For one entire week straight—
Alexander's mornings were not his own.
Every single day…
He was rudely awakened.
But by two loud, red-headed twins shaking him like a ragdoll.
"Rise and shine!"
"Chaos waits for no one!"
Before he could even process reality—
He was already being dragged out of bed, out the door, and down the road towards the Burrow.
Breakfast at the Burrow.
Gnome tossing in the garden.
Prank brainstorming.
Motion picture watching.
Hide-and-seek practice planning for next year.
It became routine.
A very loud, very chaotic routine.
One evening, something different happened.
The Chen family received an invitation.
Dinner at the Burrow.
Alexander expected at least some awkwardness.
But the moment they arrived—
He realized he was wrong.
Mr. Weasley and his parents already knew each other from the Ministry.
They greeted each other as old coworkers reunited.
Handshakes.
Laughter.
Work stories that Alexander and the twins immediately ignored.
Dinner itself was lively.
Mrs. Weasley cooked a full traditional meal.
Roast.
Potatoes.
Vegetables.
Homemade bread.
Eleanor praised the cooking sincerely.
Mrs. Weasley beamed with pride.
Halfway through dinner, Eleanor smiled and said—
"One of these days, you must all come to our house. I'll cook for everyone."
Mrs. Weasley blinked in surprise.
"Oh! That would be lovely. What kind of dinner?"
Eleanor smiled warmly.
"An Asian-American dinner."
Mrs. Weasley's eyes lit up like fireworks.
She clasped her hands excitedly.
"Oh my, I've never had that before!"
The twins looked equally interested.
"New food?"
"We're in."
The evening ended with laughter, full stomachs, and plans for future dinners.
A few days later—
Alexander finally told the twins:
"I'll be busy for at least one week."
They froze.
"…Busy?" Fred repeated.
"In summer?" George added, horrified.
Alexander nodded.
They looked devastated.
But after a moment—
They sighed.
"Fine…"
"We'll allow it."
Though their dramatic sadness lasted exactly two seconds before they ran off to prank Ron.
That week—
Alexander locked himself in his room.
He pulled out a secured textbook and handwritten notes.
Given to him by his parents.
Advanced Shield Magic.
If basic Protego was a small wall—
These were fortresses.
He began with:
Protego Duo
A stronger, reinforced version of the standard shield.
Denser.
More durable.
Capable of blocking heavier spell impacts.
Next:
Protego Maxima
A large-scale barrier.
Wide enough to cover entire structures.
Long-lasting.
Designed for battlefield or fortress defense.
But casting it alone wasn't enough.
It required support spells.
Fianto Duri — to strengthen and harden the barrier.
Repello Inimicum — to repel hostile forces away from its perimeter.
When layered together—
They formed a near-impenetrable defensive domain.
Alexander practiced the theory first.
Wand movements.
Incantation timing.
Magical output control.
Barrier layering sequences.
He treated it like constructing magical architecture.
But he could not do it on a large scale; it would alert the Ministry and get his parents in trouble.
So he just cast his spells on his bed for practice.
Then came:
Protego Horribilis
Another large-area shield—
It resisted dark magic more effectively than standard barriers.
A protective dome against curses and malicious spells.
Alexander found this one particularly interesting.
He couldn't wait to use this against the Death Eaters in the future.
Next:
Protego Totalum
An extension barrier.
Used to expand shield coverage.
Link shields together.
Or maintain long-term defensive zones.
Ideal for campsites… or hidden bases.
Alexander mentally noted several future uses.
Then he reached the final section of the textbook.
He flipped the pages slowly.
And frowned.
One spell was missing.
The one he wanted most.
Protego Diabolica
A forbidden defensive dark magic spell.
It created a ring of black fire around the caster.
Protecting them while incinerating approaching enemies.
Beautiful and Terrifying.
But the pages containing its full instructions were missing.
His parents had deliberately withheld it.
"They probably thought it was too dangerous…" he muttered.
Still, he couldn't help imagining it.
Standing calmly…
Surrounded by black flames.
Untouchable.
Anyone who approached was forced back by the inferno flames.
Those that dare to cross the terrifying flames were burnt to death.
He let out a small laugh at the mental image—
More amused by the aesthetic than the destruction.
"…It would look pretty cool though."
He shook his head and refocused.
For now—
Mastering the advanced Protego variants was more than enough.
Seven days.
Seven days of pure shield training.
By the end of the week—
His defensive magic had advanced far beyond a standard witch or wizard.
When he finally stepped outside again—
He already knew.
The twins were waiting.
And chaos would resume.
But now—
Alexander will master these shield barrier spells because he had plans for them.