"Done?" asked Tiara, looking over the couch.
"Yes," nodded Christian as he sat next to his aunt.
"Anything you want to share?"
"Hmm, not really. Wait, is there such a thing as a potion that increases focus?"
"Not that I'm aware of," she replied.
"There is," added Sullivan, and everyone looked at him. "The Focus Potion— it increases a person's focus and, thus, their ability to wield their magic. Sadly, the recipe has been lost since the late 1800s."
"I've never heard of such a potion," commented Arielle.
"I didn't either, but on a recent raid, we found a few preserved vials in the basement of a Dark Witch," explained Sullivan. "She has been trying to recreate the formula and believed people's brains were the key ingredient."
"There are children present," said Arielle.
"Oh, sorry."
"No, tell me more," asked Christian, very interested.
"It's classified information, so that's all I can say." Christian rolled his eyes as if he would not believe these words. The four spent the next hours chatting, mainly about Sullivan's strange cases or Tiara's weird encounters in ruins or tombs.
Dinner soon arrived; afterward, it was Christian's reading time. After today's defeat, he was determined to increase his progress in Transfiguration, so he decided to focus on these books for now. Later that night, he showered, brushed his teeth, and put on a bonnet for bed; he had decided to sleep with his mother despite having his own room in the house.
While helping his mother fix the bed, Christian suddenly asked, "Does Aunt Ariell have fertility issues?"
Tiara paused before asking, "What makes you say that?"
"She obviously loves children by the way she treats me, and she even works at an orphanage," replied Christian; the house was full of pictures of him or their family. "And today, when I mention her giving me a cousin, her body obviously stiffened, and she immediately changed the subject."
Tiara sighed, "There is no point in hiding it. Sit." Christian sat next to her and listened.
"Remember when I said my family sent us abroad because of trouble at home?"
"I do."
"A little over a year later, we received news that a Dark Wizard killed everyone: my mother, father, and granni. I… was devastated."
"I can imagine," muttered Christian, laying his head on her shoulder.
"The grieving process was difficult because of the anger and hatred I was feeling. I was slowly losing myself because of it. Luckily, your father and Dumbledore helped me through it."
"Dumbledore?" Christian did not expect that.
"Yes. While your father was a comfort and a shoulder to cry on, his wise words made me see a bright future instead of a bleak one," explained Tiara before sighing again. "Unfortunately, in my grief, I forgot about my sister. While I had a support system, she had no one."
"You can't blame yourself for that," reassured Christian.
"I can. I am the eldest and should have looked after her." She had many regrets, and this one was among the biggest. Christian did not know what to say, so he asked what had happened afterward.
"She was also driven by hatred, so she seeks comfort in the Dark Arts," replied Tiara. "I did not know until I received notification from Ilvamony that she was being expelled and her wands taken away for the practice of Dark Magic. I immediately rushed to see, and that's when I knew she wanted revenge and believed dark magic was an answer. I couldn't blame it, as I once felt the same after the event. But I had people to warn me, but her."
She could imagine what a 14-year-old Arielle felt as she grieved the passing of their family alone.
"The Dark Magic…" asked Christian.
"That's right—the price she paid was the loss of her fertility," nodded Tiara. "The news almost broke her since she was among us who always wanted a large family."
Christian was silent for a while. "How did she recover?"
"I brought her to the UK to live with me. I wanted her to enroll at Hogwarts, and Dumbledore even agreed, but she did not want to attend school. It took years for her to recuperate, and she mostly healed because of Eleanor."
"Her? What did she do?"
"She introduced her to a therapist," explained Tiara. "She also suggested that Arielle work at an orphanage close to children. At first, I was worried that this would have an adverse effect, but she was correct."
"That explains why Aunt Arielle now runs her own orphanage. Why did she return to the US?"
"During You-Know-Who's later reign, he became more extreme, so I sent her away from the core of the battle since his focus was mainly in the UK. I also made her the Secret Keeper to the Fidelius Charm I placed in our house, and your father was hers."
Christian was intrigued by this Fidelius Charm, but knew this was not the time to ask. "I'm glad Aunt Arielle can find happiness with Uncle Sullivan."
"Me too. According to her, he's the only man who accepted her past and did not see her as someone with a 'deficiency' like others."
Christian had to admit that his love for Uncle Sullivan increased after hearing this. Previously, he was only his aunt's husband, but after tonight, he has become someone he can rely on — a true family member.
"What happened to that dark wizard?"
Tiara immediately hesitated before replying calmly, "I killed him."
"You mean…"
"Yes. After I graduated, I tracked him down in a small village in Gonaives. I waited until it was dark, used the Disillusionment Charm to get close, and with one Killing Curse, ended his cursed life."
Christian was momentarily speechless as he did not expect her to admit it. He quickly regained his hearing and asked, "How did you feel? Did you regret it afterward?"
"Yes, but not for what you think," explained Tiara. "I did not regret killing him. On the contrary, his death brought me peace, tranquility, and closure for what had happened to my family. What I regret is using Dark Magic to kill him."
She looked at her hand.
"Dark Magic is tempting. After using it once, it's not simple to stop as the influence on the mind is lasting. But, like everything that involves a shortcut, there is always a price to pay."
'Lesson learned,' thought Christian. "I will stay away from Dark Magic."
"I'm not telling you these to warn you to stay away from Dark Magic," said Tiara, looking at him. "Eventually, you will be curious; that's something that all talented wizards will experience in their lives. Plus, it's normal to understand something to better defend against it. However, you must always be aware of the difference between understanding dark magic and practicing it."
Christian nodded his head resolutely and without hesitation. Then, he asked, "Is there really no way to help Aunt Arielle?"
"I'm afraid not," sighed Tiara. "I've tried a few ancient ruins to find a solution, and it was useless. I've even consulted Dumbledore, and he had the same answer." However, she suddenly remembered what Papa Tounde said. But she did not say anything.
"That's unfortunate," uttered Christian. Aunt Arielle, such a loving person, deserves to live a life full of children and grandchildren.
"Alright, it's late. Let's meditate and go to bed," said Tiara, and the two did so. Once the meditation session ended, they turned off the light and slept. Considering the situation, Christian did not try any of Jim's memories today. They have all been useless in the past three months, and he has started to place less emphasis on them.
The next day, on the 24th, Aunt Ariell suggested they attend church. Christian found the suggestion odd since no one in his family was religious. From his observation, no wizards or witches believed in any religion; most would probably believe Jesus Christ was a wizard instead of the son of God.
Tiara explained to him that Aunt Arielle found comfort in religion for a short period after what happened to her. Although she was not religious, she attended church a few times a year, mostly during large holidays.
Christian wanted to respect his aunt's choice, so he suffered through the six-hour service. Luckily, the food was excellent, and he could lose himself in Jim's memories to distract himself.