June 23 dawned with clear skies, as if the weather wanted to give Hogwarts one last day of calm before sumr. Aurelian had finished packing his magic suitcase when soone knocked on his door...
At Hogsade station, the platform was bustling with students returning ho. Cedric approached first, giving him a firm handshake.
"I wish you luck in France, Aurelian."
"Thanks, Cedric," Aurelian replied with a slight smile.
Fred and George Weasley appeared right after, pushing each other to see who would speak first.
"Bring back a trophy to show off to everyone," said Fred.
"And, if you can, so spell that makes cauldrons explode from a distance, we'd be grateful," added George.
Aurelian raised an eyebrow.
"The first one, of course. The second... I'll see what I can do."
But the most difficult farewell was yet to co. Hestia and Flora approached together, both with expressions that showed their anxiety about his trip.
"I don't like the idea of you going alone," said Flora, crossing her arms.
" neither," added Hestia, taking a step closer. "But I know you'll return victorious."
Before he could respond, an elegantly dressed couple appeared behind them. The man, tall and aristocratic in bearing, had black hair streaked with gray and cold eyes that appraised Aurelian from head to toe. The woman, with brown hair and an intense gaze, had an air of nobility and a hint of distrust until she saw how the twins were looking at him.
"Aurelian Gaunt, I presu," said the man in a deep voice. "I am Alaric Carrow."
"I am Selene Carrow," added the woman, in a gesture of courtesy. "Hestia and Flora... have told us a lot about you."
Aurelian bowed his head respectfully.
"It's an honor to et you. I hope you received my letter thanking you for allowing them to spend Christmas with ."
Selene nodded, and for a mont her expression softened.
"We received it. Your request for them to stay with you was unexpected, but it did them good."
Alaric, on the other hand, maintained his dry tone.
"Just make sure you take care of them like you say."
Aurelian held his gaze.
"Always."
The twins, ignoring the formality of the mont, threw themselves into his arms.
"Rember your promise," said Flora.
"And co back soon," added Hestia.
With a final nod, Aurelian picked up his luggage and headed for the station exit, where a new chapter in his story awaited him.
The days following the farewell at the station passed calmly at Gaunt Manor. Stinky made sure everything was in order: als served at the exact ti, the gardens always tended to, and the rooms spotless. Aurelian took advantage of those days to rest from the long months of training and incessant study.
He spent his mornings walking around the grounds, watching the sun illuminate the walls of the mansion. So afternoons he would sink into one of the armchairs in the main library, reading books that did not require real intellectual effort, such as the volus of the Chamber of Secrets. Other tis, he would simply remain silent, letting the distant sound of the wind and the creaking of the wood fill the air.
However, even at rest, his mind could not stop anticipating what was to co: the tournant in France, the arrival of Harry Potter for the next school year, and the inevitable shadow of his father's return.
That night, as he sat at his desk, he took out the Resurrection Stone. He held it between his fingers, feeling its cold, familiar weight.
"I suppose it's ti to talk to you, Mother..." he whispered.
Aurelian closed his eyes, gently squeezing the Resurrection Stone. A faint halo of light ford in the air, spreading like a cold sigh through the room. The mist slowly took shape, until the figure of a woman appeared before him.
Elaine Harper looked at him with that mixture of warmth and lancholy she always brought to these etings. Her hair fell in dark waves over her shoulders, and her eyes, as intense as his, seed to contain the certainty that each encounter was both a gift and a farewell.
"Aurelian..." Her voice was soft, almost as if she feared breaking the mont. "My little one, how have you been?"
He smiled genuinely at her, a gesture he allowed himself with almost no one else.
"I don't know if I can still consider myself little after everything that's happened this year."
Elaine tilted her head, studying him as only a mother could.
"And yet, to , you always will be. But tell , how have you been at Hogwarts?"
Aurelian sighed, taking a seat across from her, as if ti were his own.
"It's been an... intense year." He began by recounting his academic achievents, how he had earned respect among teachers and students. He told her about Cedric, the Weasley twins, and, in a more cautious tone, Hestia and Flora.
"As you know... they're intense," he said, searching for the right words. "But with everything that's happened, I... I can't imagine being without them."
Elaine watched him closely, her lips curving into a smile.
"It sounds like you've really let them into your life."
"Yes," he admitted without hesitation. "And I won't let anyone hurt them."
He then told her about his most dangerous adventures: the discovery of the Chamber of Secrets, the encounter with Nythoros, and the conversation with Salazar Slytherin. He described the secret library and the value of its contents, as well as the unexpected respect the basilisk had shown him.
Elaine frowned as she listened to so of the details.
"You're treading in very deep waters, Aurelian. What you carry on your shoulders... is not sothing many can understand."
"I know," he replied, "but I'm not willing to back down."
There was a heavy silence, broken only by the faint crackling of the nearby fireplace. Elaine leaned toward him slightly, as if the distance between their worlds could be shortened.
"I want you to promise sothing," she said in a firr voice. "That you will continue to choose who you want to be, not who the world expects you to be. That you will not let your blood, your surna, or the shadows of others define what you will do."
"Of course, Mother," he said, looking her in the eyes with complete seriousness.
She smiled again, but there was a hint of sadness in her gaze.
"Then, my son, go forth. But rember: even the strongest people need a place to call ho. Sotis, that place is the people you choose to care for and love."
The words struck a chord with Aurelian. As Elaine's figure began to fade, he felt a tug in his chest, a familiar emptiness that always ca with the end of these encounters. He closed his hand around the Stone, as if he could hold on to that mont a little longer.
He remained silent for several minutes, feeling that, even though separated by life and death, his mother continued to influence his path.
As ti passed, Aurelian found a new escape that he had not fully explored before: flight.
He had always considered the broomstick a tool, sothing practical for moving quickly or for certain magical activities... but never as a true pleasure.
Now, in the silence of Gaunt Manor and without the curious glances of Hogwarts, he discovered that soaring through the air was liberating.
He rode his Noxum at dawn, when the sky was still painted in shades of lavender with a touch of gold, ascending until the mansion was reduced to a dot among the fields. At that height, only the wind and the constant beating in his ears accompanied him. There were no responsibilities, no long-term plans, much less intrigues or secrets to uncover. Just him, the open sky, and the feeling that, for a few minutes, everything else was left behind.
Sotis he would swoop down over the nearby forests, grazing the treetops before climbing back up with a precise maneuver. Other tis, he would simply float in the air, letting himself be carried by the wind currents and watching the sun rise above the horizon.
He liked to think that this new hobby was a way to balance everything he was carrying. After all, the dueling tournant in France, the new school year at Hogwarts... and the inevitable upheaval that his father's return would bring were all just around the corner.
Flying brought him peace, but Aurelian knew that peace was a fleeting luxury.
So, as the days progressed toward July 22, he began to devote part of his mornings and afternoons to training in the mansion's underground dueling room.
It was a spacious room, reinforced with ancient runes that absorbed and dispersed the impact of magic. The walls were adorned with engravings of snakes and the family crest.
Aurelian worked in rapid sequences: he cast offensive and defensive spells in succession, mixing conjurations with precision and adding personal variations he had developed over the past year.
The enchanted statues that Stinky had activated for him were no easy opponents. So attacked with moderate curses, others tried to corner him with terrain control spells.
Aurelian, in response, alternated between dodging, blocking, and deflecting, always seeking to maintain fluidity in his movents.
He also practiced his magical control: increasing or reducing the power of a spell in tenths of a second, casting several spells at once from different angles, and even using his "infinity" briefly to test its limits.
Sweat ran down his forehead, but he didn't stop until he felt that familiar burning sensation at the center of his magic, that point where he knew he had reached the edge of his endurance.
When he was done, he deactivated the statues and walked through the silent room, his breathing still heavy.
He was aware that this training not only prepared him for the tournant, but also for what would co after. In this world, those who let their guard down died. That's why, rembering the phrase of the auror Alastor Moody, "Constant Vigilance," Aurelian never faltered in his training, always giving his all and being alert to everything that was happening around him.
July 22 dawned with a completely clear sky, a deep blue that seed to promise a day without mishaps.
Aurelian woke up early, more out of habit than anxiety about the day ahead. He had packed his bags the night before: robes, wand, a few reference books, and a small enchanted briefcase with several hidden compartnts to store the essentials.
In the dining room, Stinky was waiting for him with a hearty breakfast.
"Young Master, I have checked your luggage twice," reported the elf, placing a plate of toast, scrambled eggs, and fresh fruit in front of him. "Everything is ready for your trip."
"Perfect, Stinky. Take good care of the mansion. If I need your services, I will call you," said Aurelian as he took a sip of tea.
Once he had finished eating, he picked up his briefcase and made his way to the main hall. With a snap of his fingers, Stinky apparated him directly to a side alley of Diagon Alley, away from prying eyes.
The usual hustle and bustle of the place greeted him like a wave: rchants offering their wares, wizards of all ages shopping in the stores, and the aroma of freshly baked bread mingling with the sll of parchnt. He walked confidently through the crowd until he reached the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.
Inside, the atmosphere was quieter. Low conversations and the aroma of butterbeer perated the air. There, at a table near the door, was Professor Flitwick, dressed in formal mourning robes, reviewing a scroll of parchnt.
The tiny wizard looked up when he saw him and smiled broadly.
"Aurelian! Just in ti. We have a long journey ahead of us to France, but I think you'll enjoy every part of it, both the trip and the tournant."
Aurelian nodded, placing his briefcase on the table.
"I'm ready, Professor."
Flitwick rolled up the parchnt and nimbly climbed down from his chair.
"Then let's go. France awaits us."
A mont later, both disappeared in a swirl of magic thanks to a Portkey, leaving behind the murmur of the Leaky Cauldron.
I just opened an account on Patreon. If you want to support , I would really appreciate it, as you will be able to read up to 15 more chapters and find images of the characters in the story for free. Thank you very much for reading my story :D
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