[ May 7th, 1972. Beauxbatons Academy. ]
On a quiet and warm French night, one of the three most famous and prestigious schools was immersed in sleep. Tired students preparing for their annual exams slept, and some for their final ones. Teachers slept, who get no less tired, and sometimes even more than students, trying to stuff knowledge into empty and unwilling-to-be-filled heads of pupils so that it wouldn't fall out at least by the next lesson.
Director Olympe Maxime slept on her custom-made, enormous, three-meter-long and wide bed, contemplating romantic dreams. After all, what woman doesn't want to feel loved, especially a woman with such a big heart in every sense? Even the eternally restless fairies slept, who tirelessly drink nectar and occasionally allow others to enjoy their beauty.
Only the occasional chirping of crickets could be heard. In this sleepy idyll, this realm of Morpheus, two silhouettes crept, whose faces and hair, even if it were day around them, were hidden by bandanas. But a moonless night reigned around them and there was no one to reveal their treacherous movements and plans.
Now a wand appeared in the hands of one of them, which began to trace pirouettes. First wave, and they stopped making any noise. Second, and they became invisible. Third, and the grass trampled under their feet straightened up, not betraying their movements.
Invisible waves continued one after another and now, no dog could smell them, no technological device could see them, and even their aura became unnoticeable. Invisible and inaudible, they were still cautious — one shouldn't underestimate the constantly modernizing security systems of such an ancient and mighty school, because many daredevils and fools had been caught on this.
Now, the first obstacle appeared before them. It would seem, at first glance, an ordinary trimmed lawn? But no, this was Devil's Snare, which was sadly famous for capturing intruders and not letting them move from their spot. If one tried to break free from its grip — it injected paralyzing poison, not very toxic, but most people had enough of even that.
Did this stop the mysterious silhouettes? Not at all. One of them had long anticipated such a thing and pulling silvery powder from a bottomless bag, sprinkled it on the grass, which calmed down and let them pass, not trying to detain them at all. Pollen of the sleeping flower worked not only on animals, people, and wizards.
Further there were two paths: try to climb to the second floor to the third window from the left, where their innocent target was located, or try to go through the doors. It would seem, take a broom and there you are at your goal. But this was a trap for fools — not only were the windows hidden by complex illusion and you never knew where you'd end up - at the evil matron's or where you needed to go, but the alarm would also go off when trying to take flight.
One could use other charms, but even here not everything was so simple — breaking through enchanted glass was extremely difficult and even if this succeeded, no one had canceled the alarm. And that's it, finita la commedia. Therefore, there was only one path.
By opening the front door with an ordinary "Alohomora," a stupid intruder wouldn't know that this way he would immediately give himself away. Therefore, the second intruder pulled a key from his bag, which seemed to change shape on the go, and inserting it into the lock, one only had to wait.
Finally, the lockpick stopped jerking in the keyhole and with an easily distinguishable click, the lock opened. Further, having cast charms on the hinges that wouldn't let the creaking betray the two creatures, they cautiously entered inside.
The first one was about to quickly rush inside, but the second held him back with his hand and shook his head. Further they had to avoid the contours of traps and signal charms. Credit should be given to the intruders, because the second seemed to know where and how to step, and the first stepped in his exact footsteps.
Sometimes they had to carry each other with "Wingardium Leviosa" and "Levicorpus," sometimes hide from vigilant patrols and try to calm their breathing and heartbeat so as not to give themselves away. Finally, they reached their target, and at this moment the first almost made a fatal mistake, brushing a drop of sweat from his heated forehead onto the floor.
At the last second, the second managed to catch it, disapprovingly shaking his head, reproaching the first's inexperience. He only shrugged apologetically in response.
The most difficult part — the target's door, leading to an individual room. Such rooms are allocated only for merit points and only for a year. A privilege worthy of the best of the best and therefore having the best protection.
Just breaking the magical circuits took the experienced charm expert, the first one, about an hour. Dawn was breaking outside and they needed to hurry. And finally, the door finally gave way. Fortunately, the artifact lockpick handled the lock mechanism.
The two intruders entered inside with triumph in their emotions, not forgetting to close the door behind them. They found themselves in a room where everything spoke of a young girl living in it.
Soft, pastel colors of beige and gentle blue wallpaper with geometric patterns. Moving photographs of her mother and, apparently, friends in frames on shelves. Most frequently appeared a photo of a long-haired boy who looked like a girl, with serious amethyst eyes that didn't suit such a childish and beautiful face.
On a double bed with a blue canopy, having spread her wheat-colored hair, the room's owner snored in an unladylike manner in a starfish position. Her nightgown had ridden up, revealing silky red underwear to view, but not allowing details to be examined. Especially the beginning-to-form and eye-catching curves that had almost eclipsed the teenager's angularity.
The first one blushed heavily and the second immediately covered his eyes, after which, waving his wand, he concealed the shameful improprieties that could embarrass an immature mind.
Carefully approaching, they pointed their wand at the girl who suspected no danger and... shot a salute that turned into words shining with gold:
"Happy Birthday, Apolline"
***
"Ow, that hurts!" — hissed Patrick, whose burn on his chest Apolline was treating with a cotton ball soaked in potion.
"And what the hell were you two idiots doing breaking into my room?" — the girl asked angrily, deliberately slapping the guy's burn, causing another groan of pain. It's his own fault, I immediately put up "Protego," predicting the reaction. By the way, the girl was no longer angry as at the beginning, but rather embarrassed and happy that we hadn't forgotten about her birthday, even in such a way.
"Couldn't you congratulate me differently? I don't know, let's say, like NORMAL people?" — she inquired with undisguised sarcasm.
"We're not people, actually. And you said I was boring and rarely have fun. So what's wrong now?"
"Don't use my words against me. And about being boring, I didn't mean you needed to break all the rules by climbing into the girls' wing and into my room! What if you had seen me in an improper state? You didn't see anything, did you?" — she blushed. Patrick, hold on! Don't give us away!
"Well, Patrick!" — I cried to the heavens, seeing how my friend was blushing. Eh, you still have so much to learn, my student, I thought, dodging new fireballs.
…
After the brutal beating of the poor wolf cub, since catching me wasn't so easy, as well as restoring the room after the fire that almost started, we finally could do what we came for — congratulate and give gifts.
I decided to read a speech, since my colleague was not in condition. Even though I had cast a minor healing on him, again disguising it as the invented "Paracelsus" charm, he was completely broken and defeated morally by the seemingly fragile birthday girl.
"I'll be brief. Apolline, I remember you almost all the time I've known myself."
— "In this new body," I mentally added.
"And all this time I haven't seen a more beautiful and intelligent girl, and later young woman, than you. Just as I haven't found a more faithful friend. Even though we've had quarrels and deceptions, that's life's business and the past. Therefore you're dear to both me and Patrick, who's smitten by your beauty. And dear things must be protected, so I'm giving you this."
After which I pulled from my bag a beautifully decorated wooden box in red wrapping tied with a green ribbon. Apolline quickly tore the wrapping and I had tried so hard to wrap the gift beautifully. Merciless.
The wooden box itself wasn't the gift, but I showed off and with transfiguration "carved" on the lid a picture of the birthday girl's face. On the sides were scenes from life featuring all three of us, and at the bottom was my face.
Inside was a silver pendant on a chain of the same metal, reinforced with charms. In the center of the pendant was depicted a stylized harpy, in which I wanted to show not only the strength and predatory nature of veela, but also their beauty. Instead of the harpy's two eyes, small sapphires were set, and in her hand she held what looked like a fireball - a large yellow topaz.
"How beautiful! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" — Apolline threw herself at me with embraces and kissed my whole face from joy. Then she came to her senses, became embarrassed and asked. — "Will you help me put it on? It's your gift after all."
"Of course," — I agreed with a smile, observing the jealous look of the wolf cub who had come to his senses. My friend moved aside her mane of hair, disheveled because of us, and I, fastening the treacherous chain that didn't want to help me with this at all, decided to explain that this wasn't just jewelry.
"The appearance is more my attempts to make a functional artifact beautiful."
"What can it do?" — the girl immediately guessed that not everything was so simple with my gift, especially since I had previously given her a bracelet for veela and other magical trinkets, like an alarm ring.
"It has three properties," — I finally fastened the chain and felt regret in her emotions that I had managed so quickly. — "First is danger warning. If someone or something wants to harm you, and this could even be a brick accidentally falling on your head, it will heat up. The more dangerous and closer in time the situation, the more it will heat up."
"Like a Sneakoscope?" — Patrick asked and I nodded in response.
"Like a Sneakoscope. Only in a more convenient form. Its second property is automatic installation of magical protection in danger or at the wizard's will. This can be done by pressing the green stone," — I didn't say that the amulet was almost a side effect of my research. I had only just learned to stuff ethereal armor into artifacts, and even without conflicts with other charms.
"And the third?" — Apolline asked.
"And the third is a breakthrough device," - seeing Patrick's eyes widen as he understood what this was, I immediately added. — "And it's better not to tell anyone about this. Inside the medallion you'll be able to find three pearls, they're enchanted as beacons for the breakthrough device."
"What is that?" — I was about to answer, but gave the word to Patrick.
"It's a Portkey that allows apparition even from areas under anti-apparition charms. Where did you get it? It's illegal!"
"Not quite so. They can't be sold, but no one prevents making them. Especially since three hundred years ago, they were allowed and finding schemes, though difficult, is possible." — Here I fibbed a little, the breakthrough device was helped to be created by knowledge of spatial magic from Lerach's book. All that was needed was to expand the apparition channel and stabilize it. Though this sounds simple in words, but in practice I probably killed a hundred doppelgangers. Not to mention the unsuccessful mountain of spoiled breakthrough devices.
"And will they go on sale soon?" — the birthday girl asked with slight offense. Well yes, it was awkward with the first bracelet, even though it was made in the form of a beautiful snake and was unique.
"They'll never go on sale. Maybe I'll make similar ones functionally for myself and mom, if desired, I can make a gift for Jacqueline, Patrick, Alain and Ludwig - they're too complex to produce."
"And too dangerous in the wrong hands," — Patrick surprised me with his grim statement.
"Correct. It's the perfect escape tool for a criminal. Do the deed and regardless of any obstacles and attacks, you can run away. And thanks to advance warning of danger, this can be done even before law enforcement arrives."
"Arthur, are you sure? Such an expensive and serious thing," — it seems we scared the girl, and she was already doubting the necessity of such a gift.
"Of course, it's a gift after all. Moreover, until you tell someone yourself — for everyone else it will be a simple medallion or unknown artifact, if someone more knowledgeable is found," — with astral sight, for example.
"Then thank you once more!" — she rejoiced.
Patrick's gift turned out to be a metal animated figurine of the girl herself, which could dance. He did all the work himself, though not without my help — I helped with selecting the necessary literature and charms. And even though his gift was cheaper than mine, the girl appreciated the very fact of labor and attention, and the blushing hero received his share of reward in the form of a kiss on the cheek, which made him blush like a poppy again.
And then he went to the hospital wing — to treat burns from the overly hot-tempered object of love. True, before this, we had to make our way back through the girls' wing like two robbers of the US gold repository Fort Knox. And why are there so many traps here?
Since it was a school day, I didn't meet with my friends until evening, except for breakfast and lunch. But after, we took croissants collected from breakfast, which hadn't gone stale in my bag, tea I had brewed, sweets ordered in advance by owl post, and went to the lake shore, where watching Apolline dancing with the Pixie figurine, we enjoyed the play of the setting sun on the water surface and the pleasant evening breeze.
"Friends, perhaps the question will seem strange and too serious to you, but what do you want to become in the future?" — taking a sip of delicious mint tea, I asked.
"I want to be an Auror," — Patrick surprised me again for today.
"After that incident?" — hinting at our acquaintance, I asked, and the guy nodded.
"And I don't know," — after a long silence the girl answered. — "That's probably bad, right?"
"Not necessarily. After all, it means you can become anyone and try many occupations. I also do many things," — taking another sip, I said.
"We've already noticed that," — the girl laughed, throwing an enchanted candy into her mouth, which hissed and exploded in the form of a mini-firework. Amusing thing, makes your tongue tingle. — "But you yourself didn't answer what you want to become."
"I want to become a wizard."
"But you're already a wizard!" — Apolline poked me, causing me to almost spill my tea.
"Hey, careful! Tea is sacred!" — I protested. — "I mean I'm interested in magic itself. I'm not attracted to things like titles and mastery for their own sake. Our family has money, and if there's not enough — we'll release another artifact on the market. I like magic, I like the magical world and studying it. Take your pendant — anyone else would consider it a very expensive complex artifact for a gift. But for me it was a joy to make something new. Especially for my friend."
"So you want to become an Artificer?" — Patrick clarified.
"No, rather an Archmage," — I answered. Not in the sense that I want to reach his level of power, though not without that, of course. But his level of knowledge and understanding of the world.
***
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Thank you for the help with the power stones!!!