After I scared the cat away, Elizabeth continued showing us around her house.
It felt like we visited every single room...
We ended up in her bedroom, and by then I was growing irritated by the constant shouting of the two children.
I had already been stuck with Elizabeth and Matteo for two hours.
They didn't seem to notice that I had no interest in playing their childish games. They kept asking me to join, again and again, even though I always refused.
All I wanted was to focus on magic—but with them screaming in my ear every second, that was rather difficult...
In the end, I gave in and agreed to play a game with them, one that resembled Monopoly to some extent.
With a *plop*, a house-elf appeared at the door of the playroom.
"Young lady, Lucky is to tell you from your mother that you must come to the salon."
"Okaay~, come on, let's go," Elizabeth replied.
Finally!
My prayers had been answered.
We made our way to the salon—or rather, they ran, while I walked at a calm, steady pace.
By the time I arrived, the last of the three, I saw them both clutching cookies in their hands, arguing heatedly over who had arrived first.
"No, I was first—you know that!"
"No, I was!"
"NO, I WAS!" Matteo shouted back.
Such intense emotions.
Fascinating, isn't it?
To get so worked up over something so trivial...
Meanwhile, they kept screaming at each other.
Suddenly, to Elizabeth's left, a vase shattered.
The table trembled under Matteo's influence.
Cracks spread across the marble floor beneath their feet, widening outward in a five-meter radius.
Yet neither Elizabeth nor Matteo even noticed...
So this is the power of accidental magic.
The cracks in the marble—I could never have produced such a result, not even with all my effort.
By now, half the salon's marble floor had been damaged. White fractures marred the once pristine black surface.
What power.
Is this the difference between them and me?
They were born into families overflowing with magical might, while I had a weak magical core and cursed with natural Occlumency.
What advantage could my so-called older mental age possibly give me?
None.
Absolutely none!
The difference between us was suddenly clear.
I knew emotions played a role in magic, but not such a great role...
How could I ever bridge this gap, when they could scar marble floors at their age, while I still struggled to lift two measly pillows?
Inside, I boiled with frustration. But outwardly, my cursed Occlumency ensured my face betrayed nothing.
Anyone looking at me would see only indifferent blue eyes, as cold and detached as still water.
Neutral brows.
Neutral mouth.
Cursed with indifference.
What a joke.
The salon doors burst open with a loud *bam*.
Miss Sophie entered, accompanied by Aurora Zabini.
Shocked, Sophie's cold voice cut through the chaos:
"What on Mother Magic is going on here?"
Elizabeth and Matteo seemed to snap out of their trance.
Only now did they notice their surroundings.
Wide-eyed and open-mouthed, they stared at the wreckage.
The table lay overturned.
Shards of broken vases littered the floor around them.
The windows of the salon were webbed with cracks like a spider's web.
If I were in their place, I would be shocked too...
"I-I don't kn-know, M-mom," Elizabeth stammered.
Tears welled in her eyes.
"M-Matteo and I were arguing... and then I d-don't remember anything..."
Matteo stared at the floor, sniffling softly.
Aurora Zabini's venomous green eyes shifted toward me, narrowing.
"And what do you have to say, Aurelius?" she asked.
My detached voice filled the room.
"Matteo and Elizabeth raced to the salon. When I arrived, they were arguing about who had come first. Suddenly, a vase exploded, the table trembled, and then everything escalated... Fascinating, accidental magic, don't you think?"
At my last remark, her eyes narrowed even further.
"Why didn't you try to stop their fight?"
"Hm? I did try. But then everything exploded..."
"Enough, Aurora," Sophie interrupted. "Aurelius did his best."
She raised her wand and whispered: Reparo.
The room began to shift and mend itself.
The white cracks in the marble slowly receded toward the center.
On the counter, the shards of a vase reassembled piece by piece.
The fractured windows drew themselves whole again.
It was... as though I were watching a film in reverse.
Fascinating.
My mother appeared in the doorway.
"Is everything settled, Sophie?" she asked.
"Yes, all is well. The children are only in shock," Sophie replied.
Her golden eyes briefly met my blue ones.
She smiled at me.
I forced a smile back.
I really am a terrible son...
I couldn't even muster a real smile for my mother.
"One day," I promised myself, "I will heal my condition."
Green flames erupted in the fireplace of Shafiq Manor.
Morganna Shafiq and her son Aurelius Shafiq stepped out.
Once it was confirmed no one was hurt, we said our goodbyes.
As Aurora Zabini stepped into the Floo with her son, she cast me one last lingering glance before vanishing into the flames.
She seemed suspicious of me—for finding the oh so dangerous accidental magic fascinating.
That was precisely my intention.
If she suspected me, then perhaps there would be fewer "playdates" with the children.
And I wouldn't have to waste my time with them.
But maybe my plan had failed...
My thoughts were interrupted by my mother.
"Aurelius? I still need to go to the Ministry for work. Is it all right if you eat alone tonight?"
"Hmpf. Fine, Mother," I answered.
"I promise I'll have dinner with you tomorrow instead," she said, slipping on new shoes.
"Mother, tomorrow is Sunday. You're always home then..."
She paused. "Oh...Right."
She fetched an enormous wide-brimmed hat from the closet, placed it on her head, then bent down to look me in the eyes.
She smiled briefly, ruffled my hair, and kissed my forehead.
"Go to bed early, Aurelius, and don't forget to brush your teeth."
Green flames swallowed her, and she was gone.
For a few seconds, I stared at the fireplace for no particular reason, before shaking my head to focus on what really mattered.
Now it was time for magic.
There was one kind of magic in particular: physical enhancement.
It could be unlocked once one reached a 30% connection to their magic.
According to the book I read in the library, most wizards needed a wand for it—but talented ones could manage without.
Since I already could wandless magic, this body should be talented enough.
By channeling magic into the muscles, one could enhance them and perform superhuman feats.
In battle, magical reinforcement was essential.
However, without Occlumency, it could not be used to its full potential.
After all, what use is strengthening your body to inhuman levels if your mind cannot keep up?
Alas, only a handful of wizards could ever hope to achieve that level of proficiency in Occlumency, as it was reserved for the rarest of the talented few in Occlumency.
Nevertheless, it wasn't necessary for a beginner to master the mental arts in order to practise physical enhancement.
I focused on my magical core in my chest until it flickered to life.
I directed the magical flow into my left arm. Once it reached my hand, I concentrated on the muscle fibers there.
The book suggested imagining threads of magical energy wrapping around the hand, forming a cocoon.
So I did exactly that.
Warmth spread through my hand, growing stronger and more intense.
I could feel my hand strengthening.
I walked into the garden, keeping the flow steady so the reinforcement wouldn't fade.
The air was filled with the scent of grass, earth, and towering pines.
I felt at ease.
I bent down, picked up a small stone, and clenched it in my magically reinforced hand.
When I opened my palm, the stone had been crushed into dust.
I—a six-year-old child—had shattered a stone.
Excited by my success, I redirected the magical flow into my legs.
Bending low, I jumped.
One meter.
Two meters.
Three meters!
By the time I reached four meters, my ascent slowed, and I peaked at four and a half.
From that height, I saw the forest surrounding the estate and the river north of the house.
But the moment passed quickly.
I began to fall, plummeting toward the ground.
Someone else in my position would have panicked.
I didn't.
I simply channeled more magic into my legs, warming them with power, and landed without a scratch.
Maybe... just maybe, there was still hope for me after all.
[A/N:
What did you think of the chapter?
Have a good day!]