[Note: Read up to Chapter - 144 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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Hagrid's Hut
"Farewell, my king!"
Aris and the others waved off the centaurs and made their way towards the castle.
"Oi, Aris! Don't forget to swing by for the ceremony, yeah?"
Hagrid, standing by the door of his hut, called out to him. He'd already asked Aris to come when the dragon egg was due to hatch. He'd even suggested bringing Iris along so the two dragons could have a bit of a chinwag.
"Don't worry, I'll definitely be there!" Aris replied without hesitation.
He was quite intrigued by the dragon egg himself. If he weren't worried about disappointing Hagrid, he'd have nicked it for a proper study. He was curious to see how the dragons in this world differed from Iris.
And if nothing useful came of it… well, a roast dragon egg didn't sound too bad either.
But clearly, Hagrid would never go for that.
"Aris, Christmas is coming up soon—will you be heading home?" Hermione asked as they walked.
If Aris was planning to return, she might just invite him for a wander around Diagon Alley. She fancied a trip to Flourish and Blotts and was hoping Aris could sort her out with a bit of a discount.
"I'll be going back to Shafiq Castle," Aris said plainly.
Just then, Harry and Ron came trotting over to join them.
"I heard the Shafiq family's loaded. Bet that castle of yours is proper grand!" Ron said, clearly a bit green with envy.
"I don't fancy going home," Harry muttered. "I'll stay here for Christmas."
He was curious about Shafiq Castle, sure—but the thought of spending the holidays with the Dursleys again was enough to put him right off the idea. Staying at Hogwarts seemed far more bearable.
"I probably won't be heading back either," Ron added with a shrug. "Mum and Dad are talking about visiting Charlie in Romania."
"Well then, you lot can spend the holidays together in the castle," Aris said with a grin.
"Too right! We've still got to dig up something on Nicolas Flamel," Harry said, suddenly remembering their mission.
"Aris…" Ron piped up, his tone shifting slightly, "that thing Firenze said about a disaster at Hogwarts… do you know anything about it?"
At that, Aris gave a small shake of the head.
He hadn't yet worked out how to break the truth to them. To be honest, it wasn't just Hogwarts at stake—it could affect the whole wizarding world. But as he'd said before, nothing had happened yet. Things might still change.
For now, the best thing to do was not to meddle. Just let the story run its course and make sure Harry wrecked Voldemort's plans.
It was, all things considered, the safest bet.
If Aris or Dumbledore stepped in too early and Voldemort caught wind of it, the Dark tosser would likely do a runner.
And that would only make things spiral further out of control.
That's why Aris wasn't ready to spill the whole truth to Harry and the others just yet.
"In any case, this has to be connected to whatever's hidden in that corridor on the fourth floor," Harry said firmly.
"So, we need to figure out who Nicolas Flamel is—right, Aris?"
Aris simply nodded with a non-committal hum.
Harry was already heading in the right direction, so there was no need to interfere further.
If memory served, it was Hermione who uncovered Flamel's identity in the original timeline. Might as well let these two knuckleheads chase their tails for now—they didn't have anything more important to do anyway.
Still, Aris figured he ought to remind them of something useful.
"Oi, don't forget to keep sensing the elemental energy over the holidays. I left an elemental sensing array in the Room of Requirement's lab. You can head there for a bit of practice."
"We got it!" Harry and Ron nodded eagerly.
By now, the three were nearing the castle. Aris suddenly paused, eyes drifting towards the headmaster's office.
Then, his expression shifted.
A moment later, with a sharp crackling sound, Dumbledore appeared out of thin air in front of several young professors.
"Aris, there's something you need to know."
Dumbledore didn't spare so much as a glance at Harry and the others, his face unusually grave.
"What's happened?" Aris asked, the moment he caught sight of the old headmaster's expression. Something felt off, and his instincts were screaming.
Even though they were all still within the castle grounds, Dumbledore had used the headmaster's special privilege to Apparate inside Hogwarts—something most couldn't do.
And the fact that Dumbledore, who was usually calm as a still pond even during the worst of times, now looked this grim… well, that only confirmed it.
Something serious had happened.
Before Aris could say another word, Dumbledore seized his arm.
With another sharp crackle, the two of them—one old, one young—vanished on the spot.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were left rooted to the spot, blinking in confusion.
"What just happened?" Harry asked, turning to Hermione.
"Something's definitely gone wrong," Ron said, swallowing hard. He'd never seen Dumbledore in such a rush before.
"Aris… something's happened to Aris," Hermione muttered, eyes narrowing. Being the sharpest of the three, she could tell just from Dumbledore's urgency that whatever was going on had everything to do with him. And she had a sinking feeling it wasn't good.
Without another word, she bolted towards the castle.
"Let's go! Maybe we can do something!"
But they didn't have to go far.
Waiting for them at the castle gates was Professor McGonagall, standing stiff as a board, her expression just as grim.
It was clear she'd been waiting for them.
…
"Professor, what's happened?"
Still reeling from the sudden Apparition, Aris frowned. They had already arrived at the headmaster's office, and Dumbledore wasted no time.
"It's the Lovegood family—something's happened to them," he said sharply.
He strode over to the coat rack behind the phoenix's perch and grabbed a round hat from it.
"This is a Portkey. It'll get you out of Hogwarts quickly."
"I've got a few things to sort on my end, so… you go ahead. I'll follow shortly. Any objections?"
But before Aris could answer, Dumbledore's expression shifted. He'd just sensed it—a surge of terrifying magical energy swelling in the room.
He turned sharply toward the boy.
Aris stood still, unnervingly calm. Not a flicker of emotion showed on his face.
But inside, he'd already put the pieces together.
Uncle Xeno. Luna.
Brilliant.
The ones who had their greedy eyes on the Shafiq family fortune had finally made their move.
But they'd chosen the worst, most reckless way to go about it.
In the original timeline, the Lovegoods were perfectly safe—at least until Voldemort's full return. So this? This wasn't part of the plan.
Aris didn't need to guess. He knew.
It was because of him.
The only ones who'd been shadowing him from the start, lurking in the background, were those pompous pure-blood families, itching to snatch up the Shafiq inheritance.
He'd originally planned to make his move over the Christmas holidays—but if they were this desperate to act first, then so be it.
He'd give them exactly what they wanted.
The magic within Aris surged like a storm, crackling beneath his skin. His robes fluttered and rustled violently under the sheer force of it.
Dumbledore's expression darkened. Even Professor Chen Qing, usually calm and composed, looked uncharacteristically tense.
"Ten…" he muttered under his breath, sensing the unstable magical energy radiating from the boy. Aris was teetering on the edge—seconds away from completely losing it.
"Aris, calm yourself!" Dumbledore barked, stepping forward.
"This isn't something that can be solved with brute force. Think about Xenophilius and her daughter—do you want to put them in more danger?"
What Dumbledore feared most was the boy snapping—going completely feral and leaving a trail of bodies behind.
With that little dragon as his trump card, Aris had enough firepower to cause real carnage—and Dumbledore knew it.
But if things got that far, there'd be no turning back.
The wizarding world wouldn't see a grieving boy—they'd see a killer. Worse still, they might paint him as the next Dark Lord.
Even though he was only a year old in truth.
And once the little dragon was exposed, Aris would be thrust into the centre of attention, with the entire wizarding world watching—and judging.
The aftermath would be chaos. There'd be no end to the trouble it would bring.
Once things reached that point, it wouldn't just be about the Shafiq family's fortune anymore—it'd drag in far more than that.
But the outburst Dumbledore had braced for never came.
Instead, Aris lifted his head, let out a quiet breath, and forced a small smile.
"I know, Professor. Don't worry—I'm calm. Everything's alright."
"I'll handle this."
With that, he picked up the round Portkey hat and strode calmly toward the balcony.
He glanced out towards the Forbidden Forest, then shut his eyes gently.
"Elise, come back," he called silently.
Through the system, his voice echoed straight into Iris's mind—far away in the dragon's den within the centaur camp.
"What is it, Master?"
In her nest, Iris blinked awake, groggily rubbing her sleepy eyes with her claws.
"Luna's in danger," Aris said. "Come back—we've got people to kill."
At those words, the little dragon's drowsiness vanished instantly. A sharp glint flashed in her eyes.
"I understand, Master!"
The next second, a massive dragon silhouette soared high above the centaur camp.
Back in her full dragon form, Iris's speed shot through the skies. In a blink, she vanished into the night, flying straight toward Hogwarts Castle.
Down below in the camp, Firenze—who hadn't yet turned in—sensed the change in the air. His gaze snapped upwards, locking on the direction where the dragon had disappeared.
A rare and heavy seriousness settled over Firenze's face.
Without wasting a moment, he stood up and made his way swiftly toward Bane and Ronan's residence.
Meanwhile, on the balcony of the headmaster's office, Aris opened his eyes once more.
Dumbledore's voice came from behind him, gentle but firm.
"Aris, whatever you choose to do… just make sure you keep yourself safe."
Gazing at the boy's back, the old headmaster let out a quiet sigh.
There was little else he could say now—words would be wasted.
He could feel it clearly.
The boy was truly furious.
And those who dared cross his line… would have to face the full force of his wrath.
How far Aris would go, Dumbledore couldn't say. But he had a feeling the wizarding world was in for a bit of turbulence in the coming days.
He understood that kind of fury all too well.
It was the same rage that had burned inside him when Ariana died.
The sort of pain where there's nowhere to put it—no release—except through destruction. A desire to tear down everything in your path, just to feel something again.
Now, it was up to Aris—to face that storm inside him, and come out the other side with his heart still intact.
"There's always a way to sort things out. Don't go doing anything reckless," Dumbledore added, a flicker of concern glinting in his eyes.
"I know, Professor," Aris replied with a soft smile, giving a small wave over his shoulder.
The little dragon had already returned to the pet space.
Without a second's hesitation, Aris activated the Portkey in his hand.
There was a sharp crackling sound—
And he was gone.
Aris vanished from the balcony, round hat and all.
"Let's hope it all goes smoothly," Dumbledore murmured softly, his voice echoing through the now-empty headmaster's office.
His gaze drifted toward a bookshelf.
There, standing silently, was a tall, rectangular object draped in a black cloth—it looked like a full-length mirror.
The Mirror of Erised.
If Aris had seen it, he would've recognised it straight away.
Because this mirror held the key to whether Harry Potter would ultimately thwart Voldemort's plan… and claim the Philosopher's Stone before he could.
Dumbledore had clearly sensed the growing danger. He knew time was running out, and so he'd brought out the mirror—preparing to hide the Stone within it.
"No protection is flawless…" he muttered.
"In the end, who wins or loses... that's up to fate, I suppose."
He raised his wand and gave it a light flick.
The mirror shimmered—and vanished.
Turning away, Dumbledore opened a nearby cabinet and pulled out a long, dust-covered box.
"It's time this was returned to its rightful owner."
"I only hope that child makes good use of it…"
With a quick wave of his wand, he swept the dust away from the lid, then cast a glance at Fawkes, perched quietly on the shelf.
"My old friend," he said warmly, "would you mind delivering this gift?"
"That boy's staying at Hogwarts for Christmas—I reckon you can slip it into his pile of presents without anyone noticing, yeah?"
As he spoke, Dumbledore placed the box gently on the table, his hand brushing over Fawkes' brilliant feathers.
"Well then, I suppose I'd best be off too."
Without another word, he turned on his heel and strode towards the revolving staircase. His figure vanished swiftly behind the door.
Crack!
With a sharp jolt and a dizzy spell that made his vision blur for a second, Aris landed in front of a row of ten tall, cylindrical black towers.
He knew this place well—it was the Lovegood family's House.
With a flick of his wand, Aris cast a spell that immediately mapped out the entire building in his mind.
"Just as I thought. They're gone."
He'd expected this.
Still, if he wanted to find out who'd taken Uncle Xeno and Luna, this was the place to start.
Clearly, Dumbledore had only just received the news. If he'd had more time to investigate, he would've told Aris directly where to look.
But that didn't matter.
Aris had his own ways of tracking people down.
He stepped quietly into the tower.
The first floor lounge was still arranged as he remembered it—magazines from The Quibbler strewn all over the place.
But Aris's sharp eyes soon picked out several things that felt… off.
His gaze darkened.
With another flick of his wand, he muttered, "Chase the Shadow!"
A silvery mist of magic swept across the room, coating the air in a soft shimmer.
Moments later, two human-shaped illusions began to take form—one tall, one small—crafted from the magic haze.
Xenophilius… and Luna.
They looked frightened. Clearly startled by something.
Then, the image at the front door shook violently.
The tower's entrance was kicked open from the outside.
And in stepped a wizard in a black cloak and mask.
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Drop power Powerstonessssssssss!
[Note: Read up to Chapter - 144 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]