The whispers had not stopped since the match.
Even as the Sunday sun spilled lazily across the Hogwarts grounds, the excitement of the Quidditch game lingered in the air like leftover thunder. People still speculated about Harry Potter's broom incident—how it bucked like a wild Hippogriff, jerking and twisting midair until Elise subtly cast a grounding ward from the stands. No one had noticed the faint glimmer of runes that flickered across his fingers, nor the whisper of wind that steadied the Seeker's fall. No one except, perhaps, Dumbledore.
Elise walked through the corridor, robes rustling slightly. He wasn't thinking about the Quidditch incident anymore. What lingered with him was something… stranger.
That pull.
Not from the crowd or the system. From something else. A warmth at the edge of his perception that had stirred like an ember—something ancient and familiar. A call without words. A yearning without name.
He couldn't explain it. Only that, in the moment Harry had nearly fallen, he felt not fear… but an echo.
Like a voice buried in ash, whispering: Soon.
Monday Morning – Transfiguration Class
Elise sat beside Hermione as Professor McGonagall began her lesson.
"I expect the utmost concentration," she said sharply. "We will be practicing intermediate object-to-animal transfiguration today. You will not be turning teacups into tortoises if you cannot manage a matchstick into a needle!"
Hermione straightened beside him, quill already poised. Elise folded his arms, calm. His wand rested lightly in his hand. With a small flick, he turned the matchstick to a needle before McGonagall even finished explaining the wand movement.
She paused, looking over his shoulder.
"Well done, Mr. Blake," she said, with the rare curl of a smile. "It appears talent does run in the family, though in quite a different direction."
Elise didn't react to the name. Not anymore. That was his house now. Gryffindor. Even if the shadows of Slytherin heritage pressed in closer each day.
Afternoon – Charms
Professor Ludwig's classroom was filled with sunlight and chatter.
"Today," he announced, "we begin with Lumos. A basic but vital spell. Illumination is often the first shield between a wizard and the darkness."
Hermione had already mastered it. Elise followed shortly after, his wand tip glowing brightly as if it were guided more by instinct than repetition. Ron and Harry struggled a bit more but laughed it off.
"Blimey," Ron said. "You and Hermione are like walking libraries."
Hermione looked insulted. Elise only smiled faintly. "Better a walking library than a crawling fool."
"Oi!" Ron groaned.
The lesson passed without trouble, and Elise earned a few more points for Gryffindor. But more importantly, his system chimed softly in his thoughts:
+5 Fate Points.
Accumulated Points: 68
New Purchase Available in Personal Shop: [Phoenix Resonance - Tier 0.5]
He blinked. Phoenix Resonance?
His fingers hovered over the option mentally—but something told him to wait. The timing wasn't right.
Evening – Hogwarts Lake
When classes were done, Elise wandered alone to the lake, cradling the old guitar the house-elf had fetched for him. It was the only gift from his past life that truly stayed with him.
He sat beneath the oak tree by the water's edge. The wind was gentle. The leaves rustled like hushed voices. He played—not a sad song, not a happy one. Just a melody. One from a world far away. From a quiet room filled with books and silence.
The chords wrapped around him softly.
"I'm just a shadow chasing light / A name the world forgot to write…"
He let his voice trail gently with the breeze. Not seeking audience. Not chasing attention.
But they heard.
From the courtyard above, a few girls lingered near the edge, upperclassmen. One of them—Elise caught her silhouette—was from Ravenclaw. Sixth year, maybe. Another leaned in and whispered something.
"He's the one with the voice," she said.
"And the guitar."
"And that hair."
Elise didn't acknowledge them. He strummed one last note, then carefully tucked the guitar away.
Nightfall – Common Room
Back in Gryffindor Tower, he sat near the fireplace, eyes distant.
The system pulsed softly.
New Objectives Suggested:
Reach Occlumency Tier I
Investigate Phoenix Resonance
Unlock Room of Requirement Gateway Access
Save 100 Fate Points before the Winter Solstice
He nodded. It aligned with his thoughts. The Room of Requirement remained elusive, but he had narrowed it down to the seventh floor near the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy.
His mind drifted again… to that presence.
A heartbeat in the ashes. A song in the fire.
The phoenix. It was not a metaphor.
It was coming.
And he needed to be ready.