Russian Ministry of Magic, Conference Hall, December 22, 2017, 4:00 PM
Fifteen presentations.
Solus had sat through fifteen presentations that day.
Some brilliant. Others competent. None memorable.
And now it was his turn.
The last of the day. The moment when attention was at its highest.
Exactly as the Minister had planned.
"Our final presenter," Markov announced from her seat in the front row, "is Solus Gray. First-year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Eleven years old."
She paused deliberately.
"Muggle-born."
She let those details settle over the audience. The youngest student. No magical lineage. And yet, here.
"The topic he will present is as follows: Corvus Slytherin and the Forgotten Legacy of Magic Without Borders." Markov gestured toward the stage. "Mr. Gray. The stage is all yours. Please proceed."
Solus stood.
He walked toward the stage with measured steps. Neither hurried nor slow. The way Lucius had walked toward the Senate. The way Corvus used to walk toward his classroom.
With purpose in every step.
He climbed the stairs that marked the height difference between him and the audience. And finally stopped behind the black marble podium.
He looked at the audience.
Twenty-three young wizards. All older than him, with the exception of one or two his same age. All watching attentively for what he would say.
Dimitri Volkov was positioned in the second row, arms crossed, wearing a calculating expression. Chen Wei was already ready, taking notes. Amara had leaned forward while her right hand moved to her chin.
And in the front row, the Minister of the Magical Government of the Russian Federation, Nadia Markova.
She possessed perfect posture. Her hands interlaced on her lap. A neutral expression settled on her face.
Mark, his father, was in the side stands along with other parents of the other presenters. One might think he was the only Muggle in the entire gathering of magical attendees. He was smiling with that pride so characteristic of him.
Solus took a deep breath.
And began.
"What would you do if you knew your legacy would be forgotten?"
His voice resonated clearly in the great hall. He didn't need a magical amplification charm. The acoustics of the place were so relaxed with the environment that they allowed a simple voice at a very low tone to settle throughout the surrounding area.
"If everything you built disappeared in a hundred years. If your name was erased from the history books. Would it still be worth being remembered?"
The moment he finished the question, the expectant audience before him still maintained absolute silence.
"A thousand years ago, a man faced that great dilemma. His name was Corvus... Corvus Slytherin. And his answer changed teaching at Hogwarts forever."
Solus waved his wand.
A magical projection appeared above him, and by inertia over the rest of the spectators. A map of medieval Europe, and a timeline of dates and locations shining in golden letters across the entire medieval map. Some opened and closed with images of the zones showing the environment—a work of environmental transfiguration, using the mechanism of hydrogen and humidity to form it.
"In the year 990 A.D., four Great Wizards of the Era founded Hogwarts. Among them were Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin."
The images of the Four Founders materialized, floating in the air.
"Everyone knows those names. But there is a fifth that history erased."
A fifth image appeared. A man with dark hair. Sharp features. Eyes that seemed to look directly into the soul of each spectator—the image of a man forgotten by time.
"Corvus Slytherin was the younger brother of Salazar Slytherin. Both members of the Slytherin Clan, and, though official history doesn't mention it, both were descendants of Patricians who settled in Britannia when the conqueror Julius Caesar conducted his expeditions to the island. He was one of the few users of Ancient Magic in history, and the only one to reach the pinnacle of its knowledge. He was the man who truly directed Hogwarts after his brother departed, and the rest of the founders disappeared in mysterious ways throughout time."
Solus spoke for twenty minutes.
Without a show of hesitation or nervousness.
As if he had told this story hundreds of times. The reason was obvious—Solus, or a part of him, had lived it.
He spoke about Corvus's philosophy in that era, one widely used by magical families, pure-bloods, and wandering wizards. The same one that enabled Merlin the Great Wizard to study magic. His rejection of Salazar's pure-blood vision, which only allowed those born of magical families to study in the castle. This was mainly because in that era, a magical family was more trustworthy than a Muggle-born with their own kind, that is, with wizards. On repeated occasions, hundreds of unique magical families were destroyed because Muggle-born wizards betrayed their lord. This was another fracture between the brothers that history simplified as a kind of "disagreement about Muggle-borns."
"Corvus wrote in the year 994 A.D.: 'My brother is looking for too many threats where I cannot see them. We have already lost several students, or families of those students, to wars between Muggles and wizards. To be honest, I only see potential in both sides. Blood does not define magic. The intent of magic's use is what defines everything.'"
He paused deliberately before continuing.
"Intent... that is what matters most. Not lineage. That was his fundamental philosophy."
He spoke about the twenty-three apprentices. Wizards from Scandinavia, North Africa, Russia, and Eastern Europe.
The projection changed again and this time showed a map with lines connecting Hogwarts with locations scattered across the entire known world. A network of knowledge that crossed borders, languages, cultures.
"Corvus did not hoard knowledge in his time. In fact, he shared it. Because he understood something that many forget throughout the centuries, and that is that magic has no borders. And true power is not in keeping secrets. It is in teaching others to discover them."
Solus saw Chen Wei nod almost imperceptibly. Amara smile.
He spoke about Corvus's death.
"In the year 1065 A.D., Hogwarts Castle was attacked by Muggle warlords and traitorous wizards seeking to appropriate the knowledge accumulated over years in the castle, a coalition that should never have existed. Salazar Slytherin told the other founders, but there was discord among all of them, and decades later when the founders disappeared, Corvus stayed there defending and educating all wizards born both of Muggles and of magical families."
The projection showed flames engulfing towers and the castle. Silhouettes of battle, hundreds of wizards and golems fighting.
"Corvus defended Hogwarts almost alone. This was because he already knew he was going to die sooner or later. It is not known in any biography of his apprentices the exact reason why Corvus decided to fight alone. All that is known from their biographies is that he died using Ancient Magic to defend the castle's knowledge, the students, and the apprentices who led the new generation of wizards in the British and European magical world. Thus began the sealing of the doors, and giving time for his students to escape with what they had learned."
His voice became softer.
"He died on the stairs of the Astronomy Tower, according to the last person who saw him, but he did not die in defeat. This is because no traces were found of the warlords or the traitorous wizards, we're talking about a total of more than twenty thousand troops. Because he knew that his students would survive, and that his knowledge would continue expanding beyond language barriers. And that his legacy would live in them."
Solus paused. He let the weight of that death settle in the hall.
He counted three seconds of silence.
Then continued with a firmer voice:
"Today, the magical world faces another great crisis."
The projection changed abruptly. That image of medieval Europe disappeared. In its place, they were exchanged for images of the modern world. A simulation of drones crossing skies, satellite networks, telecommunications towers multiplying.
"Muggle technology multiplies in capacity every certain number of years. A law explains this phenomenon, Moore's Law is an empirical observation formulated by Gordon Moore that explains an exponential increase in processing power and a reduction in costs and size of electronic components. In this way, every certain time, Muggles have access to cameras in every pocket, satellites that can detect energy anomalies, that is, our magic. Pattern recognition algorithms increasingly sophisticated that learn by themselves."
He let the projection show a simulation, this was a map of the world with magical areas marked... and surveillance cameras slowly converging toward them.
"The International Statute of Secrecy with each year since its creation is cracking, not from the malice that was thought at its beginning, corruption. But from the inevitable progress of the human race that does not have the gift of magic, the same one that the Statute of Secrecy feared at the beginning."
Solus looked directly at Markov.
"And when it collapses, not if, when, we will need to remember what Corvus taught us."
His voice gained intensity without becoming dramatic.
"That survival requires unity. That shared knowledge is knowledge that endures. That clinging to the past condemns us. And that dying defending what you love is not defeat."
He paused finally.
"It is the greatest honor."
He lowered his wand. The projection gradually faded.
"Corvus Slytherin was forgotten by history. But his lesson remains to this day, even beyond a thousand years ago. Legacy is not what you leave when you die. It is how you live. And whom you teach."
Silence.
Two seconds.
Three.
Four.
Then Amara began to applaud.
Chen Wei joined in.
And then the entire hall erupted.
It wasn't the polite applause of the other presentations. It was genuine. Several students stood up.
Mark had tears in his eyes.
Dimitri Volkov was applauding with an expression that mixed surprise and... respect?
Markov hadn't moved. She remained seated with her hands interlaced.
But her eyes shone with something Solus couldn't completely decipher.
Finally, she stood up.
And applauded.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
And then the entire hall sat down automatically.
"Mr. Gray," Markov said. Her voice cut through the hall's silence to the absolute minimum. "That was an exceptional presentation."
"Thank you, Minister."
"I have a question."
"Go ahead."
Markov leaned slightly forward.
"You spoke about Corvus sharing knowledge across the world, teaching apprentices all over the globe. Building a legacy that survived a thousand years and more."
She paused slowly.
"But you also said he died alone. Defending a castle while others escaped."
Her eyes locked on Solus.
"Isn't that a contradiction? If he truly valued unity, why did he die isolated?"
The hall was silent.
Solus felt the gazes of the twenty-three participants. All waiting for his answer.
Solus didn't hesitate.
"It's not a contradiction, Minister. It's the culmination of his philosophy."
"Elaborate."
"Corvus taught that legacy lives in those you educate. That immortality is not living forever, rather, it is ensuring that what you built survives without you."
Solus walked toward the edge of the stage.
"He died alone because his students no longer needed him. He had given them everything they could absorb. He had taught them to think, not just to replicate what he had done before."
He looked directly at Markov.
"And his last lesson was the most important: that sometimes, protecting what you love means letting others continue without you. That the true teacher prepares their students for their absence. It's like the principle of parents, they wait and prepare us for their absence, so that afterward we can live without them."
He paused.
"Corvus did not die isolated. He died, so to speak, liberated, by the fact that he died knowing his work was complete."
Silence.
Markov studied him for three seconds that seemed eternal.
Then she smiled.
"Well said, Mr. Gray."
She stood completely.
"Your presentation was not only informative. It was inspiring even for the oldest present here."
She looked around the hall.
"This concludes the second day of the symposium. Tomorrow, the last eight presentations. Rest well."
After the hall emptied, Solus was walking toward the exit when he heard quick footsteps behind him.
"Gray."
Nikolái.
Solus turned.
The green-eyed boy caught up to him. There was no trace of the curiosity of his usual smile. He was completely serious.
"That presentation," he said without preamble. "It was really very good. I loved it, especially your oratory style."
"Thank you."
"But I have a question."
"Which one?"
Nikolái crossed his arms. He studied him with those eyes that seemed to see too much.
"When you were talking about Corvus... you didn't sound like someone telling history. You sounded like it was something personal, you know. My eyes can see beyond the ordinary. They're very special."
Shit.
Solus maintained his neutral expression.
"I've researched him extensively. I've read his journals when I can. I understand his philosophy."
"No," Nikolái intervened, shaking his head. "It's more than that."
He took a step closer. He lowered his voice near his ear.
"The way you said some phrases... your voice changed when you spoke about his students. As if... as if it were something beyond a story from more than a thousand years ago."
He leaned slightly forward.
"You're the best actor I've met in my entire life. Or you really care in a way that doesn't make sense for an eleven-year-old who only read about him, his journals, texts, whatever. But seriously, Solus... this is curious. Very curious."
He's perceptive. Too perceptive.
"I feel that Corvus was unjustly forgotten by history," Solus said in a calm voice. "Someone had to remember him as he was in his story. And I decided it would be me."
Nikolái studied him for a long moment.
His expression was impossible to read. It wasn't distrust.
Finally, he nodded slowly.
"All right. I accept that."
He began to walk away. Then he stopped. He looked over his shoulder.
"But Gray... be careful. The Minister is very interested in you now. And when she's interested, it means she has plans. Many plans."
"What kind of plans?"
"The kind that change lives."
A pause.
"Just remember: once you're in her orbit, it's hard to get out. Especially when you live with her."
And he left.
Solus remained alone in the hallway.
He touched the pocket where he kept Stella's stone.
. . . . . . .
Executive Suite, 6:00 PM
Mark wouldn't stop talking.
"Solus, that was... I have no words. It was incredible. The way you spoke, that same way you handled that question from the Russian magical Minister."
He hugged him.
"I'm so proud."
Solus smiled weakly.
"Thanks, Dad."
"Everyone was impressed. I heard some of the other parents. They said you were the best presenter of the day. And you're the youngest!"
"They were being kind."
"No. It was the truth, son."
Mark took him by the shoulders.
"You're incredible, son. You know that, right? I've always loved you. You're my little know-it-all. Besides, you haven't realized that not only English—you also know programming languages. You know the possible applications that could be done with magic. I firmly believe they're infinite."
"I know, Dad."
A knock on the door interrupted the moment.
Mark opened it.
A Ministry assistant. Young and nervous. Clearly intimidated to be there.
"Mr. Gray?" He looked at Solus, not Mark. "Minister Markov requests to meet with you. In private. Right now."
Mark frowned.
"Now? It's already late."
"The Minister insists. She says it's a matter of great importance."
Solus and Mark exchanged a glance.
"Do you want me to go with you?" Mark asked.
"It's okay, Dad. She probably just wants to discuss the presentation."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'll be back soon. Prepare something for dinner. I'll have a great appetite when I return, I assure you."
Mark didn't seem convinced. But he nodded.
"All right. But if you don't come back in an hour, I'm coming to find you."
"Deal."
Minister's Office, 6:30 PM
Markov's office was exactly what Solus expected.
Gray stone walls. A simple dark wood desk. A large window with a view of Red City illuminated under the winter sunset.
On the desk, a single moving portrait—an eleven-year-old boy with messy black hair and bright green eyes.
He looked a lot like... Nikolái.
Markov was standing by the window when Solus entered.
"Mr. Gray. Thank you for coming to my office urgently."
"Minister," Solus said, then bowed slightly—an act of formal etiquette.
"Sit down."
Solus sat in the chair facing the desk.
Markov didn't sit directly. She remained by the window, observing the city as if searching for something in the lights.
"Your presentation today was remarkable. Not only for the content demonstrated, but rather for the passion behind it."
"Thank you."
"It made me think too much about everything that inspired you to study that entire subject."
She turned toward him. The city lights created shadows on her face.
"Why do you care so much about Corvus Slytherin?"
"Because he was someone important in our universal history, but he was forgotten. And he shouldn't have been."
Markov walked toward her desk. She sat down.
"Understandable. But I think there's more."
She leaned forward.
"I think you see in Corvus something you want to be. A teacher. A builder of legacies. Someone whose knowledge survives beyond their life."
Solus didn't respond.
Markov smiled slightly.
"You don't need to confirm that for me. I know just by looking at you. Your presentation already did it. You've demonstrated your capacity to be capable of fulfilling that objective in the distant future."
She paused. She interlaced her fingers on the desk.
"Mr. Gray, I'm going to be direct with you. I invited you here because I saw potential. After your presentation at Hogwarts. And after the reports I received."
"But now that I've seen you in person. Now that I've heard how you think..."
Her eyes locked on him.
"I'm convinced you could be exactly what I need."
"For what?"
"For the future. For what I'm building."
"And what are you building, Minister?"
Markov leaned back in her chair. She studied him for a moment.
Then she spoke with a clear voice. Without euphemisms.
"A world where the collapse of the Statute of Secrecy is not chaos. Rather, an opportunity for our race."
Her eyes gleamed.
"Where wizards and Muggles coexist in one world, and not in separate worlds. But not as equals. As they should be."
"It sounds... a bit authoritarian," Solus said carefully.
Markov didn't retreat a millimeter.
"The Muggle world has seven billion people and is in great population growth. We are barely millions. When they discover us, and it's obvious they will discover us, there will be worldwide panic. Catastrophes... Wars. Attempts to contain us or eliminate us. You know, Mr. Gray, Magical and Muggle Governments cooperate directly hundreds of times a day to prevent the release of the magical secret to the normal world. But as this progresses, it's increasingly difficult to achieve."
She leaned forward.
"Unless someone takes control. Someone who understands that true peace requires order. And order requires strong leadership."
"Your leadership?"
"Mine. And those intelligent enough to join our cause, of course."
Silence.
Then Markov said in a soft but firm voice:
"Mr. Gray, I'm going to make you an offer."
"What kind of offer, Minister?"
"When you graduate from Hogwarts, I would like you to consider coming here. To Moscow. To work with me. As an advisor. Then perhaps as a strategist. Being part of what I'm building, and what the future will leave for us to conquer."
She paused deliberately.
"You're eleven years old this year. Six and a half years until you graduate. You have plenty of time to change your opinion, but I want you to know that you have a place here. If you wish it."
Solus looked directly at her.
"And if I don't wish it?"
Markov smiled. It was a small smile.
"Then we will remain distant contacts. Occasional correspondents. Without a kind of pressure."
But her tone said otherwise.
"I don't need an answer now," Markov continued. "I just want you to think about it. To consider what kind of future you want to build. And if that future includes working with someone who shares your vision."
She stood up.
"You may go, Mr. Gray. Your father is probably worried."
Solus stood as well.
He walked toward the door.
His hand was already touching the doorknob when he stopped.
He turned.
"Minister. One question."
"Yes?"
"Corvus taught his apprentices that knowledge should be shared. That magic has no borders."
Solus looked directly into her eyes.
"Do you believe that? Or did you just like the presentation?"
Markov studied him for a long moment.
Then she smiled. Genuinely this time.
"I believe knowledge should be shared... with those worthy of receiving it. Not with everyone indiscriminately."
She paused.
"Corvus was too idealistic for someone of his time. I am pragmatic. But we both understand that legacy is what matters. And that building something lasting requires difficult choices, as well as governing."
"I understand."
"Yes? Good."
Markov returned to the window.
"Now go. Rest. Tomorrow is the last day of the symposium."
. . . . . .
Hallway, 7:00 PM
When the door closed behind him, Solus stopped.
He took a deep breath.
He touched the pocket where he kept Stella's stone.
Hogwarts was thousands of kilometers (thousands of miles) away.
But it was still his home.
He began walking toward the exit.
His mind already processing the previous conversation...
He left the Ministry.
Red City glowed under the night. Orderly lights on perfectly traced streets. Every step of the city was beautiful. Every building denoted an architectural work of decades of creation, as well as its sculpture, the place that saw the birth of Empires, Republics, and at the same time, the destruction of each of them.
Impressive.
And terrifying.
Solus walked back to the hotel.