章節 42: Chapter 42 - Countryside

For the next few days, Thomas trained with Bahamut diligently. Every night, they would go through different scenarios and strategies for fighting against low, and sometimes middle-class creatures. Bahamut was an excellent teacher, and Thomas found himself improving in leaps and bounds.

During the day, Thomas would spend time with his parents, telling them about his life at Hogwarts. They were fascinated by the stories of the magical world and proud of their son's accomplishments.

And Saturday morning, his parents took him to his grandparents. Thomas was excited to see his grandparents again after such a long time. He missed their warm hugs and their stories about their youth. As they drove towards their house, Thomas looked out of the window, taking in the familiar sights of the neighborhood.

When they arrived, Thomas rushed out of the car and ran toward his grandparents, who were waiting for them on the front porch. They hugged him tightly, and Thomas felt a sense of comfort and security wash over him. They all went inside, and Thomas was greeted with the familiar smell of his grandmother's cooking. She had prepared a delicious meal, and they all sat down to eat and catch up.

As they ate, Thomas told his grandparents about his life at Hogwarts. He told them about his classes, his friends, his Quidditch matches, and the different magical creatures he had encountered.

Paul was particularly interested in Quidditch, the sport played on broomsticks. He had been always a great fan of various sports, and he was excited to hear that Thomas was playing a sport he had never dreamed of.

"So, tell me more about this Quidditch," Paul said, leaning forward in his chair.

"Well, it's a game played on broomsticks," Thomas explained. "There are seven players on each team, and each player has a specific role. The goal is to score points by throwing the Quaffle through the opponent's hoops, while the other team tries to block you. And then, there's the Snitch. It's a small golden ball with wings that flies around the field. The Seeker's job is to catch the Snitch, and the team that does that gets 150 points and usually wins the game."

Paul nodded, impressed. "And you play as a Seeker, right?"

"Yes," Thomas replied with a smile. "And we've already played two games. The first one was against Hufflepuff, and we won 210 to 20. The second one was against Gryffindor, and it was a lot closer, but we managed to win 170 to 150. If I didn't catch the flying golden bugger, we would have lost at points."

"That's fantastic!" Paul exclaimed. "You must be a great player."

Thomas laughed. "I don't know if I'm a great player, but I just try to stay focused and keep my eyes on the Snitch, and I like the sport. And of course, it helps to have a great team supporting me."

"Well, keep up the good work," Paul said with a smile. "I'm sure you'll become famous if you keep playing."

Jonathan chuckled and joked, "Dad, don't put too much pressure on the boy. Let him enjoy the sport without worrying about fame and fortune."

Paul laughed and waved his hand. "Of course, of course. I just want to see my grandson succeed in whatever he chooses to do."

Thomas smiled at his grandpa's words and then turned to his dad. "Don't worry, Dad. Grandpa's just excited to see me play. He's always been a big fan of Quidditch."

"I know, I know," Jonathan said, still smiling. "But we don't want him to put too much pressure on you, okay?"

Thomas nodded and then turned back to his grandparents. After the talk about Quidditch, Hannah turned to Thomas with a sly smile. "So, Thomas, have you made any special friends at Hogwarts? Any girlfriends?" she asked teasingly.

Thomas felt his cheeks grow warm and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Uh, well, I've made a lot of friends, but I don't have a girlfriend," he said, trying to avoid the subject.

Jonathan chuckled and nudged his father. "Come on, Mom, don't pressure the boy. Let him enjoy his school days without any relationship drama," he joked.

Hannah laughed and shook her head. "I'm not pressuring him, I'm just curious. He's at that age, you know," she said, winking at Thomas.

Thomas couldn't help but blush even more, feeling embarrassed by the attention. "I'm just focusing on my studies and Quidditch right now, Grandma," he said, hoping to change the subject.

Hannah nodded understandingly. "Of course, dear. You have plenty of time for all that," she said with a smile.

The conversation shifted to other topics, and Thomas felt relieved that the subject of girlfriends had been dropped. Once they finished their meal, Thomas excused himself and asked his grandparents if Touji was at home. His grandparents nodded and told him that they saw Touji earlier that day in his backyard tending the flowers.

Thomas thanked them and headed towards Touji's house. When he arrived, he knocked on the door, and a few seconds later, Touji opened it.

"Thomas! What brings you here?" Touji said, surprised to see him.

"I was visiting my grandparents, and I wanted to say hi," Thomas replied.

Touji smiled. "Well, come on in. It's good to see you again."

Thomas entered the house, and Touji led him to the living room, where they sat down on the couch.

"So, how's Irina doing?" Thomas asked, eager to hear about his friend.

"She's doing well," Touji replied. "She's been working hard at the Vatican, training to become an exorcist. My wife and Sister Griselda are drilling into her everything they know, it's not easy, but she's quite adamant about becoming the best exorcist."

Thomas nodded. He knew how important this was for Irina and how hard she had worked to get to where she was.

"And how about you, Thomas?" Touji asked. "How was your first semester at Hogwarts?"

Thomas smiled. "It was amazing. I made some great friends and learned a lot of new magic. I also joined the Quidditch team and won our first two games as the seeker."

Touji looked impressed. "That's great, Thomas. I always knew you had a talent for magic as well as your swordsmanship."

Thomas blushed, feeling a sense of pride in his accomplishments.

"But there were also some challenges," Thomas continued. "There are some dark forces at work in the wizarding world, and we had to face some dangerous creatures and spells."

Touji's expression grew serious. "I see. It's important to be prepared for those kinds of situations."

Thomas nodded, knowing that Touji was right. He had learned that magic could be both powerful and dangerous, and he needed to be ready for anything that came his way. A few minutes later, Touji decided to change the subject to something more interesting and Thomas couldn't contain his excitement when Touji suggested a spar. It had been months since he had last wielded a sword, but he still remembered the basics of swordplay. He eagerly accepted the offer and followed Touji to the backyard, where they could have more space to practice.

Touji took out two wooden swords and handed one to Thomas. "Remember, it's not about winning or losing, but about the experience and learning from it," Touji said, reminding Thomas of the importance of the training.

Thomas nodded and got into a defensive stance. He watched Touji closely, waiting for him to make a move. Touji was incredibly fast, and Thomas had to be on his guard at all times. The two began circling each other, trying to find an opening to strike.

Touji made the first move, thrusting his sword toward Thomas. Thomas parried the attack and tried to strike back, but Touji was too quick for him. He dodged Thomas's strike effortlessly and followed up with a quick counter-attack.

The two continued to spar, their swords clashing and ringing out as they struck each other. Thomas had to use all of his agility and quick thinking to keep up with Touji, who was a seasoned swordsman. But he was determined to improve his skills, and he kept pushing himself to do better.

After a few minutes of intense fighting, Touji finally landed a blow on Thomas's shoulder. It wasn't a heavy blow, but it was enough to make Thomas stumble backward. Touji immediately lowered his sword and asked if he was alright.

Thomas nodded and smiled. "I'm fine. That was amazing, Touji. I've missed sparring with you."

Touji chuckled. "You've improved since the last time we sparred. I can see that you've been practicing your moves. Thought I wonder, where in God's name have you managed to learn how to fight like that? No offense Tom, but I don't see you as a battle maniac that would leave his school to find enemies to fight against."

Thomas grinned, "I've just been reading a lot of books on sword fighting techniques and practicing on my own." he said, not wanting to reveal the true source of his training with Bahamut.

Touji raised an eyebrow but didn't press the matter further. "Well, keep it up. You might become as good as me someday," he joked.

Thomas laughed, "I doubt that, but it was good to spar with you again, Touji."

After saying their goodbyes, Thomas made his way back to his grandparents' house. He didn't want to reveal Bahamut's existence to anyone yet, not even his family or closest friends at Hogwarts. He feared what would happen when those beings that are still alive and fought Bahamut would react when they found out that he was back.

As he walked, he couldn't help but think about his training with Bahamut and how much he had learned in just a few weeks. He was grateful for the dragon's guidance and he knew that he still had a long way to go.

When he arrived back at his grandparents' house, Thomas found his parents and grandparents chatting in the living room. They were discussing old family stories and laughing together. Thomas joined in on the conversation, sharing stories of his own adventures at Hogwarts. As the night wore on, Thomas realized how much he had missed spending time with his family. He made a mental note to visit them more often, especially since he knew that his next year at Hogwarts was going to be just as challenging as the last.

Eventually, it was time for Thomas and his family to head back home. They said their goodbyes and promised to keep in touch. Later that night, As Thomas lay in bed that night, he heard a faint whisper in his mind. It was Latia, contacting him through a magical circle.

"Thomas, are you there?" her voice echoed in his mind.

Thomas was surprised to hear from Latia so late at night. He quickly opened the magical circle to see her worried face on the other side.

"Latia, is everything okay?" Thomas asked, concern evident in his voice.

"No, Thomas. My father overheard a conversation between the current head of my family and some of his peerage members. They were talking about how jealous he was that I found someone like you, who is not only young but also quite powerful for your age. They said that they would do anything to stop me from making you my peerage member if I ever get to that rank, even if it meant hurting you," Latia said, her voice trembling with fear.

Thomas felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that the Astaroth family was powerful and influential in the devil community and even outside of that thanks to one of the Satans being from that family. But to hear that they were willing to hurt him just to get what they want was scary, to say the least.

"Latia, I'm sorry. I didn't know that being friends was a problem. If… that would save you some trouble, maybe…" Thomas said, feeling guilty.

"No, Thomas, don't continue that. I won't let the main family dictate my life. We'll find a way to make this work, we always do, right?"

Latia's words were comforting, and Thomas felt a sense of relief wash over him. "Right," he replied, feeling more determined than ever to protect his friend.

"We'll figure this out together." Latia nodded. "My father said he'll try to find out more information and let me know. But in the meantime, you need to be careful, Thomas. I don't want anything to happen to you because of me."

"I will," Thomas assured her. "I'll be more cautious from now on."

They chatted for a while longer, catching up on each other's lives and discussing their upcoming summer plans. Eventually, they said their goodbyes, and Thomas went to bed with a lot on his mind.

For the rest of the night, Thomas went to train with Bahamut as usual, but his mind kept drifting back to the conversation he had with Latia. He couldn't shake the feeling that his family was in danger, and that made it hard to focus on his training. Bahamut noticed that something was off with Thomas and asked him what was bothering him. Thomas hesitated for a moment before deciding to confide in his mentor.

"I found out that someone is trying to hurt me and maybe even my family because of my friendship with Latia," he said, explaining the situation to Bahamut. Bahamut's expression grew serious.

"I see. This is a troubling development. But you must not let fear consume you, Thomas. It is important to stay vigilant and take precautions, but you must also continue with your training."

Thomas nodded, feeling reassured by Bahamut's words. He knew that he couldn't let his fear control him, but it was hard not to worry about what might happen. Over the next two days, Thomas tried to follow Bahamut's advice and focus on his training. He spent his days practicing spells and honing his skills with his wand, and at night, he trained with Bahamut in sword fighting and martial arts. It was exhausting, but it helped him keep his mind off his troubles.

During his free time, Thomas spent time with his parents, trying to enjoy their company and forget his worries for a while. He also exchanged letters with his friends from Hogwarts, keeping up with their lives and sharing stories about his own. But no matter how hard he tried to push it to the back of his mind, Thomas couldn't forget about the threat hanging over him.

Every time he went out for a walk, he was always looking over his shoulder, wondering if someone was following him or watching him. It wasn't until he received a message from Latia two days later that he finally got some answers.

"Tom, my father found out something important," Latia said as soon as the magical circle connected them. "The main family is planning something big. They're going to send someone stronger after you, someone that not even my father could defeat. Apparently, they paid him a lot for this."

"What do they want with me?" Thomas asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't know all the details," Latia said, her voice filled with concern. "But my father thinks that they want to force you into joining our cousin's peerage. They think that by having you under their control, they can gain more power and influence in the wizarding world."

Thomas felt a wave of anger wash over him. He didn't like the idea of being used as a pawn in someone else's game. "I won't let them use me like that," he said firmly.

"I know, Thomas," Latia replied, her voice calming him down. "But we need to be careful. They won't stop until they get what they want. My father and I will do everything we can to protect you, but you also need to be vigilant. Don't trust anyone from the Astaroth family, and be careful who you confide in."

"I understand," Thomas said, nodding his head. "I'll be careful. Thank you for telling me this, Latia. I appreciate it."

"Of course, Thomas," Latia said, her voice softening. "We're friends, remember? We look out for each other."

Thomas smiled, feeling grateful for having a friend like Latia. "Yeah, we do."

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