Everything about magic was fresh and fascinating to Sean—yes, even History of Magic, the class most first-years loved to grumble about.
He was happy to dig into the past of vampire hunters, to examine what those witches and wizards—specialists in hunting vampires—had done wrong, and to ask why Article 12 of the Code of Wand Use for Non-Wizard Half-Breeds had criminalized that profession.
History's allure kept Sean absorbed until night fell.
Lying flat on his four-poster, he let the story of Gifford Ollerton drift through his mind—the famous giant-slayer who became a local hero after killing Hengist of Upper Barnton, and a face on a Chocolate Frog card. In the fifteenth century, giants were far more numerous than today, so people like Ollerton were needed to keep their numbers in check and protect the wizarding world.
Werewolves, vampires, goblins, red caps, trolls…
Sean couldn't help but picture epic wizarding sagas—wands raised, spells flying—magnificent adventures unfurling across a land made for magic.
His breathing evened out. A breeze in Hogwarts turned the pages of History of Magic to one he'd filled with notes:
[Miranda was a witch who studied at Hogwarts.
She couldn't make heads or tails of the outdated textbooks there, and as the youngest in her family, her older sisters loved to tease her.
Realizing no one would listen to her, the angry young witch invented the Bat-Bogey Hex. She used it on her sister and vowed to write a book that was accurate and easy to understand.]
[Bathilda Bagshot's marginal note:
Magic always embraces a witch or wizard's conviction. To those who meet the conditions, it is generous; any witch or wizard can create such miracles.]
Sean's own notes had been crossed out and rewritten until only three firm words remained:
Magic, Infinite Possibilities.
…
He'd often wondered how he should cherish magic if a miracle like this ever fell into his lap.
His final answer was: right—then I'll study the living daylights out of it.
By the time he left the library again, the weekend had quietly slipped away. Hugging a tall stack of books, he found the moonlight as beautiful as the night his Hogwarts letter arrived. He always understood why Hermione hauled around so many volumes—there was still so much to learn. And his "free time" amounted to a single small weekend—barely enough for a rough pass through History of Magic. As for glittering Astronomy, he'd only glimpsed a hidden corner of it through the history of magic—namely, Divination and Prophecy.
That sent him skimming thirteen Astronomy books, and at last he found a few clues in one so old that Madam Pince handed it over with special care:
[Witches and wizards use astronomy to link the cosmos with themselves and to find inspiration in magic. The magics they most long to explore always, in the end, return to the vastness of the universe—prophecy, fate, time, and space—until they sink into the radiant river of stars.]
Sean's enthusiasm poured out of him as he murmured the lines; his thoughts crackled like the hearth:
In the Forbidden Forest, centaur tribes hide, foretelling the future by reading the skies.
Far off in Azkaban, Sirius nursed his regrets; his very name, Sirius—the "Dog Star"—matched his Animagus form while also hinting at reliability and loyalty.
A quiet suspicion grew in Sean's mind:
Magic's power isn't only in bursting spells, steaming cauldrons, or wondrous creatures. It has existed far longer—even beyond wizarding history. Astronomy is one of magic's deepest branches—deep enough to brush a word like fate.
He kept that old book tucked carefully in his bag. In every usable hour he walked a straight line between the practice room and the library—and the book he opened most was that battered one. The only regret: he couldn't fully understand it yet. Waiting for the centaur professor's class felt like an agony; he even wondered if he could meet him earlier.
And with Snape holed up in the dungeon all weekend, Sean never managed to brew.
Still, there were gains. His Charms proficiency hit a new tier:
[Levitation Charm: Novice (21/900)]
[Lumos: Novice (19/900)]
[Scouring Charm: Apprentice (297/300)]
[Advance: Three Novice-level charms unlock the Charms domain's Novice title]
[Charms Talent: Green]
Sean drew his wand—his energy had mostly returned. With a sliver of time before curfew, he reached the hidden room's door. The owl portrait popped into view, already squawking:
"Little wizard! Clever little wizard! Answer my question!"
He waited calmly for the challenge. Justin's earlier attempt had failed, but the owl now half-looked the other way when they came and went. Even without answering, Sean could still enter.
"From the tranquil riverbank came the wise and lovely Ravenclaw. Tell me: where is that lakeshore?" The snowy owl tucked the parchment back under its talons, looking very sure of itself.
"The Highland glens of Scotland," Sean said after a few seconds' thought, voice steady.
"How did—you—" The owl's tiny pince-nez slid down its beak; its flapping froze. The sky-blue door spread into view.
"Thank you," Sean said softly before the portrait faded.
Lady Ravenclaw had left more than her diadem. In truth, Hogwarts' site, Hogwarts' name, even Hogwarts' moving staircases all tied back to that wise, beautiful witch. Her mind and ideals had soaked into the castle itself—so even this peculiar owl portrait of hers felt perfectly in place to Sean.
"We heard that, Sean." As soon as he stepped into the practice room, Justin and Hermione hurried over with lanterns. He was a bit surprised they were studying this late—then he saw the eager look in their eyes.
"All right. This is a story about the Four Founders…" Sean began, voice low and steady.
"Cool," Justin breathed, lighting his wand as they sat around him. Hermione lit hers too; both sat up straight, their breathing falling quiet.
"Godric Gryffindor—people think he was born more than a thousand years ago on a moor in western England, and that moor later took his name, Godric's Hollow.
As for Helga Hufflepuff, the common view is that she came from the broad valleys of Wales, a place famed for charms related to cooking and food.
As for Salazar Slytherin and Rowena Ravenclaw…"
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 50 Chapters Ahead of Others!