Sean's current strength had already reached the level of some adult wizards.
Of course, a wizard's power wasn't strictly tied to age. An adult wizard could be strong—or laughably weak. A regular third-year Hogwarts student could easily defeat a feeble adult wizard. On the other hand, a powerful Auror could effortlessly take down ten of those same weak adults in a heartbeat.
Sean was certainly no weakling. But he wasn't on the level of an Auror either.
And he knew that well.
The magic in this world was far more potent than what he remembered from the Harry Potter books. The Aurors, in particular, were far stronger—nothing like the average fighters he had once thought them to be. As elite combatants of the Ministry of Magic, they were an entirely different tier.
So, even though Sean's magical prowess was already quite remarkable for his age, he didn't feel the slightest bit of arrogance. On the contrary, he remained acutely aware of how far he still had to go.
And with that mindset, on the final night of his second year at Hogwarts, Sean turned in early and went to bed.
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Early the next morning, Sean, Blaise, Andy, and Jason followed the rest of the students out of Hogwarts and made their way to Hogsmeade Station. Their luggage and pets had already been sent ahead by the Hogwarts house-elves, so they had nothing to worry about.
The return train rumbled into Platform 9¾ at King's Cross Station, surrounded by the usual din of chattering families and bustling students.
After getting off the train, the group of four parted ways. Blaise and Andy spotted their families waiting and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Sean and Jason, meanwhile, soon spotted Aldridge, who was standing near the barrier, accompanied by Sean's house-elf, Emerald.
As soon as Aldridge saw Sean, he strode forward with his usual air of formality. He wore his trademark slim-fitting black robe—immaculate, wrinkle-free, and flawlessly pressed.
After offering Sean a respectful bow—and completely ignoring Jason—Aldridge said, "Master, at last, I may return to your side and once again carry out your orders."
"It's been a while, Aldridge. Are you well?"
"I am fine, Master. Thank you for maintaining contact. Aldridge will remember your concern."
"All right, enough with the sentiment. I can't wait to see Caesar and my parents. Let's head back quickly." Then, turning to Jason, Sean added, "Jason, you should go home too. Unless something unexpected happens this holiday, I don't plan on going out much. I want to spend time with my parents and Caesar. You should get some rest as well."
Hearing this, Jason nodded and saluted, replying, "Understood, Master."
Sean froze for a moment at the word.
Master.
Right—outside Hogwarts, they were back to that relationship again.
He opened his mouth to say something—but in the end, he said nothing. He simply nodded and said, "See you next term."
"Goodbye, Master."
Jason gave another respectful bow and turned to leave.
The whole time, Aldridge and Jason had exchanged a long, silent glare. The tension between them was obvious—these two had never liked each other, and Sean still hadn't figured out a way to fix it.
Once Jason was gone, Sean turned to Aldridge and Emerald. "Emerald, take my gifts and Kulkan home first. When you arrive, prepare some fresh bird eggs and meat—feed her when she wakes up."
"As you command, Master."
With a soft pop, Emerald vanished.
Watching Emerald disappear, Sean couldn't help but feel a trace of regret.
House-elves were creatures with obedience etched into their very being. It simply wasn't in their nature to raise a hand against a wizard. Even Dobby, who had been a complete outlier among house-elves, only attacked Lucius Malfoy when he was left with no other choice.
Sean had once considered whether it might be possible to duel with house-elves—to observe or perhaps even acquire their unique, wizard-independent form of magic. But after attempting this both at Hogwarts and at home, he found that the idea was a dead end. The house-elves refused outright. They wouldn't duel, wouldn't defend, and wouldn't even entertain the thought.
In the end, Sean had to shelve the idea. At least for now. Perhaps there would be another opportunity someday.
After walking out of King's Cross Station, he found a car already waiting by the curb.
Glancing at the logo on the front, Sean raised a brow and asked, "Aldridge, why'd you rent something so high-end?"
Aldridge replied at once, "Master, this is no rental. This is the family car, and the driver was hired by the family. His name is—"
Before Aldridge could finish, the man in question—likely in his fifties—turned from the front seat with a warm smile and said, "Master Sean, the name's John. Everyone calls me Old John. You can too."
Then, lowering his voice slightly, he added, "Also, I'm a Squib. So you don't have to worry about me overhearing anything magical."
Before Sean could respond, Aldridge nodded and added, "Master, John is a skilled driver and a respectable man. Both your father and mother are very fond of him."
"Haha, much obliged, Mr. Aldridge," Old John replied with a cheerful laugh.
John turned out to be quite the talker—full of stories and pleasant chatter. And since he was a Squib, Sean didn't need to tread carefully with magical subjects when speaking to Aldridge along the way.
The car carried them smoothly and directly back home.
Sean and Aldridge stepped out of the car and returned to the house.
As soon as they entered, Sean saw Margaret sitting in the living room, gently rocking the cradle, while Adrian was in the kitchen preparing a warm drink for her. It was a scene that made Sean feel at ease. A month before the baby was due, he had written to his father, asking him to take special care of his mother after the delivery, ensuring she had time to rest and recover properly. Judging by what he saw now, Adrian had followed through exactly as Sean had hoped.
"Dad, Mom, I'm back."
"Sean, come over here, let me have a look at you."
Adrian handed the warm milk to Margaret, then came to Sean and gave him a once-over, nodding with satisfaction. "You've grown taller—much taller. You must be around 1.75, 1.76 meters now?"
"About that," Sean said. "I haven't measured recently."
"Well, that's good. You've filled out too. You look strong—healthy."
No sooner had Adrian finished speaking than Margaret, holding Caesar in one arm and the milk in the other, called out, "Sean, come here quickly and let me see you. Stop chatting with your father and come say hello to your mother!"
"Alright, alright—I'm coming. I'm eager to see Caesar anyway."
Sean hurried over and sat beside her. He leaned in to hug both Margaret and the tiny bundle in her arms, before carefully lifting Caesar into his own arms.
Looking down at his sleeping baby brother, Sean's face broke into a genuine, gentle smile.
Seeing that smile, Margaret and Adrian exchanged a look—both smiling with quiet relief.