ganacalo morata1: Before going to bed, I was just making up a story and it occurred to me that the Rosier family could be interesting. Vinda supported Grindelwald, Evan supported Voldemort. So a dark family — and nobody said Evan couldn't have hooked up with some woman when he was younger.
Nudu13: Yes, don't worry. Patrik has his own story, and I plan for it to be fairly long — it doesn't end at Hogwarts. What if some country decided to attack England?! (wink wink)
No one asked Ollivander! I'm glad I get to answer — Ollivander has magical sensitivity and an excellent memory. Our MC is a bit like Evan (according to Ranrok), his magic probably carries a flavor of his family, and he also wore the family ring on his hand :D. According to canon, Ollivander remembered every wand, so that's how I wrote it.
Don't worry, I'm trying to write logically and realistically, so I hope I won't disappoint you regarding the Troll in the future.
***
The following days with Agnes were surprisingly peaceful. She wasn't annoying, didn't bother me with trivialities, and she strove for the best possible results at school. Without Rookwood's shadow looming over her, she was more relaxed and focused. Our friendship, however, was still in its infancy; she didn't fully trust me yet and was hesitant to ask about more complex matters. I let it be. Time was on our side.
My afternoons were dedicated to hard training. I decided to add Everte Statum and Accio to my repertoire—the spells Rookwood had used against me in our duel. However, I hit a snag.
To be honest? I was absolutely shit at Everte Statum. I thought I'd be able to learn it with ease, but unfortunately, I was wrong. I didn't know the wand movement, nor did I know exactly what the spell was supposed to do to the target. And that was the stumbling block.
Why hadn't I run into this problem before?
To put it simply—I knew what every spell did, what it was intended for, and at the same time, I possessed the necessary magical power. That's why spells worked for me without issue, though with more complex ones, like Expelliarmus, it took me longer. Waving a wand turned out to be unnecessary for me; it simply helped with focus and, so to speak, made the spell easier. In reality, though, it was just a waste of time. If a goal, focus, and magical power are enough for success, why should I learn it the wrong way? There was no point in mastering a useless movement that I would later have to laboriously unlearn.
Fortunately, the Hogwarts library was within reach.
It took me two fucking days to find the answer in that endless library. Just as I was about to give up and go beat the information out of Rookwood, I stumbled upon the book Curses and Counter-Curses by Vindictus Viridian.
Right there on the first page, it glowed: Everte Statum.
The mechanics were clear: second-year level, orange beam. The difference compared to Flipendo wasn't just in throwing the target back, but in causing blunt pain at the point of impact. It was the first small step toward the Dark Arts. It required more magic and a more precise intent to cause pain.
Even though I completely ignored the wand waving, Everte Statum worked for me on the first try and without a hitch. The beam was richer than with Flipendo. Without hesitation, I smashed a table against the opposite wall, which a lightning-fast Reparo fixed immediately.
On the other hand, Accio worked for me on the first try and without problems. I knew the spell; it was iconic from the Triwizard Tournament.
The table began to levitate toward me at a normal speed. But it wasn't enough for me to just cast the spell; I needed to literally master it. It was far too useful to leave in its basic form.
I felt that the heavier the object was, the more magic was consumed for the initial impulse. At the same time, magic had to flow into the spell non-stop for it to remain active. What would happen if I put significantly more power into the initial Accio? And what if I increased the magical flow while the spell was active?
Through testing, I found that if I put significantly more power into the initial Accio, the object would take off much faster. However, if I kept the subsequent magical flow at the same level as with a weak spell, the object would slow down during its flight toward me. But if I increased the magical flow during the spell's duration, the summoning speed increased proportionally.
A dangerous thought formed in my head: "Theoretically, if I violently summoned a chain someone was wearing around their neck, would I kill them?"
After testing Accio, one important thing occurred to me.
Up until now, I had only trained in telekinesis and had no problem summoning any object near me through sheer willpower. But that was pure, raw telekinesis. Like a total idiot, I had forgotten about wandless Accio. What if someone disarmed me and my wand ended up out of my reach? Accio was far too useful not to master it wandlessly as well.
As it happened, wandless Accio was just as simple as telekinesis, as the principle was relatively similar. However, summoning was noticeably more demanding magically. It depended on the weight of the object as well as its distance. I began to realize significantly that wandless magic consumes a huge amount of internal reserves, while a wand can focus it effectively without unnecessary loss. With simple spells, it was no problem, but with more complex ones, it was palpably felt.
Training alone like this in an empty room was seriously boring. The duel with Rookwood had kicked me into gear and motivated me, but I missed the thrill of a magical combat. I missed the adrenaline and the pure feeling of happiness and success after a win.
***
It was the weekend, Saturday, so I had time to relax and sleep in. I got up around nine, but until ten, I just lay around and thought.
I realized what a lazy slob I had become. About a month had passed since the start of school, and I had completely neglected my physical training. I wasn't running, I wasn't working out, and I wasn't even stretching anymore. I was simply focusing only on magic... It had completely taken me over, and that was a mistake.
What if I ran out of breath in a duel? What if there were more opponents and I didn't have the stamina, only the magic? I could be as magically strong as I wanted, but if I couldn't even dodge, it would be a major weakness.
"I also don't want to have a gut like Hagrid," I thought with concern.
I should put together a sensible training plan. I need balance.
***
I finally got out of bed and went down to the common room. The room was half-empty; apparently, I wasn't the only one who decided on laziness on a Saturday morning. I saw Agnes sitting in front of the fireplace with a book in her hand. If I saw correctly, it was Magical Theory. Right next to her sat Nott and Yaxley.
"They were quick to join her as soon as I took out Rookwood," I thought.
After a moment, Agnes apparently felt my gaze. She looked up and, with a slight smile, stood up and headed toward me.
"Good morning, Patrik. Did you sleep well?" she asked immediately.
"Good morning. Yes, I did. And you?" I replied boredly. I didn't like these kinds of "small talk" conversation starters.
"I haven't slept this well in a long time! What are our plans for today?" she asked curiously, suggesting with subtle elegance that she would like to spend time with me today.
I shrugged and replied, "Training and magic, just like every day."
"Great, you could teach me something!" she blurted out with excitement in her voice.
Is something happening that I don't know about? It was as if someone had replaced her. She was far too smiley and friendly. Since she had behaved rather distrustfully until now and her smiles were rare, this was the complete opposite of her behavior so far.
"Are you alright, Agnes?" I asked directly.
"Perfectly fine! Let's go, we'll talk on the way!" She grabbed me by the hand and dragged me out of the common room. "Where are we actually going?" she asked after a moment.
I was quite shocked. I don't remember anyone ever treating me like this in this world.
I led her to my secret training classroom; worst case scenario, I'll find another one later.
"Alright, we're here. So what happened? Why the sudden change in behavior?" I asked as soon as the door closed behind us.
"Rookwood and his gang have left me alone. Teo told me you scared them way too much. No one will dare do anything to me as long as I'm under your protection. I'm just happy! Since you're in the same year, I have seven years of peace ahead of me!" Agnes explained enthusiastically.
"Really? No one?" I asked doubtfully.
She was sweet, how she naively thought that just because I stood up for her once, she belonged under my protection forever. But if that's how the others took it... I'd have to stand up for her again in the future, if only so I wouldn't look weak.
"Yes, no one. Rookwood is considered a talented wizard, and you, as a first-year, completely destroyed him."
"No seventh-year is against me? No one wants to attack me?" I asked with a hint of disappointment in my voice.
"Apparently not. My father was a traitor, but he only directly betrayed your father and Rookwood's. The others might despise me for it, but they aren't stupid," Agnes explained.
"What do you mean, they aren't stupid?" I asked in surprise, but after a moment I added: "And what about Mulciber? Your father betrayed him too, didn't he?" I remembered what I had seen in Parkinson's memories.
Agnes looked at me as if I were completely out of it. She began to speak slowly, as if I were actually retarded:
"You are a first-year who destroyed a talented fourth-year. You ended the duel with elemental magic—lightning that could have killed him or at least caused serious consequences. Elemental magic requires immense power at that strength. Only when Farley admitted to me that she wouldn't be able to handle that lightning herself did I realize how much power you truly have. Mulciber is just Rookwood's friend; my father betrayed some cousin of his."
"That doesn't mean I'm more powerful than everyone else at Hogwarts. Surely the older students can do similar magic," I replied.
"Wow, for someone so powerful and talented, you're really stupid," she said with a surprised look. After a moment, however, she realized what she had let slip and turned completely red.
I stood there surprised for a moment, but then I burst out laughing. It was genuinely funny. I hadn't laughed like this in a long time, and it really did me good.
"No one is perfect at everything, dear Agnes. You can explain it to me then," I replied with an amused smile.
She visibly relaxed, seeing she hadn't offended me, and continued: "It's simple, we're in Slytherin. Imagine you were, say, a fifth-year and you saw a first-year who just casually uses powerful elemental magic in a duel. You had trouble even controlling it. Maybe you know more spells and maybe you know you'd even win that duel, but that first-year clearly has more talent than you. And Slytherin doesn't forget; revenge is common here. Would you dare attack him when you know that one day he will be significantly more powerful than you?"
After a moment, she continued: "No one has a strong enough reason to take that risk. Besides, some in Slytherin are whispering that you're the next Dark Lord. That wandless fire magic in the Great Hall was a clear gesture for many... and Flint said Dumbledore almost had a heart attack when he saw it!"
"Ah, I see," I replied dryly.
"Ah, I see? Is that all you have to say?!" she asked, shocked. "Patrik, people think you're the second Dark Lord!"
"So what? I don't care what others think," I shrugged. Although... the information about Dumbledore's near-heart attack was interesting. I'd have to keep an eye on him. I didn't exactly expect Dumbledore to be an evil person, but caution was in order.
"I don't care what others think," Agnes mimicked me with gentle mockery. "I wish I had your power and confidence!" she added after a moment.
"That's exactly why we're in this classroom, dear Agnes. I can teach you something," I suggested with a smile. She entertained me. She wasn't boring and could be quite cheeky, which reminded me of a friend from the past.
"What do you want to teach me?" Agnes asked with sudden concern in her voice.
"Combat, of course. A person gains confidence when they are sure of themselves and their abilities. Combat goes hand in hand with power. If you want to be in my circle, you must know how to defend yourself."
"But I don't know anything about combat at all!" she cried out with panic in her voice.
"Don't worry, we'll start from the absolute basics," I reassured her with a laugh. "First, you must learn what real combat is built on."
"Alright then, what's the basic?" she asked, straightening up a bit.
"Stance, obviously. You need a solid foundation to be mobile and able to dodge quickly without losing stability. Minimalist dodges and quick attacks—that's the key," I explained. "Are you right-handed or left-handed?" I asked.
"Right-handed," she answered briefly.
"Look at my stance and try to mimic me," I commanded, immediately followed by instructions: "Left foot slightly forward, right foot back, in a diagonal line from the left. The space between your feet must match your shoulder width. Keep your hands up to protect your chin."
Agnes tried to take the stance, but she looked a bit unsure doing it. "I get the stance, but why should I protect my chin? We're fighting with wands, not fists."
"Look at Crabbe and Goyle; they haven't fought much with wands so far. Just like Weasley and Potter," I explained with a smile. "You can lose your wand, and if your life is on the line, a blow to the chin, temple, or liver can take you out immediately. So it's good if you know this. It's just an extra minute to the stance... Yours is a bit scruffy, but we'll polish it later," I promised.
"By the way, it's a stance from Muggle Muay Thai," I added, inconspicuously watching her reaction to see what her opinion of Muggles was.
She didn't disappoint me. She didn't react aggressively; she only asked with interest: "Isn't there some magical stance for duels?"
"Maybe yes, maybe no. I haven't heard of any so far... but magical combat is essentially the same as Muggle combat. You want to neutralize your opponent, so you have to hit them while avoiding their blows. For that, you need a solid yet mobile stance. As you saw with Rookwood, I was better not only in magic but also in movement."
We had the stance sorted, at least for now. I decided to explain dodging to her later, because I was more interested in her magic and actual magical power.
"What spells can you cast?" I asked.
"Well... so far only what they taught us in school," Agnes replied with her head down.
"How is that possible? Didn't they teach you anything at home? Have you tried any spells on your own outside of class?" I continued questioning. I didn't let my disappointment show, although I felt it internally.
"My father was in Azkaban until recently, and my mother was more interested in fashion than me..." she explained quietly. "I had other things to worry about than learning extra spells. Sometimes I had to write essays three times because of Rookwood, after he destroyed the originals."
"The first spell you should learn is Flipendo. It's relatively fast, doesn't require much magical power or special concentration," I said. It was sad, but everyone had their story.
I aimed my wand: "Flipendo!" A blue beam shot from the tip and slammed violently into the table, which shattered against the opposite wall. A lightning-fast Reparo immediately restored it to its original state.
"As you could see, Flipendo knocks back..." I explained.
"Well... but you didn't show me any wand movement. How am I supposed to cast it?" she asked, confused.
"Wand movements aren't necessary. I'm of the opinion that a wizard benefits more when they learn a spell directly, without useless waving. You only need three things for a spell: the incantation, clear focus on the target, and the magic itself."
I watched Agnes as she tried to learn Flipendo. At first, she was getting nowhere, but she didn't give up and mastered the spell within an hour. However, I could see she'd had enough. Her magical core wasn't large enough for the hard training I was planning.
I'll have to help her expand it so she can handle even more demanding spells. Maybe I'm doing her an injustice by thinking she's a slow learner—not everyone is an older man in a child's body whose only interest is magic. We'll see what progress she makes in the near future.
"That's enough, Agnes. You've learned Flipendo," I stopped her.
"What spell is next, Patrik?" she asked eagerly.
"None. That's enough for today; I can see you've had enough. We'll continue tomorrow morning," I said.
Agnes looked disappointed for a moment, but then she nodded: "Alright then. What time shall we meet?"
"Exactly at eight in the common room," I announced. At least it would force me not to lounge in bed until ten like today.
"Agreed. See you tomorrow," Agnes agreed and left after saying goodbye.
After she left, I decided to physically destroy myself. The classroom was large enough for a proper workout. I did a quick warm-up, then some shadowboxing to warm up my joints and tendons, and then it was time for the real grind.
Ten sets of twenty push-ups, twenty crunches, and twenty squats with two-minute breaks was quite a massacre. By the end, I was so out of breath I almost forgot my own name.
Exhausted, I remained lying on the floor until my breathing returned to normal. "After a month-long break, such a hard workout probably wasn't the best choice..." I thought.
"Now just a relaxing hot bath, a proper steak for dinner, and I'll end the day with wandless fire magic until total exhaustion. And right before bed? Occlumency," I planned in my mind.
Tomorrow, I have a conversation with Aunt Vespera, and I need to prepare for it mentally. Who knows how it will turn out and what all I'll learn from her? I was particularly interested in the situation with the House of Mulciber.
***
We've made some progress in the story — I explained a bit more about how I imagine magic works. Our protagonist is realizing that the other first-years are definitely not on his level. After seeing his magic, nobody would even guess he came from a Muggle orphanage. We've also shown how the other classmates view our MC. I think I've realistically explained why the older students don't dare attack him just like that… If it were something serious to them, maybe someone would risk it… but like this, with no real reason? Definitely not.
Did you know that in his second year, Snape taught Draco Malfoy Everte Statum?
In the next chapter, there'll be a conversation with Aunt Vespera — we'll see what we learn. After that chapter, I'm planning a small timeskip.
If you like the story, I'll be grateful for every comment, like, or discussion. Your interaction is what motivates me most to continue creating! :)