In theory, killing a dragon and refining its core into a Dragon Crystal allowed a mage to inherit that dragon's power.
That was how Dragon Slayer magic had originally been born.
And the Black Dragon?
Its power was consumption itself.
It devoured all magic and reduced it to raw energy, making it immune to spellcraft and turning it into the end of all things.
If Rowan could kill Acnologia and forge a crystal from its heart, he would gain that same absolute negation.
Every spell used against him would simply vanish.
Against mages, that was checkmate.
Even against enemies stronger than him, as long as they couldn't outmuscle his body, they'd still lose.
And if his other-world self managed to master energy-source techniques from that new realm he'd discovered, the effect might end up even cleaner.
The next morning, Rowan left the western continent with the Fairy Tail guild and Zeref, heading for Tenrou Island.
Zeref and Mavis would live there together, far from cities and politics.
Rowan planned to stay as well, using the island as a base to digest everything he'd gained from the western campaign.
More importantly, he wanted time to exchange magic theory with Zeref and Mavis.
Zeref's demon-creation magic fascinated him.
Rowan's own research into artificial life had barely scratched the surface.
If he ever wanted to build a world of his own one day, true life-creation would be non-negotiable.
—
At the same time, in the wizarding world.
"…If you cast the Extension Charm inside the car first, then compress the outer shell afterward, the interior volume stays the same. That way the body can slide through narrow gaps without damaging the frame."
Rowan stood in the Burrow's garage, sketching spell matrices in the air while Arthur Weasley watched with rapt attention.
Arthur's grasp of magical engineering was genuinely impressive.
Whenever Rowan had a free evening, he stopped by to trade ideas with him.
"Dad! George! Dinner's ready!"
Ginny Weasley poked her head into the garage, her long red hair catching the light.
A second head appeared behind her.
"Long time no see, George."
Rowan grinned. "Long time no see, Hermione."
He'd known Hermione was coming.
She'd written to him days earlier, saying she'd be staying with the Weasleys and heading to the Quidditch World Cup with them the next morning.
Harry, meanwhile, had already moved out of his aunt's house and into Grimmauld Place with Sirius.
With Azkaban shattered and Death Eaters roaming free, Privet Drive was no longer safe.
Lily's blood protection only worked against Voldemort himself, not his followers.
Grimmauld Place, protected by Dumbledore's Fidelius Charm and guarded by Sirius, was far more secure.
As they walked toward the house, Rowan glanced sideways at Hermione.
"…Did you do something different with your hair and teeth?"
Hermione froze for half a beat.
Her hair had been smoothed into soft waves instead of its usual storm-cloud frizz.
Her front teeth were normal now.
Light makeup. Subtle lipstick.
Neat brows.
The difference wasn't dramatic.
But the contrast was.
Before summer break, she'd looked like a textbook-perfect academic gremlin.
Now she looked like a school celebrity who just hadn't realized it yet.
"It's just Sleekeazy's Hair Potion," Hermione said quickly. "And I used a Shrinking Charm on my teeth. That's all."
Then she changed the subject with surgical precision.
"Are you coming to the World Cup with us tomorrow?"
Rowan smiled. "Yeah. I'm not as busy as Percy. Thought I'd tag along."
Umbridge had been doing her best to keep him out of the spotlight, assigning him almost no real work.
So most of his days at the Ministry were spent trading magic theory with actual experts across departments.
Occasionally, he showed up for England's World Cup trials.
And, predictably, he carried the team straight into the finals.
He never grabbed the Snitch immediately.
That would've been boring.
Instead, he waited until his team was hopelessly behind, then ended the match in one dramatic sweep.
A miracle comeback always played better than a flawless stomp.
Between the Sirius incident and the Cup qualifiers, Rowan had become famous across Britain.
Now, thanks to the World Cup circuit, he was known worldwide.
The youngest Seeker in history.
The comeback king.
The man who turned guaranteed losses into impossible victories.
Half the wizarding world was openly obsessed with him.
By tomorrow, that number was only going to grow.
Rowan adjusted his jacket.
"…This season's going to be annoying."