Space warped and shifted as Gabriel appeared in a new location, his usage of Apparition already evolved to a higher application, as the telltale spinning the skill utilized was made redundant. Now he merely stepped through space, as if going on a leisurely walk.
He stood in a large and expansive entry hall, a fireplace roaring with life, as Gabriel's head slowly swiveled, taking in the beautiful home in amazement: plush couches, rich carpets, bookshelves stacked high, nearly reaching the ceiling. Beautiful pieces of artwork adorned the stone walls, while various artifacts dotted the side tables.
Gabriel let out a low whistle as he inspected his new home. 'If this is what the entrance and main hall look like, then this place must have cost a fortune.'
Stepping through the hall, Gabriel began exploring the rest of the manor.
A large kitchen, though not state-of-the-art like the technology of his previous life, looked like the ideal blend of professional and homely. A large dining room was adjacent to it, with an oak table that could easily seat 20 people.
Walking through the halls, Gabriel spied the Thorne library. Peeking his head inside, a smile spread across his face; thousands of books stacked along either side of the room revealed the sheer volume of knowledge the family held.
Arriving at his final destination, Gabriel pushed open the door, a light chuckle escaping his lips.
'Now this is a bedroom fit for a king,' he thought, stepping into the master suite.
A bed large enough to fit dozens of people sat atop a plush carpet, while a door to the side opened to a wardrobe and ensuite.
Closing the door, Gabriel quickly shed his clothes, discarding them on the floor as he entered the ensuite and hopped into the bath.
Resting his head against the tub, he closed his eyes.
'What's next...?' he thought, as the warm water washed the accumulated tension away from his muscles.
'I've already done so much, and it's still the first day. Wand: acquired. Power: gained. Inheritance: secured. Maybe I should visit Hogwarts and see if I can join for the final year? Though I might need to do my OWLs at the Ministry.'
Thanks to the integration of Great Sage, Gabriel's mind had been sublimated, and a qualitative change had occurred. His processing and thought speed had evolved, along with memory retention, learning, strategy, and cognitive abilities.
Things that would have taken him hours previously now happened in seconds, and with this ever-evolving body, it was always improving.
Gabriel spent the next 30 minutes washing his body in quiet contemplation, reviewing all the events in canon and the things he needed to do to ensure everything worked out well for himself.
Reviewing the memories of the Death Eaters, Gabriel focused deep inside his mind, employing their learning and applications of Occlumency to his own mind, wrapping his mind in a thick layer of protective magic, slowly building the foundations for a defensive system.
Using knowledge from his previous life, Gabriel envisioned the Tower of Babel from DanMachi.
He made the lowest level the secure vault for his memories and thoughts, with each subsequent level filtered by supernatural monsters from every anime he had watched, even incorporating some from the Harry Potter world.
With the aid of Great Sage, the process was optimized to maximum efficiency, making sure his defenses were absolute, with alert systems placed, counter-defenses applied, and Great Sage itself would continually optimize the labyrinth.
Realizing he'd spent a couple of hours in the tub creating his protections, Gabriel hopped out and towelled himself dry.
Leaving the bathroom, he waved his wand across his clothes, performing a simple cleaning, ironing, and transfiguration combo that turned the dirty garments into something more modern for relaxing at home.
Exiting the bedroom, Gabriel made his way to the living room, before plopping down on the couch, a quill and parchment in his hand as he leaned on the coffee table.
"A letter to Professor McGonagall would be easiest," he mumbled.
"I'll make the letter with my family ring, so she knows it's legitimate. Hogwarts wouldn't turn away an orphaned Lord for anything, especially once they see how I handle magic."
Penning the letter to the professor was simple; Gabriel merely mentioned that he had moved back from living overseas with his family. Unfortunately, his last living relative had passed away, and he wished to come back to his home and complete his schooling there.
Signing the letter, Gabriel sealed it with wax and pressed down his family ring.
Standing up, he quickly left the living room in hopes of finding a means to send his letter.
Walking outside, he frowned slightly, as the telltale signs of an owlery weren't present. 'I thought a family with a manor would have several owls to send letters,' Gabriel thought.
Just as he was about to make a plan to go to Diagon Alley to purchase one, a loud cawing sound pulled his focus.
Black, with sleek and wide wings, glided down from the sky. A sharp beak and small, beady black eyes stared at Gabriel as the bird landed on his shoulder.
'A Raven?' He thought, watching the beautiful bird preen its feathers. Looking down at his ring, a flash of understanding appeared in his eyes. 'Makes sense; the insignia is a raven, so it must be a family mascot.'
Tying the letter to the raven's foot, Gabriel gently brushed the bird's plumage.
"Take this to Professor McGonagall, please. I'll make sure you've got plenty of food when you return."
Watching the bird hop off his shoulder and shoot into the sky, Gabriel hummed as he thrust his hands into his pockets, then turned and walked back to the manor, his steps slow but imbued with absolute confidence.
'I should double-check the Hogwarts curriculum, and then begin studying the Thorne family magics. It never hurts to have the most current magical theories, and I still don't know the secrets of this family's branch of magic.'
A thought then struck him mid-step.
'Hey Great Sage, what would happen if I devoured magical items?'
{If magical items were devoured, depending on their uses, with the aid of Great Sage's analysis and synthesis, you would potentially gain the magical attributes those items held.
Example: Pouches that hold spells regarding spatial manipulation, such as infinite storage, will grant you a deeper understanding of spatial manipulation, and could lead to your own infinite storage capability.}
Gabriel chuckled loudly, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
'Oh boy, you don't know what you've just said to me!'
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A/N - New day, new chapter. Send some love to me!