[Note: Read up to Chapter - 180 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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Hogwarts Express.
After Christmas, the new term was kicking off.
Following two gruelling weeks of Aris's special training, Harry and the others wore wide smiles, buzzing with excitement. Those days had been hard work, but now, heading back, they realised how much they'd missed Hogwarts.
Still, each of them carried a strong sense of anticipation.
"I can't wait to see Fred and the others' faces when I sling a fireball spell," Ronald said, his expression dreamy with expectation. "They'll be gutted they didn't join Aris's training with us!"
Harry only shrugged, clearly not fussed about showing off. Ever since he'd stepped into the wizarding world, he'd had more attention than he wanted, thanks to his name.
"What worries me more," Ronald muttered, his grin fading fast, "is whether Professor McGonagall still remembers we sneaked out. D'you reckon Professor Dumbledore had a word with her?"
"It should be fine…" Harry hesitated for a moment, then added with more certainty, "Dumbledore said he'd handle it—so it's probably all blown over by now."
"I hope you're right," Ronald muttered with a wry smile.
"By the way," Hermione suddenly piped up, "do you remember Hagrid's dragon egg? By my reckoning, it should be close to hatching, shouldn't it?"
"I remember Hagrid saying it'd be just after Christmas…"
"Yeah, should be any day now!" Harry's eyes lit up slightly. "I wonder how Hagrid's dragon stacks up against Iris? Come to think of it… we haven't seen her in ages, have we?"
"Aris, did you send her off to do something?"
All of them turned towards the boy resting in the corner with his eyes closed. At Harry's words, Aris slowly opened them, stretched lazily, and replied,
"Yeah, I told her to head back to school first."
Earlier, Dumbledore had mentioned there'd been some trouble with the centaurs, so Aris had asked the little red dragon to return to the Forbidden Forest. Now that the mess with the pure-blood wizards was sorted, there wasn't any real danger for her there.
Besides, with the Barton family now fully backing Aris, and Henry often knocking about the castle, there wasn't much need to fret over Iris's safety.
"Back to the Forbidden Forest?" Harry perked up, suddenly remembering. Iris had once made her lair in the centaur tribe's territory. Though, truth be told, the cave never looked much like a proper dragon's den—more like a storeroom the little red dragon had thrown together to stash her hoard.
"Yeah," Aris replied with a nod, before closing his eyes again.
He hadn't had a wink of proper sleep the night before. Nicolas Flamel had insisted he put together a manual on maintaining magic circles, along with notes on elemental magic, before taking his leave.
These past few days, Aris had been buried deep in elemental studies.
Nicolas Flamel, clearly fascinated by the subject, had told him that the elemental magic system once flourished in the wizarding world, but had been all but wiped out after some magical catastrophe. On top of that, its practice was notoriously difficult, so over time the system had simply faded into obscurity.
This also explained why Merlin's Handbook had records on elemental magic and magic circles.
Back in that era, the elemental system likely wasn't even considered the orthodox way of magic.
Nicolas Flamel had gone on to say that, compared to the modern spell system, elemental magic boasted a far broader scope, massive potential, and far greater room for expansion.
To put it bluntly, today's spell system was just the wizarding world's sloppy shortcut—developed for convenience, speed, and ease—while ignoring the very foundations it was built upon. Half the spells, aside from their specific flashy effects, were utterly useless.
Elemental magic, on the other hand, was different. Once you had a foot in the door, the possibilities were endless. Magic circles, alchemy, magical tech—these were all natural extensions of the elemental system once it reached a certain stage.
In terms of sheer potential, the current wizarding world's spells didn't even come close.
Just then, the compartment door banged open.
Harry turned his head and scowled. "Malfoy, what d'you think you're playing at, barging in here?"
Aris opened his eyes and glanced towards the compartment door.
Sure enough, Malfoy was standing there, a complicated look on his face. He didn't even bother replying to Harry. Instead, he gave Aris a stiff little bow.
Without a word, he turned on his heel and left—going so far as to close the door behind him.
"What's he playing at?" Harry and Ron both stared, completely thrown.
"Has he had a change of heart or something?" Ron gave Aris a suspicious look. "He's never been that polite before. Feels dead odd to me!"
"Maybe it's because Aris is here?" Hermione muttered thoughtfully, her eyes flicking to the boy. She clearly had her own ideas.
They'd all read the Daily Prophet's vague reporting about the incident at Malfoy Manor, and had pieced together what might have happened to those pure-blood families who'd stayed quiet afterwards.
The sharp little witch had more or less worked it out.
Now, seeing Malfoy's behaviour with her own eyes, she was even more certain.
"I almost feel sorry for Malfoy," Hermione sighed, shaking her head.
"Why?" Ron still looked baffled, clearly not putting the pieces together. "What, did something go on between him and Aris?"
"Have you forgotten what Aris did at Malfoy Manor?" Harry finally piped up. He wasn't entirely sure if his guess was spot on, but he felt it had to be tied to that incident.
"Malfoy Manor?" Ron repeated, frowning in thought. Judging by his expression, though, he was still none the wiser.
Aris, hearing all this, didn't bother explaining. He simply shut his eyes again.
Merlin, he was knackered. Absolutely shattered.
Right now, he couldn't be fussed about anything.
As for Malfoy... well, the lad had clearly accepted his fate.
And truth be told, that wasn't a bad thing. If the Malfoy family stayed in line, their future would be far brighter.
Draco's fragile pride? Barely worth a mention.
What's so shameful about being known as Aris Shafiq's younger brother, anyway?
It's not like he'd ever planned on bossing the former "young master" of the Malfoy clan about.
Outside, the train rolled steadily across a plain that looked like something out of a painting. Now and then, a sparkling lake flashed past the windows—like bright gems scattered across a sea of green.
At the very front of the train sat a quiet compartment.
Dumbledore was seated opposite another silver-haired old wizard.
Even Aris could never have imagined that these two would be riding the same train as him—let alone sitting across from each other so calmly.
"So, you broke out because of that child?"
Dumbledore's voice was low, tinged with irritation.
He'd always dreaded the day Grindelwald might leave the tower. And though he'd steeled himself for it, meeting the man outside Nurmengard still made his chest tighten with worry.
"You should've twigged that long ago, old friend," Grindelwald said, a knowing look in his eye. He could read Dumbledore's thoughts as clearly as ever.
It was precisely why he'd come. Despite everything, their shared ideals still tied them together—and if fate demanded it, they might even fight side by side once more.
The thought pleased Grindelwald. He half expected Dumbledore to feel the same.
"What sort of future do you see in that child?" Dumbledore pressed, frowning. "Or is it simply something you're hoping to take from him?"
"If that's the case, I'd advise you to drop the idea right this minute!"
"After all these years, your misunderstanding of me has only deepened," Grindelwald frowned, letting out a cold snort. "The reason we failed to achieve what we set out for was because you betrayed our ideal!"
"Because that ideal was wrong—and you've been walking the wrong path ever since!" Dumbledore's voice rose, and for a moment the air between them grew sharp, the two men suddenly at loggerheads.
"I know… I know. I shouldn't drag this up again," Grindelwald shook his head before giving a wry, self-mocking smile. "So I lost. The facts speak for themselves…"
He paused, then leaned forward slightly. "But this time, surely we share the same thought, don't we?"
"I just want to know—what exactly are you planning to do?" Dumbledore asked, calm but piercing.
"In the future, he'll be the one at the centre of it all. You've seen it as well, haven't you?" Grindelwald's gaze was steady, his tone unshaken.
"You really mean to do nothing?"
"Of course I'll act," Grindelwald suddenly smiled. "What I must do now is ensure that boy's safety—at least until that brilliant world finally arrives."
"I'll ruthlessly wipe out anyone—or anything—that might threaten him. Surely you can agree with that approach, can't you?"
"I just hope you won't go too far. Things are never as simple as they look," Dumbledore replied, his frown deepening.
He would protect Aris with all he had, but his way would never be Grindelwald's. He knew the man's style too well, and it always left him uneasy. Grindelwald had a knack for stirring chaos—sometimes enough to throw the entire wizarding world into panic.
And if that sort of upheaval broke out again, it would hardly be a blessing for Aris.
"Over the years, your view of me has only grown darker," Grindelwald said suddenly, a smile tugging at his lips as his eyes slowly turned silver-white.
"I see the future as plain as day. I know what needs to be done for that boy's sake. And I know… there are things you simply cannot do."
He leaned back, voice steady. "That's why working side by side—without meddling in each other's ways—is the best path for him. For the world. And if some choices seem a bit extreme… so be it. They're necessary."
At that, Dumbledore said nothing, falling into a heavy silence.
After a pause, Dumbledore lifted his head, a flash of sharp wisdom glinting in his eyes.
"No matter what, I'll stick to my own principles. And I hope you mind yourself, Grindelwald. Don't forget—I'll always be watching you."
With that, both men rose to their feet at the same time. Their meeting, their sparring of words, had reached its natural end.
"Oh, by the way!" Just as Grindelwald was about to step out of the compartment, he turned back with a sly smile. "I've heard the professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts at your school changes every year?"
"And where exactly did you hear that rumour?" Dumbledore asked coolly, clearly unwilling to admit anything.
"That's hardly important," Grindelwald chuckled. Then, with a mock bow and a glint of mischief in his eye, he added, "What matters is… if you happen to need a professor this September, perhaps I might take the job."
"No need!" Dumbledore cut him off instantly, his refusal sharp as a whip.
What a joke—letting the Dark Lord who nearly toppled the entire wizarding world teach at Hogwarts? Even if the students fancied it, the Board of Governors and the parents' association would lose their minds.
In fact, they'd probably riot on the spot.
"Oh? And do you reckon you've got a better candidate, then?" Grindelwald asked, clearly unwilling to let the matter drop.
"Of course. I've already spoken with Mr Gilderoy Lockhart. He's shown some interest, so rest assured—Hogwarts won't be without a Defence Against the Dark Arts professor."
Dumbledore's eyes gleamed meaningfully, a flicker of vigilance behind them.
"Lockhart? You mean Gilderoy Lockhart?" Grindelwald mused, his tone laced with curiosity. "The flashy writer, the one with the Order of Merlin?"
"I didn't expect you to be so well-informed after rotting away in Nurmengard," Dumbledore replied smoothly, though his words carried a quiet sting of mockery.
"As I said, I keep a very close watch on certain… threads of that boy's future," Grindelwald shrugged, sighing as though disappointed. "But it seems no matter what I say, you won't give in. Very well then… forget it."
With that, he turned sharply and strode out of the compartment.
Dumbledore's gaze lingered on Grindelwald's retreating back, a knot of unease twisting in his chest. He couldn't shake the feeling that the old devil was scheming something—something he wasn't privy to.
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Drop Power Stonessssssssss!
[Note: Read up to Chapter - 180 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]