The Alchemy Sect disciples were curious and respectful toward Harry and Pyra.
Harry was the first to extend the life of his salamander and form a deep connection with it. He could even use Pyra's flame, though it was better suited for combat than potion-making.
"Some disciples of the Martial Hall have been doing the same as you," one disciple mentioned to Harry as they chatted.
"Ars was invited from the Sanctum to help with forming a spiritual bond between the disciples and their salamanders," he continued.
Harry looked surprised. "Ars is a disciple himself, though," he said.
"He has a powerful corporeal spirit, something most masters don't have. Ars wanted to learn our arts as well, so it was beneficial for both parties," another disciple explained.
Harry nodded at the explanation, then smiled at Pyra, gently stroking her head. The salamander chirped happily, leaning into his touch.
At the Ravenclaw table, Ars seemed to be explaining the situation as well.
"So, I accepted Elder Xiao as my alchemy master and helped the Martial Hall disciples," Ars said casually, feeding Grub.
Aaric noticed this and glanced toward the Gryffindor table, where many disciples now sat with their salamanders perched on shoulders or curled in their laps.
He turned his head toward Fleur, tilting it slightly. "How will you continue your studies at Hogwarts?" he asked her.
She paused mid-bite, thinking for a moment before speaking. "Wee weel be beezy weez ze tournament. So… self-study, non? And Madame Maxime, she might conduct some classez in ze carriage… from time to time," she said with a small shrug.
Aaric smirked and drawled out his words, "What will you prepare for? We don't even know what the challenges are."
Fleur paused, frowning at him.
"And the champion hasn't even been selected," Aaric added with a grin. "So, except for the champion, will everyone else just practice… cheerleading?" He snickered, pointing at Lucien.
Lucien coughed, caught off guard, while Fleur glared at Aaric, her grip tightening on her fork as she briefly contemplated using it like a shank.
Aaric noticed the look immediately. "You should ask Madame Maxime to consult Dumbledore about whether you can join classes here at Hogwarts," he suggested quickly, very much not wanting to get stabbed.
Fleur exhaled slowly and nodded. "Good idea… I am surprised eet came from you," she said before continuing with her food.
"At least I considered the thought," Aaric said with a nod—only to wince when Daphne's elbow started drilling into his side like a corkscrew.
Fleur noticed the exchange and smiled sweetly instead of replying.
Half the Hogwarts boys at nearby tables nearly melted from the smile and were left slack-jawed in awe. Luna giggled at their reaction.
That night, Aaric dreamt he was running for his life from Daphne, who was chasing him with a comically oversized drill.
A light giggle came from above, and Luna floated down gracefully, landing in front of him like a fairy.
"Will you dream with me?" she asked, holding out her hand.
Aaric accepted as always, and off to the dreamlands they went.
Their island had changed drastically since their last visit. The tree Aaric had been nourishing had grown to a colossal size, and even the island itself had expanded.
The tree now stood beside the well, and the majestic stag stood protectively over them both. Large, strange fruits hung from the tree's branches.
Aaric offered the stag some treats, then tilted his head. "Isn't this rate of change a little too fast?" he muttered.
Luna hummed softly. "Time here moves differently compared to our reality," she explained.
Noctelle leapt from Luna's shoulder, instantly growing to a massive size. She circled the tree, inspecting the fruits closely.
There were four fruits in total, each large enough to fit a person inside. Shapes could faintly be seen within them.
Luna approached the tree and placed her hand on its trunk. Aaric followed suit, his hand resting gently over hers.
Suddenly, a happy, innocent giggle echoed in their minds.
"You seem to be doing great," Aaric muttered.
"Yes… but you don't visit me enough," the tree's voice pouted inside their heads.
Aaric and Luna glanced at each other, then quickly apologized and explained the reason for their absence.
Once satisfied, the tree shifted its focus to Luna.
"You carry the sands of Morpheus. Very dangerous. Greedy gods might hurt you for it," it warned gravely.
Before they could react, the tree released a burst of soft light that wrapped around Luna's wings, transforming them into delicate, transparent, fairy-like wings.
Luna staggered slightly, but Aaric immediately caught her by the waist, making sure her hand stayed connected to the tree.
After a moment, Luna steadied herself, breathing deeply.
"Are you hurt?" Aaric asked, concern etched in his voice.
Luna shook her head.
"Safe now," the tree reassured them in their minds.
Luna smiled and thanked it.
"What's up with the fruits?" Aaric asked, looking up at them curiously.
"You wanted a city. A city needs people. These are people," the tree said, its leaves rustling gently.
Aaric raised an eyebrow. There were only four fruits, but he simply shrugged and moved away from the tree with Luna.
"Gods seem to have a presence here," Aaric said seriously. "We should get more information about the dreamlands, we might be playing with fire."
"Who do we consult?" Luna asked softly.
Aaric's lips curled into a mischievous smile. "I have a guy…" he said mysteriously.
He took a step back, clasped his hands together, and closed his eyes.
A moment later, he felt a warm, gentle hand touch his head.
"Now you remember me?" Vasuki teased, pinching his cheek playfully.
Luna blinked in surprise, her wide eyes silently asking Aaric for an explanation.
"Oh, yes! This is Luna," Aaric said quickly, lifting Luna slightly by her shoulders and holding her up like a doll to present her.
"And this is Vasuki, a goddess," he said, setting Luna back down and gesturing toward the smiling deity.
He went on to introduce the tree and the stag as well only for Vasuki to flick his forehead sharply.
"Stop playing around," she scolded, her hands on her hips.
Aaric rubbed his forehead, wincing, while Vasuki turned to Luna and hugged her warmly. She explained that she had known Aaric for a very long time.
Luna nodded absently, still processing everything.
"You wish to know about the dreamlands?" Vasuki asked, and both children nodded eagerly.
They sat on the ground, and Vasuki began to explain.
"You know that dreams leak into this place and become real, right?"
Both Aaric and Luna nodded.
"This well is something called a divine source," Vasuki said, pointing toward the well beside the tree.
"Every island in the dreamlands has one, and every world in the material universe has one as well," she continued, gesturing around them.
"When mortals from either the material plane or the dreamlands worship a god, that faith manifests through these wells."
Aaric tilted his head, curious. "You were born from a well too?" he asked.
Vasuki chuckled softly. "I am… different," she replied, her eyes twinkling.
"Should I grab a bucket and rope, scoop up some gods, and see what comes out?" Aaric muttered under his breath.
Vasuki gave him a deadpan stare while Luna pouted at his irreverence.
"Long story short," Vasuki continued dryly, "gods can use their full strength here and come and go as they please."
Luna looked a little afraid at that, her new wings fluttering nervously.
"You don't need to worry," Vasuki reassured her, patting her head gently. "No gods will harm you here."
Aaric smirked and tilted his chin up arrogantly only to immediately receive another forehead flick from Vasuki.
A/n: all the stones of power shall be mine.