The sky above Hogwarts was clear that morning. The trees by the lake swayed gently in the breeze, and the castle towers cast long shadows across the courtyards. It was Saturday, and the students were taking advantage of their free ti to study, train, or simply wander carefree through the gardens.
Aurelian, however, waited in a secluded corner of the empty greenhouse, a place where few passed by and privacy was guaranteed. He was dressed soberly, as always, but his eyes shone with a different hue.
Shortly after, three familiar figures arrived.
"Did you really say it was urgent?" asked Fred Weasley, his voice always tinged with humor.
"Did soone upset you? Because if so, Flora and Hestia must already be preparing an ambush," added George, looking around with feigned drama.
Cedric simply greeted them with a polite bow, as if he already sensed that it was no joke.
Aurelian smiled.
"It's nothing serious," he replied. "In fact... it's sothing I wanted to give you."
From behind him, he pulled out three enchanted cases, black and unadorned. He placed them on a moss-covered stone table and opened them with a slight wave of his wand.
Inside were three identical brooms. Black as obsidian, elegant, aerodynamic, without unnecessary adornnts. Only a small silver emblem: a stylized "G" with a snake coiled around its lower stroke.
They were Noxum brooms.
"What...?" Fred began, but his voice trailed off.
"They're for you," said Aurelian. "Latest models. They surpass the latest Nimbus models in maneuverability and speed. They have a double stabilization core and magic absorption enchantnts to reduce atmospheric resistance."
Cedric approached and touched it respectfully, as if he were standing before a living creature.
"Is this... real?" he asked in amazent.
"Yes," confird Aurelian. "You three are good flyers. Cedric, you're going to try out for Hufflepuff. Fred, George, I know you want to join their team, and this broom will give you a significant advantage."
"But why us?" asked George, genuinely confused.
"Because we're friends," replied Aurelian bluntly.
That was enough.
Fred was the first to smile broadly.
"This beauty really flies, doesn't it?!"
"Like no other," Aurelian assured them.
"Let's try them out now!" said George.
"Later," Cedric interrupted with a thoughtful look. "Are they yours? Did you design them?"
Aurelian nodded.
"The idea was mine, but I worked with a group of independent magical inventors. Kravix, the goblin from the Gaunt family, oversaw everything. Noxum brooms are already in the hands of several professional teams."
With that, his gaze wandered for a mont, recalling Kravix's most recent letter.
"I am also pleased to inform you that GauntCorp stores have officially opened in Diagon Alley and Hogsade. Initial sales have been excellent. Limited units of Noxum have been reserved as the flagship product. Your influence is growing, young Gaunt. But rember: power without discretion is an unnecessary beacon in tis of darkness."
He returned to the present just as Cedric, Fred, and George raised their broomsticks with visible admiration.
"I don't know how to thank you," said Cedric, looking at Aurelian with respect.
"There's nothing to thank for, just promise you'll fly with style," replied Aurelian, with a slight twinkle in his eyes.
"It's a deal!" exclaid the twins in unison.
They left shortly after, promising to take the brooms to the flying field as soon as they had ti. Aurelian watched them leave in silence, his cloak fluttering gently in the wind.
He didn't need to be in the air to rule the sky. Because he had begun to place his wings... on others.
The field stretched out in bright green under the clear sky. It was midday, and the breeze carried the scent of freshly cut grass. Several groups of students had gathered near the stands to watch the Hufflepuff team's trials.
Among them, so whispered with anticipation.
"Is that a Noxum?" asked a Ravenclaw from the top row.
"Yes, it is. Cedric Diggory is flying one. They say even the Bulgarian Vultures are going to use them this season," he said ecstatically.
"My brother said they're from GauntCorp," replied another voice. "A new company, but they're already everywhere."
"GauntCorp? Like Aurelian Gaunt?" he asked.
"That quiet kid with the crazy twins?"
"Shhh! They can hear you..."
Aurelian heard everything. He didn't turn around. He didn't make a move. But he did feel a wave of pride rising up his back. They knew. He was no longer just the bright second-year boy. Now his surna was flying high in the skies.
He sat cross-legged, his robe closed, his gaze fixed on the field. Next to him, Hestia was leaning on his shoulder, while Flora watched Cedric's every move intently.
"He flies cleanly, he's very technical," Flora comnted. "He doesn't waste energy on unnecessary movents. He knows what he's doing."
"He has good control when turning," Hestia murmured. "Although with that broom... everyone looks better than they are."
"However," Aurelian interjected, without taking his eyes off Cedric, "it takes skill to master sothing made to fly faster than the wind. It's not just the broom. It's who's riding it."
The twins looked at him as if he had just recited poetry.
Down below, Cedric dove, taking the center hoop of the field with a tight maneuver, then rising again with impeccable acceleration. The Noxum responded without the slightest hesitation, several students gasping in awe.
"They'll definitely take him for the team," said Hestia.
"Of course they will, and when they win, everyone will say it was thanks to his broom and therefore thanks to you," added Flora with a smile.
Aurelian didn't respond. He didn't care about fa. But he did care about the weight his na was beginning to carry.
GauntCorp.
A word that ca from the shadows of his lineage, but which he was building with intelligence, ambition, and above all, control.
The captain's whistle interrupted his thoughts.
"That's all for today! Diggory, excellent performance. Wait for by the entrance for a chat."
Cedric descended gently, receiving pats on the back from several Hufflepuff teammates.
From his seat, Aurelian allowed himself a smile.
"He'll do well."
"All thanks to you," said Flora.
"Because he deserves it," corrected Aurelian, not letting ego interfere with the truth.
The voices in the stands continued to talk about Noxum. About GauntCorp and him.
As the sun beat down on the field, Aurelian stood up, followed by the twins. Their footsteps were silent, but more and more people turned their heads as they passed.
The Great Hall sparkled with the lights of enchanted chandeliers, casting warm reflections on the silver plates and smiling faces of the students. It was a lively evening, filled with laughter and overlapping conversations, especially at the Gryffindor table.
Fred and George Weasley made their way through the students to the Slytherin table, which in itself was unusual. Aurelian saw them approaching with a spring in their step and a satisfied expression on their faces.
"Aurelian!" Fred greeted him, resting his arms on the table as if it were his ho.
"We have sothing to tell you," added George, leaning dramatically over the table.
Aurelian looked at them calmly, while Flora and Hestia narrowed their eyes, watching the Weasleys as if they were a threat.
"We ca to thank you," said Fred with a broad smile. "We made the team."
"Honestly, we've never flown like this before. The Noxum is... it's like riding lightning," added George, still with so disbelief in his voice.
Aurelian nodded simply.
"I'm glad it worked for you."
"Worked for us?" said Fred. "With this broom, even Percy could score points!"
George burst out laughing.
The Carrow twins didn't smile at them. They just hugged Aurelian more possessively, like snakes marking their territory.
Fred seed to notice.
"Well, well, we won't bother you anymore. We just wanted to thank you and, by the way... tell you that we won't forget this favor."
"Anything," said George, already backing away. "Just look us up. You know the Weasleys always pay their debts... sotis in very creative ways."
With a mocking gesture, they walked over to the Gryffindor table.
Aurelian followed them with his gaze for a mont, until two hands brushed his under the table.
"I don't like it when they get so close," Hestia whispered, barely audibly.
"They're loud... and too loose with their words," added Flora, her eyes fixed firmly on the twins' backs as they walked away.
Aurelian didn't respond. He just squeezed his hands tightly, not taking his eyes off them.
From the teachers' table, Albus Dumbledore watched the scene with interest.
His fork spun distractedly among the peas on his plate, though his mind was filled with thoughts denser than atloaf.
GauntCorp.
The na was already on everyone's lips. Broomsticks distributed among professional teams. Shops opened in Diagon Alley and Hogsade. Revenues that rivaled, or at least ca close to, those of so old magical houses, all achieved from the shadows by a second-year boy.
Dumbledore carefully put down his fork and raised a glass to his lips, without taking his eyes off those three students.
Flora and Hestia. Their obsession was no longer a secret. They didn't even try to hide it. He had watched them since they were new students, and now it was obvious. Their closeness to Aurelian was more intense; they were possessive of the boy, more than he had thought and more than he had seen among other students.
Aurelian seed to accept it. To reciprocate it, perhaps their conversation had helped improve their relationship.
Dumbledore thought, not for the first ti, of another brilliant child...
But that night he did not let that thought go too far.
Instead, he laughed softly, as if he had just rembered a funny anecdote.
"How curious fate is," he murmured to himself, returning to his dinner.
Because Hogwarts was a place full of mysteries. But it was also a place of developing gas, and so players already knew the rules of the ga before it had even begun.
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