"So, does the boy have potential, Narcissa?" Arcturus asked, discreetly glancing at the nine-year-old boy.
Asterion heard the patriarch's words and raised an eyebrow in protest. In the man's description, he seemed insufferable, someone beyond redemption!
To express his dissatisfaction, he merely snorted loudly enough and remained silent, staring at Arcturus. In his mind, he was working tirelessly, devising a revenge plan that would give the old Black patriarch a heart attack!
Narcissa looked at the boy in front of her, from head to toe, pondered for a moment, and replied, "Yes, the boy sits upright and has very good posture; he just needs to learn how to behave like a noble. He drinks tea like a toothless horse."
Asterion, who was sipping his tea without caring about what they were saying about him, furrowed his brows in irritation. What was wrong with holding the cup without the support of the saucer?
"No rush, Narcissa. He'll learn eventually; you'll teach him well. I have confidence in that," Arcturus replied, sipping his tea in silence, enjoying the company of his great-grandson and niece.
Narcissa nodded and sipped her tea while her gaze remained fixed on the boy. She seemed to analyze every part of him, trying to uncover what was behind the cold and indifferent expression he reflected on his face—an expression familiar to a member of the Black family and quite renowned in the wizarding world.
Asterion attempted to mimic the way they held the cup and saucer. After confirming that his action was correct, he looked at Arcturus coldly, as if to say, "Look, I'm a genius!"
Arcturus generously ignored him with a bored look and continued with what he was doing—sipping his tea.
After Asterion's brief display of childishness, the three of them remained in silence.
As Asterion observed his relatives—Arcturus, Narcissa, and himself—he noticed something interesting. It seemed that the facial paralysis appeared to be hereditary. The three members of the Black family at this table shared the same expression—cold and indifferent, as if nothing could shake them.
Perhaps it was due to practicing the Simplified Inborn Technique?
Well, swallowing the dirtiest thing humanity has to offer daily does incredible things to someone's mind.
"What will be your first step, Narcissa?" Arcturus asked, placing the saucer and cup on the table.
After a brief moment of silence, she replied as she finished her tea, "Firstly, I'll take care of his clothes."
"What's wrong with the clothes I bought for him?" Arcturus frowned, looking at Narcissa.
"That's the point. You bought 18th-century clothes for Asterion," Narcissa spoke sarcastically, glancing at the relics that Arcturus called clothes on Asterion's body.
"They're elegant attire," Arcturus responded briefly, unconcerned about the sarcastic smile on his great-niece's lips.
Asterion wholeheartedly agreed with Narcissa; those clothes were not only too large but also challenging to put on. He needed help every time he attempted to wear those ancient pieces of clothing.
Arcturus ignored the uncultured individuals at the table who couldn't appreciate beautiful fabric even if they saw it in person.
"Come with me, Asterion," Narcissa stood up and called Asterion to leave the dining hall together.
Asterion waved goodbye to Arcturus and followed Narcissa, a look of happiness reflecting in his beautiful red eyes. Finally, he would be free from those cursed medieval clothes.
He couldn't understand why he had to wear such attire while his great-grandfather sported an elegant suit blended with modern and Victorian styles.
'I bet one of my kidneys he wanted to embarrass me!'
"Where are we going?" Asterion asked, keeping pace with the relatively quick stride of the elegant woman.
"Your room, I have to transfigure your clothes into something decent," replied Narcissa, walking directly to the Black heir's room. The Heir's Room had always been the same, so she knew exactly where it was located.
Asterion just nodded and looked at Narcissa carefully. She was undeniably the most stunning woman he had ever seen in two lifetimes.
Narcissa was quite tall, standing at 185 cm, and with the elegant high heels she wore, she easily reached 190 cm. Her pale blonde hair was impeccably arranged in a bun, highlighting her refined and angular face, making her look beautiful but equally majestic. Narcissa's eyes were blue, a very light shade, akin to a frozen lake, as cold as the gaze she emanated. She wore a stylish, very modern black dress with an obvious Victorian flair; the black lace collar of the dress was high, covering a good portion of her slender neck.
The woman embodied elegance and power, far from the trophy wife portrayal often seen in movies.
Photo >
Upon entering his room, Narcissa looked around and displayed a satisfied expression. The room was impeccably clean and tidy, without a single speck of dust or clothes scattered on the floor. Even the items on the desk were perfectly arranged.
"Very nice, your entire room is neat and clean," Narcissa commented, praising the entire room.
"I'm not a pig to live in a pigsty," Asterion found it quite normal to have a clean and fresh environment; anything else would disrupt his sleep and activities.
"Believe me when I say most boys aren't like this, especially at Hogwarts. Imagine six thirteen-year-olds in one room," Narcissa said, walking towards the closet.
Asterion felt a shiver running down his spine at her words. The mere thought of six hormone-filled teenagers together in one room was the vision of an environment akin to hell for someone who loved cleanliness as he did.
"Don't worry, dear. Only Gryffindor and Hufflepuff have dormitories that crowded. Slytherin has individual rooms, and Ravenclaw has shared rooms with pairs," perhaps sensing Asterion's tension, Narcissa explained as she opened the closet doors.
Asterion sighed in relief at the explanation. He had promised himself that if that old, dirty hat dared to sort him into any house other than Slytherin, he would burn it without hesitation.
While Asterion was preoccupied with his future at Hogwarts, Narcissa examined all the clothes in the closet. She couldn't help but display a radiant look upon realizing that all the garments were enchanted through complex processes of alchemy and ancient runes.
Enchanted clothes were exceptionally expensive, not only due to the magical fabric but also the time-consuming and costly process of enchantments involving alchemy and ancient runes. While still residing in the Black Manor, all her clothes were enchanted.
However, when she married Lucius Malfoy, that luxury disappeared. Despite the wealth of the Malfoy family, it wasn't as vast as one might imagine, particularly in the years after the war.
When the Malfoy family had to donate significant sums every year to maintain their status as leaders of the Pure-Blood Faction.
In ten years, she never wore another enchanted garment, only common magical fabric without protective effects, warmth and cold resistance, and self-cleaning. This made her realize how challenging life was for the less fortunate.
Asterion, noticing Narcissa's slightly envious gaze, nodded with great satisfaction. One of the reasons for choosing the Black family was its wealth. It was a family with a history spanning over a thousand years. Even though there were incompetent patriarchs, many intelligent individuals had accumulated vast wealth over these millennia.
Traduzir por IA.
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Author's Thoughts: I hope your weekend has been pleasant!
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Gratify my ego by donating a dollar... Maybe I can post two chapters a day... >.>
"Asterion, you must remember that when you transfigure something enchanted, you must not alter the runes written on the inner part of the object. These runes are the gears that keep everything in order. Once even one of the runes is altered, the entire enchantment will be broken."
As she sorted through the clothes, piece by piece, getting ready to start transfiguring, Narcissa didn't forget to instruct Asterion, who listened attentively to every word.
Looking at the medieval clothes, Narcissa huffed and drew her own wand, black and sleek, about 24 cm long. With a flick of her wrist and hands, the tip of the wand glowed red. She pointed it at the piece of clothing in question, and the complicated transfiguration process began.
A strong will twisted and altered the very fabric of the cloth. The material changed according to Narcissa's will, shaping into what she desired and wanted.
Moments later, a completely new piece of clothing appeared in front of Asterion: simple black pants. Soon, there were white long-sleeved shirts, belts, shoes—Narcissa transfigured hundreds of clothes in less than ten minutes.
"It's been a while since I've used so much transfiguration. Professor McGonagall would be quite proud if she saw," Narcissa murmured to herself, looking at the hundreds of pieces of clothing flying back into the closet with a flick of her wand.
"What do you think, Asterion?" Narcissa asked, looking at the nine, almost ten-year-old boy.
"A magnificent display," Asterion spoke sincerely. It was truly magical to see matter obeying Narcissa's commands. He understood perfectly why wizards considered all other races inferior. This power, the power to shape reality with a simple wave of the hand, was truly extraordinary. In a literal sense, wizards were slightly less powerful gods.
"You will be even more extraordinary in this discipline given your Inborn Technique. Perhaps in the future, you could transfigure an entire city if you wish. It would certainly be a scene recorded in the annals of history," Narcissa said to Asterion as the image of her own words appeared in her mind—a scene she truly wished to witness.
Asterion understood why Narcissa said that. His Inborn Technique was very similar to Transfiguration Magic in certain senses; perhaps it would be the easiest discipline for him at Hogwarts. He also remembered the pinnacle of Transfiguration—Animagus!
A wizard who physically transformed into a specific animal. There were so few in England that you could count them on your fingers, but obviously, the count couldn't be that low. Asterion supposed that many Animagi never registered with the Ministry of Magic.
The reason was quite obvious—trump cards shouldn't be revealed until a life or death moment. Only fools would disclose all their abilities to someone.
If he remembered correctly, Harry's father, James Potter, and all his friends were unregistered Animagus. James was even more extraordinary, becoming an Animagus while still attending Hogwarts.
In the original reality, unfortunately, Harry didn't inherit his father's strong Transfiguration talent or his mother's extraordinary potion-making skills, only James's most useless talent for flying on brooms.
Asterion wondered what animal he would transform into when the time came. He would like to be a panther or a flying creature if possible.
Sitting on the bed, Narcissa looked at Asterion with a cold gaze and said, "Now that we're done with your clothes, we'll start preparing you."
"Preparing me for what?" Asterion furrowed his brow, slightly confused.
"Well, we have about six months to turn you from a rude commoner into a true prince charming," Narcissa replied with a rather sadistic smile, in the eyes of young Asterion.
"I don't understand the rush," Asterion looked confusedly at the elegantly seated woman on his bed.
Arcturus had advised to go slow with the boy, but Narcissa thought otherwise. She not only had to teach etiquette, which was time-consuming, but also politics and fencing lessons, all within a short six-month period.
Regarding the six-month deadline, young heirs are typically introduced to wizarding society at the age of ten, celebrated with a grand masquerade ball.
"You will turn ten in six months, and ten is usually the age when heirs of noble houses are formally presented to other powerful houses. Particularly for the House of Black, which will gather almost all the noble houses of England and possible nobles from other countries to celebrate your birthday," Narcissa explained patiently, leaving nothing out.
"I understand. Let's not waste any time, Narcissa." Knowing that he would formally debut in wizarding society, Asterion became serious. He didn't want to embarrass himself or Arcturus, who had taken care of him with such devotion during their time together. In his eyes, Arcturus was already his grandfather.
Narcissa nodded very pleased. Training was pointless if you didn't strive to improve, and the boy at least had that mindset. That made her satisfied, especially compared to when she tried to teach her own children. They were like rats running back and forth without caring about the lessons she imparted.
"Let's begin by learning how to sit properly in the chair for various occasions," she said, getting up from the bed and placing a chair in the center of the room.
Asterion listened attentively and asked questions when necessary.
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At night, on the same day.
"How was your first lesson, Asterion?" Sitting at the dining table, Arcturus asked as he wiped the corner of his mouth with a white handkerchief. "Did you enjoy her teaching?"
"Yes, she's a good tutor," Asterion replied. His gaze briefly fixed on the chocolate pudding, but then he returned his attention to the old patriarch Black. "I can easily see myself liking her. She's sarcastic, intelligent, and a woman with strong willpower."
Arcturus showed a relieved expression upon hearing this. "It's good to see that you're getting along well. It eases my mind to know that you won't be alone when death claims me," he said, showing a warm smile as he looked at his great-grandson.
With his words, the atmosphere in the dining hall turned somber and heavy.
Realizing the atmosphere, Arcturus let out a low, deep laugh. He looked at the nine-year-old boy and said, "Asterion, death to me is a relief. I will reunite with my wife, my children, grandchildren, and all those I loved in life. I have lived a long and exhausting life, fought most of it. For now, I just want to rest."
Seeing the boy's somber face, Arcturus added, "Of course, I will only depart from this world seeing you become a worthy and powerful man."
Asterion's face brightened with his words. He looked directly into Arcturus's black eyes and responded with a determined gaze, "I won't disappoint you, Grandfather."
"That's good, Asterion. You need to want to improve to become better," Arcturus was very pleased with his great-grandson's actions.
Translate By IA.
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Author's thoughts: The next chapter will have a time jump of five months.
By the way, forgive me for not posting yesterday; it was a busy and difficult day for me.
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