, drawing a lightning tree on it. It was as if the wand was hit by lightning and somehow survived. Despite the Lichtenberg scars on the wand, it was the least damaged one out of all. Ben felt that it was the most suitable one. When Ben cast different spells with it, he could feel that its nature was very fluid. The wand was very obedient to his magic. Wands usually had certain personalities of their own. They were said to be quasi-sentient. After choosing its wizard, a wand grows alongside him and over time starts to reflect more of his personality. Every used wand will have some traces of its previous user, it was inevitable. This Lichtenberg wand did not have any such traces, his magic flowed through it effortlessly, and gave an intimate feeling. He felt his magic flow not only through the magical core of the wand but also along the lighting scorch pattern on the wood, it was like having two magical cores in one wand. This was going to be his main wand, he stored all the other wands in their boxes and placed them on the shelf for safekeeping. He then took his wand to the workbench and looked for something to mend the damage. Sarch* The ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''Honestly, I''m loving the lighting scorch pattern on it.'' While polishing the wand using the supplies he found in the cabinet, he noticed that the wood had hardened along the lighting pattern and had sort of crystallized. After polishing, the wand had a beautiful appearance. The light-brown alder wood had a slight red tinge to it and the lighting scorch running along its body now gave a slight shine. The char had turned a little crystalline. ''This was definitely not a regular lightning strike.'' He thought looking at the wand. Ben took out his original wand and gave it a polish too, it chose the original Ben and was loyal till the end. Ben placed it in the box of his new wand and left it on the shelf. Maybe it will find a new master one day, but looking at the number of wands stranded in the previous room, it was very unlikely. There was still some time left before his Herbology lesson, so he decided to practice spell casting and level up his Destruction skill. He got out of the room and again walked back and forth in front of the wall, this time requesting a room to practice spells. He pushed the giant polished door open and entered the room again. This time the room looked a lot like the one he saw in the movies, it just wasn''t as big. There were bookshelves containing books related to spell casting, a nice study table with a comfortable chair near the fireplace and several training dummies. Ben tried a few basic spells first, he levitated a spell book from the bookshelf to the study table and back with ease, he then tried the spell that had troubled him the most in the past week, the softening charm. Although it was one of the most basic charms, Ben had trouble controlling it in the past. He had tried casting it on the bottom of his shoe but had ended up softening the whole shoe. With the new wand, he was able to precisely target the sole and also the degree of softening. It took a lot of work to not turn his shoe into a sponge with his old wand. It took considerably less effort now. Satisfied with the results, Ben moved the fire-making charm. "Incendio" A small jet of flames flew out of the tip of his wand and landed on the wooden dummy. "Stinguo" He quickly used the countercharm to extinguish the fire. Ben heaved a sigh of relief when the fire was successfully put out, he had been nervous about the fire-making charm since the incident at the Herbology Greenhouse. He had not been able to use the countercharm then and had spent a lot of time practising its wand movement and incantation after that. Now that he had gained some confidence, he decided to take it up a notch. Ben attacked the dummies with [Flames],[Frostbite] and [Sparks] to level up his Destruction skill. Instead of waiting for his Magicka to recover, practised the severing charm and the mending charm on the dummies. Once his Magicka recovered, he went back to levelling up his Destruction skill. "Diffindo" "Reparo" The severing charm was like the "Swiss Army Knife" of the wizarding world, it could be used in many ways. Even though it was easy to learn this spell, it took a lot of practice to master it. With enough mastery, a wizard could cut things in all sorts of shapes and with great precision. It was widely used in the medical field. The mending charm, on the other hand, was the duct tape of the wizarding world. It too was easy to learn, but hard to master. It looked easy but required immense concentration from the wizard, as he must focus on all the components that are to be mended together. It was not only used for repairing things, but also for mending different things together to make something new. Although this training method was very efficient, it was also mentally exhausting. Ben could feel himself getting tired, not only did spell casting take a lot of concentration, but Ben''s body also absorbed the surrounding magic to recover his Magicka. Magic was everywhere and in everything in this world, there was an endless amount of it. On the other hand, there was no Magicka here. If magic was like natural, pure water, then Magicka was like sparkling water. There was not much difference, but it had a little bit of extra ''oomph'' to it. After spending a good half of an hour torturing the poor practice dummies, it was time to go. Ben used the healing spell on himself, and an orange glow spread throughout his body and rid him of all fatigue. There were only a few minutes left before class, he focused hard and channelled his need to get to the Herbology greenhouses and a passage formed at the back of the room. He followed through the dark-narrow passage and found himself in a small room full of gardening tools, watering cans and fertilizers. Herbology Ben found himself in a small room full of gardening tools, watering cans, fertilizer sacks and empty planting trays and pots. It was the Herbology toolshed, Ben could only blame himself for not being more specific. He got out of there, hoping that no one sees him coming out, cause that would be a little hard to explain. The Herbology greenhouses were at the back of the castle, this toolshed was just at the entrance to the greenhouse one, under the two main bell towers of the castle. "Look who we got here, you sleep in there Brown?" Said Malfoy with a drawl. Ravenclaw and Slytherin had Herbology together and Ben was beginning to question why. Young masters like Draco Malfoy would die before they got their hands dirty. "Oh, yes. With your mother I do." Ben replied, rubbing off the snarky smile from Malfoy''s face. Malfoy had been getting on Ben''s nerves ever since he came to Hogwarts. Usually Ben let it go since he was supposed to be a grown-up and whatnot. But right now, he was mentally exhausted and also very hungry. In a moment of weakness, he seemed to have gone a bit too far. He was also very tired of Malfoy''s antics. In the beginning, Ben thought that Draco was just a misguided kid who would redeem himself in the end. But after spending two months here, he was more of the view that Draco was a bully through and through. He was just too much of a coward to join the big league in the end. "You- How dare you to bring my mother into this." Malfoy, ready to throw some hands, leapt at Ben. Seizing the opportunity to try his newest spell, Ben used [Frostbite] and froze the ground beneath Malfoy''s feet. A thick layer of frost covered the stone floor and Malfoy lost his footing, slipping and falling on his back. "What''s the matter Malfoy? Haven''t learned how to walk, have you?" Ben said towering over him. "You-" Although he wanted to say great things about Ben''s parentage. But the fall had knocked all the wind out of his lungs. Ben didn''t wait for him to get his bearings, too tired to deal with his shit, he made his way into greenhouse one. Inside, Professor Sprout was already preparing plants for today''s lesson. There were round cactus-like plants in huge puts in the greenhouse. "All right, get to your stations, everyone." said the squat little witch. "Where have you been, haven''t seen you all morning." Boot enquired. Ben shared his station with Terry Boot and Mandy Brocklehurst, or as she liked to be called, Amanda Brocklehurst. Ben figured there was a story there, but he didn''t care enough to ask. "Oh, I''ve been around, just exploring the castle," Ben replied. "So, any idea what that is?" Ben asked, pointing at the spiky plant and successfully avoiding the questioning. He learned this trick in the past month. Just ask them a question, and they will go on talking forever. This trick only works on the few talkative ones, but others don''t question him in the first place or don''t care about what he did. So, it effectively worked on everyone. "Now, as you see, to one side of the greenhouse we have spiky bushes." "These prickly plants are used by many to keep unwanted guests out of their gardens." "What''s special about them is that once disturbed or attacked, they will retaliate by shooting these long needles from their bodies," she said, displaying a four inches long needle. "The needles are not poisonous, but they will get stuck and are very painful to remove. So you all best be careful." "Now, who can tell me the best way to deal with them?" Asked professor sprout. "Fire-making charm professor," answered Anthony Goldstein. "Correct Mister Goldstein, a little bit of fire will do the job. You don''t wanna burn the whole plant, just the needles." "Now I hope everyone can cast the fire-making charm by now." "I think you should have Brown sit this one out Professor, lest he burns this whole place down," said Malfoy. "It''s good that you are so concerned about everyone''s safety Mister Malfoy, but I suggest you let me worry about that." Replied Professor Sprout. "Now, watch me closely." "Little bit of fire to burn off the prickly needles, don''t worry, the plant is quite sturdy." "Once the needles are taken care of, the plant is inactive until it grows new ones. You can then pull out the plant and repot it where ever you like." "Now, I suggest you not get too close to them before you take care of the spikes." Professor Sprout reminded everyone once she was done. "All right, one by one, step forward and quickly take care of the spikes and then take the plant to your stations for repotting." With some help from Professor Sprout, students managed to cast the fire-making charm and bring the plant back for repotting. Professor Sprout looked extra vigilant when it was Ben''s turn, everyone was surprised when instead of an inferno as they expected, he conjured a jet of controlled flames to burn off the spikes. "Excellent work Mister Brown, it seems you''ve been working hard. Five points to Ravenclaw!" This was going to be one of the first surprises that he was going to give them, because when it was Malfoy''s turn, Ben decided to play the bully. Before Malfoy could conjure the flames, Ben sneakily cast [Fury] on the plant. It gave off a slight red hue and started attacking the nearest target, which was Malfoy. Before professor Sprout could interfere, Malfoy had already received acupuncture and was now looking like a porcupine. "Ahhhh, it''s attacking me. Help me, kill it!" Professor Sprout had already taken care of the plant and was now trying to help Malfoy. "Stop moving Mister Malfoy, you scared the plant too much it seems. Poppy will fix you right up. Let''s go." "Ah, you''re all dismissed, don''t want any more of you getting skewered while I''m not here." She called as she left with Malfoy in tow. "Finally some good comes out of Malfoy," beamed Terry Boot. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Oh, there''s plenty more to come," I replied. A/N: Extra chapter up on Patreon, help me pay for my banana smoothie. Transfiguration That night Ben had an astronomy class with professor Sinistra. Despite being surrounded by magic, astronomy was his favourite class. Not only did the night sky look stunning from the astronomy tower, but the surrounding view was also very serene. Ben got to really enjoy it as he already knew about the planets and the major constellations. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ravenclaw has astronomy with Slytherin, Malfoy hadn''t attended any classes since this morning. He was most likely trying to squeeze as many benefits as possible from the incident. It was really hard to feel bad for Malfoy, even if one tried. They were escorted back to their dorms by the prefects after the lesson. Sitting on his bed, Ben used [Clairvoyance] to train his illusion skill. He used it every night to know the general location of everyone in the castle. After training for so long, Ben could divine a lot more information from the spell. Earlier he could only find out the general direction of the target, now he could somewhat gauge the distance as well. With a bit more concentration, he could even divine which way to take to reach the target. Filch was somewhere on the first floor while Mrs Norris was on the fifth floor. Filch knew all sorts of shortcuts in the castle so he was a good target to track, Ben was able to find a few shortcuts because of him. It took a lot of work, Ben had to match Filch''s location with the castle''s layout in his mind and approximate his location. In an ever-changing castle, it was very difficult to keep track of what was where. Tonight, Ben was tracking the twins. Contrary to what he''d thought, they rarely roamed the castle this late. It seemed that they were moving towards the third floor. There had been a few brave and curious students who had tried to enter the forbidden third-floor corridor before, they were all caught by either Snape or Filch. Snape patrolled the castle every night like a haunted spirit. Some people even thought that he was a vampire and didn''t need to sleep at night. Quirrell was also lurking around, trying to find a way past the door without snape jumping on him. The twins had attempted to find secrets of the forbidden corridor the very first night but were promptly caught by Snape. They seemed to have come prepared tonight, Ben changed his target to Snape and found him exiting the charms corridor, rushing past where the twins hid. They probably set off a distraction for him. It didn''t matter how prepared they were though, nothing could prepare them to face a giant three-headed dog. Ben soon saw them rushing out of the third floor, skipping entire floors and stopping only after reaching the Griffindor common room. Ben switched the target to Dumbledore, who still seemed to be in his office. Either the old goat was really patient or he was truly clueless. He took his sweet time arriving at the forbidden corridor, probably trying not to alert anyone. No one could see Dumbledore anyways, his disillusionment was on a whole another level. The next morning, Ben woke up with a heavy head. Using too much magic without rest can do that, especially since Ben had pushed the [Clairvoyance] spell to its limit last night. He felt a lot better after using [Healing] on himself, Ben had once used the spell before going to sleep, and it took him a long time after that to fall asleep. During the weekend, Ben did not visit The Room of Requirement. There was no reason to risk it, he was free during weekends and so was everyone else. He was bound to run into people. He decided to hang out near the lake and practice transfiguration during the day and practice [Illusion],[Alteration] and [Conjuration] at night. Transfiguration was a complex field of magic. It was also very rewarding to learn, a skilled wizard could conjure anything that weighs less than his body weight. There were some exceptions to this. Five Exceptions to Gamp''s Law of Elemental Transfiguration one of which was food. Ben didn''t care about exceptions, with enough power, anything was possible. He could already summon food and gold from the shop. Unlike what the fanfictions had him believe, Ben was pleased to know that transfiguration done by a skilled wizard was pretty much permanent unless it was untransfigured. Transfiguration was divided into four branches in the degree of difficulty: transformation, vanishment, conjuration and untransfiguration. Once Ben mastered conjuration, he wouldn''t need to find scrap to sell. Transfiguration was serious business. It was like muggle science since it transformed objects at a molecular scale, only, it was a lot more confusing. Magic dealt with abstract concepts unlike science and was harder to understand for Ben. Transfiguration was the most systematic and logic-oriented branch of magic and Ben wanted to use his advantage to master it. Ben had made decent progress into transformation, even though he could only do inanimate to inanimate transformations so far, he was progressing fast with his new wand. Ben had transformed pebbles at the lake shore into all sorts of things, at first he started with transforming pebbles into long needles, then into leaves and finally he was able to transform them into beautiful lotus flowers. It was hard to stop once he started. He ended up making a big Mandala flower with different coloured flowers that he had transfigured by the end of the day. It was beautiful and could even be seen from the castle. ''I still got it, maybe I should become an artist again.'' He thought, admiring his wandywork. He abandoned that idea when he thought of all the portraits he''d have to paint. He won''t be short of money in this life, maybe he''ll continue it as a hobby. "It is truly a remarkable work of art." said a smooth elderly voice, startling Ben out of his thoughts. "Yes, It is Headmaster," he affirmed as he reeled in his surprise. "Did you happen to see who made it?" He asked looking at Ben with his twinkling eyes. "..." ".." "Unfortunately no, Headmaster. I wasn''t here," which was technically not a lie since he was down there and not up here. "Ah, such a shame, I happen to have some points to distribute." He said, tempting Ben. Ben did not believe for a second that Dumbledore didn''t know it was him who made it, but for some reason, he wanted to hear it from his mouth. Ben had no time to amuse the old goat. He must have been surprised to see a first-year transfigure pebbles into an art piece, after all, most of his peers were still struggling with turning matches into nails. But it wasn''t that big of a deal either, Hermione had already started practising the switching spell, and that required transfiguring two objects simultaneously. "That is a shame. I''m afraid I must take my leave Headmaster, I''ve still got a potions assignment to finish," Giving a light bow to the bearded old man, Ben made his way to the library, he wanted to finish that assignment before dinner. Apprentice Illusion On Halloween morning, the whole castle smelled of delicious Pumpkins. The dungeons were looking extra creepy with the bats hanging on the ceiling and huge spiderwebs on the walls. During the potions lesson, Ben thought that Snape looked even more in his element today. "Today we will create a potent Herbicide." Snape, still dressed like a bat, seemed to glide across the classroom. "Do not let one drop find its way to the Greenhouses. Watch closely." Snape hissed in his waspish tone, he was clearly not in a good mood today. Ben decided to focus on his cauldron and not get in Snape''s way today. He had focused on potions since the start of the semester, potion making was a lot easier for him to get used to, it was sort of like making salt crystals in the chemistry lab. Ben had already finished his Herbicide potion, he had the whole day free after this, except for the flying lessons in the evening. "A decent attempt, don''t let it get to your head, Brown." "It won''t, Sir." "At least you are not as insufferable." Snape didn''t make things too difficult for Ben, not being Harry Potter probably helped. After the class was over, Ben rushed to the seventh floor. He used [Clairvoyance] to make sure that Dumbledore was in his office and he knew that Quirrell had his classes to take care of. Inside The Room of Hidden Things, Ben opened up his status panel. [Name: Benedict Nigel Brown. Species: Human[Wizard]. Job: Novice Mage. Title: Dragonborn[Level 7]. Vitality: 170. Magicka: 170. [SKILLS- Alteration[Level 13(Novice)]: Oakflesh, Candlelight. Conjuration[Level 12(Novice)]: Bound Dagger, Bound Sword, Conjure Familiar, Raise Zombie. Destruction[Level 15(Novice)]: Flames, Frostbite, Sparks. Illusion[Level 20(Novice)]: Clairvoyance, Courage, Fury. Restoration[Level 13(Novice)]: Healing, Lesser Ward. ] He had been practising spells the whole week, he had decided to focus on levelling up Illusion this week and had even been staying up late. With healing, he did not need as much sleep. When his Illusion reached level 20, it was as if a veil had been lifted from his mind, a lot of blurred memories containing knowledge on Illusion spells were now available to him. His [Fury] and [Courage] had become a lot more complex, he felt that he would be able to influence stronger magical creatures with them. The biggest change was [Dual casting], earlier he could only cast spells with one hand at a time, dual casting was very complex and needed a lot of concentration. Now, with his knowledge, Dual-casting of illusion spells had become possible, although it still took very strong concentration. Dual casting almost doubled the power of his illusion magic, although it was hard to measure the strength of illusion spells. His [Clairvoyance] spell could now show him a complete path to reach his target when dual-casted. It was like a GPS now. Sear?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He found a somewhat intact chair to sit on and started dual-casting [Clairvoyance]. Dual-casting was also the fastest way to level up his skills. He practised transfiguration on the broken furniture while he recovered his Magicka. After about five hours of grinding, when Ben was already reaching his limit, he managed to level up Illusion to level 25. Another surge of memories flooded his head like cold water and washed away all his fatigue. His illusion skill had reached the Intermediate level. Ben opened the store and filtered the results to the Spell tomes. There were three new spell books available, they were all three times more expensive than the novice spells, but Ben was not lacking gold now. He bought all three spell tomes and with three bright flashes of light, the knowledge of spells was engraved into his brain. [Calm: A smoothing wave of Magicka washes over the target and drains all aggression from him. Can be resisted if the target''s mind is stronger than the caster.] [Fear: A chaotic wave of Magicka brings forth the deepest fears of the target and makes him flee the place. Can be resisted if the target''s mind is stronger than the caster.] [Muffle: An intangible Magicka barrier covers the target and stops any sound from escaping. The effect is better when cast upon yourself.] Ben sat there with his eyes closed and processed all the new information in his mind, it did not take him long as it was already a part of him. He cast [Clairvoyance] it cost him only half the Magicka than it did before, he had become twice as efficient in illusion magic. One spell that Ben had been desperately wanting to learn was the [Muffle] spell, he cast the spell upon himself and felt a wave of Magicka cover his entire body, there was no visible change but he could no longer hear his footsteps. The spell seemed to cover the small debris on the floor too as stepping o the broken glass did not make any sounds either. It did not work when he kicked the chair though. It seemed to be limited by the size of the object and not the degree of noise made by it. Ben had tried learning the silencing charm or the Imperturbable charm, but they were still too advanced for him to cast. The magic theory behind the spells was just as important as the spells themselves. The [Muffle] spell when combined with [The potion of brief invisibility], will make Ben a living ghost. With his newfound ability, Ben was dying to use it and what better day than today? He was ready for the biggest prank of his life. He was going to make this the most memorable Halloween for all the Hogwarts residents. ''Well, with the trolls coming in, this was already going to be a memorable night.'' Ben exited The Room of Hidden Things and walked back and forth three times in front of the empty wall. This time he came to a room full of small vials containing bright orange-coloured liquid. Ben knew that The Room of Requirement can provide potions. Dobby had found antidotes to butter bear in this room and after a bit of experimentation, Ben had deduced the room could provide any potion that did not take more than a few minutes to concoct. Ben stuffed his small space enchanted pouch with these potion vials and left the room after requesting a passage near the Quidditch Pitch for his flying lesson. He found this pouch in The Room of Hidden Things. The extension charm was strictly controlled by the Ministry and was not permitted to be used on items for personal use. So, this pouch was pretty much illegal and probably the reason why it was hidden in that room. Ben went out of the Broom closet and walked towards the Quidditch Pitch with a skip in his steps. "You seem pretty chuffed?" Inquired Terry Boot when Ben got to the Quidditch field. "Oh, I just love flying." "Yeah, try not to get detention this time." Advised Anthony Goldstein. It had become pretty much a record by now, every flying lesson Ben went off on his Broom, ignoring Madam Hooch and spent the hour after class polishing broomsticks. "I''ll try." Pumpkins Ben felt mentally exhausted, it took every ounce of willpower in his body to not test the limits of his broomstick, flying circles around the field. He had finally broken his detention streak, and that was something to celebrate. On the way to the Ravenclaw common room, he met two of his old friends. "Look, George, It''s our little raven friend." "Looks like he''s been learning to fly Fred." "Where have you been, we haven''t seen you for weeks." "Been busy studying." "Studying? where''s the fun in that, you learn faster by doing stuff, right George?" "It''s no use Fred, the Ravens finally got to him, he''s no fun anymore." "Oh, I''m still plenty fun." Ben rebutted. "That''s what he says, Let''s go, George, Lee''s waiting." "Hey!!" Ben called out to the twins who were now running down the stairs. ""What??"" "Be ready for something special tonight, It''s going to BLOW your head," Ben said, beaming a mischievous smile down at the twins. Watching the stunned look on their faces, he rushed up the stairs. "He looked pretty confident George, what do you think he''s up to." "He did say BLOW, didn''t he?" "Let''s hope it''s not our heads that blow George, I''d hate to lose our pretty face." *** On his way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween Feast, Ben heard a few girls talking about a first-year girl crying in the girls'' bathroom. Ben knew that Potter and Weasley would take care of her and kept walking towards the Great Hall. He had spent some time with Hermione, she would often join Ravenclaw students in the Library. Sadly, even among the Ravenclaws, no one liked her know-it-all attitude. She just could not keep her mouth shut, it was as if the poor girl was cursed. Ben had contemplated interfering and getting Hermione out of the bathroom before the Troll struck, but that would reduce the golden trio to a golden duo, and that would completely change the flow of this world. The Great hall was livelier than usual, or should I say deadlier. Black clouds of bats fluttered from the ceiling and swooped over everyone''s heads, and thousands of carved pumpkins floated in the halls with candles burning with blue flames in them. Just as the food appeared on the tables, the door to the Great Hall swung open and Quirrellmort stumbled in, looking like he''d seen a troll. ''Tch, he had come right now, couldn''t wait a bit longer,'' thought Ben. Stumbling down the hall, he reached Dumbledore''s chair and gasped, "Troll - in the dungeons - thought you ought to know." There was a huge uproar, Dumbledore made a few firecrackers shoot from his wand to grab everyone''s attention. "Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!" As everyone made their way out of the Hall, Fred and George somehow made their way to Ben and whispered. "Merlin''s beard, Brown. We didn''t expect this at all." "Where''d you find a Troll, there isn''t a secret entrance big enough for a troll, is there George?" "No there isn''t one, Fred." "Wait! This isn''t what I was talking about." ""It''s not?"" "No! Where would I find a troll?" Ben argued. "He''s making sense, George. Looks like we got excited about nothing." "Well, looking at Quirrell''s face, there''s got to be a troll somewhere," George said. "You two can go looking for it, I am off to enjoy the feast." "You''ll miss something wonderful if you miss the feast," Ben whispered to them as he followed the crowd of Ravenclaws to the common room. Since he was at the back of the crowd now, he hid his face with his hat and used [Clairvoyance] on Dumbledore. Ben was not at all surprised when it pointed towards the first-floor girls'' bathroom. What height should a wooden club fall from for it to build enough momentum to knock a troll out? Ben was no Isaac Newton, but even he knew that the answer had to be higher than the ceiling of a bathroom. Yet, Ron Weasley somehow managed to break all laws, magical and muggle to put the troll to sleep. It was Dumbledore at work with his perfect disillusionment charm. Giving his little lions a big ego boost while helping them form new bonds of friendship, Dumbledore really was a meddling old goat. *** Harry and Ron entered through the portrait hole and looked around. The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, without looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates. "Harry, Ron. Come quick, the food is almost finished," Fred said waving at the trio. By the time they got their plates, the remaining food on the table was already vanishing. "Where were you guys anyways? Haven''t you heard, there''s a troll running around the castle." The three quietly looked at each other but no one said anything. "Oh don''t worry you three, there''s still dessert left. You won''t have to go hungry." Soon the tables were once again filled with food, this time it was carved pumpkins filled with sweets and candy. There were pumpkin-shaped pumpkin pies, scary-looking caramel apples, candy corn, candy apples, apple bread and glasses filled with pumpkin juice. The trio filled their plates with a bit of everything and found a place to sit near the twins. "Is it me or do these apples taste like pumpkins to you too Fred." "Huh, they really do taste like pumpkins, and so do the candy corns." "I think we''ve had too much pumpkin for one night, Fred." "Merlin''s fat hat! Your head''s getting bigger," Fred screamed pointing towards George''s head. George felt his head with his hands and then screamed pointing at Fred. sea??h th n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Your face is turning ORANGE!" There were a lot of similar screams coming from the room. "Ron, your head''s inflating too." Harry pointed out. "Ahh, noo! I don''t wanna die. DO something." Ron started crying like a baby as he shook Harry''s shoulder, soon Harry''s head too started to inflate and turned orange. Soon all the human heads in the room, transformed into large pumpkins with scary faces drawn upon them. Some of them found it hard to balance the large pumpkins and toppled to the ground. It was utter chaos in the room when people saw orange liquid flowing out of the cracked pumpkin heads on the ground. There were cries from Mommies and Daddies everywhere. Fred and George, who had successfully pulled their heads out of the pumpkins were stumped looking at the scene. "Merlins Beard, Fred. It seems Brown really knows how to have fun." "It seems he does, George. Pumpkin Fight?" "You bet." George smiled as he aimed at Ron''s pumpkin head, who was still screaming at the top of his lungs. A/N: Extra chapter on Patre@n/DreamyApe. I hate Pumpkins. Winter is Coming Inside the Ravenclaw Common room, a similar scene was playing. Ben was sitting on a chair with a pumpkin for a head. With a little bit of force, the pumpkin popped right off his head. Looking at the panicked little kids in the room, Ben felt that all that work and gold had been worth it. *** After taking a nice shower after his flying lesson, Ben made his way to the entrance hall. There, he found an empty broom closet and gulped down a seemingly empty bottle before taking the stairs leading down to the Hufflepuff Common room. Ben arrived at a basement corridor decorated with many food-themed paintings. After tickling a pear on the painting of a fruit ball, Ben gained entrance to the Hogwarts kitchens. It was a gigantic, high-ceilinged room with five tables identical to the ones in the Great Hall above. The walls were filled with shelves containing a large number of pots and pans. The house elves were busy stirring pots over huge fires. All sorts of foods had already been prepared and had been served on the tables. Ben took another swig of potion while casting [Muffle] and looked for the desert section. He doused every single dessert with Pompion Potion and quickly got out of there before any sharp-nosed elf sensed something. The Pompion Potion used the Pumpkin-Head Jinx as the magical component. Pumpkin-Head Jinx trapped the head of the target in a pumpkin, essentially blinding the person and possibly suffocating him. To the outsider, it looked as if the head had been turned into a pumpkin. The Pompion Potion covered the heads in a carved pumpkin and hence not blinding or suffocating, but it did disorient the person and made it seem like the head itself had turned into a pumpkin. *** By the time Ben had finished reminiscing his brilliant plan to prank the whole school. Most of the students had already pulled their heads out of the pumpkin and calmed down a bit. To be fair, most third-year and above students knew how a Pumpkin-head jinx worked. It was only the first and second years just had had the fright of their lives. "Merlin''s saggy pants! Thought I was going to die there for a moment." Exclaimed Terry Boot. "Bloody Hell! I almost peed my pants." Michael Corner cried looking around the room. Sear?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "For a moment I thought I was going to be a pumpkin my whole life." Anthony Goldstein said. While they were catching their breaths and finding solace in the fact that everyone had suffered the same fate, Ben had been gulping down desserts and preparing a big pile of pumpkins on the table. Once the pumpkin pile was big enough, he aimed at his three friends and yelled, "PUMPKIN FIGHT!" Soon pumpkins were flying through the air from every corner of the room and the walls were painted orange with pumpkin juice. Teachers were busy investigating the troll break-in and the prefects were quickly overpowered and covered in pumpkin innards. There was absolute mayhem in the common rooms of the four Hogwarts houses. *** The next morning, the whole castle was buzzing with the talk of pumpkins, it was as if the troll incident didn''t even happen. Everyone was shocked to know that it happened in every house and not even teachers were spared. Quirrell still looked like a pumpkin, it seemed he had taken to his character quite seriously. Some muggle students believed that it was the evil spirits of Halloween that had caused all that mayhem yesterday. The one person having a really bad day was Snape, not only was he missing a big chunk of flesh from his leg and had to limp, but he also had to figure out how someone managed to procure such large quantities of Pompion Potion inside the castle. The password to the kitchens was changed and students were banned from even going near it. Everyone wanted to know who was behind it all, but Ben made sure to buy Fred and George''s silence with all his remaining money, which wasn''t much. It seemed they hadn''t told anyone yet, which was quite considerate of them. November brought with it a layer of frost that covered the whole castle every morning. The mountains around the castle had now turned icy grey and the Great Lake was covered with a thick layer of ice in the mornings. Ben spent most of his evenings in the common room, near the fireplace and his free periods in The Room of Requirement practising magic and levelling his skills. He kept levelling his Illusion skill by spamming the [Muffle] spell throughout the day. On weekends, Ben practised transfiguration near the lake. He had managed to learn the switching spell and could now consistently perform it on two small objects that were the size of an apple. Switching spell was basically transforming two objects at the same time, into each other. It took a lot more concentration than the regular transformation. Every Sunday, Ben made an artwork that he made with pieces that he transfigured with the pebbles and rocks on the lake shore. After the troll incident, he made a huge troll with transfigured tree bark and covered it with algae. November brought with it the Start of Quidditch season, Ben was not as interested in watching people fly around the field as he was in flying himself. He still went to the first Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Since he already knew the result he decided to make some money out of it. He went around the stadium betting that Potter was going to catch the snitch, not even Gryffindors were confident of that. Ben decided to have a sickle as the minimum bet, he made about ten Galleons when Potter almost swallowed the snitch. He quickly disappeared from the Stadium before he got into trouble, there were Slytherins trying to argue that since Potter swallowed the snitch, he didn''t technically catch it. The next day, Ben sculpted a majestic Griffin clutching a snake in his claws. The Griffin was an enlarged replica of his toy figurine that he had sold to the store. A lot of Gryffindors complained that their house mascot was a Lion, and not a Griffin but Ben didn''t care. With a name like Gryffindor, if your mascot was not a Griffin, then shame on you. The same was the case with Ravenclaw, it was as if the wizards couldn''t differentiate between a Raven and an Eagle. A/N: For a long time, I thought Ravenclaw''s mascot was a Raven. Extra chapters on Patre@n/DreamyApe. Help me pay my bills on time. Snow Day Time passed quickly and it was already mid-December. Ben had been working hard despite the cold weather, his body had gotten a lot tougher now and he didn''t feel as cold as everyone else. Ben woke up to a Hogwarts covered in several feet of snow, he had never seen this much snow before and wanted to go out and play in it. Suppressing the child in him, Ben skipped his breakfast and made his way towards the Room of Hidden things. For the past month and a half, Ben had focused on his potion brewing which had been a breeze with the help of The Room of Requirement. The room provided Ben with anything he needed and even cleaned the mess afterwards. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Entering the Room of Hidden Things, Ben found a self-stirring cauldron stewing on top of a bucket containing the magical fire hidden behind a huge pile of broken armour. At this point, sneaking into the restricted section of the library was a piece of pie for Ben, he had found a copy of Moste Potente Potions and started brewing the potion in the RoR. Procuring ingredients was the hard part, while some ingredients were provided by the room, some he had to order by mail. He still had to swipe boomslang''s skin from Snape''s office since it was not a commonly available ingredient and was a know component of the poly juice potion. Ben managed to steal a jar full of it while Snape was busy teaching Gryffindors and Slytherins, being Invisible has its perks. Looking at the mud-like liquid bubbling, Ben could not help but smile. The poly-juice potion was a necessity for Ben''s future plans and he had spent almost a whole month on it. The potion took multiple steps and most of the time was spent preparing the ingredients for it. Ben brought out multiple transfigured vials and filled them with the thick potion. The effect of the potion can last anywhere between ten minutes to twelve hours depending on how well it had been brewed. Ben decided to test its effects later and focused on his other project. In another corner of the room was a large wooden cabinet that looked exactly like the cabinet on the first floor of the castle. Ben pulled out his wand and waved at it. "Reducio" The shrinking charm and its counter-charm, the engorgement charm were second-year charms. Ben had been practising these charms along with transfiguration. He had managed to make this Vanishing Cabinet replica using the broken furniture in the room. He pocketed the now shrunk cabinet and walked out of the room. The vanishing cabinet was something he wanted to get his hands on before it got destroyed. He had to practice a lot to get his shrinking and engorgement charm to the required level. Luckily, using these spells on objects was a lot easier than using them on animals and people. Ben was in a good mood today, he made his way down to the first floor using a shortcut. Almost everyone in the castle was in the Great Hall having breakfast, after making sure that Dumbledore was indeed in the Great Hall and Filch was not lurking anywhere close. Ben found the Vanishing Cabinet and switched it with the replica. With the real Vanishing Cabinet in hand, Ben made his way to the Room of Hidden things, where he found a nice place put it. Now all Ben needed to do was to get his hands on the twin cabinet and he will have a permanent passage in and out of Hogwarts. Ben didn''t have any classes till the afternoon, so he decided to spend his free time enjoying the snow. He bought an Apple pie and a few Sweet rolls from the store and made his way out of the castle. In the courtyard, Ben saw Quirrell being chased by several snowballs aiming for the back of his head. The Weasley twins were not far behind. Ben decided not to get in trouble today and headed down towards the frozen lake. On the way down he successfully transfigured snow into a huge snowman. Over the frozen lake, Ben created a sculpture of Articuno out of ice, he transfigured individual feathers and then put them all together with the Mending charm. The clear ice refracted the sunlight making the frozen turkey look majestic. He saw a few fifth-years making snow angels, that actually flew to the sky, there were two snowmen fighting it out in the transfiguration courtyard and snowballs were flying everywhere. After absolutely destroying the poor kids in snowball fights, Ben made his way towards the first floor for the DADA lesson. Filch and Snape had already started spoiling everyone''s fun, the Weasley twins were the first in line for punishment. Ben met the golden trio near the library, they must be looking for any information on Nicolas Flamel in there. Ben exchanged some pleasantries and continued on his way. The Golden Trio had successfully formed after the troll incident, Hermione really did change the group dynamic significantly, earlier there was no way the boys would have entered the library this often. Ben found Dumbledore''s twinkling eyes staring at Potter these days, after all, he''d been planning on using them on Harry Potter to make him completely loyal to himself. Dumbledore knew that Potter was the key to saving the world from Voldemort, and to make sure that Potter played his role as the chosen one, Dumbledore had to make Potter completely loyal to him so that he doesn''t stray from his path and get influenced by outside forces, such as the Ministry. By the end of next year, Potter will be manipulated by the old goat to the extent that he will be able to summon Fawks with his loyalty in the Chamber of Secrets. This subtle indoctrination was going to start next week, during Christmas break. Dumbledore was even willing to bring out the Mirror of Erised for that. Ben too had big plans for the next week, and for that, he had to get his hands on the Vanishing Cabinet at Borgin and Burkes. A/N: MC is about to make some big moves. Support me at Patre@n/DreamyApe Snape Two figures were moving through a narrow passage, holding an old parchment in the dim light from the tip of their wands. "Visiting Hogsmeade isn''t as exciting as last year," Fred said. "I reckon it''s because we aren''t breaking any rules this time," George replied. "Well, we are breaking them, but we could have just gone with everyone else, through the gates." "And sap all the fun out of it, I don''t think so George." "Our finances have dwindled significantly after buying these Hiccup Sweets and Frog Spawn Soaps, Fred." "Oh, but Ron''s going to LOVE the sweets, and I''m sure we can place the soap in the Prefect bathroom for Percy." They both laughed, already imagining the plight of their brothers. When they reached the end of the passage which was a glass mirror, Fred drew an eye on its surface and the mirror turned transparent. They could see the fourth-floor corridor leading to the Hospital wing and the History of Magic classroom. "Let''s go, the way''s clear," he tapped the centre of the eye and the mirror opened like a door. "Mischief managed," George said as he tucked the parchment into his robes and followed Fred out of the passage. "This passage is so convenient, can you imagine using the one on the third floor?" "Yeah, the one behind the One-Eyed Witch feels like was dug by a rabbit." "Let''s go place the soap in the Prefect''s bathroom for our perfect brother," Fred said as he ran towards the stair leading up and George followed suit. Just when the twins reached the fifth floor and turned the corner for the Prefect''s bathroom, they were faced with a pale face, with a crooked long nose. "Well well, what might you two be doing here?" "Going to the restroom, Sir." "Yes, if you''ll excuse us, professor, we are under a lot of pressure right now." Said the twins trying to excuse themselves from Severus Snape. "There''s no hurry Weasley," said Snape as he blocked their way. "I''ve been informed by a student that you two were spotted in the Village of Hogsmeade, and yet I did not see you leaving through the gates." The twins stared at each other''s drained faces. "Would you two care to explain how that''s possible?" Snape said with a questioning gaze, lifting an eyebrow. ""Impossible!"" The twins exclaimed in sync. "We were in the castle the whole time Professor." "Going out in this freezing winter, absolute madness I tell you, Professor." "Someone must be trying to tarnish our reputation, Sir." The twins were not new to this situation, even with the map, they often got caught in the hallways and had now created a long list of excuses to give. "Of course, since you were in the castle, you must have an alibi?" ""We sure do professor."" "Fred can testify on my behalf." "And George on mine." "Five points each from Gryffindor, for your cheek." Snape did not look amused by their antics. "Empty your pockets." He said. Fred reluctantly took out the box of Hiccup Sweets and the bar of Soap. "Both of you." George took out an old piece of parchment. "And how did you come in possession of these Honeydukes sweets if you were in the castle?" "Lee gave it to us, a gift for the holidays," replied Fred. "I see, and do you always carry toiletries around with you?" He asked pointing at the bar of soap. "Oh we always carry one around sir, you never know when it may come in handy." "And this?" He said pointing at the piece of old parchment. "Just an extra bit of parchment, sir." "Ah, I happen to be in dire need of some right now, you wouldn''t mind would you?" He said snatching the parchment before they had a chance to protest. "But sir-" "You may leave, I better not catch you two wandering around after hours." He said as he made his way down the stairs. The twins could only stare at each other. "We are screwed, Fred" Sar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Calm down George, I don''t think Snape knows what it is, we just have to nick it back from his office." "Yeah, getting it back from Snape? You must be dreaming Fred." "We just have to distract him, a couple of dung bombs ought to do the trick." "Let''s go, we''ll have to cook a strong one for Snape." *** In an empty room on the fourth floor, Severus Snape took out his wand and tapped the parchment with it. "I solemnly swear that I''m up to no good." Lines of ink started to spread from the tip of the wand and spread like spiderwebs across the parchment, covering the entire surface and forming the words. "Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present THE MARAUDER''S MAP" The parchment showed the Hogwarts castle and grounds in detail and had several ink dots moving around it, in an empty room on the fourth floor was an ink dot with a name in minuscule writing below it. "Benedict Brown" He let out a grunt as his pale skin started to gain some colour. The crooked long nose on Snape''s face started to shrink and his greasy black hair turned light brown, his long black robes became too long for him as his body shrunk more than a foot. "It only lasted for about forty-five minutes." He said shaking his head in disappointment. It was humbling to know that a thirteen-year-old, second-year girl was capable of brewing a stronger poly juice potion. Ben changed into regular-sized robes and tucked Snape''s clothes into his enchanted bag. He will surely need them in the future. Before using the poly juice potion for more dangerous tasks, Ben wanted to test its strength and get his hands on the map at the same time. Believe it or not, getting his hands on Snape''s DNA was the easiest part. After all, the poor guy had been bleeding from his leg for a week. Cerberus bites are no joke. A/N: I''m sorry guys, I have been unable to post due to a medical emergency. I will try my best to post daily from tomorrow. Early Christmas It is hard to get a drop on someone who can see you coming from floors away. Ben had wanted to get his hands on The Marauder''s Map for a long time now, but doing it without drawing too much attention was hard and he didn''t want to bet on his luck too much. Although he could keep an eye on a few people at a time with [Clairvoyance], the map was capable of keeping track of the whole castle. With the map in hand, Ben felt a lot more confident about his plans. With all his preparations complete, all Ben had to do now was wait for the holidays. The final week before the Christmas break saw the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry filled with great excitement and anticipation. Students were excited about the holidays and Hogwarts felt a lot more lively. This week also saw an increase in rule-breaking, and the holiday spirit seemed to be at play. Monday morning saw a huge dung bomb explosion in the dungeons, making the whole place smell like elephant dung. Fred and George had been trying to get the map back from Snape. When fifth-floor bathrooms were swarmed with tadpoles and the whole floor with frogs the next day, Ben realised that the soap that the twins carried was the frog spawn soap. The first years were seen Hiccupping around the castle after eating sweets given by Fred and George. While the twins were causing mayhem in the castle, Ben was busy trying to uncover the Map''s secrets. He had already tried every single secret passage out of Hogwarts except for the one below the Whomping Willow. The day before the winter break started, Ben saw the friendly Hogwarts half-giant dragging a huge fir tree through the corridors, towards the Great Hall. The portraits lining the walls were already humming Christmas tunes and Hogwarts ghosts were singing songs while floating through the walls. When Ben got close to the giant, he saw Ron Weasley jump at a smug-looking Draco Malfoy. "WEASLEY!" Snape called out from behind Ben, startling him. ''Where the fuck did he pop out from,'' he thought looking at Snape, who crossed him to confront the Weasley. Ron let go of Malfoy''s robes, still staring daggers at the blond. "He was provoked, Professor Snape," said Hagrid, Ben could hardly see his face in his snow-covered beard. "Malfoy was insultin'' his family." "Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," "Five points from Gryffindor." Snape was still as biased as ever, ignoring the wicked smile on Malfoy''s face, who was not standing beside him. Ben could not help but hit Malfoy with a [Fury] spell, just to keep up with the holiday spirit and give Malfoy an early Christmas present. Malfoy''s face quickly turned red and he tackled the poor Weasley to the ground. "MALFOY! Let go of him this instant." Snape said as he pulled Draco by the yoke of his shirt, trying to prevent Malfoy from scratching Weasley''s face off.'' Ben''s mastery of Illusion allowed him to somewhat control the effect of his spells now. Malfoy got out of his frenzy before he could pull Weasley''s eyeballs off his ugly mug. "You are coming with me boy," said Snape as he dragged Malfoy by his neck towards the Dungeons. "But sir-" "QUIET!" screamed Snape, tugging harder at his collar. "Ahm, ten points ought to do it, professor, fighting is against school rules after all," said Ben as Snape passed him. "Step aside, Brown," he said continuing to drag Malfoy behind him. Ben got out of his way and went over towards the Golden Trio. "Woah, looks like Malfoy gave you a hickey, Weasley," Ben said, looking at Ron''s bruised neck. "I could have taken him, he just got the drop on me you know, that snake," said Ron taking Harry''s hand to get up. "I''m sure you think so," Ben commented. "What''s that supposed to mean?" "Nothing." He said as he made his way to the Great Hall. "Come on, cheer up, it''s nearly Christmas," said Hagrid. "Tell yeh what, come with me an'' see the Great Hall, looks a treat." "Then we''ll take you to see Madam Pomfrey," he said as he dragged the tree towards the great hall. "Is Brown on our side or Malfoy''s?" Ron asked Harry. "I think he just enjoys watching everyone in misery." Hermione gave her two cents. "I heard Fred and George say that he was behind the Pumpkins," Harry said in a hushed voice. "I don''t believe it, I heard he''s just as bad at magic as Seamus," Ron protested. "Where have you been sleeping the whole year, he''s great at Transfiguration, I''ve seen him practising near the lake," Hermione said as they reached the Great hall. Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The room look spectacular with all the Christmas decorations, Hagrid had already handed the new tree to professor Flitwick who was now decorating the twelfth tree with golden balls. Ben was helping the dwarf and had already turned several branches into refractive crystals. Since he could not transfigure anything heavier than himself, he had to sever the branches before transfiguring them into crystals and then mending them together afterwards. Watching Ben perform transfiguration well above their level, the golden trio could not help but stare. Ron watched Ben with a scowl on his face as his inferiority complex kicked in, until now he thought that Brown was just Ravenclaw''s Seamus. They say that the first impression is the last impression, Ben seemed to have been suffering his first impression of blowing things up in many students'' minds. "Excellent work Mr Brown, five points to Ravenclaw for your mastery over transformations charm," said the dwarf, taking the opportunity to add points to his own house. "Thank you, professor, it''s all thanks to your help," Ben said, trying to butter up his Housemaster. "Merlin''s beard, Hermione. I think we should forget about this Nicolas Flamel and learn how to do that instead," said Ron. "Keep dreaming Ronald, your nails still look like matchsticks." "Let''s get you checked by Madam Pomfrey, your face looks terrible." A/N: He always looked terrible. Knockturn Getting off the Hogwarts Express, Ben found himself clutched in a bear hug. "Mam, you''re not letting me breathe," Ben managed to say with the final bit of air in his lungs, Thea was a lot stronger than she looked. "Oh look at you, you haven''t been eating proper, have you?" "I''ve been eating plenty Mum." "Do I not have eyes, let''s go, I''ve baked lots for you," Thea said as she dragged Ben out of the station. *** After eating a day''s worth of food in one sitting, Ben could not help but fall asleep as soon as he hit the bed. He woke up to Aquila nibbling on his ear just before midnight. "Aren''t you punctual?" He said, giving her a scratch on the beak. Ben had learned by now that she did not like getting her feathers ruffled. Ben had managed to train Aquila to wake him up at midnight by giving her treats at the same time every day. Now Aquila was his alarm bird. Ben opened his window and got out on an old broomstick he found in the Room of Hidden things. It looked like an old Nimbus but it was in pretty bad shape, it didn''t even have the cushioning charm on it and Ben had to fashion an actual seat to sit on it. Even though Ben wanted to fly to Leaky Cauldron, he didn''t want to be seen by muggles. The Brown Cottage in Upminster was surrounded by Muggles on all sides. This made things a lot harder for him, he slowly landed on the lawn and put away his broom. He swigged the muddy potion from a porcelain bottle and grew into his baggy clothes. He got out of the muggle-repelling wards and raised his wand arm to hail the Knight Bus after walking for a few blocks. Although he could take the muggle transportation, it would take more than an hour by the Tube to reach Charing Cross Road, and Ben did not have any muggle money. Sar?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A few minutes later, Ben was standing outside the leaky cauldron. "Hello, Professor, out for some late-night shopping?" Ben just nodded at Tom and made his way towards the back. Before getting off the Bus, Ben had checked to make sure that Snape was not in Diagon Alley by using [Clairvoyance]. Ignoring the fairly deserted Diagon Alley, Ben headed towards the eerie Knockturn Alley. It was a lot more crowded during the night and a lot of shady witches and wizards could be seen hanging around the stores. Putting on a mean face, Ben made his way towards the Borgin and Burkes. *Cling* Ben entered the store and looked around the store for his target, a black cabinet sitting in the left corner of the cramped store. "Ah, Professor Snape, it''s been quite some time." said a stopping man with greasy hair as he approached the counter. "Mr Borgin, I have come across a few precious trinkets recently, I was wondering if you''d be interested in a trade." He said. "Trinkets you say, interesting, let''s have a look shall we?" Ben placed several rings and necklaces made of gold and silver on the counter. "Curious, they look surprisingly alike, you don''t mind me checking for the doubling charm, do you?" The items in the shop were pretty much perfect copies of each other, it was inevitable to arouse suspicion. "You may check till your heart''s content. I promise you, they are as real as you and me," said Ben. As Borgin brought out his wand, Ben couldn''t help but feel tense. The man checked the jewellery for its authenticity and only stopped after casting multiple counter charms. "Well?" Ben said raising his eyebrow. "Well, this is a surprise, to say the least. They do not seem real. What would you like to trade them for?" "I''m looking for an invisibility cloak, one woven from Demiguise hair." "Demiguise hair? A great choice, but I''m afraid this won''t be enough, Demiguise is a rare creature after all," he said pointing at the gold and silver jewellery. "Will this be enough?" Ben said slamming a bigger pile of gold necklaces and rings on the counter. He could see the shock on Borgin''s face, all the rings and necklaces were identical to each other. ".." "You can take your time confirming their authenticity." "Don''t mind if I do Professor, one can never be too careful." said the old man. When he was almost done with the gold jewellery, Ben placed a small pile of gems on the counter. It contained mostly Garnet and Amethyst with a few other gems that he had found while sorting through the Room of Hidden Things. "Did you break into Gringotts, Severus? I don''t want any trouble with the goblins," he said staring intensely at Severus. "Are you suggesting that I, Severus Snape, a potions Master have resorted to thievery? Perhaps I should take my business elsewhere," Ben replied returning the stare. "Forgive my insolence, Professor. I didn''t mean to offend you. What would you like to trade for these beauties?" "That cabinet, I have been curious about its workings for quite some while," Ben pointed at the black cabinet in the corner. "I must say, Professor, I am reluctant to part with it. It has been part of this store for a very long time." "Everything has a price," Ben said, placing a big ruby on the counter, "I''ll take the cabinet." Ben could see the growing greed in Borgin''s eyes. "Don''t push your luck Borgin, greed can lead to ruin," he said with a sharp tone. "You''ve got yourself a deal Professor, it is always a pleasure doing business with you." Ben could only curse the man in his heart, he had faced a huge loss in this deal, all because he couldn''t buy gold ingots in-store and had to buy Jewellery instead, which was a lot more expensive for him. He could not wait to learn [Transmute] and start turning iron into gold. Shaking his head, he shrunk the cabinet and stored it in his bag along with the Demiguise cloak and swiftly left the store. After taking another swig of the bitter potion, Ben bought a batch of boomslang skin and a few books on Vanishing Cabinets. After that, he made his way back to the Brown Cottage, this time on a broomstick, covered by an invisibility cape. It took him a lot longer since he flew very slow, trying not to let the cloak slip away. Creepy thief The following day, Ben went back to Diagon Alley with Thea and Nigel for Christmas shopping. Ben started browsing through the bookstore while Thea and Nigel went to Gringotts to withdraw some gold. Ben brought a few complete collections of Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle to gift his friends. It was a comic book that showed how little wizards actually knew about Muggles, Ben found it an amusing read. He bought a few revised editions of the books he''d read in the Library and went looking for Sugarplum''s Sweet Shop after sneakily putting the books in his enchanted bag. In the shop, Ben bought a large number of Chocolate Frogs boxes, Bertie Bott''s Every Flavour Beans and Drooble''s Best Blowing Gum. He was going to send three of each to all his friends and one of each to all the acquaintances. It was mainly because Ben was in a good mood. In Twilfitt and Tattings, Ben bought pointed hats for his parents and professors, even Snape. He bought a pair of woollen socks for the old goat Dumbledore. ''I wonder what Dumbledore will see in the mirror this time.'' Ben remembered that Dumbledore lied to Harry about seeing a pair of woollen socks in the mirror of erised, he wondered what he would say this time. Ben met Terry and Michael outside the Eeylops Owl Emporium after buying treats for Aquila and he headed towards Florean Fortescue''s Ice Cream Parlour with them. He also met a few other first-year students shopping in the alley, sadly he did not come across Malfoy. *** At midnight, Ben tip-toed towards the basement, it felt a lot less cramped now. The basement was more like a dumpster, all the useless stuff was dumped there. His parents had still not noticed all the stuff that he got rid of before. This time he was not here to clean the place up, he was here to make his very own supervillain lair. After removing a few stones from the wall facing towards the barn, Ben removed the bedrock in small chunks and slowly transfigured it into stone blocks. Since he could only transfigure a small amount at a time, the progress was quite slow. Ben reinforced the dugout space using stone blocks, he used the mending charm to turn the loosely stacked blocks into sturdy walls and vertical support beams. After working for the whole night, Ben was mentally exhausted. He walked out of the newly created room and covered the entrance with the original stones. The wall looked no different than it did before. Ben was mentally spent by the morning, he went upstairs for breakfast and decided to take a break. He could use [Healing], but he decided to take a proper rest since he was on a holiday. Magic seemed to heavily rely on mental prowess, concentration and Intent seemed to play a major part in successfully performing any spell. On the other hand, Skyrim''s magic seemed to be heavily reliant on the strength of one''s spirit and not as much on mental strength. One exception was Illusion magic which demanded a lot of concentration as well. Ben could relieve mental and physical fatigue to a large extent using [Healing], but spiritual exhaustion could only be recovered naturally. *** Early morning on Christmas, in the Room of Hidden Things, a large cabinet shook a little and its door creaked open. A pair of footprints appeared on dust ridden floor leading out of the room and then disappearing into the seventh-floor corridor. Snoring noises could be heard from the portraits hanging in the moonlit corridors of the castle as an invisible figure passed by them. "Yule Lads," said a voice waking up the Fat Lady. "Huh- who is it?" she said looking around as the portrait swung open. The invisible figure entered the portrait hole without answering, how this invisible figure knew the password was a mystery. Perhaps he had spent hours hiding, waiting to catch a student using the password. Inside the common room, he climbed the stairs to the boys'' dormitory and made his way towards the first-year dorm room. A floating wand appeared outside the door and a quiet whisper was heard. ''Alohomora'' The door opened without making any sound, inside were two sleeping figures. Two floating hands appeared out of nowhere and picked up an unnamed parcel from the ground. The packing was then carefully unwrapped and a silvery grey cloth fell slithering to the ground. Ben pulled off his Invisibility cloak, which had a little more shine than the one on the floor and folded it nicely before placing it in the wrapping paper. He placed the note, which had fallen with the original cloak, under the Demiguise hair cloak and rewrapped the package and placed it back at the foot of the bed. Looking at the two sleeping figures, Ben could not help but feel weird. Sar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''Oh, God. I have turned into a creepy thief.'' Now covered by a deathly hallow, Ben made a slow and agonizing journey, back to the Room of Hidden Things while casting [Muffle] on himself. In the Room of Hidden Things, Ben had conflicted feeling as he stared at the watery fabric. "I can''t take this home, not until I can make sure that Dumbledore can''t track me through it." He remembered that Dumbledore had somehow found the Cloak after Harry had forgotten it on top of the Astronomy tower. Even though Ben had checked for any tracking charms, he couldn''t be sure as his knowledge was very lacking at the moment. The cloak did not look much different from the Demiguise cloak which confused Ben as he was sure of the existence of the Deathly Hallows. How could he not, he was brought to this world through a swirling death spiral that came out of the deathly hallows symbol. It had been four months since he came to this world and he still had no clue as to why, the Hallows were his only clue and that was the reason he had taken such a big risk tonight. He wanted to swap the Invisibility cloak before Harry got familiar with Hallow since he didn''t know if there were any visual differences between invisibility cloaks. Since his eyes could not find anything special about the cloak, he decided to try something else. "Maybe-" With a sudden flash of inspiration, he called out his system. A dense dark fog full of bright flashes of light came out of his chest. it looked like a mini thundercloud. Ben was shocked by the scene, there was so much lightning flashing through the fog that the whole room lit up. ANIME POWER-UP Ben was standing frozen in the Room on Hidden Things, trying to take the thundering fog back into his body without any success. It went out of control and surrounded the Invisibility cloak instead of forming a screen like usual. The bright flashes in the fog turned into lighting bolts and bombarded the Invisibility cloak, soon there was no sign of it left. Instead of calming down after incinerating the Hallow, the fog only grew fierce. It started swirling intensely and formed a flashing vortex with its eye speeding towards Ben. "Shit, not again." "AAah," he cried clutching his chest as the flashing vortex rushed towards his heart. He felt an intense burning sensation on his skin as the death fog violated his chest cavity, leaving him gasping for air. After what felt like a very long time, the pain finally stopped and Ben was left breathing heavily on the floor. ''Fuck these anime power-ups,'' he cursed in his heart. This was the most pain he''d felt in his entire life. He looked towards his chest, where he had felt the most pain and was surprised once again. A huge chunk of his shirt was now missing and in the middle of his chest was a triangle, glowing like a certain billionaire''s power source. ''Is this my arc reactor? No this is facing up instead.'' As the glow receded into his skin, it finally looked like a normal tattoo of an equilateral triangle. Well, as normal as a tattoo of a triangle could look. Just when Ben wanted to curse his luck and hurl profanities around the room, he felt a strange sensation in his mind, it was as if he had grown a new organ. He tugged at that sensation and a watery sensation started spreading over his skin, starting from his chest and encompassing his entire body. He watched in amazement as his whole body disappeared in front of his eyes as silvery grey light shrouded him before making him invisible. Ben sensed that he could control this shroud to stretch and envelop things around him, up to a certain distance. He stretched the shroud as far as he could and things half a meter around him turned invisible. "What a waste," he thought, even if it seemed cool at first, there were numerous ways to turn invisible in this world and they did not require going through torture first. Ben''s mind was in turmoil right now, this was the first time he felt the mysterious fog that resided within him go out of control. It was clear now that it had a mind of its own and it unnerved Ben to witness it shredding a supposedly indestructible object, after all the cloak had remained unaffected even after seven centuries of use and had resisted all sorts of spell damage. Sear?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Feeling dejected, Ben called off the invisibility and the ethereal shroud retreated back into the triangle marking on his chest. "At least it became a lot more convenient to use." Just when he decided to go back home, he felt strange palpations coming from his chest and then his head was flushed with new information, Ben almost cried with Eureka. "So, it wasn''t a waste after all." Turning towards his favourite chair in the room, Ben let out the deadly fog again. This time, it did not contain the bright flashes it usually did and was much darker. The mist enveloped the chair making it disappear from Ben''s vision. When it retreated back into his chest, there was no sign of the chair left. Although Ben had seen it happen before when he sold things to the shop, he knew that this was different. He called out his status panel, which flashed a lot brighter than before. There was a new tab on top of the panel that said [Storage]. He switched to it and found a single item listed with a picture there. [Ben''s favourite chair] "Well, it is my favourite." After that, he tried storing a few more things in the room. When he tried to store a large cabinet filled with things, he felt a heavy burden on his mind. It seemed that he could not store any objects heavier than himself in the [Storage] without suffering backlash. It had been the same with selling stuff but he had overcome that hurdle by breaking things into smaller parts. The weight was a fundamental transfiguration constraint and did not surprise Ben. Still, he felt that he would be able to break this constraint in the future. After storing various items, Ben concluded that the [Storage] was not infinite and had a weight limit. He could store about three times his body weight which would come about to a hundred kilograms. The [Storage] gave very generic names to the things he stored unless Ben already knew what they were. It seemed that the system used Ben''s knowledge to identify and label things and was not all-knowing. Ben decided to get out of this place before delving further into the intricacies of his new abilities. Stepping through the Vanishing Cabinet, which now looked completely different after Ben worked some magic on its exterior, he arrived in a small and empty room. There were only four small torches in the room, dimly lighting the room with their small blue flames. Ben had managed to conjure blue flames after doing some extra reading during the break. Apart from looking mystical and pretty, they also burned at a much higher temperature and hence heated the room nicely. At the centre of the room was the Vanishing Cabinet that he got from Borgin and Burkes. For many people, a Vanishing Cabinet was a last-ditch effort when all else failed. They were used by people during the Second Wizarding War in case they were targeted by death eaters and were trapped because of the anti-apparition wards. Apparition through the cabinet was dangerous as there was usually no set destination. Unless the cabinet had a twin, which was not easy to make and usually very expensive to get your hands on. Hence making this Cabinet a rarity. Looking at his empty base of operations, Ben smiled and called forth his favourite chair from the [Storage]. Now that he can carry a hundred kilograms with him, decking this place was going to be a piece of cake. A/N: Well, the SYSTEM is powering up and Ben is paying for it with his misery. Support my lazy ass on the link down below. Playing stupid Games On Christmas Morning, Harry opened not one but two presents from Benedict Nigel Brown. However, he did not know that apart from Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott''s Every Flavour Beans and Drooble''s Best Blowing Gum, the Demiguise hair cloak was also a gift from Ben. Ben gave Harry the cloak out of the goodness of his heart and definitely not because he felt guilty about stealing a family heirloom from a kid. Not at all ashamed of taking away the one thing that belonged to Harry''s father. Okay, maybe a little, but he knew that he needed that cloak more than anyone else in this world and considering that the cloak had now fused into his being, he was right to think that way. On the other hand, Ben''s Christmas Morning was not so Merry. He struggled to explain where he got the money for the presents he got for Thea and Nigel. Luckily Thea did not know the exact price of the Hats from Twilfitt and Tattings and Ben convinced her that they were second-hand and he had patched them up with some nifty cleaning spells that he then had to display to his unconvinced mother. At the same time, Ben was disappointed to know that he had still failed to convince Nigel of buying him a broomstick. So much for ''I believe in you'' and ''our little bird has finally left its nest''. Ben felt that even after traversing worlds, some things had remained the same. The only change was that this time, his father was more of a mother hen while Thea was a lot more laid back in comparison. Even in his past life, he had failed to convince his parents to buy him a bicycle until he was in high school and by that time, he was already riding motorcycles with his friends. To be fair to Ben''s ex-parents, he was a wild card as a kid. By the time he graduated middle school, he had almost died a hundred times. He had checked all the boxes on the accidental deaths list, multiple times. Almost drowned- twice, Death by Electrocution- three times, Falling into a burning pyre and tumbling out with a charred arm and no hair or eyebrows, Falling off a cliff but getting caught by a stranger just before splatting on the ground, Falling off a cliff into a roaring river- twice, Running into oncoming traffic and getting away with a sprained leg-once, second time running into oncoming traffic and getting away with a dislocated bone, Bitten by a snake, Bitten by a radioactive scorpion and spawning a venomous tail- once- in a nightmare that led to incoherent screaming and crying in the middle of the night, and many more. After going through all of this, it was no wonder his parents didn''t trust him with a bicycle. His numerous confrontations with death almost made his parents paranoid, but even they wouldn''t have guessed that after surviving all of this, death would come to take him personally. Anyways, somehow the Christmas sweaters were even uglier in the wizarding world and Ben was not having a great time as apart from his mother, even his aunt had sent him one. Well, at least they were warm and comfy, plus the frog mittens were fun. Magically enchanted frog mittens came with frog tongues that could be used to grab things from a distance while making funny frog noises. Ben had a good time going through the stack of wizard crackers with Aquila, which she enjoyed as some were filled with mice instead of candy or toys. Wizarding humour is weird like that. The poor bird had been busy hauling presents for the last few days. Ben got her some owl treats and a new owl perch that he placed near his window. She certainly likes her new crib. --- The first week of January, Ben was back in Hogwarts. The castle was full of jovial talk as students were excited to be back in the school after the break. People shared their holiday stories with their friends, and some showed off their Christmas presents. Ben had nothing worth showing off, life can be unfair sometimes. One evening, Ben was heading out of the Library after finishing up his History of Magic assignment when he encountered a wild first-year. "Did you hear? Michael''s gone mental with his new Gobstones set," said Terry Boot. "Ugh, who hasn''t, he''s been at it for a week now, I think his brain must be drowning in Gobsquirt by now," said Ben who was getting annoyed at Michael''s obsession by now. "They''re saying he''s already beaten all the first-years and is now playing against the second-years," informed Kevin Entwistle. "We came to get you, thought you''d want to see it," said Boot. ''Not now kid, I''ve got things to do,'' that''s what Ben wanted to say, but instead- "Of course, I want to see it, it''s not like I''ve got anything better to do," he said with a larger-than-life smile as he followed the two towards the courtyard. Gobstones did not enjoy the same level of popularity as Quidditch did, it was not even as popular as Wizarding chess among many recreational activities available in Hogwarts. Gobstones were essentially the Wizarding version of Marbles. Ben was the group''s first to try his hand at Gobstones as it reminded him of his childhood. He grew up playing Marbles and could not help but try the wizarding version. Ben had since grown out of it, as his nostalgia didn''t last very long. His friends, however, were now part of the Gobstones club; Michael even wanted to be on the Hogwarts team. Yes, Hogwarts had a Gobstones team and even competed in the national and international championships. Despite being very popular among the younger students, Gobstones didn''t have the ''cool'' reputation Quidditch had and was often regarded as "the thinking wizard''s Quidditch". People usually tend to lose interest in the game as they grow up and very few people stick with it once they grow up. It may or may not have something to do with the nasty liquid that the stones tend to squirt over the loser. As they got closer to the Courtyard where a group of kids had completely surrounded a gobstones circle, Ben could not help but question his decision to follow Boot and what''s his name, he could never remember. S~ea??h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''Try to relax Ben, you''re 11 for godsakes.'' ''It''s okay for you to play stupid games and have stupid fun.'' ''-every once in a while.'' --Dreamscape-- Yes, it''s all true. I am a lazy piece of Ape-ass and have been spending all my time munching on Banana Wafers and reading wish fulfilment fantasies on NovelFire. Regular updates starting today, read extra chapters on Patr@on/DreamyApe. Chapter-35-Gobstoned For the past few months, Ben spent almost all this time learning and practising his skills. It had started to take a toll on his mental health. He had started to feel very burdened knowing that even after working so hard, there was so much more to learn and no end was in sight. He was burning out. Ben hadn''t been a very diligent or driven individual in the first place, even in his past life, he was just a regular guy who liked to take things easy. He just wanted to live his life, doing the things that he loved. He didn''t have any grand ambitions or long-term plans in life. Not that he didn''t want to make money or buy nice things, he just didn''t want ten Bugatti and seven mansions. When he got sucked into this new world, his whole worldview got tumbled upside down. He lost his support structure; his asshole friends and his crazy family. He was scared and alone in this strange yet familiar world. He felt like he knew so much about this world yet nothing at all at the same time. To cope with this new environment Ben had activated his fight mode and had been working crazily since then. Ben''s sudden and drastic shift in lifestyle from being an average joe to a sigma grind set Giga chad had left him drained and exhausted. At first, the fear and novelty of the experience kept him engaged and going but as days passed, his routine became repetitive and boring. Where he used to love and enjoy magic, now his practice sessions started to feel like a series of endless chores. He also started to feel a bit lonely. Even though it may not look like it, there was no one around him who he could truly call his friend. All his classmates were essentially kids in his eyes and because of that, he had not been able to engage with them fully. Even if he was amused by their antics, at the end of the day he was only amused as if he was watching over his nieces and nephews. sea??h th ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Being a grown-up inside the body of a kid had a few problems of its own. After spending a nice relaxing week at his home Ben had come up with a few possible solutions for his problems. This New Year, just like everyone else, he too had made a few resolutions. Not trying to carry the weight of the wizarding world on his shoulders was one of those resolutions. At first, Ben thought that he was going to work tirelessly day and night to become this mighty figure that hides behind the curtains to control the whole show. He had failed to take his limitations into account, he was just a human after all and not a machine. Ben had to calm down and accept that no one was coming after his life and he wasn''t an accursed protagonist of a novel that would run into one life-threatening situation after another. Even if he was, he didn''t want to become paranoid by letting fear cloud his vision. He also accepted the fact that he was a twelve-year-old kid, no matter how much he thought otherwise. There was no spell that could help him skip puberty, he might as well accept it. It might take some time, but he was working on it. He was going to try harder to let down his walls and engage with the people of the wizarding world at a deeper level. Even now, he somehow saw the people here as characters instead of real people. He had to accept the fact that he was here and here to stay and for that, he had to find his own place in this world. Even if he felt that he couldn''t relate to his peers, he should try his best. If all else fails, he could always have older friends. There were other resolutions like the usual, wake up early, work out, pick a new hobby, learn a new language, learn to sing, focus on studies, eat healthily, get proper sleep, etc. But we all know that these are token resolutions, they are just there to occupy space. --- In the courtyard, Ben and his friends made their way through the crowd to where Michael was. Cornfoot and Goldstein were already here, along with the rest of the Ravenclaw first-years. "How''s it going, mate? I hope we didn''t miss anything," said Terry. "Where have you been, I thought you said you''ve got my back?" said Michael, who looked a bit flustered. "We''ve been looking around the castle for Ben, I thought you could use some help," said Entwhistle in a lower voice but Ben heard him clearly. "What''s going on here?" said a confused Ben. "A-Ah, nothing mate. I''m glad you''re here, you know, for support and all," said Michael Corner, straightening his posture and trying to hide his nervousness as best as he could. At this point, Ben was certain that there was something going on here that he wasn''t aware of. Before he could question the brats any further, he was interrupted by a croaking voice. "Look here, ickle firstie has called for backup," said a gruff-looking boy who was significantly taller than anyone else around. "Scared Corner? Wanna call any more of your pals?" he said in a croaking voice that reminded Ben of a horse. Poor guy, puberty can do things to you that even magic can''t fix. "I''m not s-scared," said Michael "you''ll be the one losing." "Oh-we''ll see about that, I''ll have those gobstones, no matter how many runts you gather," he said staring menacingly at the poor boy. Ben had somewhat figured out what was going on here, Michael Corner, being the little scamp that he is, had somehow managed to piss off the biggest bully in the playground. Yes, he was the biggest as third years and older were busy chasing skirts or snogging in a broom closet. Now Douglas Mccarthy (or Doug as he liked to be called) wasn''t your average playground bully; he was a lot smarter. He just happened to be the first one to sprout whiskers and became the tallest bloke around. You can say that he was drunk on power, he liked to intimidate the little buggers with his towering physique but he hadn''t gone completely bonkers yet. His preferred method of bullying was psychological manipulation. With just the right amount of taunts aimed at the lad''s ego, he had managed to make Corner bet his brand-new, limited edition Ballycastle Bats Gobstone set. A particularly nasty piece of work that squirted a nasty liquid that smelled like a mixture of bat droppings and urine at the loser. Ben finally realised why he had been called upon by runts, they were hoping that he would help them get out of this predicament; just like a dozen times before. This rag-tag group of Ravens was starting to act like wreckless lions under Ben''s protection and Michael''s leadership. ''Ah man, now I feel exploited by the little buggers,'' he thought while acting a little hurt. --Dreamscape-- MC is lame. Read more of his lame stuff on Patre@n/DreamyApe. I am there too, trying to reduce his lameness. Playground Scuffles ''Ah man, now I feel exploited by the little buggers,'' he thought while acting a little hurt. ''Now that I think about it, I have been bailing these brats for the whole week.'' This year, Ben had been trying hard to get closer to everyone around him. He may have gotten carried away and spoiled them a bit too much. Being the hot-headed scamp that Michael was, he often let this little group of rag tags into trouble. While Goldstein and Cornfoot were a lot more reserved, Boot and Entwhistle followed Michael everywhere. Ben had been bailing them out of trouble for the past week as their problems were hardly any trouble for him. He helped them, sometimes discreetly and sometimes even using magic in open. It was a big change as he never used to cast spells on others in open before. He may have gone too far, as the group had gotten a lot bolder in seeking trouble. At this rate, they might as well become the golden squad. Ben decided to reel them in a little from now on. ''My inclusion has changed the group dynamic significantly, under the false sense of security, these runts are becoming a loose cannon'' Before the break, Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein and Michael Corner usually hung out together while Stephen Cornfoot and Kevin Entwhistle kept a low profile while doing their own thing. Since Michael had become a loose cannon, Goldstein had distanced himself a bit from the trouble-seeking group. Entwhistle on the other hand was enjoying the new arrangement following Corner, he was finally part of the cool group. While Ben''s mind was busy contemplating the shifting dynamics of the group, Michael Corner was getting his ass handed to him. They were playing Snake Pit, in which a player had to get his gobstones as close as possible to the pit in the middle of the circle, without the stone falling into the pit. Players get four turns each and they take turns alternatingly. Corner was easily agitated under Doug''s constant riling and had managed to lose three stones in the pit and was now on his last stone. Doug wasn''t any better as his gobstones were also in the pit, knocked in by Michael in fury, only one remained close to the edge. Ben knew that Michael was about to lose as the idiot had been baited to take the first turn. The one holding the last turn had a huge advantage as he could just knock his opponent into the pit and win or at least end in a draw. For a moment, Ben contemplated letting Michael lose and be showered by the putrid-smelling liquid. Loss of his precious stones and public humiliation would definitely calm him down for a while. ''Ughh I really don''t feel like smelling rot right now,'' he thought as he cast [Calm] on Michael. The horrible smell was the one reason Ben stopped playing Gobstones himself. Ben had a soft spot for Michael Corner, he found his antics amusing and oddly reminded him of his childhood. He too was quite the troublemaker in his last life. Under the influence of [calm], Michael landed a perfect throw, pushing Doug''s stone into the pit and stopping just at the edge of the hole. ''At least you have some skill,'' thought Ben, feeling somewhat impressed. On account of this wonderful throw, Ben decided to help the lad a bit further. A sneaky red steak of Magicka hit Douglas Mccarthy just as he was about to make his throw and his already ugly face contorted further. He threw the stone in a fury, knocking his as well as Michael''s stone into to pit, ending in a draw. It was a win in Ben''s books as there was no way that he was going to help the runts cheat to victory. While Ben was satisfied that there was no splashing of rotten liquids, Michael and the group were still as tense as before. They knew that things were far from over. Michael tried to collect his Gobstones from the pit but was pushed back by the towering bully. Looking up made Michael flinch as he could clearly see the madness in his eyes. "Where do you think you are doing you little shit?" He growled. "These are mine now," he said as he collected the two sets of Gobstones from the pits and made his way towards the scared Michael, who was putting on a brave front but had retreated a significant distance. "You can''t!" "He didn''t lose!" Said Entwhistle and Boot, trying to back Michael up. "He didn''t win either, did he?" "Give the rest of ''em here rat, before I stomp your face." "I''m not scared of you!" said Michael, pulling out his wand. Now, it would have been an intimidating gesture if Michael wasn''t a first-year. The only offensive spell in the curriculum was the Knockback jinx and that wasn''t taught until the end of the year. The spells he could possibly cast were red and green sparks. Under the effect of [Fury], Doug was not intimidated at all. He too took out his wand and kept moving forward, while Michael took a few steps back. Michael had his friends as backup, but so did Doug. He and his lackeys got right up to Ben''s group, towering over them. "Hand them over," he said, resting the tip of his wand on Michael''s neck. ''Damn! Look at this bastard posturing,'' thought Ben. ''Almost gave me heartburn.'' Ben could not believe the amount of cringe happening in front of his eyes and had to stop it from progressing any further. He had a feeling that this might go full Xianxia if he didn''t put a stop to it. One thing to note was that even with a wand to his neck, Michael had still not given in. Well, he might just be petrified with fear at this point, looking at the huge lump in his throat, but at least he had some courage. Michael''s eyes were staring at the tip of the wand as he anticipated a flash of magic to send him flying any second now. His heart was beating at an extremely fast pace and everything turned to slow motion. He saw a hand approach from the corner of his eye. It grabbed the huge hand holding the wand at his neck and twisted it from the wrist to point the wand back at Doug. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Back off, before I send your newly descended balls back up," he said making everybody around question their eyes and ears. While everyone was expecting a beatdown to come over the pretentious first year, they heard a scream that they will never ever forget for the rest of their lives. --Dreamscape-- MC is Cringe, read more of the cringe he says on Patre@n/DreamyApe. I am there too, trying to make him less cringy. Wicked Bruv "Back off big boy, before I kick your newly descended balls back up," he said making everybody around question their eyes and ears. While everyone was expecting a beatdown to come over the pretentious first year, they heard a scream that they will never ever forget for the rest of their lives. The lofty Bully screamed as if he had seen a Quintaped and collapsed backwards on the ground. He then proceeded to point at the first year and fled the place horrified, dropping everything, including his wand as he ran for his life. ''[Fear] is more potent than I anticipated.'' Ben looked back at the stunned and bewildered faces of his fellow first-years with a nonchalant expression on his face. Just as he was about to start his posturing, he heard a voice that made his blood run cold. "Mr Brown, that is no way a gentleman should talk," the crowd of students quickly parted away as a tall witch made her way through them. The look on McGonagall''s face shifted from shock and disappointment to anger. ''Give me a Break!'' Ben screamed in his heart. After an hour-long etiquette lesson with the furry witch, Ben was exhausted beyond belief. It seemed that McGonagall had quite high expectations of him and was disappointed to see him use such crass language with his fellow students. "It is commendable that you stood up for your friend, but that is no way to talk to your fellow students," McGonagall had said admonishingly, Ben wanted to ask who he could use such language against but even he knew that it would be pushing it too far. At least Doug got harsher punishment, he got taken straight to professor Flitwick''s office and the half-goblin can get very nasty when it comes to punishing bullies. "Not only do I not get to posture but I also lose house points and get detention? I hate this day." Ben entered the common room and was immediately surrounded by his friends. "You really saved my skin there mate, thanks," Michael said. "That was so wicked bruv, " said Terry Boot. "Did you see him running? That''s the funniest thing I''ve ever seen," Entwhistle was grinning ear from ear. "How''d you do it mate? You have to teach me that." Corner seemed truly impressed. While the first-year boys were impressed and intrigued with the stunt that Ben had pulled, there were also some ravens who were not happy with his losing house points. Ben didn''t give a rat''s ass about their disappointment. Ben looked around the room but didn''t find Doug anywhere which was a disappointment. He wanted to make sure that he didn''t come looking for trouble again. Ben decided to look for him later to ensure he didn''t disturb his peace in the Ravenclaw tower. --- Time passed swiftly and days turned to weeks and months as Ben spent his days in a slice-of-life fantasy. Having let go of fear and paranoia, Ben was able to enjoy his time at Hogwarts. He was still practising his skills and spells every single day and making significant progress but he was also creating a lot more ruckus in the castle. Ben had reigned in Michael and the group''s crazy antics after getting an earful from McGonagall. While he didn''t want to get involved in playground squabbles between twelve-year-olds, he did spend a lot more time playing pranks in the playgrounds and around the castle. With the Marauder''s Map, Inventory space and the ability to become invisible, there was little that could stop Ben at this point. He had taken upon himself the task of trying out every Zonko product and had even started writing a review sheet. Potter had made the record for the fastest-ever capture of the Snitch and Ben had made a fortune betting on it. With his newfound wealth and the title ''Seer of Ravenclaw'', Ben was living life at large. Ben''s favourite prank was dropping Swelling Solution on top of unsuspecting students. The disproportionately large heads on top of tiny bodies were inherently funny and reminded Ben of the Bobblehead toys that he used to have on his desk. Despite the increasing cases of Bobbling heads in the castle, no one knew of the perpetrator. Invisibility had its perks and Ben was careful not to expose his invisibility. He used not-so-creative ways like delivering the potion with a paper aeroplane, sticking it onto the ceiling and the good old door trap. Ben controlled his invisibility use strictly to stop himself from becoming a peeping tom. Till now, he had been successful in avoiding any such situations. Ben was mostly worried about what troubles puberty might bring with him being able to go invisible. Hopefully, none. Although his process had been slow in the last two months, Ben had managed to level his Alteration to Apprentice and had learned two new spells, [Magelight] and [Stoneflesh]. Magelight was the upgraded form of [Candlelight] and was even more useful than Lumos. It produces a ball of light that sticks to the surface where it strikes. It basically produces a light bulb. [Stoneflesh] made Ben''s flesh as hard as stone but also made him brittle, Ben was starting to feel like a certain Osmosian from a popular show. Ben did not dare to test the limits of this spell as he didn''t want to shatter his arm like a statue. He decided to experiment with it further after getting better healing spells. His Conjuration, Destruction and Restoration were yet to level up because Ben was also working on Transfiguration and Potion making while also having to write a number of assignments daily, but they were very close to levelling up. "Psst, Ben! I heard you''re going home for the Easter holidays," whispered a voice from across the table, pulling his attention from his transfiguration book. Ben was surprised to see the little Gryffindor girl with large front teeth, Hermione Granger staring at him with disbelief in her eyes. He gave her a confused look as she usually didn''t talk to him. Ben ran into the Griffindor know-it-all quite often in the library but he had made it a point to not interact with her too much. She was simply too annoying in his eyes as she had a habit of talking too fast and too much and Ben did not appreciate her poking her nose into whatever he was reading. After getting the cold shoulder for a while, she understood that Ben did not like to be disturbed in the library. "Yes, I am. That''s what holidays are for, aren''t they?" "But what about the exams? There''s only so much time left, I thought you''d be more serious about them." "I''ve already planned my whole schedule for the holidays, Transfiguration on Monday morning....." and yada-yada-yada she went on reciting her whole study schedule. Sar?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. One could see a vein starting to bulge on Ben''s forehead as he listened to her rambling about how close the exams were. --Dreamscape-- MC is a nerd that hates other nerds, what a prick. Read more and explore the limits to his hypocrisy on Patre@n/DreamyApe. Special thanks to TheRipper89 for the support. The Ravenclaw Seer "... And I thought you would understand the importance of these exams, you must pass them to get into the second year." "Ughh, I don''t know what I have been doing all this time, I should have started studying ages ago, but I have been busy helping my friends with some things..." And she was still going, even faster now. ''Usually, she stops after a while, It seems that the stress is getting to her,'' Ben thought. "Stop! Hermione, stop for a second. Breathe in, deep breaths," he decided to stop her before smoke starts coming off of her head. "Now, there''s no need to panic. There''s still enough time to study for the exams, you will have ample time to prepare during the Easter break," said Ben, trying to calm her down. "You''re right, we can still prepare if we spend all our time studying during the break." "So, you should stay here and study instead of wasting time at home." "You won''t be able to practice your spells there." She started to lecture him and Ben could only look at her with his mouth hung open. Ben, was a nerd himself but even he was shocked watching Hermione''s obsession with studying and exams. "Yeah, hate to break it to you, but I have already prepared for the exams." "And, I live in a magic house, so I can do as much magic as I want." "And, I already know what''s going to be on the exams." Ben threw three small but deadly attacks and they were super effective at stunning the little witch. "You what? How can you know what''s going to be on the exam? And you can''t do magic outside of school," she looked at Ben with bafflement and a little bit of ridicule on her face. "Well, the trace monitors magical activity near an underage wizard, but the ministry can''t tell if it''s me doing it or someone else in my house." "So it''s only Muggleborns who have to be worried about getting caught, I thought you would know about this Granger," he said with a smug smile. "But that''s still breaking the law! You shouldn''t be doing that." "And that doesn''t explain how you know what''s going to be on the exams." There was clear disbelief in her voice, she couldn''t believe he was openly admitting to breaking the law or possibly cheating on the exam. "Give me break, everyone does it." "And people don''t call me ''Ravenclaw''s Seer'' for nothing, I can see the future," Ben spoke in a hushed voice, trying to sound as mysterious as possible. "You mean Divination? That''s only taught after the third year and Professor McGonagall said that it''s the most imprecise field of magic that there is." "You should focus on studying our own subjects instead of wasting your time on all this." ''That''s cause McGonagall couldn''t divine a thing, even if the grim stood right in her face,'' Ben said under his breath as he felt a little pleased that even McGonagall wasn''t good at everything. "Did you say something?" Said Hermione trying to read his lips. "Uh- Nothing, Just saying that Divination can not be taught. You''re either born a seer or you aren''t, just like you''re either born a Wizard or you aren''t," Ben tried to distract Hermione with something he''d read about divination. Sarch* The ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It wasn''t like he was a real seer, he was the biggest fraud of them all. "And you are a Seer then? You see things?" she asked and Ben nodded with pride, lifting his nose up high. "Tell me what you see then, let''s see if you are any good," she challenged him with eyes full of scepticism. "That''s not how it works, I can''t control it," Ben said truthfully for once. "Lies, I knew it," she said with a smug look that really flared Ben''s mischief itch. A dazed look came over Ben''s face and his eyes started to fog up and turned completely white, a strange whispering voice came out of his mouth that sounded as if somebody was strangling him. ''The deal was sealed in a drunken haze, the beast obtained, but the key was given in exchange. Now two will climb the midnight stair, as the third slumbers beneath the sheets in despair.'' One could see the colour drain from the poor girl''s face as she stared dumbfounded at the boy whose pupils had gone cloudy. "Why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something?" he said as his eyes regained their hazel brown colour. "You don''t remember?" "Remember what?" He asked with a confused look. "N-Nothing, I-I have to go, Harry and Ron must be looking for me," the poor girl said collecting her books in a hurry, trying to get out of there as fast as she could. Just as she was about to leave, a hand clasped her wrist tightly, she looked up to see the same white pupils staring at her. ''You will journey beyond the slumbering protector, down the flaming flora, past the winged keys and a shattered battlefield, yet the path of wisdom dictates a return at the enigma of elixirs'' A hair-raising whisper came out of his mouth as his pupilless eyes stared into her soul, she managed to free her wrist as his grip loosened and ran out of the library without looking back, only stopping once she reached the Griffindor tower. ''That should keep her awake for a few nights and hopefully away from me for even longer,'' Ben thought with a smug smile as he reached for the shelf with his new book. He had divined the book''s location while he was spouting nonsense, good thing Madam Pince wasn''t around today. She was the least helpful Librarian in the history of libraries and did not help anyone find relevant books in this massive library. It made completing homework assignments unnecessarily tedious and wasted a ton of time. Irma Pince loved books and only books and saw herself as the guardian and protector of the books, always at odds with the students who try to use them, whom she did not allow to eat, talk, laugh, whisper, sneeze or scurry in the library. Good thing Ben had [Clairvoyace] that made finding books easier, [Muffle] that stopped all noises and Invisibility that let him access all the sections of the library. Anyways, Ben had made two prophesies today and only time would tell if they would come true. Ben seemed to love the idea of being a Seer, and since he wasn''t sure if he had any real talent in that, he had decided to fake it till he made it. ---Dreamscape--- MC is a scumbag. Read more of his scumbagery at patre@n/DreamyApe. There are extra chapters available there. These two prophecies I wrote with the help of ChatGPT. The AI is stealing our Jobs [Crying face emoji]. Me Boyo The Hogwarts Express came to a steady halt at platform nine and three-quarters. The students streamed off into the crowd of eager parents that were there to welcome their kids for the Easter holidays. As Ben got off the train, he noticed that the crowd was a lot sparser this time. Not many students had come back home as the exams were very close. Thea: "Me boyo, welcome home! It''s been too long since I''ve seen ya!" Ben: "Ma, it''s only been three months." Thea: "Nonsense, Come give yer mam a hug," she proceeded to pull him into a tight embrace despite his protests. Ben: " Mam, I can''t breathe, too tight," said Ben feebly, trying to get his face out of her bosom. Thea: "Don''t be so dramatic now. And look at yer hair, have ya been forgettin'' to brush it? Here, let me fix it for ya." She started fixing his hair, pressing them down and making a nice part, ignoring the embarrassment on his face. Ben: "Ma, stop it, you''re embarrassing me." Thea: "Embarrassing ya? I''m just showing me love for me own flesh and blood." Ben: "Ma, please, can we just go home?" Thea: "Of course, me boyo. Let''s go home and I''ll make ya a nice cup of tea. And I want to hear all about yer stay at school." Ben: "Okay, I''ll tell you all about it. But can we please keep it low-key?" Thea: "Fine, fine, I''ll stop. But that''s what happens when you forget to write to yer old ma," she said with a vindictive glint in her eyes. Ben: "I get it, it won''t happen again, I promise," Ben said in defeat, finally understanding the reason behind this special treatment. Thea: "It better not, let''s go," she cheered with triumph. He waved goodbye to his friends and followed Thea out of the station. Ben was feeling a little awkward with the change in her mother''s behaviour. Apart from confusion, he couldn''t help but feel a mix of embarrassment and love for his mother''s over-the-top display of affection. As they got out of the station, Thea led him to a secluded alley instead of muggle transportation. Ben suddenly had a very bad feeling about this. "Hold on tight now," she said putting an arm around him. Before Ben could react, his whole body was pulled into a single point in space and disappeared from the alley. Ben felt his eyes roll back into his skull and his whole body getting compressed from all sides at the same time. The pressure on his chest stopped him from breathing and he could feel his eardrums receding deeper into his skull. In just an instant everything went back to normal, well not exactly; Ben could feel the pumpkin pastries make their way back up. sea??h th NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He tried to get his bearings as best he could and focused his Magicka on his palms suppressing his nausea. Just as he was about to conjure a cursed weapon from places unknown, Ben recognized the familiar scenery; it was his own front garden. Now Ben was confused. This was the first time his mother had performed a side-along apparition with him. The side-along apparition was much harder than a normal apparition, especially when performed with someone like Ben, who had no prior experience. Ben knew that his father did not allow him to apparate as it risked him splinching. While he was musing at this sudden change in circumstances, the front door to the house opened and a woman identical to the one standing next to him appeared. "Maeve, did you just perform a side-along apparition with him?" She inquired with disbelief in her voice. "Oh, he''s fine. You are alright, aren''t you boyo?" Said the woman he had previously taken as his mother. "Wha'' th'' devil is goin'' on here?" Ben was so baffled that a thick Irish accent came out of his mouth. "Youse don''t even recognize yer dear auntie now? Such an ungrateful nephew ye are," she said staring mad daggers at him, with a fake look of disappointment. The starved hamsters started running the wheel once again in his mind but before he could say something in rebuttal, his nausea came back with twice the strength and empties all the pumpkin pasties and chocolate frogs on the lawn. "Ugh, he''ll be fine," Maeve said, trying to flash a reassuring smile towards the angry mother. "He may be fine, but you''ll make sure nothing happens to my plants," Thea said apathetically as she led Ben inside. "Let''s get you some Ginger tea dear, you''ll be alright," she said as she wiped his mouth with a cloth and only then proceeded to hold him in a tight embrace. ''Ugh, you might as well squeeze the rest of it out of me too,'' Ben complained in his heart. "You didn''t tell me aunt Maeve was coming, I would have been prepared," Ben complained to his mother. "As if anything could prepare you for me," voiced the devil from behind him. Maeve O''Malley was Dorothea O''Flaherty''s twin sister and she was the bane of Ben''s existence. Not having any children of her own, she loved Ben a little too much. The problem was that her love was a bit on the tougher side. Despite being his aunt, she acted more like his older sister that loved to bully him, which was a welcome change of pace as everyone else in this house seemed to treat him as if he was made out of candy glass. Usually, it was very easy to tell her apart from his mother as she acted all different and dressed all funky and her hair was darker. But this time she had come all prepared, apart from that smug smile, he could hardly tell them apart. "She''s here to help me set up the garden and the rabbit farm, you better be nice to her," Thea instructed Ben. Named after the famous Medieval witch, Queen Maeve of Ireland who at one time trained all the great witches and wizards of Ireland, his aunt was nothing like that dignified figure. But she did have great talent in Herbology and spellcasting. Maeve had her own Herb farm in Ireland where she grew highly sought-after potion ingredients and even had a few magical creatures running around the place. "Yes, Mammy," Ben simply nodded as he didn''t want this to go on any longer. On the way up to his room, Ben noticed that the condition of this old house had improved significantly, it seemed that Maeve really had been helping around the place. The stairs no longer squeaked, furniture no longer looked chipped and walls had become a lot more vibrant. He was impressed to see brand-new wallpaper on the walls of his room. Although it was still not up to his liking, it was a lot better than before. ---Dreamscape-- MC can''t even handle a side-along apparition, what a wimp. Witness him being wimpier with chapters at Patre@n/DreamyApe I used ChatGPT for the reference in the first dialogue, AI is wild these days. Special thanks to my Patreons Austin, Christopher James Fry, Fey and TheRipper. Easter Before coming to this world, Ben only had a cursory understanding of Easter. He only knew that it had something to do with eggs and bunnies and Christianity. After coming to the Wizarding world, Ben now had a completely different understanding of Easter. Despite what the religions of the world would have you believe, Easter had been celebrated by muggles as well as wizards since the dark ages, possibly even much earlier. During the Spring Equinox, the day and the night become equal. It is the day of balance and also the beginning of great change. The northern hemisphere of the planet enters spring while the southern part enters fall. Even muggles can feel the importance of such an event and celebrate it in accordance with their local traditions and folklore be it Holi in India or Norooz in Persia, Shunbun No Hi in Japan or the Druid and Wiccan gathering at Stonehenge. Wizards have been celebrating the festival too and are still influencing Muggle traditions to this day. There was the animagus witch ostre who was worshipped by Muggles as the goddess of spring and fertility and is depicted as a hare, it is stated that she helped people by ushering the spring faster. There are even records of her turning a bird into a rabbit, but her transfiguration was not perfect because of the equinox and the rabbit continued to lay eggs. Then there was that Middle eastern Wizard that stole ostre''s show by performing the impossible feat of resurrection. Spring equinox is the day when many Wizards choose to perform any purification ritual and curse breakings as there is a particular change in magic. Many curse-breaking festivals are organised in the wizarding community on this day as well. Knowing all this amazing and magical history behind Easter, Ben was very excited when he heard that Meave had come to help Thea in setting up a rabbit breeding farm. Hence, he was extremely disappointed to know that these were not the egg-laying kind. There was some magical blood in them for sure, but they were primarily bred as pets for witches and wizards. Still, there are many dark rituals that involve a hare as a sacrifice and most species can be used to make Aphrodisiacs, so there was a steady demand for quality-bred rabbits and hares. But Ben was no longer as interested in the hopping fluff-balls, although he had read of a Lucky Rabbit in North America whose paw can be used to make a lucky amulet, which he thought was worth looking into. --- At first, Ben had planned to make a second exit to the barn out of his secret hideout and expand the size of the place during the holidays, but with his aunt Maeve here; it was proving to be very challenging. The barn was being used regularly now and even if it wasn''t; his family hardly left him to his devices. There were also heaps of parchment that he had to write for homework, Ben was not enjoying this holiday very much. On the second night home, the second-floor window opened silently and a gust of wind flew out of Ben''s room. The gust of wind flew higher and higher creating a howling wind in its wake. Even [Muffle] could not silence the wind around him, not yet at least. Ben was pushing the limits of his cranky old broom as he no longer had to worry about the invisibility cloak flying off but he could barely touch 60 miles; which was disappointing as Ben has gone way faster on a motorcycle. It took about twenty minutes for him to reach Charing Cross road where he found a tall, grumpy-looking fella and nicked a few hairs off of his already thinning head. ''I''m not doing anything shady or creepy, not at all'', he thought. "It''s just some hair, not like I''m gonna smell them," he said under his breath; remembering Grandpa Joe from his previous world, who was a big fan of smelling hair. He mixed a hair in the muddy potion that he had prepared in advance and downed it in one go. Ben was glad that he did not have to see the flesh wiggle and crawl around in his body as he changed into a balding middle-aged man; just feeling the transformation was enough to nauseate him. He was already wearing oversized clothes under his oversized robe, but even they felt a little tight. Ben had to go through all this hassle just because he wanted to visit the Knockturn Alley and come out with all his fingers and toes intact. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. --- After about forty-five minutes of wandering around the shady alley with shops and stalls selling very questionable items and creatures, Ben decided to head back. This batch of poly juice potion was not tested and Ben didn''t know how much longer it would last. He had gotten most of the stuff he wanted, which mostly included potion ingredients and books. Ben had learned to store items in the [Storage] without summoning the whole smoke cloud with a lot of practice. He was able to directly store small items through the slight amount of mist that he summoned under his robe. This time he had found a pawn store deeper into the Alley where he sold gold jewellery for quite a large amount of galleons. He had transfigured the [Store] bought gold and silver Jewellery into different designs to avoid trouble like last time. While conjuring or transfiguring other metals into gold was impossible without a philosopher''s stone, moulding its shape was relatively an easy task. While going back towards Diagon Alley, Ben had a feeling that someone was following him; he had seen that same robed figure too many times during his stay at Knockturn Alley. ''Ah, not this cliche,'' Ben took a sharp turn into a dark alleyway and quickly activated his invisibility. In the middle of his chest, a small see-through triangle formed. It started spreading through his body like a stroke of watercolour on wet paper and soon enveloped his whole figure. "He''s gone," wheezed the hooded figure that entered the alleyway after Ben. "Disappeared into thin air, did he?" Said another figure that came after him. It seemed that he was in big trouble this time. "He''s gotta be here somewhere, I didn''t hear him disapparate," he said in a menacing tone. "Come out come out little mouse." "We don''t wanna hurt ya, do we Reggie?" "Not at all Ronnie, we just want to help out a fellow wizard." "Right, right. It''s dangerous walking around with so much gold around these parts." "Yes, Ronnie''s right. Let us handle your burden for ya, brother." ''Ronnie and Reggie? Don''t tell me their surnames are Kray,'' Ben thought as he was reminded of the Tom Hardy movie. Ben had time to think about movies as he was sure that these two knock-off thugs won''t be able to find him unless he bumped into him. Casting [Muffle], we quickly backed away from the two as they were waving around their wands. ''Nope, not dealing with this shit. One, I can take a chance, but there''s no way I''m fighting two crackheads,'' he thought as he kept backing away, keeping his eyes on them. Until he hit a wall. "Fuck." ---Dreamscape--- MC is a pussy, I mean a cat of course. Read how he deals with the Kray brothers on Patre@n/DreamyApe. Fight(rewrite) A lot of people have complained about this chapter, and going back I too felt it was a bit lacking, so here it is, improved. -- With his back against the wall, Ben could not help but let out a curse; it was a good thing that [Muffle] was still working, otherwise, it would have been game over for him. The Alley was too narrow for him to be able to slip by without them noticing, and they were moving closer to him with their wands out. With no easy way out of it, Ben''s already racing heart starts pumping blood even faster. His brain started simulating the upcoming confrontation a hundred different ways at the same time. His first thought was to use the Illusion spell [Fury] on the two brothers and make them fight each other, but Ben was not sure if it would work on these guys. His Illusion skill was only at the Apprentice level and he had never tested it on adult wizards. As soon as he cast a spell in this dark alley, his location would be revealed, but he didn''t have long before they found him anyway, so he had to make the first shot count. With deep but steady breaths, Ben slowly moved closer to one of the brothers and waited for the opportunity. As soon as the second wizard faced the other way, Ben hit the first wizard with a [Muffle]. The wizard quickly realised that something was wrong; two hands grabbed his head from both sides, but before he could react, he lost control of his body as he felt electricity coursing through his body. Dual-casting gets unlocked once a skill reaches level 20. With twice the spark in the [Sparks] spell, Ben cooked the poor crook''s brain to a medium rare, or he would have, had it been a muggle. While the [Muffle] spell took care of the incoherent screaming and the *Zapping* noises of the [Sparks] spell, it could not cover the bright flashes produced by the electricity. The second wizard quickly turned around and was stunned as he looked at his brother''s spasming body in Ben''s hands. In a fit of rage and terror, he screamed "Nooo!" and cast a series of spells at Ben. Ben used the unconscious wizard as a shield and charged at his attacker, trying to get closer as he felt his Magicka run out because of casting [Muffle] this whole time. "HAAAAA!" Ben yelled, channelling all his energy into the charge. *Crash* "Ugh" Without warning, Ben was violently thrown back, crashing into the wall alongside his human shield. Despite the unconscious scum tanking most curses, the force of the knockback jinx sent him and Ben crashing against the wall. "You vile knave," spat the wizard, pointing his wand at Ben. His face was full of rage, looking at the horrible state of his brother who had taken the brunt of his attacks. "Huuh," Ben took a deep breath, pushing the unconscious crook to the side. "The pot meets the kettle,.. or.. something," he said, trying to remember the proper phrase for the current situation, but couldn''t as he had just his head on the wall. "You will pay for this," he said, pointing his wand at Ben and tying him up in magical ropes and then bent down to check on his unconscious brother. "Reggie, wake up brother," he said, shaking his limp body, but he was out cold or dead. He couldn''t tell. There were deep cuts and burns on his brother''s body, and it only made it worse that most of them had been from his own spells. "By the devil''s horns, I''ll see you dead!" He roared with a murderous voice, "But not before making you regret putting your hands on my brother." But when he looked over, he was shocked to see that the bindings on his brother''s killer had vanished. "How-th-" "I sold it, you dipshit," Ben said, punching him right in his ugly mug that had been too close to dodge; knocking him at least a few feet over. The Polyjuice Potion had given him the strength of a middle-aged, balding alcoholic wife-beater, which wasn''t much but reinforcing his fist with [Oakflesh] did the job. "Y''rr dead," the man said, sounding a lot like Squidward, his words coming out muffled as he clutched his broken nose, "I''ll m''k sure of it," he said, spitting out a tooth, his wand pointed at Ben. With a murderous glint in his eyes and a bloody smile, he shot a blinding red curse at Ben. But the expected cry of pain never came as his curse got blocked by an ethereal, glowing shield that appeared out of Ben''s hands. "How-th-" With the dual-cast [Lesser Ward] in front, Ben once again charged at the man, slamming him against the wall. *Thud* "Uhh" He didn''t stop there and swiftly delivered a crushing knee to his family jewels. "Uh-uhh-uhh," Ronnie whimpered like a beaten street dog. "How do you like that? you pigeon," Ben said in triumph as he saw the man''s knees give out. He was not at all ashamed of delivering the ungentlemanly blow. "I''ll take that," he said, taking away his wand. "On second thought, I don''t really need it," he said, snapping the wand on Ronnie''s head in anger. The wand broke with a flash of light that almost blinded Ben. Reggie took advantage of that by head-butting Ben, breaking his nose and laughing like a maniac. Sarch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ben''s hand emitted a flickering purple light, conjuring a ghostly dagger with a menacing appearance. He wanted to end this fucker, but the tremble in his arm betrayed him. ''he deserves to die,'' he told himself, but his conscience was not convinced. Ronnie saw this struggle in Ben''s eyes and lunged at the opportunity, but Ben was not as indecisive as he thought. "Aaaagh" The dagger went straight through his shoulder, pinning him against the wall. "Motherfu-" Before he could utter the whole word, Ben fed him a bare-knuckle sandwich. Ronnie was surprisingly sturdy as he took the punch, staring back at Ben with loathing eyes. "Look sharp, dipshit," said Ben as he released the dagger and cast an alteration spell. The last thing Ronnie remembered was a massive fist made of stone, coming at him in slow motion. Ben let out a sigh after making sure that the man was out, but still alive. Taking a few long breaths, he looked around, making sure no one else was around. There were many ways this could have ended, but Ben was just glad that it had ended. Looking back, he was glad that his hand had trembled when it did. Murder was not something you could come back from. It was no small matter, especially in this world where it literally split one''s soul. He might be forced to take that step someday, but he was just glad that it wasn''t today. Ben picked up Reggie''s wand. The guy was probably dead, but that had nothing to do with him. He only used him as a shield. It was his brother who killed him. Kicking that matter to the back of his mind, he performed a few cleaning spells so that nothing related to him remained in that alley, such as his blood or any pieces of clothing. Although he was still under polyjuice, he didn''t want to take any chances. Healing his broken nose, he promptly disappeared from the place, throwing the wands into the store to dispose of. The flight back home was not as exciting as before. There was a lot on Ben''s mind and he could still feel his body shaking. --Dreamscape-- MC just learned that the real world can be very brutal and he is not ready. Read more on Patre@n/DreamyApe Here''s something that the A.I. wrote when I asked it how a melee fight between two wizards would go, enjoy: --- Wizard 1: "You''ll not be besting me with your wand, good sir!" Wizard 2: "We shall see about that, I''ve got a few tricks up my sleeve." Wizard 1: "Ha! You''re no match for my spell-casting abilities." Wizard 2: "Don''t be so sure, I''ve been trained in hand-to-hand combat by Aurors." Wizard 1: "Hand-to-hand combat? You''ll not be standing a chance against my magic." Wizard 2: "We''ll see about that. I''ve got a few defensive spells memorized and I''m not afraid to use them." Wizard 1: "You''ll be cheating, then. I''ll not stand for it." Wizard 2: "It''s not cheating if you''re willing to do whatever it takes to win." (fight ensues) Catch me if you can Tonight Ben had his first altercation after coming to this world. He could remember the whole fight vividly. Even though it only lasted a few minutes at most, everything was so slowed down in his head that it felt like ages. It was not that this was Ben''s first fight; he went to public school for speaking out loud, and that too in a rural town that no one cared about. Fights were quite common at his school, and not the ones where kids just push each other around, but nasty ones with hockey sticks and all. Ben had never been the kind to back away from a fight; the number of times he lied to his mom about bumping into a pole as the reason for his swollen face was unbelievable. In the end, she took him to an ophthalmologist and coincidently, his eyesight was a little weak which seemed to have helped his lie. Despite all that wand-waving that Ben had been doing for months, thinking how easily he would take care of death eaters and whatnot in the future, the reality of the situation had been quite humbling. The biggest disappointment had been his mind; he had lost his cool. He had thrown caution to the wind and lunged at the man like a barbarian. Although he had won, he was not satisfied with his performance. His opponents had been common crooks, the lowest of the lows in skills and good for nothing. If he had so much trouble dealing with them, he could only prepare his will in advance if he faced anyone with decent skills. Ben was so far into his thoughts that he didn''t even realize when the Polyjouice Potion wore off; looking at the time, it must have lasted for a little over an hour. A small but significant improvement since the last batch. Slowly lowering his broom, Ben quietly opened the window and entered the room. He set the antique broom on his Bed; just as he was about to take off his oversized robe, he heard a voice that made his heart stop for a second. "Out for a moonlit jaunt, were you?" she said, coming out of the corner of the room. "Umm...it''s not what it looks like?" He said, tilting his head and blurting out the first excuse that came to his mind. Even Ben did not sound very sure of his hasty excuse; he was caught with his robes down this time. "Oh, is that so now? Sure, it looks like just what it is, if ye ask me," she said, getting closer. "A-And what does it look like?" asked Ben trying to act coy. "My boyo has finally grown," she said with a sense of pride as she locked him in a bear hug, popping his spine like a chiropractor. "Aunt Meave, have you ever been told that you''re surprisingly powerful for your size?" Ben said as the wind was squeezed out of his lungs. He was getting tired of getting manhandled by the women in this family. "Oh, look at ye go! Ye''ve gone and learnt how to fly on yer own, and on that old broomstick too! I''m that proud of ye, I am." "You are proud?" The was visible confusion on his face. "But I''m not allowed to fly." Ben never imagined that things would turn out this way when he flew into the room, aware that his aunt was lurking in the corner. Yes, Ben had used [Clairvoyance] before entering the house and found Meave in his room instead of her own. Being already so exhausted, Ben could not come up with any clever ideas, he would have to face her one way or the other. "Oh, that''s just your father being worried after ya," she said while waving her hand dismissively "he''s taken it a bit too far if you ask me." "So, you''re not gonna tell him?" Ben questioned. "As long as you keep mum about the-" she whispered, "-Apparition and your stomach''s reaction to it." "I''m not sure what you''re referring to," he said feigning ignorance. "Merlin''s beard, ye''ve been learning a thing or two at Hogwarts, haven''t ye now?" she said acting all surprised. "Ah, I remember the days I used to sneak out at night with me broomstick, sure it was the same model as yers too, so it was," she said with a look of nostalgia, picking up Ben''s broomstick. "You did?" Ben asked. "Oh aye, me ma wasn''t too fond of me flyin'' a bit. ''Be more like yer sister,'' she''d say. But I didn''t pay her no mind, I wanted to be on the Quidditch team, ye know." "So, were you on the team?" he asked in anticipation. "Aye, I was, a Hufflepuff Chaser I was, and a grand one at that, if it weren''t for that Griffindor Seeker we''d have had the house cup in the bag," she said with a strange fire in her eyes. "Hufflepuff?" Ben was taken aback more than anything else, by the fact that this bully of his aunt was in Hufflepuff. "What''s yer problem with the Hufflepuffs now, ye scruffy little raven?" She said, staring daggers at Ben. "N-Nothing, it''s just I always took you for a Gryffindor," he said, unsure if he should run or fly if she explodes on him. "That''s what the hat thought too, but I didn''t want to be in the same house as your mother at that time," she said "Why? You two get along just fine," Ben asked curiously. From his memory, he could only see that the two sisters had been quite close. "It was complicated back then," she said with a sombre look that quickly disappeared. "Forget about that now, what do you say we go for a spin? You can show me how good you are at flyin'' that broomstick of yours." She said excitedly, summoning a broomstick of her own. "Catch me if you can," he shouted with a grin as he jumped straight out the window with his broomstick. Ben thought he could finally show his talent on the broomstick to someone, but he was brutally brought back to reality. He was quickly caught up and promptly kicked off the broom; For a minute there, he had forgotten his aunt''s true nature. "I could have died, you know," he screamed, suspended a few feet above the ground. "Haa, bollocks, even if ye break a few bones, I''ll have ye fixed up in no time. Let''s be off," she stated, handing him his scruffy broomstick. Ben was up for a rough night. ---DreamScape--- I think MC likes to be womanhandled. Yes, a masochist, that''s the word I''ve been looking for. Read more to find out if he is a S or a D at Patre@n/DreamyApe. Sar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Dragon’s Egg The coming two weeks were a highlight in Ben''s life; He spent his days practising spells and helping around the farm while his new self-answering quills did their job completing his homework assignments. And at night, he got to fly through the moonlit sky with his aunt, learning the intricacies of broomstick riding. Ben had gotten a lot closer to Meave and learned an unfortunate truth about her; She either smothered you with her love or threw you off a cliff; there was no middle ground when it came to this Irishwoman. He also enjoyed spending time with the spring-loaded fur balls; while not the egg-laying kind, they were still downright adorable. Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Speaking of eggs, Ben found out that while impressive to look at, the dragon''s egg-sized easter eggs were not very practical. After he tried but struggled to finish even one dragon-sized chocolate egg, he decided to stick to regular-sized ones and send the rest to his friends still at school. He even sent one each for the golden squad, as Harry Potter was his golden egg-laying Stag. He had made quite a profit betting on him and will continue to do so in the future. While Ben was having the time of his life, students at Hogwarts were not so lucky. Ron and Harry spent all their free time in the library, moaning and yawning, trying to get through all the extra homework while Hermione kept nagging at them. Ben would have valued the self-answering quills that got from his adventure even more if he saw their poor state. He had already completed the full first-year syllabus ages ago but still had to waste time writing long parchments of essays on it. POV Hermione-- ''It''s quite a delightful day to be studying, I''ve finally finished my essay on the twelve uses of Dragon''s Blood. However, this day has become quite peculiar; firstly, Brown sent us these enormous Easter eggs which he referred to as Dragon eggs; my parents would freak out if they saw me with a sweet that big; and then we discovered that Hagrid had been perusing books on Dragon keeping. ''At this rate, we may even encounter a real dragon by the end of it,'' she thought on the way to Hagrid''s hut. -- This type of thinking is quite unusual for Hermione, she doesn''t believe in omens or signs, but ever since the incident in the library with Benedict, she''s been getting a very strange feeling about everything. "Who is it?" Hagrid called when they knocked on his door. "It''s us, let us in Hagrid," they answered and were quickly ushered in, and the door quickly shut behind them. It was stifling hot inside. Even though it was such a warm day, there was a blazing fire in the grate, and all windows had been covered; he had even made them tea which they refused. While Harry asked Hagrid about what else was guarding the stone besides Fluffy and was shocked to find that even Snape was involved in protecting the stone; Hermione''s eyes were stuck to the object in the very heart of the fire, underneath the Kettle. ''That can''t possibly be--'' she muttered in denial. "You''re the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, aren''t you, Hagrid?" Harry asked anxiously. "And you wouldn''t tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?" "Not a soul knows except me an'' Dumbledore," said Hagrid proudly. "Hagrid, W-W hat''s that?" She finally asked, pointing at the large-black egg; already knowing the answer to her question. "Ah," said Hagrid, fiddling nervously with his beard, "That''s -er" "Merlin''s beard, that''s a dragon egg, isn''t it?" "Where did you get it, Hagrid?" said Ron, crouching over the fire to get a closer look at the egg. "It must''ve cost you a fortune." "Won it," said Hagrid. "Las'' night. I was down in the village havin'' a few drinks an'' got into a game o'' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest." And that''s when it hit her, the terrible feeling in her stomach, but she couldn''t voice it as even she could not believe it. "But what are you going to do with it when it''s hatched?" asked Harry, not wanting Hagrid to get in trouble with the ministry. "Well, I''ve bin doin'' some readin''," said Hagrid, pulling a large book from under his pillow. "Got this outta the library Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit it''s a bit outta date, o'' course, but it''s all in here. Keep the egg in the fire, ''cause their mothers breathe on I em, see, an'' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o'' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An'' see here how ter recognize diff''rent eggs what I got there''s a Norwegian Ridgeback. They''re rare, them." He looked very pleased with himself, but Hermione didn''t. Hatching a dragon in a wooden hut? That seemed like the worst idea ever. But she seemed to be more focused on what Ben had said, she didn''t remember his exact words but it said something about a deal made while drunk and obtaining a beast and a key. She''ll have to go back and check her notes for the exact words. "Hagrid?" She called but was ignored as the giant was busy counting his dragons even before they hatched. "Hagrid!" she called out a little louder, bringing him back to reality. "Wha'' happened, why yeh screamin''?" he said. "When you got that egg, did that stranger want something in return?" She asked him. "wan'' somethin''? from me? wha'' can i give ''im? he jus'' wanna play cards wif me," he asked surprised. "What did you guys talk about?" asked Harry curiously. "Oh, we talked ''bout loads o'' stuff," said Hagrid, frowning as he tried to remember. "Yeahhe asked what I did, an'' I told him I was gamekeeper hereHe asked a bit about the sorta creatures I took afterso I told himan'' I said what I''d always really wanted was a dragonan'' thenI can'' remember too well, ''cause he kept buyin'' me drinksLet''s seeyeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an'' we could play cards fer it if I wantedbut he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn'' want it ter go ter any old home...So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy." "Fluffy? Did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice calm as caught up to Hermione''s suspicions. "Well - yeah - how many three-headed dogs d''ye meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy''s a piece o'' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus'' play him a bit o'' music an'' he''ll go straight off ter sleep-" Hagrid suddenly looked horrified. "I shouldn''ta told yeh that!" he blurted out. "Forget I said it!" "What did he look like Hagrid? the stranger," asked Hermione in a hurry. "Dunno," said Hagrid casually, "he wouldn'' take his cloak off." He saw the three of them look stunned and raised his eyebrows. "It''s not that unusual, yeh get a lot o'' funny folk in the Hog''s Head - that''s the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn'' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up." "Hey - where''re yeh goin''?" Harry and Ron ran after Hermione as she bolted at her fastest, only stopping once she reached the Gryffindor tower. "Hermione, wait!" called Harry. "Didn'' know she could run this fast, mate," said Ron, breathin'' heavily. "Me neither," said Harry as he saw her running up the Girl''s dormitory. --Dreamscape-- So, MC is nowhere to be found and the focus of the story was shifted to the Golden trio. I just wanted to show how Ben''s lame prophecies changed the pace of the story, In the original story, the trio did not realize of Hagrid''s blunder till the end of the year and then straight up ran to the stone as they had learned of Voldemort presence. Read more on Patre@n/DreamyApe. Yoh, Wotcha "Didn'' know she could run this fast, mate," said Ron, breathin'' heavily. "Me neither," said Harry as he saw her running up the Girl''s dormitory. "What''s gotten into her, she''s been acting weird," said Ron with a frown that vanished as soon as he saw her coming back down. Hermione sprinted towards her companions, clutching a small parchment tightly in her hand. Beads of sweat glistened on her forehead, indicating her haste and urgency. "What''s gotten into you? I thought you were running to McGonnagal about the dragon," said Ron. "I came here for this, look," she said, stretching out the parchment for the two to see. ''The deal was sealed in a drunken haze, the beast obtained, but the key was given in exchange. Now two will climb the midnight stair, as the third slumbers beneath the sheets in despair.'' "What is it?" asked Harry. "It''s supposed to be a prophecy," replied Hermione. "A what? By whom, and since when did you start taking these things seriously," asked Ron surprised. "I don''t take them seriously, Professor McGonagall said that it''s the most imprecise branch of magic," said Hermione, looking at the weird expression on Ron''s face. "But look here at the first part," she said, pointing with her finger. "You think it''s about Hagrid and the stranger?" Ron said. "It must have been Snape behind that cloak, and now he knows how to get past Fluffy, it''s only a matter of time before Quirrell gives in too and tells him how to get past his enchantments," said Harry with a frown. "If Snape is the one behind the cloak, then who''s the third? It says ''Now two will climb the midnight stair, as the third slumbers beneath the sheets in despair,'' If Hagrid''s the one in despair, cause he''s let Dumbledore down, then that means-" "-that Snape''s got a helper," said Harry completing her sentence. "Or he forces Quirrell to come with him," said Hermione. "Snape''s done it, then!" said Ron. "He now knows how to get past Fluffy, it''s only a matter of time before Quirrell gives in." "There''s Dumbledore, Snape won''t try anything under his nose, will he?" said Harry, he was quite sure that Dumbledore was the greatest wizard in the world, even Voldemort was afraid of him. "It''s until Dumbledore''s away then, that''s when he''ll do it," said Ron, "what do we do?" The light of adventure was kindling again in Ron''s eyes, but Hermione answered before Harry could. "We should go to Dumbledore, we should have done ages ago. If we try anything ourselves we''ll be thrown out for sure." "But we''ve got no proof!" said Harry. "Quirrell''s too scared to back us up. Snape''s only got to say he doesn''t know how the troll got in at Halloween and that he wasn''t anywhere near Hogsmeade; who do you think they''ll believe, him or us? It''s not exactly a secret we hate him, Dumbledore''ll think we made it up to get him sacked. Filch wouldn''t help us if his life depended on it, and all we have is this piece of parchment for proof. And don''t forget, we''re not supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. We''re going to get Hagrid in trouble as well." "This isn''t really proof, it doesn''t even make any sense; where did you get it anyways?" Ron asked Hermione. "It''s from Brown, he''s in Ravenclaw, remember?" she said. "Oh him? then it makes proper sense. Snape''s definitely going to get the stone," said Ron. "What do you mean?" asked Harry. "You don''t know mate but he''s never wrong about these things, he''s made more money betting on Quidditch matches than I''ll ever see." "He even predicted you breaking the record for the fastest-ever capture of the Snitch, nobody believed him then," said Hermione. "You should ask him for a cut mate, he''s made quite a bit betting on you," said Ron. "So that''s why he sent me presents on Christmas and on Easter too," said Harry. "Anyways, I think we should forget about all this, even if Snape gets the stone, it''s got nothing to do with us, we should make sure the Hargrid doesn''t burn down his hut," said Harry. He had promised himself to stop meddling in all this, and even if he hated Snape, there wasn''t much he could do about it right now. They now had more important things to worry about, like what would happen to Hargid if anyone found out he was hiding an illegal dragon in his hut. --- Soon the holidays were over and everyone was back in the castle, the trio tried looking for Brown, but he was nowhere to be found; he was still seen in classes, but it was as if could disappear right after. They too were quite busy to go looking around for him. "Wonder what it''s like to have a peaceful life," Ron sighed, as evening after evening they struggled through all the extra homework they were getting. Hermione had now started making study schedules for Harry and Ron, too. It was driving them nuts. Then, one breakfast time, Hedwig brought Harry another note from Hagrid. He had written only two words: It''s hatching. Ron wanted to skip Herbology and go straight down to the hut. Hermione wouldn''t hear of it. "Hermione, how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?" Ron said, trying to persuade her. "We''ve got lessons, we''ll get into trouble, and that''s nothing to what Hagrid''s going to be in when someone finds out what he''s doing-" "Shut up!" Harry whispered. Malfoy was only a few feet away and he had stopped dead to listen. By the look on Malfoy''s face, he had heard more than he was supposed to. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After arguing for the whole morning, everyone agreed to run down to Hagrid''s straight after the Herbology lesson. At the edge of the forest, Hagrid greeted them, looking flushed and excited. "It''s nearly out." He ushered them inside. The egg was lying on the table. There were deep cracks in it. Something was moving inside; a funny clicking noise was coming from it. Despite having a literal dragon in the room, their attention was grabbed by the fifth person who was already sitting at the table, waving at them. "Yoh, wotcha," he said with a smile. "Bloody ''ell, wot''s ''e doin'' ''ere?" Ron said with shock. "Hagrid! You''re not supposed to tell anyone about this," said Hermione, a little shocked and worried. "E already knew, I didn''t say a word." "An'' I thought ye''d be tickled pink t''see me here, ''tis a cryin'' shame," Ben said, with a heavy accent, putting on a very sad expression. --Dreamscape-- Yes, a lot of dialogue from the books here, I had to do it to show what''s going on with the trio. Support my work at Patre@n/DreamyApe, extra chapters are available there. Apprentice Mage "An'' I thought ye''d be tickled pink t''see me here, ''tis a cryin'' shame," Ben said, with a heavy accent, putting on a sombre expression. Ben was in a bright mood these days. Despite the looming presence of a dangerous dark lord, Ben felt a sense of comfort and joy upon returning to Hogwarts after an exhilarating but draining holiday. The familiarity of the castle brought him back to his element, and the added excitement of having recently become an apprentice mage further lifted his spirits. -- [[STATUS]] [SHOP] [STORAGE] [Name: Benedict Nigel Brown. Species: Human[Wizard]. Job: Apprentice Mage. Title: Dragonborn[Level 19]. Vitality: 290. Magicka: 290. [Deathly Hallows[1/3]: Invisibility Cloak] [[SKILLS]] [Alteration[Level 27(Apprentice)]: Oakflesh, Candlelight, Magelight, Stoneflesh.] [Conjuration[Level 25(Apprentice)]: Bound Dagger, Bound Sword, Conjure Familiar, Raise Zombie, *Bound Battleaxe, Conjure Boneman, Conjure Flame Atronach, Flaming Familiar, Reanimate Corpse, Soul Trap, Summon Arvak.] [Destruction[Level 25(Apprentice)]: Flames, Frostbite, Sparks, *Firebolt, Ice Spike, Lightning Bolt, Fire Rune, Frost Rune, Lightning Rune, Ignite, Freeze.] [Illusion[Level 28(Apprentice)]: Clairvoyance, Courage, Fury, Calm, Fear, Muffle.] [Restoration[Level 25(Apprentice)]: Healing, Lesser Ward,*Quick Healing, Healing Hands, Necromantic Healing, Steadfast Ward, Sun Fire, Turn Lesser Undead.] ] -- After becoming an Apprentice Mage, Ben could finally exert the full powers of his spells; even the Novice spells had become much stronger. After working hard selling scrap for gold, Ben had managed to buy all the available spell tomes. First up was Conjuration that seemed to be eager to turn Ben into a Dark Wizard. Despite the temptations of summoning all kinds of beings from Oblivion, Ben displayed great control by not giving in. Flame Atronachs were Ben''s favourite summons when he played the game, he always had one drifting around, leaving a trail of fire and doing summersaults around him. He had even written a song about them which he sang like a bard: --- Verse 1: A flame of fire, born of magic''s spell, It dances and twirls, a sight to tell. With every step, it leaves a trail, Of scorching heat, making foes pale. Chorus: Flame Atronach, a fiery beast, With movement so swift, it can''t be beat. It scorches the earth, it burns the air, Its beauty and power, beyond compare. Verse 2: Its eyes like embers, burn with a gleam, Its roar is a thunder, that makes you dream. Its limbs, like flames, wave and bend, Its power unmatched, from end to end. Chorus: Flame Atronach, a fiery beast, With movement so swift, it can''t be beat. It scorches the earth, it burns the air, Its beauty and power, beyond compare. Bridge: Its presence is felt, in every flame, A symbol of power, with a fiery name. It''s a force to be reckoned with, don''t you know, Its beauty and might, will leave you in a glow. Chorus: Flame Atronach, a fiery beast, With movement so swift, it can''t be beat. It scorches the earth, it burns the air, Its beauty and power, beyond compare. Outro: So heed the call, of this fiery friend, With its power and grace, it will never bend. It''s a flame that burns, with eternal might, The Flame Atronach, a magical sight. --- But despite all this, Ben had yet to summon any new creatures. He felt that he wasn''t prepared to face them if they got out of his control. Till now, he had only summoned bounded weapons, which were only lesser Daedra spirits and Nature spirits like the wolf familiars. He needed much preparation before started summoning atronachs and creatures from Soul Cairn. But he was bound to grab the attention of a Daedric prince sooner or later. Still, he was quite excited about the possibility of getting new minions, especially the undead horse Arvak was something to look forward to. [Soul Trap] was another great spell, unfortunately, Ben could not utilize its full potential just yet. He could only buy petty and lesser soul gems in the store for now, which can only hold the weakest of souls and that too from only non-humanoid creatures. He will need black soul gems if wants to use the spell to its full potential. The Destruction spells, on the other hand, could be utilized to their full extent. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If [Flames] was a small flamethrower, [Firebolt] is a lite RPG missile, [Ice spike], a spear gun throwing ice spears and [Lightning bolt] is-well, self-explanatory. He also got [Fire Rune], [Frost Rune] and [Lightning Rune] which were akin to land mines and with [Ignite] and [Freeze], Ben now had to ability to freeze or set things on fire even at a distance of a hundred meters, provided that he can aim that far. Last but not least was the Restoration magic. It had now become a lot more versatile and useful. While [Healing] only sped up the body''s natural healing, with [Quick Healing] the caster can instantly stop all wounds from bleeding. [Healing Hands] was capable of healing other people and worked similarly to [Healing] but cost a lot more Magicka. [Necromantic Healing] can even heal undead bodies while [Sun Fire] and [Turn Lesser Undead] were the bane of all dark creatures. [Steadfast Ward] finally upgraded Ben''s defences to Apprentice level, which meant that he can now block spells with strengths closer to an exploding grenade; only, the spells don''t come filled with shrapnel, so they are not quite as lethal as grenades. --- While he was happy with the recent increase in strength, he was also quite perplexed as he expected a lot more. Dragon shouts or Thu''um; despite being a Dragonborn, he didn''t know a single word of power, which was quite embarrassing, if you ask anybody. At first, he figured that the shouts will unlock as he levelled up, but now he was having doubts. But, what could he do except wait, after all, no Greybeards were waiting on a mountain here. Until, he thought of the next best thing, Dragons. Although not the same, there were Dragons in this world, and if he could get close to one, he would perhaps be able to find a way to learn Dragon Shouts. So with that noble thought, he contacted his nearest giant to book an appointment with the dragon. Nah, he nearly scared the shite out of the lovable caretaker when he showed up at his door with his humble request. "There''s no dragon ''ere, ye should go back t'' the castle, it''s nearly dark," said the nervous Giant, blocking the door with his enormous physique. "I''m already in the know about it, I am," Ben said in a whisper, making the shape of an egg with his hands. "Ye''ve got nothin'' to worry about, I swear on me wand. I''ll take it to me grave, not a soul will hear a whisper from me," he reassured the man. It didn''t take too much effort to convince the half-giant once Ben started talking about how much he loved dragons, how misunderstood he thought they were and how he has always wanted to see one. ''How gullible,'' he thought as he reminisced about his interaction with the giant. Well, Ben didn''t just take advantage of Hagrid''s nature as he also helped the Giant with his Gamekeeping duties; unlike Hagrid, Ben was allowed to magic and was able to help out. Hagrid only had formal education till the third year and Ben had also studied till the third year, albeit informally; so he wasn''t too far away from Hagrid in some aspects. He also learned a few things about the creatures in the forest from Hagrid. All of this happened just yesterday, today was the second day and coincidently the egg was about to hatch when three more guests joined him to witness the miracle of birth. --Dreamscape-- MC is an Atronach simp, well the flame atronach does have boobs, so it kinda makes sense. Anyways, this is how his STATUS looks; he can at least fight thugs with this much strength. Read more chapters on Patre@n/DreamyApe, I am poor and need new gold rims on my Royce-Rolls. Norberta "How did you know?" Asked Hermione, ignoring the look on Ben''s face. Instead of answering, Ben made a silencing gesture and said, "Quick, grab a chair, she''s almost out." They all sat around the table and watched the moving egg with bated breath. The cracks on the shell enlarged as scrapping noises increased from inside. Soon, the egg split open and an ugly black lizard fell out of it. Her skinny jet body was overbalanced by the large spiny wings, tiny little Stubbs of horns protruding on her head and her bright orange eyes looked around in curiosity. It sneezed and a couple of sparks flew out of the wide nostrils on her long snout. "Isn''t he beautiful?" Hagrid murmured. He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon''s head. It snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs. It seemed very angry at being woken up from its long slumber. "Bless him, look, he knows his mommy!" said Hagrid. "Hagrid," said Hermione, "how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?" Hagrid was about to answer when the colour suddenly drained from his face he leapt to his feet and ran to the window. "What''s the matter?" "Someone was lookin'' through the gap in the curtains it''s a kid he''s runnin'' back up ter the school." The trio bolted to the door to look at the silhouette running towards the castle. Ben already knew who it was; the young master, running like a common voyeur. When Hagrid and the trio turned back to question what to do next, they got the shock of their lives. The nasty dragon that was glaring fangs at everyone else was acting like an enamoured kitten in Ben''s hand; lying on his palm, making cute sounds as if asking for belly rubs. To make the situation more absurd, Ben proceeded to not only give belly rubs but even head scratches and got away without a scratch. "She''s a wee little darling, isn''t she now? The picture of cuteness, she is!" Ben said, with the same face that Hagrid had made a few moments ago. "He''s lost it too," Ron said to his two dumbfounded friends. And he really had lost it, the care in his eyes for the newborn dragon was real, and there was a sense of familiarity that he felt with the firebreathing lizard that he had never felt with anyone before. His motive for coming here had been forgotten, even though he could not speak with the Dragon like a Parselmouth would to a serpent, he was able to understand the creature without any words. It was kind of like how Sirius was able to communicate with Crookshanks despite him being a dog and her a cat, albeit a very smart cat. There was a significant distinction between Ben and the vicious reptile, proven by the fact that she was trying to win his favour instead of trying to bite his fingers off; Norwegian Ridgebacks are most aggressive against their own species. This proved that the dragons of this world were not the same as the Dragons of Skyrim, but they seemed somewhat similar as Ben could feel some familiarity. Over the next week, Ben spent most of his time in Hagrid''s murky hut as he tried to uncover the secrets of his familiarity with the dragon. The place looked worse than ever as empty brandy bottles and chicken feathers lay on the floor. The trio were trying desperately to make Hagrid see reason, "Just let him go," Harry urged. "Set him free." "I can''t," said Hagrid. "He''s too little. He''d die." Well, the dragon wasn''t little anymore, it had tripled in length after drinking Hagrid''s concoction of Brandy and Chicken blood for a week. Between feeding the dragon and keeping it from burning everything down, Hagrid had little time to look after his other duties. One could see smoke unfurling out of its wide nostrils and Ben had seen it breathe fire multiple times now. Still, there was no sign of a Thu''um, it seemed that the dragons of this world were not as intelligent or powerful to be able to wield such power. "I''ve decided to call him Norbert," said Hagrid, looking at the dragon with misty eyes. "He really knows me now, watch. Norbert! Norbert! Where''s Mommy?" But like an ungrateful teenage girl, she ignored the labouring half-giant and ran into Ben''s arms instead as he entered the hut. There was a look of betrayal in Hagrid''s eyes. "Sure and begorrah, ye can''t be callin'' her Norbert, she''s a bonnie lass and deserves a name as lovely as she is!" Ben declared as he brought out a vial of [Potion of Vigor] and fed it to the Dragon. [Potion of Vigor], as Ben found out, was like a tonic full of nutrition. Unlike a stamina potion, it had long-lasting effects. The dragon gulped down the whole thing and exhaled a fiery breath at his face in excitement, but Ben was unfazed as he had [Stoneflesh], he had learned to localize the effect of the spell to solve the problem of rigidity that came with transforming into stone. "Am I dreaming mate? How''s he fine after that?" asked Ron to Harry, who himself was looking at the scene in confusion. Hagrid was not as shocked though; he too was resistant to most things and a little bit of fire was no big deal for him. "Where d''ye get that notion, I say? This little rascal here''s got the spirit of a young master, he does!" he said looking at the entitled dragon. "By the light of the stars I knew she''d be here, and they''ve tasked me with savin'' this sweet thing from a name not worthy of a queen," "They''ve both lost it, it''s like a couple fighting over their kid''s custody," said Hermione, it totally went over Ron''s head. It took a while to convince everyone of my prophetic might, but with a few notes on Norwegian Ridgebacks that he had copied from the Library, everyone was convinced that it was indeed a female. And to prevent the tragedy of a name that was Norberta, Ben had to give a few suggestions that meant roughly the same but were more suitable for a female dragon, not that it matters what gender the beast is. She was finally named Norene, but while Ben and Hagrid were busy discussing such important matters, the trio was losing their minds. "Hagrid," said Harry loudly, "give it two weeks, and Norbert or Norene''s going to be as long as your house. Malfoy could go to Dumbledore at any moment." "And why are you indulging in this madness? A Dragon is not a pet," said Hermione, looking at Ben a little frustrated. Hagrid bit his lip. "I - I know I can''t keep him forever, but I can''t jus'' dump him, I can''t," said Hagrid. "And I just want to soak up all the time I can with her before she''s sent away," said Ben, mimicking the expression on Hagrid''s face. "What do you mean sent away?" Hermione asked, grabbing onto the meaning behind his words. "Is this another one of your prophesies?" asked Harry. "It can be, it depends on what Charlie says," said Ben, pointing towards Ron. "I warned ye mate, he''s gone round the bend," Ron said to Harry. "I''m Ron, not Charlie, don''t ya forget it," he said, elongating each word as if talking to a child. "Feels bloody brilliant to finally have some proof that he''s not playing with a full deck," he said to Hermione. Ron had been severely doubting the mental faculties of this Raven for a while now. "No - Charlie - your brother, Charlie. In Romania," Harry said to Ron, "Studying dragons. We could send Norbert-" "Norene," interrupted Ben. "Yes- send NORENE to him. Charlie can take care of HER and then put HER back in the wild!" Harry said, this time really stressing certain words. "Better now?" "Much Better," Ben said with a wide grin. --Dreamscape-- So, still no sight of a Thu''um anywhere, the wait is just killing me. Sar?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Read more at Patre@n/DreamyApe to find out what the hell is wrong with our Dragonborn. Once Bitten, Twice Shy An owl was sent to Romania with a letter for Charlie Weasley, asking if they had enough space for one more lizard of mass destruction. The long, tedious week seemed to last forever as everyone impatiently anticipated a response from Romania. By Wednesday evening, Ben was experiencing a restlessness that couldn''t be attributed to the overindulgent dinner he had consumed. It had been more than a week but Ben had made no progress on Dragon Shouts, at this point, the only way he saw was to slay a Dragon. There was only one dragon around Ben, to say that he was feeling conflicted was an understatement. In the dark of the night, he made his way down the castle, under the veil of Invisibility. "You''ve got to get rid of her, Hagrid," said Ron, "At the rate that she''s growing, she''ll be having us for breakfast soon." "Oh nonsense, she''s barely eating anything," said Hagrid, emptying another crate full of dead rats in front of her. Ron had no words left to say to Hagrid, the man had gone blind in love. "Yoh, wotcha!" Ben said, coming out of the dark. "Merlin''s Bread! Are you trying to scare me to death, mate?" said Ron, holding down his thumping chest. Sarch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Ha Ha, I thought you could use some help," said Ben. "Well, that''s really nice of you, but we''re almost done here," he said, going forward with another crate full of dead rodents. Something told Ben that Ron was not his greatest fan. "A-Ahh, it bit me, it bit me!" Ron screamed as he held his bleeding hand; Norene had chomped on his hand along with the rats. "Oh, it''s just a nick, it''ll heal right up," said the blind giant as he wrapped the bleeding hand with a handkerchief. "Have you gone blind, Hagrid? This is the most horrible animal I''ve ever met, she wants to eat me," Ron screamed, not able to take Hagrid''s nonsense any longer. Hagrid got upset and told Ron off for frightening the poor baby dragon, "You should return to the castle, it''s time for her to rest," he said and started singing a lullaby to calm the rampaging dragonette. Ben had to admit, nobody could match Hagrid in his unconditional love for animals. Ron left huffing and puffing, Ben decided not to follow him, Ron would probably be unable to use the Invisibility cloak with him around. As Ben watched the little dragon setting fire to Hagrid''s beard, he could not help but smile. How could he even think of killing her, and what for? A shout? He wasn''t even sure if that was the way to get one. In the past week, the familiarity between him and Norene had strengthened even further, Ben could feel a connection forming between them that grew stronger with each passing day. It reminded Ben of the connection he had with his wolf familiar, it was much weaker at the moment though. It gave Ben some hope for the future; Nature spirits were not the only kind of familiars existing in the world of elder scrolls, there were animal familiars too, perhaps if he nurtured this connection, he would acquire a new familiar. "You should leave too, you''ll get into trouble if someone saw you outside this late," said Hagrid, trying to calm an irritated dragon. Ben helped him by casting [Calm] on her. He decided to head back after feeding her a small piece of the Mammoth''s snout he had bought from the store; it cost him a whopping five septims but at least she appreciated it. Even if he needed a dragon''s soul, there were plenty of others roaming in the world, he would learn a shout, sooner or later. --- Just as the clock on the wall chimed midnight, the portrait hole to the Gryffindor common room burst open. Ron appeared out of nowhere as he pulled off Harry''s invisibility cloak. "It bit me!" he said, showing them his hand, which was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief. "I''m not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon''s the most horrible animal I''ve ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you''d think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby." "And then there is that Raven that has gone cuckoo, it''s as if they are both under its charm." "Brown was there too? How did he get out without being seen?" "How would I know? He talked to birds and rats for all I care," he said in frustration. Before the two could react to Ron''s ramblings, there was a tap on the dark window. "It''s Hedwig!" said Harry, hurrying to let her in. "She''ll have Charlie''s answer!" The three of them put their heads together to read the note. Dear Ron, How are you? Thanks for the letter - I''d be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won''t be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn''t be seen carrying an illegal dragon. Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it''s still dark. Send me an answer as soon as possible. Love, Charlie. They looked at one another. "We''ve got the invisibility cloak," said Harry. "It shouldn''t be too difficult - I think the cloak''s big enough to cover two of us and Norbert." The week had been especially tough on the kids; at this point, they would do anything to get rid of the dragon - and Malfoy. --- The next morning, Ron walked into the Great hall with a swollen hand. It had gotten twice as big and Ben felt conflicted as he could cure him if he wanted, there was a potion literally named [Cure Poison] in the store. If that didn''t work out, he could at least reduce the swelling with [Healing Hands], but since Ben had already made the prophecy, he decided not to intervene. ''A few days of rest in the Hospital Wing would do well for the overworked redhead,'' he thought. Ron was eventually rushed to Madam Pomfrey as his hand had turned a nasty shade of green. Although he lied, saying it was a dog bite, she didn''t believe him. Harry and Hermione rushed up to the hospital wing at the end of the day to find Ron in a terrible state in bed. "It''s not just my hand," he whispered, "although that feels like it''s about to fall off." "Malfoy told Madam Pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books so he could come and have a good laugh at me. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit me -and he took one of my books with him, and Charlie''s letter was inside it," Harry and Hermione didn''t get a chance to answer; they were chased away by Madam Pomfrey before they could plan how to deal with Malfoy now. "It''s too late to change the plan now," Harry told Hermione. "We haven''t got time to send Charlie another owl, and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norene. We''ll have to risk it. And we have got the invisibility cloak, Malfoy doesn''t know about that." "Saturday night it is then, should we ask Brown for help?" --Dreamscape-- I had to write this chapter because a lot of people haven''t read the books and only watched the movies, they would have gotten confused if I didn''t include what was going on with the trio. Read more at Patre@n/DreamyApe Barry Poppin’ When Ben got down to Hagrid''s, he found Fang, the boarhound sitting outside with a bandaged tail; he let low growls at Ben as if complaining about the bullying he had faced and seeking justice. Ben threw him a big piece of meat to chew on and knocked on the door. Hagrid opened a window instead and struck his neck out. "I won''t let you in," he puffed. "Norene''s at a tricky stage -nothin'' I can''t handle." "Lemme in, I''ve come to lend a hand. I''ve brought somethin'' for her, ye see." When the door opened, Ben saw a prowling dragon lunge at Hagrid''s giant foot. "Aargh! It''s all right, she only got my boot -jus'' playin'' -she''s only a baby, after all." Ben had no words left for Hagrid. Despite being enchanted by the Dragonette himself, he could still see the viciousness behind her orange eyes, but somehow, the giant looked past it. "Here, drink this," he said pulling a small vial from underneath his robes, "her bite''s poisonous." He had mastered retrieving small objects from his [Storage], and the long robe worked perfectly to hide the mist from everyone. "Norene, stop that. He doesn''t taste as good as this," he said, waving a piece of mammoth snout in front of her. She gobbled the whole thing at once and blew out a small flame, cooking the meat inside her mouth. "Gor blimey, that smells like a feast fit for a giant. What''s that tasty meat?" "Elephant snout?" Ben said, not sure if Hagrid would buy it. "You got any more of that? U-Um, for Norene of course," he said, washing down his watering mouth with the [Cure Poison] potion. "Ugh- that''s horrible, even for me," he said wiping his mouth. "Here," said Ben, handing out a large piece of meat that was half his height. "Where did you pull that out from?" Hagrid exclaimed, Ben had pulled it out from underneath his robes. "And it''s awf''lly hairy, isn''t it?" "D''ye want it or not Hagrid? It can go back where it came from, ye know." *Knock*Knock* "Hagrid, it''s us," Ben opened the door for the duo. "Welcome to the wee dragon sanctuary. If ye''d like to book a dragon safari, do it at yer own peril," Ben said, giving his best tour guide impression. "It won''t be for long, Charlie''s agreed to take it-" "HER" "Yes, he''s agreed to take her in, they''ll pick her up on Saturday night," said Hermione, completing Harry''s sentence. There was a look of relief on Hagrid''s face, Ben wasn''t sure if it was the news or the fact that Norene was finally calm, coiled up under the table. "That''s great news, how about we have some fried elephant snout to celebrate?" He immediately got two weird looks from the kids and one hungry look from the giant. "No? I''ve got rabbits too," he said, pulling out two rabbit legs from under his robes." The looks turned even more bizarre. "How''d you do that?" asked Hermione. "Ah, Barry Poppins, Perfectly Perfect in every way, at your service," he said, holding out his hand for a shake. "Who?" "Seriously, you didn''t get that? Mary Poppins? Mary- Barry, No?" He said, awkwardly taking back his hand and scratching his head. ''Damn those Obliviators, ruined a perfectly fine reference,'' he cursed under his breath. "What was that?" said Hermione, bringing her ear closer. "Uh- nothing, it''s just a nifty expansion charm, keep it mum though, the ministry folk keep a tight watch on it," he said in a lowered voice, looking over their shoulders. The three waited patiently as Hagried grilled the snout and the rabbit legs. "It''ll be just a bit, have a cup of tea to tide ye over," said Hagrid, handing out three hot cups of tea, "Umm, I haven''t had any the whole day, kept me busy, she has," he said, pointing at the slumbering dragon under the table. She was taking steady long breaths and there was smoke coming out of her nostrils, Ben was starting to really like her and didn''t feel like saying goodbye to her. He had a wild idea though, an Idea that needed a lot of hard work to come to life. -- Ben returned to the castle with a belly full of rabbit and mammoth meat, the food bought from the store was incredibly delicious, especially when followed by Honningbrew Mead. He made his way to the library under invisibility, sipping mead and singing songs, "Cheers to the freakin'' weekend I drink to that, yeah-e-yeah Oh, let the Jameson sink in I drink to that, yeah-e-yeah Don''t let the bastards get you down Turn it around with another round There''s a party at the bar Everybody put ya glasses up, and I drink to that Yeah-e-yeah, yeah-e-yeah, yeah-e-yeah Yeah-e-yeah, yeah-e-yeah, yeah-e-yeah" Don''t worry, he was under the [Muffle] spell, nobody could hear him. "FUCK, there''s two more days of boring classes, uff." Lessons were getting quite intense as exams were nearing, it was only because of self-answering quills that Ben had so much free time. Since he didn''t need to join everyone else for dinner, he focused on finding books on familiars and compiling the conjuration knowledge that was already in his head. There were familiars in this world too. Mrs Norris, Filch''s feline companion was an example. The amount of trouble that the cat had given Ben before he got hold of invisibility was immense. sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The mages in Skyrim mostly preferred using Nature spirits like his spectral wolf because the degree of control over them was much stronger than living animals. They will fight to the death as they can''t really die, they were believed to be remnant wills of Et''Ada that had merged with mundus(nirn), well everything is quite confusing when it came to the lore of the elder scrolls universe. Controlling a living being takes a very strong mind and a lot of work. A telepathic link was the basis of any successful summoning according to the Conjuration knowledge in Ben''s mind. Familiars are psychically connected and can telepathically communicate with witches and wizards, but this only seemed like muggle folklore in this world, Ben couldn''t find any books that dived deep into this topic in the library. There have been speculations and many wizards have formed deep bonds with their pets but very few can be said to have familiars, ironically a squib was able to do something that many wizards couldn''t. "I wish there was a wizard Internet," he said as he returned the books to their respective places. So far, it seemed that mental strength was not enough, he needed to build a close relationship with the animal first, maybe he can use the spell structures from Conjuration magic and with Ben''s innate familiarity with Norene, it shouldn''t be too difficult for Ben to create a new spell. The only limitation now was time. He only had until Saturday midnight and that gave him two days to figure this out. --Dreamscape-- So, MC be Poppin. More at /DreamyApe Summon Ferret? Ben spent the whole night going through all the conjuration knowledge in his head; including the Apprentice spells that he hadn''t even used yet; in the end, he came up with a few possible spell structures for a new spell. His mind was full of heaps and heaps of books on all available skills and even non-available skills, everytime he levelled up his skills, unlocked a perk or climbed the ranks of his Mage tree, more knowledge was added to his brain. ''Conjuration, for the layman unacquainted with its workings, connects the caster''s mind with that of the summoned. It is a tenuous link, meant only to lure, hold, and dismiss, but in the hands of a Master, it can be much stronger. The Psijics and Dwemer can or could connect with the minds of others, and converse miles apart - a skill that is sometimes called telepathy,'' he skimmed through a book available in his memory. And this is what Ben was working on, to strengthen his link with Norene and then use it to make her his familiar. One of the biggest obstacles was whether or not he would be able to open a portal to Romania. In the conjuration spells that he had used so far, Ben acted as an anchor. It could be compared to fishing, he throws out a bait and using that, he binds the summon to his will and pulls it to his location. It is easy to send the creature back, just stop pulling on the line and it goes back where it came from as it doesn''t belong here in the first place. This was not the case with Norene, she belonged here and would not be able to return if he ever summoned her from Romania, and he neither had the space to keep her nor had food enough to feed her. For this, he turned to the Way of the Psijic or the old way. The old way included transport spells, detection spells, absorption spells, reflection spells and other spells that work directly upon magical forces of the unseen world, with effects such as dispel, soul trap, and telekinesis. Most of these spells are now part of either the Alteration or Conjuration school of magic but some were missing from the System, and portal creation was one of them. Good thing is that the theory behind the spell is still available to Ben, it was as if the System was telling him to stop freeloading and start working. The spell caster must know precisely where to generate the portals or he will face catastrophic consequences, which include getting lost between dimensions or teleporting into a rock. Hence, the mage must have been there or, at least, see clearly where the portal will spawn. It sounded an awful lot like Apparating, and Ben was not confident about that at all, it seemed that portal creation will take a long ass time. Luckily, portal seeds are a common component in apprentice-level portal creation. It was pretty much like using a Portkey but not really. Portal seeds formed sort of a network with the mage at the centre and he can then access any of those nodes to open a portal to that place, it was easier and safe but the seed had to be placed at the destination first. Another method of teleportation was through a network of lit braziers, it was kinda like the Floo network and need the fire to always be lit. -- On Saturday morning, Ben was on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, invisible of course, killing wolfs and filling soul gems. He did not get too deep into the forest as he hadn''t forgotten about the resident dark lord. He had already prepared a portal seed and he just needed a few lesser soul gems to test the spell now. The seed can be made of any magic conducting metal and of any shape, it just had to be engraved with the Mage''s Magicka, in a way it was Ben''s first Enchantment and he even had a new skill to show for it. Ben pulled out an object the size of an egg from under his robes, it looked like a coconut and it even split open in the middle like a coconut. It was made of copper and golden runes shimmered on its surface. He placed a filled Lesser soul gem at its centre and closed it by screwing the two halves a few times clockwise and anticlockwise in a set pattern. sea??h th N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Since he didn''t know if the Castle''s anti-apparition wards would interfere with the portal, he had to test it out here in the open. He placed the seed a few feet below ground and walked to a spot about fifty meters away from where he could still see this place. He closed his eyes, trying to sense the seed and he spoke the incantation when he felt it clearly in his mind. "Riven, drelden aetherius adrydd," the mysterious words of The Psijic reverbed through the surrounding as two identical, shimmering and swirling vortexes of energy opened in mid-air. "Now, for the moment of truth," he said, picking up a small squeaking and growling ferret from its cage. "Shh, [Calm] it''ll be over before you know it," he said and threw the now very calm furball into the shimmering vortex. It crossed multiple dimensions in an instant, travelling through spacetime even faster than light and appeared fifty meters away even before it could blink once. It was still sitting on the ground peacefully as if nothing happened. Ben picked it up and checked for any wounds or other side effects. "Now that I look at you, you''re a stoat, not a ferret," he said, wiping off the mud on its face that made him confuse it for a baby ferret. It looked innocently at Ben, tilting his head left and right, if Ben didn''t know any better, he would have really taken it for a harmless animal. But Ben knew that these cute little fur socks could even hunt Rabbits and other animals that were multiple times their size. "Now, let''s see if I can turn you into a familiar," Ben said as he pulled out a ''Rabbit leg'' from under his robes and waved it in front of its nose. With the help of delicious rabbit meat and a little bit of [Illusion] and [Restoration] magic, the short-tailed weasel quickly gave in to Ben''s mind. It was time for the test of his second self-created spell, [Tame Familiar]. "Yehkem sithil, manj yalor famil", and a bright covered the little stoat for a few seconds and a few runes glowed on its head for a few seconds before disappearing. Ben opened his status, there were two new Apprentice spells in Alteration, [Tame Familiar] and [Seeded Portal]. He focused on Conjuration and found a new spell, [Summon Stoat]. *Chirp*chirp*whistle* The little stoat chirped and raced with a bouncy gait to the spot he had been teleported from; Ben could now communicate with him mentally. "Yehkem yalor, anuorin stoatil" He cast the [Summon Stoat] spell and the little fur sock arrived in front of Ben with a flash. Only problem was, he could not send him back, but that problem will be solved once he''s able to open portals without seeds. "Let''s call you Slinky from now, Okay?" "No? How about Whiskers, or do you like Mittens." "Alright, no need to get so angsty," he said, calming the squeaking furball on his shoulder. "Let me introduce you to my little Norene first and then we''ll see how you like these names," he said with an evil smirk as he walked out of the forest. He remained invisible, of course, as he was not as careless as a boy with round glasses who forgot about it, or will forget, Goodbye, Norene. Ben paid Norene a visit on his way back to the castle; he could now feel her emotions clearly, and with the spell structure, he would be able to create a strong telepathic bond with her. He fed her some Venison and introduced his new familiar to her. Facing the majestic beast, the stoat did not dare refuse his given name which was also approved by Norene. Henceforth, he shall be known as, Silvaticus. Meaning: of the woods, cause that''s where Ben found him. He had actually rescued it from a wolf pack, which he then farmed for soul gems. At first, Norene thought he had brought live prey for her and pounced at the poor Sil with murderous intentions, but Ben was quick to stop her and communicate that this was not prey. Then, he had to bring out a fat piece of Vanison to satisfy her grumbling; although it was not as nutritious as the Mammoth snout, it was just as flavorful and there was a lot more of it Ben attended the day''s classes with Sil shuffling around under his robes, which was not a great experience as he was very ticklish; he had to use [Oakflesh] to stop himself from giggling like a little girl. His new familiar was not used to staying put and he definitely couldn''t be allowed to roam free in the castle without any prior training. ''I''ll whip you in shape, you hear me?'' he sent his displeasure through the telepathic link and the Stoat ceased his scurrying and found a nice spot on his lap. Ben rushed down to Norene as soon as the classes ended, his assignments were being completed by his self-answering quills, inside his [STORAGE]. Yes, his storage was an actual storage room and not some game inventory where time didn''t flow. At first, he had assumed that the System just converts stored items into energy and reverts them back when he retrieves them; But after using it for such a long time, he found out that it was more like a pocket dimension. When he reached Hagrid''s Hut, he found a burn spot on Fang''s fur and the boarhound looked quite scared, Ben gave him something to eat and some water. "It''s alright Boy, It''s okay," he said, giving him head scratches. The pungent scent of singed hair was wafting through the windows, accompanied by the deafening thuds of someone pounding on the walls and the crash of objects hitting the floor. Sarch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. *BANG*BANG*"FBI, Open up," he said banging on the door. He couldn''t help but say it, the sounds coming from the Hut were raising major red flags. Hagrid was lucky that he didn''t live in a Muggle neighbourhood. Everything got really quiet for a moment, "Ahum-Hagrid, it''s me, Ben. Everything okay in there?" "Oh Yeah, everything is fine, she''s just throwing a little tantrum, you see," said Hagrid, opening a crack in the door, probably trying to hide the mess inside. "I do see; she''s throwing a lot of other things as well," said Ben, entering the beaten-up place. Before he could survey the place, he was already on the ground with a smoking dragon on top of him. "Whoa there, easy now, me colleen. I''m well pleased to be having a look at ye once again," he said as Norene rubbed her snout on his face. It was clear that Norene knew that separation was near, she must have felt it through their bond. Hagrid was shedding tears and blowing his nose on his fur coat. "Mind if I say my goodbye''s in private Hagrid? I won''t take too long," he said. "She won''t hurt me, you know that," he said, easing the concern on Hagrid''s face. He was left in the hut with Norene while Hagrid waited outside. Without wasting any more time, he used the [Tame Familiar] on Norene and a telepathic link quickly formed between them. Ben instantly felt her thoughts, they were a lot more complex and intense than the Stoat. He almost couldn''t take it and wanted to stop the spell midway but he somehow braved through it. Ben''s mind was bombarded with every single memory of the little dragon; luckily she was only a few weeks old otherwise his mind would have gotten overwhelmed. "Ufff," he took a deep breath as he waited for his mind to clear up. As the noise in his head receded, he was left with two small voices. They were not really voices but more like his own thoughts and neither of them was very articulate; if he focused harder on them then he would even be able to share their senses. He focused on the more articulate thought stream, it was from Norene and she seemed exuberant but also worried. Before doing anything, Ben checked whether or not the System registered Norene and he was not disappointed. [Summon Norene] was added to the Conjuration skill. He then summoned Norene from one corner of the room to another and tried explaining to her that he could always come to her when she called. Now that he could summon her to him, he needed to be able to do the opposite as well. He gave her a copper egg; It was a portal seed and had been covered by an extra layer of metal to hide the runes. There was a picture of him and Norene inscribed on the outer layer. Her eyes seemed locked on this new shiny object and Ben felt that he would be able to hypnotise her if he swung it like a pendulum. He hung it on her neck for now; in the future, he would have her bury it in her nest. Outside the Hut, Hagrid was preparing a large crate for Norene to travel in. He had gathered a lot of dead rats for her to eat on the way and there were even some Brandy. Ben souped some up in an empty bottle, he hadn''t had proper sleep for two days straight and his mind felt quite heavy right now, this would help him lighten up a bit. He said his goodbyes and went back to the castle, he would not be carrying Norene to the tower. He had waited for the trio to ask for his help and even offered, but it seemed that they didn''t trust him with their secrets. And they were right to not trust him, he was a thief after all. At the same time, Ben couldn''t go to the tower on his own as he had a feeling that someone else was going to be there as well. He eat his fill and drank to his heart''s content and fell asleep in his room, but not before locking Sil in a cage, he had a feeling that this critter was up to no good. -- At the end of the day, Ben''s new status was something like this. [[STATUS]] [SHOP] [STORAGE] [Name: Benedict Nigel Brown. Species: Human[Wizard]. Job: [Apprentice Mage], [Enchantor(Novice)] Title: Dragonborn[Level 21]. Vitality: 310. Magicka: 310. [Deathly Hallows[1/3]: Invisibility Cloak] Familiars: Stoat(Silvaticus), Dragon(Norene) [[SKILLS]] [Alteration[Level 35(Apprentice)]: Oakflesh, Candlelight, Magelight, Stoneflesh,*Tame Familiar, Seeded Portal] [Conjuration[Level 29(Apprentice)]: Bound Dagger, Bound Sword, Conjure Familiar, Raise Zombie, Bound Battleaxe, Conjure Boneman, Conjure Flame Atronach, Flaming Familiar, Reanimate Corpse, Soul Trap, Summon Arvak, *Summon Silvaticus, Summon Norene] [Destruction[Level 26(Apprentice)]: Flames, Frostbite, Sparks, Firebolt, Ice Spike, Lightning Bolt, Fire Rune, Frost Rune, Lightning Rune, Ignite, Freeze.] [Illusion[Level 29(Apprentice)]: Clairvoyance, Courage, Fury, Calm, Fear, Muffle.] [Restoration[Level 25(Apprentice)]: Healing, Lesser Ward, Quick Healing, Healing Hands, Necromantic Healing, Steadfast Ward, Sun Fire, Turn Lesser Undead.] -- Night Life As the night settled over Hogwarts, the castle was alight with a strange energy. While Ben dreamed away in the peaceful solitude of the Ravenclaw tower, two mysterious figures stealthily made their way out of the Gryffindor common room. With the skill of seasoned thieves, they crept down the castle steps, avoiding a mischieving Peeves, down the path to Hagrid''s hut, and back up again, heaving a disgruntled dragon up to the highest tower. Despite the apparent stillness of the castle, the corridors bustled with activity. From the ghostly apparitions floating about to the curious watch of Argus Filch and his feline companion, Mrs Norris, to the watchful eyes of the Hogwarts faculty, danger lurked at every turn. But the two Gryffindors were undeterred. They had a mission to fulfil. However, a sinister presence also prowled the castle this night, a Slytherin with dark intentions. He was determined to catch the Gryffindors in the act and put an end to their escapades once and for all. The fate of the two Gryffindors, the dragon, and possibly the entire school, hung in the balance as they battled against time and the unknown. --- Ben rubbed his eyes, trying to shake the remnants of the dream from his mind. He got out of bed, the cold floor sending shivers up his spine, and made his way over to the grandfather clock. As he peered at its face, he saw that it was indeed a quarter to midnight. The room was still and quiet, all his classmates soundly asleep. With a sigh, Ben decided to go and get a drink of water, he left the dorm room as quietly as he could, not wanting to disturb anyone''s sleep. As he climbed down the stairs, he couldn''t help but feel that something was off, that the dream he had just had was somehow more real than it should have been. It felt as if he had just watched a movie trailer for tonight''s events. Meanwhile, on the other side of the castle, Harry and Hermione were making their way up the stairs of the astronomy tower, a heavy box balanced between them. Sweat dripped down their faces as they struggled with their load, the only sounds in the silence were their panting breaths. "This was a mistake," puffed Harry. "I never thought it would be this hard without Ron." Hermione nodded in agreement, "Me neither. I just hope he''s okay. Madam Pomfrey wouldn''t let us see him." "Yeah, I hope so too," said Harry. "You know, this reminds me of Brown''s prophecy. I can''t help but think it''s about us and not-" Suddenly, a movement ahead of them caught their eye. They shrank back into the shadows; forgetting that they were already invisible; they watched two figures grappling with each other ten feet away. Their breaths caught in their throats as they waited, watching the scene unfold in front of them. In the dim light, Harry and Hermione watched as Professor McGonagall, her hairnet slightly askew and her tartan bathrobe flapping in the wind, had a firm grip on Malfoy''s ear. "Detention!" she barked. "And twenty points from Slytherin! What were you thinking, wandering around in the middle of the night like this?" "You don''t understand, Professor," Malfoy replied, wincing in pain. "Harry Potter''s coming. He''s got a dragon." Sear?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Nonsense! How dare you spread such lies," said Professor McGonagall, her eyes flashing with anger. "I shall report this to Professor Snape immediately." With that, she dragged Malfoy away, and Harry and Hermione were left alone once again. Their little legs quickly scaled the steep spiral staircase up to the top of the tower and they breathed a sigh of relief as they threw off their invisibility cloak, glad to be able to breathe freely once again. Hermione did a little dance, laughing with glee. "Malfoy''s got detention!" she said, beaming. "I could burst into song!" "Please don''t," Harry said, smiling. They stood there, waiting as Norene thrashed around in her crate. It wasn''t long before they heard the sound of four broomsticks approaching. They watched as the broomsticks descended from the dark sky, bringing with them a sense of excitement and anticipation. Charlie''s friends were a cheery lot. They showed Harry and Hermione the harness they''d rigged up, so they could suspend Norene between them. They all helped buckle Norene safely into it and then Harry and Hermione shook hands with the others and thanked them very much. As Harry and Hermione descended the spiral staircase, their hearts lifted with the lightness of their hands, now that the burden of the dragon, Norene, was gone. With Malfoy in detention, what could possibly ruin their happiness? However, their joy was short-lived as they reached the bottom of the staircase and were confronted by the sinister figure of Filch lurking in the shadows. "Well, well, well," he whispered, a sinister grin spreading across his face, "I think we have a problem here." In their excitement and relief, they had forgotten to retrieve the invisibility cloak they had left atop the tower. The realization hit them like a ton of bricks, and they stood frozen, unsure of what to do next. Filch led Harry and Hermione down to Professor McGonagall''s study, where they sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Hermione''s body trembled as she tried to come up with excuses, alibis, and cover-up stories. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t think of anything that would get them out of this mess. They had been caught, cornered, and there seemed to be no escape. As they waited in anticipation, they were met with another shock as Professor McGonagall entered the room with a frightened Nevil Longbottom. Apparently, he had heard of Draco''s plan to catch them and had come to warn them. Meanwhile, on the roof of the Astronomy Tower, Dumbledore stood in disbelief as he gazed at the silver, ethereal cloth in his hand. This was not the cloak that he had gifted to Harry, he was certain of it. After all, he had spent a great deal of time studying the Hallows and he knew every inch of that cloak. Someone had switched the real cloak with a fake, and the question was when and who had done it. Harry had been in the castle the entire year, so who could have pulled off such a feat? Dumbledore was left with a feeling of bewilderment as he tried to piece together the events that had transpired. The perpetrator, meanwhile, was calmly seated in the Ravenclaw common room, with his eyes closed in concentration. He was using a strand of Demiguise hair in his hands as a focus for his Clairvoyance, gazing straight at Dumbledore himself. The room was still, with only the haunting whistle of the wind seeping through the windows of the Ravenclaw tower breaking the silence. --Dreamscape-- MC is on fire, making new spells and strengthening the existing ones. Please support me at Patreon.com/DreamyApe if you like my work. Sunday Ben woke up to the piercing screeches of an Owl perched on his bedside. Aquila, his Eagle Owl, was glaring at him with her large orange eyes, seemingly angry about something. Upon closer inspection, Ben discovered that Sil, his newest familiar, was hiding under his pillow, avoiding Aquila''s attempts at making it her breakfast. "Aquila, what are you doing here this early? Trying to make a meal out of my familiar?" Ben scolded her, but the Owl simply continued to glare, as if silently communicating her disapproval of the situation. ''If you make friends with my food, what will I eat?'' Ben felt that''s what she was saying; she had grown quite big and was now the size of his torso. Still, just to be sure, Ben decided to add his old friend to his rapidly increasing list of familiars. However, it wasn''t long before he realized that three mental links were the limit of his abilities. The addition of Aquila strained his mental capacity, causing him to regret his decision. "It seems that having too many familiars has its downsides," Ben mused, as he struggled to keep up with the demands of three mental links, it was a good thing that his connection with Spectral Wolf laid dormant unless summoned. He would have to increase his mental strength before he can start conjuring more creatures of the unknown. Good thing there were rituals and mediation methods to do just that in the knowledge he received when he became an Apprentice Mage. Ben remembered how he had managed to not only create new spells but also improve old ones using more advanced spell structures. [Clairvoyance] had evolved to be able to show visuals, as long as he had an object related to what he was trying to divine. He had used it to spy on Harry and then on Dumbledore last night, it turned out that his hunch was correct and Dumbledore was indeed aware of the Dragon. It would have been a surprise if anyone could just fly into Hogwarts without the Headmaster feeling a single wind. After coaxing Aquila, with her favourite treats, to get along with Sil, Ben took some time to train his Stoat; he even spent some time communicating with Norene, she was still on her way to Romania, as Broomstick travel was very slow. Michael Corner, who had just woken up, interrupted Ben''s thoughts. "Dude, you need to snap out of it. Talking to birds and rats this early on a Sunday is not normal." Ben rubbed his temples, feeling the strain of the three mental links. "Yeah, maybe you''re right. But it''s not just any birds or rats, they''re my familiars." His friend raised an eyebrow. "Familiars? What are you talking about?" "It''s a long story, but let''s just say I have a special connection with them," Ben explained, trying to downplay the unusualness of the situation. "Okay, well, maybe you should take a break from all of this and do something normal today," Sil let out a high-pitched squeal, his tiny body trembling with anger. Michael rubbed his bleary eyes, still not fully awake, and tried to understand what was going on. ''What did you call me?'' Sil seemed to ask with a voice shaking with rage. Aquila, the majestic owl on the beside perch, let out a hoot of amusement. "What did he say wrong?" the owl seemed to ask. Ben strode out of the room, a wise look on his face. The stoat on his shoulder let out a warning growl, its razor-sharp teeth bared. "It''s stoat, not rat," Ben explained with a hint of amusement in his voice. "And they are known to be vengeful creatures. I would advise you to apologize while you still have the chance." Michael snorted, his scepticism showing on his face. He looked at the cute little stoat on Ben''s shoulder, its beady eyes glaring back at him. "Are you serious?" Michael asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I''m not afraid of a little rat, er, stoat." But deep down, Michael couldn''t shake the feeling that he might have made a big mistake. As Ben approached the Great Hall, he could feel the heavy weight of disappointment and frustration in the air. The Gryffindor table was in a state of distress, their faces set in grim lines as they gazed at the giant hourglass that recorded the house points. In one disastrous night, Gryffindor had lost one hundred and fifty points, and with it, any hope of winning the coveted House Cup. At that moment, three Gryffindor first-years entered the hall, and the Slytherin table erupted in a loud cheer. The other three houses glared at them, some with ridicule and some with resentment, as Slytherin seemed to be on the brink of securing the victory. "I always knew that Potter was up to no good. Our only chance of seeing Slytherin lose is gone now," said Michael, with a frown. The other members of the Ravenclaw house nodded in agreement, feeling the same sense of defeat. But Ben, with a cryptic smile, spoke up. "I wouldn''t be so sure of that." Michael snorted. "There he goes again. Is that another prediction by our Seer I hear?" he said, with a mocking grin. "Call it what you want, but I have a strong feeling that the cup belongs to Gryffindor this year," Ben declared, attracting the attention of every Ravenclaw at the table. "Maybe the sorting hat made a mistake with this one," someone at the table said, with a snort. But Ben only smiled, confident in his statement. It was a quiet Sunday, and Ben had a lot on his plate. Now that he had started collecting pokemon, he knew that his abilities required constant training and improvement, and he dedicated most of his free time to meditation. He sat in a quiet room, with his eyes closed and his mind focused, working on increasing his mental strength and refining his control over his psychic connections. He visualized himself opening up his mind, like unlocking the doors to a vast, unseen world. With each deep breath, he felt his consciousness expanding, reaching out to connect with the spirits and energies around him. He could feel the weight on his mind lift as he fed on these energies and strengthened his mindscape. As the hours passed, he slowly tuned out the voices of Aquila and Sil and focus on Norene, soon he was looking through her eyes, he saw her arriving in Romania and saw Charlie moving her into a small dragon enclosure. He could feel through all her senses and even felt like he had become a dragon himself. Ben cycled through all his psychic connections one by one, becoming more proficient in controlling them as time passed. With a contented sigh, Ben opened his eyes and stood up, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. His mind was a lot stronger and he had learned to tune out all the incessant chatter from his familiars. Sarch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Just a Theory In the evening, Ben went to the Library, as he needed to borrow some books for an essay he had to submit on Monday. There were limitations to how much the self-answering quills could write on one topic, and this one was particularly long. He found Neville and Hermione sitting in a corner, isolated from everyone else. Their situation was not as bad as Harry''s, as they were not as well-known, but no one wanted to talk to them anymore. Harry Potter, on the other hand, was targeted by everyone and couldn''t take it anymore. He had gone to resign from the Quidditch team with Ron, but there was no chance that Wood would let him resign, as he was the sole seeker of the team. ''I just don''t get what Dumbledore''s up to?'' he thought. - Ben had doubts about whether the Headmaster knew everything that was going on in the castle. But after last night, he was sure that Dumbledore was keeping a close eye on Harry. Ben had a theory that Dumbledore already knew about Quirrell and Voldie but didn''t yet know about the Horcruxes. And unlike the Dark Lord, Albus Dumbledore believed in the prophecy as he had fought Grindelwald who was a seer himself. ''The one with the power to vanquish 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 his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ...'' Ben was certain that Dumbledore understood the significance of this prophecy and knew that for Voldemort to be defeated, either Harry must defeat him with a power unknown to the Dark Lord or Harry must die at his hand. Dumbledore had a hunch that the power unknown to Voldemort was Lily''s love for Harry. With this knowledge, Ben believed that Dumbledore had devised a triple action plan for the end of the academic year. He would either trap Voldemort in the mirror, allow Harry to defeat him with the power of love, or prepare for Harry''s death to fulfil the prophecy and make it possible for him to take down Voldemort himself. But Hey, That''s Just a Theory, A Film Theory! and this is real life now. - "Success at last," Brown declared as he took a seat beside Hermione. But she shot him a quizzical look, as if to say, "Really, Brown? Now?" Undeterred, Brown continued, "It seems everyone is grateful for your bravery in saving them from the dragon''s fiery breath." He grinned cheekily. "What do you want?" Hermione asked, her patience wearing thin. "Just wanted to keep you company. It seems like everyone''s giving you a wide berth," Brown observed, glancing around the room. He added sheepishly, "And I also wanted to apologize for not warning you." Hermione''s eyes widened in shock. "You knew?" she exclaimed. "Of course," Brown boasted, puffing out his chest. "I know everything." But his confidence was short-lived as Madam Pince appeared behind him, her expression dark and ominous. "Not everything, Mr Brown," she scolded. "It seems you do not consider the rules of this library important enough to be aware of." sea??h th ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With a brisk kick out of the library, Hermione''s face was now a deep shade of red from embarrassment. Ben on the other hand, simply turned around to make his way towards the Room of Requirements to complete his essay. "It''s all your fault!" Hermione cried at his back, her cheeks flushed with anger. "First, you spout off your ridiculous prophecy, then you have the audacity to admit you left out crucial information, and now you''ve gotten me banned from the Library! I''m tired of your manipulative games. How could you? I thought you were helping us." Ben was momentarily taken aback by her explosive reaction, but he soon regained his composure, a wry smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "I assure you, Ms Granger, this isn''t my doing." She sniffled, wiping away a tear that threatened to spill down her cheek. "I understand, it''s all my fault." Ben shook his head, a look of pity in his eyes. "No, it''s not your fault either. You''ve become caught up in something far greater than yourself." "What do you mean?" she asked, confusion etched on her face. "It''s complicated, and you likely wouldn''t believe me even if I tried to explain," he said. "But I''ll give you a clue. When you learn who else was up there with you, remember that it''s all part of a larger plan." He leaned in, his voice a hushed whisper in her ear. "It''s all part of his plan." And then he walked away, looking quite pleased with himself. --- Monday came and went, and the trio were still getting cold looks where ever they went but Ben was too busy to pay them any attention. On Tuesday morning, when Ben reached the Ravenclaw table, he was welcomed with sharp glares from Michael Corner. "Come on mate, it''s not my fault," he said sitting next to him. "Your ferret soiled my robes," he said, with gritted teeth. *Chirp*Chirp* Chirping loudly, a small head popped out of Ben''s robes, almost as if asking ''What did you call me, Punk?'' This little bugger had sprayed stink on Michael''s clothes this morning, Sir Silvaticus did not take kindly to being called a rat. "I did warn you, you didn''t take me seriously then," he said pushing the stoat back into his robes. Just as the argument was about to escalate, a group of owls gracefully descended upon the table, delivering beautifully ribboned boxes of various sizes. Ben''s eyes lit up as he recognized Aquila among the feathered friends. Aquila took up residence on Ben''s shoulder, playfully nibbling on his ear, in search of a reward, which Ben was quick to provide. As Ben surveyed the small pile of gift boxes before him, his mind raced to recall the reason for their sudden appearance. But his thoughts were interrupted by a flash of red that caught his eye. His heart sank as he laid eyes on a small, red envelope. "Merlin''s bollocks," Ben muttered under his breath, as he lunged for the envelope. But his friend was one step ahead, darting past him with the envelope in hand. "Time for some payback, mate," Michael taunted, a mischievous glint in his eye. "You, Come back here, you runt," Ben ran after him, and it soon turned into a game of cat and mouse. Banshee’s wail The Great Hall became a blur as the two boys chased each other, turning the grand room into their own personal playground. Just as they were about to collide, a small voice cut through the chaos. "Immobulus!" The spell took hold, freezing both the boys in their tracks. Professor Flitwick appeared before them, his stern expression marred by a hint of amusement. "Ten points from Ravenclaw for disturbing the decorum of the Great Hall," he scolded. But Ben''s mind was elsewhere, for he knew that the worst was yet to come. With a crack and a pop, the red envelope burst open, unleashing a loud, familiar Irish voice that echoed throughout the hall. "Happy birthday to the brightest star in me sky! May your future be as bright as the leprechauns'' pot of gold, and may your laughter be as contagious as a Banshee''s wail. You are loved beyond measure, me darling nephew. Happy birthday!" Ben let out a sigh, but just as he was about to relax the voice came back even louder, "And now, a tune for me favourite nephew," --(Singing with a strong Irish accent) Oh, little one, so tall and brave, You''ve grown up so fast, it''s hard to save. Happy birthday to you, my little lad, May your day be filled with treats, not bad. We''ve watched you grow, each passing year, And we''re so proud to have you here. You bring happiness, with your smile and laugh, And we''re grateful for each moment we''ve had. So blow out the candles, on your birthday cake, And make a wish, for goodness sake. For every candle symbolizes a dream, And we hope and pray, they all come true, it seems. May your day be bright, as the morning sun, And may the happiness, never be done. May you dance and sing, and have lots of fun, For this day is all about, you, my son. And now, let''s raise a glass, and give a cheer, For the birthday boy, who''s another year. Happy birthday again, love ya, now go have some fun, And don''t be shy, for this day is just begun. So here''s to you, on this special day, May all your dreams, come true, in every single way. And if life gets tough, and you need a hand, Just remember, we''ll be here, to help you stand. So enjoy your day, and don''t you pout, For this birthday song, is what it''s all about. We love you so, and we always will, Now go and have fun, and fulfill your dreams still." -- ''She never misses a chance, does she?'' Ben thought, his mind consumed with frustration. "A very Happy Birthday to you Mr Brown, I hope you have a wonderful day," said Flitwick as he lifted the spell and the Great Hall erupted in a chorus of birthday wishes for Ben. Everyone in the Hall was looking at him, some were cheering, some were laughing at his misery and some were even feeling pity for him. Ben felt his face turn red, he turned to Michael, Michael approached him, looking sheepish. "Um, sorry?" he said, scratching his head. "It''s okay," Ben replied; not knowing how to react to this situation, Ben let out a deep sigh and went back to his seat. As he took his seat, Ben couldn''t help but wish he could disappear under the table. But his thoughts were interrupted by Aquilla, who urged him to open the largest present. Ben was no longer sure what to expect now, with trembling hands, he tore away the wrapping paper to reveal a delicious-looking, whiskey-spiced carrot cake topped with cream cheese frosting and green fondant shamrocks. He knew instantly that it was from his mother and supposedly his favourite. S~ea??h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Happy Birthday, mind if I have a slice of that cake too?" Michael asked, his voice tinged with nervousness. Ben looked up, locking eyes with the younger boy. The tension between them was palpable, but then a small smile graced Ben''s lips as he nodded. "Of course, go ahead." "Happy Birthday, Ben!" Terry Boot chimed in, trying to diffuse the awkwardness. "Can I have a slice as well?" The other Ravenclaw first-years soon joined in, their eager expressions mirroring their ravenous appetites. As Ben tore open the remaining gift boxes, his eyes lit up with glee as he found an abundance of chocolate frogs and other wizarding sweets. His relatives had also gifted him with new hats and robes, and even a few toys that he distributed among his friends as he had no use for them. His aunt had sent him a copy of "Quidditch through the Ages", a book that Ben couldn''t imagine himself having the time to delve into it at the moment. Although the gifts were not exactly what he had expected, Ben was filled with gratitude for the thoughtfulness behind them. He made a mental note to write heartfelt letters of thanks in the evening, expressing his appreciation for the love and support of those around him. However, Ben didn''t let his good spirits fool him. He made a promise to himself to teach his aunt a lesson in the future, for the sake of all future gifts. After all, one could never be too prepared for the whims of a witch in the wizarding world. --- "Ahoy, drinking away your sorrows, are ya Hagrid?" Ben called out as he approached the towering figure of the beloved giant. "Aye, just a bit of leftover brandy I''d bought for Norene," Hagrid replied, his voice tinged with sadness. "But now she''s gone, so far away," he added, his eyes shining with unshed tears. Ben had gone down the castle as he couldn''t take it anymore; everywhere he went, people were pointing or staring at him. He didn''t enjoy being in the spotlight and it made him quite uncomfortable. As he approached Hagrid, he found the half-giant seated on the steps outside his door, accompanied by his faithful companion Fang. The location of Hagrid''s hut was a prime piece of real estate in Ben''s opinion. With the dense Forbidden Forest on one side and the picturesque Black Lake on the other, the hut was nestled in the rolling hills of the Scottish Highlands, just a stone''s throw away from one of the greatest wizarding schools in the world. Ben basked in the serenity of the moment, relishing the sound of the rustling winds blowing through the forest and the glistening waves hitting the shores of the Black Lake. The peace and quiet away from the bustling halls of Hogwarts Castle was a pure blessing. "Here, let me grab a dram of that," Ben said, reaching for Hagrid''s brandy bottle. "Whoa there, lad, I canna be givin'' ye that. It''s far too strong for ye," Hagrid replied, moving the bottle out of reach. "Ah, come now, Hagrid. I can handle me drink. And it''s me birthday today, after all," Ben pouted. "Happy birthday to ye then, but ye''re still not getting a sip of this brandy," Hagrid said, his tone firm. "Touch. But I''ve got me own bottle, don''t ye worry," Ben countered, pulling out a bottle from under his robes. "Where did ye get that, lad? Ye shouldna be drinkin'' at yer age, it''s not good for ye," Hagrid said, his eyebrows raised in surprise as Ben downed the bottle in one go. "Ah, relax, Hagrid. It''s just a bit of ale, only a mite stronger than Butterbeer," Ben said, putting the empty bottle back into his robes and swapping it for a fresh one. "Now, how about a bit of roasted snout? These were Norene''s favourite, ye know," he said, pulling out a piece of mammoth snout from his robes. This was the real reason he had come down to Hagrid''s hut. To save some gold. Although he could easily purchase cooked food from the store, it was just a frivolous waste of septims and was many times more expensive than raw meat. "Ah, I''ll bring out a special condiment for yer birthday then," Hagrid said, leading Ben into the cosy interior of his hut. Detention The final month before the exams was a busy one for most students, everyone and their cats were in the library, completing extra assignments and preparing for the exams. Except for Ben, he didn''t need to prepare for the exams as that would be lame; that and cause he was way ahead of his classmates, he was Enchanting stuff to open portals for Merlin''s sake while they were still trying to make things float. And at this moment, he was in the Room of Requirements, trying to push his skills further. Although he could now open portals to Romania and had done so a few times to meet Norene, he was still limited by the use of portal seeds. For the past few weeks, he had been trying to figure out how to open portals without the need for these seeds, but progress was slow. He had yet to be able to open a portal without having a clear line of sight or without a portal seed. Unlike Apparation, which simply created a tiny wormhole between two points in space and then squeezed the wizard through it, portals used other dimensions to bypass the constraints of space. This made them both incredibly powerful and incredibly dangerous. It was just as difficult as apparating if not more as one might get lost in those dimensions if the Mage does not have enough Magicka or a clear understanding of his destination. One of the advantages of portals, as Ben had discovered, was that the anti-Apparation wards of Hogwarts were powerless against them. He had thrown Silvaticus The First, through the portals numerous times and each time it had reappeared unscathed on the other side. -- While Ben was working hard to improve his skills, four students were being led out of the castle by Filch. "Follow me," said Filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside. "I bet you''ll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won''t you, eh?" he said, leering at them. "Oh yeshard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me.It''s just a pity they let the old punishments die outhang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I''ve got the chains still in my office, keep ''em well oiled in case they''re ever neededRight, off we go, and don''t think of running off, now, it''ll be worse for you if you do." Neville was trying his best not to cry, Harry and Hermione were wondering what their punishment was going to be and Draco Malfoy was doing what Young Masters did best, trying to hide his fear behind a sneer. They were led to Hagrid''s hut by Filch''s lantern and a gruff voice called out from the dark. "Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started." Harry and Hermione''s faces lit up as soon as they as Hagrid, but they soon received another shock when Filch said, "I suppose you think you''ll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, it''s into the forest you''re going and I''m much mistaken if you''ll all come out in one piece." At this, Neville let out a little moan, and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks. "The forest?" he repeated, and he didn''t sound quite as cool as usual. "We can''t go in there at night; there are all sorts of things in there -werewolves, I''ve heard." Neville almost choked on his own tongue at the mention of werewolves and clutched onto Harry''s robe. "That''s your problem, isn''t it?" said Filch, his voice cracking with glee. "Should''ve thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn''t you?" Hagrid came striding toward them out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He was carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder. "Abou'' time," he said. "I bin waitin'' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Hermione?" "I''ll be back at dawn," said Filch, "for what''s left of them," he added nastily, and he turned and started back toward the castle, his lamp bobbing away in the darkness. Malfoy now turned to Hagrid. "I''m not going in that forest," he said, with panic in his voice. "Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," said Hagrid fiercely. "Yeh''ve done wrong an'' now yeh''ve got ter pay fer it." "But this is servant stuff, it''s not for students to do. I thought we''d be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he''d-" "-tell yer that''s how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "Copyin'' lines! What good''s that ter anyone? Yeh''ll do summat useful or yeh''ll get out. If yeh think yer father''d rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an'' pack. Go on." Malfoy didn''t move. He looked at Hagrid furiously but then dropped his gaze and quietly followed the Giant into the forest, along with the group. --- While the group of first years prepared to face a nerfed final boss in the forbidden forest, Ben sat in his favourite chair in the Room of Requirement, his mind racing with frustration. Tonight, he had planned a heist; a heist to get the philosopher''s stone. Ben was going to steal the whole damn mirror if he couldn''t get the stone out. He was certain that Dumbles would be busy, orchestrating a meeting between the boy who lived and the man who kinda lived and hence the best opportunity for him to enter the third-floor corridor. He had placed a Portal seed in The Room of Hidden Things so that he would be able to escape before Dumbledore had any time to react once he stole the stone. Yet, his carefully crafted plan to steal the philosopher''s stone had been thwarted before it even began as Dumbledore hadn''t left the castle; at this very moment, he was sitting in his office, instead of the Forbidden Forest. ''If he''s here, instead of the forest, then it either means that he isn''t aware of the dark lord''s presence in the forest, or he doesn''t need to be in the forest to keep an eye on Harry.'' ''Which one is it?'' He thought, pulling out a small black hair from under his robes. "Agh, I''m slowly turning into a hair-collecting freak," he cursed, closing his eyes. Channelling his Magicka through the hair, he followed its subtle magical aura and entered a sort of trance, In a dark forest, two pairs of footsteps and a set of paws could be heard traversing the forest floor, under the thick trees that were blocking even the tiniest moonlight, The trail of silvery liquid on the forest floor shone even in the darkness, leading them deeper into the forest. Ben''s vision was blurred, but he could make out a clearing ahead through the tangled branches of an ancient oak. "Look-" Harry Potter''s voice broke the silence, his arm outstretched to stop Malfoy. Something bright and white was gleaming on the ground in the clearing. It was the unicorn, its long, slender legs splayed out at odd angles where it had fallen, its pearly-white mane spread out on the dark leaves. Through the vision, Ben felt that he had never seen anything so beautiful and sad. Suddenly, a slithering sound made the small party freeze where they stood. A bush on the edge of the clearing quivered, and out of the shadows, a hooded figure crawled across the ground like a stalking beast. Harry, Malfoy, and Fang stood transfixed as the figure reached the unicorn and began to drink its blood. "AAAAAAAAAARGH!" Malfoy let out a terrible scream and bolted, followed closely by Fang. The hooded figure raised its head, its gaze falling on Harry. Unicorn blood was dribbling down its front, and it got to its feet, coming swiftly towards Harry. Even Ben felt a chill running down his back. Harry clutched his forehead, as if in great pain, and staggered backwards as the dark figure charged at him. Just as everything screamed ''game over'' for Harry, he heard hooves behind him, galloping, and something jumped clean over him, charging at the figure. But Harry had little time to rejoice, the pain in his head was so bad he fell to his knees. Even Ben back in the castle could feel excruciating pain through Harry, a side effect of divining through a living being it seemed, he had to break the spell to calm down. When he focused again, the figure was gone. A centaur was standing over him or rather over Harry; he had long white-blond hair and a muscular human-like torso on the body of a palomino horse. "Are you all right?" the centaur asked, pulling Harry to his feet. "Yes, thank you," Harry replied, still feeling the lingering pain in his head. "What was that?" The centaur didn''t answer. He had astonishingly blue eyes, like pale sapphires. He looked carefully at Harry, his eyes lingering on the scar that stood out, livid, on Harry''s forehead. The centaur didn''t answer; he looked carefully at Harry, his blue eyes, like pale sapphires lingering on Harry''s livid scar. Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "You are the Potter boy," he said. "You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time, especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way." "My name is Firenze," the centaur said, bowing his head slightly so that Harry could climb onto his back. Harry didn''t need to be told twice. With a quick nod, Firenze took off through the forest, his hooves pounding against the earth. But another two centaurs came bellowing in, making Firenze skid to a stop. Benedict Brown and the Philosopher’s stone "Firenze! What in the name of the heavens are you doing?" bellowed one of them, "You''re carrying a human on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?" Firenze snorted. "Do you even know who this is, Bane? This is the Potter boy, and he needs to leave this forest as soon as possible." Bane looked as if he had been kicked in the gut. "What have you been telling him?" he demanded. "Remember our duty, Firenze. We cannot go against the stars. Haven''t you seen the signs?" The other centaur shifted nervously. "I''m sure Firenze thought he was doing the right thing," he said quietly, trying to calm the thundering Bane who kicked his back legs in anger. "The right thing? We don''t concern ourselves with such matters, Ronan. Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!" Firenze reared up on his hind legs, causing Harry to grab onto him tightly. "Do you see that unicorn?" he roared at Bane. "Do you understand why it was killed? Or has the cosmos kept you in the dark? I''m doing what I must to protect this forest, even if it means working with humans." With that, Firenze spun around and galloped off into the trees, with Harry clinging on for dear life. As they rode, Harry had no idea what was happening. But Ben certainly did, it seemed that Dumbledore had managed to pull a centaur to his cause, which was a feat in and of itself as these light-headed fools did not concern themselves with anything closer than the moon. They were only concerned with what the stars and the planets had to say, and nothing else. Another thing of note was how far Lord Voldemort had fallen to be chased away by a horse, no wonder Dumbledore didn''t think he could pose any major threats to Harry Potter. "Why''s Bane so angry?" Harry asked. "What was that thing you saved me from, anyway?" Firenze slowed down to a walk, cautioning Harry to keep his head down. They moved through the dense forest in silence for what felt like hours. Ben was starting to think that Firenze had no intention of answering Harry''s questions and was about to break the spell as he knew the answer anyways when the centaur suddenly stopped. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Harry Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?" Firenze asked abruptly. Harry shook his head, "We''ve only used the horn and tail hair in Potions," he said. Firenze sighed heavily. "To slay a unicorn is a monstrous thing," he said gravely. "Only someone who has nothing to lose and everything to gain would commit such a heinous act. The blood of a unicorn can keep you alive, even if you''re about to die. But it comes at a terrible cost. You''ll live, but your life will be cursed." Harry stared at the back of Firenze''s head, bathed in silver moonlight. "Who would be that desperate?" he wondered aloud. "Isn''t death better than being cursed forever?" Firenze nodded slowly. "Yes, death is better," he agreed. "But what if you only need to stay alive long enough to drink something else? Something that can bring you back to full strength and power? Something that can make you immortal?" "Mr Potter, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?" ''Morgana''s saggy tits! Dumble-fuckin-dore, dangling the stone for everyone to see, this is proof that Dumbles is indeed using the stone as bait, even the fucking horses know about it,'' Ben cursed in his heart. ''How did I ever forget about this,'' he said, disappointed in himself. "The Sorcerer''s Stone! Of course, the Elixir of Life! But I don''t understand who-" "Can you think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?" Firenze interrupted Harry with a question of his own. Harry felt his heart constrict in fear. The words of Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, came back to him. "Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die." "Do you mean," Harry croaked, "that was Vol-" "Harry! Harry, are you all right?" Hermione was running toward them down the path, Hagrid puffing along behind her. "I''m fine," said Harry, hardly knowing what he was saying. "The unicorn''s dead, Hagrid, it''s in that clearing back there." "This is where I leave you," Firenze murmured as Hagrid hurried off to examine the unicorn. "You are safe now." Harry slid off his back. "Good luck, Harry Potter," said Firenze. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times." -- Back in The Room of Requirements, Ben was out of Magicka and out of breath as well, he had been pushing himself to last as long as he did. He had found out that with enough straining, he could substitute Magicka with the magical energies of this world. Ben realized that Dumbledore''s biggest strength perhaps was not his vast knowledge or his immense magical prowess, but instead his deep connections. Dumbledore''s army was almost as strong, if not as big as Voldemort''s. His connections were everywhere and they were not just his sympathisers but his loyal followers. And Harry Potter would soon be among those Loyal to him. What Ben hated about the purple Gandulf was that he could have personally told Harry what he told him through Franz; or even better, he himself could have taken care of Voldemort while he was weak. But no, he had a grand plan in which he would keep dangling a carrot in front of Harry, even from beyond the grave. "Well, I''m no better. Since you have dangled this carrot in front of me, be prepared to lose it," said Ben, thinking of another plan to snatch the Philosopher''s stone from Dumbledore. Despite his frustration with the situation, Ben couldn''t deny the allure of the Philosopher''s Stone. He had been obsessed with it since the beginning of the school year, and as final exams loomed in the distance, he knew that time was running out. But even as he plotted and schemed, he couldn''t shake the feeling that there was more to his desire for the Stone than simple greed. The cloak had elicited a similar response from Ben, even before he had laid eyes on it. It was as if some unknown force was pulling him towards these magical artefacts, urging him to claim them as his own. Looking at how much Ben longed for the stone - If a book were to be written, it would probably be named -Benedict Brown and the Philosopher''s stone. -- In the Gryffindor tower, Harry shook Ron awake and dragged him to the common room. Once there, Harry began to recount what had happened in the forest, causing Ron''s eyes to widen in alarm. "Snape wants the stone for Voldemort, and he''s waiting in the forest," Harry said, pacing in front of the fireplace. "All this time, we thought Snape just wanted to get rich..." Ron''s spine shuddered at the sound of Voldemort''s name. "Stop saying his name, Harry!" he whispered, terrified. Harry continued, "Firenze saved me, but Bane''s furious about it. He was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen. They must show that Voldemort''s coming back. Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me. Great, huh? All we have to do now is wait for Snape to steal the Stone and Voldemort will finish me off. Bane will be thrilled." "Will you stop saying the name!" Ron hissed. "Harry, Brown told me something the day he got me kicked out of the Library," she said, her eyes darting nervously around the room. "What did he say?" Ron asked, his worry increasing. Ben''s predictions had only caused trouble for them so far, especially for Ron. "He claimed that he already knew we''d get into trouble the day we sent Norene away," Hermione replied, her voice shaking slightly. "And he said that there was someone else on the tower that day. And we''re all part of his plan now. ''You''ve become caught up in something far greater than yourself,'' he said." Ron felt a gulp rise in his throat. This was far more ominous than anything they had faced before. The last time Ben had made a prediction, Ron had ended up in the hospital wing for days. "Did, he say who?" Harry asked. "He didn''t, but he acted like we''d find out soon enough," Hermione said. "But when? After we''re all dead?" Ron''s voice shook with fear. "No one''s going to die," Hermione said with a reassuring voice, "Everyone says that even You-Know-Who was afraid of Dumbledore. With him around, no one will dare cause trouble inside the castle. He''s the reason that stone is still here." Hermione''s words were a comfort to Ron and Harry, who had been feeling increasingly anxious about the threat of Voldemort and the possibility of death. The sky had turned light before they stopped talking. They went to bed exhausted, their throats sore. But the night''s surprises weren''t over. As Harry pulled back his sheets to crawl into bed, his eyes widened in surprise at the sight of his invisibility cloak, folded neatly on top of his pillow. A note was pinned to it, bearing a cryptic message. "Just in case," it read. Harry felt a shiver run down his spine. Who had left the cloak for him? And just in case of what? His mind raced with possibilities as he quickly stashed the cloak under his mattress. He remembered where he had left the cloak and the conversation that he had just had downstairs, but before he could connect the dots, his exhausted mind blanked out and he was pulled into dreamland. Octopus Maximus The following day, Harry filled Ron and Hermione in on the mysterious note and the cloak that had been returned to him. Ron held the note and asked, "What do you think it means?" "I believe Professor Dumbledore is already aware of what happened in the forest, and he wants me to use the cloak in case things go terribly wrong," Harry answered, trying to make sense of the situation. Hermione furrowed her brow, "If what Brown says is true, then Dumbledore was behind your meeting with You-Know-Who." Realization dawned on Harry - if Dumbledore returned the cloak to him, then it was highly likely that he- "What''s with you and Brown now? You''re always going, ''Brown this'' and ''Brown that.'' I thought you didn''t believe in this prophecy nonsense?" Ron said, displeasure showing on his face. "I never said I don''t believe in it," Hermione replied, her voice stern as she tried to hide her fluster. "I said that it''s a very imprecise branch of magic, and the fact that he hasn''t been wrong once carries some weight." "What about the other prophecy he gave you then? It hasn''t come true, has it?"Ron shot back at her. "That-" Hermione faltered, not having a ready response. She was still uncertain as to what the prophecy meant, and how it related to their current situation. "Does that mean we don''t have to worry about it then? If Professor Dumbledore already knows about everything, the stone should be safe, right?" Harry asked, seeking reassurance for himself more than anything. As the exams drew nearer, their focus shifted away from the looming threat of Voldemort and towards the daunting task at hand - passing their exams, they hardly had any time to think about anything else. Harry could hardly focus, as he couldn''t get any sleep at night. He was plagued by recurring nightmares. In them, he saw a hooded figure, cloaked in shadow, dripping with blood. It all felt like a foreboding of something terrible to come to Harry, but he was unsure what to do about it. Ron and Hermione didn''t seem as bothered about Voldemort as they didn''t have to see his blood-dripping face every night. Michael Corner was another person walking around with big dark circles around his eyes. Ben hadn''t forgotten about his transgressions in the Great Hall, and had been giving him regular doses of [Fear] every night. Michael''s biggest fear, a bloodthirsty stoat, had now turned into his biggest nightmare as well. To stop Michael from wailing like a baby, Ben had to release Sil back into the forest. This wasn''t an inconvenience for Ben, as he could summon him back whenever he needed. It also helped Ben map out the whole forest through Sil. Ben sailed through his exams like a breeze, even without his self-answering quills. Practical exams were even easier for him. Flitwick had asked them to make a Pineapple tap dance across the table to show their control over the levitation charm. Ben not only made it tap dance, but he also properly peeled it, diced it into perfect cubes, and served it in a beautiful pattern on a platter. Flitwick seemed to have swelled with pride and grown taller at the end of it, or perhaps he was just seething with anger at the loss of his pineapple. Ben couldn''t tell. McGonagall gave them a mouse, and Ben turned it into a snuffbox with the most intricate patterns she had ever seen. He wasn''t an artist in his past life for nothing. Even Snape breathing down their necks didn''t stop Ben from brewing the perfect Forgetfulness potion in record time. Snape looked both impressed and pissed at the same time. sea??h th Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Quirrell didn''t take any practicals, and Ben doubted he was in any shape to test them. Living a cursed life must not be easy. After a long and tiring History of Magic exam, Ben went down to the lake. He had filled long parchments with all the unnecessary details about the batty old wizards who had invented self-stirring cauldrons. Now, he needed to stretch his legs a bit. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid basking in the warm shallows. Ben hadn''t seen Fred and George in a while. After taking away their precious map, it seemed as if they had lost their wings. They not only got caught very often now, but they sometimes got blamed for Ben''s pranks as well. "Yoh, Wotcha!" Ben greeted the twins and Lee as he approached them. "Hey, look, it''s the little raven," said the twins in sync. "Uh-he doesn''t look so little to me," said Lee Jordan. Ben had grown quite tall throughout the year, and heavier too. It was only because of the enlargement charms that he could still fit into his school robes. "What have you been eating, Occamy eggs for breakfast?" the twins asked jokingly. "Perhaps, I''ve been eating at Hagrid''s a lot," said Ben, remembering all the odd stuff that Hagrid cooked. The twins made a disgusted face, knowing of Hagrid''s eccentric taste buds. "So, what have you guys been up to? I heard Snape''s been hammering hard on you guys," said Ben. "They exploded a massive dungbomb in his office, that''s what," said Lee Jordan. "Wicked! You guys must be the bravest Gryffindors around," said Ben. "Bravest? Nah, Most fun? Yes, we are," said the twins. "What''s fun in getting detention with Snape?" said Ben, deflating their enthusiasm. "Ahh, that slimy bat, he took something of ours," Fred and George said together, "but we''ll get it back, eventually." Ben felt a little bad about taking the map from them, but he didn''t regret it. The Marauder''s Map had proved very vital before he got the invisibility cloak, and even now, it helped him perfectly monitor his surrounding; Ben also felt reassured that the twins couldn''t monitor his movements through the map. "Anyways, what are you guys doing with Satly the Squid here?" Ben asked, trying to lead the conversation to the giant squid. "Salty? That''s a fun name, but we''ve got something better, don''t we George?" Fred asked. "I call him Kraken McSquidface," said George, sounding very proud of the name he had given to the beast. "Eh, I still think, Sir Suctioncup sounds a lot better," said Lee. "Better? That sounds too cute and mushy," said Fred. "Better than ''Octopus Maximus'' that you came up with," said Lee. The discourse soon turned hot, and the three were almost at each other''s throats. "Alright, calm down you three," Ben said, pulling them apart. "It clearly should be named Squidzilla," he said, feeling quite proud of this one. But the uncultured Wizard population was clearly not prepared to understand this level of cultured reference. The three laughed at and ridiculed him, and Ben had to make a tactical retreat. There were a lot of students hanging around the lake today, sitting in groups. Some were simply relaxing, some having fun, and there were some who were still discussing the exams. The weather was particularly nice today, and a warm breeze was blowing. Ben made his way towards a group that had flopped on top of the soft grass under a tall tree. Flamboyant "No more studying," Ron sighed happily, stretching out on the grass. "You could look more cheerful, Harry, we''ve got a week before we find out how badly we''ve done, there''s no need to worry yet." Harry was rubbing his forehead. "I wish I knew what this means!" he burst out angrily. "My scar keeps hurting - it''s happened before, but never as often as this." "Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested. "I''m not ill," said Harry. "I think it''s a warningit means danger''s coming." Ron couldn''t get worked up, it was too hot. "Harry, relax, you said it yourself, the Stone''s safe as long as Dumbledore''s around," he said. "He won''t be around forever," said Ben as he too flopped next to them. "How much did you hear?" asked Hermione, cautiously. "Oh Relax, I already know everything that has happened, is happening or will ever happen in this castle," said Ben, stretching his arms and taking a deep yawn. Ron scoffed at that and said, "What are you doing here anyways?" he didn''t seem too pleased with Ben''s presence. "I''m but a humble messenger, it is the Fate that you should be cursing at," said Ben. "Oh Really? And what messages do you bring this time?" he asked. "I don''t know, it''s not arrived yet," said Ben closing his eyes and focusing on the Headmaster who was still in his office. Today was the day when the Big finale was supposed to happen. Originally the plot went something like this: Harry realizes that Hagrid, being the loose mouth that he is, had given away the way to get past Fluffy and rushes to warn Dumbledore, but it turns out that Dumbledore has already left for London at the Minister''s call, that too by flying as to annoy Fudge by making him wait. None of it made sense to Ben, but he was hoping that Dumbledore really would leave the castle, even if it was just to keep up the facade. Because of Ben''s interference, Harry already knew about Hagrid''s slip up but he still believed in Dumbledore and thought Dumbledore already knew everything. Harry wouldn''t be lying on the grass so casually if he knew that Dumbledore was about to leave on a trip to London on a broomstick, a flying horse or heaven knows whatever else Dumbledore likes to ride. And that''s why Ben was here, to make sure Harry still went down the trapdoor, in case Dumbledore forgot to do his job properly. Ben needed Harry to get the stone out, in case he failed to do so. Ben didn''t need to make any moves though, as Dumbledore made a grand exit, in a flying carriage that seemed to be pulled by invisible horses. But Ben could see the winged horses with black skeletal bodies, reptilian faces with white eyes, and wide, leathery wings that resemble a bat''s; Therestrals. Ben had seen them near the forest before, and the fact that he could see them was proof that he had seen death in one form or another. "There, gone," Ben said pointing at the carriage flying above them, "your saviour, told you he won''t be around forever," there was a smug look on his face as he looked at Ron. "You mean that''s Professor Dumbledore?" asked Harry. "Who else do you think is flamboyant enough to fly in a bright purple carriage?" said Ben, "Not a single Wizard alive other than Dumbledore, I''ll tell you that." The trio looked at each other and then without a word, bolted towards the castle. "I don''t recommend it, but you''ll do it anyway," screamed Ben at their backs, letting out a deep sigh. As the trio disappeared from sight, Ben realized that he should also leave. However, the thought of leaving the comfortable spot he was in made him reluctant to move. "I''ll just rest for five more minutes," he told himself. Just as Ben was about to drift into a sweet slumber, the sound of a large number of footsteps approaching on the grass shook him out of his drowsiness. A group of Ravenclaw girls surrounded him, it seemed like he was "in their spot". "Look, it''s the Seer of Ravenclaw," said a voice, in a sort of excited voice as if seeing an exotic animal at the zoo. And who could blame her? Despite being so famous, he was very difficult to find, which added to the mystery surrounding him. "More like the traitor of Ravenclaw," said a voice that Ben was very familiar with, Marietta Edgecombe. She had been giving him nasty glares ever since he had bet against Ravenclaw and in the favour of Gryffindor. "It''s lovely to see you too, Marie," Ben replied with a faint smile, barely opening one eye. Marietta let out a snort, "You''re too buddy-buddy with the Lions now. Are you sure you didn''t want to be in Gryffindor?" Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Nah, I like it in the Ravenclaw tower. It''s very peaceful there," he said, closing his eyes again, hoping to get some rest. "But you think the Ravenclaw team will lose on Friday?" queried another voice, Ben looked over and saw that the whole entourage of Ravenclaw girls was there; standing in the middle was Cho Chang; The Ravenclaw Goddess, as any Chinese urban novel would put it. Not only was she incredibly stunning, but she was also the top-performing student in her year. Cho was also a part of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, albeit only as a reserve seeker. Everywhere she went, a gaggle of Ravenclaw girls always followed her. Ben sometimes felt extremely envious of her, ''I too am smart and good looking, where''s my entourage of beautiful girls,'' he thought. But it was his own fault for being so hard to find. ''We''ll see who has the bigger flock once I''m on the team,'' he said to himself. Ben didn''t really feel this way, of course, it was just a means of amusement for him. Fighting and winning imaginary battles in their heads was a pass time many young lads often indulged in. "We''ll steamroll the Gryffindor team on Friday, no doubt," he said, standing up. "How can they possibly win the House Cup then?" Cho Chang asked. "Anything is possible when magic is involved," he said, with a mischievous grin. He then stretched his limbs with a flourish and tossed a handful of shimmering confetti into the air; it sparkled and danced in the air, before turning into flower petals and slowly drifting back down to the ground. While they were distracted, Ben had already disappeared from the spot, leaving a dumbstruck audience behind. He took one last look at the now guffawing group of girls who were now having a laugh, at his expense no doubt, and smiled. ''I aimed to become the Dark Knight, but turned into Jocker instead,'' he thought, ''Eh, whatever, at least I still have both my parents.'' Ben was starting to enjoy pulling out random stuff from his ever-growing [Storage]. A significant percentage of it was now filled with joke products and another large percentage with foods and beverages. Checking the map and using his Clairvoyance ability, Ben realized that Dumbledore was really gone. He climbed the stairs to his favourite room, The Room of Requirements, and settled into his favourite chair, waiting for things to set into motion. He couldn''t go down the trapdoor before Quirrell did, as it might alert Dumbledore and make things unnecessarily difficult for him. Down the Cerberus Hole After getting admonished by McGonagall, twice, Harry and Ron went back to the common room with heavy hearts. Harry had just said, "At least Hermione''s on Snape''s tail," when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Hermione came in. "I''m sorry, Harry!" she wailed. "Snape saw me and asked me what I was doing, so I said I was waiting for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him, and I''ve only just got away, I don''t know where Snape went." "Well, that''s it then, isn''t it?" Harry said. The other two stared at him. He was pale and his eyes were glittering. "I''m going out of here tonight and I''m going to try and get to the Stone first." "You''re mad!" said Ron. "But Harry, you can''t just go out there and try to get it yourself! You heard McGonagall - you''ll be expelled!" gasped Hermione. "SO WHAT" Harry shouted. "Don''t you understand? If Snape gets hold of the Stone, Voldemort''s coming back! Haven''t you heard what it was like when he was trying to take over? There won''t be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! He''ll flatten it, or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts! Losing points doesn''t matter anymore, can''t you see? D''you think he''ll leave you and your families alone if Gryffindor wins the house cup? If I get caught before I can get to the Stone, well, I''ll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find me there, it''s only dying a bit later than I would have, because I''m never going over to the Dark Side! I''m going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say is going to stop me!" He glared at them. "I''ll use the invisibility cloak," said Harry. "It''s just lucky I got it back." "Lucky? Dumbledore planned this and gave it to you, remember what Ben sai-", Hermione said. "I don''t care what he said, and I don''t care if Dumbledore has planned this," Harry spat, his frustration boiling over. "All I know is that I have to get the Stone before Snape does. Voldemort killed my parents, remember? I won''t let him win again." There was a heavy silence in the room for a moment, as the gravity of Harry''s words settled in. Then, to Harry''s surprise, Ron spoke up. "Will the cloak cover all three of us?" he asked, his voice low but firm. Harry''s eyes widened in surprise, "A-All three of us?" He said. "Oh, come off it, you don''t think we''d let you go alone?" sea??h th novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Of course not," said Hermione briskly. "How do you think you''d get to the Stone without us? I''d better go and look through my books, there might be something useful." -- After Dinner, the trio sneaked out of the common room, leaving a frozen Neville behind in a full-body bind. Their excursion was almost cut short when they came face to face with Peeves the Poltergeist but Harry managed to scare him away, pretending to be an Invisible Bloody Barron. They went down the trapdoor, putting Fluffy to sleep using the flute Hagrid had gifted only to be ensnared by the Devil''s snare. "Stop moving!" Hermione ordered them, "I know what this is, it''s Devil''s Snare!" She was the last one to jump down and had managed to escape its clutches in time. "Oh, I''m so glad we know what it''s called, that''s a great help," Ron snarled, trying to stop the plant from snaring around his neck. "Shut up, will you?" said Hermione, trying to focus on what to do, suddenly something kicked in her brain and she remembered. ''You will journey beyond the slumbering protector, down the flaming flora, past the winged keys and a shattered battlefield, yet the path of wisdom dictates a return at the enigma of elixirs'' "Well, Hurry up, it''s going to shut us up, Permanently!" Harry screamed, wrestling the plant as it curled around his chest. A bright jet of blue flames escaped from Hermione''s wand and the creeper cringed away from the light and warmth, flailing and wailing it released its grip on Ron and Harry. "That, that was bloody brilliant," said Ron, wiping the sweat off his face. "Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," said Harry. "That I do, but I also remembered something else," She said. ''You will journey beyond the slumbering protector, down the flaming flora, past the winged keys and a shattered battlefield, yet the path of wisdom dictates a return at the enigma of elixirs'' "Merlin''s beard! Hermione, did you fall into a cauldron of Stupid Potion?" Ron said, looking astounded at Hermione''s words. He was getting sick of prophecies and omens, especially it all coming from Hermione''s mouth. But Hermione didn''t seem dissuaded at all, "If there''s any truth to Divination and Prophecies, the next room must have flying keys," she said, pointing down a stone passageway, which was the only way forward. "Yeah, and I''ll eat my wand if there is even a key or a wing," Ron said to Harry as they followed Hermione through the dark passage. And keys there were, with wings no less; the chamber at the end of the passage was filled with shining keys with fluttering wings, flying around in a huge swarm. "Bloody Hell! I''m never doubting her again," said Ron, with his jaw wide open. At the end of the room was a huge wooden door with a silver lock, it was clear that they have to find the correct key out of the hundreds flying above their heads, but it was going to be as difficult as finding a bowtruckle in a pile of twigs. Or, it would have been, if they didn''t have one of the best seekers in Hogwarts with them. Harry hopped on the broom and did what he does best; they rushed off to the next room with a giant chess set. Ron still made the sacrifice play and Hermione and Harry marched ahead to the next room, where they found an awful-smelling troll, unconscious. Relieved at not having to fight that disgusting thing again, they hurried to the next room, praying that it wasn''t too late already. Only to be trapped in a room with a table with seven vials of different sizes, with purple and black flames blocking their way back and forwards respectively. "Snape''s," said Harry. "What do we have to do?" "Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harry looked over her shoulder to read it, it was some sort of a logic puzzle. "Brilliant," said Hermione. "This isn''t magic, it''s logic, a puzzle, the enigma of elixirs. A lot of the greatest wizards haven''t got an ounce of logic, they''d be stuck in here forever." "But so will we, won''t we?" "Of course not," said Hermione. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple." "But how do we know which to drink?" "Give me a minute." "Got it," she said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire; toward the Stone." Harry looked at the tiny bottle. "There''s only enough there for one of us," he said. "That''s hardly one swallow." They looked at each other. ''the path of wisdom dictates a return at the enigma of elixirs'' they both remembered. "Which one will get you back through the purple flames?" said Harry. Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line. "You drink that," said Harry. "No, listen, get back and get Ron. Grab brooms from the flying-key room, they''ll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy-go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I''m no match for him, really." Well, that''s what they should have done in the first place, but let us ignore that. "But Harry, what if You-Know-Who''s with him?" "Well, I was lucky once, wasn''t I?" said Harry, pointing at his scar. "I might get lucky again." Harry raised a deep red flag right there and drained the little bottle in one gulp. A deep chill flooded his body as the potion did its job. He braced himself and walked straight into the wall of black flames; the flames licked his body but he didn''t feel any pain on his skin. He soon crossed the field of black fire and was greeted with a view that shook his whole worldview. "You!" SEIZE HIM! "You!" gasped Harry "But I thought Snape-" "Severus?" Quirrell gave a cold laugh, "Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn''t he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?" Shock and disbelief covered Harry''s face as Quirrell almost started singing a parody named, ''It was Quirinus all along'' giving his villain monologue. Back in The Room of Requirements, veins bulged on Ben''s forehead when he heard Quirrell sing praises of the snake face that was hidden under his turban. He cringed so hard, that he had to break his [Clairvoyance] spell. Ben had been sitting in this room for hours now, he was at the end of his patience. Looking back, if he had known how long it was going to take, he would have arranged for a few things to pass time. He had transfigured a fifty feet high tower out of the trash that was lying around and was now sitting on top of it. Using [Clairvoyance] he felt that Dumbledore was almost at the castle, making Ben want to rush down to the chamber himself, but he decided to wait for a bit longer. There was no point in him going down anyways, the stone was still in the mirror and there was no way he was going to be able to pull it out. He was not even in front of the mirror and could still see himself surrounded by mountains of Spetims, swimming in pools of Argonian Bloodwine and chomping on juicy Mammoth Steak. Back in the boss chamber; which was located, god knows where; Quirrell had finally introduced Harry to his old friend Voldemort, who was also the lord of the only known BDSM club in the whole of Magical Britain. The Dark Lord too recounted his glory days and told Harry how his parents had begged for mercy at his feet eleven years ago. "LIAR!" Harry, who seemed to have bigger balls than the whole of Britain, shouted at Quirrell, who was walking backwards towards him. "How touching," hissed the ugly mug on Quirrell''s head. "I always value bravery.Yes, boy, your parents were braveI killed your father first; and he put up a courageous fightbut your mother needn''t have diedshe was trying to protect youNow give me that Stone in your pocket, unless you want her to have died in vain." "Even as a parasite, Voldie is capable of reading minds. Impressive," Ben thought as he prepared to make a timely entrance. "NEVER!" Harry shouted and bolted towards the exit, fully prepared to run through the flames to get away from the creepy old man. "SEIZE HIM!" Quirrell grabbed Harry by the wrist and the poor boy started screaming as a sharp pain burst from his scar, making him lose all sense of his surroundings. "FU#K," Ben too could feel his head splitting into two, but he didn''t break the spell. Quirrell wasn''t in any better shape either, blisters started bursting through his arm, making him release Harry. "Seize him! SEIZE HIM!" shrieked Voldemort again, and Quirrell lunged at Harry, tackling him to the ground. Smoke started coming from his hands that were now around Harry''s neck, trying to strangle him. "Master, I cannot hold him-my hands-my hands!" he screamed, staring at his blistering red hands, his knees still pinning Harry to the ground. "Then kill him, fool, and be done!" screeched Voldemort, and only then did Quirrell realize that he was a fuc#ing wizard and not the protagonist of a novel that goes around beating thugs in an alley. But it was already too late, just as he pulled his wand to cast a curse, Harry clutched onto Quirrell''s face with all his life. "Uff, that plot armour is even thicker than the Fat Lady," Ben thought as he gathered his Magicka in his palms. Another round of screaming started, with both Harry and Quirrell screaming at the top of their lungs while Voldemort screamed even without any lungs. "KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" In all this screaming, nobody noticed that a bright swirling vortex of light had formed in the room out of nowhere and out of which came a large ghostly wolf. It lunged at the two-faced Quirrell at once, dragging him away from Harry. Quirrell''s body was now covered in blisters and he looked no better than a festering corpse, Harry caught a glimpse of the ghost wolf before passing out from exhaustion. Hurried footsteps rang from the other side of the flame door as Dumbledore made his late entrance to the scene. He had come rushing back from London, prepared to see all sorts of scenarios, but even he was left flabbergasted. Harry Potter, the boy who lived was lying on the floor, unconscious. In front of him was a ferocious spectral wolf, growling at a dark and sinister illusory figure escaping out of Quirrell''s head, who was on his final breaths. Dumbledore rushed to check on Harry, fearing the worst but the spectral wolf jumped in front of him, glaring as if warning him not to come any closer. "It''s alright, I''m not here to hurt him," said Dumbledore, showing his empty hands. The wolf let out a whimpering howl and turned into light and scattered into the surroundings. -- Back on the seventh floor, Ben was dealing with a haggling rodent who drove a very hard bargain. "Ok, how about two Rabbit, legs," he said pulling out two rabbit legs from under his robes, but the stoat still refused to give in. "Alright, three is my final offer," he pulled out another rabbit leg but the stoat was still filled with greed. "Perhaps I should call Aquila to negotiate," he said, to which the stoat quickly jumped on his palm, taking away the rabbit legs and leaving behind a dark red stone. "Finally!" Ben said with shining eyes. He''d finally done it, that too without setting a single foot near the third floor. Combining Clairvoyance, Portal Creation, a nature spirit and an invisible stoat, he pulled off the biggest heist of his lifetime. "Now, how to make you shit gold," he muttered, inspecting the seemingly ordinary-looking rock. He was starting to doubt its authenticity when he suddenly felt a sharp pain raise out of his chest and black mist once again made its appearance. "Fu#k! Not again," Ben cursed before he passed out in agony. Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The thick black fog with flashes of light that looked like a mini thunderstorm, grew bigger and bigger. It soon enveloped the stone in Ben''s hand but did not stop there, it continued to grow and enveloped his whole body. A large swirling sphere of black fog with bright flashes of light formed in The Room of Requirement, at the centre of which was Ben, suspended in the air in the foetal position with his eyes glowing blue. --Dreamscape-- Loincloth Ben woke up feeling groggy and disoriented, his head throbbing with a dull ache. He tried rubbing his eyes to get rid of blurriness but found that he couldn''t move his arms, not only his arms but his whole body was cocooned in by a thick layer of sticky fibres. A wave of claustrophobia washed over him as he struggled to free himself, but the more he wriggled, the tighter the fibres seemed to constrict around him. ''What the hell?'' He tried to question, only to find that even his mouth was bound shut. This reminded Ben of his first Sleep Paralysis experience, it still haunted him to this day. He was relieved that he could at least wiggle like a worm, which meant that he was only bound and not paralyzed. But who would do such a thing to him? Sarch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''I didn''t get caught, did I?'' he thought, hoping that he was not on his way to Azkaban for stealing the Philosopher''s stone. Before Ben''s Imagination could run wild, he felt movement around him. Through the gaps in the fibres, he saw a shadowy figure creeping towards him. As it came closer, Ben could make out the shape of a giant spider, its eight legs creeping slowly and deliberately towards him. Ben saw the giant fangs, dripping with greenish venom, on this seven feet tall beast and it sent a shiver down his spine. He know that he was about to become a nutritious smoothie for the spider. Ben felt his heart sink, the only spider that could possibly be that big was Aragog, did Dumbledore throw him as a snack for Harid''s little pet? No, this wasn''t the time to think about this, it was time for action; desperate, life-saving action. ''Fuck it,'' he cursed and conjured as much Magicka as possible, into his two hands; one casting [Stoneflesh] and the other [Flames]. In an instant, the flames lit up the spider silk covering him and turned into a wildfire, lighting up the whole room; or, that''s what Ben thought would happen. Contrary to fiction, spider webs just shrivelled up and melted away very quickly, with very little pyrotechnics, leaving Ben quite unsatisfied. "THUD," Ben fell to the ground and the spider gave a miserable screech as its prey started spewing flames everywhere. It lifted up its huge fangs and sprayed deadly green venom towards him, it landed straight at his stoned body, making a sizzling noise. "Oh, you''re going to regret this," he said, dual casting a [Firebolt], straight at its face. "SCREECH" it let out a loud noise, getting as far away from Ben as possible, but that wasn''t going to help it now. Ben shot one [Firebolt] after another at it, finishing it up with a dual-casted massive [Ice spike], straight through its head; hammering the final something-something to its something-something; he couldn''t remember the damn saying at the moment. "That was rather anti-climactic," he said, trying to get some water from his [Storage]. He wanted to wash off the venom before the spell wore off, he didn''t feel like feeling his skin burn. But to his surprise there was no water in his storage, in fact, there was nothing in there at all, it was empty. "What the.." Never had Ben been so caught off guard, as he was on this fateful day, and the universe seemed to have even more in store for him. He looked around, trying to find some sense of certainty in his surroundings but was left even more confounded. He appeared to be standing in an underground cavern, the walls lined with thick roots and the only source of illumination being the eerie glow of luminescent fungi. Despite his best efforts, he couldn''t discern any familiar landmarks or indications as to where he might be. Apart from the recently deceased spider curled up in the corner, the cavern floor was littered with the remains of the spider''s unfortunate prey, surrounded by large egg sacs that made his skin crawl. The only way out seemed to be a long gap in the wall. Just as he was about to follow the sound of flowing water coming from the crevice, something shiny caught his eye in the light of the [Candlelight]. Ben''s eyes opened as wide as that of a Mooncalf when he picked it up; it was a claw made out of solid gold. It wasn''t the gold that shocked him or the intricate carvings on it, but the fact that he recognized this object instantly. How could he not? It was The Golden Claw of the Bleak Falls Barrow. It was the very first ruin that most Skyrim players encountered in the game. Ben too had ventured into this Drauger-infested Barrow back in the day, without proper armour or any spells. He still remembered the frustration that he had felt exploring this place without any health potions, he had to rely on eating Cabbages. He had been just a novice adventurer back then, unsure of his abilities and the dangers that lay ahead. But he had pressed on, determined to uncover the secrets hidden within the depths of the barrow. Now, years later and in a different world altogether, he found himself holding an object that he had only seen through a computer screen till now. ''Well, this isn''t the first time,'' he thought. It had all happened before and it might happen again. Ben was starting to feel a little helpless at this point; how many worlds can he switch to, before going insane? He didn''t even bother questioning why he was in just a loincloth or where his hard-earned Philosopher''s stone had gone. Ben set out towards the gap in the wall, the sound of flowing water growing louder with each step. He came across a small underground creek where he quickly washed off the frost venom from his body. The water was extremely cold, as were the surroundings. ''Gotta keep this spell up until I find something warm to wear,'' he thought as he continued deeper into the Barrow. Spoiler The Dragonborn is finally wearing his signature outfit, a loincloth. What''s going to happen next? Comment down below.. If you like my work, you can support me on /DreamyApe, I have a few extra chapters there. [collapse] Dir volaan! One thing that worried Ben was that his robes were not the only thing missing from his body, he seemed to have grown a lot taller and although his face seemed similar, it was a lot older when looked at his reflection in the water. Not only was all the stuff from his [Storage] missing, including his wand, the Hallow on his chest was missing as well. He wasn''t able to sell or buy anything either, the only thing he could access was his [Storage] and nothing else. As Ben continued deeper into the eerie underground passage, he encountered rats the size of a dog, or Skeevers as they were named in the game. ''Now I know how that spider got so big,'' he thought, looking at the Skeever that was nailed to the wall with an [Ice Spike]. It was quickly becoming Ben''s favourite spell. As he walked further, the surroundings turned eerier as the path led him into an even darker crypt. Unlike the game, there were no conveniently placed torches and candles here, it was as dark as it can be. In the light of [Candlelight], Ben saw the walls of the crypt lined with Mummified corpses and burial urns. Ben smashed one of these urns on the ground, it was filled with all sorts of ritualistic ingredients that had mostly turned to dust, but there were some things still shining in it. "Well, I''m sure you don''t mind, do you?" He said to the pile of bones in front of him and picked up a handful of shiny coins. The coins were different from the ones he''d seen before and had nordic symbols and letters imprinted on them, which made sense as the ancient Nords existed long before septims did. While Ben called the system''s coins as such but technically they were not septims either, as they had Akatosh''s seal on both faces and no Tiber Septim, Drakes would be the better-suited name, but Ben didn''t care either way. Ben put the coins in his empty [Storage] and just as he was about to open a small wooden chest in front of him, a crashing sound came from behind him. The Sarcophagus lying on the opposite wall had burst open and a dried-up corpse with glowing eyes was rising out of it. "Dir volaan!" It screamed and charged at Ben with a huge rusty old battle axe. Ben had a feeling that the Draugr was not happy to see him, Sar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "How about we talk it out, there''s no need for violence," he said while moving away from the walking corpse, but the Draugr didn''t seem interested in diplomacy. "Well, can''t say I didn''t try," he said as he launched a barrage of ice spikes at his charging figure. It was a lot harder to take down a Draugr as it kept moving even with a spike buried in its stomach, and its armour on fire. While Ben had watched enough Zombie movies to know the golden rule of ''Always aim for the head'', he was having a difficult time aiming, as the damn thing kept moving, not to mention the helmet on its rotten head. By the time Ben took it down for good, three more had awoken from their slumber and were advancing towards him. Ben, on the other hand, was running out of Magicka, he had been repeatedly casting [Oakflesh] as he was quite literally naked otherwise. As he watched the three undead charge at him, something clicked in his mind and he felt like burrowing his face in an urn out of embarrassment. ''I''m turning into a dumb protagonist,'' he thought, casting [Turn Lesser Undead] at two of the draugar while charging at the third one, grabbing the huge Battle Axe from the downed draugr. [draugr-singular, draugar-plural] The two draugar fled to the distance, giving Ben some breathing space while engaging the third one, but he didn''t continue fighting like a mindless protagonist of a shoddy novel. He fired [Sunfire] at it, dealing significantly more damage than the [Firebolt] while also breaking its guard, and then he slammed the massive Battle axe on its head, splitting it in half. Since it was the real world, Ben didn''t need to download a mod to use magic with a two-handed weapon, he could just rest the battle axe on his shoulder to free one hand. Just like this, he continued forward, using [Turn Lesser Undead] to fight one draugr at a time, making quick work of it with the combination of [Sunfire] and his massive Battle Axe. It was a lot safer and also helped him conserve Magicka for casting [Oakflesh] on himself. He didn''t forget looting burial urns and coffins along the way, adding ''Grave Robber'' to his growing achievements. As Ben pushed deeper into the crypt, the number of undead only seemed to grow, their shrill screams echoing off the walls. They kept coming at him, screaming Merlin knows what, nothing pleasant that was for sure. Ben left a trail of broken skulls and severed limbs as the path finally led him to a long antechamber with a large door at its end. Unlike the previous rooms, the antechamber was very well-lit with numerous braziers blazing intensely in the room. Ben''s eyes were pulled towards its walls, adorned with murals that depicted ancient Nords, worshipping a range of powerful creatures. There were a total of nine mighty figures, A Dragon, Hawk, Wolf, Snake, Moth, Owl, Whale, Bear, and Fox. From what Ben knew of Nordic lore, they represented the totemic forms of the Eight Divines plus the ninth being Lorkhan, the fox. Ben had always been fascinated by Lorkhan, the Nords revere him as the heroic Shor, the trickster god who wielded his clever magic to bring about the current world, even though he was forced to sacrifice his own life in the process. Some other races see him as the big Bad Man and claim him to be responsible for all the world''s strife and suffering. The lore was conflicted on Lorkhan, just as it was on everything else. Before Ben could ponder any deeper on the Nordic pantheon of gods, the vertical sarcophagi at the corners of the room burst open and out came four menacing draugar. Their eyes shone brighter than any he''d faced before while their armour seemed polished and their blades sharpened. "Qiilaan us dilon!" "Bolog aaz, mal lir!" "Kren sosaal!" "Dir volaan!" They each let out a different battle cry, but Ben had heard similar screams a hundred times already and was not phased. He aimed at the closest draugr and cast [Turn Lesser Undead] at him. But to Ben''s utter shock and dismay, it only staggered back a bit and then continued charging at him. "Fu#k," he cursed, these draugar didn''t seem to fall under ''Lesser Undead''. But he quickly regained his calm, he still had [Sunfire], and it only cost him 12 Magicka points as an Apprentice Mage. It may not be his strongest spell but it was the most efficient against undead creatures. He abandoned the heavy Battle Axe and conjured the [Bound Sword], readying himself for a serious fight. -- "Qiilaan us dilon!" - Bow Before the Dead! "Bolog aaz, mal lir!" - Beg for Mercy, Little worm! "Kren sosaal!" - Break and Bleed! "Dir volaan!" - Die, Intruder! Unrelenting It soon turned into a game of death tag. Ben skittered around the room with four ancient corpses at his tail. He sweated bullets, trying to dodge their attempts to cleave him in two while he threw [Sunfire] at the blasted things. Ben opted for a slash-and-run tactic with his [Bound Sword]. While he wasn''t confident in facing them up close, staggering them with Sunfire gave him the necessary opportunity to hack at their heads safely. The Bound Sword was weightless, as it was just a projection of the daedric spirits. Added to that, the {Mystic Binding} perk allowed Ben to manifest its abilities depending on his strength, giving Ben a significant boost in speed and lethality. While the draugr weren''t too slow themselves, they were no match for Ben, who moved nimbly without getting weighed down by weapons or armour. He tried using [Conjure Familiar] to distract some of them, but it proved to be a waste of Magicka as the draugr made quick work of the poor spectral wolf. Ben didn''t dare conjure an Atronach or a Boneman, as he hadn''t summoned them before, and he would only end up reinforcing his enemies if something went wrong now. After several minutes of intense cardio, Ben slashed at the final draugr, separating its unsightly mug from its shrivelled-up corpse. "Huf Huf, I-I should probably start doing regular cardio," he said. Ben hadn''t felt out of breath in a long time. His stamina had long surpassed normal human or even wizard standards, and hence he hadn''t felt the need to put extra work into it. ''It would increase as I levelled up anyway,'' he had thought until now. He looked at the large door at the end of the antechamber. It was quite familiar, as he had seen it countless times in the game. It had three large concentric dials, but unlike the game, which only had three symbols per dial, here there were nine different dials, one for each Nordic totem. "It means that there are 729 possible combinations to open this doorway, as compared to just 27 possible combinations used in the game. The reality is a cruel bitch, just as always." Sarch* The n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ben occupied his thoughts with some math while he regained his breath and recovered his Magicka. He was slowly turning into a true Ravenclaw. Before moving any further, Ben had a difficult choice in front of him. He could continue his legendary, no armour, loincloth run, or he could swallow his pride and his disgust to further advance on his grave robbing career by stripping the dismembered draugr for armour. And indeed, he hath elected to despoil the deceased draugr, demonstrating a lack of honour and a dearth of self-respect that rendereth him repugnant in his own right. Verily, I do jest, for though he may be deemed a shameless and disreputable cur, he doth not possess the loathsome characteristics requisite to don the foul armour of a putrefying corpse. Ahm-Ben retrieved The Golden Claw from his [Storage], the precious artefact glinting in the dim light of the underground chamber. He approached the imposing stone door that stood before him and rotated its three dials until they matched the pattern on the claw. With a deep breath, he placed the dragon claw in the indent at the centre of the door and turned it clockwise. The door made rumbling sounds and slowly receded under the ground, revealing stone steps that led him to a massive cavern. As he stepped inside, Ben was struck by the mystical aura that permeated the cavern. Waterfalls cascaded from the back and sides of the cave, creating a soothing melody that filled his ears. In the centre of the cave stood an altar with a curved wall on it. Despite the enchanting beauty of his surroundings, Ben''s attention was immediately drawn to the wall of the altar. He felt a magnetic pull towards it, as if something within the words etched onto its surface was calling out to him. Ben walked across a small bridge over the raging stream of water and began to climb the stairs of the altar, his eyes glued to the wall. As he approached, he could hear a thumping rumble that seemed to permeate through the air and reverberate through his entire being, enveloping him in a trance-like state. For a moment, Ben was lost in the sensation, the power of the wall overwhelming him, until, "FUS RO DAH" "A deep, thundering voice bellowed through the chamber, flinging Ben off his feet and sending him hurtling down the steps. He landed with a painful thud at the edge of the raging stream, dazed and disoriented. Struggling to regain his senses, Ben looked back up at the altar. Emerging from a half-opened sarcophagus was a menacing figure - a draugr with sickly grey skin and armour etched with intricate runes. Its glowing eyes shone blue through a long-horned helmet, and in its hand it held an ancient Nordic longsword, its sharp edge glowing with a chilling blue light. As the draugr began to charge down the steps towards him, Ben''s heart raced with fear for the first time. Skipping over multiple steps in a single bound, the draugr lunged with its sword held high. Ben barely had time to cast a spell or even stand, but he managed to summon the [Bound sword] just in time. The draugr''s sword came down with a deafening clang, leaving a trail of frost that froze the air. Ben gritted his teeth as he poured all his strength behind the sword, the ancient longsword stopped just a few inches away from his face. "Kren sosaal!" The draugr''s scream echoed off the mossy walls of the ancient tomb, filling the air with an eerie resonance. "Yeah, we''ll see about that," Ben said with gritted teeth, his muscles tensing as he pushed with all his might to force the draugr back. With a flick of his wrist, he shot a ball of [Sunfire] at the draugr and charged forward, his blade at the ready. The draugr staggered back, as its flesh sizzled at contact with the holy fire but it quickly recovered. Ben saw its chest expand as it pulled air into its rotten lungs, but he didn''t stop. "FUS RO DAH," it shouted again, but this time he was ready. Ben cast a [Steadfast Ward] with his left hand, the ethereal ward flickered as it absorbed most of the shout; the remaining force could only slow him down a little. As the echoes of the shout faded away, he was already in front of the draugr. With a swift strike, Ben''s blade ran across the draugr''s shrivelled neck, separating its head from its body. The sickly smell of decay filled his nostrils as the draugr''s lifeless body crumpled to the ground, the blue glow of its sword fading away. Ben took a deep breath, the adrenaline still pumping through his veins as he scanned the tomb for any more enemies. When it rains, it pours After making sure that there were no more threats, Ben ascended the steps of the ancient altar, his heart pounding with both excitement and trepidation. The curved wall at the back of the altar was adorned with a giant Dragon head at the top and strange markings ran from it, covering the whole wall. At the centre of it all, were lines and lines of strange words that he couldn''t decipher, but that somehow called out to him. As he approached, the words on the wall started to glow, and he heard a low, guttural chanting that seemed to emanate from the very stones themselves. It reverberated through the air and shook his entire being, pulling him into a trance. The chanting grew louder and louder, its rhythm steady and hypnotic. Ben felt his mind expand with each repetition, like a balloon being inflated to its limit. He reached out to touch the wall, his fingers trembling. As they brushed against the ancient text, he felt a wave of energy course through him. It was like a tsunami, enveloping his senses and drowning his world into a kaleidoscope of colour and sound. All of a sudden, he could feel everything, or nothing, he couldn''t quite tell. He felt strangely connected to something - or things, or beings, or some phenomenon - that he couldn''t quite name. It was like touching something that didn''t exist, like glimpsing at something invisible and smelling something with no odour. His senses stretched so far that they felt limitless, yet he couldn''t make sense of anything. Suddenly, Ben felt his senses getting pulled towards a sound, a deep vibration that thrummed with power. It was a power, no, a force so great that words failed to describe it. It was limitless, inexhaustible, unstoppable, insurmountable - all the adjectives in the world failed to describe it. Ben felt the Force entrench itself into him, making him feel unstoppable. He felt as if he could break the whole world with just a single word, and that word - it was like a secret that had been locked away in the deepest parts of being and was screaming to be let out, and so he did. "FUS" As soon as the word escaped his mouth, the power surged through him like a wave, blowing away everything in its way, and the world around Ben shattered and disintegrated back into nothingness. -- As Ben regained consciousness, he slowly opened his eyes and found himself lying on the floor, surrounded by the wreckage of the tower of trash he had been building in The Room of Requirements. He looked around, but there was no wall, no waterfall, and no cavern. "What the hell?" Confused and disoriented, he tried to make sense of what had just happened. His mind felt foggy, as if he had just woken up from a dream, but as he began to piece together the events of the past few hours, he felt a jolt of realization. He reached for the Philosopher''s stone, but it was no longer in his grasp. Instead, he was holding a dull-looking stone slab that felt cold to the touch. As he turned the pentagonal-shaped slab of ancient stone over in his hands, his eyes were drawn to the intricately inscribed Dragon''s face on its surface, which bore a striking resemblance to the one on the curved wall of the cavern. Curiosity getting the better of him, he flipped the stone over, revealing a single word etched in the same ancient language as the word wall. Unlike before, he could now read the word with ease. It read "FUS," or Force and as he gazed upon the word, he felt a familiar sensation, a force that seemed to emanate from the stone and resonate through his body. It was a feeling beyond description, beyond words, and yet, Ben understood it all too well. He took a deep breath and uttered- "FUS" The resulting shockwave echoed through the room, toppling a few items from the tops of the mountains of things in the room, but the chair that he had aimed at, only flew a dozen meters away. "Well, that''s a bit disappointing," Ben was not impressed, especially since he had been flung a lot farther by the Draugr Overlord. He examined the stone plate in his hands, it looked like the Dragonstone which contained the location of Dragon Burriel mounds in the game, but the one in his hands didn''t have a map inscribed on it, only a dragon face. Sear?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Since staring at the Dragonstone didn''t seem to answer his questions, Ben decided to stash it away for now. He called out for [Storage], hoping to check whether he had regained his inventory. However, instead of the usual puff of smoke that created a small window, a large amount of dark mist gathered in front of him, coalescing into a portal the size of a door. Despite feeling a sense of foreboding, Ben couldn''t help but be drawn to the mysterious portal. "This is new," he muttered, hesitating for a moment before stepping through the portal and feeling a sudden shift in temperature. When the mist cleared from his vision, he found himself in a small room adorned with wall scones and candlehorns that emitted a warm glow. A fire pit burned near the entrance with meat hanging from the ceiling to dry, and Ben recognized the mammoth snouts and rabbit legs that he had bought from the store. As he looked around the room, he saw his shabby old broom displayed on a wall mount, along with a few Ancient Nord weapons, including a glowing Ancient Nord Greatsword that he had looted from the Draugr overlord. His scorched wand and Hogwarts books lay on a nearby table, along with his self-answering quills. The shelves in the room were filled with items that he had placed in the [Storage], including bottles of Ale and Mead. On the side table adjacent to a small bed made of bear pelts, Ben found a small pile of gold coins that seemed to be the ones he''d borrowed from the peaceful draugar. In a small shining gold chest at the foot of the bed, he found a handful of Septims, exactly about the number of Septims he had stored in the inventory. Suddenly, Ben was startled when he saw a figure with long horns from the corner of his eye. He almost summoned his sword when he realized it was a mannequin dressed in Draugr Overlord armour, staring at him with its beady eyes. But the biggest shock was the sight of two tables lined at the back of the room: a round Alchemy table with a number of glass equipment on top, and a pentagonal Enchanting table with a glowing star inscribed on it. "Bloody Hell! Am I in Skyrim again?" he questioned, feeling both excited and confused. He made his way out of the front door, hoping to get a clearer picture of his current whereabouts. New Skill Stepping out of the small house, Ben was greeted by an eerie sight. He stood on top of a small hill, surrounded by a desolate island that stretched for about a hundred meters in every direction. The sky above was lit by a small sun, with two moons hanging in the sky - one large, rusted, and red, the other small and bluish-grey, casting an otherworldly glow over the barren landscape. As Ben considered getting his broomstick to survey the land, he was surprised to find it already in his hand. It seemed that he could instantly summon items from his inventory here. The air outside was freezing, reminding Ben of his time fighting undead in nothing but a loincloth. He took to the air on his broomstick, casting [Oakflesh] once more to resist the icy chill. Except for a small pond at the bottom of the hill, everything was barren. Not even weeds grew on the land. He didn''t have to fly for long before he reached the edge of this barren land. A sea of dark mist blocked his way forward, devouring anything that touched it, not even giving any gold in return. Ben was grateful that he hadn''t been foolish enough to charge into it. After observing for a while, Ben realized that the dense sea of mist was very slowly receding, revealing newly formed land in its wake. That explained why the land was barren - it was fresh off the dark sea. The realization blew Ben''s mind, he couldn''t believe what he was seeing. Not only had his small [Storage] turned into a private island, but it was still expanding as well. He had heard of people bringing their farm to another world, but looking at the sun and moons in the sky, it seemed he had brought another world into his [Storage]. "I''ll be damned, what else has changed," he asked himself and called for his status panel. -- [[STATUS]] [SHOP] [STORAGE ] [Name: Benedict Nigel Brown. Species: Human[Wizard]. Job : [Apprentice Mage], [Enchanter(Novice)], [Alchemist(Novice)] Title : Dragonborn[Level 30]. Vitality : 400 Magicka : 400 [Deathly Hallows[1/3] : Invisibility Cloak] [Thu''um] : [Unrelenting Force(1/3)] [Familiars] : [Stoat(Silvaticus), Dragon(Norene), Owl(Aquila)] [[SKILLS]] Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Alteration[Level 37(Apprentice)]] [Conjuration[Level 32(Apprentice)]] [Destruction[Level 30(Apprentice)]] [Illusion[Level 36(Apprentice)]] [Restoration[Level 29(Apprentice)]] [Weapons Mastery[Level 10(Novice)]: [Slash], [Block], [Sneak Attack]] -- Ben was pleased to see the addition of his newly acquired [Thu''um] and the [Alchemist]. However, he wasn''t too thrilled about the Alchemist job as Alchemy in Skyrim was just Potion Brewing, except, it didn''t use a cauldron. Still, he was excited to try brewing techniques from Skyrim and try to merge them with things that he had learned in this world. What really caught his attention was his level, which had jumped from level 22 to level 30. He couldn''t fathom how he managed to level up so quickly, "Don''t tell me killing draugar made me level up," Ben asked disbelievingly, as he had killed wolves in the forest before but nothing of this sort had happened. Ben''s amazement only increased as he discovered that his skills had also significantly increased, with the addition of a new skill called [Weapons Mastery]. He was puzzled as to why this skill had not appeared earlier, especially since he had used [Bound Sword] in practice quite often. Despite the confusion surrounding his new abilities, Ben was relieved to find that his trusty [Storage] panel was still present and that it displayed a list of items he had stored there. He was grateful to know that using the [Storage] was just as convenient as before, despite the addition of a whole damn Island. -- Ben decided it was time to leave the space and a portal quickly materialized in front of him, leading to the Room of Requirement. As he stepped through the portal, he realized he had lost track of time during this whole ordeal. He rushed out of the room and was shocked to find that the sun was already up. Now, he was even more afraid as he sprinted back to the Ravenclaw tower, hoping that he had only been gone for a few hours and not days. His mad sprint came to a halt as he reached the entrance to the Ravenclaw tower. "What is always in front of you but can''t be seen?" asked the bronze knocker on the door. "The future," Ben answered annoyed at the bronze eagle and quickly rushed into the common room. Everyone present turned to look at his dishevelled appearance. His robes were slipping, his long hair reaching his neck was now covering his face, and his face looked red because of all the running. "Blimey, where''ve you been, Brav? We haven''t seen you since last night," said Terry Boot, who approached Ben along with Michael. Ben breathed a sigh of relief; he hadn''t been away for too long. "Are you all right, mate? You look like you''ve just faced a horde of Inferi," said Michael. "Yeah, I''m fine," said Ben, looking confused at the odd expression on Michael''s face. "What''s the matter?" he asked. "Well, you see, mate, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were found injured in the third-floor corridor, there were all kinds of rumours flying about how they fought a giant dog and even faced a dark wizard. And-" Michael trailed off into silence, his eyes drifting around the room. "And-" Ben asked, already feeling dreadful news coming. "And you''d gone missing last night as well, when you didn''t turn up for breakfast, we got a bit worried and had to tell Flitwick about it. He''s been looking for you all over," said Michael, scratching his head. While Michael and Terry apologized for getting him in trouble and asked where he had been, Ben was lost in thought, knowing that he was in trouble this time. He had committed the perfect crime, stealing the Philosopher''s Stone without even setting foot on the third floor, but now it may all be ruined. The stone had gone missing, and a student who knew its whereabouts was missing as well. There was an obvious connection to any able-minded person. Dumbledore was bound to make that connection, though he wouldn''t be able to prove anything as the stone had already disappeared. Ben could only hope that the trio hadn''t talked about him to Dumbledore, or he would have a lot of explaining to do. Vindicated In the Ravenclaw tower, a tense atmosphere loomed over Ben as he racked his brain for a way out of the mess he had found himself in. His mind raced faster than a Nimbus 2000 as he pondered various scenarios, trying to find an excuse that would get him out of trouble. ''Should I ingest some Frostbite Venom and act sick? No, if I get caught, it''s gonna make things worse,'' Ben thought, on the verge of self-harm. Meanwhile, Michael and Terry were having the time of their lives, watching Ben''s face lose all colour. But it was Michael who finally broke the silence with a burst of laughter, followed by Terry. "Bahh, I can''t hold it any longer," he said between gasps for breath. "You rascals!" Ben exclaimed, finally realizing that the two boys were pulling a prank on him. "You should see the look on your face, mate. It''s as if you''ve just seen a dementor," Terry said, pointing at Ben''s face. "That''s not funny at all!" Ben said, feeling angry but relieved at the same time. "Oh, it is. I''ve never seen you sweating like that," Michael said, grinning from ear to ear. "Did you really think we''d be worried about you? You sneak out every night, probably to the Restricted Section of the Library if we know you at all," Terry added, trying to contain his laughter. "You guys knew?" Ben asked, shocked. "Of course, we knew. How dumb would we have to be not to notice you missing every night?" Michael said, still chuckling. Ben realized that he had underestimated these little buggers. He would have to start brewing the Dreamless Sleep Potion or perhaps find a spell to put people to sleep. "We would get Flitwick if you missed the Quidditch match, though," Terry said, wiping his tears from all the laughing. Ben remembered that it was the last match of the year today, Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw. Without their young seeker on the team, Gryffindor was like a dying old lion, just waiting to become food for the ravens. "Just give me some time to freshen up," Ben said and rushed towards the boy''s washroom. "Don''t take too long, or the best seats will be taken!" Michael yelled after him, still laughing. -- Ben set up his table on the edge of the field, not far from the Gryffindor stands. It was the last match of the season, and the air was charged with excitement. People were streaming into the stadium, looking for the best spot to watch the game. Ben didn''t care much about the game itself. He was there for a different reason. He was a professional bookie now, and he was looking to make some money. He called out to the passing crowd, offering great odds on the wounded lion somehow surviving against the ravens today. "Come on, people! This could be the day you win big. Anyone confident of the Gryffindor''s win or just looking to test their luck is welcome to place a bet. Don''t be shy, come and try your luck!" he shouted. Most people ignored him, but some were curious. They walked over to his table and placed small bets. Ben smiled and took their money. He knew that if he wanted to make any real money, he''d have to rile up the Gryffindors. But he didn''t want to push them too far and risk getting punched in the face. As he was setting up, he noticed a small girl charging down the stands with a freckled boy in tow. She looked displeased, and Ben figured she was probably just having a very bad hair day. "I cannot believe how insensitive you are," she said as she approached his table. "Ah, nice to see you, Ms Granger. Would you like to place a bet? I personally don''t think that Gryffindor stands a chance today," he said with a smile, ignoring the look on her face. "Harry''s lying unconscious in the Hospital wing, and all you care about is making money, you didn''t even visit him," she said, looking even more disappointed. Ben wasn''t fazed. "You heard her folks! She doesn''t think Gryffindor stands a chance without their Golden Boy. Anyone who would like to disagree?" he announced to the small crowd that was starting to gather around him. "I''ll show you disagreement," Ron almost leapt at him with bawling fists, but Hermione stopped him. "You can''t show any disagreements, Weasley, you''re broke. Now, clear the way for people with fat wallets," Ben said nonchalantly. While he didn''t hate the boy, he was getting tired of Ron finding beef with him again and again. And he didn''t even like beef. Sear?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ron''s face went red with embarrassment. If it weren''t for Hermione holding him back, he would have lunged at Ben like a weasel. "How could you?" said Hermione, looking hurt. "Oh, stop being so dramatic, will you?" Ben said, rolling his eyes, "He is broke and so am I, and I will stay broke if you don''t stop interrupting my business," he said, shooing them away while collecting more bets. "Mister Brown, what do you think you are doing here," said a tall woman in emerald green robes, coming towards the Gryffindor stands. "Good day, Professor McGonagall, how would you like to place some bets, I feel Gryffindor stands great odds of winning the Quidditch Cup this year," he said with a smile, rubbing his palms like a slimy salesman. "I can''t be doing that," she said shocked at his invitation, "And It would do you well to remember that betting is against school rules," she said sternly and with a wave of her wand, she vanished his betting table along with the few sickles and knuts he had managed to collect till now. "Oh come on professor, Quidditch is no fun without something on the line," Ben protested to Professor McGonagall. "Something IS on the line, Mr Brown, and it''s your house''s reputation," McGonagall replied with a stern look. "But-" Ben opened his mouth to argue, but the professor cut him off. "Enough. I recommend you don''t attempt this again, Mr Brown, unless you want to spend long hours in detention with me," she said and left towards the top stands. Ben couldn''t resist one last comment as McGonagall walked away. "I would love to spend time with you, Professor. If you were fifty years younger," he muttered under his breath. Glancing over at Hermione''s smug face, Ben couldn''t help but feel like she had something to do with McGonagall''s sudden appearance. He let out a heavy sigh. His debut as a bookie had been a disaster. He had dreams of creating a successful betting empire, but all of his dreams had been crushed in one go. Now he would have to go back to being sneaky and betting with the older students. "Forget it. Let''s just relax today," Ben thought to himself as he took a seat next to Hermione, who always seemed to enjoy ruining everyone''s fun. "What are you doing here? Don''t you have money to make?" Hermione sneered at him. Ben cursed silently to himself, trying to calm his temper. "You shouldn''t hit kids... you shouldn''t hit girls," he repeated to himself like a mantra. As the Gryffindor team was steamrolled by Ravenclaw, Ben almost felt bad for the lions. But at the same time, he couldn''t help feeling vindicated as he watched Hermione and Ron''s drooping heads. Even the Ravenclaw players couldn''t believe the margin of their victory. It was a shameful sight for all Lions. The worst part was that Gryffindor had suffered their worst defeat in 300 years, and Ben had earned nothing for it. Hospital Wing The next day, Ben spent most of his time lazing around the castle, everywhere he went, people were talking about yesterday''s Quidditch Match and there were a number of people wondering whether Gryffindor''s seeker, Harry Potter would ever wake up. Since there were a few more days before the exam results came out, Ben found a place with a nice view of the school and sat down with a book, he had a few plans for the coming break and he wanted to be prepared. As evening approached, Ben saw Hermione and Ron rushing past him towards the South Wing. He hadn''t talked to them today, but he knew that they were both worried sick about Harry, who was still lying unconscious in the Hospital Wing. Seeing the way they were rushing towards the Hospital Wing, Ben got curious, according to him, there was still a day before Harry woke up. Had he woken up earlier? His curiosity was piqued. He decided to follow them, keeping himself invisible, once near the Hospital Wing, he could hear some commotion coming from inside. "Just five minutes," Ben heard Harry pleading. "Absolutely not," came the voice of the stern nurse, Madan Pomfrey. "You let Professor Dumbledore in-" "Well, of course, that was the headmaster, quite different. You need rest." It seemed that Harry had been awake for quite a while and the Headmaster had already paid his visit. "I am resting, look, lying down and everything. Oh, go on, Madam Pomfrey," "Oh, very well," she said. "But five minutes only," said the nurse letting Hermione and Ron in and Ben too slipped along with them, invisible. "Harry!" Hermione called out as she rushed to Harry''s side. "Oh, Harry, we were sure you were going to - we were so worried-" "The whole school''s talking about it," said Ron. "What really happened?" Ben watched as Harry started telling them what happened in the final chamber, he told them everything: Quirrell; the mirror; the Stone; and Voldemort. Ron and Hermione were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right places, and when Harry told them what was under Quirrell''s turban, Hermione screamed out loud. "So, what happened to the stone?" Ron asked. "I- It''s gone missing," said Harry. "Missing?" Hermione said shocked. "Yes, Dumbledore was shocked as well when I told him I had the stone in my pocket, he hadn''t found anything on me. You see, only someone who wanted to find the Stone - find it, but not use it - would be able to get it, otherwise, they''d just see themselves making gold or drinking Elixir of Life. Dumbledore was shocked when the stone was missing from the mirror, but Quirrell or I didn''t have it and Voldemort was- well, he doesn''t have hands, does he?" "So the Stone''s gone?" said Ron finally. "Flamel''s just going to die?" "That''s what I asked as well, but Dumbledore thinks that- what was it?- ''to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.''" "I always said he was off his rocker," said Ron, looking quite impressed at how crazy his hero was. "But where could it have gone? Was there someone else there?" asked Hermione, her brows furrowed with worry. "No, not that I know of, although- I do remember seeing a dog before I fainted," said Harry, recalling the strange ghostly creature that had appeared before him. "A dog?" said Ron, looking perplexed. "Yes, it looked like a ghost of a dog. Dumbledore saw it too. He said it looked like it was protecting me from Voldemort''s ghastly form and then disappeared into thin air," said Harry. "A dog? I don''t think there''s a ghost like that in Hogwarts, even ''Hogwarts: A History'' doesn''t mention it," said Hermione, her voice tinged with confusion. "Dumbledore said it could have been a - a Patronus - I think," said Harry, looking at Hermione for any signs of recognition. But she just shook her head; even though she was smart, she was still just a first-year. "He didn''t say what that was?" she asked, and Harry shook his head. Meanwhile, Ben, who was still under his invisibility cloak, couldn''t believe what he was hearing. ''How could Dumbledore take my ghost familiar as a Patronus?'' ''Well, it''s not a ghost technically, it''s a nature spirit,'' he responded to his own question. Ben realized that it was kind of similar to the Patronus which was also known as a spirit guardian. S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ''If Dumbledore really thinks it was a Patronus then-'' Ben could feel his head hurt thinking of the repercussions as the most likely suspect would be the dog locked up in Azkaban. "So it was all for nothing then? Someone still got their hands on it," said Ron, looking dejected. Harry and Hermione shared the sentiment, knowing that in the wrong hands, the Philosopher''s Stone could cause a lot of harm. "So what happened to you two?" asked Harry, changing the subject. "Well, I got back all right," said Hermione. "I brought Ron round - that took a while - and we were dashing up to the Owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the entrance hall - he already knew - he just said, ''Harry''s gone after him, hasn''t he?'' and hurtled off to the third floor." "D''you think he meant you to do it?" said Ron. "Sending you your father''s cloak and everything?" Harry''s expression tightened at the mention of the cloak, and he took a deep breath before speaking. "It''s not my father''s cloak," he said quietly, his smile bittersweet. "What do you mean it''s not?" asked Ron, puzzled. "You just said it was Dumbledore who gave you the cloak, and he''d gotten it from your father," asked Ron confused. "He did give me my father''s cloak," confirmed Harry, "but someone has replaced it with a different cloak. "Replaced it? What for? Invisibility cloak''s an Invisibility cloak, isn''t it?" said Ron. "Dumbledore said it was a special cloak- my father''s, he didn''t say how but he said it had been in my family for generations." "But who could have replaced it?" said Hermione, frowning. --Dreamscape-- I skipped Harry''s conversation with Dumbledore but you''ll be able to tell what they talked about using this conversation, and since Ben''s familiar dragged Quirrell away a little earlier, Harry woke up a day earlier. Island Practice "But who could have replaced it?" said Hermione, frowning. "It''s probably Dumbledore who replaced it, he was the one who found it at the tower, and no one else has touched it," said Ron, convinced that Dumbledore did have a few screws loose. "I don''t know," admitted Harry, "but it''s probably not Dumbledore. He wouldn''t lie to me about something like that, he was the one who gave it to me in the first place," Hermione exploded, "Yes, only for you to face You-Know-Who, I mean it''s terrible - you could have been killed." "No, it''s not," said Harry thoughtfully. "He''s a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don''t think it was an accident he let me find out how the mirror worked. It''s almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort if I could." Ben was astounded by Harry''s blind faith in Dumbledore, ''Brah, I feel like you deserve what''s coming for you,'' he thought. "Doesn''t know enough of what goes around here if things just keep getting stolen, does he?" Hermione retorted and Ben gave her a high five but was left hanging as he was invisible. "Yeah, Dumbledore''s off his rocker, all right," said Ron and for the first time, Ben found himself agreeing with him. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Listen, you''ve got to recover soon, the end-of-year feast is the day after tomorrow. The points aren''t all in but Slytherin will most likely win, of course - you missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrollered by Ravenclaw without you - but the food''ll be good." At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over. "You''ve had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT" she said firmly and Ben quietly followed the two out, leaving a few extra boxes of candy on top of the huge pile of gifts from Harry''s well-wishers. Being a celebrity does have some perks. They were soon replaced by Hargid, who looked too big to fit in this place, to be honest. "It''s - all - my - ruddy - fault!" he sobbed with his face in his hands as he towered over Harry''s bed even though he was on his knees. Even though Ben considered Hagrid a friend, he couldn''t help but agree that it was kinda his fault. -- Ben went to sleep early and woke up to Aquila lightly nibbling on his ear around midnight. He had asked her to wake him up once everyone was fast asleep. The mental link with the familiars was quite useful, as he often communicated through it. Similar to talking to a baby, he could feel them learning and getting smarter each day. Closing the curtains on his four-poster bed, Ben summoned the portal to his very own private island. A cloud of black mist escaped his chest, forming a swirling portal. Going through it, Ben saw that the landscape was just as barren and sad. The sky looked dim, as the small sun failed to illuminate the land properly. Two moons in the sky reflected two different shades of light, giving the sky two different shades. Looking around, Ben still couldn''t spot a single blade of grass on the land. The small lake in the middle of the island looked just as calm as it was dead. Looking at this dead world, Ben could feel the silence and sadness in the air. He felt lonely here. Perhaps he should try populating this place and get some plants. "That''s probably not going to work. I doubt this place even has the necessary microbes in the soil," Ben thought out loud, trying to liven the silence around him. "It''s already a miracle that the air in here is breathable," he said, taking a deep breath. He decided to solve the complex task of bringing life to this place some other time and focus on what he came here for in the first place: to practice his Thu''um. For the rest of the night, shouts of "FUS" followed by shockwaves of force filled the previously silent space. Ben could feel his understanding of force slightly increase with practice, but it seemed frustratingly slow. Screaming with such intensity and force bore a heavy burden on his throat, and it soon got sore. Luckily, Ben had the [Healing] spell to take care of such minor inconveniences for him. Soon he got into a cycle of screaming his throat sore and then healing it, only to then scream at the top of his lungs again. Thu''um did not require one to scream for it to work; even a whisper was enough to topple over the world if one had the mastery. But as a beginner, Ben found that screaming his lungs out did help in producing stronger shouts, and it was fun on top of that. By the time morning arrived, Ben''s throat had already gone through countless cycles of getting roughed up and healing, and had grown a lot stronger. His voice had started to sound a lot gruffer and deeper with a slight reverb. But the biggest shocker was the improvement in his Restoration skill. It had already levelled up to level thirty-two, three levels in one night, and that too without focusing on it much. At level thirty, he unlocked a Magicka circulation method that increased the rate at which he could absorb ambient energies or magic to Magicka by at least a quarter. While on the topic of ambient energies, it was strange that this place was full of a strange mixture of Magicka and magical energy, which was strange as up until now, the only source of Magicka had been he himself. Ben had a feeling that this place was sucking in magical energies from the outside world and transforming it into Magicka, just as he did, but that was only a conjecture for now. The next two days, Ben spent his days reading up on things he had planned for the break, and his nights on the island shouting his lungs out and practising his skills. It seemed that it was easier for him to level up his skills on the island compared to the outside world, which gave Ben immense joy. Slowly, Ben started to feel at home in this barren land. Uno Reverse The excitement in the castle was palpable as the end-of-the-year feast approached, particularly among the first-year students. Rumours of its grandeur and opulence circulated throughout the halls, complete with tantalizing descriptions of mouth-watering delicacies. Despite the Slytherins winning the House Cup once again, everyone eagerly anticipated the feast. When Ben entered the Great Hall, he was struck by the banners of green and silver adorning the place, along with a giant Slytherin snake on the wall behind the staff tables, he couldn''t help but feel impressed. It gave the place a noble and elegant ambience. Just as Ben joined his friends on the Ravenclaw table a snarly voice spoke up from the other side of the table. "I remember someone claiming that Gryffindor was going to win the House cup, I wonder what he thinks now," Marietta sneered, and many others joined in her derision. Ben was perplexed by Marietta''s animosity towards him. He had not done anything to warrant such hatred. Many Ravenclaws were angry with him, believing he had supported Gryffindor in the last match, which was a complete fabrication. Ben had simply been encouraging some friendly wagers among the Gryffindors and had only mentioned to Professor McGonagall that Gryffindor stood a good chance of winning; after all who would be foolish enough to insult the Gryffindor team in front of her? The Hogwarts rumour mill, however, had already worked its magic, and Ben had become a target of both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw''s animosity. It made sense for the Gryffindors, but the Ravenclaws'' anger was misplaced. They were merely looking for someone to blame for their narrow loss to Slytherin, and Ben clearly stood out among the Ravenclaws, and as they say, "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down". Ravenclaw was behind by just twenty points and Ben had lost a lot more than that, especially during the flying lessons. While he had earned back the lost points and more during other classes, no one seemed to remember that part. "Hold your Hippogriffs, there''s still time," said Ben, trying to diffuse the situation. "Tch, you''re going to award them points now, are you?" Marietta sneered at him but it only amused Ben further, ''If only they knew what was coming,'' he thought which also gave him an idea. sea??h th N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ben gave a wry smile and pulled out a piece of parchment from under his robes. "The mighty eagle may think it rules the skies, but the fact remains that the Dragons do exist in this world," he said cryptically. "What''s that supposed to mean?" "It just means that there''s always a bigger fish around, and the biggest fish I see here is Dumbledore," he said, pointing towards the empty seat at the high table. "And why would Headmaster-" Before she could even complete her question, the answer walked right into the Great Hall. Harry Potter, the boy who lived, not only once but twice now. The Hall got extremely quiet upon seeing him, it only lasted a second and then everyone started clamouring to catch a glimpse of the Boy Wonder. He quickly made his way to sit between Hermione and Ron, ignoring the people who were now standing at their seats to get a proper look at him. Ben was bemused by the wizarding world''s obsession with Harry Potter. He could not imagine living in such a spotlight. Fortunately, Potter would still get to live away from the wizarding world every summer break, unfortunately, that would be with the Dursleys. While the commotion continued around him, Ben scribbled something on the parchment. Soon, Dumbledore entered, and the noise in the Great Hall subsided, the students returning to their seats in anticipation of the feast to come. "Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man''s wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully, your heads are all a little fuller than they were; you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts." As Dumbledore continued to drone on, Ben idly folded the sheet of parchment into a paper plane that resembled a bat. "Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and fifty points and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two." The Slytherin table erupted into cheers, with goblets clanging and fists pounding on the table in celebration. The Ravenclaws, on the other hand, looked decidedly sour-faced, knowing that they had come so close to winning this year. Perhaps if Ben had contributed a few more points during class, they might have taken the cup. But he knew better than to bother with such pointless endeavours. A paper bat fluttered its wings through the clamouring room, towards the gloomy Gryffindor table, and landed right on top of Harry''s empty plate, he was shocked at first but decided to open it when he saw Ben waving at him from across the room. "What''s it say," said Ron, not expecting anything good coming from Ben. "''Congratulations on your quick recovery, I knew you''d make it. Before the old man showers you with praises, I''d to give a ''hear-hear'' for winning the House Cup this year. Your pal and personal Seer, Benedictus the Great. PS: Avoid the stake, you don''t want to know how many feet it has touched, trust me.''" "Ew-That''s terrible," said Hermione and a disgusted look came over their faces. On the Ravenclaw table in the sea of sulking ravens, Ben looked very excited thinking of the absolute UNO reverse moment that was about to unfold, drawing further ire from his fellow students. Some of them took his excitement and the disgusted look on the trio''s faces and came to an extremely wrong conclusion. "And now he roots for the Slytherin," said the snotty bitch with a glare full of scorn. ''Girl, I will beat the shit outta ya,'' that''s what he wanted to say, but he held himself back. After all, he prided himself on being a gentleman. "My dear lady, I cannot help but notice that you hold a certain degree of disdain towards me," he said, putting on his most sophisticated tone. "But fear not, for I do not blame you. Your simple mind cannot possibly comprehend the intricacies of my powers. I only pity your pitiful state." It took her a moment but when she realized that he had just called her a dim wit, she was livid, her face turning red, ready to give back what she received, albeit using a much more colourful language. "You little-" but unfortunately Dumbledore''s voice boomed across the Great Hall, silencing everyone. "Ahem, yes, well done, Slytherin," he said with a nod. "However, recent events must be taken into account." The room fell silent, and the smiles on the Slytherins'' faces faded. Stoat Sandwich Dumbledore coughed to get everyone''s attention. "I have a few last-minute points to award," he said, his blue eyes twinkling. "Let me see...yes." And with that, he began to dole out points like there was no tomorrow. Ronald Weasley got fifty points for getting knocked out playing chess, Hermione Granger also got fifty points for being smart, Harry Potter got sixty points for being stupidly brave and Neville got ten points for being useless. In total, Gryffindor was gifted one hundred and seventy points, catapulting them into first place. ''Let me get this straight,'' he cursed Dumbledore in his heart. ''First, you dock them two hundred points for saving the school from Hagrid''s dragon obsession, which was your responsibility in the first place, and then you award them only two-thirds of that for literally risking their lives to save the Wizarding World, which was also your responsibility. Do you have no shame?'' To be honest, he was somewhat impressed by how Dumbledore had led everyone by the nose the whole year. For a moment Ben wondered if the Headmaster was simply a mastermind or if he had just turned senile, as some speculated. The Great Hall erupted into cheers and shouts of joy as Dumbledore''s magic transformed the room''s decorations, changing the green hangings to scarlet red and the silver to gold. The Gryffindor lion replaced the Slytherin snake on the banner behind the high table. A rare sight occurred as an ecstatic McGonagall shook hands with Snape, who had a miserable smile plastered on his face. Everyone except the Slytherins seemed to be cheering but the atmosphere at the Ravenclaw table was a bit complicated. Everyone''s eyes couldn''t help but dart towards one Bendict Nigel Brown, the Seer of Ravenclaw, as they cheered at the snake''s defeat, that name was going to hold some weight after today. S~ea??h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Remind me to never doubt you again, mate," Michael said, patting Ben on the back. "You''ve got to tell me if I''ll pass the Potions exam. I haven''t been able to sleep in days; Snape''s face has been haunting me every night," pleaded Terry, who did seem to have dark circles under his eyes. "I don''t know, man. I need to be relaxed to be able to divine anything," Ben replied, rubbing his stiff shoulders. "Here, let me help you with that," he quickly caught on to Ben''s hint and started massaging his shoulders; Terry Boot is a lackey material for sure. "Oh yeah, that''s the spot. I can feel it. Something is coming up," Ben said, drawing even stranger looks from around the room. -- The next day, the exam results came out, and of course, Ben had the best grades among the first years. It came as a shock to many people as Ben was known for his weird antics rather than his smarts. Some people *Cough* Hermione *Cough* even accused him of cheating by looking into the future, but Ben didn''t bother denying it and simply said, "Why don''t you do it if it''s so easy?" By the evening, everyone''s trunks were packed and ready to leave. While they were all handed notes warning them not to use magic over the holidays, Ben already knew how to get around it. Hagrid was there to sail them across the lake again. "Yer alright there, Ben?" Hagrid asked, looming over him with a friendly smile. "Aye, Hagrid! Great to see ya again," Ben replied. "Now, ''ere I got ya somethin'' fer the way," Hagrid said, handing Ben what looked like a giant wrapped sandwich. "What''s this then?" Ben asked, taking the sandwich from Hagrid''s massive hands. "I ''hope it''s not a stoat sandwich," said Ben, and a cute angry face peeked out of his robes, chirping as if to say, "It better not be." Hagrid chuckled and replied, "It''s ham. Learned me a lesson, I ''ave," and Ben laughed. Hagrid had mistaken Sil for a regular stoat and tried fixing himself a sandwich on one of their visits. It ended with a lot of nuggets in his hair and the place smelling worse than ever. "Thanks, I''ve got somethin'' fer ya as well," Ben said, pulling out a whole mammoth snout from under his robes. "You''ve got bigger pockets than me, you ''ave," said Hagrid, his mouth already watering at the sight of mammoth meat Ben bid him goodbye and boarded the Hogwarts Express with his friends. Time passed quickly as they talked and laughed, enjoying Bertie Bott''s Every Flavour Beans. Ben seemed to only get strange flavours like burnt hair and troll sweat. "You guys should visit this summer. We could use some free labour at the Rabbit Farm," Ben said as they got off the train. "What do you even do at a Rabbit Farm?" Michael asked. "Watch them hump each other?" said Terry. "Yeah, pretty much. So how about it?" Ben asked. "Count me in," said Michael. "I can''t. My dad''s taking us on a trip to North America," said Terry regrettably. But Ben could feel the excitement in his voice. Ben remembered that the Boot family was connected to the founders of Ilvermorny school in North America. Terry''s parents were muggles, though, and he wasn''t sure if they even knew much about their ancestry. "Well, I guess it''s just going to be us two then," said Ben, and he soon spotted his mother in the crowd. "Ah, Ben. It''s so good to see you," he was enveloped in a tight embrace by Thea, but this time he didn''t have to suffocate as he now reached her shoulders. "Oh my, you''re growing so fast, aren''t you? It seems Hogwarts has been treating you well," she said, taking a good look at him. "Hogwarts is good, Mam," he said. "What''s this with your hair? You need a proper haircut," she said, looking at his long hair that had now touched his neck. "No, I don''t," he said resolutely. "Yes, you do, young man," she said with a look that left no room for questions. "Here, meet my friends, Michael and Terry," Ben shifted the matter. "Hello, Mrs Brown," they said. "It''s great to see you dears. Ben writes about you two all the time," she said, completely changing her tone of voice. ''No, I don''t,'' Ben thought, rolling his eyes internally. He''d only mentioned them a few times in his letters "It''s great to see you too, Mrs Brown," said Michael. "We''re grateful for the gifts you sent us, especially the giant chocolate eggs for Easter," said Terry. "And the cake you sent for Ben''s birthday," said Michael. Ben was shocked at how innocently the two had started talking. He couldn''t believe this bunch of chameleons. "Alright, let''s go, Mam. I''ve already invited them for the summer. You can talk then," he said, dragging her towards the exit. "You''ve got lovely friends, Ben," she said. "Oh, they are lovely alright," he said, knowing their true colours. Apple Pie After a lot of begging, Ben managed to convince Thea to let him keep his long hair, they didn''t stop anywhere on the way and Apparated straight outside the Brown Family Cottage. "Me Boyo," said a voice before enveloping Ben in a tight hug. ''Great! She''s here,'' he cursed, his brain already thinking of ways to exact revenge for the Howler. Even if she wasn''t here, he would have gone over to Ireland, as it was only a Floo away. "Oh me! Is dat a stoat in yer robes, or are ya just happy to see me?" She said with a naughty smile, feeling a bump against her stomach. "Meave!" Thea said, tired of her sister''s antics. "What? He''s a growin'' boy-" Maeve''s words got stuck in her throat when a small head poked out of Ben''s robes. "CHIRP" "CHIRP" "Helga''s heart, where did ye find dis little fella?" Maeve said, staring at Sil''s cute face. "Saved it from a pack of wolves, been with me since," said Ben, puffing up with pride. "Merlin''s beard! Ya did? Me little nephew''s so brave," she said, pinching his puffed cheeks. Sarcasm dripped from her every word, and it was clear that she didn''t think he was capable. ''I''ll show you, just wait,'' he thought. "You do know that they hunt rabbits, don''t you?" Thea said with disapproval in her eyes. "I do, he loves rabbit legs," said Ben. "And you thought it was a great idea to bring a stoat to a rabbit farm, did you?" Thea said. "I did," said Ben, shaking his head up and down. "And how''s that?" "He can take care of the ugly ones," said Ben, and the stoat chirped in agreement. "Listen to me, young man, if it as much as touches a hair on my rabbits, I will turn this thing into fertilizer for the rabbit feed, is that understood?" She said it with such intensity that even the fearless stoat snuck back into his robes, shivering. "Don''t touch the rabbits, got it," he said, surrendering to Thea''s threats. "Can we now get inside the house, Mom?" "Good boy, go take your stuff to your room. I''ll set the table for lunch," she said and left towards the kitchen, humming. sea??h th N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Phew, I wouldn''t touch her rabbits if I were ya; she''s too maternal, ya see," said Maeve, with a pitying look on her face. ''Too maternal my foot, I''m her son, goddammit,'' he cursed in his heart. -- "She''s gone mental," he said under his breath as he reached the door to his room. "I agree," said Maeve, close to his ear. "Bloody hell, what are you doing here?" he said with a jolt, he hadn''t noticed her following him at all. "Am I not welcome in yer room now?" she said, biting into an apple that appeared out of nowhere in her hand. "That - you did that wandlessly?" Ben said, his mouth gaping. "Oh, dat? It''s no big deal," she said, acting all smug. ''This bitch of an aunt,'' he cursed in his heart, ''if wandless summoning isn''t a big deal, then what is?'' "Yeah, you''re right. It''s not a big deal," he said, pulling out an apple pie behind his back and throwing it straight at her face. "That''s for the Howler," he said, but to his dismay, she managed to duck just in time, and the pie smacked on the wall behind her and then plopped on the ground. "Missed me," she looked surprised, but without missing a beat, she pulled out her wand and with a wave, conjured a pie that flew straight at him. Ben slammed the door shut in her face, and the pie landed on it with a splat. "I''m not done with you," he shouted through the door. Ben half expected her to come bursting through the door, but for some reason, she didn''t, which bothered him even more. At least now he knew she couldn''t conjure things without a wand and only summon things lying around the house to her, as she did with that apple. It was quite impressive nonetheless. --- A month of summer vacation had passed quickly, and Ben had mostly stayed at home, occasionally sneaking out at night. His aunt frequently visited to bother him, which made Ben really hate the Floo network. At least it gave him more chances to exact his revenge, but the problem was that she would never let them get even. There was always something to pay her back for. Apart from that, Ben spent most of his days reading and resting, and his nights practising on the island. While Ben''s skills progressed steadily, there was minimal progress on the Thu''um. It had become frustrating. After a night of shouting, all he seemed to achieve was a sore throat. "There''s got to be a better way," he thought. From what he understood, there were two ways of advancing his shouts. One was to meditate on the Thu''um, and the other was to absorb souls - dragon souls at that. After a week of meditating on the Thu''um, it was clear that sitting around was not going to work. At first, he had made some progress when he meditated with Dragonstone. He even got some insights on the next word of power, but then he hit a wall. Ben had a feeling that something was stopping him from tapping into the knowledge of the Thu''um any further. He felt constricted, as if he had reached his limit. Even the Dragonstone went dormant, and he couldn''t sense anything from it anymore. This led Ben to the second way - absorbing dragon souls. After reading multiple books on souls that he had found in the Room of Hidden Things and going through all the knowledge from Skyrim in his head, he had come up with a method to strengthen his soul. On the Nirn Island, as he had started calling it, Ben found a nice spot at the back of the small house, overlooking the still lake. He started drawing a circle on the ground, which was then filled with all kinds of complex and intricate runes. By the time he was done, a layer of sweat had formed on his forehead. Ben hadn''t just been drawing; he had also been infusing Magicka into his every stroke. He had basically created an enchanting circle for himself. Off-Brand Dementor On Nirn Island, at the back of a small house, Ben wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and sat cross-legged at the centre of a rune circle surrounded by a ring of burning candles. After taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, and a petty soul gem with a bluish hue suddenly appeared between his palms. Ben began chanting in the ancient language of the Psijic Order, and Magicka slowly escaped from his hands, enveloping the soul gem. The rune circle drawn on the ground emitted a soft light under Ben''s chanting, and cracks started to appear on the soul gem. Crack Crack The soul gem shattered into small fragments, and for a split second, one could see the silhouette of a wolf escape it before dissipating into the surroundings. Though it looked like a failure, the rune circle on the ground glowed brighter, and an illusory dome formed over it, trapping the dissipating soul inside. Under the dome, the soul condensed into a white mist, making it look like a college dorm room full of potheads. The mist slowly started swirling around in a circle under Ben''s control, forming a whirlpool around him. It rotated faster and faster, getting closer to the centre. As it reached Ben''s chest, it condensed even further and started emitting a golden glow before getting absorbed into his body. Ben felt a warmth enter his chest, which slowly travelled to the rest of his body and enveloped him in a feeling of bliss. It felt as if he was floating weightlessly in a sea of clouds under the warmth of the sun. All his tension washed away as a heavy burden, which he didn''t know he had been carrying, lifted from his soul. It was the most comfortable feeling he had ever experienced. Although Ben''s title as the Dragonborn suggested that he had the blood and soul of a dragon, the reality begged to differ. While he was stronger than most humans his age, he was nowhere near as strong as a dragon, neither in body nor in spirit. Perhaps he would achieve that level of strength once he reached level 100, but right now, he didn''t stand a chance against a full-grown dragon. None of his spells would even go past its hide. Another question was whether he could absorb dragon souls in this world, even if he did indeed have the soul of a dragon. After all, the dragons here were not the same as the dragons in Skyrim. And if he was capable of absorbing souls, why should he limit himself to dragons? His body had shown a propensity to absorb pretty much everything until now, even a deathly hallow. Perhaps he wasn''t a true Dragonborn, but whatever he was, it was much better. Unlike the Wizarding World, souls were much more understood in the Elder Scrolls universe, and Ben used this understanding to devise a method to absorb souls from soul gems. According to the knowledge from Skyrim, a soul could roughly be broken into two parts: AE and Animus. AE is the Ego, the core identity, or the continuity of the soul, and it is contained within the Animus, the lifeforce of the soul. Animus is what mages and enchanters are most interested in, as it powers the enchantment and acts as sort of a battery. And since Ben already knew what would happen if he absorbed someone''s Ego or identity, as he had in fact done so already when he took over this body, he had to design this rune circle to separate the AE from the Animus. Once the Ego was separated, it probably moved on to the afterlife of its choosing where it would stay until being assigned to another vessel. The Animus or the battery pack of the soul that had been left behind was gobbled up by Ben''s soul, increasing its size and capacity. But there was a limitation to this method as Ben could only do this with petty souls using his current level of rune knowledge, as separating the AE from the Animus was no easy task. Weaker and smaller souls of non-magical creatures like rabbits, wolves and foxes were ideal for now, but he was certain that this won''t be a problem in the future. Ben wasn''t the first person to try something so outlandish, Necromancers and Conjurers had devised similar methods in the past, after all, it wasn''t child''s play to control an army of Undead or to subdue a Dremora lord. There was even a method to cultivate a pseudo soul called a Twin Soul, it practically doubled the amount of conjured creatures under one''s control, it was advanced magic that need one to be at least an Expert Mage. Ben didn''t stop after absorbing the soul but summoned another petty soul gem, the whole process was repeated again for four more times. It felt so good that Ben could not stop himself from absorbing one soul after another, only when he absorbed his fifth soul, he started feeling stuffy and full, just as he had felt after the end-of-the-year feast. He felt like he couldn''t take another deep breath or else his soul will burst open. "AahH, I''m finally full,'' he said letting out a fake burp. Ben was sure that if anyone outside knew that his favourite food had just changed to souls, he would be quickly crowned as the next dark lord. "Let''s see if it was all worth it," he said summoning the Dragonstone to himself. Ben wasn''t disappointed as soon as it appeared in his hands; he could feel a slight hum coming from it, indicating that it was responding to him again. Unfortunately, Ben was too tired to carry on any further. He needed time to digest today''s gains. He went back to his room and fell flat on his bed, fast asleep within seconds. --Dreamscape-- Whelp, he eats souls now, happy? Even if you aren''t, you''ll just have to accept him for who he is, an off-brand Dementor. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Help me out at Patreon.com/DreamyApe Old Man The next morning when Ben woke up, it was as if he had opened his eyes to a whole new world; he felt as if he was levitating. With a spring in his steps when he went down to the breakfast, he was shocked to see a pair of owls swooping in through the window, a single long package tied between them. With a thud, they dropped it on the kitchen table, right in front of Ben''s father, Nigel Brown. The owls hooted at Nigel, asking him to quickly untie the package from their legs so that they could finally be free of this burden. Ben''s mother Thea, who had been preparing breakfast in the kitchen, came in and threw two pieces of juicy bacon to the owls. They gobbled it up in a single bite and flew out of the window, looking for their next assignment. Owls really worked tirelessly in this world; Ben was glad to have been reborn as a human. "It''s here?" asked Thea excitedly. "What''s here?" Ben asked really confused, ''Who would send such a huge package this early in the morning?'' he thought. Ever since the incident on his birthday, he''d get a bad feeling every time an owl came in. "Ah, Ben. It''s good that you''re here. Come, open it, it''s for you," said Nigel beckoning him towards the table. Ben stared at the one-and-a-half-meter-long package with even greater suspicion knowing that it was for him. "What is it?" said Ben prodding the package with his wand, finally finding some use for it as Nigel had been unreasonably strict in following the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery. "Oh stop being such a wuss and open it, will you?" said Thea snatching his wand, leaving him no choice but to open the package with his delicate hands. His delicate hands, which were now strong enough to easily peel the bark off of a tree trunk, made quick work of the packaging and revealed a brand-new broomstick. It was the flashiest of all brooms Ben had seen to date, a Comet 260. Ben didn''t know whether he should laugh or cry, it was a miracle in itself that his father was giving him a broom but why did it have to be this one? "How is it? This is for working so hard at school. The best in your grade? I couldn''t believe it at first." Said Nigel, completely oblivious to the look on Ben''s face; men are not really known for reading the subtleties, are they? "Do you like it?" asked Thea, reading the unimpressed look on Ben''s face. "Of course he does, look at him, he''s shocked," said Nigel with a laugh. "It''s the best broomstick there is, tried and trusted. They''ve got their patented Horton-Keitch Braking Charm on it, stops before you can even think it, isn''t that wonderful?" He asked with such enthusiasm that Ben had to shake his head in agreement. The Comet Trading Company''s finest racing broom, the Comet 260 was widely known as a great first broom. It handled like butter and stopped at a moment''s notice, great for Quidditch players looking to avoid flying off-site or overshooting the goals, but in truth, this brand was already behind its times. It was completely beaten in terms of acceleration and speed by the Nimbus series. While the Comet 260 could only go 0 to 50 miles per hour in ten seconds, the Nimbus 2000 could accelerate twice as fast, and the newly released Nimbus 2001 could even go 0 to 120 miles per hour in just ten seconds. It was beaten in terms of value as well, even a mass-produced broomstick like Cleansweep 8 was just as fast. The only things going for this broom were its looks and its patented braking charm. ''Well, beggars can''t be choosers,'' he thought running his fingers along the spine of the broomstick. It was already a miracle that Nigel was letting him have a broomstick, he won''t have to sneak out at night to fly anymore. It was another miracle that they hadn''t found out yet, it was only a matter of time before Maeve spilt the beans. "This is wicked, cheers dad," said Ben, taking the broomstick out of the box. "Now now, let''s not be hasty, let me show you how to safely ride a broomstick," said Nigel hastily when he saw Ben mounting the Comet 260. "You''re too late, Old man. The bird''s already left the nest," he said with a smirk and whooshed out of the Kitchen window, leaving a trail of sparks behind. ''Tch, so flashy,'' he thought looking back. The Comet Trading Company was doing everything it could to attract new customers, which included adding flashy charms for their young customers. "Old-old man! Me? Do I look old to you? You rascal!" Ben could hear curses flying out of the house but he didn''t care. Even though it wasn''t the best choice, it was still a lot better than his current broomstick which was barely holding on. And to be fair to Nigel, Comet 260 was the best broomstick one could afford on a Ministry salary; Ben sometimes forgot that not everyone could turn worthless junk into gold. After flying a few rounds around the house, Ben was grateful for this gift. -- After getting an earful from Nigel and a stomach full from Thea, Ben went back to his room. Now that the old man had gone off to the Ministry, doing whatever they do in The Department of Magical Transportation and Thea had gotten busy with the rabbits, Ben too was free to do what he had been dying to. sea??h th ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A dark spiralling portal opened in the Brown Family Cottage, transporting the youngest of the Browns to a dull and depressing place. Despite the dullness surrounding him, the smile on Ben''s face shined brighter than the sun. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the dull air of this place and- "FUS" A blast of air shot out from his mouth, leaving a resounding shockwave in its wake that echoed throughout the dull and empty island. "Let''s go! That was much stronger than before," he said in excitement. Earlier, his shout could only toss a table across the room, but now it was definitely capable of flinging even a grown man out the door; Ben could finally witness the rag-doll effect in real life, he just needed some volunteers. ''I''ll make a trip to Knockturn Alley later,'' he thought and opened his status window. When the mist coalesced into a screen in front of him, Ben was left pleasantly surprised. -- [Name: Benedict Nigel Brown. Species: Human[Wizard]. Job: [Apprentice Mage], [Enchanter(Novice)], [Alchemist(Novice)] Title: Dragonborn[Level 39]. Vitality: 490 Magicka: 495 [Deathly Hallows[1/3]: Invisibility Cloak] [Thu''um] : [Unrelenting Force(1/3)] [Familiars] :[Stoat(Silvaticus), Dragon(Norene), Owl(Aquila)] [[SKILLS]] [Alteration[Level 39(Apprentice)] [Conjuration[Level 39(Apprentice)] [Destruction[Level 36(Apprentice)] [Illusion[Level 39(Apprentice)] [Restoration[Level 38(Apprentice)] -- Not only had he levelled up, but he had also gained five extra points in Magicka; one point per soul absorbed. While it seemed minuscule, one had to remember that he had absorbed the souls of animals like wolves and foxes, they didn''t have any Magicka in the first place, and they were not even magical. This gave Ben big hopes for the future, ''perhaps I should apply for a job at the Azkaban'' he thought. Scrolling down, he saw that his skills were very close to reaching level 40, which made him even more excited; transmuting iron into gold didn''t seem like a distant dream anymore. Boy who worked "This place could really use some greenery," Ben thought looking around the barren island, despite complaining for the umpteenth time, he had yet to do anything to bring greenery to this place. He had checked, and while the air was breathable, everything else was dead, he''d have to start shitting in the soil here to make it fertile, just like that Martian movie. Just the thought of shovelling shit to grow plants made his nose wrinkle, and the amount of work he would have to put in to make it happen gave him a massive headache. "Perhaps I should get a house elf in here," after all, there stood a house here, and that''s all that is needed to avail of an elf''s services. "Speaking of elves, I wonder what he''s up to," Ben pulled out a black hair and closed his eyes. -- It was a brilliant, sunny day. A skinny boy with green eyes and round glasses with a lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead got out of a Suburban house at 4 Privet Drive. He crossed the lawn, slumped down on the garden bench, and sang under his breath: "Happy birthday to me . . . happy birthday to me . . ." It was his birthday, yet he had received no cards, no presents, and he would be spending the evening pretending not to exist as the Dursleys have a nice dinner with their clients. He gazed miserably into the hedge. He had never felt so lonely. More than anything else at Hogwarts, more even than playing Quidditch, Harry missed his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They, however, didn''t seem to be missing him at all. Neither of them had written to him all summer, even though Ron had said he was going to ask Harry to come and stay. He couldn''t send any letters either as his owl, Hedwik had been locked in a cage by his uncle, Vernon Dursley and he could do nothing about it. As an underage wizard, he wasn''t allowed to do magic out of school or he''d be expelled. Harry missed school dearly, what wouldn''t he give now for a message from Hogwarts? From any witch or wizard? Something to show that the last year hadn''t just been a dream. He''d almost be glad of the sight of his archenemy, Draco Malfoy or even a word of doom from the peculiar Ravenclaw student, Benedict Brown. Harry suddenly jolted his back straight on the garden bench. He had been staring absent-mindedly into the hedge - and the hedge was staring back. Two enormous green eyes had appeared among the leaves. Just as Harry jumped to his feet, a mocking voice floated from across the lawn. "I know what day it is," sang Dudley, toddling toward him. The huge eyes on the hedge blinked and vanished. "What?" said Harry, still staring at the spot where the eyes had been. "I know what day it is," Dudley sang again, stopping right in front of him. "Well done," said Harry. "You''ve finally learned the days of the week." "Today''s your birthday," Dudley sneered. "How come you haven''t got any cards? Haven''t you even got friends at that freak place?" "Better not let your mum hear you talking about my school," said Harry coolly. Dudley pulled up his trousers, which were slipping down despite his fat bottom. "Why''re you staring at the hedge?" he said suspiciously. "I''m trying to decide what would be the best spell to set it on fire," said Harry. Dudley stumbled backwards at once, a look of panic appeared on his fat face. "You c-can''t! Dad told you you''re not to do m-magic, he said he''ll chuck you out of the house and you haven''t got anywhere else to go - you haven''t even got any friends to take you-" Somehow Dursley had given voice to Harry''s worst fears, he was starting to question if he really had any friends and if he did, why hadn''t they contacted him till now. "Jiggery pokery!" said Harry in a fierce voice. "Hocus pocus - squiggly wiggly -" "MUUUUUUM!" howled Dudley, tripping over his feet as he dashed back toward the house. "MUUUUM! He''s doing you know what!" The Dursleys had their own taboo word and it started with the letter M. Harry paid dearly for that little moment of fun, he would have gotten a soapy frying pan to the face from Aunt Petunia had it not been for his fast reflexes, developed after months of Quidditch practice, that made him duck just in time. Petunia then promised the boy that he wouldn''t be getting any food unless he completed all the work around the house. Harry had to clean the windows, wash the car, mow the lawn, trim the flower beds, prune and water the roses, and repaint the garden bench. The sun blazed overhead, burning the back of his neck while Dudley lolled around eating ice cream. "Wish they could see famous Harry Potter now", he thought savagely as he spread manure on the flower beds. It was only when the sun had set and the time for Dursleys'' guests to arrive was approaching, was Harry allowed inside the house. He was given two slices of bread to eat while a huge mound of pudding stared at him from the top of the Fridge and an appetising aroma of roasted pork loin wafted from the oven. "Eat quickly! The Masons will be here soon!" Petunia snapped at Harry to finish his pitiful dinner. She whisked away his plate even before he was finished. "Upstairs! Hurry!" Just when Harry reached the upstairs landing, the doorbell rang and the furious face of Vernon Dursley appeared at the base of the staircase. "Remember, boy - not one sound" Harry tiptoed to his bedroom and quietly closed the door. He was tired and ready to collapse on the Bed, but just as he turned, he was shocked to see a beautifully wrapped package land on his bed with a soft thump. Sarch* The novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He looked up, "Where did this drop from?" He asked puzzled, there was no hole in the ceiling which could only mean that someone had magicked it in. Harry could feel the excitement rise in him, had someone finally remembered his birthday? --Dreamscape-- Alright I admit, a lot of this is from the book, but we needed some context for the next chapter, so here it is. More stuff at Patreon.com/DreamyApe. Dobby Harry carefully opened the package and found a small drawstring pouch with a long string that could be worn around the neck. There was a note under it. Harry felt that he had seen this wavy handwriting before. -- Happy Birthday, Potter I hope my present finds you in good health. I''ve been trying to contact you the whole summer, but none of my letters seemed to have reached their destination. I was able to divine that someone has been intercepting all the owls coming to your place of residence. Using my unfathomable powers, I have come to identify the perpetrator as a house-elf. Nasty little buggers they are. If you meet a little green creature with big round eyes, don''t make the mistake of being nice to it, or it will never leave you alone. Don''t be rude either. They are already quite pitiful creatures. Just don''t be courteous and offer a seat. Anyways, the stars have also told me that a pig has been stealing all your food, so I''ve filled this Mokeskin pouch with foodstuffs. You don''t have to starve anymore. There are Chocolate frogs, Pumpkin pasties, Peppermint creams, and Jelly Slugs. I''ve even put some Toothflossing Stringmints to keep your teeth healthy after eating all this. I don''t comprehend how your muggle guardians could allow a pig to steal your food, but don''t worry, Mokeskin pouches are anti-theft. Just hang it around your neck, and if a stranger approaches, it will shrink itself and disappear. Alright, see you at Hogwarts. Your friendly neighbourhood Seer, U?n?c?l?e? B?e?n? Benedictus the Great. PS: I suggest you master the Enlargement charm and the Shrinking charm as soon as possible if you are to make full use of this Mokeskin pouch. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. PPS: Since I had to make use of rather peculiar magic to deliver this package, this letter will self-destruct to cover my tracks in 3..2..1. -- Harry had only read till 3 when the letter spontaneously burst into flames and disappeared. The puff of smoke left behind made him break into a coughing fit. By the time it cleared, he noticed that the packaging had disappeared as well, leaving only the small pouch on his bed. Despite the smoke making his eyes tear up, Harry was extremely happy. It wasn''t that his friends had forgotten him, but they couldn''t contact him because of some stupid elf. Harry decided to teach that elf a lesson if it ever appeared before him. -- The elf in question had been here just moments earlier, in Harry''s room, sitting on top of his bed and muttering to himself. "I am Dobby. Dobby the house-elf, bound to serve one house and one family forever." "Dobby still remembers how it was when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was at the height of his powers. We house-elves were treated like vermin. Of course, Dobby is still treated like that, but mostly, life has improved for my kind since the great Harry Potter triumphed over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." "It was like a new dawn, and Harry Potter shone like a beacon of hope for us who had thought that the dark days would never end, but-" "-But for months now, Dobby has known of a plot. A plot to make the most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year, the school that the great Harry Potter goes to." "If Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts, he will be in mortal danger. That is why Harry Potter must stay where he is safe. Harry Potter must not put himself in peril. He is too important, and Dobby must make sure Harry Potter is safe." "Dobby will warn Harry Potter today, and make him promise he will not go back to Hogwarts, even if Dobby has to shut his ears in the oven door for it. Any moment now, Harry Potter will walk through that door, and Dobby will finally meet the great Harry Potter." The door to the room slowly creaked open, and a boy stepped in, still facing the door and trying to close it as quietly as possible. "He''s here, Harry Potter!" Just as he was about to get off the bed to bow deeply before the great Harry Potter, Dobby felt as if the bed under him disappeared. A feeling of weightlessness came over him as he fell through a tunnel of swirling light. "BOING, BOING, BOING!" He fell on a soft surface that made Dobby bounce a few times before coming to a stop. "Hello, Dobby," said a voice. Looking around, Dobby found himself in a dark, unfamiliar room. There was a figure sitting on an armchair near the fire pit. The light from the firepit cast a shadow on the man, shrouding him in mystery. --- "Hello, Dobby," Ben said, looking at the befuddled elf. Dobby slowly inched backwards, looking a little scared and uncertain. "Sir knows Dobby?" He asked, shocked. "I do. You''re the one who''s been intercepting my letters, are you not?" There was a mix of guilt and relief on the poor elf''s face, knowing that Ben was Harry''s friend. "Sir is Harry Potter''s friend? Dobby is sorry, sir! Dobby didn''t mean to, sir! But Dobby had to-" he said hurriedly. "It''s alright, Dobby. I understand why you did it," said Ben, stopping the elf before he turned into a bumbling mess. "Sir does?" He was shocked even further. "I do. You are trying to protect Harry, are you not?" Ben asked. "Sir is right. Dobby is trying to stop Harry Potter from going back to Hogwarts, sir!" "Ah, forgive me. I sometimes forget how dark this place is," Ben said, clapping his hands. The candle horns and scones on the walls and the chandelier lit up at once. "Here, take a seat," he said with a smile, pointing at the armchair next to him. "Take a s-seat!" Dobby started wailing. "Never... never ever... has a wizard offered Dobby a seat to sit like an equal." "...." Ben was dumbstruck looking at the sobbing elf. He didn''t expect it to turn this dramatic. "Please stop crying, mate. I just can''t take it," he said, unable to handle his melodrama. "Mate! Sir is calling Dobby a friend! Dobby must have known sir''s greatness, for sir is the Great Harry Potters friend," he said, wiping his snout on the scruffy pillow cloth around his neck. "Yes, the Great Harry Potter''s friend. Aren''t I great as well? Come sit, I want to talk to you about the great Harry Potter," he said. --Dreamscape-- Did you know how great Harry Potter is? You better not ask Dobby. More at Patreon.com/DreamyApe Do you not know who I am? "Hah, that was harder than I thought," Ben said, taking a deep sigh. It had taken all of Ben''s limited charisma to convince Dobby. After a lot of back and forth, Ben managed to convince Dobby that he would protect Harry Potter from any harm at Hogwarts. In exchange, Dobby would have to stop causing problems for Harry. But Dobby was not easily convinced. "How is you going to protect Harry Potter, sir? You is a child," he had asked. "A child I may be, but I am also a wizard," Ben replied, and a giant swirling portal opened up, startling Dobby. A giant lizard-like claw came through the portal, followed by a dragon''s head, and then the rest of its body. Norene, the Norwegian Ridgeback, now occupied more than half of the room, making the house feel even smaller than it was. Smoke escaped her snout along with deep growls of displeasure that seemed to be saying "You finally remembered me huh?" This made Dobby cower behind Ben''s armchair. "It''s a D-Dragonnn, sir! We must run!" Dobby exclaimed in terror. "Oh, stop being so dramatic, will you?" Ben said to both, unhooking a dried goat leg from above the fire pit and throwing it to Norene. As the crunching sounds of bones being crushed in the dragon''s mouth rang in the room, Dobby''s large orb-like eyes were filled with terror. There were not many creatures more terrifying than a dragon, especially when its bright orange eyes stared at you with a hungry look. "Please, sir, don''t feed Dobby to the dragon. Please, anything but the dragon," Dobby pleaded, realizing by now that his magic was not working here. "Rubbish, she''s not going to eat you! Norene''s a nice little dragon, aren''t you?" Ben said, throwing another goat leg to the not-so-little dragon and she showed her agreement by wagging her tail, knocking down everything from the walls. "Besides, there''s hardly any meat on you," Ben remarked, unhooking a mammoth snout from the wall and throwing it at Dobby. "Here, feed her this." Dobby dropped the snout at once. "You is saying Dobby doesn''t have any meat and then you is giving Dobby meat! I think you is wanting to get rid of Dobby, sir." But just because you don''t go feed the dragon doesn''t mean that the dragon won''t ?f?e?e?d? ?o?n? ?y?o?u? feed from you. As Norene''s smoke-filled snout closed in on Dobby, the poor elf snapped his fingers repeatedly in terror, but it produced nothing but sparks. Dobby finally gave up struggling and closed his eyes, accepting his fate. But the pain of being crushed between the dragon''s menacing maw never came. When he opened his eyes, he saw Norene wolfing down the mammoth snout. Just when Dobby was feeling relief, the dragon swooped down on him again, making him fall backwards. Dobby put his arms in front of his face on instinct, but instead of her sharp teeth sinking into his skin, he felt a wet, slippery tongue on his face. Norene nudged him up and rubbed her beak-like snout on his face affectionately, making Dobby question if he was dreaming. "Told you she''s a nice dragon," he said with a smile. "Norene, be nice to Dobby. He''s our friend." Since Dobby still looked a bit scared, Ben sent Norene back to Romania. "So, do you think I''m capable of protecting Harry now?" he asked, not sure if scaring him had been such a great idea now. "You is a great wizard, sir, worthy of being Harry Potter''s friend sir, Dobby is convinced of your power, but-" "But?" Dobby''s voice dropped to almost a whisper, ". . . there are powers even you can''t. . . powers no decent wizard . . ." He suddenly jumped and grabbed a bottle of ale that had dropped from the shelf and started hitting himself on the head. He didn''t stop even after Ben took the bottle away and started banging his head on the wall. "Dobby, stop! You don''t have to punish yourself," said Ben. He felt really bad looking at the poor elf harming himself. He only stopped when he was too dizzy to even stand straight. Dobby had slammed his head on the wall with such intensity that even Ben could see stars and planets orbiting around him. "Sir is too kind, but Dobby is useless, Dobby cannot tell sir of the terrible plot," "No! Dobby, you are not useless! You are a very brave elf who''s willing to go even against his own masters to do the right thing," said Ben, trying to reassure the poor elf. "Dobby is not as brave as he thought, sir, Dobby was very scared by your dragon, sir," said Dobby, looking a bit disappointed. "Well, who isn''t scared of a dragon?" ''Oh wait, there''s Hagrid who thinks they are cute.'' "Ahum, I was scared of one too when I first saw it," said Ben, fibbing straight through his pristine teeth. "Really?" said Dobby, looking at Ben with his big, orb-like eyes. "Yes, and you don''t have to tell me anything. I already know," said Ben. "Sir knows?" "Yes, do you not know what they call me?" said Ben, puffing his chest. "Eh, Harry Potter''s friend, sir?" said Dobby, and a vein bulged on Ben''s forehead. "They call me The Ravenclaw''s Seer," he said with gritted teeth. Dobby''s wide eyes opened even wider, and he gave Ben a deep bow. "Forgive Dobby for not recognizing you, sir. Dobby''s heard great things about you, sir," said Dobby. "You have?" asked Ben. ''That couldn''t be good,'' he thought, as it was never good news if Malfoys were talking about you at home. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yes sir, you is predicting all the matches, sir, and you is even predicting Harry Potter''s win, sir, you a real seer, sir," said Dobby. "Well, let''s hope your masters don''t gift me cursed items then," he said wearily. A look of realization came over Dobby, and he suddenly started banging his head on the wall again. "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!" he said. "Stop, why are you hitting yourself now?" said Ben, pulling him away from the wall. "Dobby had to punish himself, sir," said the elf, who had gone slightly cross-eyed. "Dobby almost spoke ill of his family again, sir. . . ." A Few Moments later "Dobby had to punish himself, sir," said the elf, who had gone slightly cross-eyed. "Dobby almost spoke ill of his family again, sir. . . ." "Yeah, I''d hit myself too if I had them as my family," said Ben. "Sir knows of Dobby''s family?" asked Dobby. "I know the blondies alright," he said with a sneer, "and you don''t have to worry, you''ll be free of them by end of next school year." "Free? Dobby? No, sir, Dobby wouldn''t dare, sir," said Dobby, looking flustered as his deepest desire had been pulled out in the open. "It''s fine if you don''t dare, just make sure to grab at the opportunity when it''s thrown at you," he said, throwing a wink at Dobby. "But, sir, Dobby can only be freed when-" "I know all that, Dobby. You don''t have to worry about anything, it is my word that you will be free, the means and the time is all left to fate," he said to Dobby. "You is not only a great wizard, sir, you is good as well, too good, sir," Dobby said wailing, wiping his snot on his very dirty pillowcase. "You is thinking of freeing Dobby, Dobby is-" "Alright, spare me the melodrama, go give Harry his letters back, and remember-" "Dobby won''t make any troubles for Harry Potter, sir," said Dobby, almost too excitedly. at the thought of leaving this place. Ben opened a portal and dropped him straight into Harry''s room. "He looked too happy to leave this place, am I that bad of a host?" Ben asked himself. Somehow even if we were to ignore that Ben had abducted the poor elf in the first place, the fact that Dobby couldn''t access his magic here had made him extremely uncomfortable and hence very eager to leave. "Well, let''s hope he doesn''t try to get Harry expelled now," muttered Ben and he too left the Nirn Island. There was still a question left floating around. "Why did Ben suddenly care so much about what happened to Potter?" Well, at first, Ben had only wanted to check up on Harry. But when he saw the poor state the boy was in, being worked in the sun like a house elf, he couldn''t help but question if his indifference towards him was a little too cruel. Considering that Harry had already had a very hard life and it was only going to get rougher in the future, Ben decided to ease some of his problems and send him a useful gift as well. Just this year, Potter might have to face a giant, deadly snake, and Ben didn''t want Dobby adding even further to his problems. But only time would tell how successful he had been in convincing the peculiar elf. Time passed, and half a month went by in the blink of an eye. On Nirn Island, Ben was sitting cross-legged, holding the Dragonstone in his hands, meditating. The stone plate let out a slight humming noise that only Ben seemed to be able to hear, but a certain force could be felt permeating through the surrounding air, covering the ground around Ben in a layer of frost. One could almost hear the tiny ice crystals forming on the ground as the cold travelled even further, covering the barren land with a frost blanket. Just when the frost seemed unstoppable, Ben suddenly opened his eyes and stood up, putting a stop to the conquest of ice crystals. Ben gazed at the lake in front of him. It remained still like a sheet of glass reflecting the world around it. Its crystal-clear waters allowed a view of the lake''s empty bottom that once again reminded him of the island''s barrenness. "FO!" A wave of icy breath rushed from Ben''s lips, enveloping the area in a sudden chill. The air thickened, turning into a frosty fog, which quickly crystallized upon reaching the lake''s surface. The newly-formed ice spread rapidly across the small section of the lake, emitting a soft, enchanting melody, reminiscent of the tinkling of tiny chimes. The effect was mesmerizing - the ice sparkled like diamonds under the dim moonlight of the two moons. Ben smiled in satisfaction and looked at his status. -- [[STATUS]] [SHOP] [STORAGE] [Name: Benedict Nigel Brown. Species: Human[Wizard]. Job: [Apprentice Mage], [Enchanter(Novice)], [Alchemist(Novice)] Title: Dragonborn[Level 40]. Vitality: 500 Magicka: 511 [Deathly Hallows[1/3]: Invisibility Cloak] [Thu''um] :*[Animal Allegiance(RAAN M?I?R? ?T?A?H?)], *[Frost Breath ( FO K?R?A?H? ?D?I?I?N?)], [Unrelenting Force(FUS ?R?O? ?D?A?H?)] [Familiars] :[Stoat(Silvaticus), Dragon(Norene), Owl(Aquila), *Snake(Karl)] [[SKILLS]] [Alteration[Level 42(Apprentice)]: . . . *Ash Shell, *Detect Life, *Ironflesh, *Telekinesis, *Transmute, *Waterbreathing] [Conjuration[Level 41(Apprentice)]: . . . *Summon Karl, *Banish Daedra, *Bound Bow, *Conjure Ash Spawn, *Conjure Frost Atronach, *Conjure Mistman, *Conjure Seeker, *Revenant] [Destruction[Level 40(Apprentice)]: . . . *Chain Lightning, *Fireball, *Ice Storm, *Flame Cloak, *Frost Cloak, *Lightning Cloak, *Whirlwind Cloak] [Illusion[Level 42(Apprentice)]: . . . *Frenzy, *Frenzy Rune, *Rally] [Restoration[Level 40(Apprentice)]: . . . *Close Wounds, *Greater Ward, *Heal Other, *Heal Undead, *Poison Rune, *Repel Lesser Undead, *Stendarr''s Aura, *Turn Undead, *Vampire''s Bane] [Weapons Mastery[Level 20(Novice)]: [Slash], [Block], [Sneak Attack], *[Power Attack]] -- There were a few additions to note: Sar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Animal Allegiance: A Shout for help from the beasts of the wild, who come to fight in your defence. Frost Breath: Your breath is winter, you Thu''um a blizzard. Ben had managed to reach level 40 in all of his Mage skills and had purchased all the Adept-level spell tomes available in the shop. However, despite his progress, he was still an Apprentice Mage and would only attain the rank of Adept once all his spells reached level 50. Over the last two weeks, Ben had spent his time meditating with the Dragonstone and had learned two new words of power: Animal Allegiance and Frost Breath. Although Ben found the idea of breathing out an ice storm with Frost Breath to be cool, the spell wasn''t particularly powerful yet. He could achieve the same effect with his Novice spell, Frost. The second word of power, Animal Allegiance, called the surrounding animals to his aid. However, Ben didn''t find it very useful since he couldn''t order the animals as he could with his familiars. During this period, Ben had absorbed six more soul gems, increasing his Magicka capacity by six. He had also noticed that he could absorb a soul gem approximately every three days and it took him five souls to learn a new word of power. Therefore, he could learn a new word of power every fifteen days. Considering that there were twenty-seven shouts with three words each, it would take him over three years to learn all of them at this rate, which was quite disheartening. However, he still held hope for the future. Ben also had a new familiar, Karl, and it took one petty soul to control. He found it when he had gone out to test the Animal Allegiance shout; apart from the common European Adder, also known as Viperus berus, he had only managed to summon a few lizards, birds and rodents. Fiery Friend Ben had been intrigued when he saw the pitch-black snake hissing and staring at him with its ruby-red eyes and split pupils. It didn''t take long for Ben to identify the snake, as it was the only venomous snake native to the UK and the only snake found above the Arctic Circle, The European Adder. It was quite unusual to spot one with completely black scales though, they were more common up in the mountains, not here in East London. Since it was deadly and beautiful, Ben naturally had to add it to his harem of familiars. Well, that was not the only reason, the other and more prominent reason was, Parseltongue. Yes, since he could communicate with his familiar through the mind, it should be able to teach him the language of the snakes, right? Wrong! Turns out, snakes are not great listeners. While not completely deaf, they can only hear sounds up to a frequency of six hundred hertz; as the hissing frequency ranges between three thousand to thirteen thousand hertz, they can''t really hear any of it. Ben kept making all sorts of hissing noises and Karl just gave him a look that said, "Bruh!! Are you for real?!!" But when Harry had made hissing sounds in the movies, the snakes heard him just fine, this made Ben come to the conclusion that Parseltongue couldn''t simply be another language like Gobbledegook or Mermish, and some kind of magic must be involved in it. But since he hadn''t even heard someone speak Parseltongue till now, it was difficult to say exactly. Apart from the death noodle, which was now peacefully coiled up on Ben''s pillow, there were a few more additions of note. Ash Shell: Targets that fail to resist are immobilized in hardened ash. Detect Life: Detect nearby living creatures, even through walls. (Can not detect undead, machines or Daedra) Telekinesis: Manifest your mind''s power to interact with the world; you don''t have to bend over to pick up the dropped soap. Transmute: Transmute unrefined Iron ore to Silver, or Silver ore to Gold; a Mage must transcend material wealth. Banish Daedra: Send them back where they came from; Banish weaker Daedra to Oblivion. Bound Bow: Summons a magic bow and a quiver full of magic arrows. --I''m not going to describe each spell here, there are a lot of them and most of them are self-explanatory, I will give a proper description when they are used-- The first spell Ben had wanted to try was [Transmute] and make some gold, he didn''t have any silver ore, but he did manage to find a big rusty red rock lying around. Ben used [Transmute] on the rock and to his surprise, the rock slowly compressed and turned blackish grey instead of the shiny silver he had been expecting. "What was I even expecting, it''s still an ore," he chuckled at his own stupidity. In the end, Ben was left with half the amount of ore but its value had increased by more than a few thousand times. Now the question was whether he would be able to turn it into gold. Ben used [Transmute] again and it was super effective. The silver ore compressed even further and once again halved in size, leaving a fist-sized rock. Perhaps it was because there were too many impurities in the starting ore, or perhaps this was the limit of this spell, the resulting rock was a mix of gold and quartz. Ben would still have to refine it to get pure gold, which was not as convenient as he had hoped. Ben decided to store it until he came up with a way to refine it further. The second most awaited spell had been [Telekinisis] and it did not live up to expectations either. It was not as useless as it was in the game, but it was not much better either. It essentially produced the same result as the Levitation Charm, and Ben was much more proficient in that one by now. One saving grace for [Telekinisis] seemed to be that, unlike other Adept level spells, it did not use as much Magicka and just like its description, it really was a manifestation of his mind''s power. Ben could feel its control and power increase with his every soul meal and perhaps one-day hell be able to go toe to toe with Jean Grey. The final and possibly most anticipated had been [Banish Daedra] and it was because he had yet to summon an Atronach even though it had been months since he had learned the spell. Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. How were the two related? Well, subduing a denizen of the Oblivion was no easy task, it took considerable strength, both of mind and spirit to achieve it. No Mage ever dared to summon one without the supervision of a more experienced Mage; in Ben''s case, he himself had to become that more experienced Mage. Now that he had the [Banish Daedra] spell, he was a little more confident. Then there was the extra assurance of the Nirn Island itself; if anything went wrong and things went haywire, it would all stay confined on the island. With that thought, Ben used [Conjure Flame Atronach] and the space in front of him rippled and ripped apart and bloomed like a flower. When the space reformed, a majestic being that looked like it was on fire hovered in the air in front of him. It moved with the grace of a dancing flame and did sort of a summersault right where it stood; it was otherworldly. Ben had never seen something so graceful, not that any human could ever attain this level of elegance. Its elegant movements, combined with a figure that could make even dead men rise, gave rise to a strange feeling in his stomach. But at the same time, its empty face reminded Ben of exactly what he was facing, a Flame Atronach, an embodiment of fire itself. Its skimpy black metal armour fitted on a perfectly proportioned female form worked perfectly to distract you from its deadly claws, toes and swept-back horns. Its softly burning flame body that relaxed your mind with its faint whistling and crackling sounds was perfectly capable of reducing you to ashes in a matter of minutes. "Summoned to do a mortal''s bidding! Aeons must have passed since I last saw of your kind, mortal." A voice that sounded like a mix of burning embers and whispering of flames rang out in Ben''s mind. Murder Torch "It''s been ages since I last encountered your kind, mortal." A voice that sounded like a mix of burning embers and whispering of flames rang out in Ben''s mind. "STOP! No one''s got time for your backstory, so spare me your riddles and all that malarkey," Ben said, putting a stop to any foreshadowing coming from the little SizzleSprite. "You dare take that tone with me, mortal! PREPARE TO DIE!" Screeched the murder torch as it conjured two bright balls of scorching fire, raising the surrounding temperature by a few degrees. "WOOSH" And before the Lady Heat Blast could start her murder dance, she got extinguished by an [Ice Storm], an Adept-level spell from Ben. "Tch, no fire salts?" Ben said, looking at the place where the atronach disappeared. "There goes my infinite gold glitch," he said, feeling a little disappointed. Casting the [Conjure Flame Atronach] spell again, Ben focused as his Magicka left his hand and concentrated on a spot in front of him, tearing open a hole in the fabric of space-time itself. It bloomed like a flower and then collapsed back on itself to heal the damage that was done to it. It all happened in an instant, but that was enough time for a furious Atronach to be dragged back in front of Ben. "YOU DARE SUMMON ME AGAIN MORTAL!" It screamed at the top of its embers but was once again sent back to Oblivion with a blast of Magicka from Ben. This time using the [Banish Daedra] spell; the space fluctuated to bloom like a flower and then collapsed in on the atronach. If you are wondering why it was the same atronach, it was because of the nymic used during summoning. Nymic, is basically the true name of a daedra and is also their biggest weakness, hence they guard it with their lives. Daedra cannot abandon or change their nymics, and their true names endure even when their physical form is annihilated. It''s basically the daedra''s dna, it defines its nature and if its physical form gets destroyed, it can regenerate from its nymic. Nymics can be of different lengths depending on the strength of a daedra. The full nymic will often contain a protonymic, a neonymic, a tribunymics and a hieronymics. Which is kind of like its name, surname, affiliations and its rank. Protonymic is basically the common name and can be shared by many daedra, hence when you use it to cast the summoning spell, any of those daedra can appear before you. Summoning is all well and good, but if you want to banish it, you must also know its neonymic or the surname. This is the reason Ben had waited untill now to summmon it, because only the [Banish Daedra] spell tome contained the neonymic and there weren''t very many of them. As for the tribunymics and a hieronymics, Ben had yet to come in contact with them. A truly capable mage who learns a Daedra''s complete Nymic could change its loyalties, limit its powers, anchor it into a different physical form (such as an object of some kind), or simply disperse it altogether. Ben stared at the spatial fabric repairing itself after swallowing the atronach whole. ''Blimey, that looked like it hurt,'' he winced a little, but that didn''t stop him from casting the spell again. "YOU-You will pay for this humiliation with your pitiful life. My embers will not rest until I bathe in your ashes-" "Shut yer gob, you daft bint!" Ben Growled at the hysterical flame Atronach and shut her gob she did. "Good, now put that fiery temper of yours to good use and turn this into a shiny piece of gold," he said, throwing the lump of transmuted gold ore to her. And she did so too, in immense disbelief as her whole being followed Ben''s command without a second thought. Ben still didn''t know its full nymic, but his soul was strong enough to compel it to do his bidding for a while. Using the spell in this manner was deemed crude. Without the full nymic, most mages resorted to diplomacy and making deals with the Daedra to have them do their bidding, only to be betrayed at the earliest opportunity. Ben didn''t want to go through the whole shebang and since he had a soul strong enough, he didn''t have to. The stronger the soul and the will power of the mage, the stronger the binding effect of the spell. One could also use sacrifices to make the binding stronger, but there was no need for that now. "H-How are you doing this, y-you are but a mortal and I am no ordinary Atronach, I am the-" "Yeah-yeah, I''m sure you think you''re somethin'' special darlin''," said Ben, taking the newly purified gold bullion from her hands. It had quite a bit of weight for its size and was currently hot enough to burn the flesh right off his bones had it not been for him casting [Ironflesh]. "But you''re now just a blasted furnace, makin'' gold bars at my bidding," he said with a smirk that was borderline evil. "Look at the bright side, it''s not too terrible a job, considering you get to visit this lovely island," he said with his arms out wide; as if he were the main character of a multi-billion dollar franchise. The Flame Atronach perished under the onslaught of cringe coming from Ben. Just Kidding, it ran out of fuel and got snuffed since its summon time was over. Next, Ben dual cast the spell, and the atronach reappeared, this time a lot more docile than the last time. Daedra are used to serving a lord, and while servitude is not something shameful for them, serving a mortal is. Sear?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Daedra bow down to the strong and look down upon the weak, and mortals to them are weakest of all; beings to be trampled upon and slaughtered for fun. While he did feel a little uncomfortable, but he wasn''t delusional enough to feel bad about enslaving one. He knew given the chance, it would murder everyone in its sights and capture their souls to torture for an eternity. This wasn''t a fairy tale where the hideous monster turns out to be a poor, misunderstood creature and neither was it a hormone-filled teenage fantasy where the hot demoness falls in love with the nerd because of how good his dick tastes. No, this was a horror show, and the demoness was, in fact, after your soul. She would then use it to light a lamp in her dark dungeon so you could clearly see her torture your whole family for all eternity. Anyway, now that Ben had a daedra under him, he could finally find the answer to a question that had been troubling him for quite some time. "What master do you serve?" --Dreamscape-- Hey everyone, its been a while. I finally continued my Harry Potter ff; trust me, it wasn''t easy. Anyway, this one became a bit too technical, I know. Getting lost in the details is the whole thing that I do. Please let me know if you have any ideas about the future of this book. I''m looking forward to your comments. If you like the stuff that comes out of my head, please consider supporting me at /DreamyApe Locked "What master do you serve?" Ben asked, not even expecting the atronach to answer. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. There was very little chance that a daedra would answer a question that would most likely reveal a part of its tribunymic. However, it happened, and Ben''s confusion only deepened from the atronach''s words. "I... I serve... I serve the great... I... I... can''t remember..." "what is... what is happening... what is this sorcery..." The fire atronach mumbled, and Ben could sense the immense effort it took to utter each word. With every single word, Ben could feel the spell''s binding get weaker and weaker, until the atronach finally broke free. "YOU!! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME MORTAL!! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!" It screeched and lunged at Ben, bearing its fiery claws. Ben was completely caught off guard and staggered backwards in an attempt to dodge the attack. Luckily, his instincts kicked in and he managed to cast the [Greater Ward] at the very last moment. While the atronach was still throwing hands at the ward, Ben gathered magicka in his left hand and hit it with the [Banish Daedra] spell. "Whew, nearly got a scratch on me handsome face, I did." Ben said, looking at the atronach being dragged back to the oblivion. "Sure, that wasn''t meant to happen at all, now, was it?" Ben hadn''t expected a simple question to make the atronach lose its head. ''What kind of snowflake atronach did I summon?'' He wondered. After catching his breath and recovering his magicka, Ben re-summoned the vicious thing. The way the atronach reacted raised multiple flags in his mind and he had to sort this out, once and for all. As soon as it was summoned, Ben felt it trying to resist the spellbinding, but because of the multiple trips back and forth through the void, it had considerably weakened, and was quickly subdued by Ben. This time, Ben changed the question. "Where do you come from, atronach?" He asked, expecting the answer to be ''Infernace'', a plane of oblivion that was the embodiment of searing flames and boiling lave. But was met with confused silence from the atronach. Ben felt genuine horror and confusion emitting from the antique candlestick. Pondering for a while, he gathered mana in his hand and asked, "Where happens if I banish you?" The floating torch glided away at the mention of banishment, shrieking, "No! Not again! I surrender to you!" "I will do your every bidding! Smelt as much metal as you want. I will slay your every enemy, I will do anything, just do not send me there," "Where? Where do you go when I banish you?" He asked again. "I do not know! I do not know!" It said, clutching its head. "All I know is that it is cold there, it is empty and dark," the atronach rolled into itself, hugging its knees in mid air. It stayed there until the duration of the spell was over. Ben did not bother with it as he was too busy with his own thoughts. ''It doesn''t make any sense. It should return to its origin once banished, unless..." At first, Ben thought that perhaps the atronach''s master had interfered, stopping it from divulging anything about himself, but now he had a feeling that something much more mysterious was going on behind the scenes. The fact that the atronach cannot recall its plane of origin brings up the question of whether that plane exists at all, especially considering it was banished to the void rather than Infernace. The next time Ben summoned the atronach, it was extremely servile, going as far as bowing down to him. It was even willing to reveal its full nymic as long as Ben agreed to bind it to this plane. Unfortunately, even if he knew its full nymic, it needed at least a Master level mage to make use of it. But the strangest thing was how the atronach got more and more scared every time it returned. It made no sense, as it was absolutely fine the first time Ben had summoned it. Ben could only think of two possible reasons, either the atronach had been in a slumber and unaware of its surroundings, or it got created the first time he was summoned. As absurd as it sounded, Ben wouldn''t put it past his system to be capable of something like that. ''I really know nothing about you, do I?'' he asked the floating dark mist that had coalesced into a screen in front of Ben. Once the reluctant atronach returned to the unknown, Ben, too, left the island. He wanted to test his theories with the Frost Atronach, but he was running late; Maeve was coming over to take him to the Diagon Alley. At first, they were supposed to go there next week to buy his school supplies but then Maeve found out and told Thea about the Glitter Boy''s book signing at the Flourish and Blotts and now they were all going today. Ben didn''t mind, as he would have gone there today, anyway. Lucious Malfoy was apparently giving out a free Horcrux. As soon as he stepped through the black mist and returned to his room, he heard Meave pounding on the door. Ben had cast an anti-unlocking charm on the door before he went in, so there was no way that door was budging. "Benedict Nigel Brown, open this door this instant! We haven''t got all day to wait on ye! The book signing starts in an hour, and if ye don''t get a move on, we''ll leave without ye!" The threat did not faze Ben. In fact, he wanted them to leave without him so he could go there on his own under Polyjuice potion. He had quite a few things to buy and check if the gold bullion passed the goblin scrutiny. "Ben, I''m not going to stand here all day waiting for ye! If ye don''t come out right now, I swear I''ll march in there and drag ye out meself! Now, open this door before I count to three, or there''ll be trouble, mark my words!" Ben almost let out a chuckle at that. He had never imagined, even in his most fanciful thoughts, that his aunt would exhibit such adulation for Lockhart. -Dreamscape- Lockhart is quite charming and terrifying at the same time, isn''t he? I really want to punch his handsome face once. Only once though, wouldn''t want to ruin that million galleon smile. Please support my work at /DreamyApe Flourish and Blotts "One," "Two," "Thr-" *Click* The door opened before she could count to three and a jet of silver light flashed with the words ''Rictusempra!'' echoing behind it. Maeve, who had been red with anger, was now on her knees, wheezing; doing her best to stop herself from laughing. "Ben, you scallywag!dare you hex your poor aunt! I was fuming with rage, I tell you, positively seething, and now... now I''m doubled over in laughter!" The tinge of anger in Maeve''s voice was overshadowed by the by peals of laughter escaping her lips despite her great efforts. She struggled very hard to keep a stern expression, but her face ultimately betrayed her. "Hey there, aunt Maeve. Whatchu doing down on the floor? Lost your knuts, have you?" said Ben, as he munched on a carrot. "This is not... not funny, ye scamp! Stop it this instant, I can''t... hahaha... take it anymore! Oh, me sides are going to split from all this laughing! Please, make it stop!" "Well, that''s what ye get for putting that Goldy Locks before yer nephew," he said, walking away. "Now, I''m leaving you behind. You can join us once you''ve got yer wits about you," he announced, strolling along the corridor. Incidents like these had become the cornerstones of their relationship. Meave had always enjoyed annoying Ben. There was something about the annoyed look on her nephew''s face that gave her immense satisfaction. But as time passed, it got harder and harder to annoy him. In just a year, her nephew grew tremendously and was now full of surprises. No matter what she did, he always had the counter ready. Tables had somehow turned and now she had that annoyed look on her face more often than him. Surprisingly, she found herself enjoying such back and forth with him. It was as if she was back to being a kid, only this time, she had a worthy opponent. Ben had just taken a few steps down the stairs when he felt his legs come to a crawl, as if walking through water. ''The Slowing Charm,'' he thought and tried quickly reaching for his wand, but he was too slow and Maeve got to it first. "Ben, love, we can''t be havin'' ye cast any more spells. It''s against the law, ye know." She said, snatching the wand from his pocket. ''Stupid wand,'' Ben cursed the wand for the weak jinx. He was still using his original wand at home to avoid any unnecessary questions, and it was still a pain in the ass. He usually had it on his person for show and stored the lightning wand in his storage space. But lately, he had been using the unruly wand more often to train his control, which would come in handy once he started practicing with wandless magic. "Now, how about I hold onto this wand for the rest of the day?" She said, with a playful twirl of the wand between her fingers. Ben could only show a look of annoyance at his helplessness. Not that he was really helpless, but he couldn''t think of a way to free himself without drawing unnecessary attention. "All right, then, let''s be off! We wouldn''t want to miss Gilderoy''s book signing, now, would we?" she said, releasing Ben and relishing the annoyed look on his face. "Phew, whatever," he grumbled, his eyes rolling with annoyance. "What''s so good about Lockhart, anyway? He''s clearly a fraud," he muttered, walking down the stairs behind her. "Aww, feeling a bit green-eyed, are we?" "Oh please, I couldn''t give two sickles about that charlatan," he scoffed. "But ye do. Every time his name comes up, you get this weird look in your eyes," she said, observing him closely. "That''s cause he''s a fraud. I don''t get how you can''t see it?" Ben said frustratingly, his voice tinged with irritation. "Oh, what rubbish, you don''t have to be so worked up. You, me boyo, will always be my favourite," she said, wrapping him in a warm embrace. "Who wants to be your favourite? I just want you to leave me alone," he said, his words muffled against her chest. "Dream on, kiddo, it ain''t happening," she said with a smile, squeezing him tighter. --- By the time they got to Flourish and Blotts, there was already a throng of witches jostling outside the doors, trying to get in. Nigel generously volunteered to withdraw gold from Gringotts, and Ben swiftly followed suit, leaving the women to navigate the bustling crowd of fan girls on their own. When they returned, they walked in to Hagrid, pulling apart Lucious Malfoy and Arthur Weasley, looking like an adult tearing apart two clashing kids on the playground. Arthur Waesley had a cut lip and Malfoy a bruised eye. Malfoy was holding a worn out transfiguration book that he thrust into Ginny''s hands, his eyes glittering with malice. "Here, girl - take your book - it''s the best your father can give you." Pulling himself out of Hagrid''s grip, he beckoned Draco to follow as he swept out of the shop. "Yeh should''ve ignored him, Arthur," said Hagrid, almost lifting Arthur Weasley off his feet as he straightened his robes. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that - no Malfoy''s worth listenin'' ter - bad blood, that''s what it is - come on now - let''s get outta here." Nigel hastily moved out of the way, dragging Ben with him to let the giant pass. ''Wuss'' Ben thought to himself. "Eh there Ben - good to see yeh," he said, passing by, "Yeh too Nigel." "Great work there Hagrid, see yeh at school," Ben replied, waving him goodbye. Turning around, he saw the store assistant frozen, wanting to stop the group from leaving after causing so much ruckus, but not daring, as he barely reached Hagrid''s waist. "Hey dad, you go on ahead, I''ll go quickly say hello to some friends," Ben said without even looking back at Nigel. "Wait--Ben--" "They''re just over there," he said, pointing to the group leaving after Hagrid. "Harry! Wait up!" he called out. sea??h th N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Oh hey Ben," said harry, "are you shopping for supplies too?" "I am. Did you get the present I sent you?" Ben asked. "I did, thanks," said Harry, patting his chest. "Did you like it? You better have liked it. It took a lot of work to send it to you," Ben said with a cheeky smile. "How''d you send him a present, anyway? Harry said a house-elf was blocking all his mails," asked Ron. "Oh hey Ron, didn''t notice you there for a minute." He said to Ron, deflecting his question. "You need to get your eyes checked, mate." "Nah, my eyes are just fine. I just saw your dad almost take out Malfoy Sr''s eye though, and it was just awesome." ""Yeah it was,"" said the two twins who dropped in out of nowhere, with their faces full of pride, and then disappeared down the street laughing. -END OF CHAPTER- Ahoy there mate, if you''re interested in supporting the rubbish that comes out of my mind, visit www./DreamyApe. Have a nice day. Invitation Hermione came over to see what was taking the boys so long, along with Ginny and her cauldron full of books. As a first year, Ginny already had to purchase several books, since most of them would be used till the fifth year, and with Lockhart''s insistence on everyone buying his complete collection, the poor girl could barely lift the cauldron. "Good to see you, Hermione. And who might this be?" Ben said, tilting his head at the cute redhead. The poor girl, who had been following Hermione, only hoping to get a few more glimpses at Harry''s deep emerald eyes, was taken aback when she suddenly saw another charming face so up close. While his eyes weren''t emerald green like Harry''s, they stared at her with great intrigue, as if she were the only interesting thing around. He was quite tall and as she looked up at him; the sunlight shined through his long hair, illuminating his face in a soft glow. Ginney stood frozen, like a doe in the headlights, too mesmerised to introduce herself. [Img] "I thought you knew everything? She''s Ron''s sister, Ginny." Hermione said saltily. She''d been like this with Ben since the results came out, complaining that it was unfair since he could see the future. "Oh, I know a lot of things, but I still can''t understand how Ron ended up with a face like that while his sister is this cute," he said, pointing at both the siblings and their faces went red, albeit for different reasons. "Ey, what''s that supposed to mean?" Ron protested. "Just that you''re different, one might say unique, despite the obvious similarities. Here, have this honey nut treat," Ben said as he pulled out a bunch of what were essentially Skyrim Snicker bars from under his robes and passed one to everyone. "Here, and let me take care of that for you," he said, passing one to Ginny and taking the heavy cauldron from her. He then pulled out his lightning wand from his storage space under the cover of his robes. Hermione seemed like she wanted to stop him, but Ben was swift with his spell-casting. He waved the wand at the cauldron, and muttered, "". The cauldron and its contents flashed dimly for a moment, and then returned to their previous appearance. "There, light as a feather," he said, lifting the cauldron with his pinky to show as proof. "Ben! You''re going to get into trouble. We''re not allowed to do magic outside of school," said Hermione chiding him. "I''m not gonna get into trouble, Hermione. Unless go ," He said, narrowing his eyes at her. "I won''t, but it''s the ministry. Surely they will find out." She said as a matter-of-factly. "Yeah, that''s not how it works or I would surely be expelled by now," Ben said with a chuckle. "Don''t tell me you''ve been the law the whole summer?" Hermione asked, shocked. "Fuuf, it''s a stupid law, Hermione, and everybody does it. The ministry can only whether a spell is being cast near an underage wizard and who''s casting it. It could be any of these hundreds of adult wizards around us," Ben replied, revelling in the shocked look on her face. Hermione was the smartest witch of her age, the key word being . It had only been a year since she got introduced to the Wizarding World and had yet to understand its inner workings. But being as smart as she was, quickly realised that only muggle-born students who lived in the muggle world would have to strictly follow this law. She looked over at Ron to see if it was true. "Well, mum and dad are quite strict about the ''no magic outside school'' rule, but - Fred and George use their wands whenever mum''s not looking and - they''ve never got in trouble with the ministry," said Ron. "But-that''s not fair-" "It''s not? I think it''s quite fair," said Ben, stopping Hermione from going on a rant. "How is it fair if I can''t use my wand without getting into trouble and you can?" "And I can''t watch tele or use a computer, but you don''t see me complaining," Ben replied. "What''s a commute-her?" Ron asked but was ignored. "That''s not the same-" "Oh, but it is. You live in the muggle world and get to enjoy muggle technology. I live in the wizarding world and get to enjoy magical conveniences. Seems pretty fair to me." "But muggle-borns are part of the wizarding world too-" "They are, and that''s why they must follow the wizarding law to safeguard the statute of secrecy." Hermione didn''t look convinced, but before she could come up with more ways of calling him a hypocrite, Ben put a stop to this discussion. "Hey, before my mam comes looking for me, I wanted to ask if you guys would like to come over this week, it''s been incredibly boring at the cottage." "Will that be alright with your parents?" Harry asked, looking a little unsure. "OH, they''ll be happy to have you guys over, and I have something really cool to show you guys," he said, trying to sound mysterious. "You should come over too, Hermione. We can continue our talk then," He said, giving a piece of paper with his address to her. "It should be easy to spot a Medieval-style cottage amid all the urban muggle housing," He told her. "You can come along too, Ginny. We''ve lots of baby rabbits now and they are so unbelievably cute." He said to Ginny, handing the cauldron back to her with a smile. "Oh hey, you have the 1972 issue of " he said, lifting the old, battered book from her cauldron. Ginny suddenly felt embarrassed and blood rose to colour her ears red. Malfoy Sr. had already made fun of her in the store and now- "I''ve been looking for this for a while. It has a few extra spells that are- interesting, to say the least, because of the war, you know." "Mind if I borrow this, Ginny?" he asked, pulling out a new copy from under his robes. "You can use mine for a while." Ginny looked shocked. For a second, she thought he was going to make fun of her, but- "It has my transfiguration notes in it too, and get this, a few of my favourite hexes," he said, flipping through the book and showing her some really descriptive illustrations along with the hexes at the end pages of the book. Ginny''s doe eyes gained a sharp glint when she saw the gruesomely funny illustrations. There was a squat, toad-like woman with a horn for a tongue in one illustration, insect feelers on top of her head in another and alarmingly long toenails in a third one. On the second page, an abnormally long-nosed man with greasy long hair stood with his robes lifted as he stared at his reversed knees in shock. In one illustration, he had lost all his hair, while in another pus erupted from his abnormally long nose. But the funniest had to be the one with bat-shaped bogeys escaping his nose. "So, do we have ourselves a deal?" he asked again, and Ginny nodded, still staring at the book. "Great, I''ll see you guys later," He said, putting the new book into her cauldron. He had already stored the old book along with the diary hidden under it in his storage space. "You do know how to use the Floo, right? Just shout, ''Brown Family Cottage'' and you''ll be there," he said, waving them goodbye as he ran inside the store, after all his job was done. "How does he fit everything in his pockets?" Ron asked, looking at Ben''s vanishing silhouette. "I don''t know?" said Harry, touching the pouch hanging around his neck. "Umh-these treats are good," he said, licking the skewer. "Are you gonna eat that, Ginny?" he said, pointing at the skewer in her hand, which she quickly pulled away from him. "Don''t even think about it." -END OF CHAPTER- Time for a poll, my fellow apes. Vote for the female lead of your choice.[Images included] Cho Chang Marietta Edgecombe (Seriously?) Daphne Greengrass Ginny Weasley Fleur Delacour Hermione Granger Luna Lovegood Nymphadora Tonks Andromeda Tonks (Uuhhh) Bellatrix Lestrange (Crazy? I Likey!) Narcissa Malfoy (?) Minerva McGonagall (?) Maeve O''Malley () JK Madame Maxime () Sarch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lady Death herself. () Shadow Clone Jutsu? () Patil Sisters? (Twins eh?) Norene (You Sickos!!) Lydia (She''s swoooorn to carry our burdens) Flame Atronach (You like to play with fire, huh?) Umbridge? (Just buy a pie bro!) This is just so I get a feel for my audience, also: Harem?? NO HAREM!!!? One is good, two is better (can''t say no to a 3sum), three is stretching it and four is too much!? If you likey-likey, helpy-helpy Poor-Dreamy on patrey-patrey/DreamyApe. Toodle-oo! Growing weeds ''Well, I see nothing special about this diary.'' Ben was sitting at his desk examining Tom Riddle''s diary. It looked and felt like any other diary one might find in the muggle world. But Ben knew how sinister this seemingly innocuous diary was. Once you pour your heart into it, it will suck your soul dry before you know it. ''Eh, whatever, not like I''m to talk to a dead ," he thought, putting the diary to the side and pulling out a vial full of bubbling mud-like potion. "Gulp," he swallowed it at once, not giving himself too much time to register its disgusting taste. "Ugh, tastes like misery and depression," he said as the flesh around his body squirmed, transforming him into a balding, middle-aged man. "This''s the last time I''m turning into this miserable specimen. Let''s go find some better-tasting hair," he said, but then felt his gut wrench at the words coming out of his mouth. ''Gross! Luckily no one else heard me,'' he thought as he opened the window and flew out under the cover of invisibility. He could have opened a portal straight to the Knockturn Alley, but flying was still his preferred mode of transportation. Also, as a responsible citizen, it was Ben''s duty to keep this city clean. --- "Zzz ZZ zzz ZZzz" "Thump" "Thump" "Ben, wake up! It''s ten o''clock!" Thea''s voice ruffled Ben from his sleep. ", give me a -- minute," Ben said with a long yawn, showing his lack of sleep. Getting out of bed, he stretched his body and used [Healing] to relieve the grogginess clouding his mind. It had been a long night yesterday. After cleaning the streets of London, Ben went to Knockturn Alley to sell the gold bullion and a few other valuables bought from the store. Then he went on a shopping spree and bought a bunch of stuff, including things, to help cultivate his private island. He bought charmed ploughs, shovels, watering cans, spell books with farming and gardening spells, then went to muggle London to sell some gold jewellery and buy truckloads of cow dung compost and seeds; Ben wanted to buy dragon dung compost, but it was quite expensive. He used the levitation spell to dump the compost around the island as he flew on his broom. It was surprisingly easy, as he could summon the compost bags wherever he wanted on the island; he didn''t need to open the storage space as he did outside, but it still took a long time to cover the entire island. He was trailed by four magical ploughs, which dug into the ground and evenly distributed the compost, blending it with the soil. Once it was all done, it was time for seeding. Thankfully, he didn''t have to plant individual seeds since he found a nifty spell in one book. He pulled out a few bags with weed seeds and mixed them all into one large bag. The seeds shot high into the air like a fountain and then rained down like a hailstorm, covering a large area around him with seeds. Repeating this a few more times around the island, he covered the entire place in seeds. ", now comes the hard part," He said, taking a breather. Although he hadn''t used that much magic, he was feeling a little drained. Spell casting was harder on Nirn Island because of the low concentration of ambient magic as it was converted into Magicka. Dobby couldn''t even use magic on the island, as house-elves have a negligible amount of magic stored on their bodies and heavily rely on controlling ambient magic, and hence, seek places with large concentrations of it. And while wizards have their own magical reserves, they use them to mobilise the vast amount of ambient magic around them to cast most spells. Why use your limited magic when nature provides an unlimited amount of it? sea??h th n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Taking a deep breath, Ben pointed his wand at the sky and shouted with intense concentration, Dark clouds quickly covered the sky above his head, letting out rumbling noises, followed by flashes of thunder. Ben felt a raindrop wet his face, followed by another and another; soon the entire island was covered in rainfall. Ben waved his wand, and an invisible umbrella appeared over his head, shielding him from the rain. "Whew, that worked like a charm," he said, wiping his forehead. But it was, in fact, a jinx and not a charm. Usually, people use it for petty pranks like jinxing someone''s room or a house, but Ben managed to jinx an entire island, albeit a very small island, and he was left completely drained at the end of it. He was so tired that he fell asleep as soon as he fell on the bed and only woke up now. Rubbing his eyes, he opened the door to see a not-so-pleased Thea tapping her foot. "Mornin''," he said with a weary smile. "Mornin''? It''s almost noon," she said, fuming. "Mam, it''s Sun-" "Ah, hush now. We''ve company on the way, so you''d best be pulling yourself together." "Who''s coming?" he asked curiously. There hadn''t been many people visiting them this summer, except Maeve. "Madam Edgecombe is visiting," she said. "Oh," he said unenthusiastically, realising why his mother had been so worked up. Marietta''s mother got promoted this summer and was now his father''s superior at the DMT. Not that it mattered much. Her job was to supervise the Floo Network, and he was to monitor unlicensed magical transportation and file the paperwork. ''Tis a good thing the Ministry can''t detect my portals yet, or it would be a right awkward situation,'' he thought. "What''s that got to do with ?" he asked. "Marie is visiting too, dear. You can show her around and play together," she said. "Play! With Marietta? What am I, twelve?" he asked with a shocked expression. "Aye, you are twelve. Now go get a shower, you stink," she said, scrunching her nose. -End Of Chapter- Well, Luna is a lot more popular than I expected, which is interesting. Check out the hundreds of Luna Images at /DreamyApe for free. Peaches The bracing cold water from the shower snapped Ben out of his sleepiness, reminding him of the jinx he had placed on the island last night. ''Shit, I forgot about that,'' he cursed in his mind. A cloud of dark mist emerged from his chest and quickly enveloped his body, transporting him to the Nirn island. Stepping onto the island, he found himself amidst a heavy downpour from the thundering clouds. He incanted, dispersing the gloomy clouds and returning the island to its sunlit splendour. The sun''s warmth touched his skin, making him aware of his lack of clothing. Swiftly, he concealed his remarkably muscular frame with a flowing robe. Despite his minimal exercise routine, his physique appeared to grow stronger with each level-up, filling his compact frame with well-defined muscles. "Let''s get this party started. Let there be life," he announced, waving his wand and casting a growth-initiating spell on the ground. A soft green glow enveloped the surrounding ground, slowly sinking into the earth. Soon, small seedlings started protruding out of the ground. Getting on his broom, he waved his wand around a dozen more times, covering the entire island in small sprouts. "This place is finally starting to come alive," he commented, as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. The growth-initiating spell kick starts the growth of plant life, causing it to grow faster. Although it is relatively mild compared to spells that can expedite the growth and blossoming of plants within minutes, these spells can also produce unusual mutations or exhaust the plant. Ben was quite happy with his work. Until now, Herbology 101 had not disappointed him, but there was one last matter to attend to before leaving the island. With the enchanted shovel, he dug a hole near the house and deposited his only bag of dragon-dung compost. He then turned his attention to the small potted plant he had picked up yesterday. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With a simple flick of his wand, a small peach tree freed itself from its pot and established its roots in the compost pile. "I doubt this will go as planned," he stated, aiming his wand at the plant. Shooting up like a bamboo shoot, the small plant quickly grew as tall as him, pausing its growth only as its newly formed branches burst into full bloom. The gentle aroma of pollen wafted through the air, evoking the freshness of spring. "Well, I''ll be," he murmured in disbelief. He had feared he might exhaust the plant, yet evidently, the Dragon dung compost proved every bit as miraculous as its name. Unfortunately, before Ben could fully appreciate the beauty of the peach blossoms, they withered away, giving way to nascent fruits that quickly matured into fat, succulent peaches. "Not the worst outcome," he sighed, plucking a ripe peach, which prompted the rest to follow suit and fall to the ground. In a matter of moments, the tree shed all its fruits and leaves, returning to a state of dormancy. "Murphy you son of a bitch," he cursed under his breath. Frustrated and with a slight headache, he stepped out of the island, only to find himself under the running shower. "Just splendid," he sighed. He walked back to his room, soaked wet like a sewer rat. It hadn''t been the most pleasant morning, but at least Ben held a succulent peach. As he bit into the juicy fruit, its fragrant juices flooding his senses, he caught a flash of light out of the corner of his eye. Reacting instinctively, he threw up a ward spell with his left hand and summoned his wand with his right, swiftly casting a stunning spell at the attacker. The peach still held between his jaws. The attacker fell to the ground with a and Ben''s eyes and wand then travelled towards another presence in the room, standing near his bed. The peach still clenched between his teeth, its sweet juices mingling with the tension in the air. "Cho!?" he exclaimed, his voice a mix of surprise and confusion as he took in the sight of her in his room. She stood there motionless, staring at Ben with her eyes wide and pupils dilated. The peach, forgotten in the turmoil, dropped from his lips and rolled across the floor, coming to a stop near the stunned Marietta lying on the ground. "Um, hi Ben," Cho finally managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper as she attempted to break the awkward silence that hung in the room. Her eyes flickered between her friend lying on the floor and the wand in Ben''s hand that was still aimed at her. Ben finally realised his mistake and lowered his wand. "That-was amazing spell-casting, Ben," she said, trying her best to maintain eye contact but finding it difficult not to glance at the pecs peaking through his loose robe. Although a year younger, Ben was already taller than her, and quite the looker. But looking at the way he blocked the jinx and retaliated at a moment''s notice, there seemed to be a lot more to him than his looks. "Thanks, I''ve been preparing for something like this," he said, pointing at poor Marietta still stunned on the floor. "Oh, I''m really sorry about that, Ben. I really tried to stop her, you know, but... Marie, well, she can be quite stubborn at times. It was only a Jelly-Legs Jinx, and she didn''t mean any harm," she explained in a rush, almost running out of breath. Ben found it almost amusing. "What exactly are you doing here? If you don''t mind me asking." Cho''s face turned a few shaded redder, "that- I was visiting Marie-and she asked me to tag along, and- I heard that you have baby rabbits here- so I-" Ben raised an eyebrow at that. "I meant, what you were doing up here in my room?" "Oh, you see, we were waiting for you downstairs, but you took so long, so we came to check up on you. I''m terribly sorry for intruding without permission. We just wanted to take a quick look. Marie said she''d never seen a boy''s room before, and I-" Her face flushed red with embarrassment, and Ben could almost see steam rising from the top of her head. Ben couldn''t help but find it amusing. He had never seen Cho talk so much or lose her composure before. However, before Ben could tease her further, Thea''s voice called out from downstairs. "Benedict, could you join us downstairs?" It was never a good sign when his mother''s tone turned so polite. -End of Chapter- A/N: Hey everyone, I''m still alive, but unfortunately my chicks are no longer with us. Yeah, I recently moved back to my family''s abandoned farm. I bought a bunch of chicks, but things didn''t go quite as planned. A mix of bad weather, power cuts, and a vicious cat took them out. Anyway, now that I''m properly settled and have visited most of my relatives, hopefully, I''ll be able to update this regularly. Check out an extra chapter and Cho Chang images for free on /DreamyApe. “The Dude” Lebowski He was still clad in a damp robe, unable to change since his room had been occupied, and was now running commando beneath the fabric. "Um, Ben?" "Yeah?" "Do you think, maybe, you could wake up Marietta?" "Oh, yeah, sorry about that. She kinda slipped my mind," he said, scratching his head. he muttered, pointing the wand at her chest. "W-what happened?" Marietta stammered as she woke up in a daze. The last thing she remembered was casting a Jelly-Legs Jinx at the annoying Brown. It would be so satisfying to watch him stumble into the room, ''that''ll show Cho how pathetic he is,'' she had thought before her world went dark. "You don''t have to sleep on the floor, Marietta! We have beds in this house." When she opened her eyes, she found herself face-to-face with his stupid expression, his stupid brown eyes peering at her through his stupid, wet brown hair. And why was he so tall, anyway? "What is he, a mountain troll?" she couldn''t help but wonder aloud. "Pardon me, what did you just call me?" Ben''s brows furrowed as he spoke. "You heard me. Are you going to help me up or what?" Marietta retorted. "Yeah, you can help yourself, pipsqueak," Ben replied, a smirk playing on his lips. Marietta''s face flushed with fury as she struggled to come up with a retort. "Y-you little, I''m olderthan you," she screamed, now standing on her toes, still only reaching his chest. "," Ben cooed in a mocking tone, patting Marietta''s head as if she were a child. Marietta''s face turned crimson with anger, her fists clenched, ready to throw some hands. Luckily, Cho pulled her back before Ben put her to sleep once again. "Ben, get down here now!" Thea''s voice rang out from downstairs, her tone less polite than before. "Touch nothing," Ben said sternly, narrowing his eyes at Marietta before hurrying downstairs. Rushing down the stairs, he found the golden trio sitting awkwardly on a sofa, with Thea and Madam Edgecombe offering them a bunch of food. Molly Weasley was there as well, along with Ginny, and was sitting on the sofa on the left. ''Great, more people in this house, just what I need,'' he thought, having completely forgotten he had invited them over. "Ben, dear, you never told me you were friends with Harry here," said Madam Edgecombe with a spurious smile. Ben didn''t like her much. The woman was the definition of a social climber. He was surprised she was in his house at all, as she usually spent her time sucking up to Umbridge and Fudge. It wouldn''t surprise him at all if she were here for Harry. After all, if Harry Potter were to use the Floo network, the DMT would surely be informed, especially after the mishap at Knockturn Alley. "You never inquired, Mrs Edgecombe," Ben retorted, noting the slight falter in her forced smile before it resumed its facade. "Please excuse us," Thea said, whisking Ben away to the kitchen. "What in Merlin''s name are ya wearing? I told ye to put on something suitable for the occasion," she scolded, eyeing the bathrobe disapprovingly. Ben thought he was rocking "The Dude" Lebowski look. "Yeah, well, you know, that''s just, like, your opinion, mam. I reckon this is perfectly suitable for a laid-back Sunday," he retorted with a grin. "Ben, don''t tempt me to hex ya," she warned him, and Ben wisely held his tongue. "Now, off with that thing," she commanded, tugging at the robe. "Mam, I''m not wearing a stitch underneath," Ben protested, clutching onto his robe, desperately trying to maintain his dignity. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Oh, I haven''t the time for this," she sighed, exasperated. With a flick of her wand, she transfigured his robe into a smart ensemble consisting of a shirt, trousers, a vest, and a tie. Another wave of her wand conjured a long black robe and a pointed hat. "Mam, isn''t this a bit much? Is it suddenly the Yule Ball?" he questioned, glancing down at his transformed attire. "And that was my favourite bathrobe," he lamented. "Well, that''s what happens when you fail to inform me of your guests, including Harry Potter. You didn''t think that was worth mentioning?" she scolded. "It slipped my mind, and it''s not that big of a deal, mam," he replied defensively, making his way back to the living room. By now, Cho and Marietta had joined everyone in the living room, and space was becoming scarce. "Come on, guys, I''ve got something cool to show you," he announced, leading the way out the door, with his friends trailing behind. "What on earth are you wearing, mate?" Michael inquired. "Don''t ask. It''s a long story," Ben muttered, sidestepping further discussion about his unexpected attire. "What are you even doing here?" he asked, his curiosity piqued. "Wha, you invited me, mate," Michael replied. "Yeah, like a month ago. Where have you been? And how did you all end up here today? Did you plan it or something?" "Nah, they were already here when I arrived," Michael explained. "And you invited us yesterday. Did you forget?" Hermione chimed in. "Oh hey, Hermione. Don''t get me wrong, I''m glad to have you guys over. I just wasn''t expecting it today," Ben clarified, removing his pointed hat and tucking it away. "Peaches?" he offered, pulling out a handful of ripe fruit from beneath his robes. "No thanks, your mom fed us a ton," Harry declined. "I''ll have one, Ben, and one for Marie," Cho requested, taking two peaches. "Bloody hell, mate, where do you keep all this stuff?" Ron exclaimed, snagging a peach in each hand. "In my private island," Ben joked, handing one out to Ginny and Michael. "Yeah, right," Ron scoffed, clearly sceptical. "These are really good, Ben," Cho complimented. "Thanks, I grew them myself," Ben revealed. "You grew them? You mean you watered the tree?" Hermione teased. "No, I mean exactly what I said," Ben asserted. "Explain," Hermione demanded. "Watch," Ben said, flicking his wand at the nearby rose bush, causing it to burst into full bloom. -End of Chapter- Alright, that''s it for today. Visit me at /DreamyApe for some free images, nothing spicy tho. Quidditch Everyone halted in their tracks, their mouths agape at the dazzling display of magic. "You''re going to land in so much hot water, mate," Michael warned. "No one''s going to catch on," Ben retorted confidently. "Yeah, maybe not with the roses, but what about the peach tree?" Michael pressed with concern in his voice. He was quite familiar with Ben''s peculiarities as well as his capabilities. Others, however, seemed a little sceptical. "They won''t find it either; it''s tucked away on my private island, remember?" Ben replied with a mischievous grin. "Sure, Ben, and I''m a pixie," Michael scoffed. "That''s utter nonsense," Hermione interjected, her scepticism evident in her folded arms. She refused to believe that Ben could successfully cast a fourth-year herbology spell. "You probably botched the spell and killed the tree." Marietta wanted to nod in agreement, but the memory of her recent punishment was still fresh in her mind. "Nice to know you have such faith in me, Hermione," Ben quipped, though inwardly he couldn''t deny her point. He had indeed botched the spell, but the tree wasn''t dead, just temporarily dormant from magical exhaustion. "I believe in you, Ben," Cho spoke up softly, her voice barely audible over the rustling of the roses she''d plucked from the bush. But everyone heard her and gave her a questioning look. Blushing under the sudden attention, she quickly added, "I-I mean, you did really well back there. I''ve n-never managed to cast a Shield Charm, let alone s-stun anything." A sharp jab to her side from Marietta cut off her rambling. Now everyone''s questioning eyes turned towards Ben, Michael staring at him with a wide grin, while others with a mixture of confusion and intrigue. "Uh, thanks, Cho. Anyway, since there''s enough of us here, how about some Quidditch? Great, I''ll be right back," Ben suggested before briskly disappearing into the barn shed, closing the door behind him. "What was that about?" Ron asked with a confused look, but the only two people who could answer were busy appreciating nature. "Wow, the grass here is really lush," said Marietta with her head down. "Yeah, and the trees so - big, it''s amazing," said Cho staring intently at the old oak tree. The others just exchanged confused looks among themselves. Fortunately, Ben soon returned with eight rickety broomsticks floating behind him. "Alright, grab your pick and let''s get this party started," he exclaimed, lining up the broomsticks in front of them. Ben had taken up the hobby of fixing broken things, as he found it oddly satisfying to watch. It had nothing to do with the fact that refurbished items fetched higher prices in the shop. "Wha, you expect this junk to fly?" questioned Michael, eyeing a broomstick that resembled a hybrid of a comet and a Cleansweep. sea??h th N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Oh, it''ll fly. I''ve repaired it myself. Now, hop on," Ben reassured, mounting a broomstick himself. "You did what? That sounds terribly risky," Hermione interjected. "Oh calm down, Hermione. These old brooms are quite reliable and very easy to repair. You can find all the required charms right here in ''Build a Broom: Dummy Edition''," he said, tossing a book to her, and she immediately started flicking through its pages. "Well, I still think it''s dangerous, and besides, I prefer my feet firmly on the ground," Hermione insisted. "I''m not sitting on this junk either," added Marietta, giving a broomstick a sceptical prod with her foot. "Alright, suit yourselves, Hermione. You can stay right there and cheer for us," he said, gesturing towards the bench beneath the old oak tree. "You can join her too, Marietta. And since you''re so loud and obnoxious, you''ll make a great commentator," he added, tossing the two extra broomsticks aside. With the two dissenters out of the picture, Ben turned to the remaining group members, who were already mounted on their broomsticks. "Bloody hell, these are a lot more comfortable than they look," exclaimed Ron, pleasantly surprised. "That would be the new cushioning charms I applied to them," said Ben proudly. "But that''s where the improvements end. The breaking charms on these brooms are still quite terrible, and they''re not as manoeuvrable either, so keep that in mind," he cautioned, his tone turning serious as the others nodded in understanding. Ben transfigured some firewood into two small goal rings and then cast to enlarge them. With the makeshift goals in place, they were ready to play Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw. "Wait a minute, Ginny doesn''t know how to play. She doesn''t even know how to fly yet," Ron protested, noting the unevenness of the teams. "Well, I think she has a lot of potential," Ben said, knowing that she was quite talented. "You can have her if you think she''s so good then," said Ron. "Don''t mind if I do," replied Ben, swapping Michael for Ginny. "I feel betrayed, cast aside for a girl. Oh, how it hurts my soul" began Michael, but Ben cut him off. "Shut it, Michael," Ben said, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Here, you can ride this, Ginny," said Ben, offering her his old Nimbus broom, knowing it was easier to handle than the others. He refrained from using his new Comet 260, as that would just make his opponents cry in despair. With Ginny equipped and ready, the game could finally commence. However, there was just one problem, as Harry pointed out, "Um, won''t we need at least a Quaffle?" he asked. "Indeed, we will," replied Ben, pulling out his pointed hat from his robes, and then the Quaffle from the hat. "Show off," Ron whispered to Harry. Ben threw the ball into the air, signalling the start of the match. Without Bludgers or a Snitch, the game transformed into a makeshift form of handball on broomsticks, a variation that Ben found far more sensible than traditional Quidditch. Ben played keeper, which made it quite difficult for the opposing team to score, as he easily covered the entire goal. The opposing team proved formidable as well, with Ron guarding their goal and Harry and Michael acting as chasers, giving Ginny and Cho a tough time. In a strategic move towards the end of the game, Ben decided to leave the goal open to join the offensive, coordinating with the chasers to secure a final victory before they were called in for lunch. Ben offered to let them keep the brooms since he had a good time. Harry and Cho politely declined, having their own brooms, while Ron and Michael gladly accepted. Ginny also declined, as she wasn''t allowed to own one yet. "Keep it safe for me," she said to Ben, not as reserved and shy after playing together for hours. After having a hearty lunch, they all went to feed the baby rabbits and the Girls all went crazy. Ben didn''t blame them. The baby rabbits were very cute. Cho wanted to take one home with her but sadly her mother had a no pet policy. Hermione said she was more of a cat person and Marietta was, as always, too stuck up to ask for anything from Ben. Ginny cradled a charming little ginger rabbit that perfectly matched her hair shade, and Ben decided to let her keep it. Soon after, Michael left through the Floo, followed by Cho with Madam Edgecombe and Marietta. Ben accompanied the trio to the front of the house where he called Hermione a Knight Bus, which she seemed grateful for, unaware of the whacky ride ahead of her. "Hey, can I have a quick word with ya, alone?" Ben asked Harry, beckoning him to the side of the house. -End of Chapter- Dun-dun-dun...What''s the lad be cookin'' up now? Tune in for the next episode of DragonbornZ to find out!" THE DIARY Cho was immediately whisked away to Marietta''s room as soon as she appeared at the fireplace. "Slow down, will you? I nearly scraped my knee on the stairs," Cho said, rubbing her knee in discomfort. "Hurry up, you''re so slow! I''ve got something to show you," Marietta exclaimed, practically dragging Cho along with her. "What''s got you so excited?" Cho asked, deftly slipping out of Marietta''s grasp as they reached the upstairs landing. "This!" Marietta exclaimed, producing an old diary from beneath her robes, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Marietta!" Cho exclaimed, identifying the diary at a glance. "That''s Ben''s," she said, a little shocked. "I know right, who would have thought? A secret diary. How lame," Marietta remarked with a smirk. "Marie, you can''t just nick someone''s things like that," Cho admonished her gently. "Oh, relax, I made a copy," Marietta replied, waving her arm dismissively. "And don''t act like you''re not curious about what''s in here," she said, waving the diary in front of Cho''s face. "I-I''m not, and you shouldn''t be either. There could be personal stuff in there," Cho responded hesitantly. "Yeah, right, and that''s all the more reason to read it," Marietta retorted with a scoff, rolling her eyes in annoyance at Cho''s objections. She was tired of Cho siding with him despite being her friend. "Wait, don''t," Cho interjected, attempting to halt Marietta. She wouldn''t appreciate it if someone went through her diary, either. But Marietta dodged Cho''s attempt to stop her and opened the diary. Her face contorted into a frown when she saw the first page, and the frown deepened as she flipped through the pages. "It''s empty," she declared with frustration evident in her voice, tossing the diary to the ground in disappointment. Cho carefully picked up the diary, noting the faded year on the shabby black cover, indicating it was fifty years old. Except for the first page, where it read, "T. M. Riddle," the remaining pages were blank. "There must have been privacy charms on the original diary," Cho deduced after inspecting the empty pages. Marietta''s interest was piqued, and she tapped the diary three times before saying, "Aparecium!"a simple charm to reveal messages written in invisible ink. However, nothing happened, leaving Marietta disappointed. "Marietta, you said this was just a copy!" Cho exclaimed, realising that invisible messages don''t transfer over when making a copy. "I never said this was the copy. I said I made a copy," Marietta replied, shocking Cho with her admission. "I transfigured my hat into a perfect imitation," Marietta added proudly. "Marie, he''ll know it was you once the transfiguration ends," Cho looked alarmed at the implication. "Yeah, what else was I supposed to do? I still can''t perform the duplication spell. Plus, I want him to know it was me, to understand the consequences of messing with me," Marietta replied with a smirk. "I just wish I was there to see the look on his face." Marietta''s disdain for Ben was no secret, and in some ways, Cho could empathise. Ben was undeniably peculiareccentric, unconventional, and unapologetically unique. While he could be rather abrasive at times, Cho found herself strangely drawn to his quirky sense of humour. Marietta, however, was not amused by his antics. Her constant clashes with him grated on Cho''s nerves. She couldn''t shake the sense that Marietta''s hostility towards Ben was unfounded and unreasonable. "What were you supposed to do? How about nothing? What''s wrong with you, Marietta? You can''t just take people''s things. It''s not funny," Cho chided, her voice echoing softly in the quiet corridor. Marietta''s eyes flashed with defiance as she retorted, "What''s wrong with me? What''s wrong with you? Why are you always taking his side over your friend?" "I-I''m on your side, Marietta. And we have to return this," Cho insisted, her voice pleading. Sarch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Return it? Why would I do that?" Marietta shot back, her voice rising with frustration. "Because it could be important. It''s fifty years old, maybe it belonged to a family member," Cho reasoned, trying to appeal to Marietta''s conscience. "Why don''t you return it to him yourself, since you clearly care so much about him?" Marietta snapped, her words laced with bitterness. Cho''s brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?" "You know exactly what I''m talking about. He''s humiliated me left and right, taken shots at me, and openly ridiculed me. And yet, all you care about is fluttering around him like a butterfly on a broomstick, instead of being on my side when I need you most." Marietta spat out, her anger boiling over. "I get that you''re upset, but you attacked him first. He was just defending himself," Cho countered, her voice firm with disbelief. "And if we''re being honest, you''ve always been the one to find fault with Ben. I just don''t understand why," she continued, her frustration evident. "And I''m not ''dancing around him on a broomstick.'' I''m simply trying to be fair and impartial." Marietta''s expression froze momentarily, a single tear trickling down her cheek." "I didn''t need fairness, Cho. I needed a friend," she choked out, before striding into her room and slamming the door shut. "Marie" "Leave me alone, Cho. I don''t want to talk to you anymore," she declared firmly through the closed door. -- As the end of summer vacation approached, Ben found himself once again boarding the Hogwarts Express with his friends. Terry Boot, who had spent the entire vacation in North America with his father, had plenty of stories to share. A few hours into the journey, Ben decided to stretch his legs and take a leisurely stroll down the train''s corridors Halfway down the train, he encountered Hermione and Ginny, both appearing visibly distressed and tense. "Did Harry and Ron not manage to board the train?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow as he scanned the compartment, realising their absence. "No, they missed it. Honestly, what were they thinking?" Hermione replied, her frustration evident in her tone. "Do you think they''ll be alright, Ben?" Ginny asked, her concern palpable. Ben had become a frequent visitor to the Burrow over the summer, and Ginny had grown accustomed to his presence, feeling comfortable enough to express her concerns without feeling shy. "Don''t worry, Ginny. They''ll be alright," Ben reassured her with a gentle smile, though Ginny still seemed uneasy. "Trust me, I''m not a seer for nothing, you know," he said, a confident grin spreading across his face as he thumped his chest reassuringly. "Lying isn''t very nice, you know," came a gentle, otherworldly voice from behind the pages of a quibbler magazine. "Er... what?" -END OF CHAPTER- A/N: It took me too long to write this chapter. This was supposed to go in a completely different direction, but after a few rewrites, I chose this path. Help me keep the lights on if you like my work at Patreon.com/DreamyApe Guilt-Tripping "Lying isn''t very nice, you know," came a gentle, otherworldly voice from behind the pages of a quibbler magazine. "Er... what?" Ben stuttered, surprised by the unexpected remark. It was then he noticed the presence of a third person in the compartment. Ben instantly recognised the protuberant silvery eyes peering above the pages of the Quibbler as Luna Lovegood''s. "My daddy says you should always tell the truth. People don''t like being lied to, you see," said the girl nonchalantly. ''Great! Daddy''s girl can detect lies as well. What a drag,'' thought Ben. "Uhm-You''re Luna, right?" said Ben, clearing the awkward atmosphere in the compartment. "I am. How did you know? I don''t remember ever seeing you before," asked Luna, her voice full of intrigue. "I''m Ben. I know everything," he said, flashing a smile. "Hello, Ben. You did it again. Are you not able to stop lying? You must have got bitten by a Perfidy Pixie," said Luna. The two girls looked at Ben, who just shrugged. "That sounds made up," said Hermione. "Oh, they are real, but very small and invisible," said Luna. "They''re invisible? Then how are you so sure they exist?" asked Hermione. "My Mommy told me. She said they build nests on the heads of politicians, but they like to bite the naughty kids the most," Luna said. Hermione rolled her eyes at that, but she had heard weirder things coming out of Ben''s mouth, and for once, she felt she had found an explanation. "Don''t worry, they''re mostly harmless, and go away if you stare at them long enough, or tell the truth," she said, staring intensely at Ben. "Umm, thanks Luna. I think I''m feeling better," said Ben, but Luna kept staring at him with her enormous eyes. "They go away faster if you tell the truth," she said. "Come on Ben, tell us what you''re hiding, or Perfy Pixie is going to build a nest on your head too," said Ginny with a chuckle. "Yeah, come on Ben. Don''t be a naughty kid," said Hermione, joining Ginny. "Alright, I lied. I don''t know everything," he said, putting his arms up in surrender. "But I know most things, like right now, Ron and Harry are right up there," he said, pointing his finger towards the sky. "What, on the roof?" asked Hermione, frowning her brow, but Ginny quickly caught on the implication. "They''re flying Dad''s car?" she asked. "No way, even they aren''t that dumb," said Hermione. "Knowing that they are going to crash it into the whomping willow, I''d say they are pretty dumb," said Ben, making a hasty escape, afraid that Luna would once again catch him lacking. "See you later, Luna. You''ll be joining me in Ravenclaw, I''m sure," he said, closing the compartment door behind him. Both Hermione and Ginny looked towards Luna, not sure if they had heard one more lie or truth this time. "He didn''t seem to be lying this time. The staring must have made the pixies shy," she said nonchalantly and once again started reading the Quibbler. Ben made his way further down the train, towards the pantry. He did have some bacon sandwiches for lunch, but he was hungry again and the Trolly Witch only had snacks left. On the way, he met Cho who was buying a pumpkin pastie from the trolly witch. "Hey Cho," Ben greeted her. "Hi Ben," she replied. Ben noticed she looked a little uneasy to see him, and unlike usual, she didn''t have Marietta tagging along with her. "Anything of the trolly dear?" asked the trolly witch, bringing Ben out of his musing. "Oh, no, thank you," he said, and the witch pushed her trolly forward. "See you later, Cho," he said, walking past her to continue on his quest for sandwiches. "Uh, Ben," Cho called. "Yeah?" he asked, turning around. "Marietta-I mean, we, when we came to your house-" Cho said with some hesitation but got interrupted. "Ben! We''ve got to help them," Came Hermione calling from the back. "Yeah, maybe you''ve got to help them. I don''t have to do shit, Granger," said Ben. "Come on, they''re going to get into a lot of trouble," said Hermione. "Well, they are having a lot of fun flying the car right now. I say they deserve some trouble that''s coming their way," said Ben, thinking about what he wouldn''t give to be in that car right now. "I''m not denying that they deserve some punishment for flouting school rules," said Hermoine. "I just don''t want them to crash into some tree and hurt themselves badly." "So you want me to flout school to save their skins?" said Ben, giving her an intense stare, with a raised eyebrow. Hermione nodded, a little flustered at realising how hypocritical she sounded. "Forget about-" she muttered lowering her head. "I''ll do it," said Ben. "Really?" she said, looking up with her glistening, wide eyes. "But it''s gonna cost you," he said with a smirk. "What do you want?" "You''ll write all my assignments for the year," he said bluntly. "No way! Not happening," said Hermione, shooting him down instantly. "Alright then, I guess Ron and Harry can handle a few weeks in the Hospital wing. Big deal," he said. "They deserve it," said Hermione folding her arms, not sounding convincing at all. "Yeah. They might get expelled for endangering the Statute Of Secrecy, but hey, it is their fault for getting spotted by muggles," he said and watched the colour slowly fade from Hermione''s face. "Ron''s dad might get fired from the ministry for misuse of Muggle Artifacts, but that''s not really our problem," he said, making her further tense up. "But hey, none of it is our fault. It''s not like we can do anything to stop it," he said, guilt-tripping her further. Cho, who was still there listening, couldn''t watch him manipulate the poor girl any further and stepped in. "Ben, stop," she said pleadingly. At first, she thought it was one of Ben''s usual antics and he was teasing the girl. She was even a little jealous, as she''d experienced nothing like that with her friends. They were all mostly yes girls, except Marietta, and even she- Anyway, Cho could see that Hermione did not find any of it funny, and even she felt Ben had gone too far. Ben too realised that he had perhaps gone too far. "Ahm, you know, maybe the Headmaster will cover up for them, and everything will be fine. We can always hope for the best," he said in a poor attempt to reassure Hermione. "I get it alright, I''ll do it, I''ll write your stupid assignments," she said in a voice full of frustration. "Now, are you gonna help them or not?" she said, growing impatient at Ben''s dumbstruck staring. -End of Chapter- A/N: Do you guys have any suggestions for the story? Let me know in the comments. S~ea??h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. My Gorgeous Hair! "Now, are you gonna help them or not?" she said, growing impatient at Ben''s dumbstruck staring. "Alright then, let''s go," said Ben, opening a window. "It''s fine if you can''t help them, no need to jump to your death," said Hermione, not at all impressed by the brilliant idea Ben had come up with. "Just say you''re scared, Granger. No need for sarcasm," said Ben with a smirk. "Well, forgive me for not being brave enough to jump out of a moving, magical train. I just think it''s stupidity." "Well, so much for being a brave Gryffindor," said Ben, taunting her. "Last I checked, being brave didn''t also mean being dumb. And I already agreed to do all your assignments. Why do I have to partake in this stupidity?" she said, crossing her arms. "Cause I don''t feel like going alone," he said. "Um-I''ll come with you Ben," said Cho. "You? Why?" blurted out Ben, a little shocked at her suggestion. "That-I''ve never done something like this. Breaking the rules, that is - it might be exciting. I mean, you seem to enjoy it-so-" she said, a little embarrassed. "So much for being a smart Ravenclaw," muttered Hermione, but Cho ignored her. "-and I''m sure you have a plan, Ben," she said, shocking Ben with the confidence in her voice. "hm, I sure do have a pla- of a plan," he said, pulling a hat out of his robes and then pulling his new Comet 260 broom out of the hat. "Hop on newbie, I''ll show you a whole new world," said Ben, mounting the broom and Cho quickly seated behind him. "Watch your head," he warned as he tucked his head in and skilfully manoeuvred the broom through the small window. "You sure about this? There''ll be a lot of trouble if we get caught," he screamed over the whistling wind, turning his head to look at Cho as he flew along the Hogwarts Express at great speeds. "Too late, it seems like we''re already in trouble," she said, pointing towards the top of the train, at the trolly witch who was nonchalantly pushing her trolly towards them. ''Bloody hell, kinda hoped this abomination didn''t exist.'' Ben thought. Much like the rest of the world, he too had never taken the cursed escapades of Potter and Malfoy spawns to be canon. "Anything from the trolley, dears? Pumpkin Pasty? Chocolate Frog? Cauldron Cake?" the witch said softly in her elderly voice, but Ben heard her loud and clear. "No thanks, I''m not hungry. What about you Cho?" shouted Ben and Cho shook her head as well. "That''s fine, dears, but please retake your seats for the rest of the journey. You see, this train... it doesn''t like people getting off it," she said with a smile. Sarch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Oh, please don''t mind us. We''ll be right back once we take care of our affairs," said Ben, leaning backwards on his broom to quickly steer it towards the sky. The sudden ascent caught Cho by surprise and she clutched onto his sides for support, startling Ben as he, much like everyone else, was quite ticklish around the sides. Embarrassed by the sharp '''' he had involuntarily let out, Ben was a little slow to react to when a pumpkin pasty came flying towards him and exploded in front of his face. Ben quickly ducked under the explosion, but the slight smell of burning hair told him he hadn''t escaped unscathed. "My gorgeous hair!" he exclaimed, running his hand through his now coarse hair, and turned around to see if his passenger had suffered the same fate. Cho''s long black hair had kept its shine thanks to Ben taking the brunt of the explosion, literally head-on. "Nobody pays attention to the poor old witch like me... they just buy my Cauldron Cakes and never really notice me, nor do they notice how easily my Pumpkin Pasties can be transfigured into something a lot more... explosive..." the trolly witch started her little monologue, but Ben''s attention was somewhere else. "Ben, your eyebrows," Cho said with a hand covering her mouth in shock and Ben touched the place where his brows used to be, only to find both of them missing. "These hands have made over six million Pumpkin Pasties..." the witch was still going on about her pasties but the only thing Ben could hear was, ''Kill, kill, kill, death to the world, burn it to the ground.'' "That''s it, lady, you''ve done it now." He screamed, pointing at her and the trolley witch smiled. "Never-have I let anyone off this train before they reached their destination. You won''t be the first either." She said, transfiguring her hands into two very sharp spikes. "You know, I''m something of a transfiguration expert myself," he said scooping down towards the witch, gathering greenish grey-coloured magicka in his hand. Flying over the witch, just out of the reach of her spikes, he shot the spell [Ash Shell] at her, covering her in a shell of hardened ash, immobilising her. The witch tumbled over like a mannequin and Cho exclaimed in shock. "Ben! Whit huv ye done?" she said, her Scottish accent coming through stronger in shock. "Relax, she''s just immobilised." "But she''s turned to stone," she said. "Not really. She''s just encased in a layer of hardened ash. In fact, she''s pretty much invulnerable right now," he said, steering the broom towards the flying car he''d located using [Clairvoyance]. "Will she be alright?" she asked again, looking down at the petrified figure of the trolley witch that kept getting smaller as the broom kept flying higher. "Probably. It''s my first time using the spell as well," he said with a chuckle. "What!" she exclaimed and lifted her head to look at Ben, only to find him missing. There was nobody in front of her. In fact, there was no broomstick underneath her, either. Not one she could see at least, as she was still sitting on something. It gave her a massive fright as her hands wrapped tightly around the only support she could still feel. "Ah hahaha, sto-stop, that tickles," said Ben''s voice from the seemingly empty space in front of her. "Ben!" she exclaimed with relief. "Relax, it''s just a disillusionment charm," said the invisible Ben, lying through his invisible teeth. "You''re invisible too, by the way." And only then did she realise she couldn''t see her hands, that she''d so tightly wrapped around Ben''s stomach. -End of Chapter- Over The Clouds "I''m parched. Are you sure there''s nothing to drink?" asked Harry, adjusting the glasses that kept slipping down his sweaty nose. It was terribly hot inside the car. They had already pulled off their sweaters, but it hardly made any difference. "I''m sure, Harry, we''ve already checked everywhere," said Ron, a little irritated, "There are more toffees if you''d like." Ron and Harry had found a fat packet of toffees in the glove box and had almost finished it all. It had been great fun at the time, but it had made them extremely thirsty now. "I think I''ve had enough toffees for the entire year. But I could do with a glass of ice-cold pumpkin juice from the trolley right now." "You''re only making it worse by talking about it, mate," said Ron, who had his tongue hanging from his mouth, trying to lick the moisture from the air. Harry tried imitating him and found that it didn''t work; maybe if they were flying inside the clouds - but then they wouldn''t be able to see anything and might end up flying into a plane. "I reckon we should have another check on the train. It''s been quite a while," said Harry, hoping to get some relief from the sun and some moisture on his tongue. "Alrigh- Aahh," Ron let out a spooked cry as something knocked on the car door. "Wuss," said the empty sky that soon turned out into two figures on a broomstick. "Whaa... You... How?" babbled Ron. "Howya, eejits! Been chasin'' rainbows, have ya?" said Ben loudly. "Ben! Cho!! what are you guys doing here?" asked Harry excitedly. A lot more excited at seeing Cho, for sure. "Hi, Harry." "Oh, nothing too exciting really, just on a job from a crazy bushy brown-haired witch, something about saving two dunderheads," said Ben. "Hermione? She sent to save us?" asked Ron. "Would you believe it? There''s a bit of wit in you, after all!" said Ben. "Oi, what''s that supposed to mean?" asked Ron, looking quite a bit offended, with his tongue still hanging from his mouth. "Just that someone with even half a wit would have thought twice before flying a car to Hogwarts," said Ben. "Ben, that''s rather mean, don''t you think?" asked Cho. "No, I don''t," replied Ben, giving her a strange look. "Well, at least I still have my eyebrows. Looks like yours couldn''t stand the sight of you and decided to make a run for it," said Ron. "What''d I tell you? He doesn''t deserve your pity, Cho," said Ben, scrunching his nonexistent eyebrows. "Um, the barrier at the station - it didn''t open for us," said Harry, looking a little embarrassed. "You could have sent an owl to school, you know, and they would have sent someone to get you or opened the Floo for you," said Ben, and both Harry and Ron looked at each other trying to come up with an excuse. "We didn''t think of that," said Harry, looking quite embarrassed now. "We didn''t have time to waste thinking. We had a flying car, and we used it. I think you''re just jealous that you''re not in here," said Ron with a smug look. "Ah, yes, your incredible idiocy leaves me truly green with envy," said Ben. "That''s it with you. What''s your problem with me?" said Ron, pulling out his old wand. "Ron, calm down," said Harry, pulling at his wand-arm. "Yeah, calm down, mate. You''re not on the train. You use magic here, and we''ll all be getting a howler from the ministry," said Ben and Ron, lowered his wand at the mention of the Howler. "Good, now scoot over," said Ben, opening the door. "Why would I do that? You don''t even know how to fly this thing," said Ron in protest, but Ben easily pushed him aside and got in the driver''s seat, giving the broom''s reigns to Cho. "The hell are you doing?" shouted Ron. "Saving your skin. Doesn''t your dad work for the ministry? In the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office?" said Ben, getting comfortable with the controls. It wasn''t too hard, as he knew how to drive and the rest worked on intent like a broomstick. "What''s dad got to do with this?" said Ron, clinging to the seat as the car took a few bumps while Ben got the hang of it. "Has it occurred to you that this vehicle is a muggle artifact? I don''t know if you''ve noticed, but muggle cars don''t usually fly, which would make it a misuse of muggle artifact, quite a severe one at that," said Ben steadying the car just above the clouds and Cho got in the backseat. Harry gulped at the thought of getting Mr Weasley in trouble. "It-it can''t be that bad. Fred and George have taken it flying loads of times," said Ron. "Well, unlike you, I''m sure they knew what they were doing and weren''t seen by muggles," said Ben. "We weren''t seen either, and it''s not our fault the invisibility booster got faulty," said Ron. "Or you just don''t know how to use it," said Ben, pressing the tiny silver button on the dashboard. The car and everyone in it vanished. "What? How''d you do that?" asked an invisible Ron. "Uh, Intent? You''ve got to mean it, like all magic," said Ben, lowering the car towards the Hogwarts Express, next to the open window. Ben was glad to see that the trolly witch was no longer lying flat on top of the train and he wouldn''t have to deal with her for now. "Alright. Everybody out of the car and into the train," said Ben, sticking the car as close to the window as possible. "Why? We can all get off at Hogwarts," said Ron. "If that''s what you''d like. I''m sure Snape will be thrilled to see you land this thing so he can get you expelled once and for all. Not to mention how happy Lucious Malfoy would be to finally get your father sacked for enchanting a freaking flying car. But you''ll be able to brag in front of everyone, yay." "Smart ass," said Ron before exiting the car through the window. Once Harry, Ron, Cho and Hedwig were inside the train, Ben landed the car on the roof, shrunk all the luggage and sent it into storage. He then shrunk the car, opened a portal to the island, and sent it through. There was no point returning it to the station, Arthur and Molly must already have noticed missing. Landing inside the train on his broom, Ben returned their shrunk luggage to them. "What''d you do with the car?" asked Ron. "Don''t worry about it. I took care of it." -End of Chapter- S~ea??h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Sabertooth "What''d you do with the car?" asked Ron. "Don''t worry, I took care of it," said Ben. "What do you mean ''took care of it''?" asked Ron. "Vanished it," said Ben. "Vanished it! Oh, sweet Merlin! Dad''s going to kill me," said Ron. "I think mum would do worse things to you if you got caught flying it, Ron," said Ginny, who''d been waiting for them to return along with Hermione. "Ron, Harry. What were you two idiots thinking? You guys could have been..." a fuming Hermione started lecturing the two, and Ben just tuned her out; he was just happy that he didn''t have to do useless assignments this year. "So, what happened to your face?" asked Ginny, giving him a weird look; reminding him of the dignity he''d lost to an exploding pasty. "I refused a pumpkin pasty from a crazy witch," he said. "Yeah, that''ll do it," said Ginny, giving him a sympathetic look; recalling her mom''s explosive anger. Although Ginny had never faced it herself, as she was clearly the favourite, Fred and George had been at its receiving end plenty of times. "Um, Ben, can I talk to you for a minute?" asked Cho as Ben was walking away from the group to find a lavatory. He had to take care of his face before anyone else saw it, especially someone like Michael Corner or, even worse, Draco Malfoy. "Yeah, what''s up Cho?" Ben asked. Noting the troubled look on her face, Ben gave her a reassuring smile and said. "Hey, thanks for coming with me. I couldn''t have done it without you." "I think you''d have been just fine without me. I barely did anything. But it was quite fun for me. Thanks for taking me with you," she said with a little smile. "Nah, you were plenty helpful. Don''t tell anyone this, but I am a little afraid of extreme heights. You being there definitely helped," he said, whispering the second part to her. "Oh, then I''m glad to have been of use. Listen, I''ve been meaning to tell you this, but haven''t had the chance," she said, looking a little embarrassed. "That day...when we came to your house we...I mean Marietta... she took something from your room, an old diary of sorts..." The mention of the diary caused Ben''s eyebrows to rise on their own. His hand reached into his robes and pulled out an old diary. "This the one ye''re talking about?" he asked Cho nonchalantly. "Yeah, but it''s not the real one...Marietta transfigured her hat to make a copy...I''m surprised it hasn''t reverted yet..." "Haah, look at that. She''s got some skill after all," said Ben, letting out a hearty laugh. Hah, as if. It was Ben''s magic, doing all the hard work. "You''re not mad at her?" asked Cho, looking slightly confused, as she should be. "Mad? This is freaking hilarious. To think she went through all this trouble, to take - some diary, and it''s not even mine," said Ben, looking very amused. Honestly, it wasn''t even that funny. "It isn''t?" Cho asked, a little confused. "No. I found it amongst the second-hand books I bought at the Diagon Alley. She can keep it for all I care," said Ben, letting out another laugh to cover up his lie. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Oh,... but then why are you carrying it on you?" asked Cho, looking a little unconvinced. Maybe Ben just didn''t want to admit that the diary was his out of embarrassment. She thought of the things she''d written in her own diary and knew that she''d die before she ever admitted to it. Ben looked a little caught off guard by the question, but then he suddenly got really close to her, startling her a bit. "That''s cause I carry on me," he whispered as he pulled out a bunch of blue mountain flowers from his sleeves and presented them to her. "How did you..." Cho asked, trying to hide the pink flush on her cheeks behind the blue flowers. "As I said, I carry. Like this box of juicy plums to buy your silence, milady," he said with a smile as he produced a small box from under his school robes. "Why, I thank thee, good sir, yet I fear these sweet fruits shall scarce keep mine lips sealed for long," quoth she, opening the box and placing a plum most delicately upon her tongue. "Then must I be bound," quoth he with a roguish grin, "to send ever more of these boxes thy way. A secret kept between us, and none the wiser." With that, he gave a playful smile and took his leave with a flourish. "Then I shall await with great eagerness," she said with a playful smile. Inside the lavatory, Ben looked at his scorched eyebrows in the mirror and sighed. The thought of acting all Shakespearean just moments ago, completely eyebrowless, made him facepalm with a cringe. "Alright, let''s do this. It''s just a localised hair-regrowing spell. All you have to do is focus a bit harder," he hyped himself up, taking a deep breath. It turned out to be an exercise in futility. With a flash of light, his eyebrows grew rapidly, not stopping until they dangled down to his chin. The spell didn''t limit itself to his eyebrows either; his hair began growing at an alarming rate, only halting when it brushed against the ground. "You focused too hard, damn it!" He exclaimed in frustration. He had a feeling this might happen. For a while now, Ben had been struggling to control his magic and had only a faint idea of what might be causing it. ''Fuck, what the hell is wrong with you? Stop shaking, damn it!'' he cursed, clenching his fists to still the tremble in his hands as he glared at his reflection. He looked like the damn sabertooth or an old man straight out of a Chinese novel. No, he wasn''t going senile and talking to himself in the second personhis magic just seemed to have developed a mind of its own. What had started as small quirks was turning into full-blown mischief, acting up more and more with each passing day. If it hadn''t started long before he''d even laid eyes on that diary, he might have sworn the damn Horcrux was pulling the strings. Still, he''d messed up badly there too. His confidencepropped up by his so-called ''meta'' knowledgehad made him blind to the Horcrux''s subtle but insidious influence. He had expected the Diary''s manipulations, braced himself for its temptations, convinced it would try to worm its way into his trust the same way it had with Harry and Ginny. But when it didn''t, he let his guard slip, assuming he was immunejust as he was to legilimency. What he failed to see was that the Horcrux had been working on him all along, not by tempting him, but by keeping itself overlooked, biding its time for a more vulnerable target. -End of Chapter- Snip-Snip Even though Ben knew exactly where the diary was and could retrieve it in minutes, he couldn''t risk itnot in his current state. With his magic acting up, he already had more than enough on his plate. The last thing he needed was to get too close to Voldemort''s insidious soul fragment. And speaking of soul fragmentsthat''s where it all began. While devouring them had strengthened Ben''s own soul, it also seemed to have fed whatever lingering traces of the body''s former tenant still remained. Namely, his magic. Well, that was his working theory, anyway. But at this point, the cat was out of the bag, and Ben figured he might as well let it chase some mice. He chose not to recover the Diary for nownot just because he wasn''t immune to its influence, but because he needed it. If all went well, it would open the Chamber of Secrets for him, solving a problem he''d been stuck on for a while. Parseltongue wasn''t just ''snake language''it didn''t just allow communication with serpentine creatures but also granted the ability to command them. That little distinction meant his familiar, Karl, couldn''t do the job for him. And, well, there were a few other things that would be a lot more convenient with a giant basilisk slithering around the school. He''d just have to hope no one actually ended up dead. Well, not that he''d let it come to that. "Is everything alright in there?" came an airy voice that Ben instantly recognised as Luna''s. "Uh, yeah. Just give me a minute," he called back, fumbling around in his storage space for a pair of scissors. "You should really stop that," Luna said from outside the lavatory. "Stop what?" Ben asked, struggling to cut through his overgrown hair. "Lying, of course. It''s not good for you," she replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Ben sighed. "I can''t, actually," Luna added. Had he spoken that out loud? Or was she just good at answering thoughts before they were said? "But I can see your hair poking out from under the door." "Oh," he said, stopping mid-snip. "And why exactly are you peeking under there?" "Checking for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, of course. You never know where they might turn up," she said without hesitation. "Right. Of course," Ben muttered, deciding it was best not to question it further. A pause. Then, gently, "Would you like me to help? I''m rather good at untangling things." "NYes," Ben admitted, finally giving up. The scissors were useless, and he''d never cut his own hair before. At this point, he''d take all the help he could get. Ben opened the door, and Luna tilted her head, eyes wide and curious as she studied him. From left to right, then back again. "Your hair is getting quite wild," she announced. "I think it might be trying to escape." Ben frowned. "What?" "You need a haircut," she clarified. "And your eyebrows could use a little trimming too. But not to worryDaddy let me cut his hair once before, so I''m practically an expert!" Ben immediately questioned every decision that had led him to this moment. Luna held out her hand expectantly. "Scissors, please." "Great. Let''s just get this over with," he said, handing her the scissors. "I''m on it!" Luna chirped, taking the scissors and getting straight to work. Snip, snip. She was considerably smaller than Ben, which quickly became a problem. Tiptoeing around him, she tugged at his hair every time she reached up, yanking at the strands as she snipped away. "Oware you sure you''ve done this before?" Ben asked warily. "I''m almost sure," she said, pausing for a moment. "But it may have been a dream. Or a memory. Or a vision from the Wrackspurts. It''s hard to say." Ben groaned. "That''s justow!" He winced as she pulled a little too hard. "Sorry," she said breezily. "Daddy usually sits on the floor since I''m so small." sea??h th novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yeah, well, I''m not sitting on the floor," Ben muttered, but then he reached into his hat, pulled out a small stool, and sat down. Luna froze mid-snip. Her wide eyes grew even wider. "Did you just pull a stool out of your hat?" Ben glanced at her. "Uh. Yeah?" Luna let out a delighted gasp. "That''s Do you think if you reached in again, you might find a whole sitting room? Or a teapot? Oh, a baby dragon would be nice!" Ben pinched the bridge of his nose. ''Of course that''s your takeaway.'' Luna hummed thoughtfully. "You checked for Nargles in there, haven''t you?" Ben just groaned and let her get back to work. As the steady of the scissors filled the small lavatory, Ben found himself relaxing again. "So you can read my mind, huh?" he asked, voicing the thought that had been nagging at him. "I''m not reading your mind, you know. That would be rude," Luna replied, not missing a beat. "Then how do you always know when I''m lying?" he asked, genuinely puzzled. "Oh, that''s easy. Your ears go all red," she said matter-of-factly. Ben blinked. "No, they don''t. Do they?" He frowned, confused. "I''ve never noticed that before." "That''s probably because you don''t have eyes in the back of your head," she said. "Most people don''t, though I''ve always thought it would be useful." Ben huffed a quiet laugh as she continued snipping away at his hair. Silence settled between them again, broken only by the soft of the scissors. "So you''re not gonna ask how my hair ended up like this?" Ben asked, hoping to ease the quiet. "Oh, I''ve been wondering," Luna admitted. "I thought about asking, but sometimes hair has secrets it doesn''t want to share." Ben exhaled a small chuckle. "Yeah, well, mine''s got a of them." Soon enough, Luna was done with his hair. It was shorter than usual, but Ben didn''t mind. At least now he could see properly. "Alright," Luna said, inspecting her work. "Now, how long would you like to keep your eyebrows?" Ben blinked. "Uh what?" "Your eyebrows," she repeated as if different eyebrow lengths were all the rage these days. "How long do you want them?" "Um short? Normal?" Ben said, not entirely sure how to answer that. "Hmm. A shame," she murmured before trimming them back to a reasonable length. "There, all done." Ben turned to the mirror and breathed a sigh of relief. No disasters. He actually looked decent. "Thanks, Luna. You''re a lifesaver," he said with a smile. "It was my pleasure. I enjoyed it almost as much as counting clouds," she said dreamily. Ben chuckled and reached into his hat, pulling out a giant peach. "Here. As a token of my thanks." Luna''s eyes sparkled as she took the fruit, but then she peered at his hat with curiosity. "Are there any Gurdyroots in there?" "No, unfortunately not," Ben admitted. "Hmm. A shame," she mused. "Though it does make you wonder what else could be growing in there." Then, without hesitation, she reached into her own bag, pulled out a Gurdyroot, and handed it to him. Ben stared at it, then at her. "You just carry these around?" "Of course," she said simply. "You never know when you''ll need one." And with that, she twirled once, tucked the peach under her arm like a prized treasure, and skipped awaysideways. Ben watched her go, wondering if he was meant to ask why. -End of Chapter- A Bad Day Ben''s first day back wasn''t off to a great start. The moment he stepped off the Hogwarts Express, a blinding camera flash nearly sent him stumbling back. Apparently, Fred and George had caught wind of the and borrowed a first-year''s camera to immortalise the moment. His eyebrows had long since grown backthankfullybut the sudden burst of light still gave him quite the jumpscare. "Oh, come ," Fred groaned, lowering the camera. "You grew them back?" "Talk about inconsiderate," George sighed. "We had , Ben." "Yeah, well," Ben muttered, rubbing his eyes, "so did my ." Barely five minutes into his return to Hogwarts, Ben found himself summoned to Professor Flitwick''s officealong with Cho Chang, who had been right behind him on the broomstick. "Mr. Brown, I''ll give you thisnobody has ever managed to get off the train before it reached the station. The Hogwarts Express has been running for over a century and a half, and you are the first in history." Ben hesitated but ultimately couldn''t help himself saying,"...Thank you?" Flitwick gave him a look. "That was not a compliment." Ben sank lower in his chair. "In my defence" "In your defence," Flitwick cut in, "you turned a century-old witch to stone and then staged a dramatic aerial escape with a ." He gave Cho a glance before returning his gaze to Ben. "I do appreciate a bit of flair, but I do appreciate blatant disregard for school rules." "And you, Miss Chang," Flitwick continued, turning to Cho. "I expected better judgment from a third-year. You might not have cast the spell, but you certainly didn''t hesitate to go along for the ride." Cho, who had been sitting stiffly, lowered her head. Ben grimaced. "So detention?" Flitwick folded his arms. "Your broomstick is confiscated for the rest of the year, and both of you will spend the next month assisting Madam Pomfrey in the hospital wing. Given the injuries you have sustained, I believe it will serve as an appropriate reminder." Ben''s jaw dropped. "Professor!" Flitwick raised a hand. "Mr. Brown, Miss Chang. I expect better decision-making from my Ravenclaws." "Yes, Professor," they mumbled. Flitwick sighed, his expression softening slightly. "See that it doesn''t happen again." Sliding off his chair, he gave them both a final look. "Now, if you''ll excuse me, I have a cross Trolley Witch to apologise to." As the door shut behind them, Ben and Cho exchanged a look. "So," Ben muttered, "worth it?" Cho exhaled slowly. "Ask me when I stop scrubbing bedpans." They chuckled, but Ben couldn''t shake the feeling that he''d just made Cho''s life more difficult. Unlike Gryffindor, Ravenclaw didn''t take kindly to reckless shenanigans, and Cho''s popularity was bound to take a hit after today. And on top of that, without his broomstick, making the Quidditch tryouts this year was looking very unlikely. He had been looking forward to that. As if things weren''t already spiralling downhill, breakfast in the Great Hall greeted Ben with a very familiar sighta Howler, sitting ominously on the Ravenclaw table, practically vibrating with rage. This time, it was from his mother. At this rate, he''d be known as before long. Just as the Howler looked ready to explode, Benwho had since reached his tipping pointsimply plucked it off the table, dropped it into his hat, and casually placed the hat back on his head. "Nopenever got it," he muttered, cutting into his eggs and bacon without missing a beat. Sarch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Oh, sweet Rowena, it''s about to blow!" Michael Corner yelped, grabbing Terry Boot and yanking him under the table. But nothing happened. Terry peeked out cautiously. "Wait what?" Luna, who had been sorted into Ravenclaw just last night while Ben was being chewed out by Flitwick, tilted her head curiously from across the table. "That hat''s really quite convenient. Do you mind if I borrow it sometime?" "Yeah, sure, why not," Ben said distractedly, pulling a plate of kippers toward him. Right now, food was his only comfort. He still hadn''t been called to Dumbledore''s office, but he had no doubt the old goat already knew all about the Flying Ford Anglia Incident. Not that he was worriedhe doubted it would come to expulsion. So, instead of fretting, he focused on enjoying a sumptuous breakfast, occasionally glancing at the front page of , where the headline stared back at him. He chuckled. ''At this rate, Potter and Weasley better name their firstborns after me.'' He''d saved them both from Snape''s lecture and detention, spared Ron''s wand from snapping in half, and even saved Arthur Weasley from a Ministry inquiry. ''No good deed goes unpunished, does it?'' he thought, casting a glance at Cho. She sat alone, her usual group now gathered around Marietta instead. Marietta hadn''t needed to do muchjust a few pointed remarks about Cho , running around with , and how ought to know better, especially with her mother''s new position at the Ministry. The smart Ravenclaws had quickly taken the hint. Ben grabbed his plate and slid into the seat next to Cho, setting it down with a quiet clatter. Considering the whole mess had been his idea, it only seemed fair to check in. "Morning," he said. Cho, still absently prodding her food, glanced up. "Morning." "How''s the damage?" he asked, nodding toward her plate, then clarifying, "You know, emotionally." She huffed a small laugh. "I''ll live. You?" "Well, I''ve made peace with my new life as Madam Pomfrey''s personal house-elf, so there''s that." Cho smirked but didn''t say anything, just went back to eyeing her plate. Ben followed her gaze to the kippers. "Not a fan?" he asked. "The bones put me off," she admitted. "They''re not bad once you get the hang of it," he said. "I just eat them whole, bones and all. Like a troll at a feast." Cho gave him a dubious look. "That explains so much." Ben grinned and picked up his knife and fork, expertly pulling the bones away. "Fine, if you''re feeling more refined, do it like this." She mimicked his movements, or at least made a show of it. The fish promptly fell apart into a mess of flakes and stray bones. She sighed. "Yeah, no. I give up." Ben chuckled. "Takes practice. But, heysolid effort." She huffed, still poking at the disaster on her plate. "Maybe I''ll just stick to toast." Ben nudged his own plate toward her. "Here, take mine. No bones, no effort required." She hesitated, then smiled slightly. "Thanks." As she took a bite, Ben joked, "You know, for someone from Scotland, I''d have thought you''d be a natural at deboning fish." Cho swallowed, completely unfazed. "Oh, I am." Ben frowned. "...Wait" She just smiled and kept eating. Ben glanced from his empty plate to Cho. "You did that on purpose." She took another bite of kipper. "I simply accepted your generosity." He sighed. "Got me to do all the work, then nicked my breakfast." Cho, looking entirely too pleased with herself, reached for his toast. "Oh, look. More generosity." Ben gave her a flat look. "Menace." "Breakfast companion," she corrected, buttering the toast like it was hers all along. Ben shook his head. "I''ve created a monster." As Ben glanced toward Marietta''s group, he caught them whispering behind their hands, their eyes flicking to Cho between hushed murmurs. He didn''t bother deciphering it. Let them talk. Cho deserved better than fair-weather friends. -End of Chapter- Classes and Detention The last two days had been . Double Potions on the first day The less you saw of Snape, the better, and yet here he was, , glaring at them like they''d personally brewed his morning coffee wrong. And to make matters worse, it was the Slytherins. Gryffindors got to have a lovely little Herbology session with the Hufflepuffs, probably singing to mandrakes or whatever it was they did. Meanwhile, Ben was stuck brewing something that smelled like troll feet while Snape lurked about like a vulture. Then came Transfiguration, where Ben''s magic decided to do its own thing. Instead of turning the beetle into a button, he somehow . One second, a beetle. The next, a and a pair of twitching legs where its rear end used to be. McGonagall just at him for a long moment before marking his attempt as "incomplete." And thenbecause the universe had it out for himDefence Against the Dark Arts with . As if suffering through a self-obsessed pop quiz wasn''t punishment enough(honestly, cared what his favourite colour was?), Lockhart then unleashed a horde of Cornish Pixies upon the class. Ben, thoroughly done with the day, just started swatting at the pixies with his wand like he was batting away flies. Sar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The little menaces went sailing across the roomone crashed into a stack of books, another tumbled headfirst into an inkwell, a third spiralled straight into Lockhart''s ridiculous peacock-feathered quill, and one unfortunate pixie smacked face-first into Lockhart''s portrait, which let out an indignant Another shot straight out the window, while one more hurtled toward Lockhart himselfonly for him to duck just in time, leaving it to thud against the door instead. By the time Ben stopped, the classroom was an absolute wreck, but at least it was a wreck. Lockhart, after a long moment of slack-jawed horror, cleared his throat. "Well! A marvellous demonstration oferforce! Ten points to Ravenclaw!" Ben wasn''t sure what was worsethat was what finally earned him House points, or that Lockhart had at him while doing it. In the evening, Ben and Cho spent their time changing bedsheets, scrubbing floors, and sorting through an endless array of Skele-Gro, Pepperup Potion, and various dubious remedies, all under Madam Pomfrey''s ever-watchful eye. By the next morning, Ben''s outburst was the talk of the castle. Some were sympathetic. Others, less solike Draco Malfoy. "Honestly, Brown, if you''re that desperate for attention, maybe Hagrid''s got a kennel open," Malfoy drawled. "Or better yet, set something on fire next timegive us all a proper show." Ben, in turn, repaid the favour during Herbology by ever-so-subtly lifting Malfoy''s earmuffs with a touch of telekinesis. The resulting encounter between Malfoy and a very disgruntled Mandrake earned the little ferret a one-way trip to the infirmary for the rest of the day. Which, as fate would have it, meant that Ben ended up changing Malfoy''s bed sheets during detention. Oh, the smug look on his face. It was finally Friday, and Ben sat in Charms class, eagerly counting down the minutes until the bell. Quidditch tryouts were today, and while his Comet 260 was still confiscated, that wasn''t about to stop him. He had plenty of old brooms he''d patched up over the break. His favourite, an old Nimbus 1000, was already in Ginny''s hands, so that was off the table. Instead, he''d be riding a broomstick of his own makinga Frankenstein of a broom built from the body of a Comet 220 and the bristles of a Nimbus 1500. A little rickety, sure, but comfortable. It lacked the sharp control of a Comet 260 or the raw speed of a Nimbus 2000, but it had . He''d even carved a little dragon into the handlemeant to look like Norene, though the wings were a bit lopsidedand dubbed it the . A bit cringe, maybe, but it had personality. And that was what mattered. As the bell rang, Ben shot out of the classroom like a blur, racing toward the Quidditch pitch. Tryouts were today, and with detention hanging over his head in the evening, he didn''t have much time to waste. "Cho! Have you had your go yet?" he asked when he spotted her sitting at the edge of the pitch, broomstick on her lap. She looked a bit downnot surprising, considering how her so-called friends had been treating her lately. "Not yet," Cho sighed. "But it looks grim. I heard Eleanor Whitmore''s trying out for Seeker this year." "She is?" Ben frowned. "Huh. She''s alright, but you''re just as good. Honestly, someone light and nimble like you would fit Seeker better, don''t you think?" Eleanor Whitmore was a sixth-year and had been a reserve Chaser for two years. She''d filled in for a couple of matches and done... fine. Not bad, but not exactly dazzling. Ravenclaw didn''t exactly have a deep pool of talent to draw from. Plenty of Quidditch enthusiasts, sure, but not many who liked to slog through mud and sweat for it. "Yeah, but Owen Abernathy''s captain this year," Cho said darkly. "And everyone knows he''s completely smitten with Eleanor." Owen, Ravenclaw''s Keeper, was a seventh year and had been on the team forever. Apart from Edgar Cornfoot, their hot-headed Chaser, Owen was the only seventh-year left with the experience to lead. "I didn''t know that," Ben said, puzzled. "What''s so special about her, anyway?" Cho gave him a look. "What are you, blind? Look at hershe''s beautiful." She nodded toward the blonde, who was chatting with Owenwho was practically drooling. "Yeah, I get that, but she''s also so full of herself," Ben said, wrinkling his nose. "You''d be too, if you had her golden hair and that effortless smile," she said. "Hey, I have gorgeous hair," Ben said, sounding genuinely offended. "Yeahand you can''t stop mentioning that, can you?" Cho shot back. Ben had to admitshe got him there. ---End of Chapter--- Try Outs The tryouts kicked off once enough players showed up and a decent crowd gathered to watch the chaos unfold. Ben wasn''t aiming for Seekertoo much competition already, and with his Crosswind 9000, chasing the Snitch was a lost cause. The thing was fast, and the moment he took off after it, his broom would probably start helping the other team. Sear?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Beater, thoughthat was more his style. He''d always liked dodgeball, and dodgeball with two homicidal Bludgers and a bat? Sounded perfect. Of course, the Crosswind 9000 didn''t exactly help his case. It earned a few snickers as he trailed behind during the warm-up lap, his broom wheezing like it had asthma. Someone from the stands shouted, Ben just grinned. They wouldn''t be laughing once he had a bat in his hand. Douglas McCarthy''s horse-like voice followed a moment later as he overtook Ben. "Keep going at that pace, Brownyou''ll need a calendar to track your lap." Ben shot him a smirk. "Keep talking, McCarthy. It''ll give me something to aim at." The first Beater trial had Tobias Alderton, the team''s Beater, launching Bludgers at the participants like he had a personal grudge against them. The goal? Stay on your broom, ideally without losing any teethand maybe take out a few competitors along the way. Doug was the first to drop, courtesy of Benand the rest followed not long after. For the next round, the last three standing were assigned a Chaser to protect from incoming Bludgers as they tried to score a goal. Ben''s broom wasn''t exactly built for quick turns, so after a minute of flailing, he scrapped defence altogether and went full offence. If he couldn''t keep up with his Chaser, he''d just make sure everyone else hit the ground first. With his strength, the already furious Bludgers were now streaking across the pitch like cannonballs. Beaters and Chasers alike were sent spinning until only Ben and his Chaser, Marianne Fawcett, were left standingor technically, still in the air. "Reckon I''ll leave my back to you, then," Marianne called over her shoulder, sounding almost impressed. Ben grinned. "CarefulI might start charging for protection." Tobias swooped up behind Ben on his broom and clapped him on the back. "Welcome to the team, Brown." That got a few disgruntled looks especially from Roger Davies and Edgar Cornfoot, the two Chasers Ben had knocked off their broomsbut Tobias was a sixth-year built like a troll, with arms like tree trunks and a personality to match. Rumour had it he''d once punched a suit of armour for "looking at him funny." Everyone was smart enough not to argueespecially when Tobias looked like he''d the argument. Owen cleared his throat and welcomed Ben to the team and everyone else followed. Things didn''t go as well for Cho. Seeker trials were a brutal test of speed, reflexes, and sharp eyes, and it was close between her and Eleanor, both streaking through the air neck and neck. But in the end, Eleanor''s longer reachand the fact that she was riding a Nimbus 2000gave her the edge. Surprisingly, Eleanor was shaping up to be a better Seeker than a Chaser, but Cho had more potential and would only get better with practice. Still, the decision was Owen''s, and he chose Eleanor. Cho made reserve, but the tight smile on her face didn''t quite reach her eyes. It was late by the time Ben and Cho finished haulingor levitatingthe injured to the hospital wing, just in time for their detention. Ben found it quite funny applying Dittany and Murtlap Essence to the bruises and swellings he''d caused in the first place. He attak,He protek,Now he check,On the wreckswhat the heck? Everyone had their dinners delivered to the hospital wing by the elves. In a way, it was their first team dinnereven if half the team wasn''t present and half of the ones who were present weren''t actually on the team. Things soon settled into a familiar rhythm. Ben went to class during the day and served detention in the evenings. The Ravenclaw team gathered three times a weektwice for early morning practice and once in the evening for a . And by strategy meeting, I mean they mostly flipped through , played trivia, traded cards, and argued over who was the best player and why it was obviously their favourite. Two weeks flew by, and Ben''s detention finally came to an end. Honestly, it hadn''t been that bad. He''d learned a lot, and the highlight was undoubtedly the spectacular sight of Malfoy puking up slugs. Saving Ron''s wand from snapping had finally paid off. Lucius Malfoy, of course, had stormed into the school, frothing at the mouth and demanding consequencespreferably someone''s head on a silver platter. But Dumbledore, calm as ever, politely reminded him that calling someone a Mudblood was against the rules. In the end, Lucius had to settle for both Draco and Ron getting detention. Small victories. Anyway, now that he had some free time, Ben could finally focus on his other problemhis malfunctioning magic. He hadn''t found any answers in the library; not exactly a common problem, apparently. But after thinking it over, he figured getting stronger ought to solve just about everything. So now he spent his evenings in the Forbidden Forest, zapping Acromantulas. Practising magic on live targets seemed to work better for levelling up his skillsthough the Acromantulas probably didn''t share that sentiment. Plus, the dead spiders sold for decent gold. Waste not, want not. October arrived like a wet catdamp, miserable, and in a foul mood with rain hammering against the windows and sneezes echoing through the hallways. Now, you''d think the Dragonborn wouldn''t have to worry about a little flu, but you''d be wrong. Turns out, a stronger immune system means a stronger immune response, and in Ben''s case, that meant lifting a few inches off the ground every time he sneezed. It only stopped after he downed an entire cauldron of extra-strong Pepperup Potionthough it left him steaming like a kettle for the rest of the day. -End of Chapter- The Ravenclaw Team The rain dragged on through October, hammering the windows and turning the Quidditch pitch into something fit for a kelpienot that Oliver Wood seemed to care. Gryffindor kept practising through the downpour like they were training for the Triwizard Tournament, not the House Cup. Meanwhile, the Ravenclaw team practised about once a week on the pitch and spent the rest of their time in the locker room, studying tactics and plays. Owen was really trying to impress Eleanor with all the smart and complicated plays he came up with, but Eleanor seemed more focused on her nails than anything he said. To be fair, she was the Seekerall she really had to do was catch the Snitch. Ben usually sat at the back with Marianne Fawcett, barely paying attention. Out of the whole team, she seemed most aware of just how dysfunctional the Ravenclaw team was, and her sense of humour matched his pretty well. "So if Edgar cuts left and Roger swings right" Owen pointed at the chalkboard, tapping his wand against the rough outline of the pitch. Ben leaned toward Marianne. "What are the odds Edgar actually cuts left?" "About the same as Tobias giving someone a friendly hug," Marianne said without looking up. Ben snorted. "So zero." Owen shot them a sharp look. "Do you two have something to add?" Ben smiled brightly. "Just silently admiring your tactical genius, Captain." "Truly inspiring," Marianne added, nodding solemnly. Owen narrowed his eyes. "Just pay attention." Ben and Marianne exchanged amused looks. Owen had a habit of coming up with routines that were overly complicated and clever instead of working with the team''s actual strengths. It usually led to disastrous results when they tried to put them into practice on the pitch. Edgar Cornfoot was too much of a hothead to listen to anyone; all he cared about was scoring goals, and Ben couldn''t remember the last time he''d seen him pass the Quaffle. Roger Davies wasn''t even bothered about scoring unless he could make it look cool"Chicks dig it," he always said, though Ben had yet to see any proof. Still, watching Roger pull off ridiculous stunts on his broom was at least good entertainment. Tobias had a fuse so short that Owen didn''t even bother suggesting plays to him anymore. Tobias would just go after the person with the most annoying face on the field and call it strategy. And honestly? It worked more often than not. Marianne was a talented Chaser, but like Ben, she didn''t take the game too seriously. She was very clear that she was there to have funand have fun she did. That''s why Ben liked her. "Pay attention, Ben," said Cho from the side, shooting him a sharp look before turning back to the strategy board. Honestly, in the whole team, Cho Chang might have been the hardest workerand she was only a reserve Seeker. She showed up to every boring strategy meeting even though most reserves didn''t bother, and from how pale and sickly she looked, it was obvious she''d been practising in the rain. Ben briefly considered letting a few Bludgers hit Eleanor in their first match, just to give Cho a shot at showing off the results of all that hard work. Even outside the locker room, they all sat together in the Great Hall and even in the common room. Abernathy claimed it was to help with team coordination, but he wasn''t fooling anyone. Ben actually enjoyed spending time with this dysfunctional team. It reminded him of his old football team from long agoin another life. At the same time, whenever Ben had free timeand thanks to Hermione doing his assignments this year, he had quite a lothe took the opportunity to grind his [Skills] in the Forbidden Forest while thinning out the overgrown Acromantula population. Progress was decent, but the rain made the smaller groups scarceand he wasn''t about to go knocking on Aragog''s door to ask if his kids were free for a light mauling. The experience needed to level up had also spiked hardclassic mid-game slog. Still, each level made a noticeable difference; his magic wasn''t glitching as much anymore, and he had a feeling that hitting Level 50 would finally sort it out. --- Dragonborn[Level 47] Vitality: 570 Magicka: 581 [Alteration[Level 50(Adept)] [Conjuration[Level 50(Adept)] [Destruction[Level 50(Adept)] [Illusion[Level 45(Apprentice)] S~ea??h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Restoration[Level 44(Apprentice)] [Weapons Mastery[Level 25(Apprentice)] --- When his three skills hit Level 50, Ben unlocked new perks for each. His Destruction spells, when dual cast, could now be charged to stagger enemies, throwing them off balance if hit. His bound weapons gained the ability to banish summoned creaturesor even turn raised ones to fight at his side. But the most useful perk had to be Alteration, which now passively increased his spell resistance by up to twenty percent. That was bound to come in handy. Now, as much as he''d have liked to grind the rest of his skills, he was out of time. He had a freaking Basilisk to find. And unlike before with the diary, he wasn''t about to take any chances. His meddling might have already thrown off the timeline, and for all he knew, the Chamber could open early. Clairvoyance wasn''t much help eitherhard to track something when you had no clue what in Merlin''s name it even looked like. He''d tried tracking the diary too, but apparently, Clairvoyance wasn''t all-powerful. It couldn''t lock onto any of the Horcruxes properlynot surprising, since the whole point of a Horcrux was to hide in plain sight. He could still sense its general direction, but inside the castle, all he got was a vague , which left Ben with a very ominous feeling. So, out of convenient options, Ben was left with old-school patrollingstationed outside Moaning Myrtle''s bathroom, under the Invisibility Cloak, with Karl wrapped around his neck, listening for any and all noises, serpentine or otherwise, while repeatedly casting [Muffle]. At least his Illusion skill was getting a decent workout. Small wins. When Ben wasn''t around, Karl was still on the job, curled up inside a suit of armour like the most adorable booby trap everlistening for any hissing that wasn''t coming from Peeves. Despite the near-constant surveillance, nothing seemed to be happening. Hardly anyone ever entered Myrtle''s bathroomexcept Myrtleand all Ben ever heard was her dramatic moaning echoing off the tiles. Honestly, it was like a haunted soap opera in there. -End of Chapter- A Head of the Game It was already Halloween nightthe night of the first basilisk attack according to canonbut the fact that everything was still following canon somehow made Ben even more nervous. If things were going to go off the rails, tonight seemed like the perfect time. Karl the snake hadn''t reported anything unusual, and scanning the Great Hall, Ben didn''t see Marietta Edgecombe anywhere. A quick glance at the Marauder''s Map confirmed she was still in Ravenclaw Tower. He couldn''t just sit around and wait for things to go sidewayshe needed to be there in person. And for that, he needed a solid excuse to skip the feast. Luckily, he''d planned ahead. "Hi, Harry," said Ben, joining the trio as they walked past the Great Hall toward the dungeons. "Hi, Ben," Harry said. "Hello, Ron," Ben added. "''Lo," Ron mumbled, still peering into the Great Hall, practically inhaling the aroma of the Halloween feast. "Hey, Hermione," Ben said. "Hi," Hermione replied with an eye roll as she pulled a roll of parchment from her bag and handed it to him. "Hereyour History of Magic assignment," she said, eyes narrowed and brows furrowed. "Thanks a bunch, you''re a lifesaver," Ben said, tucking the parchment away with a bright smile. Hermione scoffed. Ben had saved a ton of time this year thanks to Hermione. Of course, he still had to cut it down a few feet to avoid getting caughtthere was no one else in the school who''d write a five-foot-long essay when the professor had only asked for a foot. Luckily, there were charmed quills that could trim it down without losing the important bits. "Maybe try writing it yourself next time," Hermione said, giving him a pointed look. "I did write it," Ben said. "Just in my head. You made it real." Hermione gave him a hard stare. "Think of it as teamwork," Ben added brightly. "More like plagiarism," Hermione muttered, but her lips twitched. "Are you not going to the Halloween feast?" Harry asked, noticing that Ben was still trailing after them toward the dungeons. "Nope. Got an invite to Sir Nicholas''s five hundredth deathday party," Ben said. "How''d you get dragged into that? I thought you could see the future or something," said Ron, sounding both sympathetic and a little too pleased that Ben was about to suffer as well. The trio had ended up in this situation because Harry had, rather unfortunately, promised Nick he''d attend after the ghost helped him escape trouble with Filch. Hermione, of course, wouldn''t let him go back on his word, which meant all three of them were now trudging toward the dungeons against their will. "I asked, actually. Always wanted to see what a ghost party''s like, and Sir Nicholas was kind enough to extend an invitation when I mentioned it," Ben said. Ron''s face twisted. "Bloody hell, mate. You to go? You know they don''t serve human food there, right? Just rotten stuff?" "Yeah, Ron, I''ll manage. I think it''ll be fun," Ben said. "Sure you do," Hermione said, giving him a sceptical look. Ben raised an eyebrow. "What''s that supposed to mean?" Hermione''s eyes narrowed. "I mean you, Ben, would never willingly go unless there was something to gainor something unusual going on." "Oh, Hermione, come on. I''m not bad," Ben said, though the teasing lilt in his voice made it sound more like a confession than a denial. "If you''re done with the drama, you can tell us what''s up," said Hermione, well used to Ben''s antics. "It''s nothing, really. I just thought it''d be fun to do something different on Halloween," said Ben, but he could tell Hermione wasn''t buying it. Since she didn''t press the issue, he didn''t bother explaining himself further. Speaking of fun, Ben was a little disappointed he wouldn''t be around to witness the fruits of his meticulously planned Halloween prank this year. The dungeons were coldcolder than usual. Candles lined the way to the party, their flames burning an eerie blue that somehow made the air feel even chillier. The awful ghostly music echoing through the corridor sounded like a thousand nails scraping against a blackboard. "Is that supposed to be music?" Ron whispered. "Well, it''s definitely making me things," said Ben, suppressing a shiver. They turned a corner and finally saw Headless Nick standing at a doorway draped in black velvet. And yes, you read that right. Nearly Headless Nickcompletely headless Nick. Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "My dear friends," he said mournfully. "Welcome, welcome so pleased you could come" He swept off his head along with his hat and gave them a deep bow, but the trio were too shocked to move. "N-Nick, your h-head, it''s" Harry stammered. "Ah, I know! Fantastic, isn''t it? And all thanks to Mr Brown, of course. One swift strike of that ghostly blade, andsnickoff it came, clean as you like! Marvelous work! Would you care for a closer look?" Nick said excitedly. "Yeah, I''m good," said Ron, taking a step back. "That''s a sight I could''ve lived my whole life without." The group collectively decided that looking at Ben was far preferable to looking at Nick''s severed head. Ben, for his part, only scratched his own in mock embarrassment. "It''s no big deal, Nick. Least I could do," he said. "Oh, rubbish! My dear boy, you''ve done me the greatest of favours. Thanks to you, I shall at last take my rightful place in the Headless Huntit has been my deathlong wish! For that, I shall be eternally in your debt." He bowed deeply to Ben, lowering his head in his hands with solemn gratitude. This time, Ben actually looked a bit embarrassed. The truth was, he''d only been testing whether his new conjuration perk worked on more than just Daedric summonsmaybe it could send ghosts off to the afterlife, or wherever they were supposed to go. Turns out, it couldn''t. On the bright side, he did confirm that bound weapons could slice through spirits just fine. Not exactly what he was aiming for, but hey, that was still useful information. Call it an accidental breakthrough in the field of applied necromancy. -End of Chapter- A Nearly Headless Victory Inside the party, Ben quickly figured out why the Headless Hunt never took Nick seriously. For starters, his full name was . Talk about trying too hard and still falling short. The room was packed with ghosts of all shapes and misfortunes. Some looked drowned, still dripping wet; others had nooses dangling from their necks. A few had arrows sticking out of them, one was charred from angering a dragon, and another had a head caved incourtesy of a troll. Some were downright terrifying, while others just looked... well, pitiful. And then there was Peeves, the only splash of colour in a sea of grey, zipping about in search of trouble. At the moment, he was pelting Myrtle with mouldy peanuts and shrieking, as she fled, sobbing. Nick looked positively radiantwell, for a dead manbasking in the attention of his guests. He was at the centre of it all, and Merlin knows he loved nothing more than being the centre of attention. That was, until a ghostly hunting horn blared through the dungeon, and a dozen headless horsemen came thundering through the wall, instantly becoming the of the party. Leading the charge was a burly ghost clutching his bearded head under one arm, merrily blasting the horn. He swung off his spectral steed, hoisted his head high to scan the crowd (which earned a few chuckles), then marched straight for Nearly Headless Nick, casually jamming his head back onto his neck. "Nick!" Sir Patrick boomed, striding over with a wide grin. "Still hanging in there, are you?" He let out a loud, wheezing laugh and clapped Nick on the shoulderhard enough to send his head wobbling dangerously before it rolled clean off. The look on Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore''s face was something to pay for. "No, Patrick," Nick said dryly, scooping up his head and setting it back in place with an air of dignity. "In fact, I am hanging in there." Sir Patrick hesitatedjust for a momentbefore his smirk widened. "Ah! Yes, well, you''re" "Completely headless and qualified for the Headless Hunt," Nick cut in, folding his arms. A few ghosts murmured in amusement. Everyone knew Sir Patrick had spent years denying Nick''s request to join their rowdy little club. The Hunt prided itself on a certain for the whole headless experience, their games mostly revolving around tossing, kicking, and generally treating their detached heads like a Quaffle. Nick, meanwhile, had always been a touch too well-spoken, a bit toowell for their liking. And Sir Patrick a prat, who seemed to enjoy dragging this out as long as possible. "Well, Nick," he said, clearly scrambling for an excuse, "while I''m about yourahrecent full decapitation, I''m afraid you still don''t qualify." Nick narrowed his eyes. "And why, pray, ?" He plucked his head off again and held it up pointedly. "This seems to meet the standard." Sir Patrick gave a sympathetic wince, as if this were all terribly unfortunate. "Yes, well, it''s not about the head, you see. There''s also the small matter of ." Nick blinked. "A ?" "Yes, a horse," Sir Patrick said smoothly. "Every member of the Hunt rides one. And, well, I don''t see one trotting beside you, do you?" Nick faltered, his head sinking slightly in his hands. "No, I don''t." Sir Patrick sighed, shaking his head in mock sorrow. "Such a shame! But don''t feel too bad, old boy. I''m sure you''ll find yourself a fine ghostly steed ." He clapped Nick on the shoulder againlooking altogether too pleased with himself and swung onto his own spectral mount. Before Sir Patrick could let out a triumphant , Benwho had endured quite enough of the ghost''s smugnesseyed the horse thoughtfully. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he gave it a quick jab with his bound dagger. The reaction was immediate. The horse gave a startled, echoing , reared up high, and then bolted straight through the dungeon wall, vanishing with a fading shriek. Sir Patrick, left flailing, tumbled straight off its back with an undignified yell. His head bounced once, twicethen rolled across the floor like a particularly disgruntled cabbage. His body landed a second later with a spectral . Ben crossed his arms. "Well, would you look at that? Seems like just been unseated from the Headless Hunt." Sar?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A few ghosts wheezed with laughter as Sir Patrick''s body groped blindly for his head. The severed head glared as his hands blindly groped about for it. "A boy stickin'' his nose where it doesn''t belong," he muttered. At last, he snatched up his head, dusted it off, and shoved it back onto his shoulders. "I''ll have my horse back in no time." Ben hummed. "Oh, brilliant! And while you''re fetching steed, how about finding one for Sir Nicholas too? Wouldn''t want to leave him out , would we?" He gave the ghostly dagger an idle spin. Sir Patrick stiffened, eyeing the blade before scoffing. "Ridiculous." Nick, however, merely sighed. "It''s quite alright, Ben," he said, with the air of someone who had made peace with disappointment. "I rather think I''ve wasted enough centuries on this, it''s rather to join the Hunt if I''m not truly welcome." Then, smoothing down his ruff, he turned back to the gathered ghosts. "Now, if I might have your attention, I should like to begin my speech." He floated up onto the stage, clearing his throat. "My late lamented lords, ladies, and gentlemen, it is my great sorrow" Ben, however, barely had time to listen before Hermione rounded on him. "So is why you wanted to come?" she whispered furiously. "Where did you that dagger? it actually hurt ghosts? " "Bloody hell, Hermione," Ron muttered through chattering teeth, "can we save the interrogation for later? I can''t my ears." "Let''s get out of here," said Harry. With that, the three of them slipped away unnoticed, Ben following close behind, leaving Nearly Headless Nick to his speech and Sir Patrick still brushing ectoplasm off his robes. -End of Chapter- Support me at P@treon/DreamyApe, or I''ll start writing fanfiction instead. You''ve been warned. Harry Potter and the Petrified Puss The words gleamed wetly on the stone wall, large and ominous. Underneath them, hanging by her tail from a torch bracket, was Mrs. Norris, Argus Filch''s beloved cat. Ben took one look and resisted the urge to exhale in relief. A cat was badbut a student would have been much worse. He''d been taking precautions against that. Most effective of them being the dungbombs he''d set off on the second floor this morning - They had made sure no one stuck around long enough to meet a grisly fate. The place had still been stinking when they got here. Unfortunately, their well-timed arrival meant that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ben were caught at the scene of the crime and promptly escorted to Lockhart''s office for questioning. In the torchlight, the entire staff huddled over the stiff body of Mrs. Norris. Dumbledore''s long nose was inches from her fur as he examined her closely, prodding gently. Filch, meanwhile, was in the background making noises that sounded like a dying walrus, sobbing into a handkerchief ike a man who had lost a limb. Ben couldn''t blame him. Filch and Mrs. Norris had something of a bondunnatural, yes, but undeniable. Wherever she went, Filch was never far behind. Ben had a theory that they had an empathy link, kind of similar to what he had with his familiars. "Oh, if I had been here earlier!" Lockhart lamented loudly, shaking his head. "I know the countercurse that could have saved her! A shame, really. Reminds me of the time I banished the Bandon Banshee" Nobody paid him the slightest attention except for his own portraits, which nodded along enthusiastically. "She''s not dead, Argus," Dumbledore said at last. Filch hiccupped mid-sob. "Not ?" he croaked, peering between his fingers at his stiffened cat. "Thenwhy''s she all stiff and frozen like that?" "She has been Petrified," Dumbledore explained. "Ah! I so!" Lockhart declared, puffing up importantly. "But how, I cannot say" Dumbledore continued, ignoring him. Ben caught that. not Interesting choice of words. Filch, however, was beyond reason. His blotchy, tear-streaked face twisted in rage as he wheeled around, stabbing a trembling finger at Harry. "" he howled. "No second-year could have done this," Dumbledore said firmly. "It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced" Sarch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "He did it, he did it!" Filch shrieked. "You saw what he wrote on the wall! He knows I''m a Squib!" Harry reeled. "I never touched Mrs. Norris! And I don''t even know what a Squib is!" "Rubbish! He saw my Kwikspell letter! In my office!" Ah, right. Filch''s nonsense. It was easy to forget the caretaker was a Squib when he looked more like a half-starved ghoul than a man. But easy to forget that he was apparently gullible enough to believe a mail-order course could turn him into a wizard. Harry, Ron, and Hermione quickly launched into an explanation about why they weren''t at the Halloween feast. "We weren''t anywhere near here!" "We were at Nearly Headless Nick''s Deathday Party" "There were hundreds of ghosts" "They''ll tell you we were there" "But why not join the feast afterward?" Snape asked smoothly, his black eyes gleaming in the candlelight. "Why go up to that corridor?" Ron and Hermione looked at Harry. They couldn''t very well admit they had been following himrather, running after him as he''d bolted up the stairs like a lunatic. That had been a workout neither of them had asked for. "Becausebecause" Harry stammered, clearly unsure whether he should mention the voice he had heard. "Because we were tired and wanted to go to bed," Ron said quickly. Snape raised an eyebrow. "Without any supper? I didn''t think ghosts provided food fit for the living." Ben sighed. The greasy bat was trying to get Harry kicked off the Quidditch team. Slytherin''s new Seeker, Malfoy, would have an easy time if Gryffindor lost theirs.Of course, Snape didn''t actually think Harry had Petrified anyonePotter could barely handle a Lumos half the time. He was just a second-year student after all. "We took our own food, Professor," Ben said, pulling a skewer from his pocket with a few pieces of cheese still on it. He popped one into his mouth. Snape''s expression soured like he''d just been force-fed a lemon. Ben, ever helpful, held the skewer out to him. "Would you like some, sir?" Snape gave him a long, blank look. "No, thank you, Mr. Brown." He folded his arms. "But I saythere are rather rumours about you. Petrifying the poor trolley witch? Impressive for a second-year. Perhaps it has gone to your head, and now everything looks like a target." Ben swallowed his bite. "The rumours, sir, are greatly exaggerated. It was a spell. She was covered in a hardened shell of ash for I was, of course, deeply regretful." He nodded solemnly. "I have " Snape''s stare suggested he was unconvinced. Dumbledore finally straightened and looked at the four of them with his twinkling blue eyes. Ben knew exactly what was happeningLegilimency. He had been expecting it. He was prepared around the old goat. Besides, Dumbledore was mostly interested in Harry''s thoughts. Snape continued to push for Harry and Ben to be removed from their Quidditch teams, but McGonagall and Flitwick weren''t having it. Eventually, Dumbledore gave his verdict: "Innocent until proven guilty," he said mildly. Which, coming from a man who had just spent the last few minutes picking through their minds, was quite the joke. Not that it worked on Benhis mind was thoroughly shielded by the system, he just had to control his surface thoughts. After reassuring Filch that the Mandrake Restorative Draught would fix Mrs. Norris, they were told to leave. They made it halfway to the door when Ben suddenly staggered. His grip tightened on Harry and Ron''s shoulders, earning a startled look from the former and an alarmed, "Oi!" from the latter. Then, his head tilted back, and his eyes clouded over, glowing like eerie fogged-up lanterns. His voice dropped, hoarse and distant: There was a beat of stunned silence. Then, as if someone had cut his strings, Ben slumped. "Blimey" Ron yelped, nearly dropping him. Harry barely managed to catch his other side before they both staggered under the weight. "Was that a prophecy?" "I dunnohe did go all" Ron waved his hands vaguely. "Glowy eyes, creepy voiceclassic spooky business." "Professor! We need help!" Hermione''s voice rang out. Lockhart''s voice floated over, far too cheerful given the situation. "Not to worry, not to worry! I''ve handled this sort of thing before!" Ben, mercifully unconscious, was spared whatever nonsense came next. -End of the Chapter- Bens Prophecy Starter Pack: 1) Glowing eyes, 2) Cryptic rhymes, 3) Conveniently-timed fainting. Give me your weird comments, or I will start making prophecies. Writing this story requires blood, sweat, and tears. Mostly tears. Support my Patreon so I can afford tissues. Seer-iously, I Don’t Remember a Thing Ben woke to the familiar scent of antiseptic potions and the distant sound of Madam Pomfrey muttering to herself, no doubt about the general stupidity of children. Candlelight flickered against the high windows of the Hospital Wing, casting long shadows across the rows of beds. And the stiffness in his limbs told him he''d been out for a while. Good. That meant the cheese dipped in Midazolam he''d "" from St. Thomas had done its job. He wasn''t about to half-arse a fainting spellespecially not with Dumbledore and Snape watching. He blinked lazily, took a moment to stretch, then propped himself up on his elbows and let out a groggy, well-practised groan. "I feel like I got hit by a Bludger." A soft chuckle came from beside him. "I assure you, Mr. Brown, no Bludgers were involved." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ben turned his head and found himself staring into the twinkling blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore. The old wizard sat in the chair by his bedside, looking perfectly at ease. "I trust you are feeling better?" Right. Time for a performance. Ben blinked blearily. "Oh. Professor Did Iuhdid I faint?" He frowned, as if struggling to recall. "I don''t normally do that, y''know. Bit embarrassing." Dumbledore smiled. "Understandable. However, given the rather dramatic nature of yourshall we sayepisode, I do not believe anyone will think less of you." Ben let out a weak chuckle. "Could''ve warned me first, Professor. If I knew this Seer business involved so much collapsing, I''d have brought a pillow." Dumbledore tilted his head slightly, eyes twinkling just a bit more. "Ah, but foresight does not always extend to oneself. Or so I have been told." Ben hummed, scratching his head. "Yeah I don''t really control them. It just happens." He let his gaze drift in thought before shaking his head. Dumbledore''s expression remained unreadable. "Would you happen to recall the one you spoke tonight?" Ben frowned, like he was digging through a foggy memory. "Normally, I remember them, but this time" He exhaled, shaking his head. "Nothing. Like someone nicked the memory right out of my head." Dumbledore regarded him carefully. "Nothing at all?" Ben hesitated, chewing his lip, then sighed. "Well I seeing an old diary." His brows knit together, like the thought had only just struck him as odd. "Not sure why. Justkeeps popping up in my head." A long silence followed. Dumbledore said nothing, but Ben could feel him . Finally, the headmaster gave a slow nod. "Curious." Ben gave a casual shrug, sinking back into the pillow. "Maybe it''s nothing. Could be from a dream or something. Or maybe my subconscious is trying to warn me that I''ve forgotten to do an assignment." "Perhaps," Dumbledore mused, voice light. "Rest now, Mr. Brown. You have had quite the evening. But should you recall anything more you know where to find me." Ben nodded, stifling a yawn as he watched Dumbledore stroll toward the exit, deep blue robes sweeping soundlessly across the floor. Ben smirked to himself. With that, he let himself drift off again, thoroughly pleased with his own performance. The whole reason for all this dramaticsthe cryptic hints, the conveniently-timed fainting, his inaction towards the diary was all because Ben wanted to test Dumbledore. Yeah, ironic, isn''t it? But Ben had read too many contradicting things about the man. To some, he was the greatest wizard to ever live. To others, a scheming puppet master with too many twinkles in his eyes. And to a fair few, something in between. Ben just wanted to know which version was true. Back when he first read the books, he always found it weird that Dumbledore never figured out what was happening. The bloke knew about Myrtle''s death. He knew about Horcruxes. And all he had to do was put two and two togethersecond-floor bathroom, mysterious monster, students getting Petrified. It wasn''t exactly the hardest puzzle in the world. Sure, he was a busy man, but what could possibly be more pressing than Slytherin''s monster slithering about, trying to murder ???????????????muggleborns? So this time, Ben had made it easy for him. Laid out all the clues, just enough to put the pieces together. If Dumbledore still didn''t put it together, then he was either daft, too distracted to care, orworseletting the attacks happen on purpose. Maybe to test Harry. Maybe to toughen him up. Maybe to make sure Harry was loyal to him. Either way, Ben would soon have his answer. Now, all he had to do was wait and see how Dumbledore played it. -- For a few days, the school could talk of little else but the attack on Mrs Norris. Filch had tried scrubbing the message off the wall with , but to no effect; the words still gleamed as brightly as ever against the stone. Ben could tell it was written in paint from the faint, familiar smellhonestly, how was it that wizards could brew potions that reversed but still remained oblivious to basic Muggle chemistry? In the corridors, he often found students actively avoiding his path. The rumour about him petrifying the Trolley Witch had somehow evolved from baseless nonsense to , and the theory that he was the Heir of Slytherin was only second to the possibility that had time-travelled back to finish the job. Muggle-borns, in particular, had taken to flinching every time they met his eyes, which, frankly, was . He wasn''t the Heir, but if people were going to be ridiculous about it, he might as well enjoy the show. On the bright side, with everyone so fixated on , Harry was mostly left alone. Small mercies. Ben headed to the library to collect his assignment from Hermione and found her in her natural habitathalf-buried under a stack of books, frantically scanning the shelves like a Niffler on a treasure hunt. -End of Chapter- 100 chapters?! I never thought we''d make it this farlet''s freaking go! That''s more commitment than Filch has to catching students, more persistence than Lockhart has in stealing credit, and frankly, more endurance than Harry had dealing with Snape. Here''s to 100 chapters of chaos, wit, and dangerously high twinkle levels! Thanks for sticking around! PS- Every time someone joins my Patreon, a house-elf gets a day off. Probably. Hogwarts: A History (of Bad Decisions) "All the copies of have been taken out," she said, barely looking up as he approached. "And there''s a two-week waiting list! I I should''ve packed my copy, but , Lockhart''s books took up too much space." Ben blinked. "You mean to tell me you left behind ?" He whistled. "That must''ve been painful." She ignored him, flopping down into the chair next to Harry and Ron. "Why do you need it?" Harry asked. "The same reason wants it," Hermione huffed. "To read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets." "What''s that?" said Harry quickly. "That''s just itI can''t remember," Hermione admitted, chewing her lip. "And I can''t find the story else." "Why didn''t you just ask ?" Ben said, sliding into the seat next to her. Hermione gave him a sceptical look. "You know about the Chamber?" Ben feigned offence. "Of I do! I know about Hogwarts." Ron snorted. "Go on, then. Enlighten us, oh wise and all-knowing one." Ben smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Well, legend has it that Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders, had a of a disagreement with the others over, you know, " Ron winced. "Don''t say ." Ben rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. Point is, old Salazar wanted a stricter admissions policy. The others told him to get stuffed, so he packed his bags built a secret chamber under the school before leaving. . He also left behind a monster that only his true heir could controlbecause, obviously, no school is complete without a built-in death trap." Harry and Ron exchanged nervous glances, but Hermione looked intrigued. "And you the legend is real?" Ben shrugged. "Oh, absolutely. This school has , sentient staircases, and a poltergeist whose entire existence revolves around why there be a secret chamber somewhere?" Hermione frowned. "But if the Chamber someone found it by now." Ben gave her an approving nod. "Ding ding ding. Fifty points to Gryffindor. Someone open itfifty years ago. A student died. They caught someone, expelled him, and the attacks stopped." "Who?" Harry asked sharply. Ben leaned forward, lowering his voice dramatically. "Hagrid." Ron choked on air. "" Ben smirked. "Oh, relax. He didn''t do it. They just blamed him because he had a giant pet spiderstill alive, by the waynamed Aragog." He wiggled his fingers ominously. "Very spooky." Ron looked horrified. "Hagrid had a you know what? No. Nope. Not dealing with that. I''ve already seen spider the size of my head this year, and that was ." Ben grinned. "Well, good news, Weasley. This one''s bigger." Ron paled. "That''s not !" Hermione, ignoring Ron''s distress, frowned. "But if the chamber was opened before, that means someone is opening it again now." Ben let out a mock gasp. "Oh no! It''s almost like there''s an running around! What a and completely development." Ron, still shaken, gave him a flat look. "You know, if you keep acting like a sarcastic git while half the school thinks you''re the Heir, I won''t feel bad when someone hexes you." Ben grinned. "Oh, don''t worry, Weasley. I can take it. And besides, between me and Harry, I think there''s no doubt that I''m much more resilient." "You know I''m sitting right here, right?" Harry asked, looking slightly offended. Hermione shook her head, deciding not to entertain their antics. Instead, she handed Ben the roll of homework parchment and got up to leave the library. As they headed out, Ron shook his head. "I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony." "But I never knew he started all this pure-blood stuff," he added with a grimace. "I wouldn''t be in his House if you me. Honestly, if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I''d''ve got the train straight back home." Hermione nodded fervently, but Harry didn''t say anything. His stomach had just dropped unpleasantly. The Sorting Hat''s voice echoed in his head: Ben caught the look on Harry''s face and, without warning, grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him into an empty broom cupboard. "Oiow! What''s the matter?" Harry protested. Ben shut the door behind them. "Potter, listen to me and listen carefully." Harry, startled by his serious tone, gave a cautious nod. "Go on." "You get involved with this Chamber business. You ," Ben said firmly. "Why not?" Harry asked, frowning. Ben exhaled through his nose. "Look, right now there are a few stupid people who think you''re the Heir of Slytherin ''cause you''re, you know, defeated the Dark Lord and all that. But if people find out you''re a Parselmouth" "A ?" Ben blinked. "A Parselmouth. You can talk to snakes." Harry furrowed his brows. "What''s that got to do with ?" Ben gave him a flat look. "Come on, mate. Why do you think Slytherin''s house symbol is a snake? He was a Parselmouth too. And it''s not a coincidence that you''re the only one who could hear the monsterit''s a giant freaking snake." Harry''s stomach clenched. "So what''s your point? I bet loads of people can talk to snakes," Harry argued. "They can''t all be Slytherin''s descendants, right?" Ben sighed. "It''s a common gift, and it''s a good look. The wizarding world is let''s just say, prejudiced in certain ways." Harry stared at him. "Why are you telling me this?" His voice was guarded now. Ben raised a brow. "Do you think I''m accusing you of being the Heir?" "Are you?" "Oh, , no. You couldn''t hurt a fly, Potter, let alone kill someone," Ben said breezily. "Gee, thanks," Harry muttered. "Not sure if that''s a compliment or an insult." "Don''t mention it." Ben smirked. "Look, I what''s going through your mind: " Harry''s eyes widened. "How''d you know about the Hat?" Ben waved him off. "I know . And I know you''re not the Heir, or evil, or some closet Slytherin. So don''t waste time brooding over it, alright? I don''t want you running off trying to solve this mystery yourself. That''s Dumbledore''s joblet do it." Harry studied him. "Does that mean know who the real Heir is? Did you something?" Ben flashed him a mysterious grin as he pushed open the door. "Maybe. But don''t have to worry about that." And with that, he disappeared into the crowd of students coming out of Charms, leaving Harry staring after him. -End of Chapter- Slytherin left behind a giant monster, and all I''m leaving behind is a desperate plea to check out my Patr!on. One of us clearly had a worse long-term plan. Sear?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ben: Trust Me, Bro (But Also, Dont Investigate This Chamber Thing) Harry: "You know something, dont you?" Ben: "Nope. Bye." Get in Loser, We’re Playing Quidditch It had been days since the first attack, and Dumbledore had yet to take any action. Or at least, that''s how it seemed. Ben hadn''t seen anything to suggest the Headmaster was taking this seriously. Sure, it had only been a cat that got petrified, but the circumstances were worrying worrying. Not to mention Ben''s very ominous and very pointed prophecy. At the very least, if Ben hurried the Trio along, the whole fiasco would wrap up fasteror it might even force the headmaster to finally do something. Maybe Dumbledore doing something behind the scenes. Maybe he''d already handled things in ways Ben couldn''t see. There was a lot to consider, but right now? Right now, he had Quidditch. And for the moment, that was all that mattered. Owen Abernathy had a plan. Unfortunately, he also had a team that couldn''t care less. "Alright, LISTEN UP!" Owen bellowed, gripping his clipboard like it might keep him sane. "We''re running the ! Marianne, Roger, you flank. Ben, you hang back to" A came hurtling through the air. Owen barely in time. He turned slowly. "Tobias." Tobias Alderton spun his bat in his hand, looking . "What?" Owen exhaled . "Please that wasn''t aimed at ." Tobias shrugged. "Was aiming for Edgar." Edgar, the Bludger, narrowed his eyes. "Yeah? And I was aiming to be in a team that ." Tobias twirled his bat. "Keep talking, Cornfoot, and I might aim next time." Edgar snorted. "Right. And you might actually something for once." Tobias grinned. "Oh, I''ll hit something, alright" Below, Owen around, looking dangerously close to snapping his clipboard in half. "I SWEAR TO MERLIN, IF YOU TWO WANNA BRAWL, EITHER OR WAIT UNTIL PRACTICE!" Tobias and Edgar exchanged glances. Then Tobias muttered, "Guess we''ll wait till after practice." "Like we will," Edgar shot back. Ben, lazily floating nearby, shook his head. "At this point, you two should just snog in a broom cupboard and get it over with." Marianne nearly choked on laughter. Edgar scowled. "Are you?" Tobias frowned. "Do I like I wanna snog ?" Ben tilted his head. "Dunno, mate. You keep finding excuses to throw things at him." Edgar gagged. "Right, I''m leaving." "Great idea," Ben said. "Might I suggest directions?" Meanwhile, Roger Davies was all of it, because some people had to uphold. "Alright, watch and weep, nerds," Roger announced, flashing a grin at the few Ravenclaw girls spectating. He towards the goal, rolled under an imaginary opponent, flicked the Quaffle behind his back, andjust to rub it inexecuted a hair flip as he let it fly. The ball soaredsmooth, effortlessand Roger turned around to celebrate, holding a pose for the crowd. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Quaffle bounced off the goal ring. Silence. Ben clapped, deadpan. "Yeah, mate, that was ." Marianne nodded. "Truly, the stuff of legends." Ben sighed. "They''ll be putting this in the history books." Marianne gasped. "You think the Chocolate Frog company will make a card?" Ben rubbed his chin. "Mmm maybe as a cautionary tale." Marianne grinned. "Roger Davies: inspiring future generations to aim." Roger scowled. "Alright, was a ." " was tragic to watch, was what it was," Marianne corrected. "Oh, , you two," Roger huffed. "Some of us actually ." Ben leaned toward Marianne. "When did we name the ring '''' ?" Marianne grinned. "Just now we did." Roger flipped them off. Before Ben could retort, Tobias absolutely launched a Bludger in their direction. "Get a room, you two, will you?" Ben swervedstraight into Marianne. They crashed, nearly tumbling off their brooms, clutching at each other''s robes in a desperate attempt to stay upright. At the very last second, they managed to stop their descent, just a few feet off the ground. For a second, they just , blinking. Ben raised an eyebrow. "If you want to rip my clothes off, Annie, at least buy me dinner first." Marianne snorted. "Next time, how about you dodge from me and not me, genius?" Ben smirked. "You''re just mad I didn''t heroically throw myself in the way." Marianne patted his shoulder. "One day, you''ll learn self-sacrifice, Benny." Ben grinned. "And one day, you''ll" Marianne shoved him off his broom, and he landed on the ground with a thud. Below, Owen his temples. "FOR SAKE, CAN WE ALL FOCUS ON THE GAME FOR A MINUTE?" They could not. Above them, Eleanor and Cho were practicing Seeker drillsor at least, they were supposed to be. Whitmore was watching Cho botch another dive. "Yeah, alright, that was ," Eleanor said, arms crossed. "Not sure , but something." Cho straightened, shaking her head. "I''m justoff." Eleanor shrugged. "Yeah, you look off." Cho shot her a look. "What?" Eleanor said. "I''m not your mum. You wanna pack it in early, go for it." "I''m fine," Cho muttered, though she looked anything . A moment later, she shook her head. "Actually I think I''ll head in early." She didn''t wait for a response, glanced down at the pitch for a second and then flew off. Below, Ben had stolen the Quaffle and was holding it just out of Marianne''s reach, weaving away every time she lunged for it. "Come on, Annie, jump for it!" he teased, smirking. Marianne, looking supremely unimpressed, did not jump. Instead, she yanked his broom sideways. Ben yelped as he spun off balance, the Quaffle slipping from his gripstraight into Marianne''s waiting hands. She twirled it on her fingertips before tossing him a satisfied grin. "Thanks, Benny. Real team player." Ben scowled, steadying his broom. "That was illegal." Marianne winked. "So is a Beater touching the Quaffle, but you don''t see me crying for mummy." Ben huffed, watching her fly off. "Oh, we''re playing dirty now?" Marianne glanced back, smirking. "You started it, Benny. I just finished it." Ben cracked his knuckles. "Alright. No more playing nice." Roger, passing by, snorted. "Since when were you playing nice?" Ben grinned. "Touch." Then he rocketed after Marianne. -End of Chapter- Cooked to Perfection Ben was knackered. Quidditch practice had wrung him dry, and there was only one cure: a nice, relaxing, completely unauthorized soak in the Prefects'' Bathroom. Getting in was easy. Filch was still sulking over Mrs Norris, the corridors were dead quiet, and Ben had done this enough times to know the place would be empty. He strolled up to the grand wooden door, tapped in the password, and slipped inside as it clicked open. Warm air wrapped around him instantly, thick with steam and the sharp scent of lavender. The massive, pool-like bath was already filling, golden taps spilling water and bubbles like some overindulgent dream. Ben shut the door behind him and let out a long sigh. He shrugged off his Quidditch robes, stretched out a stiff shoulder, and slid into the bath. Heat seeped into his aching muscles, melting away the soreness. The mermaids in the stained-glass windows whispered and giggled among themselves, flicking their tails and throwing him little glances that were far too amused for his liking. Typical. Portraits and paintings at Hogwarts to act like they had dignity, but in reality, they were the worst kind of nosy. He didn''t pay them any mind. This was his time. Ben tipped his head back against the marble edge, eyes drifting shut. For a few glorious moments, everything was perfect. Then Somewhere in the pipes, metal groaned like it was deeply offended by its own existence. Ben cracked an eye open. Not exactly strange. Hogwarts was old. Hogwarts . Hogwarts when it wasn''t getting enough attention. You either got used to it or lost your mind. A soft from one of the golden faucets. A slow trickle of water leaked down, sending little ripples across the bath. Then the mermaids suddenly went quiet. Ben frowned. Now that was unusual. Very unusual. A bad feeling crawled up his spine. It all became clear when he caught a flicker of movement behind hima shadow stretching unnaturally long in the flickering torchlight. Ben squeezed his eyes shut. He''d this might happen after making that prophecy. But this soon? A sharp hiss cut through the air, and the sound of scales scraping against stone sent a jolt through his gut. Ben launched himself out of the water just as a heavy splash erupted behind him. This was bad. The Basilisk was out for his blood. And he was naked and unarmed. Luckily, he was the Dragonborn. Ben threw his hands forward, summoning his magic A freezing whirlwind tore through the room, ice spreading across the floor, sharp crystals glinting under the torchlight. Then he yelped, hopping on one foot. "Brilliant," he muttered. "Freeze the bloody floor while you''re barefoot, Ben. Genius." Still, it should slow the snake down. The staggering effect from dual-casting would buy him a few seconds. He cast next, then opened a small portal to Nirn Island, and grabbed A rooster. Yes, he''d put chickens in there. They were good pest control, and the eggs were practically passive income. But right now, he needed one for its real use. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ben held up the rooster, aiming it at the Basilisk like a divine weapon, "Alright, mate, time to crow. Do your thing." It didabsolutely nothing. "Come on, man, I''ll get you grubs every day," Ben muttered, shaking the bird. The rooster went in his hands. Ben''s stomach dropped. "Oh, " The rooster was either petrified or dead. "Fuck." A rush of air warned him just in timehe ducked, barely avoiding the Basilisk''s lunging jaws. Ben hurled a towards the massive serpent, then opened another portal, frantically trying to grab another rooster while dodging left and right. The only made the Basilisk angrier, and now it was striking even more aggressively. Then A loud banging came from the door. Ben''s heart skipped a beat. "Ben?" It was Harry''s voice. . "Ben, what''s going on in there? Are you alright?" Ben froze for a split second. No. No, . The Trio had been tailing him a lot lately, trying to figure out what he knew. Normally, he ignored them. But this? was bad timing. He shouted, barely keeping his voice steady, "Go away, I''m busy!" More scrambling on the other side. "We somethingwhat''s happening?" Ben could hear them trying every spell they knew to open the door. Luckily, without the password, they weren''t getting in. The Basilisk struck again. Ben dodged, the rooster slipping from his grip. He swore as pain flared up his armhe''d hit something sharp. And had worn off. The constant banging on the door was making it harder to track the Basilisk''s movements. Ben gritted his teeth, gathering magicka in his hands. "For the love of Merlin, You''re making it worse! I''m literally in here" Something heavy slammed into his chest just as covered his body. The impact knocked the air clean out of his lungs, sending him tumbling across the room. His back hit the wall with a sickening . His ears rang loudly, and he couldn''t breathe anymore. Something was broken. made his skin tough as iron, but his insides? Still squishy. Somewhere in the haze, he registered the trio yelling. With shaking hands, he summoned another spell. Warm orange light spread over his body, and the pain eased as his ribs mended. Ben finally coughed, the air rasping back into his lungs, his mouth tasting like iron. He took a deep, shuddering breath, pushing himself up. His limbs trembled. He was drenched, bruised, bleedingbut alive. "Oh, I am to enjoy grilling you. Literally." He rolled away just in time to dodge another strike. Months of dodging Bludgers were finally paying off. Another to slow the Basilisk down. Thenanother rooster. The first one was a lost cause. Smashed under a large snake. He wasn''t working with an supply of them, so this one had to count or he''d have to start summoning chickens, and that would just be embarrassing. Ben yanked a sock from his storage, shoving it over the rooster''s head to block the Basilisk''s gaze. But making it ? Whole other problem. -To be Continued.. No animals were harmed in the making of this chapter. Please visit p!treon/DreamyApe to know more. Cluck Around and Find Out Ben ducked and rolled to avoid another basilisk lunge. "Alright, mate, I''ll get you so many chicks if you just once!" He threw out a , and a massive fiery wolf let out a howl before lunging at the serpent, exploding on impact. All he got from the rooster was a . Ben scowled. "Fine. Time for the stick." He summoned another and fished his wand from storage. "Wake up, . It''s or . ." Yes, he''d named the rooster Cluck Norris. A blinding flash flooded the room. Even through the sock, the rooster saw the light. And finally sea??h th novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The effect was instant. The Basilisk shrieked. The chamber shook. The massive serpent writhed, convulsing in agony. Ben stumbled back, chest heaving, listening as the Basilisk slithered awayretreating fast into the pipes, its painful hisses echoing through the walls. Thensilence. Ben sagged against the ruined bathtub. It was . He let out a shaky breath, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth BOOM. The bathroom door blasted off its hinges. Dust and splinters rained down, and Ben flinched as the force sent ripples through the wrecked room. When the dust cleared, he blinked up at the figures standing in the doorway. McGonagall, wand raised, lips pressed into a line. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood behind her, wide-eyed. Ben''s brain, still sluggish from everything that had just happened, finally caught up. McGonagall''s gaze swept across the ruined bathroomthe shattered taps, scorch marks, the ice-coated floor, and cracked walls. She took in the fallen ceiling, the wrecked marble, and thenfinallyhim. Benbloody, filthy, drenched in sweat, and very much . Slumped against the wreckage of the bathtub, wand still clutched in his hand. And between his legs, standing stiff and proud A cock. Wearing a sock. A lone guardian of its master''s dignity. McGonagall opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. "...Mr Brown" Ben sighed, letting his head fall back against the broken tub. "Professor, I think it''s only that you knock before entering." McGonagall exhaled sharply. "For Merlin''s sake" With a flick of her wand, Ben''s discarded robes flew up and wrapped around him like a mother hen bundling up a reckless chick. Ben gave a tired smirk. "A shame. was just starting to enjoy the attention." McGonagall''s glare could have frozen the Black Lake. "Not. Another. Word." Before Ben could test his luck, Hermione rushed forward, dropping to her knees beside him. "We were worried!" She looked him over, frowning at the cuts and bruises. "Are you alright? What happened? Why are you" Ben blinked. "Geez, breathe." Ron rubbed his palms against his robes. "We ran straight to McGonagallthought we were too late." "You were," Ben said dryly, "but I appreciate the concern, Ron." Harry stepped forward, gaze sharp. "What was it?" Before Ben could answer, hurried footsteps echoed from outside. Moments later, the doorway filled with figuresDumbledore, Snape, and Flitwick. Dumbledore took in the sight with an unreadable expression. "Ah," he said lightly, "I see we''ve had an evening." "Reckless ," Snape corrected sharply. His gaze landed on Ben like a blade. "What, , was he doing herecausing this much destruction?" "Professor," Flitwick cut in, sharper than usual, "perhaps questioning can ? The boy is ." "A few bruises and cuts are hardly an excuse to avoid interrogation," Snape replied coldly. Ben raised a hand weakly. "If it helps, I feel like I got hit by a train." Flitwick''s frown deepened. "Are you in pain, my boy?" "Nothing a few hours of won''t fix," Ben muttered. Dumbledore gave him an amused look. "Now then, Mr Brown. Would you care to ?" Ben exhaled through his nose. "Well, see, I was " "Ben." "And then I ." McGonagall pinched the bridge of her nose. "" "There was a large snake," Ben admitted. "Rather , barged in without knocking." There was a beat of silence. Flitwick blinked. "A ?" " snake." Snape''s gaze flicked over the wreckage. "A snake did ?" "Told you it was ." Dumbledore''s eyes twinkled. "How big, exactly?" Ben exhaled, eyes drifting to the hole in the ceiling. "Well, judging by the way it took out ? I''d say ." Hermione made a strangled noise. "Was itwas it monster?" "Unless Hogwarts has a , giant death serpent, yeah." Snape''s expression darkened. "And where is it ?" Ben hesitated. "" McGonagall inhaled sharply. "" "Had my the whole time," Ben cut in quickly. "Didn''t exactly get a look." Ron frowned. "Why close your eyes?" Ben gave him a look. "Because I saw the of a snake big enough to . What else could it be except the Slytherin''s monster?" Silence. Harry gave him a baffled look. "You fought that thing? Without even looking at it?" Ben shrugged. "Process of elimination. Mrs Norris was petrified. So whatever the monster was, it could petrify people." Dumbledore''s expression sharpened slightly. "Go on." "Not many creatures can do that," Ben said, gesturing vaguely. "Gorgons, some ghosts, maybe a really talented Mediwitch with a ." Hermione bit her lip. "But none of those are ." Ben nodded. " Only thing fit." There was a beat of silence. Snape sneered. "And you just happened to know exactly how to kill a Basilisk?" Ben exhaled. "Its almost like I read books. Imagine thata Ravenclaw reading." Snapes gaze sharpened. "And how convenient that you had exactly what you needed." Ben snorted. "Convenient? Professor, I nearly got eaten trying to summon one, and the first three roosters didnt even last five seconds before turning into bird statues." He sighed. "I would hardly call that convenient." Hermione sucked in a breath. "Roosterstheir cry is fatal to a Basilisk!" Ron blinked. "Hang on. You fought the Basilisk ?" Ben gestured vaguely. "Technically, roosters. But yeah. Turns out they''re deadlier than they look." Dumbledores eyes twinkled, but his tone was thoughtful. "A simple solution. The best ones often are." Snape looked murderous. "And yet, the ." Ben raised an eyebrow. "If you''d like to , Professor, be my guest." Snape''s eyes flashed dangerously. "You''re far too for someone who ." "What can I say? " Ben gestured vaguely at himself. "Still here, . Can''t say the same for my ." Dumbledore''s smile remained, but there was something beneath it. "We''ll discuss this further in the , I believe." "Excellent," Ben muttered, slumping back again. "Now if no one minds, I think I''ll just for a bit." Flitwick, finally having had enough, clapped his hands. "" -To be Continued.. If Lost, Return to Hospital Wing Ben woke to the soft crackling of fire and the faint scent of medicinal potions. His body ached, but it was the dull, lingering kindnothing urgent. He cracked an eye open, finding himself in the hospital wing. White curtains, fresh sheets, and the distant sound of Madam Pomfrey bustling about confirmed it. "This is starting to become a pattern," he muttered, stirring. "Ah, you''re awake," came a familiar voice. Ben turned his head. Dumbledore sat beside his bed, watching him with a serene expression. "I''m actually still unconscious, Headmaster," he said. "Ah, humoura sure sign of good health," said Dumbledore, smiling. Ben pushed himself up with a grunt. "Reckon this is the part where I get detention?" Dumbledore''s eyes twinkled. "We don''t give students detention for surviving a deadly Basilisk attack, Mr Brown." Ben hesitated, knowing this was the right time to get exonerated. "There was still the sneaking into the place" Dumbledore hummed. "a privilege I''m informed by Professor Flitwick you''ve earned with your bravery." Wow. The old man''s really bending over backwards. Only sounds like trouble to me. "Is there something you want from me, Professor?" Ben asked, getting straight to the point. But Dumbledore was anything but straight."Benedict, it is clear you are giftedbeyond your years, beyond many adult wizards," he said with a smile that all but shouted "I''m not sure I''d go that far, Professor. But I sure am gifted," said Ben, running a hand through his hair. "And humble, too," Dumbledore added, eyes twinkling again. "But with gifts, my boy, often come responsibilitiesequally as heavy." His voice dipped serious. "What kind of responsibilities, Headmaster?" Ben asked, struggling to act oblivious. "That, my boy, only time can tell. But I''m quite sure you''ll do the right thing when the moment comes," Dumbledore said, with a look so full of trust Ben nearly caught it like the flu. "Professor, have you found the Basilisk yet?" he asked. "Not yet. Professors Snape and Lockhart are searching the castle," Dumbledore replied, with some regret. "Perhaps you can provide some insight to aid them?" Ben gave a thoughtful look, then said, "Funny thing, Headmasternone of my roosters died. Just petrified." Dumbledore hummed. "An interesting observation." "Thought a Basilisk''s gaze was supposed to kill, no? Bit much of a coincidence that none of them looked it in the eye- Don''t you think?" Ben leaned back against the pillows. "You wouldn''t happen to know anything, would you, Headmaster?" Dumbledore regarded him for a moment. "Many protections have been laid upon this castle by generations of Headmasters. Perhaps one of them ensures that none within its walls meet a Basilisk''s eyes directly." Ben narrowed his eyes. That was him admittingwithout quite saying it. Before he could press further, the doors to the hospital wing opened. McGonagall entered, lips pressed in a firm line. Behind her, Lucius Malfoy stepped in, followed by Cornelius Fudge. Sar?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ben exhaled sharply. "Brilliant. The Ministry finally decided to show up. Bit late, don''t you think?" Fudge ignored him, adjusting his bowler hat. "Albus, I''m afraid I must insist. Given the recentunfortunate eventsHogwarts can hardly continue under your leadership." Ben glanced at Dumbledore. His expression didn''t change. Lucius Malfoy smiled, slow and satisfied. "The Board of Governors has spoken. Two students disappearing in a single night? Unacceptable." Ben''s stomach twisted. He hadn''t heard about that part. His mind racedwho? Dumbledore gave him a quiet look, then turned to Malfoy. "If the Board wishes me to step down, I shall. Howeverhelp will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." Ben clenched his jaw as he looked at Dumbledore''s backand Malfoy''s smug expression. Of course. The great Albus Dumbledore, still content to leave everything in the hands of threeno, fourtwelve-year-olds. The doors swung open again. This time, Hagrid stomped in, followed by two Aurors. "Now, I told yehI ain''t done nothin''!" Hagrid snapped, glaring at Fudge. Fudge sighed. "Yes, yes, Hagrid. But with everything going on, we can''t take chances. You''ll be held for questioning." Lucius smirked. "Can''t have dangerous creatures running loose, after all." Malfoy was shutting down the investigation by removing the people who might stop him. Hagrid ignored them, looking straight at Dumbledore. "Professor, yeh I didn''t do this!" Dumbledore gave him a small nod. "I do." Hagrid hesitated, then exhaled heavily. "Righ''." He turned to leavebut paused at the door. "Jus'' one thing," he muttered. "If anyone wants ter find out what''s goin'' on they''d do well to follow the spiders." Ben barely had time to process that before the doors swung shut behind them. Silence settled over the room. "Well," Lucius said, brushing imaginary dust off his sleeve, "that''s that, then." Ben, half-lidded and tired, muttered, Malfoy''s smile flickered, just for a moment, before he turned away. "Come along, Minister." Dumbledore gave him a small nod. "Rest, Mr Brown. We will speak again soon." Then he turned and left. And just like that, they were gone. Ben let out a slow breath, his mind already spinning, piecing things together. He had a clearer picture of Dumbledore now. The old man wouldn''t pass up a chance to train Harrynever mind if it put a few lives at risk. The greater good always came first. The old man wasn''t incompetent. If anything, he had a plansafety nets, backup plays, probably a phoenix on standby. It wasn''t negligence. Just the kind of calculated risk you take when you''re convinced the world''s better off with you pulling the strings. Useful to know. And, to be fair he wasn''t one to talk. He''d let the diary wander about for weeks now. Chalk one up for hypocrisy. "That," he muttered, "was a bloody circus." Madam Pomfrey bustled over, hands on her hips. "And that''s quite enough excitement for you. You need rest!" Ben held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright." He''d barely closed his eyes when the air shimmered. Three figures materialised at the foot of his bed. -To be Continued.. Celebrity Guest Appearance (Unwilling) Ron tugged off the Invisibility Cloak, looking pale. Hermione looked grim. Harry''s jaw was tight. Ben blinked slowly. "Forgot this was a group project." He hadn''t needed to lookDumbledore had left a parting glance aimed right at the seemingly empty corner. Not exactly subtle, but subtlety''s overrated when you''re the world''s most powerful wizard and pushing a billion years old. Harry sat on the edge of the bed. "Two Ravenclaw girls are missing." Ben stilled. He already had a sinking feeling which two. Ron rubbed his face. "We thought you might know something. Likewhere the Chamber is." Ben didn''t answer right away. He wasn''t supposed to know that. Hermione hesitated. "We were hoping you could help us figure it out. We think it might be connected to the attack fifty years ago." "And Hagrid said something about following spiders," Harry added. Ron visibly shuddered. Ben raised an eyebrow and stretched where he lay on the bed. "Brilliant. Let''s get moving already." "Where? I''m not following no spiders," Ron said, voice trembling. "Relax, Ronald. You think I wanna go knocking on Aragog''s nest after slaughtering half his children?" Ben muttered, throwing off the blankets. "Come on." Ron blinked. "What?" Ben was already moving. "You wanted to find the Chamber, yeah? Let''s go." Ron and Hermione exchanged a quick look before scrambling after him. Harry fell into step beside him. "You know where it is?" "Why didn''t you tell anyone before?" said Hermione. Ben didn''t look at them. "I only just got told myself, Hermione." "By who?" "Dream Ben, obviously." He paused, just long enough to pretend it didn''t hurt. "He''s more helpful than the real one." Ben only got weird looks and silence for that one, but he didn''t mind. The sooner this was over, the better. The four of them moved quickly through the empty halls, beneath the cloak, careful to keep their voices down. Ron still looked uneasy, but his feet followed anyway. They turned the cornerand nearly tripped over Professor Lockhart, who was dragging a trunk twice his size, frantically stuffing wigs into it. The professor yelped and dropped the suitcase on his foot, sending framed photographs scattering across the floor. "Who''s there?! Show yourselves! I I''m armed!" Ben pulled off the cloak. "Professor Lockhart?" Hermione blinked. Lockhart jumped, nearly falling over. "AhMiss Granger! Boys!what an unexpected pleasure!" He straightened his hair with trembling hands, glancing nervously behind them. "Packing up already?" Ben said, picking up a framed photo of Lockhart winking and tossing it aside like trash. Lockhart cleared his throat, straightening. "Well, it traditional for professors toersee to their own safety first. Wouldn''t want anyone else to get hurt while I''m in the crossfire, eh?" "You mean run away," said Ron, scowling. Hermione stepped forward uncertainly. "But sir you said you''d handled Banshees. Defeated the Wagga Wagga Werewolf. Surely you''re not afraid of a Basilisk?" Lockhart chuckled nervously. "Oh well, Miss Granger, I wouldn''t say . Justcautious! Sensible! The kind of instincts that have kept me alive all these years." Ben tilted his head. "And the kind of instincts that left all those other people memory-wiped in your wake." Lockhart''s smile slid off like butter in summer. He stared at Ben, blinking too much. "Excuse me?" "You heard me." Ben stepped closer. "I''ve read your books. Compared the stories. Found the holes. All those people conveniently unable to tell their tales? Either they''re dead or they forgot." Lockhart swallowed. "II never" Sar?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Oh, you did." Ben turned to the others. "He''s not a fraud. He''s worse. He real magic and sells it with a fake smile." Hermione looked crushed, like someone had hexed the glitter off her favourite book. Harry stepped in now, eyes hard. "We know about the Chamber. We''re going in. And you''re coming with us." Lockhart stared. Then laughed shrilly. "Surely you jest." "I''m not joking," Harry said, drawing his wand. "You''re the Defence professor. Time to earn the title." Lockhart looked faint. "Butbut I''m terribly unsuitedI''m a celebrity, not a spelunker!" Ron marched over and started helping himself to Lockhart''s wand. "Brilliant. Then you''ll fit right in. We''ve already got someone good at brooding, someone good at worrying, and someone good at lying." "Hey," Ben said mildly, "I can do all three." Lockhart looked around in horror as the kids herded him forward. Ben glanced at him sideways. "I''m sorry, mate. But this is your call to adventure." "II''m not equipped" "Oh, don''t worry," Ben said, grabbing Lockhart by the back of his robes and dragging him along like a sack of laundry. "We''ll make sure you go in ." They marched him through the corridors. Lockhart tried to stallbabbling about his books, feigning confusion, stopping to ask if he''d left the iron on. Ben kept walking, wand casually drawn. When they reached the second-floor girls'' bathroom, Ron finally said what they were all thinking. "Er are we making a stop? You need the loo or something?" he asked uncertainly. Ben ignored him and strode straight inside, dragging Lockhart. The others followed with varying degrees of hesitation. Moaning Myrtle moaned from her stall. "Oh, . More visitors. Don''t mind me. Just floating here in eternal torment." The place smelled as unpleasant as ever. Hermione wrinkled her nose. "This place?" she said. "The entrance was all along?" Ben gave her a look. "Honestly, did none of you ever question why this place is always flooded?" "I thought Myrtle just cried a lot," Ron mumbled. Moaning Myrtle floated out of a cubicle and frowned. "Oh, it''s . Hoping to out-mope me this time?" "Sorry, not in the mood," Ben said. "Got any snakes lying around?" Myrtle huffed. "Rude! And yes. Over there, that tap never worked. I always thought it was just plumbing, but then I died, so" The trio moved in closer. Hermione gasped, tracing her fingers over the tiny carved serpent at the base of the tap. "Blimey," Ron breathed. "It''s been here all along?" Ben just leaned against the sinks, arms folded, looking at Harry. "Say something snakey." Harry stepped forward and took a breath. "You alright?" Hermione whispered. He nodded. "Yeah. Just gimme a second." He leaned in close to the tap. Concentrated. Then hissed a word in Parseltongue. The moment the sound left his mouth, the sink rumbled. The tap slid aside, and the basin sank into the floor, revealing a wide, dark pipe. They all stared. "Oh my God" Hermione gasped. "Wow," Ron said faintly. "This is it, then?" "No," Ben said dryly. "This is the girls'' bathroom. Chamber''s two floors down." "Not how I imagined a legendary entrance," Ron muttered. "Where''s the red carpet?" "Right there," Ben said, and shoved Lockhart in. Lockhart flailed with a startled "Wha!" before vanishing down the slide, his voice fading fast. There was a . Then silence. Ron blinked. "Did you just" "Yep," Ben said. "Next?" Harry gave a low whistle. "You don''t mess around." "I mess around plenty," Ben muttered, climbing into the pipe. "Just not with cowards." Harry followed next, then Ron. Hermione lingered a moment, biting her lip. "You sure about this?" she asked the empty bathroom. Myrtle floated closer. "You''ll probably all die. But if you see Olive Hornby, tell her I said ." Hermione gave her a look, then climbed in. -To be Continued.. Supporting me on P!treon doesn''t just help me writeit protects innocent side characters from spontaneous villainy. Every time you pledge, one Lockhart gets gently punted into irrelevance. Save a life. P!treon.com/DreamyApe What I Let Become They landed hard in a dark corridor, Lockhart moaning somewhere nearby. "Bloody hell," Ron muttered, clutching his elbow. "Next time I''m taking the stairs." Ben pushed himself up, brushing dust from his robes. "Top Ten Worst Water Slides. Number two. Easily." Hermione helped Harry "You alright?" Hermione asked Harry, helping him to his feet. "Yeahjust winded." Ben was already moving, casting a soft Magelight that floated up like a glowing moth and clung to the ceiling. Lockhart lay sprawled on the ground, clutching his leg like he''d just taken a Bludger to the shin. "Oh thank Merlin," Lockhart breathed. "I think I''ve broken mywell, something important, no doubt" "Nope, just your pride," Ben said cheerfully, grabbing him by the arm and hauling him upright with no ceremony. "Unhand me!" Lockhart squawked. "I bruise like a peach." "And yet somehow you''ve survived this long," Ben muttered under his breath. Harry took in the tunnel ahead, the low ceiling, the slick walls glistening with moisture. "This place gives me the creeps." "Good," Ben said. "Means you''re paying attention." "I don''t like this," Ron whispered. "I really don''t like this." "Perfect," Ben said, stepping forward. "More reason to keep going. If we''re gonna suffer, might as well make it count." They lit their wands. The tunnel ahead was low and narrow, walls slick with glistening slime. Lockhart trailed after them, muttering under his breath. "I must say, this is irregular. No one ever mentions slime in heroic retellings. Very poor taste." "Do you ever stop talking?" Ron asked, not bothering to look back. "I find it calms the nerves," Lockhart said. "I''m soothing myself." "You''re annoying us," Ron said. They walked in uneasy silence, Lockhart''s muttering giving way to the occasional squelch of his boots and the steady drip-drip-drip echoing through the tunnel like a broken metronome. Then they reached itthe door. Two serpents, entwined, carved with such precision they seemed to twitch as Harry approached. "Open," Harry hissed in Parseltongue. The snakes slithered apart with a grinding hiss, revealing a tunnel that led into a massive chamber. Ben took the first step. "Welcome to the Chamber of Secrets. Please keep all limbs inside the trauma." Ben said, taking the first step. The space was vast. Stone serpents lined the walls, their eyes cut with unnerving sharpness. At the far end loomed the statue of Salazar Slytherintowering, cracked, and dripping with menace. The air was thick, damp, and heavy with something ancient. Behind him, Lockhart lingered at the threshold, clinging to the wall like ivy. "Chapter Eighteen," he whispered to himself. "Descending into Darkness yes, has flair." Hermione glanced back. "Do you narrate your own life?" "Only the heroic bits," Lockhart said faintly. "Helps with morale." Ron muttered, "Let us know when those start." Ben didn''t reply. He''d stopped, his eyes locked ahead. Ben stepped forwardthen stopped. He stared. Near the base of the statue lay two girls. Cho Chang. Marianne Fawcett. Motionless. Pale. Fragile like discarded dolls. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His throat clenched. Finally, face to face with the consequences of hesitation. He didn''t shout. Didn''t gasp. He moved. Fast. He dropped to his knees beside them, hands trembling. Cho''s hand was cold as ice. Marianne''s brow was damp with sweat. Behind him, the others caught up. Lockhart made no move to follow. And no one stopped to check. "Is that" Hermione gasped. "Oh my god" "Cho," Harry breathed. "Andthat''s Fawcett, right?" Ron staggered back a step. "Ben... matewhat" Between them sat a diary, pulsing darkly like a beating heart. And standing beside ita boy. Not quite a ghost. Not quite human. Tom Riddle. "You took your time," Tom said, voice silk and ice. "I was beginning to think you''d gotten lost." Harry stepped forward, confused. "Who is this?" "Tom Riddle," Ben said tightly, not taking his eyes off him. "Voldemort''s schoolboy self." "Impressive," Tom mused. "Didn''t think you''d connect the dots. But you always were clever. Tell me, Bendo you know what happens next?" His grin stretched wider. "Yeah. I slice you to pieces," Ben said, conjuring the daedric blade into his hand. "Ah. The infamous ghost-cutter." Tom smiled thinly. "You don''t really think I came unprepared for that trick, do you?" Then "So predictable." The voice echoed through the chamber, calm and oily. Marianne''s body stirred. She sat up slowly, her movements uncanny. Wrong. Her eyes openednot blue, but glowing green, slitted like a serpent''s. Her head tilted. And she smiled. "Did you miss me, Benny?" Ben stood slowly, the dagger clenched tight in his hand. "Marianne!" "She''s not home right now," said Tom''s voice from her mouth. "But I am." "Get out of her." "Now, why would I do that? She''s my insurance policy. Can''t underestimate you again," Tom said through her lips. Ben''s jaw tightened. "You ruined everything, seer," he snarled. "Because of you, I had to rush my resurrection." His rage bled into the air, but only briefly. Then he smiled again, calm and cold. "Fortunately, I learned that pain... accelerates things." Ben''s eyes narrowed. "What did you do?" "To her? Just a blow to the head. I''m just borrowing her body for a while you see," He stepped toward Cho, who stirred faintly, her brow creasing. Tom knelt beside her and brushed a strand of hair from her face. "But to this poor girl, did all the harm." Ben didn''t movebut the tension in his shoulders tightened like a drawn bowstring. "Don''t touch her." Tom turned to him, smiling faintly. "" he said, voice almost tender. "" Ben didn''t react. He''d known. Known since the night of the first attack. "And I must thank you, of course" "I didn''t give her the diary," Ben said sharply. Tom tilted his head. "" he agreed. "" Ben''s heart jolted. -To be Continued.. Three Lies and a Truth "Ben what''s he talking about?" Hermione whispered. Ben kept his eyes on Tom, not daring to meet her gaze. "The Diary, it''s a dark object," he said. "I took it from Ginny after I saw Lucius Malfoy slip it into her cauldron. But then it disappeared from my room." Tom''s grin widened. "" he motioned toward Cho''s limp form, "" S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He knelt beside her with mock affection, brushing a lock of hair from her face. "In love. Fighting with her best friend. Lonely. So eager to feel seen. She practically handed me the quill. I didn''t even have to push... just listen. Just feed." "Ben''s fists curled, nails digging into his palms." Tom''s voice softened, sinister and sweet. "" he murmured. "" He looked up at Ben, eyes gleaming. "Love is a sickness. A weakness. One I knew how to exploit. Every time you smiled at someone else, I twisted it into a bladewatched it sink a little deeper, watched her bleed." "And I drank it all. Her pain. Her longing. Her jealousy. Sip by sip, I grew stronger." He took Marianne''s hand and gently brushed it against Cho''s cheek. "Until I was strong enough to take over," He smiled. Ben''s grip on the dagger trembled. He knew Riddle was playing himtwisting guilt into a chain, buying time with every word.But damn it, it was workingBecause Ben feel guilty. "But I couldn''t quite leech enough to fully resurrect," Tom said smoothly. "So I was hoping you''d come. I just need one last push. One final choice." "What choice?" "You get to pick your favourite girl." He grinned, slow and sharp. "If you kill Marianne, I lose my shieldand you can strike me down with your shiny little soul-cutter." He grinned. Then, came Marianne''s voice, soft and almost teasing: Ben''s grip on the dagger twitched. Her voice shouldn''t have sounded like thatso light, so casual, like they were back on the pitch trading quips. Not here. Not now. Tom chuckled, eyes gleaming. "She''s in here somewhere. Watching. Listening. Just can''t do anything about it. Bit tragic, really." He turned to Cho. "And if you kill sweet little Cho over there I lose the source of my strength." He made a pouty face. "But the poor thing would be heartbroken." Ben scoffed. "What if I choose neither?" "Then I come back to life," Tom said lightly, "and they both die. Simple math." "So come onbe a hero. Choose." There was no choice. Not really. As long as the diary was intact, Tom would find a way. Kill Cho, and he''d drain Marianne dry. Kill Marianne, and the diary would keep feeding. There was only one move left. Ben''s wand slid into his hand. Hermione grabbed his arm. "Ben, don''t" He finally looked at them. Really looked. Pale faces. Scared eyes. They had no idea what they were standing in front of. They shouldn''t have come. He shouldn''t have let them. He closed his eyes. "I''m sorry," he mutteredunsure if he meant it for them, for the girls on the ground, or for himself. "It''s not your fault," Hermione said firmly. "Don''t you let him twist this." Ben shook his head. "No. It is." His voice was steady, bitter. "I could''ve stopped it. I should''ve." "Ben-" she said softly, not sure what to make of it. Ben met her eyes. There was something fierce and quiet in his gaze. A kind of finality. He turned to her, gaze sharp and soft all at once. "You three should get out of here," he said. Ron blinked. "Whatno! We came all this way" "I know," Ben said. "But this is not your fight." "If Voldemort''s trying to come back, it''s fight!" Harry snapped. Ben gave a small, almost sad smile. "You''re brave, Potter. But bravery''s not enough." Then, softly, "Let me carry this one." They didn''t even see the spell. It shimmered faintlylike mist catching the lightand struck before they could react. Ron slumped. Hermione''s eyes widenedthen closed. Harry made it half a step forward, wand rising, but his knees gave out before he could speak. A soft flash cushioned the floor. Another flick, and Ben moved them aside, out of harm''s way. A pause. Then Riddle clapped, slowly and mockingly. "How touching. A noble little betrayal to protect your friends. But tell mewho''s going to protect ?" It came from beneath the stone facedeep, ancient, hungry. Ben knew exactly what it was. Riddle''s voice dripped with amusement. "Choice hour''s over. You''re going to dielet''s see if your rooster can save you this time." The hiss echoed again, lower now, followed by the grinding shift of stone. Ben nodded slightly. "You''re right, Tom. Someone dies tonight." He dropped to one kneedagger slicing the air toward the diary But it snapped away at the last second, yanked straight into Marianne''s hands. "Ah-ah," Riddle said through her, waving it mockingly. "Nothing''s ever easy." The statue of Salazar Slytherin hadn''t moved, yet something massive slithered into viewcoils sliding across the stone. Ben didn''t flinch. Eyes shut, he listened. The problem wasn''t the Basiliskit was the absurd number of ways he could deal with it. He could go full blindfolded hero and swing the around until it hit something scaly. Or down a potion and some half-baked Concoction of brewed from troll fat, chicken feathers, and sheer audacityand tank the venom and the cursed gaze like a true with a drinking problem. Since the Basilisk''s gaze was technically a cursehe could probably block it with a spell, if he was feeling brave or stupid. And honestly? That all sounded like too much effort with zero guarantee it''d work. But hey, that was why he''d dragged Lockhart down here in the first placeto test a few of those the way, preferably from behind someone expendable and extremely blonde. There was always the Dumbledore fan club methodshed a single, brave Gryffindor tear and hope a phoenix showed up with a loot box. But Ben had been down here too long, and he was so done playing . And did I mention roosters? That was unlikely to work a second time. The scales rasped closer. One breath. Another Ben stepped aside just as the Basilisk lunged. Its jaws smashed into the stone where he''d kneltor would have, if a swirling portal of black mist hadn''t opened beneath it. The serpent vanished in one smooth, silent gulp. Ben dusted his hands. "There. Filed under ''Later Problem.''" -To be Continued... Ben really said Ten points to Ravenclaw for creative monster disposal. Lockhart? Still duelling his reflection. FUS You Too "Alright, Tom," he said, cracking his neck. "Let''s finish this." Tom Riddle stood frozen, staring at the spot where the Basilisk had disappeared, his eyes wide. "You it. Through a portal. Where did it even go?" "Somewhere sunny," Ben muttered. "Maybe a beach. Doubt it''ll write." "That kind of magic doesn''t ," Tom said sharply, his eyes narrowing. "There are no spells in this world that can do what you just did." Ben tilted his head. "Maybe your world''s just too small." Tom paused, then smiled. It wasn''t a nice smile. "I was right about you," he said smoothly. "You''re not some schoolboy. You don''t belong hereplaying pretend with wands and house points. You''re something more. And with me, you could be ." Ben blinked slowly. "Mate, are you trying to seduce me or recruit me? Pick a lane." Tom chuckled, but there was a tightness behind it. "Don''t you see? I could teach you things this world''s too scared to even imagine. Together, we could tear it down and build something better. No more hiding. No more rules." Ben looked over his shoulder at Chobarely breathing. Marianne''s limp body, puppet-like, still kneeling with the diary clutched in her hand. Ben tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "You really think I''d team up with the bloke sucking the soul out of my friends?" Tom gave a casual shrug. "Collateral. History won''t remember their names, only ours." Ben''s expression didn''t change. "You done?" Tom tilted his head, still smiling. "I''m offering you everything." "I said" Ben stepped forward, voice like iron, "are you ?" Tom''s smile faltered. "Good. Because I''ve had it with your dramatic speeches and your snake fetish. I''m not interested in joining your creepy little book club." Tom''s eyes narrowed. "You''re too late, anyway. I''ve already taken enough. In a few moments, I''ll be whole again." A hiss echoed through the chamber. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ben turned. Snakes. Dozens. No, pouring in from the dark, slipping through cracks, slithering down pillars and across the flooded floor. They coiled between him and Riddle forming a living wall of scales and fangs. Tom raised his arms behind them, triumphant. "Let''s see what you do now." Ben rolled his neck with a sigh. "Cute, but like I said, I''ve had enough of your snake fetish." He stepped forward, planted his feet, took a deep breath and then "" The shout cracked through the Chamber like a thunderclap. The force blasted outward, a shockwave of raw power. Snakes went flying, the water rippled back, and Tom was hurled off his feet. Marianne''s body hit the stone with a sickening thud. Ben darted forward, snatching the diary from her slack grip. Tom, coughing, scrambled toward him. "" Their hands met on the cover. "You don''t know what you''re doing!" Tom yelled, desperation seeping into his voice. "You destroy that, and you''ll never understand the power!" Ben yanked the diary free and said, "I don''t need to it." Dark mist burst from his chestthick and twisting, filled with tiny lightning flashes. It wrapped around the diary like a storm, devouring it whole. Tom screamedhis voice twisting and warping with Marianne''s until it sounded barely human. Thena small pile of gold septims dropped at Ben''s feet, the only sound left in the echoing Chamber. "Guess evil really does pay just not well," Ben muttered. With a final hiss, Marianne''s body collapsed on the ground. The mist, having done it''s job receded into Ben''s chest like smoke sucked into a vacuum. He took a step forward towards Marianne. And immediately collapsed. The pain hit like a tidal wave. His hands flew to his head as his knees hit the floor, hard. Flashes. Memories. It was like watching a horror film projected straight into his braintoo fast, too sharp, Stopping only after he''d had a recap of everything the diary had experienced till this chamber. Ben blinked. His head throbbed, but it passed. Just a dull ache behind the eyes. "Ugh. Warn me next time before downloading a psychopath''s baby pictures." This was what he''d been afraid of, let''s hope his magic doesn''t go haywire again. Ben was still catching his breath, one hand braced against the cold stone, the other pressed to his temple. Clink. Clink. Footsteps. Not the trio. An adult. Lockhart. Looking far too pristine and unbothered for someone who''d spent the whole battle cowering outside the chamber. "Oh, splendid work, my boy!" he said cheerily, wand already in hand wand, Ben realised, the one Ron had nicked earlier. Must''ve slipped it back while no one was watching. "Absolutely brilliant spellworkthough I''d expect nothing less from my... apprentice. Yes, I shall mention that in the press release." Ben narrowed one eye. "Press release?" "Don''t worry, I''ll handle everything from here." Lockhart continued, stepping closer with that awful showbiz grin. "You look exhausted. I''ll just tidy things upwipe your memory, rescue the girls, take the credit, you know the usual." Ben blinked. "Yeahsomeone saves the day, and you show up like a mushroom after the rain." Lockhart grinned. "No hard feelings. Obli" Lockhart flew backwards like a sack of wet laundry, smacked into a pillar, and crumpled with a dramatic . Ben groaned, standing fully upright with some effort. "Mate. Wrong day." He eyed the unconscious professor and muttered, "Honestly, I should''ve let the Basilisk have you." He walked over to the groaning Lockhart, slowly,cracking his neck as he went. The pile of gold septims gleamed behind him. "Don''t mind if I borrow this," Ben said as Lockhart''s wand floated over to his hand with Lockhart blinked up at him, woozy. "Wha what happened?" Ben examined the wand like one might a particularly unimpressive vegetable. "You were about to wipe my memory and steal my story. Honestly, it''s getting a bit stale." He tapped the wand against his palm. "Y''know, poetic justice''s a funny thing." Lockhart groaned, trying to sit up. "Now hold onthere''s no need for violence" "Violence?" Ben tilted his head. "Nah. This is educational." He pointed the wand straight at Lockhart''s face. "Let me show you how it ." A beat. "" A soft flash. A little puff of sparks. Lockhart''s eyes went wide then glassy. He blinked slowly, took in the serpent statues and wet stone floor, and said brightly,"Good heavens did I decorate this place? So dramatic, so tragicwhoever did it clearly had taste." Then he paused. "Who am I, again?" He sat up, spotted Ben looming over him, and beamed. "You there! Dashing young man with the brooding stareDo you know who I am? Am I famous? I feel famous." Ben sighed. To be Continued.. Plot Twist: It’s My Fault Okay, so his magic was still working just fine. All this time, he''d been afraid of what might happen if he fed the Horcrux to the shop. The answer? A nasty headache and a slideshow of Riddle''s life. Sure, living through those flashes sucked, but at least his magic hadn''t gone haywire like it had with that soul-sucking ritual he''d tried before. Ben rubbed his temple, still reeling from the fragmented memories. Young Tom Riddlecharming, cunning, empty-eyed. Watching him twist Myrtle''s death into his own triumph, feeling the way he poured his soul into the diaryit made Ben''s skin crawl. Every time he saw Riddle''s smirk, it felt like looking into a cracked mirror. Both methods were flawed. Maybe... maybe there was a third way. Something that combined the best of both. Ben was about to spiral into theoretical nonsense when a small voice cut through the quiet. "Ben..." He turned. Cho''s eyes were half-open. Her voice was barely a whisper. She looked pale, exhausted, and scared. Ben was at her side in an instant. The torches on the wall flickered faintly, casting eerie light over the damp stones. A few feet away, Marianne lay unconscious. "Ben..." she whispered, her voice weak. "You''re okay" "Yeah," he said, crouching beside her. "We''re okay now. It''s over." Tears welled in her eyes. "I''m sorry, Ben," she said, her voice thin, trembling. "I tried to stop him. From attacking you, from hurting Marianne. I tried. But I couldn''t. II couldn''t move. I was still in there, but I couldn''t stop him." Ben felt the weight in his chest grow heavier than ever. "I know." She looked at him desperately, like she needed him to believe it. "I tried my best, trust me," she whispered. "I know, Cho. I know," he said again, more gently this time. "You were trapped in your own body. It wasn''t your fault." Cho''s eyes watered, but she blinked it back. Ben let the silence sit for a moment, then spokequietly, like a confession. "I''m sorry too." She glanced at him and shook her head slowly. "It wasn''t your fault. Marietta took the diary from your room, and I didn''t give it back; you didn''t even know what it was." "I did," Ben said. "It was my fault you ended up in this position." Cho looked confused now, eyebrows knitting. "What do you mean?" Ben didn''t answer right away. He looked away, eyes fixed on a crack in the stone floor. The guilt he''d buried since summer rose like bile in his throat. No matter how nonchalant he acted, it ate at him that he''d let an innocent sufferjust to test Dumbledore. Honestly, it made him no different from him. "I lied, Cho. I didn''t find it amongst used books." "Lied? Why? Where did you get it then?" she asked, wide-eyed. Ben took a breath. "I saw Lucius Malfoy put the diary into Ginny Weasley''s cauldron back at Flourish and Blotts. I knew it was cursed, so I took it from her that same day." "How could you have known it was cursed?" she asked. "II saw it, in glimpses. The diary twisting Ginny, turning her into something else. That''s why I took it from her. But I just couldn''t destroy it, it had a sort of influence over me too," he said. "When Marietta Edgecombe stole it during the holidays, I didn''t go looking for it. I was scared it would mess with my head, so I just I stayed away." "You couldn''t have known it''d be me, you couldn''t have stopped it," she said, less to reassure Ben and more to reassure herself. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I did know. I was just too much of a coward to face it, to face you," Ben said, lowering his head. Cho lowered her head. "You saved me in the end." Ben shook his head. "That doesn''t change what you went through." She didn''t speak. Didn''t have to. Ben could see ithow she turned that over in her mind. Realising that the boy she''d once had a crush on had made a choice that led to months of her life vanishing into someone else''s control. He waited for the anger. The hurt. But there was none. "Why are you telling me all this?" she asked finally. He ran a hand through his hair, voice low. "I don''t expect forgiveness, Cho. Just thought you deserved the truth." Cho was quiet for a moment, eyes flickering with something unreadable. She looked like she wanted to say morebut wasn''t sure how. There was a long pause before she spoke again, her voice quieter this time. "You know, I saw you Obliviate Lockhart." Ben blinked, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips despite the gravity of the moment. "You saw that, huh?" "You didn''t even hesitate. Just wiped him clean." "Yeah, well, he deserved it." "I I didn''t think you''d be capable of that." He looked at her. "It''s not about what I''m capable of. It''s about what needs to be done." Cho looked down at her hands. "Are you going to Obliviate me too?" Ben''s heart stuttered in his chest. "What? No! Of course not!" he said, taken aback. "Why not?" "You''re my friend, Cho. I would never do that to you," he said, a bit hurt. "Even if that means I could get you into trouble?" she said. "I don''t mind getting in trouble for it," he said. "What if I ask you to make me forget?" she asked. "NO. Why would you want that?" he said, shocked. "Wouldn''t it be better for both of us if I forgot about the whole thing?" "What do you mean?" Ben had a bad feeling. "This whole thing has been a nightmare. It would be best if I could forget it like one," she said, holding her face in her palms. "Hey," Ben said gently, resting a hand on her shoulder. "I know it''s been a lot. And I know forgetting might feel easier right now. But you made it through, Cho. You''re hereand that has to count for something, right?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle, holding it out to her. "Heredrink this. It''ll help. I promise." -To be Continued.. Hairpins and Heartaches Cho took the potion vial with a shaking hand. As she drank, colour slowly returned to her cheeks. Ben moved over to the unconscious Marianne. She was a lot more battered after being taken for a ride by Riddle. Ben used Healing Hands to heal her bruises and her banged-up head, then fed her a Health Potion. She remained unconscious, but her breathing steadied, and the paleness finally left her face. "You like her, don''t you?" Cho said. Her voice was quiet but steady now. Ben blinked. "What?" "I''ve seen how you are with her," she said, voice low. "She''s funny. Beautiful. You always laugh around her. If I were you, I''d pick her too." Ben shook his head. "It''s not like that," he said firmly. "She''s like a little sister to me." "Yeah? She''s older than you," Cho muttered. "So are you." She glanced at him, uncertain what he meant. Ben took a breath, held it like he wasn''t sure whether to speak. Then he did. "I''m a Seer, Cho," he said. Another half-truth, but one that came easily. "Right..." she said, frowning. "But I don''t see what that has to do with this." "Cho, I don''t just see the future. Sometimes I see the past too. I''ve lived other livesdied other deaths. I might be twelve on the outside, but inside..." He trailed off. "I''ve felt too much." "What are you getting at?" "I know you feel something, but it''s based on a version of me that isn''t real. In truth, we''re at completely different points in the story. And I I can''t step back into that chapter, even if I wanted to." Sarch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She was quiet for a long moment, then looked at him with a strange softness. "I''d hoped maybe you felt something for me too." "You''re beautiful, Cho. But that''s not what I feel when I look at you." "Let me guess," she muttered. "Like a little sister." Ben gave a quiet chuckle. "Exactly." Her eyes dimmed. "That only makes me feel worse." Ben gave a sad smile. The chamber fell silent again. Marianne remained still, and since there was no phoenix around to do the job, Ben got back to healing her. "You know," Cho whispered, "when I saw the way you looked at Marianne, I hated it. I wanted her to suffer. I wanted her gone." Her voice trembled, but she didn''t flinch. "And the worst part? Some small, awful part of me still meant it." Ben stayed still, gaze steady. "That wasn''t you. That was the diary manipulating your feelings." "But it fed off something already there," she said. "Jealousy. Anger. Even when the diary wasn''t controlling me even when Tom wasn''t whispering in my head deep down, a part of me still felt those things." "Cho" "I don''t want to live with that," she said. "I don''t want to carry that around. Please. I want to forget that part of methe version of me that heartlessly strangled chickens, attacked you and Marianne." He looked into her eyes. Saw the pain therethe honesty. She wasn''t asking for escape. She was asking for mercy. Ben hesitated. There were a hundred things he could say. That everyone has darkness. That guilt didn''t make her evil. That being human meant wrestling with the messy bits of your heart. But she already knew that. She just didn''t want to feel it anymore. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wand. "You''ll forget everything, Cho. Not just the bad. The diary, the Chamber, Tom Riddleall of that would be gone. But so would the good things. Your friends. Quidditch. Every memory from this year." Cho''s gaze locked onto his. Her lips parted. "Maybe that''s alright." "You''d forget how far you''ve come," he said softly. "What you survived. What you overcame. That''s not nothing." She stared at him, eyes wet but clear. "And if I said I still want it gone?" "If that''s what you want," he said quietly. Cho nodded, voice barely holding. "I do." She didn''t blink. Didn''t look away. But her breath hitched. And just as he raised his wand, her foot shifted back like her body was trying to flee even as her mouth said yes. Her arms were rigid at her sides, fists clenched. Her posture locked, like she was bracing for impact. And her eyes her eyes said she really didn''t want to forget. Ben''s wand tip dimmed before lighting up again. "If you still want to forget in the morning I will. I promise. Stupefy." He caught her as she slumped, and lowered her gently next to Marianne. "You''ll be alright, Cho," he said softly, brushing away a tear stain from her cheek. "You''re stronger than you think." The Chamber was finally silent. Six unconscious people lay scattered on the stone floor, and next to them, a neat pile of gold septims. Ben sighed. Time to deal with the aftermath. He swept the coins into his storage and pulled out two necklacessimple-looking, with weak Fortify Health Regeneration enchantments. He''d made a few while practising; nothing impressive, just a 10% boost. But a boost was a boost. He, personally, was wearing a silver ring and chain enchanted with Resist Magic. Combined with his Alteration perk, that gave him a solid 40% magic resistance. Honestly, he doubted the basilisk''s gaze would''ve even worked on himbut he wasn''t nearly arrogant enough to test that theory. Jewellery enchantments didn''t follow Skyrim rules here. Oh, there was still a limiteach piece ran on a soul battery, a little like a Horcrux in how it clung to you. The more you wore, the more you heard them. Whispers. Growls. Screeches. Ben already had two wolves howling in his ear on the regular. Ten? That was asking for a migraine... or madness. He transfigured the necklaces into inconspicuous hairpins. The enchantment still heldmade sense, really. In Skyrim, magic clung to the soul-bound material, not the shape or any etched runes. Cho''s pin now bore the Tutshill Tornados emblem. Just as he leaned over to clip it into her hair "Before you go pinning things to her head, you should know she me. With " said a now-awake, very hoarse Marianne. Ben moved to help her sit up. "Yeah, you''re gonna have to forgive her for that. She wasn''t herself." "Oh, you would say that, lover boy," she muttered. "Not you too," Ben groaned, facepalming. "What else am I supposed to say when you''re giving her a Tutshill Tornados hairpin?" she asked, pouting as he handed her another potion. "I got you one too," he said, making her drink it. She pulled a face at the bitter taste. "Like I care about the Tornados." "You don''t," Ben said, pulling out the other pin. "But you do care about the Holyhead Harpies." Her eyes lit up. "...Alright. I''ll forgive your little girlfriend just this once." She lifted her hair with exaggerated dignity. "Very generous of you," he said, pinning the ugly Harpy into place. "Now, think you can help me get everyone out of here?" "Nope," she said cheerfully, immediately rolling onto her side and pretending to snore. "No need to fake those. You snore like a bear anyway," Ben said with a chuckle. He got kicked in the shin for that. -To be Continued... The Art of Dodging Questions The Chamber door opened with a groan that echoed through the tunnels. A battered group stumbled outBen at the front, holding Lockhart upright like a particularly useless sack of potatoes. Behind him floated the Golden Trio, and Cho, levitated in pairs, still out cold, drifting like sad balloons. And then there was Marianne, shambling just behindwith the drained wobble of someone freshly unpossessed by a teenaged Dark Lord. "I''m just saying, if you can summon potions and enchanted jewellery, you can summon a sandwich. Or a pie." "Marianne." "Or a bacon bap. Hell, at this point, I''d take toast. Burnt toast. With boot polish." "Marianne." "Yes, oh noble commander of nonsense?" "Shut up and walk." She muttered something under her breath and trudged beside him, eyes scanning the tunnel ahead. "You ever think about how we almost died down there?" Ben snorted. "No. You mean how almost died." "Same thing. I die, you die." Sarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "That''s not how that works." "Sure it is. You''d feel bad. That''s basically death." Ben didn''t argue. He wasn''t sure how he''d take it if something happened to heror any of them. A pause settled in, just long enough to let the weight of it creep in. Then "...So. Sweet rolls?" Ben sighed. "You got possessed by a teenaged Dark Lord and your takeaway is pastry?" "Look, some people have trauma. I have cravings." "Marianne." "Don''t ''Marianne'' me," she said, eying his hat suspiciously. "You''ve definitely got something stashed in there, and don''t pretend you don''t. You''ve got a whole mystery cupboard vibe going on with that stupid hat" She suddenly reached for his hat. Ben stepped sideways without missing a beat. "Oi! Hands off the hat." "Just checking for crumbs," she said, chasing him a step or two. Ben arched an eyebrow. "You think I''m hiding sweet rolls in my hat?" "Wouldn''t put it past you. If there isn''t a ham and cheese toastie in there, I''ll eat my wand." She said, reaching for his hat again. "Why are you dodging?" "''Cause I''m delicious," Ben muttered. "And you''re clearly food-possessed." "I was -possessed," she snapped, brushing her hair back like the trauma was a mild inconvenience. "Not the same. And I''ve earned a bloody muffin, at ." Ben rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath. Then he sighed and reached into his hat. "Fine. Here''s your sweet roll," he said, finally admitting defeat as he pulled the pastry out. She blinked. "Is that warm?" "Room temperature. Don''t push it." She snatched it anyway, already chewing. "Mm. Still counts." "Glad to meet your high standards," he muttered. Ben glanced back at the floating group behind them. "Lend me a hand with Potter, would you? I''m about to drop Lockhart like a sack of potatoes." Marianne saluted with her half-eaten roll. "On it, Captain Snack." The torch-lit entrance to the girls'' bathroom felt almost sacred after the hours they''d spent underground. The moment they emerged, Filch screamed. Then McGonagall screamed louder. "Potter?! Miss Granger?! Mr Weasley?!" She rushed forward, wand drawn, eyes wide. "Is thatMerlin''s beardLockhart?! And Miss Changwhatwhat is happening?" Ben stood in the middle of the chaos, scratched, filthy, and exhausted. He took a deep breath and said, "Everyone''s alive. But I think some of them would like a nap. Or food. Or both." Behind him, Marianne raised her hand. "Food, please." Within moments, the staff had taken over. Students were levitated off to the Hospital Wing, Lockhart was carried away on a floating stretcher with a dopey smile on his face, and Marianne was whisked off with Madam Pomfrey muttering to herself. "Six students, missing... returned like ragdolls... no one explains a thing." She huffed, barely looking up. "Just drag ''em in here and expect me to fix it all. Do they think I''m magic?" Only Ben remained behind. McGonagall stood before him, her face stern but pale. Professors Flitwick and Sprout flanked her. Even Snape was there, watching silently, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. "Mr Brown," McGonagall said, her voice firm. "I believe it''s time we had a very serious conversation." Ben sighed. Of course it was. - They didn''t even offer him a bed. While Cho and the others were being fussed over in the hospital wing like a flock of wounded ducklings, Ben was marched off to a stiff-backed chair in the staff roomthe same one used for detentions, awkward meetings, and, apparently, interrogations. Six teachers ringed him in a loose semi-circle, watching like he might explodeor vanish again. Snape took centre stage, arms folded, eyes gleaming like he''d just caught the scent of something illegal."Let''s begin, shall we?" Ben tilted his head."Sure, but fair warningI skipped breakfast, and the truth tends to wander when I''m peckish." "This is not a game, Brown," Snape snapped. "You vanished from the hospital wing, and hours later, you reappear dragging six unconscious students from a chamber none of us have ever located." "I know," Ben said, leaning back in his chair. "Makes you wonder why I haven''t been made a prefect yet." Sprout let out a tiny snort before coughing into her sleeve. Flitwick, as usual, pretended to be very interested in his parchment. Snape''s lip curled."Let''s try this again. Where. Is. The. Entrance." Ben feigned a thoughtful look."Um, right where you found me. Did none of you check Myrtle''s bathroom? Honestly, it''s no surprise you haven''t found itturns out you need a parselmouth to open it." "A parselmouth? And you are one?" Snape''s eyes narrowed. "Me? Oh, I wish. But definitely not me," Ben said with a grin. "Then who? Was it Potter?" Snape''s voice dropped dangerously. Ben glanced around the room with exaggerated confusion."Hmm. Feels like we''re missing someone." McGonagall raised an eyebrow."Who?" Ben shrugged."Tall bloke. Half-moon glasses. Big fan of phoenixes. Tends to show up when things go spectacularly wrong." Snape''s glare could''ve melted stone."That''s very convenient." Ben sat up slightly, tapping his fingers on the table with a smirk."Ah, look at thatjust dodged a question like a pro, didn''t I?" Snape stepped forward, his tone low and dangerous."This is serious, Brown. You disappeared from the hospital wing without permission, when you were already under investigation for destroying the prefects'' bathroom." "Yeah. Had to complete a side quest. You know how it is, professor. Basilisk roaming the schoolsomeone had to do something, right?" Snape''s jaw tightened. He been the one searching for the snake, after all. -To be Continued.. Sherbet Lemon? That’s So Last Week. "Are you suggesting that you found secret chamber, faced monster, defeated heir, and rescued everyonealone?" Snape said, his voice thick with disbelief. Ben gave a one-shouldered shrug. "Yeah, pretty much." Snape leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "And we''re supposed to just take your word for it? Out of hundreds of students and a dozen professors searching every corridor, you''re the only one who seems to have witnessed any of it?" Ben scratched his neck, as if trying to recall. "Oh, there were others there" "How convenient," Snape cut in, his lip curling. "And yet all of them are conveniently unconscious in the Hospital Wing. Makes one wonder..." Ben tilted his head, unfazed. "Marianne''s outside. Last I checked, she was three bites into a sandwich and already sick of waiting for the pudding" That earned him a thin-lipped sneer. "We''ll speak with Miss Fawcett once we''re finished with you. In the meantime, you''d better start talkingor I''ll be forced to use more ''sophisticated'' methods." His voice dropped into something closer to a growl. Before Ben could respond, McGonagall''s voice cut through like a whip. "Severus, I don''t think there''s any need to go that far." Ben gave Snape a slow, deliberate look. "Mmm... yeah, I''m gonna go with a firm on that." "No?" "I''m pleading the fifth." "This isn''t America!" "Doesn''t stop it from being a great idea," Ben said with a casual shrug. "Until Dumbledore shows up, I''m invoking the ''don''t-get-expelled-without-a-fair-trial'' clause." "You''re in no position to make demands" "Sure feels like we''re negotiating, though." Ben spread his hands innocently. "Look, either you wait for Dumbledore, or I start making things up. Your call." McGonagall gave him a sharp look. "Mr Brown, this is not a comedy show." Ben raised his hands in mock surrender. "Just trying to keep things lively while I''m on trial." Snape''s lips curled into a sneer. "How fortunate that Veritaserum has no patience for theatrics." Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. There was a beat of silence. Sprout shifted in her seat but said nothing. McGonagall stiffened slightly, and Flitwick, who had up until now been quietly thumbing through , finally looked up. His small voice was calm but firm. "Severus, you know full well Veritaserum can''t be administered to a student without Ministry approval. We are still a school, not an interrogation chamber." Snape shot him a glare but didn''t argue. Snape sneered. "It was merely a suggestion." "Let''s keep it that way," McGonagall said tightly. "I''d strongly recommend we wait for the Headmaster," Flitwick continued, adjusting his spectacles. "He''ll want to hear Mr Brown''s account himself. And perhaps things will be clearer once the others regain consciousness." Just then, the door creaked open. "I do hope I''m not interrupting," came a familiar voice, calm and lightly amused. Dumbledore stepped in, his robes swishing gracefully, eyes sparkling with that mischievous twinkle only he could manage. Ben sat up a little straighter. "Right on cuejust when I was about to start monologuing without supervision." "A terrifying prospect," Dumbledore murmured. McGonagall blinked. "Albushow?" "Oh, the governors had a sudden change of heart," he said airily. "Funny how the disappearance of six students sharpens one''s priorities." He turned to Snape. "If you don''t mind, Severus, I''d like a private word with Mr Brown." Snape looked like he''d bitten into something particularly sour. "As you wish." Ben stood and gave a lopsided nod. "Always a pleasure. Let''s do this again sometime. Maybe with biscuits next time?" "Out," McGonagall said, unimpressed. Outside the staffroom, Ben pausedMarianne was nowhere in sight. "Ms Fawcett was craving pudding and wandered off to the kitchens," Dumbledore said mildly, catching the look Ben shot down the corridor. "Oh." Ben didn''t ask further. They began walking together toward the Headmaster''s office. The silence between them wasn''t uncomfortable, but it wasn''t exactly friendly either. Ben didn''t know what to make of Dumbledore anymore. Sacked in the morning, back by the afternoonhad the man even the castle? Ben wouldn''t have been surprised if he''d found out the old man had been hiding behind a pillar in the Chamber, listening in the entire time. Even if he hadn''t, the fact Fawkes hadn''t come to Ben''s aid meant something, didn''t it? Phoenixes only came when you were loyal to Dumbledore. He was so deep in thought, he nearly walked into Dumbledore, who had stopped before the stone gargoyle guarding the spiral staircase. "Ah, let''s see..." Dumbledore tapped his chin in mock concentration. "How about ''Sherbet lemon''?" Nothing happened. "No, no, that was last week," he mused. He squinted at the statue, then brightened. "Aha! ''Caramel Toad''" The gargoyle leapt aside with a groan, revealing the moving staircase. "My apologies," Dumbledore said, glancing back at Ben with a smile. "Time is finally beginning to catch up with me." "I don''t know what you''re talking about, Headmaster," Ben replied smoothly. "You don''t look a day over two hundred." Dumbledore chuckled, eyes twinkling. "Always quick with your wit, Mr Brown. Come along." They entered the office, the door swinging shut behind them with a soft thud. Ben took in the roomthe shelves, the portraits, the warm flickering lightcommitting every detail to memory. Just in case. "When I said, ''We will speak again soon,'' even I didn''t expect it to be soon," Dumbledore said, lowering himself into the high-backed chair behind his desk. "Neither did I, Headmaster," Ben said as he sat down. "But I couldn''t really help it. I feel responsible." "Responsible?" Dumbledore echoed gently. "May I ask why?" Ben met his eyes. "Because I saw it coming. I just didn''t do enough to stop it." And so, he began telling the same story he''d told Cho. Not because he had a sudden urge to be truthful, but because well, maybe Dumbledore already knew. Maybe he''d nicked it from Cho''s head. Maybe he''d been lurking behind a pillar in the Chamber the whole time with a bag of sweets. Knowing Dumbledore, he probably . The old man didn''t interrupt. Just sat there, hands folded, like he had all the time in the world. That irritatingly patient look that said, . When Ben finally ran out of things to sayor at least, things he was to sayDumbledore leaned back and said... -To be Continued.. A Coin for Your Thoughts "Ah, I see. It wasn''t your fault any more than it was mine, Mr Brown," said Dumbledore at last. Ben couldn''t help but agree more. he thought. "And neither Miss Chang nor Miss Fawcett blame you for what happened. Quite the opposite, in fact. They were both rather emphatic about thatand rather grateful for your timely medical assistance," Dumbledore added, eyes gently studying him. Ben thought. Yes, that''s righthe that. With his magic resistance gear on, even Dumbledore would have a hard time rummaging through his thoughts without a wand. "Now, you said this diary was controlling Miss Chang?" Dumbledore asked, gesturing toward the object Ben had placed on his desk. "Yes, Tom Riddle''s diary," Ben said calmly. "But this one''s not the real deal. It''s just a hat. Transfigured to look like the diary." "Ah, Miss Edgecombe''s hat, if I''m not mistaken?" Dumbledore asked, his interest visibly piqued. "May I askwhat became of the original?" Ben hesitated a beat. "I''m not entirely sure. I think I destroyed it." "Destroyed it?" Dumbledore leaned forward, the sparkle in his eye sharpening ever so slightly. "How?" "II don''t know, Headmaster," Ben said, voice deliberately vague. "It happened quickly. One moment, both Tomer, Marianneand I were pulling at the diary. Next thing I knew it turned into this." He reached into his robes and placed a small handful of golden coins onto the desk. These weren''t galleons. Not even septims. Just chocolate coins, wrapped in golden foil. Dumbledore regarded them with mild curiosity. He picked one up between thumb and forefinger, turning it slowly under the candlelight. "Chocolate," he murmured, as if announcing a profound discovery. He gave it a gentle sniff. "Hm. Dark chocolate. Interesting, I do have a certain fondness for sweets, you know." Ben didn''t comment. Mostly because he didn''t trust himself not to say something like Dumbledore smiled, though his eyes didn''t quite match the expression. "You''re certain this is what the diary became?" Ben didn''t say anything and just nodded. "We have to be certain, Ben. Did you destroy it? Truly?" he asked again, this time with a more serious note. "Well, Headmaster, if Tom''s scream was anything to go by it was most definitely destroyed." This time, he met his eyes. Dumbledore''s gaze softened slightly, and he placed the coin back down with the others, arranging them neatly into a little pyramid. He didn''t press further on the diary. Instead, his voice shifted, becoming quieter. More focused. "And the basilisk?" Ben paused. Briefly considered saying , but figured that might raise more eyebrows than it soothed. "No idea." "You don''t know?" sea??h th novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "My eyes were closed," he said simply. "I heard it coming at me and dodged, but the attack never came. When I looked again it was gone." Dumbledore studied him for a moment longer than was comfortable. But he said nothing. "Maybe it got scared. Recognised me," Ben added, keeping his voice even. "Perhaps it slithered into the tunnels and off to somewhere deeper. I didn''t go chasing it." "A sensible choice," Dumbledore said slowly, though there was a note in his voice that suggested he didn''t buy it at all. Still, he didn''t press. And Ben didn''t offer anything else. "Very well," Dumbledore said at last. "If it returns, I trust you''ll let someone know." "Don''t worry, Professor," Ben said. "It won''t ever hurt an innocent again." Dumbledore regarded him for a beat, then gave a slow, quiet hum. "I imagine you and I may differ on what counts as an ''innocent,''" he said mildly, almost amused. "But for now that is good enough." Ben smiled, just a little. He was fairly certain his words hadn''t fooled the old man for a second. Maybe his ears still twitched when he liedwho knew?but it didn''t matter. Dumbledore seemed to have accepted him now. Not trusted, nonot yetbut placed. Like a piece on a board. And not just any pawn, either. One with the potential to reach the other end and become a queen. The Headmaster loved his games. Plans layered over plans, like an overly ambitious sandwich. And for that, he had to know how every piece moved. Ben thought. He still wasn''t loyal to Dumbledore. Or to any authority figure, really. But he did have soft spotsweaknesses, maybe. And they all wore school robes and asked for healing potions after Quidditch practice. "When you said you saw the diary in your visions," Dumbledore asked, pulling him out of his reverie, "did you see anything more?" "Ah, I see all sorts of things, Headmaster. What exactly are you referring to?" "Something similar to the diary. Cursed, dark connected to Tom Riddle, perhaps." Ben paused, then shook his head. "Not really. Nothing comes to mind at the moment." Now wasn''t the right time. "A shame," Dumbledore murmured, drifting into thought the same way Ben had been a few moments before. "Will that be all, Headmaster?" Ben asked. "Ah, yes, you must be eager to see your friends. And I''m sure their parents will want to thank you for saving them as well," Dumbledore said, and Ben nodded, already heading for the door. "One more thing before you go, Mr Brown," Dumbledore called, his tone shifting. He looked at him with those kind, grandpa eyes that always gave Ben the creeps. "I suspect there''s more. Things you haven''t said. Things you won''t say. Not yet." Ben didn''t answer. "You have secrets," Dumbledore continued gently. "That much is clear. But secrets have weight, my boy. Even when you''re strong enough to carry them alone." There was a pause, and Ben wasn''t sure if he should say something or just make a quick exit. "I''m not trying to pry," he added. "But I do want you to knowthere will come a time when holding back could cost more than you''re willing to pay. And when that time comes I hope you''ll trust me." Ben looked over at him. he thought, before saying, "That sounds like something a very wise man would say." "Thank you. I borrowed it from a tapestry in the Hall of Very Wise Advice," Dumbledore said with a wink. "It''s where I go for all my best quotes." Ben cracked a smile. Just as his fingers brushed the door handle, it creaked open on its own, revealing... -To be continued... Freedom by Frills The doors flew open hard enough to rattle the hinges. Lucius Malfoy swept inside, his cane tapped sharply, like the floor had personally offended him. Ben could see fury barely caged behind polished civility as he got out of his way. "Ah. Mr Malfoy," said Dumbledore, as calm as a pond in winter. "What a surprise. I didn''t expect company at this hour." "You''re back," Lucius spat. His eyes darted to Ben, narrowed, then returned to Dumbledore. "I heard the board had reversed their decision." "Indeed," said Dumbledore, nodding once. "In light of recent events, they saw fit to reinstate me." Lucius''s lips thinned. "That decision was not unanimous. I was not consulted." "No," Dumbledore said pleasantly. "But it was... overwhelmingly in favour." Leaning against the doorframe, Ben peeled a chocolate coin without looking up. "Word is you fought very hard to keep him gone," he said. "Didn''t even last the day. Bit embarrassing, that." Lucius''s eyes snapped to him. "And you are?" Ben finally looked up. "Benedict Brown. First name''s a mouthful, so people just scream ''Ben!'' when something''s on fire." Lucius''s eyes narrowed with disdain. "I don''t recall inviting your commentary." Ben grinned. "I don''t recall needing your permission." Dumbledore cleared his throat lightly, but there was no reprimand in his expression. "Mr Brown has been instrumental in resolving the recent crisis." "I see," Lucius said, voice frost-tipped. He looked Ben over as though inspecting a stain that had ruined his favourite robes. His sneer turned back to Dumbledore. "My only concern has ever been the welfare of this school. I assume the culprit has been identified, then?" Dumbledore gave him a kindly look. "Yes. We have." "Well?" said Malfoy sharply. "Who is it?" Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Wouldn''t you like to know," Ben muttered with a scoff that earned him another glare from Malfoy Sr. "Oh, the same person as last time, Lucius," said Dumbledore. "But this time, Lord Voldemort was acting through somebody else. Through a diary." He held up the fake diary for Lucius to see, watching his face closely. "Interesting..." Lucius said slowly. Ben stretched his back against the stone and added, "Yeah, not as interesting as how Voldemort''s old diary ended up in the school." Lucius''s head turned. "I beg your pardon?" Ben straightened from the wall and took a step forward. "Someone clever must''ve slipped it into a student''s belongings," Ben went on. "Really cunning, you know. The sort of thing a snake would pull." Lucius''s grip tightened on his cane, and his eyes sharpened. "I have no idea what you''re implying." Ben gave a wide, unbothered smile. "Not implying anything, Malfoy. I''m saying it. I know it was you who planted that diary in Ginny Weasley''s cauldron after your little scrap with Arthur at Flourish and Blotts." Lucius''s face went stone-cold. He stepped forward, voice low. "Mind your tone, boy" "Or what?" Ben cut in, eyes cool, steady. "You''ll hex me in the Headmaster''s office? Give it a go, if you''re feeling brave." Dumbledore didn''t move, but the firelight flickered off his half-moon glasses in a way that made Lucius pause. For a long second, no one spoke. "You have no proof," Lucius said at last, voice tight. "No, we don''t," Dumbledore said. "Not now that Tom Riddle has vanished from the diary. But I would advise you, Luciusdon''t go handing out any more of Voldemort''s school heirlooms. If one more ends up in the wrong hands, the consequences could be... severe." "Then I think this conversation has run its course." Lucius turned sharply and swept toward the door, but paused just before crossing the threshold. He glanced over his shoulder at Ben. "Careful where you make enemies, Mr Brown. The world outside these walls isn''t quite as forgiving as your Headmaster." He stepped out, and a small thud followed almost immediately. came the cold voice, followed by the sharp click of his cane and a muffled grunt. Ben raised an eyebrow. Sounded like someone had just caught a boot to the ribs. He pushed off the wall. "I''ll go walk him out. Make sure he doesn''t punt anyone else down the corridor." Dumbledore didn''t stop him. - Lucius was halfway down the steps, cloak whipping behind him, when Ben caught up with him under the great marble archway. Dobby trailed behind, hunched and flinching at every step Lucius took. He called out, a little too cheerfully "Oi, Mr Malfoy! You forgot something." Lucius stopped dead, turned slowly. Ben tossed the diary. It was damp, he''d made sure to hit it with a little before stepping out, just enough to make it squelch a bit. It spun once in the air, then smacked against Lucius''s chest with a wet . He caught it reflexively, eyes narrowing. Ben gave him a pleasant smile. "Bit of a family keepsake, isn''t it?" Lucius looked ready to hurl it straight into the nearest fireplace, but it had belonged to his master. His fingers curled around it in disgust. "You insolent little" "Uh-oh, looks like it''s about to blow," Ben said, taking a few steps back. The diary in Lucius''s hand began to squirm. Lucius made a strangled noise and flung it away like it burned. Mid-air, it began to shiftedges rippling like water, spine bubbling and twisting. By the time it was about to hit the floor, it wasn''t a diary anymore. It was a hat. A fluffy, absurdly pink sun hat, rimmed with frills and a bow tied cheerfully at the front. Lucius stared at it in horror. Before his brain could process what his eyes were seeing, it was snatched right before it hit the floor by a set of trembling little hands. Dobby was on the floor, clutching the pink hat like it was the most precious thing in the world. "A hat a ," he whispered. "Master gave Dobby a ..." Lucius''s face went ashen. "I did no such!" "Well, technically, you tossed it , didn''t you?" Ben said with a shrug. "Magic''s funny like that." "Master... gave it to Dobby. Dobby is free..." Dobby screamed with elation. Lucius turned to him, eyes wild. "You...you planned this." Ben tilted his head. "Or maybe you walked into it." "You''ve lost me my servant, boy!" Lucius raised his cane like he might strike. Ben didn''t flinch. "Try it," he said calmly. "Just once." Before a Mexican standoff could start, Dobby stepped between them. With a snap of his fingers, a sudden gust of magic knocked Lucius backwards multiple steps, almost to the edge of the staircase. Lucius''s face twisted. He pointed a furious, shaking cane at the elf. "You insolent creature!" Dobby stood straighter than he ever had. "Sir will not harm Ben Brown," he said, voice trembling but firm. "Not while Dobby is here." Lucius stared them both down, but he wasn''t brave enough to go against them both with a winding staircase behind him. Lucius''s grip faltered. He lowered the cane, nostrils flaring. "You''ll regret this," he said, his teeth clenched. Ben smiled, all teeth. "You first." Lucius turned in a sweep of robes and stormed off down the steps. His boots clipped violently against the stone. His cloak caught on a portrait, and he yanked it free with a growl. Ben watched him go. "Well," he muttered, "not that I needed it but thanks anyway." Dobby beamed at him, still clutching the ridiculous hat to his chest, as if it might vanish. Ben sighed. "It''s just a hat, mate," he said gently. Dobby nodded, but his eyes shimmered "Dobby... Dobby will treasure it forever." Ben gave a tired grin. "Well, it''s your fashion problem now." But he had the sudden, bone-deep feeling he''d just missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Crying Over Pork Buns Ben shoved his hands into his pockets as he strolled into the hospital wing. Everyone was awake; he''d already treated them anyway. All Madam Pomfrey had to do was enervate them and fill their starved bellies. Harry, Ron and Hermione were huddled together on a bed. Then there was a bed covered with curtains that Ben figured must be Lockhart''s, and at the end were Cho and Marianne''s beds. More importantly, the room wasn''t crawling with angry parents. Just two. The school must not have had time to send word before it was all over. And now that everyone was alive, they were probably chalking it up to ''no news is good news.'' Cho''s parents hovered near her bed, looking terribly concerned.Ben spotted no one near Marianne. Odd. He made his way down the row. Behind him, he heard a small scuffle of feet. Dobby, still wearing the absurd pink hat like a crown, had followed him. The elf froze when he saw Harry, and with a little gasp, half-ran, half-tripped toward him. "Harry Potter, sir! Harry Potter!" Dobby babbled, voice high and frantic. "Dobby is free, sir! Thanks to Harry Potter''s great, brave friend, Ben Brown, sir!" Harry blinked in confusion. Ron stared dumbfoundedly. Hermione looked surprised, seeing a house elf for the first time. Ben gave him a lazy wave. "Yeah, yeah, you''re welcome. Now pipe down before Madam Pomfrey skins you." Dobby nodded furiously, but he was too excited to actually stay still. He kept vibrating in place like he might burst into confetti. Ben left him to it. He caught Harry, Ron, and Hermione shooting him sour looks. he thought dryly, sliding the curtain open on Lockhart''s bed. Lockhart was perched atop his bed, trying and failing to teach a hospital broom to bow like a gentleman."Good form, good form always make a first impression!" Lockhart chirped, tapping the broom''s handle with his wand. The broom quivered uncertainly, then clattered to the floor. Lockhart tutted at it, hands on his hips. "You''re not becoming famous with that attitude." That''s when he spotted Ben peeking through the curtains and lit up like a Christmas tree. "You! Handsome boy, you''re back!" Lockhart called, waving with far too much enthusiasm. "You must be a fan no need to be shy, I''ll sign an autograph for you!" Ben slammed the curtain shut."Keep it, mate. You''ve already marked me ''handsome'' on my robes," he snorted, and kept moving. From behind the curtain, Lockhart''s voice floated out. "Ah, well, he''s probably just... overwhelmed by my sheer brilliance..." He had no clue what to do with Lockhart. Dumbledore hadn''t mentioned him either. It was only November, and Lockhart was technically employed until next year. Honestly, he wouldn''t be surprised if Dumbledore just let him keep teaching Defence. Cho''s mother spotted him when he got near her bed. "You," she said, rising unsteadily with a tissue still clutched in one hand. "You''re Ben, aren''t you?" "Er," he said, slowing his pace. "Yeah?" S~ea??h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Before he could say anything else, Mrs Chang''s hands gripped his firmly, trembling slightly. "Thank you," she said, her voice shaking with sincerity. "Thank you for bringing our daughter back. You don''t know" Her voice cracked, and she quickly pressed the tissue harder to her mouth. Ben felt the weight of her gratitude, his awkwardness only growing. Cho''s dad stood too, quieter, but his face was just as tight with emotion. "We owe you more than we can say," he said, his voice thick. Ben shifted uncomfortably, feeling the weight of their thanks. "Um, it wasn''t just me," he said quickly. "Harry helped. Hermione too. Ron... even Lockhart, sorta." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ron scowling at him from across the room. he thought sarcastically. Cho''s dad gave him a brief, quiet chuckle, giving his shoulder a comforting pat. "No need to be modest," he said simply. "You did more than anyone could''ve asked for." Mrs Chang nodded fiercely, blinking away tears. "A brave boy," she said, her voice softening. "A good boy. I told Cho, I said" She trailed off when she glanced at her daughter. Cho was still staring blankly at her hands, lost in thought. Ben scratched the back of his head, fumbling for something to say that didn''t sound soawkward. "She''s tough," he said, a little too quickly. "Hardly needed rescuing." Mrs Chang wiped her eyes again, giving him a grateful squeeze before letting go. "You must come to our house for lunch," she said briskly, trying to regain some composure. "When school is out. We''ll cook properly for you. Not this hospital food nonsense." A loud came from Madam Pomfrey''s office, followed by a muffled curse. Ben rolled his eyes. '' Madam Cho fished around in her handbag and handed him a neat little box wrapped in checkered cloth. "Just a few dumplings," she said, voice warm, even through her sniffles. "Eat them while they''re hot." Ben blinked down at the bundle in his hands, a bit taken aback by the gesture. "Thanks," he said, his voice softening. Cho''s dad clapped him on the shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "Take care of yourself, son." Ben gave them a quick, lopsided grin, then met Cho''s eyes for a moment. "Don''t worry about her," he said, more seriously now, his voice carrying a quiet confidence. "She''s stronger than anyone gives her credit for. She''ll be fine." Cho didn''t react, still lost in her thoughts. But he saw the faintest hint of a flicker in her eyes, just for a moment. Ben decided it was best to give her another day. He turned and gave them a final nod, retreating before Mrs Chang could thrust more well-intentioned gifts at him. He made his way to Marianne Fawcett. "Thought you went off to the kitchens looking for pudding," he said. "Yeah, Flitwick caught me," she said, "sent me right back here." Marianne was munching on a biscuit, probably a get-well gift from the Ravenclaw team he''d passed on his way in. "Your lot not here?" he asked lightly. She shook her head. "Nope." Ben waited. She didn''t offer anything else. He flopped down onto the chair beside her bed, stretching his legs out."What, they figure you could handle a basilisk on your own?" Marianne picked at a loose thread on her blanket. "Nah. They''re... gone. Death Eaters. Ages ago." Ben sat up a little straighter."Oh."It was a common backstory in the wizarding world. A lot of dead parents it was a surprise there was no Batman yet. "I grew up with my gran mostly. She was brilliant. Bit batty. Made the best rock cakes you''ve ever broken a tooth on." Ben smiled. "She passed last year," Marianne went on with an easy shrug. "After that, Ministry stuck me with some cousin on paper bloke lives somewhere in Wales. Don''t really see him much. He''s got a flat or something. Technically, I''m his responsibility practically, I''m free-range." "Sounds ideal," Ben said dryly. "Yeah, it''s brilliant," Marianne said, grinning. "Nobody nags me to clean my room. I''ve got a house-elf. His name''s Butters. Makes terrible tea, excellent toast." Ben chuckled. "So what I''m hearing is, you''re actually living the dream." "Exactly," Marianne said. She bumped her shoulder lightly against his. "Way better than getting fussed over until you explode. Speaking of are you gonna share those dumplings or not?" Ben smirked. "With you? I''d be lucky if the box survived." She gave him a cheeky grin. "Come on, Brown. Pork buns or I start crying. Loudly. Right here." Ben snorted. "You''re evil." "Yup," she said, already reaching. "And you love it." Ben shook his head, laughing under his breath as he cracked open the box and shoved it at her. "Fine," he said. "But if you eat them all""you''ll cry about it later. Got it," Marianne cut in. "Oi, Fawnie, save me some!" he screamed, grinning as he gave her a new name she already looked ready to kill him over. -To be Continued.. Toast Crimes and Newspaper Slimes The Ravenclaw table buzzed with the low hum of chatter and clinking forks. Saturday mornings were usually slow, but not today. First match of the season: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Half the castle couldn''t wait to see Slytherin lose. The other half already knew about their brand-new brooms. Roger Davies was midway through explaining for the third time how the new Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones gave Slytherin an unfair advantage. "I''m serious," Roger said, waving a spoon like a wand. "They''re faster, they turn tighter, and they were them. !" "Tch. Of course they were," Edgar muttered, shaking his head. "Daddy Malfoy probably bought the lot to make sure Draco doesn''t fall off again." "Honestly, I''d fall off too if I had to listen to Flint''s voice for more than ten seconds," Marianne Fawcett , as he''d started calling her, just cause she hated it so much added, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Ben chuckled a little at that. Truthfully, Draco wasn''t that bad of a flyer. It was just that sometimes, during lessons, Ben couldn''t help but ''accidentally'' help him reacquaint with the ground when his smugness got out of control. "With their skills, I don''t think it''ll be long before one of them flies into the stands. My bet''s on Marcus Flint," Ben said, thinking of the Slytherin captain''s perpetually crooked nose and a set of teeth that gave the whole of Britain a bad name. "Please let it be Flint," Eleanor said, staring into her tea. "If I have to hear him scream ''bludger left'' one more time like he''s calling cattle" "You okay?" Owen asked with concern only reserved for Eleanor. "I''m never okay during Slytherin season," she replied flatly. "It''s the sound of their voices. Like a banshee swallowed a foghorn." "You reckon if I knock Flint hard enough, he''ll rattle loose and fly straighter?" Tobias grinned, already halfway through his second plate of sausages. "Let''s not talk about assaulting the other team over breakfast," Owen said dryly. "Relax, Cap," Marianne drawled. "He didn''t say ." "It''s gonna be hard to watch them brag all match," Edgar grumbled. "''Oh look at me, I''m on a Nimbus 2001, I''m so fast, I''m so rich, I''m so pure-blooded'' must be nice to have a vault stuffed with Galleons and zero shame." Roger smirked. "Careful, Cornfoot. Sounding a bit jealous." "Shut it, Davies." Ben stabbed a sausage and leaned back, eyeing the enchanted ceiling lazily. Cho hadn''t shown up for breakfast. Again. He''d tried to talk to her yesterday, but she kept discovering a very interesting bit of ground whenever he looked her way. He figured he''d catch her in the stands later. One way or another, he had to say something. Across from him, Marianne was buttering a mountain of toast like she planned to build a house out of it. "Oi, Fawnie, leave some for the rest of Britain," Ben said. She stuck out her tongue and lobbed a grape at his head before going back to buttering her toast. A few seats down, Luna Lovegood had arranged her breakfast into colour groups. She tilted her head, studying him like he might sprout antlers. "You have the same face as a Blibbering Humdinger before it explodes," she said dreamily. Ben paused, fork mid-air."...Cheers, Luna," he said, because honestly, what else could you say to that? Before he could work out whether that was an insult or a warning, a sudden flurry of owl wings swept down. Newspapers rained over the tables. A copy of the landed squarely in Ben''s porridge, splashing it up his sleeve. "Brilliant," he muttered, peeling it off. His eyes caught the headline. MINISTRY YET TO COMMENT ON "CURSED OBJECT" CLAIMS Petrified cat, vanished students, and whispers of a hidden chamber Hogwarts is keeping secrets. But what, exactly, is being hidden from the public? Now Ben to turn the page. In fact, he had been looking forward to something like this. - In the wake of recent alarming events at Hogwarts, in which the caretaker''s cat was found petrified and several students briefly went missing, concerns are now growing about what some are calling a . While Hogwarts officials insist that the incident involved a cursed object now allegedly destroyed other sources hint at something far more troubling. "No cursed object petrifies a cat," one concerned parent remarked. "This reeks of a cover-up." Whispers from sources close to the Hogwarts Board of Governors also suggest that the true nature of the threat may have been far more serious. "It''s all very hush-hush," said one source, who asked to remain anonymous. "But there''s talk of a creature, something dangerous. And it was roaming the school unchecked for weeks." Sources also report that six students briefly went missing this Thursday and were later rescued from a hidden chamber beneath the school itself. And where was Headmaster Albus Dumbledore during this crisis? Absent. Some speculate that this may be connected to the long-rumoured , a legend Hogwarts has long denied holds any truth. Questions are also being raised about Headmaster Albus Dumbledore''s ability to maintain student safety when asked for comment, Albus Dumbledore declined to elaborate, stating only that "the matter is resolved." Adding to the mystery is the role played by a pureblood second-year boy, whose reputation for unusual magic continues to raise eyebrows. According to the parent of one missing student, who described the ordeal as ''traumatising'', he was instrumental in locating the missing students. "It was like he knew what to do," she said. "The professors were still searching the corridors." While some are calling him a hero, others are left wondering how such a young student was able to act so swiftly and why he was first on the scene before any professors. "It is deeply troubling," says one concerned official, "that certain individuals were allowed to roam unsupervised while innocent lives hung in the balance." The Ministry has yet to confirm whether investigations into these irregularities will be formally opened, though internal sources confirm that an inquiry is likely. For the sake of Hogwarts'' future, one can only hope that wiser leadership and stricter measures are soon in place. - Ben quietly folded the paper and set it aside. No name. But the finger was pointed all the same. It reeked of Lucius. He didn''t need to write a word when Rita Skeeter was ready to do it for him. Ben hadn''t expected this, if he were honest. If the Ministry actually dug deep, they''d just find skeletons stuffed neatly into Lucius Malfoy''s closet probably alphabetised. More likely, this was just a smear job, thrown together to soothe Malfoy''s bruised ego now that a second year had foiled his grand plan and cleaned up his mess. Sear?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -To be Continued..