Early the next morning, Marius Cloud woke up to the warm sunlight spilling through the windows of his bedroom. He dressed quickly and headed downstairs in high spirits.
"Good morning, Mother, Father."
"Good morning! You look quite cheerful today, little Cloud."
Elara Cloud smiled as she directed the family's house-elves around the parlor. After marrying into the Cloud family, she had adopted her husband's surname according to British custom.
"Well, it's not every day you turn eleven," she said warmly. "And we've gone all out with the decorations—of course you'd be happy."
"Turning eleven and receiving a Hogwarts letter—naturally we wanted to make this celebration special," added Alaric Cloud, barely looking up from his copy of the Daily Prophet.
In truth, Marius was in a very good mood—but not just because of the party. Last night's surprise, the activation of the System, was what truly had him thrilled.
Seeing her son fully dressed and presentable, Elara Cloud immediately took on her motherly tone. "Now remember, today's party isn't just about your birthday. It's also to celebrate your Hogwarts acceptance. Your father and I have invited many important guests. Be on your best behavior, alright?"
"Yes, Mother~"
Marius responded with the perfect picture of obedience. Satisfied, Elara turned back to directing the décor, content that her son was, as always, mature and self-sufficient beyond his years.
As noon approached, the Cloud estate began welcoming its many distinguished guests.
Elara's earlier reminder proved well-founded—today's celebration was a showcase of the Cloud family's pure-blood prestige. Only the most prominent names in Wizarding Britain had been invited.
Not every pure-blood is nobility, but every noble must be pure-blooded—and the most elite families still held immense influence, just like in the old days. No fewer than five Ministry officials arrived to congratulate Marius, and none of them were nobodies. Among them was none other than Cornelius Fudge, the current Minister for Magic!
"Happy birthday, young man," Fudge said with a wink as he entered the hall.
Marius, however, had no interest in the man's pudgy face or beady little eyes. He responded flatly, "And what about a present, dear Minister? Surely your well-wishes aren't only verbal?"
Fudge was momentarily taken aback. He hadn't expected the boy to be so blunt. Still, he wasn't unprepared.
"Well, considering your age, I figured dangerous magical items would be inappropriate," Fudge said, chuckling awkwardly. "And I wouldn't want your father holding me accountable. Since you'll be attending Hogwarts this year, I carefully selected a gift that suits your needs perfectly."
With that, he motioned to the man behind him—Ludo Bagman, head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Grinning broadly, Bagman handed Marius a long, wrapped package.
"What's this?" Marius already had a strong suspicion.
Bagman beamed. "Just a little something from the Minister and me. It's the latest model from the Nimbus company—Nimbus 2000. Hope you like it!"
"Whoa~"
Marius let out a low whistle. This was the perfect gift. He'd always been curious about flying brooms—especially how wizards managed to ride those skinny sticks without destroying their tailbones.
Previously, Elara had always deemed brooms too dangerous and forbidden him from touching one. But now that he had his own Nimbus 2000, there was no stopping him.
Brimming with excitement, Marius mumbled a quick thank-you before hurrying off to inspect his prize. Fudge didn't seem to mind his abrupt departure. In fact, he barely paid it any thought.
It wasn't so much that Fudge didn't care—it was more that he didn't consider Marius worth caring about. He was only here as a courtesy to Alaric Cloud. As far as he was concerned, Marius was just another spoiled heir with mediocre talent who would eventually drag his family name through the mud.
"Cornelius! You're looking quite sharp today," Alaric Cloud greeted the Minister warmly.
Elsewhere in the estate, Marius had begun receiving visitors of his own.
"Happy birthday, Marius!"
A clear, sweet voice rang out as a little girl with golden curls threw herself into his arms. Marius chuckled and gently patted her soft head. "Thanks, Astoria."
Astoria Greengrass gazed up at him with her big, glistening eyes. She was nearly a head shorter than him and clearly upset. "Daddy said you'll be leaving for Hogwarts this year… Are you never coming back?"
Tears were already welling up in her eyes. Little girls really do cry at the drop of a hat, Marius thought with a sigh. But he spoke gently: "Don't worry, I'll come back for the holidays. And by next year, you'll be going to Hogwarts too."
"Really?" Her mood changed instantly. "Then I want to be in Slytherin! Daddy says it's the best House!"
Marius laughed. "Of course you will be. If even the precious daughter of the noble Greengrass family can't get into Slytherin, then the world must truly be broken."
"Hmph. That's not up for debate. I'm absolutely getting into Slytherin—no question about it!"
That snide voice came from behind them, and Marius didn't even need to turn around to recognize it.
Sure enough, it was the blond-haired, gray-eyed brat himself: Draco Malfoy.
When it came to pure-blood pride and self-importance, the Malfoys were in a league of their own—even Marius had to admit defeat in that department.
Astoria stuck her tongue out at Draco and quickly hid behind Marius, who narrowed his eyes.
Draco, meanwhile, put on a comically serious face and declared, "On behalf of the Malfoy family, I offer my greetings. And a word of advice: For the honor of the Cloud name, you might want to keep your distance from childish little girls like Astoria."
Ah, so the future husband begins by insulting his bride, Marius mused. Classic case of a little boy bullying the girl he likes…
He couldn't help but smile. "Draco, who I choose to spend time with isn't your concern. Or are you itching for another round of humiliation?"
Draco immediately panicked. "I-I'm warning you, don't try anything! My father's here today!"
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