The next morning I sat in the Great Hall enjoying my breakfast two perfectly poached eggs resting on my plate with some bacon and a warm cup of ginger tea in hand. The quiet morning hum of Hogwarts surrounded me, students chatting and clattering dishes. That's when I saw Hermione walk briskly over to my table.
"Callum," she said firmly, " Can you come with me?"
I nodded, took a final sip of my tea, stood up, and followed her out into the corridor. Just beyond the entrance stood Harry, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, a faint bruise on his left cheek from our duel the day before.
" Hello Harry," I greeted.
Harry straightened. " Hello Callum, I... wanted to apologize about yesterday," he said, voice steady but honest. "I was too stubborn. I shouldn't have rushed to fight you, and I should have listened to what you had to say. I'm sorry."
I nodded. "I understand, Harry. Trust me, I can't begin to understand the pressure that the title of 'The Boy Who Lived' must come with. People expect great things from you that no child should have to deal with."
Harry smiled faintly. " Yeah, and I did nothing, it was my mom that saved me and beat Voldemort, but no one celebrates her. I'm not sorry for trying to beat you, though. I wanted to surprise you over the summer break. I've been working on those spells in secret."
That got a grin out of me. "You did surprise me. I didn't expect those Lumos bombs or that barrage of fireballs. You're the first person to ever damage my invisible wall. Honestly… you gave me something to think about."
Harry blinked. "Wait, really?"
"Yeah," I said. "You've got good instincts, and you're very powerful, Harry. You took spells we already knew and made them better. I want to learn how you do that and try my variations with some spells. From you."
Harry's face lit up. "You want me to… teach you?" "Of course. I think you're brilliant."
Hermione, standing nearby with her arms crossed, huffed. "Good. You two shouldn't be knocking each other unconscious in the first place."
Ron arrived just then, yawning. "Yeah, honestly, if you two worked together instead of throwing spells at each other around… nobody could stop you."
I shrugged. "We're only eleven, Ron. Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
We walked back toward the Great Hall as I continued. "I heard from Dumbledore, by the way. Flamel moved the Philosopher's Stone. It's no longer at Hogwarts—it's in a secure location, guarded by someone in my family."
Hermione's curiosity flared instantly. "Why would the Headmaster tell you that?" I smiled lightly. "We had a long talk after I received my O.W.L. results."
Her eyes widened. "But the O.W.L.s are taken at the end of fifth year! How did you take them so early?" I shrugged casually. "When the Ministry came for me during the Slytherin incident, I requested to sit for the exams. Professor McGonagall personally proctored them."
"And your scores?" Hermione asked quickly.
"Outstanding in every subject I tested for," I replied. Hermione's jaw dropped. "That's incredible!"
Ron shook his head. "Honestly… not surprised."
I pointed a finger at them. "Which reminds me… You all better pass your classes, too."
Ron groaned. "Studying is brutal…"
I cut him off. "Tell you what, Ron. If you get four Outstanding grades on your end-of-year exams, I'll give you 1,000 Galleons and buy you a brand-new broom."
Ron's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Are you mental?" "I'm completely serious," I said firmly. "Four Outstanding grades. I'll pay up."
Ron's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "And if… hypothetically… I got an Outstanding in every class?" I grinned. "Then you get a bonus reward."
Ron leaned in. "What kind of bonus?"
"Ah," I said, wagging a finger, "that's a surprise." Ron shook his head in disbelief. "All Outstanding… that's insane! I'd need Hermione's brain to pull that off."
"Good thing it's only January," I pointed out. "You have time, and the three of us will help you study. But you'll have to put in the work." Ron looked between me, Harry, and Hermione before a grin spread across his face. "Alright… you're on. Deal."
We shook hands on it, solidifying the agreement. After leaving the trio, I made my way straight to the Room of Requirement. The corridor was quiet; most students were busy with morning classes. I walked three times in front of the blank wall, thinking of a training chamber suitable for Shadow Manipulation, and the door appeared.
Inside, I stepped into a wide, circular room with reinforced floors and moving targets along the walls. Once I was sure I was alone, I summoned him.
"Blood." My shadow rippled and rose, forming into the familiar silhouette of the shadow knight. The black armor formed over him with quiet efficiency, his faint blue eyes flickering as he stood straight, silent, and awaiting my command.
I spent the next few hours running him through the motions.
"Push-ups—until failure," I ordered. Blood dropped and began hammering out push-ups, his movement fluid despite his featureless face. "Run. Full laps—non-stop. Jump when I say, slide when I signal," I continued.
He followed every order without hesitation or faltering. Sprinting, leaping, sliding, adapting to every random instruction I could think of, but the one thing that didn't change… was the silence. He still didn't speak.
I exhaled through my nose, thinking. Then, an idea came to me. I began sifting through the forgotten items in the corner of the Room of Requirement. Old trunks, books, useless bits of junk.
Eventually, I found a rusty short sword with a worn leather scabbard. Drawing it out, the blade was dull, chipped, but it had enough weight for practice.
I tossed it toward Blood. "Take it. Ten thousand forward slashes, then ten thousand side slashes, both left and right. Full range of motion."
Blood caught the sword in one smooth motion and, without hesitation, began slashing forward, starting the long drill.
I left him there, satisfied with the progress, and walked toward the Astronomy Tower. I found Helena hovering along the balcony railings, staring out over the snow-dusted grounds. Her expression brightened as she turned to me.
"Callum… I'm glad to see you. The other ghosts said you might not return after… everything." I gave her a small smile. "An Unbreakable Vow is an Unbreakable Vow, Helena. Even if I wanted to back out, I couldn't."
Her expression softened. "You… have my mother's Diadem, don't you?"
"It's safe," I confirmed. "I haven't purified it yet, but before my third year, it will be completely cleansed of Tom Riddle's corruption."
Helena smiled softly. "I believe you will keep your word Callum."
"Which brings me to why I came," I said, stepping closer. "I believe I might have a way to make you more… solid. And not just for a few minutes."
Her eyes widened slightly. "How?"
I opened my palm, summoning the smoky white Philosopher's Stone, and let it hover above my hand, swirling gently. "This is a very powerful magical artifact that can help me do almost anything. "Combined with my Shadow Manipulation, I can manifest you with form. I can create a shadow body you can inhabit and leave Hogwarts with me in. Later, when I'm more skilled with human anatomy and alchemical construction, I could even make you a full body—something close to a homunculus, but I would prefer to get some of your hair or even dry blood so I can make a body as close as possible to your original."
Her brows furrowed. "Homunculus?"
"An artificial human body created through alchemy and magic," I explained. "I've never made one… yet. The stone will do most of the heavy lifting. Until then, the shadow form is the quickest and safest option."
Helena floated closer, uncertain. "And… how would that feel?"
I shrugged. "Honestly? No clue. That's part of the experiment. This is still your choice. I will not force you to do anything you do not want to do." She hesitated for a few seconds before nodding. "I'll travel within your shadow until you learn enough to create a proper body. To be honest, I'm a little scared I haven't left the castle in so long that I thought I would be here until the end of time."
"Well, now you have a different choice, and this time you're only in my shadow temporarily. I summoned a dark puff of smoke and let it hover above the floor.
"Step in," I told her.
Helena looked at it nervously. "Will it hurt?"
I shrugged again. "No idea."
Her ghostly form looked amused for a brief second, then determined. "I trust you."
She drifted forward and slipped into the swirling smoke. The shadow compressed, twisted, and reshaped. The haze condensed into a humanoid, feminine figure, elegant, with the outline of a flowing dress. I got close and stared at the shadow figure. no distinguishing features and no response like blood. I wonder do I have to give her name to?
"Awaken… Helena." Her shadowy body straightened, and brilliant purple eyes blinked open for the first time. Her expression shifted in wonder as she looked at her own hands, then her body, flexing her fingers.
"This… feels strange… but whole," Helena murmured.
So she can speak. I wonder if it's because for blood, I used a soul fragment, and Helena is a full soul. I stepped back, placed a fist to my chest, and bowed. "Welcome back, Princess. I will take care of you."
"Princess?"
You are Rowena's Daughter, so you are the soon-to-be reborn heiress of the Ravenclaw family. She then did a graceful curtsy. "Then I will be in your care, Callum."
"Go into my shadow, I will call you from time to time," I commanded. She nodded and instantly melted back into my shadow. With that done I headed back to the Room of Requirement. The door opened, and I stepped inside.
Blood was still at work, sword swings echoing through the chamber.
"Good." I opened my system interface.
"A.I.A., enable notifications."
Acknowledged. Notifications enabled.
Immediately, multiple notifications exploded in front of me in bright gold lettering.
My eyebrows raised.
"So… what's this about?"
As I opened the string of notifications, my eyes narrowed slightly in surprise.
> Shadow Manipulation: Novice (0%) → Advanced (28%)
Shadow Familiar: Blood (Knight)
Shadow Familiar: Helena (Wizard)
"A.I.A," I called out calmly. "Explain. What exactly are Shadow Familiars and what are they capable of?"
Her calm voice answered within moments. "Shadow Familiars are direct extensions of your power. Utilizing your Shadow Manipulation ability and Death Touched trait, you have created familiars linked to your personal shadow. The more you utilize them in training, combat, and magical study, the stronger they will grow."
I leaned back slightly, watching Blood continue his non-stop sword swings, blade slicing through the air mechanically, his blue eyes unblinking.
I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. "Can Blood not can't speak, because he is made of a fragmented soul but Helena can because she is made of a full one?"
"Yes," A.I.A replied.
"Helena retained her ego because her soul fragment was complete. Blood was formed from a incomplete piece of the Baron's soul. He has only fragments of will, enough to obey orders and perform basic learning tasks, but not enough to form language or complex reasoning—yet."
I hummed in thought, fingers tapping rhythmically against the table.
"So," I said aloud, "if I took one of the Horcrux soul fragments… and combined it with Blood, could I create something entirely new?"
"Calculating," A.I.A responded.
Her voice took on a tone I rarely heard—focused and analytical. That alone made me pay closer attention. Calculations were reserved for advanced, high-risk analysis.
Then came the ping.
> Calculations complete.
"You can combine soul fragments from Horcruxes with existing Shadow Familiars. This will result in the creation of a unique ego within the shadow entity. Blood's structure will evolve, granting access to both magical and knightly skills."
My eyebrow twitched in amusement. "So… a magical swordsman?"
"Yes," A.I.A replied. "Furthermore, abilities will develop based on your own fighting style preferences, combined with the traits of the consumed soul fragment. There are no fixed 'classes'—your choices dictate their path."
"Interesting," I murmured, eyes flicking to Blood, his blue eyes glowing faintly while his sword endlessly sliced through the air.
I summoned Helena from my shadow. The tall feminine shadow form emerged gracefully, her long dark hair shifting slightly, her violet eyes observing the room with curiosity until they landed on Blood.
Her expression shifted with slight intrigue. "Who… is that?"
I explained simply. "That's Blood. Created from the Bloody Baron's fragmented soul. He's nothing like the Baron himself—no memories, no ego… just a blank slate taking shape from the fragment's raw energy."
Helena tilted her head, violet eyes locked on him for a moment. "He… feels calmer than I expected."
I gave a brief nod. "That's by design. Can you work alongside him?"
She smiled slightly. "If it furthers your goals, especially my full resurrection, I will cooperate without question."
"Good," I said. "I want you to start practicing wandless magic."
Helena frowned, shifting slightly. "I… never learned how."
I waved my hand and summoned an old notebook from my hidden inventory—pages filled with messy scrawl from my younger self, documenting early-stage wandless magic concepts and personal trial exercises.
"Start with these," I instructed. "They helped me build the foundation. Start from the absolute basics—projection, control, concentration."
She accepted the notebook and drifted to the other side of the Room of Requirement, selecting a quiet corner to practice.
I watched her settle in, her form kneeling gracefully, already trying to summon basic flickers of magic from her fingers.
"Good," I murmured.
I turned back to my notification screen, eyes narrowing as I scrolled through the updated details of my abilities and familiars.
The next few months settled into a routine I never thought I'd have. My school life at Hogwarts became… normal.
I divided my time between two worlds. With my fellow Slytherin housemates, I attended classes, studied, and kept my grades at the top of the year. Even Draco had calmed down, becoming more focused after a few private training sessions with me and Nikita. On the other side, I continued my quiet but intense training with Harry, Hermione, Ron, and occasionally Neville, working through spell theory, dueling, and our joint project on advanced defensive magic.
The constant grind pushed my quest progression forward. Notifications appeared weekly, showing progress bars ticking up—Zero to Hero, Leader of the Pack, Influence Harry Potter's Life, and even A New Queen Soars, all steadily creeping higher. The rhythm of progress was satisfying.
Time passed faster than I realized, and before long, the end of the year was approaching.
The Ministry of Magic also settled from the chaos of the winter months. Kingsley, Amelia Bones, and their new structure started making slow but notable improvements. Even the Aurors were getting training revamps, or so Kingsley wrote in his letters.
Umbridge, on the other hand, remained persistent and annoying. Every other week, she sent me an owl, nagging about my Permanent Beautification Potion—wanting updates, samples, and guarantees. As always, I ignored most of her letters or sent back vague, non-committal responses that were polite enough to avoid trouble.
Madam Bones, however, was far less patient. She practically chewed my ear off via letter every other week, pressing me for updates on the Grindelwald proposition, reminding me how insane it sounded, and frequently warning me of political fallout. I entertained her because she was at least honest and straightforward, but I stuck by my position.
Meanwhile, Hogwarts had its own subtle shifts.
With Quirrell's departure—disappearance more like it—Snape was assigned to cover Defense Against the Dark Arts for the remainder of the year. That decision caused an immediate divide among students. Personally, I didn't mind; Snape's sharp teaching style meant we actually learned something useful.
I kept tabs on Voldemort using my location mirror spell. Small check-ins once a week. He was in Japan most of the time. From what little I could observe, he seemed to be studying in private libraries, keeping to himself, avoiding trouble. If I had to guess, he was diving into Asian magical theory, perhaps experimenting with foreign magic or curses, testing the Unbreakable Vow's restrictions.
"Tom's being Tom," I muttered on more than one occasion. "But that's a problem for another day."
Helena continued to surprise me.
Her transformation into a shadow familiar had removed her previous limitations. She took to wandless magic with incredible speed. By the third month after our contract, she could float objects, create light constructs, and even assist in training Blood during weapon drills.
But it came with a cost.
I learned that the Shadow Familiar Bond connected Helena directly to my mana pool. Her spellcasting pulled from my reserves. Blood's presence wasn't a problem—he only drained me when he was destroyed and reconstructed. But Helena, actively casting, using magic, drained me constantly.
I found out the hard way.
One moment I was fine, brewing a potion during class, the next I collapsed outright—blacking out in front of everyone. Madam Pomfrey tended to me, and I brushed it off as over-training, which wasn't a lie.
After recovering, I spent a full week testing the limits and mechanics. The conclusion was simple: if I didn't find a way to increase my mana capacity or teach Helena to generate her own internal mana reserve, I would eventually burn out or collapse again. I drafted ideas—mana regeneration techniques, magical absorption studies, and rune-crafting for ambient magic siphoning. I'd need time, but I had a direction. I would use my Mana Meditation, method more to keep off the overuse of my mana reserves.
Before I realized it, the last day of our first year arrived. The Hogwarts Express was scheduled for tomorrow.
All the students gathered in the Great Hall for the End-of-Term Celebration, dressed in their formal house robes. Professor Dumbledore stood at the front, eyes twinkling as ever, and the long tables were stacked with food for the upcoming feast.
This first year was closing, but everything I had built… was only the start of my foundation and the start of my fall.