The weeks flowed onward like the cool breeze sweeping across the Black Lake, and as the days passed, I observed with a quiet clarity how the story I once knew continued to unfold familiar in tone, but diverging in subtle, meaningful ways.
The Quidditch match loomed on the calendar, and the school buzzed with energy. Yet for once, I wasn't interested in watching Harry take to the skies. I had other priorities—threads of magic and whispers of secrets far older than any broomstick rivalry.
Earlier that morning, Sirius Black returned to Hogwarts. His arrival was grand, dramatic even—flanked by Dumbledore and met with cautious excitement by the students who had only heard his name in dark tales or family whispers but I greeted him like family.
He pulled me and Harry close, ruffling our hair in a brotherly gesture, laughing warmly. " It's good to see you boys you look. I've been talking with Dumbledore," he said with a grin, "and next year, I'll be the new DADA professor."
I blinked and Harr's Jaw opened wide "That's amazing Sirius." "Wait what about the curse?" Sirius smiled wider. "Thanks to a clever schedule your brilliant brain cooked up" he winked at me, "the curse won't apply. I'll teach the first half of the year. Then I'll swap out with an old friend of mine and Harry's father: Remus Lupin."
"Lupin…?" I repeated, genuinely surprised.
Sirius nodded. "Yeah. He's still recovering a bit but eager to teach. I figured the two of us alternating would let us both stay safe and give the students different perspectives. Plus, it'll mess with whatever curse is on the job. Can't target one of us if we're tag-teaming."
I hummed thoughtfully. Lupin coming early? Interesting. The implications made my mind wander to dangerous places. Could I possibly—no, not now. Too risky. But later… perhaps a controlled extraction of mutagenic material from a lycanthrope could work if processed safely.
I shelved the thought for now. I wasn't ready not yet. Sirius continued. "I've also submitted my claim to one of the empty seats on the Hogwarts School Board. House Black has legacy rights, and I want a say in how this place runs. If I'm gonna be in your lives, I might as well be part of the future too."
He clapped Harry on the back, then turned to me with that same familiar warmth. "Besides, I've got two very dangerous nephews to keep an eye on."
As the rest of the school filed toward the Quidditch stadium, I peeled away under my Invisibility Cloak. I had no interest in the game today. Instead, I made my way through the quiet halls and up to the Ravenclaw Tower, veering past it and into a lesser-used corridor that curved around the upper edge of the castle.
It was here that the air felt different. Almost cold I followed the faint shimmer of spectral light and the ghostly whispers that only one with heightened magical sensitivity might pick up.
The Grey Lady. Helena Ravenclaw. I found her hovering in a long-forgotten corridor, her translucent form draped in the soft silver glow of memory. Her posture was rigid, her head held high, but her expression… distant. Melancholy.
Floating before her was The Bloody Baron, his tone uncharacteristically quiet and pleading. "I only wanted to make it right… Helena. Please. Just once hear me out."
"I've heard your apologies for centuries," Helena's voice echoed, cold and refined. "Regret does not unmake bloodshed, Baron." "I still serve here because I seek penance," he murmured, his spectral armor dull with sorrow.
Their dialogue was haunting. Their presence—a reminder that even the dead carry chains.
I remained still beneath the cloak, absorbing their energy, their dynamic, waiting for the moment to make my presence known. I didn't want to interrupt the fragile exchange prematurely.
The torches lining the corridor flickered erratically as I stepped out of the shadowed archway and into the ethereal tension between Helena Ravenclaw and the Bloody Baron. The thick air buzzed with ancient regret and barely-buried pain. Every step I took rang with defiance.
The Baron turned, his hollow eyes narrowing. "You should not be here, child," he said in a low, ghostly voice. "Mortals who meddle in the affairs of the dead seldom find peace. Leave now."
I didn't stop. I didn't flinch. My gaze was locked on his, unreadable but sharp. "That's rich," I replied, voice cool and cutting, "coming from the man who was tasked with finding Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter… only to kill her when she rejected your obsession."
Helena's eyes widened. The Baron's form flickered with instability.
"You dare—" he began, voice rumbling with anger. "I dare, Baron," I snapped, stepping closer. "Because someone needs to say it. You murdered the one person you swore to protect. And then, instead of facing it, you killed yourself like a coward. That's shame your chain. That's what ties you to this world not penance but fear cause you know where you would end up."
His translucent form surged toward me in fury technically he can't really hurt me, but I flared my palm my Shadow Flame igniting in dark violet-black wisps, licking through the air like the hungry void. The raw force halted him mid-advance, and for the first time, I saw fear flicker behind his ghostly eyes.
I turned my head slowly to Helena, my voice colder than the stone beneath our feet. "You have three choices, Helena."
She watched me, wary but captivated. "One you can stay here. Suffer in silence for all eternity, a prisoner to your shame and the Baron's guilt." She lowered her eyes, as if the weight of that truth pressed against her soul like stone.
"Two I know where your mother's Diadem is. I know what Tom Riddle did to it." Her head snapped up at that name. "I can purify it. I can burn away the curse that clings to it. And I can do the same to you allowing you to pass on. Or consume you with my Shadow Flame, absorb your essence, and end your torment . Your power and knowledge will become mine, either way the diadem will be destroyed and you will find a peace from this torment."
A faint wind swirled through the corridor, icy with consequence. "And the third?" she whispered, her ghostly voice like bells cracking in winter.
My voice dropped into something deadly still. "I help you reclaim your life. I'll purify the Diadem while keeping it whole then find a way to resurrect you fully. Not as a spirit chained to pain, but a woman reborn, free from your mother's shadow. I'll guide you to make peace with her in the afterlife, if I can."
Helena floated closer, her expression unreadable but her posture shifting less rigid, more human. "And why should I trust you? After what Tom Riddle said to me with his sweet lies and promises of understanding?"
I took a deep breath, drew my wand, and with my other hand I conjured a golden flame that enveloped. Its warmth pushed against the cold of her ghostly form. Then I reached out and grabbed her hand and her fingers didn't pass through mine.
She gasped. "You made me solid…" The Bloody Baron let out a pained sound behind her. "That's not possible…" I didn't take my eyes off Helena. "I plan to make the impossible possible and rewrite the laws of this world."
With deliberate care, I drew my wand across the flame and said aloud: "We'll seal it with an Unbreakable Vow."
Helena's form shimmered with golden light. "You would bind yourself to this?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Even if it kills you?" "I've faced worse," I said with steel in my voice. "Let this flame be part of my bond and vow to you."
A line of brilliant gold fire coiled around both our arms, wrapping like glowing vines dancing with power and promise and I spoke with clarity and purpose: " I Callum Tesfaye Dawn vow to purify the last treasure of your mother, the Diadem of Ravenclaw." A strand of flame sealed across my wrist and hers. "I vow to resurrect you completely and restore your life, your form, and your agency."
Another line burned brighter, embedding into the magic of the Vow. "And I vow to help you find peace and help you to achieve your dreams, free from your mother's name, or her shadow." The final strand of the flame pulsed and, the Unbreakable Vow sealed.
The golden light vanished in a soft gust of wind.
Helena stood there more solid than any ghost had ever been, her pale hand still in mine. The Baron looked on, his hollow eyes filled with something unfamiliar. Hope, maybe? Or sorrow too deep to be spoken?
"You truly mean to do this," Helena said. "I do," I replied. For a long moment, she said nothing. Then quietly: "Thank you." The corridor fell silent once more—but the weight of history had shifted. And for the first time in centuries… Helena Ravenclaw was no longer bound by regret but with the light of hope.
he corridor still shimmered with faint gold light as Helena stood beside me—solid, her spectral form bound to the living realm through my magic. Her hand in mine trembled, not from fear, but from uncertainty. She glanced down at her fingers, curling them as if still unsure the sensation was real.
"Is this… permanent?" she asked quietly, her voice filled with fragile hope.
I hesitated. "I don't know," I admitted honestly. "Probably not."
Ping.
A system notification rang in the back of my mind, but before I could check it, the temperature in the corridor dropped several degrees. The Bloody Baron floated forward, his eyes burning with bitter resentment.
"This is madness," he spat. "You're filling her head with false hope. The dead have no future. Helena—what do you think you'll do with this chance? You will never be your mother. You never were. You're not good enough."
Helena flinched at his words. The damage he inflicted with them wasn't just emotional—it was centuries of pain condensed into a sentence.
I gritted my teeth and squeezed her hand. The Gold Flame pulsed around our linked palms in gentle waves, and her body shimmered faintly again—growing steadier with each breath.
Helena slowly floated forward until she stood face to face with the man who had taken her life.
"You're right," she said. Her voice was steady, her tone calm but firm. "I'm not my mother."
The Baron paused, caught off guard.
"I never was, and trying to be like her only broke me. But now…" She turned her head toward me, her lips curving into a soft smile. "Now I know someone believes in me. And because of that—I'll do what I should've done long ago."
Her eyes returned to the Baron. "I'll surpass her. I'll surpass everything that haunted me. I'll become more than just Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter. I'll be Helena—and with his help, I'll find my own dreams… and make them real."
The Baron surged forward, ghostly hand outstretched. "Fool!" Helena reacted on instinct. Her hand shot out and smacked him across the face. A ghost hitting another ghost should've been impossible—but her body still held form.
The Baron reeled in surprise. "Y-You struck me…" Helena blinked, just as surprised. "I didn't think I could." "You're breaking free," I said, summoning Shadow Flame into my palm. Its heat licked the air like a primal storm. "How about we end this chapter of your life properly?"
Helena turned to me, sadness in her eyes. "I don't condone revenge. But I can't forgive him. Not for what he did to me my mother and to himself let it end here." I nodded, raising the flame.
The Bloody Baron screamed, his ghost form twisting in fury. "You're fools both of you! This flame doesn't scare me! You think you can burn away guilt?!" He surged at me—and I met him with the full force of the Shadow Flame.
The corridor erupted in obsidian fire. It devoured the Baron in an instant. No scream, no fading groan just silence. A ripple of magic surged through me, and the system pinged again—this time louder.
> [System Notification] Spectral Consumption Complete. You have absorbed:
— Residual Core (Transmuted to Energy)
— Soul Anchor Fragment
— Trait Gained: Death-Touched (Passive)
— Spiritual Affinity Increased
I ignored it—for now. Helena hovered nearby, quiet her golden form flickered slightly now, already fading back toward the ethereal.
"I hated that it ended like this," she whispered. "But I feel lighter. Like some weight is gone." She looked at me again. "Thank you. For giving me hope again." I gave her a tired smile. "Don't thank me yet. We're just getting started."
She tilted her head. "Will you purify the Diadem now?" " No not yet," I said, shaking my head. "I need to grow stronger first. I can't risk failing." She nodded. "Then don't be a stranger. Come see me sometimes?"
"I will," I promised. Her solid form faded gently, like morning mist. The corridor dimmed, now peaceful.
Later that night, I returned to the Room of Requirement, my mind quiet, my body still humming with magical strain. I needed clarity, focus. I thought of what I needed: a space to prepare… to protect and purify ancient relics… to house knowledge and danger alike.
The Room shimmered—and shifted.
A table of magical artifacts appeared, each one radiating a distinct aura. Among them: The Diadem of Ravenclaw, dull and corrupted, a thin wisp of Horcrux magic writhing around it. And at the center a mysterious chest, black stone reinforced with silver bands, marked by the four House crests interlocking in a square.
I pulled out the mysterious key I had received from the system weeks ago I pressed it to the chest's lock. Click and nothing the key didn't fit. I narrowed my eyes. "Guess you're not ready to open yet but then I wonder what the key did open"
I stored the Diadem and the chest in my Inventory, far from reach but always accessible. Its cursed aura couldn't affect me while contained. I still have to go to the Gaunt shack to retrieve the Slytherin ring or the resurrection ring and that thing is guarded by a bunch of wards and curses but I should be able to burn them away. Then there's the Hugglepuff goblet in the Lestrange fault at Gringotts. getting that will be even harder to get.
Then Tom Riddles diary in Lucius Malfoy, possession, which shouldn't be a problem since he will most likely give it to Jenny like in the original story. Good thing Im friends I guess with Draco, but at the same time is he really changing plus what will he be like with being around his dad again? Oh well questions for later.
The only other thing I can think of if the pendant but that's easy at 12 Grimmauld place, I will just make sure to go their during winter break. That also reminds me I need to see the Longbottom's and heal them , and meet Nicholas Flamel, oh I forget to tell Snape Im sure he wont be to mad since it's Flamel. Good thing we are making progress with making a solid mana stone nothing close to a Flamels, Philosophers Stone. Maybe meeting him will help us move to the next step.
The low ping from the system hummed in my thoughts once more.
[System Notification]
New Quest: A New Queen Soars
Objective: Fully resurrect and help Helena Ravenclaw achieve her dreams.
Time Limit: Your Death
Reward: ???
I stared at the screen, thoughtful.
"No reward listed again," I muttered. "Figures." The lack of a timer was reassuring, though. Whatever magic the system ran on, it seemed to understand that something like resurrection and redemption wasn't a quick side quest it was life altering as well as helping her achieve her dreams whatever they are and it could take years.
My eyes narrowed. "Still no quest about the Horcruxes I wounder why?" I muttered aloud. "Is it because no one truly knows I'm after them yet?"
The realization hit hard these weren't simple goals. The system rewarded impact. Saving Sirius, revealing Peter Pettigrew, improving Harry's life for the better, and the Longbottom's those were things that shifted fate all together Quietly storing away a cursed relic didn't count. Not until action was taken.
"I should tell Dumbledore at some point" I trailed off, frowning. "But can I trust him not to see me as another pawn in his long game?" No, a voice deep inside me answered. Not yet.
I sighed and pulled up the other glowing alert.
> [System Notification]
Spectral Consumption Complete
You have absorbed:
— Residual Guilt Core (Transmuted to Energy)
— Soul Anchor Fragment
— Trait Gained: Death-Touched (Passive)
— Spiritual Affinity Increased
— New Ability Gained: Astral Projection – Novice (34%)
I raised an eyebrow. "AIA, break this down for me?" her voice clear and calm. "By absorbing the Bloody Baron, a specter bound by intense guilt and regret, you've gained fragments of his lingering essence—transmuted by your flame into usable spiritual energy."
"Okay. So what does Spiritual Affinity give me?" "Higher compatibility with ghost-type entities, spirit-based artifacts, and death-aligned magic. Your presence is now partially anchored in both the material and immaterial planes."
"So ghosts, poltergeists, death magic?" I asked. "You can now physically interact with spirits, detect residual soul energy, and begin learning necromantic, spirit-binding, or purification arts at an accelerated rate."
I whistled. "And what's this Soul Anchor Fragment?" "It has merged with your core. Your soul has strengthened. Resulting effects include:
— Resistance to soul-based attacks
— Increased soul resonance for artifact bonding
— +10% learning capacity across magical disciplines"
I blinked. "I'm smarter now?" "More accurately," AIA corrected, "your mind processes information, from memorizing and quicker thought processing. Your potential for mastery has expanded."
I grinned, then glanced at the last one. "And Astral Projection?"
"You can temporarily separate your soul from your body and traverse non-physical planes. At Novice rank, it's limited to nearby locations and short durations. With training, it can evolve into Dreamwalking, Spiritwalking, and Plane Phasing."
I sat back against the Room's conjured stone bench, fingers steepled in thought.
"This… changes everything if I wanted to after learning time magic or chronomancy I could possibly flow walk like in star wars and see the past and possible futures.." I chuckled, shaking my head. "Still feels redundant with Mind's Eye giving me spiritual sight, but I'll take the upgrade."
The flames on my palm danced a little brighter in response, as if agreeing. That night, I returned to the Slytherin Common Room, exhaustion finally creeping into my bones after a day.
Nyx curled on my pillow with her bright blue sapphire eyes meeting mine before meowing, and stretching. "Yeah," I whispered. "Long day." I slid into Mana Meditation on my bed, letting the flow of magic move through my body Every fiber of my being relaxed. The world faded from color to starlight as my senses turned inward.
Nyx hissed at the door hearing footsteps sounded like multiple people were approaching was approaching.
I moved quickly but with precision. Nyx, curled against my chest, tensed—her sapphire eyes reflecting reflecting back at me. I whispered to her, "Sorry girl danger's close." Gently, I slid her into her enchanted cat carrier, she pawed at the mesh and let out a low, sad meow. My heart tugged, but I closed the lock.
"I won't let you get hurt. just be patient."
I then check ed the room just to realize it was quiet like too quiet. I peered around the darkened dorm. Everyone else was gone too conveniently. No snoring or rustling from the other boys. This was planned then the creak of the door gave them away.
Four figures stepped in. Robed, smug, and self-assured in that particular way only the truly arrogant manage. At their center stood Dawn Rosier—the same idiot who slung a slur at me during our first day. His oily confidence hadn't changed.
"Well, well," he sneered. "Still think you're better than us, nig" he caught himself. "Freak."
I stood in the center of my dorm in my pajama's, barefoot, and arms crossed. "You again?" I raised a brow. "Sorry remind me what year are you and what was your name again?"
The boy's face twitched. " I'm a Fifth year names Dorin Rosier from the, Rosier family. A noble Pureblood line. Some of us were Death Dealers personally trained under the Dark Lords"
"Ah, so you come from a long line of cowards." I interrupted with a calm, cutting smirk. "Got it." That hit. His knuckles cracked as he clutched his wand tighter.
"You think you're untouchable," Dorin snapped. "Let's see how tough you are when we test a few unforgivables. Maybe force you to hurt your friends. Make you bleed. Break."
I tilted my head. "You're talking about the Cruciatus… and Imperius curses?" He sneered. "Crucio, yeah. Maybe both."
I paused, then… smiled thinking to myself this would be a good chance to test my abilities and see how my healing factors works. "Go ahead."
They froze and Dorin blinked. "What?"
"I said go ahead," I repeated. "I've been meaning to test some things. I'm curious how much punishment I can handle." "You're insane," one of them muttered. "Possibly," I said. "But you came in here to prove you were stronger and or make sure I know my place. So come on, Rosier. Hit me."
He hesitated. Just for a moment. But his pride overrode caution he pointed his wand and. "Crucio!"
Then pain occurred raw, nerve burning pain. My knees slammed to the floor. Muscles locked. My breath caught in my throat like glass but I didn't scream. Through gritted teeth, through every nerve aflame, I felt my blood line abilities begin to work against the curse. Through Phoenix Regeneration and Troll Regeneration the agony lessened more and more then I stood.
The spell cut off. Dorin looked shaken. "Was that it?" I asked, smiling faintly. "You've got the spell, but no power behind it and weak wandwork to." "You—!"
"Who else knows it?" I asked calmly and two others raised trembling hands. "All three of you do it same time come on I want to really fell it this time."
Dorin's voice broke slightly. "You'll go insane." "Maybe," I said. "Or maybe I'm just built different. Let's find out." The three boys exchanged glances—then, fury and pride taking the reins, they raised their wands then "CRUCIO!"
White light exploded across my vision. The pain was unbearable my vision blurred, my heart thundered. But beneath it—like molten threads weaving together my regeneration worked harder. Faster. Adaptive bio-magic from the troll essence, phoenix essence and unicorn essence rewove every nerve in real-time.
And somewhere deep in my soul, it felt like all three of my Flames stirred, crackling against the torture, hungry.
Seconds passed then a minute and then three. I stood and the spells stopped all of us stood in silence. My breathing was ragged, but steady. I stared at them with my eyes glowing gold and small barley seen streaks of smoke coming off my skin.
"You done?" I asked casually. They stepped back, one stammered, "W-What the hell are you…?" I grinned "Your worse nightmare."
The air in the room felt wrong—charged with something vile. As I stared at the group of fifth-years, still trembling from their failed Crucio attempt, I let my gaze darken. My voice lowered, colder than the halls of Azkaban itself.
"Is anyone… waiting for you down in the common room?"
Dorin trying to gather his scattered dignity, sneered, "Yeah. The girls and some of the others. With your friend Nikita."
I blinked slowly. "Why?" He grinned, as if proud. "We were gonna torture you in front of her. Then… force you to hurt her. Make her watch what happens when you side when you side with the wrong people."
My face didn't twitch my breath didn't quicken, but inside my soul screamed. My fingers curled at my side. "…I see." I raised one hand, palm open toward them using Telekinesis at full force. Before they could react, the air exploded outward. The five boys were launched through my dorm, slammed against the stone corridor wall, and dragged by invisible force toward the Slytherin common room like discarded trash.
The portraits howled. The green torches flickered wildly and I followed at a calm pace. By the time I entered the common room, dozens of students had gathered, drawn by the commotion.
The air was tense and in the center of it Nikita on her knees and her yanked cruelly by one of the seventh-year girls and a wand pressed hard under her chin. They didn't notice the five boys come flying in—until their bodies crashed onto the floor at her feet, tumbling like broken puppets.
Gasps erupted. The girl holding Nikita whipped her head toward them, panic in her eyes. "What what the hell?! Where's?!"
"Dorin," I said, stepping into the room. "Right here I brought him and his friends back for the show." Students turned some backed away while the older ones the sixth and seventh-years—straightened, trying to keep their dominance of this situation. I didn't stop walking until I was just a few feet away from Nikita.
"Nikita," I said softly, eyes never leaving the girl with the wand at her throat, "are you okay?" The girl snarled, pressing the wand harder. "Don't move! I'll disfigure her! They'll need a new spell to fix what I'll do to her face!"
Without blinking, I raised my hand and her wand snapped from her grip, flew into mine. "What the hell?!"
I casted Magic Missile, a orb of mana formed and blasted into the four girls encircling Nikita—hitting their shoulders, legs, and wrists, knocking away their wands and forcing them to the floor screaming.
I reached down and extended my hand to Nikita and my White Flame lit in my palm, warm and alive. Nikita accepted it. The flames shimmered over her, healing her physically and mentally. She whispered "They didn't hurt me… not yet at least."
"They wanted to," I said. "Now go get Snape and tell him students cast Unforgivable Curses on me." Her eyes widened. "They what?!" "Now's not the time, Nikita. I'll explain tomorrow. If I'm still here." "What do you mean if you're still here?!" "Just go."
She bolted, white flame still faintly flickering along her. The room was deathly quiet until I began to recognize faces. Not just older students but Prefects, even the Head Boy and Girl part of the group watching, silent, letting this happen.
Not surprised that's how deep the rot went. And in the back, leaning against the wall with crossed arms, stood Pansy Parkinson, watching with a curious mix of fascination and intrigue. She spoke up, louder than she needed to. "What are you going to do, Callum? Hurt them?"
Her voice was casual, but her eyes were sharp like she was testing me. I looked at her with cold certainty. "I'm going to remind them of their place in my world."
I pulled out my wand and let my magic pulse. The air shivered and green torches dimmed, then surged white. My aura exploded a tide of pressure washing over the room. Dust trembled from the ceiling. The stone floor cracked slightly. Some first-years collapsed to their knees, whimpering.
The older students they shivered in fear. Sparks leapt from my wand tip like thunder in a storm. Then I advanced One of the seventh-years stumbled back, pointing their wand. "You touch us our families will destroy you. They'll have you expelled and thrown into Azkaban!"
I pointed my wand at his throat. I said coldly. " If they want war I'll give them war." Minutes later the Slytherin common room was deathly silent, save for the sound of weeping.
Nikita stormed back in, Snape trailing just behind her, robes billowing like a dark storm cloud. But even he faltered at the sight before him. Every single student who had raised a wand against me was on their knees sobbing and begging.
The fifth-years who once bragged about Crucio were curled up like first-years, shaking. The seventh-year girls who dragged Nikita by her hair now sobbed hysterically, calling for their mothers between gasps of air and shame.
While I was sitting calmly in one of the tall, green-leather armchairs, backlit by the pale glow of the lake beyond the giant underwater window. One leg crossed over the other. Nyx, purred softly in my lap as I stroked her gently.
The onlookers were pale. Half of Slytherin stood in tense silence, uncertain what had just happened. Snape's voice cut through the tension. "What happened to them?"
Pansy with her voice uneven, spoke before anyone else. "We don't know, sir. He pointed his wand at them and they just started crying and begging." Snape's dark gaze shifted to me. "What did you do, Mr. Dawn?"
I didn't even shift in my seat. "I used a strong version of Legilimency sir." I said smoothly. "Showed them images. Futures they didn't expect and definitely not the ones they wanted to see just possible ones. A life where their hate and pride destroyed them. Where they lost everything. Where no one cared if they lived or died."
His eyes narrowed. "That's not possible especially for one so young." I smiled faintly. " Age has nothing to do with it. and if your strong enough to enforce your will inside another's minds it is possible."
Snape flinched, as if he saw something in me he hadn't expected. Then he spoke again. "I also heard the Unforgivable Curses were used on you?" I finally pointed, lazily, to the three boys still curled near the fireplace. "They did it I invited them to cast it even though they were already going to. Crucio. Just to see if I could withstand it."
The boys nodded between sobs. "We did… we're sorry… please forgive us." Snape's face tightened. His voice was calm, but strained. "Head to Dumbledore's office. Now. Be prepared… for the worst."
I rose from my seat slowly, placing Nyx in the crook of the armchair. "I always am."
Passing Draco and Nikita, I whispered, "Hold down the fort." Nikita grabbed my sleeve briefly. Her eyes were wide with worry, her voice soft. "Come back, Callum."
I didn't answer. Just smiled. Dumbledore's office was dimly lit and empty when I arrived. I sat silently in the high-backed chair before his massive desk, stroking Fawkes, perched on the golden stand beside me.
Forty-five minutes passed before the door opened. Dumbledore. Snape. McGonagall. Sirius Black. Madam Bones came walking in, all with grim expressions.
Sirius came forward first, worry flickering across his face. "You alright, kid?" I nodded once. "Yeah. What's the situation?" McGonagall stepped up. "It's not good, Mr. Dawn. The parents of the students you mentally scarred are calling for your expulsion and some are even demanding your imprisonment in Azkaban."
She scoffed under her breath. "Monsters." I chuckled. "And the fact they used Cruciatus on me?" Snape replied bitterly. "Their families are claiming that your 'mental manipulation' drove their children into an unstable state, and that only you were present to verify the curse was cast."
"Of course," I muttered. "Convenient." Madam Bones stepped forward, her jaw tight. "We will be verifying wand traces. The three curses leave magical residues we'll know the truth soon."
I nodded. "Good." Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Your family has been informed. Your aunt and father are at the Ministry, preventing any 'enforcement units' from being dispatched. Dementors and Aurors."
Sirius added, "Your mum's en route now. She'll intercept anything near the gates if it comes to that. She sends her love, by the way. Said to tell you she believes in you and sorry she isn't up here with you."
I nodded again, quieter. "Thank you." Then I looked at the professors, smile returning. "Professor's since we're here," I said, adjusting my robes, "can I take my O.W.L's now?"
Four pairs of eyes blinked in confusion. McGonagall stared. "You want to what?"
I repeated calmly, " I want to take my Ordinary Wizarding Level exams or O.W.L's. I've more than proven my capabilities in my class's. I'm ahead of the curriculum and my professor's including you and professor Snape know it and depending how this all goes, I might not be back here for a while after winter break which is around 3 weeks away."
Sirius gawked. "You're insane but you are your mother's son." McGonagall sighed but relented. "I appreciate your dedication, Mr. Dawn, but" "Now's the perfect time," I said. "I want to come back and focus on helping my friends without distractions." I looked directly at Dumbledore who caught my meaning.
He smiled faintly. "Minerva, would you be so kind as to retrieve the O.W.L. material and Snape and Madam can you supervise the exam so it's official?" Snape exhaled sharply. "Very well sir." Bones hesitated, then gave me a nod. "I still think this is absurd but alright."
McGonagall left, clearly worried, and returned ten minutes later, arms full of a stack of parchment and quills.
I rolled my shoulders. "Let's begin."
The quill danced across the parchment like it was alive. One after another, the O.W.L. exams fell to my hand—Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic, and even Arithmancy. The questions were complex… for others. But for me, they might as well have been review sheets from my mother's lessons at the age of six.
This wasn't even a challenge to me. I barely even looked up as the ink flowed in smooth, confident strokes from my quill. The moment I put the last period on the final parchment of paper, I exhaled calmly and stacked my papers neatly .
Snape, who had been watching me with furrowed brows and arms crossed, blinked as I leaned back in my chair. "Done already?" he asked, incredulous. Bones looked up from her pocket watch. "It's barely been thirty minutes."
I smiled. "This was nothing my mother trained me ten times harder than this." Snape raised an eyebrow. "Always so confident, Mr. Dawn."
"Only in myself and my skills sir." The doors burst open before anything else could be said.
My mother. She moved quickly to me. her her amber eyes glowing faintly the moment she saw me, her composure cracked. "Callum," she whispered, rushing to my side and dropping to her knees, cupping my face in her hands and scanning me for damage. "Did they hurt you? Are you in pain?"
I gave a small chuckle. "No, Mom. I'm fine. Stronger now than I was last time you saw me." She narrowed her eyes and then softened, a small proud smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Something is different about you…" she mused. "Did you grow a little taller? A bit more muscle too? My boy's growing up."
We laughed quietly together, and for a moment, it felt like all was well. The soft moment was shattered by the opening of the doors again this time with less warmth and far more troublesome.
Bartemius Crouch Sr. entered, followed by two stiff-backed Aurors. At his side slithered Cornelius Fudge, and trailing behind was Dolores Umbridge.
And oh… she was somehow worse in person than in any book or film. Pink, saccharine, and seething with superiority.
"We are here to take the boy into custody," Crouch began coolly. But Sirius and Madam Bones stepped in immediately, standing before me. "This is a ridiculous show of force," Bones snapped. "He's an eleven-year-old first year." Umbridge wrinkled her nose. "An eleven-year-old who mentally tortured several children from respectable pure-blood families. Clearly a bad apple. We must remove him to protect the rest."
Before another word could leave her lips, the room shifted and the air hummed with danger. My mother's eyes went gold, and her magic surged through the room like a crashing wave. "Touch my son," she said quietly, calmly, "and I'll show you what it means to defy the natural order."
Even the Aurors stepped back. Crouch, for all his arrogance, paled slightly. "M-Madam," he began, "we do not intend to offend. You're a respected figure in our world." She raised one hand—and even that made Fudge flinch.
I looked around the room, noting it with keen clarity. Why were they all afraid of my mother?
Then it struck me: she wasn't just smart and clever from a powerful noble family but possibly very powerful as well. The kind of person even the Ministry fears stepping too hard on. My mother's voice cut cleanly through their panic. "There will be a official trial with evidence. witnesses and the truth until then he is coming home with me."
Fudge opened his mouth to argue. "How do we know Mrs. Dawn that you and your family wont use your power and influence to leave and go into hiding until, where's the justice in that?" Sirius stepped forward.
"He'll stay at my estate," he said coolly. "Everyone knows where I live. If you want to watch him, feel free." Madam Bones added, "We can place tracking charms and locking wards. He won't be able to leave without permission."
Crouch muttered something and nodded. Fudge, however, was glaring. "And how do we know she won't vanish with him? She has the resources and magic to hide from anyone."
My mother looked to Sirius and smiled. "I won't run. Place your little charms. It's fine." Umbridge sniffed and finally said, "I will oversee the warding of the estate personally." I sighed loudly. "Fine, fine… what are you going to do next, send Dementors to guard the garden?"
I knew I was right—Umbridge would if she could. My mother turned to me and whispered softly. "Go with them for now your Aunt and father will meet you their. We'll settle this quickly. I'll retrieve your things with Professor Snape."
I nodded.
"And one more thing," I added, glancing at Snape. "If this is all resolved by winter break I scheduled to visit Nicholas Flamel for our potion and more."
The room stopped and Snape blinked. Umbridge stepped forward, sputtering, "Why would the great alchemist Nicholas Flamel want anything to do with you?"
I turned my head slowly and gave her a polite smile. "That's my business, ma'am. Please mind it." I turned to my mother and nodded subtly. "I'll tell you later."
She smiled proudly. "Of course."
Umbridge scowled. "Madam Bones," my mother said, "you may handle the tracking charms. I trust your judgment."
Umbridge stepped forward, lips pursed, "And I will place the outer wards—" I waved her off. "Sure. Just don't paint them pink."
The Aurors took me quietly, though I noted their hesitation to grab me. Sirius walked beside me the entire time, protective as ever.
The scene shifted again. We arrived at 12 Grimmauld Place, quiet, and powerful with the history of the Black Family that even I could feel pressing like whispers on the soul. This was my new base of operations from the next coming weeks after tonight I will get started with changing the world I wanted to wait until I was at least 13 or 14 before I made my moves.
Oh well I new this could happened when I decide to change the history of this world. Time to get to work.