Chapitre 127: Ch.12
The only real change was that Percy had joined us in Hogwarts this year and Nym's changes. She'd become more intellectual and more interest in my training regimens for sure but she'd also started taking my hand freely in front of others and leaning on me when we relaxed.
Charlie had made himself scarce a few times but nothing like what he expected was happening. It was just a slow evolution of our relationship is all. When winter break came around, we'd been invited to the ministry ball.
Even the Weasley's has been invited when usually they weren't because the Malfoy's usually pulled strings to get them discounted and forgotten. As it was I had to stop by Gringotts and drop off all my books only to receive even more and was told that I was to finish them before summer.
I had to get a suit and my sisters had volunteered to stay home with their favorite new friend, Harry. My mother claimed ill to stay home and watch them while my father and I went together. Nym and her parents were there as was the Weasley clan.
It was rather funny that Ron actually never left the food table while Ginny was sitting with Molly at the table area. I danced with Nym like she was the only one there as we switched styles after each song while we ignored the crowd.
Her awkward left foot stepped on my feet but I didn't mind one bit as we danced like my wives and I danced many times, a dance of memories and feeling. By the end of the night we were both tired and ready to go. I noticed the crowd was watching us and ignored them while Tonks had blushed.
I was a cold mask of indifference to their hawking and as such they avoided my gaze except Lucius Malfoy who was worming his way back into the minister's and everyone else's good graces.
I'm fairly certain bribes were taking place just for him to be invited and with Malfoy's skill in investing I've no doubt they were considerable to have him at the minister's table. I left with my father after greeting the minister and all the grey family heads.
After sending gifts to everyone via Fiona, I spent Christmas with Harry and my family. Nym has insisted on some alone time with her parents so they didn't show and the Weasley's were doing their own thing as well.
We'd done the solstice ritual and I'd stopped by Burke's for books and beasts and while disappointed, I wasn't about to give up hope that Malfoy would sell Riddles diary to Burke or that he'd find something really rare like the Sumerian book I've yet to open.
I'd tried so hard and gone through a lot of combinations until I was blue in the face but it seems it's not meant for me. I wasn't going to get rid of it anyway but then who would?
As winter break passed and Harry has enjoyed his first real Christmas, he seemed truly happy. I'd gotten him a practice broom and a quidditch set as well as my sisters the same while my father had set up a pitch for them to play on.
Harry really was a natural flyer and with my father's gift, fixing Harry's eyes magically and giving him glasses that could read any written language as well as see farther and were weather proof, Harry was doing amazing.
With a temporary sticking charm he'd learned, his new glasses stayed on without needing adjusted or falling off. Harry has already learned a lot about the wizarding world and was planning to sue for the fake books written about him when he was able to.
I'd told him about the Weasley's and Ron in particular because they'd be going to Hogwarts in the same year. He was reluctant to be associated with a pig like Dudley that described Ron entirely. In the end I mentioned that Ron was still young and he might grow out of it but that he had serious envy and jealousy issues.
He was a smart boy and could figure out if he even wanted to know Ron at all. I'd went back to school a little while later and joined up with Nym who was happy for my gift. It was a charmed bracelet that allowed the wearer to mentally see what was all around them in 360 degrees and react to anything if they were skilled enough.
She could now see all around her as if it was in front of her and that earned me a hug. I'd given Charlie a dragon of his own only it was miniature and yet so lifelike that it spewed jets of harmless flames.
It was one of the new product lines of my family's shops now as I'd had the workers begin making miniature lifelike beasts that spewed or did fake damage that lasted only seconds. The kids at school loved them and their parents had bought themselves some for Christmas but Charlie's was one of a kind as it was a permanent one that shifted between all dragon species.
The rest of the toys would fade in a year's time and the kids could purchase new ones then. I'd forced myself back into study mode as the goblins had given me double the amount of books as last time and Dumbledore gave me the time limit of reading his own works for the end of the year.
Then of course I had my class works to do, self studying the books from the room of requirement, charms club, dueling with Flitwick, helping Snape, spending time with my friends and all the smaller various tasks I wished to accomplish like making more map rings. Nym and Charlie both had one apiece as well as the skillful protean charm I'd added to them so we could communicate with a sort of telepathic link between us from anywhere in the world.
Charlie's didn't have the chamber of secrets added to it but the rest was there so we were able to move freely throughout the castle especially Nym with her cloak. Charlie had actually asked for one but instead I got him a comet two ninety broom.
He'd been so excited about it he'd forgotten about the cloak he wanted for a time at least. Months passed as I worked myself ragged and barely rested even when I was supposed to as I had to read more books to minimize the chances of not finishing the goblins work load.
By the time exams came around I was visibly tired enough to give Nym cause for concern. Even Snape had commented on it until I told him it was the extra work I was doing studying goblin business. He was visibly surprised when I listed my various projects and what I'd been doing all year.
He let the matter rest as I'd pretty much finished the year already and my grades hadn't been affected as I could do the course work in my sleep. If only it were literal though. As it was I aced the exams and headed home for the summer with Nym and Charlie. Percy has found a friend in a Ravenclaw girl named something Clearwater.
I hadn't really paid attention to him as he was acting as if he was already a prefect. I slept with my head on Nym's lap while she twirled my hair and read a book from the room of requirement. We'd been sharing all we learned to cut the time and work in half as there was more books in the room of requirement than any one person could finish in the four years we had left.
Even if I stayed for my masters at Hogwarts it wouldn't be an easy task to finish them then by myself. She was already perfectly trained in battle and all she needed was to practice the auror training I'd shown her I'd gone through with Tina Scamander.
The room of requirement had helped her out some but it took practice and real effort to physically do it all with ease. Luckily she had four years to do so. When we arrived at the station she woke me up and we said our goodbyes before I was off with my father to see the goblins.
There I'd returned the books and scrolls they'd given me and they'd tested me on it all till they were blue in the face. When I'd gotten the upper hand of a accounts manager in a fake testing deal he signed off on my graduation from their little program saying. "You'd make a fine goblin."
I bowed politely to him saying. "And you'd make a fine business partner. Now, I need to borrow the smithing facilities to practice. Name a suitable price and let's see what passes for it."
He waved me off. "You miss understand my meaning. With your finished training you are named goblin friend, a rare occurrence not happened since Godric Gryffindor. The facilities are opened to you to use as you wish and a discount is being drawn up for your accounts as we speak. It won't be much mind as you well know we value profit, but it'll be a show of our friendship."
I bowed once more. "You honor me more than words can express but not gold."
I waved a hand and a pallet of gold bricks appeared in the office. "Consider it a gift to you and the goblin nation and a token of my friendship to show that your words today mean more than gold."
He was really pleased and even bowed back before having the guards take it to the goblin vaults below the human ones. I left there happier than I've been in a long time. Over the next month I practiced smithing there until I built my own forge in my own realm.
Then I began practicing in earnest under higher and higher gravity over the rest of the summer. I did use my time turner and hung out with Harry, Nym and my sisters. Charlie was busy with Newt and helping raise baby dragons with him as all the eggs I'd bought were finally hatched.
Even the three basilisk eggs I'd bought were hatched. I'd named them the Gorgon sisters. Stheno, Euryale and Medusa. They quite enjoyed that especially when I told them it meant the mighty, the Far springer and the queen.
They were each immune to the other's gaze so it was fine for them to live together and there was plenty of food to go around. I'd visited them often and just spoke with them. They enjoyed speaking with me and even cuddling. I'd warned them not to bite me as it really could kill my mortal form and they promised never to do so.
They considered me family as I was their only role model. I'd also visited the other creatures of my realm and found them fairing well. Hell, even the elves were ecstatic. Newt was out adventuring while Charlie was living at his place and using a spare map ring I'd given Newt for his training.
I'd spent a lot of time with Nym and my sisters and now little brother over the summer playing games and teaching them. I'd given my sisters and parents the mind arts book and told them to practice it and after my father caught an understanding of what it was he had it declared family magic.
Harry already knew it and so did Nym but I was considering Charlie to learn it as well though now with my father's permission. Nym and I studied and I taught her the forging techniques to improve her physique as well as the gravity spell to help improve faster. My own core was the size of a basket ball and growing stronger because of the intense physical labor I was doing.
I'd already told my family the methods to growing a stronger core and my sisters had taken on house elves and were using up what little magic they had daily. The only other big project I was constantly doing was the runic work for the giant soon to be ward stone as well as magically shaping it just right.
Like that the summer passed with a breeze and other than another disappointing trip to Burke's, I only collected my school supplies with Nym, redid the blood rune and notice me not charm and stayed home mostly. I did send birthday presents and for my own present from Nym, she gave me her first kiss.
It was a little awkward but I didn't mind. We didn't go farther than that so it was fine. After we boarded the train bound for Hogwarts, I realized this year was going to be relaxed for me finally. I had no main goals to achieve and other than the basic work from last year there wasn't anything more.
Hell, I didn't even need to explore anymore as I knew Hogwarts like the back of my hand. The only place in the forbidden forest I'd treaded to was the spider nest and only barely. The rest of the forest needed mapped but that could wait until much later.
My map rings did show the names or breeds of the beasts in the general area of the runes but not much else so I only saw basic creatures as the vicious stuff was further in.
It was rather boring even when I dueled Flitwick for half the school year until the headmaster announced some tournament called the All-Wizard Tournament. I'd joined but when it ended by Christmas I was severely disappointed as no one was my match.
From then on, even during Christmas break, I'd studied harder as I wanted to see what the true limits of this world's magic was. I'd found tons of potions forgotten by history and had them republished for the public consumption and cheaper easier to find ingredients listed for them under my pseudonym Old Ben.
I'd given the old potion books to Snape to go through himself as well as he might see something I missed. He was more than happy to take them off my hands to further his own studies. I'd also agreed to give him a discount for all ingredients he needed from the Jugs and Jiggers shop under the condition that he taught me all the spells he knew and particularly any that involved broomless flight.
He'd reluctantly agreed so long as I agreed not to go sharing it with anyone without his permission. I'd agreed so long as he agreed to let me teach it to Nym as I shared everything with her. I gave him my word she nor I would teach anyone else.
It seemed enough for him and he began secret detentions as he called them. I'd pretty much outclassed Flitwick now and he simply couldn't keep up in a straight duel of equals as his wand while trained simply wasn't as fast as my magic that rarely needed any movements after all as they volleyed and bombarded you overwhelming the recipient.
He'd taught me all he knew and then some as he'd let me borrow his own notes on the subjects of dueling and charms. My own understanding had taken a leap forwards in both subjects. Now with Snape putting in real effort to teach me spells and test my battle skills and instincts, I was perfecting an already solid foundation.
I'd stayed in charms club for now but I figured I'd leave it next year after guiding several students in the subject this year. I'd gained a reputation even amongst the seventh years as someone who wasn't to be messed with and no one in any of the four houses dared try.
The younger years called me a genius while the older students called me a monster in the making. Even the teachers seemed to agree. Other than grading papers and doing basic work I'd hung out with Nym and Charlie a lot more this year and would do so even more the next as my spell work with Snape ended as the school year did with the last spell being the flight spell he'd taught me.
It required a lot of magic to maintain and it was something Voldemort has taught him personally as a reward during the last war. He hadn't said it out loud but his grimace after it was confirmation enough. It wasn't a so called dark spell but it did require negative emotions to fly with as it was based off of how dementors flew about.
Summer came around once more with the end of my fourth year and soon enough Fred and George would be joining us in Hogwarts but for now though I'd already removed mine, Nym and Charlie's names off the old map so they were free to do as they wish.
Peeves had already created a hurricane of pranks because of my help and was only beginning as each year I gave him more ideas and pranking tools as well as a ring of his own tied to his essence to keep him from getting caught. He'd declared me his best partner in crime and had went on a pranking spree that would rival the twins greatest hits when Umbridge finally takes her job there.
I spent my summer with Nym and my family mostly while working on my forging and the ward stone on the side and buying things from Burke and doing investments via Fiona mail with Nagnok.
By muggle standards I'd made billions but by Gringotts standards it was only millions though that's nothing to scoff at. My returns on my investments were just starting especially since I'd remade Frosthaven here and named it as such while having my bot workers run the company in my stead.
I'd let out nineties era technologies after having them patented and I'd invested heavily in it as if had them go international and opened up to the stock market. Only my bots ran the company for now and once they started allowing other workers in they would be werewolves and vampires only.
The werewolves were already being trained in muggle technologies in preparation. Thousands upon thousands were joining for two years worth of training and all of them were willing to build a stable life in the muggle world. The training facilities my family used was all upgraded and expanded by miles now.
They were taught everything including the mind arts and Occlumency as my father demanded since they couldn't share it and were working for our family in the end. Frosthaven was at it's core all that I intended to leave those of my family that decided to stay in this world when I decided to leave.
Soon the investments in Frosthaven would pay off as well. For now though I was more focused on my ward stone and my magic core that had expanded to most of my chest and stomach in size soon it would spread to my arms legs and head and I estimated that by my seventh year I'd reach the peak of the second core stage.
Tonks had already joined me in the second stage now and was working on her own physique while staying more toned. We practiced that kissing a lot over the summer as our hormones had run wild. We hadn't gone farther as I had more self awareness and control than either of us would've liked but it was all fine.
Since Andromeda has declined my offer of becoming a Lestrange, I intended to disband the official family once I reached my majority and add the vote to my Greengrass title in the Wizengamot when I take over as head of the family.
It was all legal thanks to the rest of the Lestrange family being officially dead or bastards but once Bellatrix finds out we will in fact need the new ward stones for our properties and to keep our family safe.
I'd included the Tonks's properties in with our own as they'd approved for safety measures when they saw the ward stone I was working with and the powerful magic that would be channeled to each property not only for protection, but for their own uses as well.
We'd signed a pact that couldn't be abused by later generations that basically said it was free and could not be removed or used in any threats, bargains or persuasions in any way by anyone. The later generations could either accept it or deal with the magical clause that would bind their powers if they tried it.
It went both ways so everything was alright. I'd set up a funneling trust to send the Tonk's family half of every bit of money I made from my personal account into theirs without them being made aware of it. Luckily the vaults expanded automatically as they filled more than half way so they wouldn't realize it for a long time to come.
After a trip to Harry's old place to replenish the rune and spell, of which Harry has just handed me his blood as he truly didn't wish to see them ever again. I'd given him plenty of what I'd learned in school one evening and he'd taken to playing quidditch as his main hobby since he'd learned all he needed to know about his school subjects and only needed the practical experience and training.
It wasn't much more than NEWT level spells and the Patronus charm for kicks as well as it's variants I created. Including the stunning, knock back and blasting versions. I'd yet to incorporate more than that but I'd given my sisters the same treatment and my parents all I'd learned at Hogwarts so far except what I'd learned about flight and the Horcruxes.
I'd given them all rings as well that had communications and maps in each of the whole school minus the chamber of secrets. My father still insisted they go to make connections and ties to the wizarding community as well as to actually gain acclaim and show our family is full of geniuses.
I'd agreed to my sisters annoyances but they settled down and agreed as they knew Harry would be there if they needed him and they'd already grown close like siblings even calling each other brother and sister and I'd even perpetuated it by calling him my little bro.
They also knew I'd be there for their first year and I'd most likely be staying for one more year at the least until I can get a job there. Then they'd see me all the time and I'd be able to watch out for them. I'd soon said goodbye to them and went with Nym to join Charlie on the train for another year.
This one I actually planned to coast in as I was out of the charms club and had no more extra lessons as I just maintained all my classes and grades. Surprisingly when we'd arrived I'd seen the Weasley twins tip their boat into the lake to see the giant squid that helped them out of it.
I'd been petting the Thestral that was loving my attention and feeding it raw steak at the time. The other thestrals pulling the other carriages came over and gathered around to everyone's annoyance as they ate.
Only a few of the younger years looked at me funnily as the rest knew I was weird and accepted it. I'd finally taken pity on them and gave the thestrals the command to take us to the school as I'd gotten in watching Fred try to tip the boat a second time.
Nym was busy reading and Charlie was playing with his miniature broom model I'd gotten for him along with his personal golden snitch that couldn't leave ten feet of him while active.
He'd loved it as he practiced his reflexes. I grabbed my book sitting next to Nym and joined her while she leaned against me. Charlie muttered. "I gotta get me a girlfriend."
Nym laughed. "We could always make you one. I'm good at turning frogs into human shapes now."
He grimaced. "Pass."
I chuckled. "Perhaps you'll find her this summer. Your brother is taking the curse breaker training then heading to Egypt so your parents are going to bring the family to make sure he gets settled."
He scowled at me. "Why do you always know these things before me?"
I shrugged. "Your mom likes me best. It's probably because the house elves I gave her now do all the chores except cooking as she enjoys that and they even give her daily messages."
He nodded. "Probably. Not much fazes mum these days. Even Fred and George's antics are hard pressed to get more than a scowl before the mess is cleaned and she's having the elves prevent them from getting into too much trouble."
I snorted. "A full time job I'm sure. I kind of feel bad for the house elves now."
He chuckled. "Too true. Though they seem to find their own joy in making us happy and gardening for some odd reason. They've actually cleared a lot of the forest and turned it into one big magical garden."
I nodded. "Sounds about right."
We arrived at the castle and I'd eaten along the way with Nym as I'd insisted and surprisingly Charlie who was just hungry and not very picky. I didn't trust the school students or staff not to do anything to our food or drinks and I wasn't about to risk them either if I could avoid it.
We sat continuing our own reading and snitch playing while the announcements were said by the headmaster. It wasn't much but the muggle studies professor had changed to the new Professor Quirinus Quirrell.
He didn't have his stutter or his turban so he looked rather benign when he was introduced. The old teacher was subbing for the defense against the dark arts class this year.
We watched the twins and their soon to be friend Lee Jordan get placed in Gryffindor while the now ceremonial fireworks named them Slytherins to the first years confusion.
I hadn't taken it down and the teachers thought it amusing, even Snape as it was different each year. This year it said the word Slytherin while showing a blue and silver eagle. I ignored the rest as the feast soon commenced.
Once the first day was over, and the second had commenced with classes, I'd little to do so I read up until classes ended. It was OWL year for Nym, Charlie and I and I'd decided to give him the mind arts book for his own study.
While I dropped that off I noticed the twins running about exploring so I called over Peeves and had him introduce himself as a fellow prankster. They'd immediately hit it off and he'd begun sharing our proud tales of pranks on the whole school.
They'd looked at both me and Peeves with stars in their eyes and I told them about a secret map hidden on a piece of parchment in Filch's office. I told Peeves to give them a distraction tonight as they would be tested as worthy legacies to earn our manual of chaos.
He'd cackled and saluted me before leaving to prepare. I told them seriously. "The incantation for the map is, I solemnly swear I'm up to no good. It's a legacy item from a group of pranksters from before my time. Your mission should you choose to accept it is to create chaos for all the years you're here and make sure no one is truly hurt by it. Now don't bully or target anyone specific as everyone, including yourselves and me are supposed to be targets as well. Chaos, true chaos effects everyone equally."
They nodded obediently and began planning their heist. I'd given them the exact whereabouts of the map and warned them to be careful of Filch's cat and the prefects and teachers roaming the halls at night. The cat most of all as some nights she even chases me and I'm invisible at those times.
Peeves had flooded Myrtle's bathroom and had exploding ducks that sent dung bombs flying all over the second floor corridor causing a supreme mess for Filch and Peeves was gone long before Filch had arrived.
The exploding dung bombs I'd made to multiply and go off when they hit water had caused true chaos in the whole second and even first floor before leaking down the stairs into the dungeons and causing even more chaos as the Slytherin and Hufflepuff's had been woken up by the smell of sewage as it only got worse.
The twins had barely made it out while I watched with pride and they made it back to their dormitory safely thanks to the confundus charm I hit Misses Noris with. The damn cat was meowing at a dung bomb that chased her then as it multiplied and exploded more.
The next day Snape was irritated by me but I'd simply told him. "I'm no longer the only mischief maker of the school. I won't name people but I'm no longer alone and those who've begun are responsible not I. They may or may not have joined Peeves in his crusade."
He actually paled by my words and demanded I tell him. He knew it was a futile effort but he had to try and went so far as bribing me with house points. In the end I hadn't budged but then, he knew I wouldn't to begin with. I'd been feeding on the chaos for years and it had made my wolf form stronger, more solid to the point where I'd actually shifted and ran as my giant wolf form for the first time in forever last night while everyone else was asleep.
I'd had to do so in my own realm but damned if it wasn't worth it. I haven't gotten full shifting for my partial wolf form as it seemed to require my hunting instincts and feeding on tons of animals but I'd begun. As for my vampire form I can only guess at it's requirements as I hadn't even tapped into it yet.
What I did find surprising as none of them were my Animagi form. I'd meditated and found my form to be the green Phoenix of my patronus. I simply hadn't tried the potion to become it yet and reaching for it like I did the other forms wasn't going to work as I'd tried and failed.
I was left with the only other option of creating the Animagi potion. I did however plan to do it in my seventh year when I oust myself as old Ben and complete my NEWTs. I'd sign up as an Animagi because I had other forms I could take and as a Metamorphmagus I wasn't limited to my beasts but other people as well.
Other than reading books, working on the ward stone and helping Snape with potions and paperwork, my time at Hogwarts this year consisted of more chaos causing pranks and finding time to snog Nym at all opportunities. Peeves had taken the twins under his wing so I'd mostly occupied Nym's time with my mouth.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone