Saturday, 29th September, 1990 Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry
Whilst the entire school was buzzing with excitement over the first Quidditch match of the season, a certain Heir of the three Ancient and Pure-blood Families was inside the secret lab and library hidden in his customised trunk.
He sat at his study table, reading a volume on Advanced Transfiguration while cross-referencing passages in a tome of Magical Theory.
Altair had been sitting and reading here for over two hours, having taken his breakfast early in the morning.
Suddenly his eyes stopped moving and a frown marred his face. He glanced at the block of goblin silver resting on his desk, then opened the chest beside it and took out an enchantingly shiny pure sapphire from his collection of gemstones.
His right hand reached for his wand, not the one on the table, but the one hidden inside the magical necklace Vulcan had gifted him.
Only last year had he discovered that it was the family heirloom of House Morvaine and had once belonged to his ancestor, Morgana le Fay Morvaine. Priceless and powerful, this locket always fascinated him, and there were still things about it that he did not understand.
Taking out his elder wand, he set the gem beside the block of goblin silver and spoke the incantation.
"Transfiguro."
Magic flowed, refined and amplified by the wand's core, and the block of silver reshaped itself into an elegant necklace. The pendant formed the likeness of his familiar, Strix, the sapphire now resting at the bird's chest in a small but intricately detailed necklace of its own. The work shimmered, and the goblin silver was eager for enchantments.
Luckily for it, he had a number of them in his mind.
Had Professor McGonagall been present, she might have fainted at seeing him permanently transfigure something with such ease, then weave enchantments that even the finest enchanters would struggle to perform.
Half an hour later one of the most beautiful magical artefacts lay on his desk, and a light smile touched his lips at succeeding in what he had intended.
He did not know why the idea had crossed his mind, but he felt proud of himself. Very proud.
A sudden knock reverberated through the room. He slipped his elder wand back into the locket, stored the necklace, closed the books and plaved then in the spots on the shelf. Only then he picked up his second wand and walked towards the stairs.
"Yes, Aurelia?" he asked his fiancée, who was waiting in his room, dressed and ready.
"Are we not going to the Quidditch game?"
"Of course we are, love." He smiled, closed his trunk, sealed it, and slid his wand into its sleeve.
"What were you doing?"
"Transfiguration and Magical Theory."
She rolled her eyes and hugged his arm.
"You study too much."
"It isn't boring for me." He chuckled and walked into the attached bedroom that belonged to her and Cho.
"A minute!"
Cho was brushing her hair, and exactly a minute later she set the brush down and picked up her muffler, ready to go.
There was hardly anyone in the dormitory, and even the castle seemed empty as they walked through it.
They found everyone at the Quidditch stadium, and although there was still half an hour until the match, the crowd was already cheering at the opening-ceremony performances, setting the atmosphere alight.
It was an ordeal to find their way up to the Slytherin stand and take their seats, but they managed it, and Cho's infectious excitement soon wrapped Aurelia and Altair in as well.
The young Black sensed a certain pair of eyes on him from the staff stand and knew exactly whose they were.
However, he refused to entertain the Headmaster, whom he, for some reason, found very dangerous and untrustworthy. His instincts told him to never associate with that old man.
Paying no attention, he did not spare a glance in the old man's direction, and the Headmaster soon looked away.
When the last performance ended, a familiar voice rang through the stadium.
"Good morning, witches and wizards! My name is Felix Merriman. For those of you who don't know, I am a Ravenclaw in my Seventh Year, and this season will be the last in which I'll be commentating…"
At his words the majority of students let out a playful groan, "Aww", making the first-years chuckle.
"Yes, yes, I know you're all very sad, but today is not the day I leave this mic!"
Instantly the crowd burst into loud cheers, nearly rocking the sky.
"I hope you've got your scarves and hot chocolates ready, because the first match of the season is about to kick off!"
More cheers followed; his energy was truly infectious. A remarkable talent to control the crowd.
The two teams soon walked out of the tunnels and Felix continued.
"The Lions look hungry. Who do we have? Let's see…
Charlie Weasley, of course. He's the captain and has probably slept with his broom since first year. Newcomers will soon learn he's a superb flyer.
Oliver Wood is in goal, as expected. Try getting a Quaffle past him and you'll realise how annoyingly good he is.
Chasers Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson and Ian Maddock know how to find the hoops and are never afraid to show off. Always a headache for opponents. Watch out as they look ready to feast upon the Badgers.
Who are the Gryffindor Beaters today? Wait, when did they rejoin Gryffindor?"
The crowd burst into laughter when they saw the familiar twins, who were no longer hiding their hair.
"Fred and George Weasley are making their first appearance in the Cup, their first match, only Second-Years yet trusted with the bats to keep the Bludgers away. If any of those crazy balls start acting up, you know who to blame. Give a round of applause for the newcomers and Gryffindor!"
Altair did not clap and the Slytherins kept their hands still as well. It was a clear statement, and their act amused a lot of people.
The twins, especially, looked restless and awkward until Felix spoke again.
"Looks like Slytherin are playing mind games even though they're not flying today. Watch out, Lions, you're up against Badgers backed by Snakes."
The atmosphere instantly brightened.
"And look at them, those Badgers in yellow: determined, focused and definitely not pushovers. Led by their captain and keeper, the heart of their team, Roland Cadwallader; Chasers Owen Cauldwell, Esther Smith and Basil Flume; Beaters Malcolm Preece and Fergus Brassington; and wait, is that Cedric Diggory? The boy the whole of Hufflepuff has been buzzing about since his selection. Another Second-Year playing for the first time. Let's see if his eye for a Snitch is as sharp as claimed."
Altair watched the new Hufflepuff Seeker, a pure-blood wizard whose magic was powerful, refined and brimming.
Undoubtedly a wizard destined for success. He was one of the few who had truly surprised Altair at Hogwarts, alongside Gemma and, of course, his cousin Nymphadora.
Madam Hooch flew to the chest that held the balls, signalled to the teams, who mounted their brooms and took to the sky.
The Bludgers shot up as soon as she opened the chest, and then she freed the Snitch, which vanished at once.
Her assistant retrieved the chest while she took the Quaffle; once the pitch was clear she threw the ball skywards and blew her whistle.
Angelina, the Gryffindor Chaser, anticipated perfectly, met the Hufflepuff Chaser, seized the Quaffle and passed it to Alicia.
Seconds later the Lions scored the first goal.
The second goal took a little longer, but Gryffindor scored again.
Their Chasers were simply better.
Altair, Aurelia and Cho keenly observed every player, including the Weasley twins who, to be fair, were excellent Beaters for their age.
They not only kept their Chasers safe but also targeted the Hufflepuff Keeper, helping their team slip the Quaffle through the hoops.
As the match progressed, the Hufflepuff stand grew quieter and quieter.
Even when their team scored, the Badgers tensed, always watching the deficit grow.
Hufflepuff were down 130 points when Cedric and Charlie spotted the Snitch at the same time and gave chase, creating a moment that would be remembered.
The Yellow and Black Team bet everything on Cedric and focused solely on defence, denying Gryffindor further goals.
All eyes were soon fixed on the two Seekers coiling through the air.
Cedric was good, no, brilliant, and already matching Charlie, widely regarded as the school's finest Seeker.
Then happened what no one was expecting. The Second-Year, fearless or reckless, dived for the Snitch, and that instant of hesitation from Charlie, put the younger boy fractionally ahead.
The crowd turned silent at what they witnessed next as the young boy pulled ahead and chased the Snitch only a couple of metres above the ground.
Everyone held their breaths, some clenched their fists and instinctively stood up, and when what they were starting to hop for finally happened, they fell into a trance.
The next moment Felix's voice reverberated round the stadium.
"Would you believe it. Cedric Diggory, Second-Year and already a hero, has nabbed the Snitch from right under Charlie's nose. Hufflepuff have done it. They prayed for a miracle and the miracle arrived in the form of a twelve year old boy. The Badgers have won the match by 10 points!!!"
The stadium erupted. Altair stood and clapped at the brilliance he had witnessed.
His housemates cheered and applauded the Hufflepuff hero as well.
Banners around the stadium turned to Hufflepuff colours, signifying their victory.
"Look at that, yellow and black everywhere. Gryffindor in shock, the Hufflepuff lot are crying, Charlie cannot believe what has happened and I think Madam Hooch is smiling. No one saw this coming, least of all the Lions. Hufflepuff takes the win. The staff and three stands on their feet, even Slytherin are applauding. First match of the year, first match for Cedric Diggory, and he has turned everything upside down. I believe we are in for a season full of surprises. Buckle up, lads and lasses, the Quidditch Cup is back at Hogwarts!!!"
On the pitch the Hufflepuff team threw aside their brooms and lifted their hero above their heads, tossing him while the stadium roared.
Altair, Aurelia and Cho remained in the stadium until the team disappeared into the tunnel, then walked towards Hagrid's hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
The girls did not know the reason why Altair was leading them there, and even the half-giant was surprised to see them.
"Blimey. What're you three doin' out here at this hour? Not in trouble, are yeh?"
"Oh, we just wanted to visit you," Altair said, peering inside. "I saw you carrying a baby hippogriff. May we see it?"
His words surprised the girls, and Hagrid grinned.
"When did yeh see that? Must've been this mornin'. Come on in, let me introduce you to Buckbeak."
Aurelia and Cho rushed in to see the creature, and Altair followed.
On the soft sofa lay a beautiful young hippogriff, peacefully asleep, a bandage around its left fore-leg, and they hushed their voices so as not to disturb it.
"Hippogriffs are noble, proud, but they brawl a lot. This lad was attacked by an adult after refusing to bow, but his mother stepped in," Hagrid explained.
"When will he be all right?" Cho asked.
"In a few weeks. Madam Pomfrey did what she could. Magical creatures need to heal naturally to build resistance, so we cannot close every wound with magic."
"Oh."
"He'll be fine. It's normal for their kind to suffer knocks when they're young."
"When does the Fantastic Beasts Challenge start this year, Hagrid?" Altair asked, and the half-giant's face lit up.
"October 28th. Planning on takin' part, eh?"
"Yes." Altair smiled.
"Well, yeh can. It's not too dangerous. Everyone can enter only once in their school life, so if yeh do it now, yeh can't try again."
"I know. The tasks are the same as last year, right?"
"The last task is. The first three change every year. Well, third task is always the Banner one, but the Magical Creature changes every year."
"All right. Just tell me, will this year's Challenge be fun or not?"
"Depends," he said, grinning, "but they're always fun, especially for those watchin' yeh sweat."
The three chuckled and stepped closer to little Buckbeak, who woke and gave a soft cry when Altair approached. To Hagrid's amazement the creature leaned into Altair's hand, accepting the gentle stroke, and the half-giant smiled at the sight.