A week after the Hogwarts letter arrived, Elias found himself standing before a weathered brick wall behind the Leaky Cauldron, a timid house-elf named Tufty at his side and an umbrella clutched awkwardly in one hand.
His father hadn't come.
Of course he hadn't.
Cassian Blake was far too busy navigating the Ministry's web of power and politics to concern himself with school supplies or sentimental rites of passage. Elias didn't care. In truth, he preferred it this way. The fewer eyes on him, the better.
"Tufty is here, Master Elias, s-sir," the elf squeaked nervously. "To help carry all the books and things. Not to interfere. Not to displease."
"You're doing fine," Elias said calmly, his voice low and assured. "Let's begin."
With practiced fingers and a memory sharper than most adults, he tapped the bricks—three up, two across.
They shifted and parted, revealing the wonder he already knew was coming… yet still, Diagon Alley took his breath away.
☀️ A World Reborn
It was everything he remembered and more. The chaotic charm of the cobbled streets. The scent of parchment, sweets, and potion smoke mingling in the summer air. Robes fluttered as witches bustled past, owls hooted from their cages, and magical displays glittered from shop windows.
Elias moved like a tourist and a tactician. Each step was deliberate. His gaze lingered on certain shops—not out of awe, but analysis. Quality Quidditch Supplies, Magical Menagerie, Scribbulus, Florean Fortescue's… Each one a node in the web of canon.
Every detail counts.
His first stop was Gringotts. The goblins, surly and businesslike, barely acknowledged him. In the vault, he found more gold than expected—a modest but solid inheritance. Likely his mother's legacy.
He took enough to last the year and stepped back into the sunlight.
🪄 Ollivander's Wand Shop
A bell jingled as he entered the narrow shop. Dust floated in the sunlight streaming through the windows, illuminating towers of wand boxes. The air smelled of polished wood and something deeper—magic not yet claimed.
From the back, a pale-eyed man stepped forward.
"Curious," murmured Garrick Ollivander, studying Elias as if reading a riddle. "I've been expecting… someone unusual."
Not your name, Elias noticed. Good. Close enough to canon to avoid suspicion.
"I suppose I am," Elias replied with a slight nod.
Boxes were tested. Sparks, cracks, and even a small burst of wind erupted from a few. Tufty flinched with every attempt. Elias, however, remained calm, analytical.
Finally, Ollivander's fingers rested on a slim, dark box near the top of a dusty shelf.
"Blackthorn. Eleven inches. Phoenix feather. Slightly unyielding."
The moment Elias touched it, warmth spread through his fingers like morning sunlight on cold stone.
"A wand for one who has survived much—and learned from it," Ollivander whispered. "Blackthorn does not choose lightly."
+10 Fate Points — Divergence: Unique Wand Combination
Before Elias could respond, the bell chimed again.
A tall, silver-haired man entered, followed closely by a boy his age with pale blond hair and sharp features, and a woman in elegant navy-blue robes.
Lucius, Draco, and Narcissa Malfoy.
"Ah," Ollivander straightened slightly. "Mr. Malfoy. Always a pleasure."
Lucius barely spared Elias a glance. Draco did. Eyes raked over Elias—his wand, his robes, and the quiet confidence in his posture.
"You've already chosen?" Draco asked, tone slightly clipped.
"It chose me," Elias replied evenly.
🐍 Inside Ollivander's (After Elias Leaves)
Lucius watched the boy exit, brow furrowed slightly.
"Blake," he muttered. "That was Cassian Blake's son."
"Cassian?" Narcissa asked quietly. "From the Department of Mysteries?"
Lucius nodded. "He's risen quickly. Quiet, dangerous, and entirely without warmth. There are… whispers. That the boy was raised without any parental involvement."
"I've heard the same," Narcissa said, her voice distant. "Some say Cassian blames the boy for his wife's death."
Draco frowned. "He didn't seem weak."
"No," Lucius said slowly, eyes narrowing. "He didn't."
📚 The Knowledge Hunt
Elias breezed through Madam Malkin's, Potage's Cauldron Shop, and Eeylops Owl Emporium, careful to keep Tufty between him and nosy vendors. He endured the robe fitting, answered polite questions with clipped efficiency, and made quick decisions.
But it was Flourish and Blotts that held his attention.
He picked the required textbooks quickly—Standard Book of Spells, Magical Theory, History of Magic—then lingered. He wandered to the back, where older tomes sat untouched.
A tattered spine caught his attention. "Wandless Practice: A Forgotten Art."
He brought it to the counter with the rest.
"That one's not exactly meant for first-years…" the clerk said, raising an eyebrow.
Elias shrugged, offering a small smile. "I like to be prepared."
The clerk hesitated, then rang it up anyway.
Money is Money
+15 Fate Points — Divergence: Early Acquisition of Restricted Knowledge (No System Interference)
🪞 The Reflection
Back outside, the day was drawing to a close. The cobblestones glowed golden under the setting sun.
Elias paused at a window—Florean Fortescue's, where families gathered over ice cream. He didn't enter. Not yet.
Instead, he looked at his reflection in the glass.
Pale skin. Dark lashes. Ice-blue eyes that held the weight of two lives. The boy in the mirror was no Harry Potter. No prophesied savior.
He was Elias Blake.
And this world was about to change.
📈 Fate Divergence Summary — Chapter 2:
Unique Wand Combination: +10 FP
Non-hostile Interaction with Draco Malfoy: +5 FP
Early Acquisition of Restricted Knowledge: +15 FP
Total: +40 Fate Points