Chapter 63 - 16 Years of Age

When I woke up on my 16th Birthday, I didn’t feel very different. I know I’m going to be expected to do some kind of press event soon. Have known for a while. This is why I sent out about 15 invitations to other high-class wizarding families, both Light and Dark, but no ‘obvious supporters of Dumbledore or Voldemort’. This way there are no open hostilities, and I can hold my ‘fundraiser for Saint Mungos’ as a birthday party for an up and coming politician in peace.

Adrian, Fleur and Lord Greengrass are my ‘core supporters’ - and they are, with their families, getting me a set of Dragonhide armor made from an Ironbelly hide.

Since part of it is going to be opening the gifts before the meal, along with the donations to Saint Mungos, everyone has to pick an appropriate gift for a young lady who is in charge of her house. To do otherwise is going to bring shame upon your family, and probably put a price on your head.

The idea, of course, is to send a message to the Dark Side that I am getting ready for battle, even if the armor can be put away as ‘for when you go curse breaking’ or ‘for dueling practice’. Everyone will know what it really means when the four families who have the most ties together - and to me - give me a set of armor they clearly worked together to acquire. The gloves, the boots and then the rest, which Lord Greengrass acquired. He made sure it would be skin-tight, too, so I could wear it under my other clothes. They have a thin acromantula silk underlayer which has temperature regulation charms to keep me exactly the right temperatures to be comfortable at all times.

Really, it could be nothing but war armor.

But that event is in a couple of days - for now - it’s my birthday party with friends and family.

Except Adam, who is staying with a friend who isn’t connected to Voldemort - but is surely not going to side with anyone but Voldemort when he comes out. But, I can’t just force Adam to come and do my Birthday stuff and not talk to his friends. He’ll just run away forever and I’ll never know what happened to him.

So it is myself, Jasmine, mum, Fleur, Alessa Bella, Sarah, Adrian, Sirius, Harry, Remus, Dumbledore, the Diggory Family and to my surprise, Gaelin and Rickie showed up in response to the invitation, though I hadn’t expected them to.

Jasmine immediately goes to wrap Fleur up, gossipping about my, now past, relationship with her. I had - due to my responsibilities taking too much time - quietly ended it. Though I was not happy with this choice - and had in fact been privately very upset over it - shedding a number of tears - I knew I had to get over it.

For the greater plan - and both of our continued long term happiness and relationships - it was best.

Jasmine still wants to fish for details - likely to keep me from being hurt by engaging her too soon after the breakup. She had, of course, walked in on my crying one night. She thought I hadn’t noticed her, but she isn’t very quiet when she isn’t trying to be. Her approach had been less than subtle, but I’d been too caught up in my emotions to properly pull myself together. So it had been a quiet cry, instead of the bawling I had started with.

I had really enjoyed my relationship with Fleur. Given more time and more space to connect outside of school, I think we could have gone far together. It was best to end it before we got too wrapped up in each other, though.

I just don’t have time to see to her needs this year. I’ll hardly have time to see to my own needs, as is.

Aside from those two, Sarah and Adrian are politely holding a conversation with Harry and Sirius, who seems rather weary about being here - like he doesn’t trust half the people in the room. Observing him confirms this. He is weary that - aside from myself - half of the people in the room have ‘poor reputations’ with people who he cares about. Even I don’t have a very high mark, even though we’ve had a long lasting, if sidelined in the last great war, alliance.

Remus and Dumbledore are sitting together with Gaelin and Rickie, talking over a magazine which looks like “Transfiguration Weekly”. Some big find, probably. They all seem happy to be here, but a bit surprised that the party is so small.

Clearly they expected more people, if they had an invite. Dumbledore is hiding it best, he knows I like small gatherings. He can tell this is both a friends a ‘very close allies who can’t come to the big political event’ party. Remus is only here because of Harry, but Gaelin and Rickie and both moderately impressed by the fact they got invitations. The subtle headcounting of the people here tells me they don’t think they are as important as the other guests.

But when they catch my expression, I can tell they are mildly impressed that I am not thinking only on the local stage.

Both of them are somewhat important figures in central Europe. Not quite Dumbledore levels of important - but they could probably, with a year or two of work, get a head of department role in their home countries, and Minister of Magic in the year following.

ICW seats are almost guaranteed, though that’s trickier. They can see - and of course Rickie approves of - the fact I’m making a statement of having allies all over the continent, with two powerful central European figures, along with one of the leading French political houses.

This is, perhaps more impressive, due to the fact this is a smaller, more personal party.

Alessa carefully walks up to me, trembling a little with her nervous aspect. I don’t think anyone except for Dumbledore and Fleur know which family she belongs to. Perhaps RIckie has put it together with the papers, but if she hasn’t been keeping up with all of my business, she may not have.

She has had confidence issues since I met her - but they’re getting more pronounced as time goes on. I can only hope I’m not the cause of part of the issue, though I must think that I am.

Having someone who so exemplifies what you want to be, and doing it so well that you feel you’ll never be able to compare - as her bio tells me - will do that.

How to giver her a subtle - or maybe not so - confidence boost?

“Hey, Aubrey.” She starts, nervously shuffling her feet, then holding out her gift for me to go put with the rest. “I really hope you like it, I had no idea what you needed and-” she stops as I cut her off. Not subtle, then.

“I’m sure I’ll love it Alessa. Honestly, you have no need to worry. I’m always so happy to see you - especially after the year I had. Good to see you’re nice and healthy. Is there anything I could do to try and make you a bit more smile-y? I want everyone to have a good time, you know.” I tell her lightly and she nods, then sighs.

“Honestly, this place is so full of people with such famous stories, I feel… out of place. Fleur, who was your main rival and champion of the Tri-Wizard, Harry, the Boy Who Lived and also Tri-Wizard Champion, Dumbledore, Sirius Black…. I feel like I’m out of my league. Like I don’t belong…” She trails, looking almost sad for having said it. She didn’t, I note, comment on Gaelin or Rickie, who she probably knows about but who aren’t as big in this country, so I may not know.

Interesting…

“Well, I’d rather have you here than most any of them. I think you’re a wonderful person with great deals of skill. I honestly hold my time with your family as some of my most prized memories. I felt so free and well cared for. Secure, with your family. Here in the Isles, there’s always been this edge, because we’ve known Voldemort was probably coming back.” I tell her, and she nods slowly, back straightening ever so slightly.

“Really?”

“Of course. I’m sure Jasmine would love to grill you about Italy, though. If you don’t believe me, trust her. To her, you’re the best guest ever, except maybe Fleur, because she has all of the juicy gossip and blackmail on me.” I say with a smile, before quietly walking over to the pair with them. Jasmine, seeing Alessa, squeals in happiness and runs over, dragging Alessa off to, I must assume, Gossip.

“Your sister is very adorable.” Fleur whispers, and I nod. “When everyone leaves, I have another present for you, which I didn’t think you’d want to open in public.” She tells me before winking and sauntering off to talk with Harry and Adrian, while Sarah and Sirius appear to have gone out to the garden for some reason. I feel a bit bad, really. It’s probably something romantically inclined. Fleur may accept we’re not together officially, but I know her well. She’s bull-headed, and will continue to remind me until the end of days that she wants to continue to try.

Unless she finds someone better than me, or similar, I think this will go on for awhile.

So, more to distract myself from her likely gifts, I go to Rickie and Gaelin, who are now talking to the Diggorys as Dumbledore and Remus move off to the other room with my mum, likely to start setting up for dinner.

I casually dispel 2 illusions and a slight warping of the floor to trip me as I move over.

Rickie and Gaelin are, of course, testing me to make sure I can deal with issues. WIthout a wand in-hand it’s harder to fix minute things like the floor without noise, or break illusions without obvious motions, but hard is not impossible. It just takes a touch more mana and a heavier hand on control.

“Rickie, Gaelin. I didn’t expect to see you two here. I was hoping, but I know you usually take your summers back in your home countries.” I tell them as I walk up, and the Diggories look stunned. These two aren’t natives - they have no accent at all. “Of course, it is a pleasure to see you, Ms. and Mr. Diggory.”

“The pleasure is ours! Our boy would have wanted us to come! Good lad he was!” Mr. Diggory cuts in, and I nod, as his mother pulls out a square book and passes it to me.

“There were a bunch of his favorite school photos, we figured you’d want them, since you feature in a number of them. We have our own copies, so don’t worry, dear.” She tells me, pressing it into my hands. I nod, and she stands, pulling her husband with. “I think, other than that and Cedrics -” She chokes back a sob at this point “-last gift, we should be going. There’s a lot of things we need to finalize for the Funeral.” She says, then steps past, dragging a - now pretty clearly - tipsy Amos Diggory with her. They vanish from sight a moment later.

“Such a sad thing, seeing the loss.” Rickie murmurs, before turning to me, again. “Yes, we normally do go home, but this year we’re staying on to add to the defenses of the castle in case of a siege. Our friends will have to wait, I guess.” She shrugs, and I nod, a bit perplexed about why she’s telling me that.

“Honestly, we were hoping to stop more deaths like that one.” Gaelin cuts in, seeming to read my expression. “The other reason, other than to see if you had retained anything we taught, was to see if you had any information on the castle we didn’t. Hidden rooms, passages, etc.” He trails and I nod, pulling the Map of Rowena from my inventory into an interior pocket of my shawl, which I had put in just for this kind of thing. I open it, and then show them.

“Memorize this. I can’t let anyone borrow it, because there are some really specific rules about that, but I can let you study it.” I tell them. Rickie nods, and carefully examines it, from top to bottom, scanning each and every passage, then she nods.

“I’ve memorised it. Can you show us the parts of the castle not on that map, too?” She asks, and I nod, sighing. There are three ways this map can show the school. I move it to the second style and show her, it’s a different angle so the information is different. She nods, after a moment and I move it to the third view. Again, she nods after a few moments.

“Note that I keep the Seventh Floor extremely secure for my own sake. I know that - and the ground floor - best.” I tell them and get a nod. They know why I know the ground floor so well - kinda.

Godric's room had been on the first floor.

“Of course. There are a lot of rooms and passages which aren’t covered, though, so now that I can account for them, I’ll be able to actually set them up. Thank you.” Rickie says, with a slight curtsey before taking a small box out of her pocket. “Of course, I would be remiss if I forgot our gift. Consider it a bit of a graduation present, since you’ve done most of what we can teach you outside of an official apprenticeship.” She tells me, and I nod, reverently taking the box which is practically bulging with magic.

Clearly whatever she's given me was powerful - likely hand made.

“Don’t worry about what that is, so much.” Gaelin says, chuckling. “It’s really useful, but not something which will change your life forever.” At a glare from Rickie, he shrugs. “Well, the ladies always seem to think it’s a game changer. Hopefully you like it.” He then smiles and bows out of the conversation to go get a drink, and Rickie sighs, before giving me a nod, and moves to go chat with Alessa and Fleur, who I can tell are discussing magical theory of some kind. Colliding curses? Interesting.

I turn and almost bump into Sarah, who gives me a smile and passes me her gift with a wink, before bouncing off to rejoin Jasmine in harassing Adrian. I sigh, and head to the table where I put the presents. As I walk up, I see Harry sliding a gift onto the table, clearly trying not to be seen as he is watched by an amused Sirius and Remus.

“Hey Harry! Thanks for the gift - I hope this isn’t too much of a bother?” I ask, gesturing around, and he jumps a bit before shaking his head.

“This is fine, I like small groupings like this. It’s clear most of the people here know each other really well, though. Well, except me and Sirius. We know Dumbledore - of course - and Remus, but no one else here is really all that familiar. I know Pucey from Quidditch, but not much else.” He says offhand, and I nod.

“I figured I should get everyone I like and know best together, so everyone knows each other. Of course, it’s hard, when some people, like yourself, are a bit harder to contact in Hogwarts. Your mail redirection ward stops most people, and then the stuff it doesn’t stop - Hogwarts owls or parents of Hogwarts students - well. Just makes it hard for people to get you mail or talk to you in the halls. My trick hasn’t failed me yet, though.” I say with a wink, and he nods, looking a bit wistful.

“I never did give you a proper thanks for all the help you gave me. Without your help, I may have needed to actually die to kill Voldemort. The scar, well, you know.” He says, and I nod.

“It was my pleasure. It’s hard to calculate the exact level of threat something poses. I just took a guess, and did what I thought would be best for you. Turned out I was right. Hope the Occlumency got better after that?” I ask, and he nods, gratefully. I lean back and sigh in relief.

“All that aside, you never really got all that close to me at school, so I was surprised by the invitation.” He remarks, and I give him a smile.

“You’re a remarkable person who I happen to know quite well. Just because we don’t talk as much as we may like - save over letters - does not mean I don’t know about you. Your choosing to be friends with Neville over Ron was a wise move, I feel. Hermione also seems to have calmed down a good deal with her harping on you, since that incident. I take it you are trying properly on your classes, now?”

“Of course! Honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t do it sooner. Hermione seems to be happy to have a contender for the top spot - a Rival, if you will. Someone she can measure herself against. I don’t need to get better than an O anyways, so letting her win sometimes to get gratification is nice. I still say it feels like cheating, how easily magic comes to me.” He notes, and I give him a slight smile.

“Of course it does, but do note that usually those most gifted are the ones who are most in need of those gifts. Your path - and indeed my own path - are likely to be long, hard and deadly. We’ll need to be careful, lest we make some mistake which leads to something we can’t stop.” I note, and he nods, apparently understanding. I nod, and shift to walk towards Sirius. “That aside, tell me about your Godfather. I must admit I am very interested in getting to know him.” I comment, as we approach, and Sirius barks a laugh, holding out his hand, which I give a firm shake.

Harry doesn’t have to answer, because I am shortly entangled in a conversation with Sirius, where we trade niceties, but I can tell we’ll never be more than casual acquaintances, political allies. He’s too closed off to me. He is a trickster and can tell I am, too. He doesn’t trust me as a result of this cold-read. Not fully - not enough to let me in. Weary of another Peter Pettigrew issue coming up. These worries leave him in a state which is altogether too weary to get along with me well. After a few minutes of casual conversation, I bow out and go to save Adrian from the endless pelting of Jasmine and Sarah.

Those two are incorrigible.

It takes a minute to get him out of those terrible twosomes clutches, but when I do, he sighs with relief, and we go to a secluded couch to sit alone, while the rest of the party mills about. The birthday feast is clearly almost ready to be served, so I allow him to - if he chooses - start a conversation.

We sit in silence for a few minutes, and dinner is called. So, with a gentle smile shared between us, we head off, to eat.

The rest of the day continues in this manner - my trying to be a good host and talk to all who came, but eventually, I settle into a comfortable group of my oldest friends playing exploding snap while the rest slowly eddy out. Eventually, my old friends excuse themselves after a final game, and we all go our separate ways.

So I move to the pile of presents, to see what people got me.

I open the gifts from my family first. My Grandparents - on my mum’s side - first.

The gift is a bit surprising. It’s a set of advanced engineering and architecture books. Historical, modern and a general ‘how to design and read blueprints’ book. The engineering books go over most of the medieval and modern things, over a trilogy of books for each period. They discuss how they are made, how they work, why they work, and so forth. Design notes and how they’ve been improved.

These are expensive - very high level books. It proves to me that they think highly of my abilities and learnedness, considering I had expressed a continued interest in my letters with them over the last year.

Maybe that’s why they’d been asking all those questions about smithing, and other crafts and designs. So they could find a good book for my level? Very thoughtful, indeed.

On papa’s side, I got a letter. The letter was simple - an invitation to visit them in the manor, to get my full gift. Along with the gift, they were offering me the lessons in the family magic I would need to know as the head of house, and the rituals I will need to know to preform to confirm headship when I turn 17. Considering this hasn’t needed to be done in over 400 years, it is a bit obscure, but they indicate they are happy to help me.

Apparently people being made head of house before 17 is very rare, but usually results in a head of house so explosively skilled and powerful, that the house goes through something of a ‘heroic age’ where they not only rise in power an influence, but they also expand their general library. Which, to our family, is most important.

Jasmine’s present is next. She gave me a pocket watch, which has her name on a hand, along with mum’s. The watch does not seem to tell the time. It tells me how safe they are. ‘Comfortable’, ‘Safe’, ‘Uncertain’, ‘moderate danger’, ‘Mortal Peril’ and, the hand I don’t want to see for 50 or so years, for mum at least. Never for Jasmine, ‘Dead’.

I make a mental note to go kip into her room for a good long hug, and maybe some snuggling like we did when we were younger. She’ll complain the whole time, but I know she loves the attention and time together. Even if it is a bit embarrassing for her. Being babied is her favorite pastime.

Mum, inversely to the very thoughtful gift, got me a delux box of chocolate, a clothing voucher, and a wand-care kit. There’s a tear-stained note at the bottom where she apologies for not knowing what to properly get me. Another mental note to go give her a hug, and help with lunch sometime. She needs more time with me, clearly. She feels bad about this, and certainly is more than a bit crushed about papa dying. In spite of the history there.

Fleur, it seems, gave me a voucher for a spare wand from a wand shop in France. ‘A reason to visit sometime!’ she wrote. I sigh.

I know what else she wants me to visit for. Even if she will be in England in a week or two, due to getting a job in Gringotts as an accountant and enchantress, well. Wanting to spend time with me in her home country - probably to ‘win me back’.

Silly girl. I’ll let her try and make sure to make it clear we’re very good friends, and nothing more for now. I need to be gentle, but stern in my insistence of this. She’ll keep trying, but hopefully she will quickly move on.

Alessa Bella gives me the most interesting gift. A solid iron coin, the size of my palm. Observe tells me it is a Token, and that means I can use it to pay for some otherworldly service - something which takes one day, or is only moderately difficult but longer term.

Clearly this is more than just from her - it reeks of her father. Surely he knows I’ve ‘cashed in’ his favor with the Devils, seeing as I’d been in contact with one, but still.

Sarah, Adrian, Harry and Sirius all give me generic gifts. Books on things they know I don’t have books on. Foriegn magical stuff they imported. Harry and Sirius, under the mound of prank gifts which would be dead useful in breaking into a house, has a notebook on how to become an Animagi in under a year.

Handwritten by Sirius. Step one, it seems, finding your form - usually a years long process - only takes a month with this method.

I add ‘Animagus training’ to my to-do list. Starting with this potion they gave me a recipe for.

Dumbledore gives me the most curious present. It’s a silver bauble, which his note explains - alternating languages every sentence for some reason - that it will tell me if he needs my help - where he is and how urgent it is. When he needs me a blue, yellow or red light will come out and then, if I touch it, I will be given his co-ordinates. As it is his magic, it will allow me to teleport via apparition to him, even through Hogwarts Wards, in case of a red-dot. It is a one way trip though. Red is emergency. It will also let out a noise - which he somehow charmed to only be able to be heard by me.

Useful. But odd. I’ll have to try to figure out how the hell he made this thing.

The Diggory Family had, of course, given me a photo album. With it, came the other gift - Cedrics last gift. It had been an expansive, handwritten memoir on Diggory Family Magic, which was mostly to do with appearance, and to my surprise, Transfiguration of self and inanimate to animate transfigurations.

Their house had been a spying house - apparently - and had moved to England after getting kicked out of their home country. They gave up use of most of these spells as a result, but he had hoped they would be useful to me. None of the top-secret head of house magic, or heir magic, was in the book, but general house members - even cousins (which we were if you go far enough up the tree…) could access. He’d written them down to be sure, and, at the end of his fore-word, he said that in no circumstances was this to be taken as a proposal for marriage, since I clearly prefer girls to boys.

I let out a sort of half sob-half-giggle at that.

I don’t really prefer girls, most boys just don’t click as well with me. I’ll take on a good boy when I find one sufficiently suitable to me. I fondly put the book into my inventory, and move on to the last two gifts.

Gaelin and Rickie, and then the Greengrasses private gift.

Gaelin and Rickie had given me the powerful magical box, which apparently could not only stop all cramps, ever, but would also block most pain from training related wounds of the owner. This even gave a very powerful protection from injuries you might sustain from training - like hitting yourself with a spell.

Considering that ‘damaging yourself’ and ‘cramps’ probably both apply to the monthly cycle I deal with, I can see why Rickie was so certain I’d love it, and Gaelin was so clueless. Even the spells, while effective, don’t deal with it wholesale. With it, was a note that I should use this to expand my knowledge and skill base they gave me, taking them to the greatest extent I can, since they can’t without a formal apprenticeship contract - which they know I have no interest in.

Lastly, I open the Greengrass Family present, and blink in surprise.

It isn’t something you’d consider a house of former assassins, now lawyers and shipping magistrates to have.

A book on weather magic, specifically, how to make the weather what you want. You have to set it up a week in advance, and the more drastic the weather difference you want, the more mana it costs, but it is a very rare, very valuable book.

Snowing in summer is now possible. Very costly, sure, but possible.

I make a note to plan how to use this most effectively for my infiltration, and destruction of, Voldemorts followers in the war.

Breathing a sigh of relief, my pile of gifts all settling in my inventory, I settle back into my chair, ready for a nap before my nightly watch. I’m with Tonks tonight, and I find her curiosity about my identity amusing.

She seems to have taken it as a personal challenge to figure out who I am, in spite of having no luck going on three weeks. This is incredibly endearing, watching her test various styles of information gathering out on me. I subtly help her improver her style, while doing the reverse to her, slowly pulling out details of her life while giving her some things back.

She knows I have siblings, my father is dead and my mother isn’t really in the picture, and neither were very able to raise them as I was closing out my schooling, so I had to do it largely myself.

All true. Though instead of it being in the past, as I imply, it is the present. It is what I am doing now.

I’m not sure if she picks up on it or not, but if she does, then that’s good for her. Practice is paying off.

.*****.

The next few days - leading into the week before the Dueling Tournament - are rather slow and boring. I attend another Wizengamot session, hold a public ‘birthday celebration’ at the family manor where I entertain a lot of old lords and ladies, the press and other figures of note in the political scene. Those are all very dry, as far as days go. I literally only get sexist gifts from people who have no clue who I am, really. Makeup kits, dresses, etc. Or gifts which indicate they are ready for war, like my allies indicate. Ingvild Cole sticking a war-axe into the table in front of me after I’d opened a few gifts, and declaring it his gift - in the classic Scandinavian fashion - had earned a number of very scandalized murmurs.

If I’d not accepted the axe, he would have declared a feud with me, and demanded a duel, by those ancient customs, so I took it, and then gave him a sword - one of my later steel mock-ups for my dragon-killer, and therefore very well made, back. Declaring his gift - the promise of aid in battle against whichever force seeks to do me harm - was well received, but that if he was found to aid those who I am to attack, I will destroy him.

His bloodthirsty grin, which spoke volumes about his intent - either towards myself or my enemies, I couldn’t tell, spoke firmly of why his family was considered Dark.

Creature killers. Sentient creature killers. Hunters for a price. Innocent, guilty, they don’t care. At least the Greengrass family had needed some form of proof that the person needed to die. A crime against the person hiring them.

The Cole family needed no such things.

Other than that, there were no interesting gifts, or methods of giving. THe other promises were subtle. Enchanted jewelry which has protective charms, spellbooks with rare or valuable spells (which I largely had already read) or similar. Promises of aid. Of knowledge, at least, if I asked for it. Allies with me and my group.

Good.

After that, I have my day off - attending a Quidditch match of Puddlemere United vs the Harpies, and generally relax as I practice and work on what I’m being taught by the Aurors while on guard.

They let slip a lot of things they think I know - but have no clue about. Like the fact the Aurors are more than just the elite law enforcement. They’re basically the magical equivalent of the Secret Service and a SWAT team. They deal with a lot more than just the things normal people think they do. They’re one of the two departments who interface with the Unspeakables regularly. The other is the Magical Creatures section of the ministry, because if there is something new and potentially dangerous, Aurors and Unspeakables have to go and deal with it.

So I get the feeling those are the three ‘most powerful’ groups in the ministry. Magical Cooperation is the next most powerful, being the most political and active group in those politics. Ministers are almost always from those four groups - and now that makes a lot more sense.

Aside from that, they told me the spells you can use in public - which Aurors won’t arrest you for but standard Magical Law Enforcement - MLE - would arrest you for. Also, which spells go the other way. They show me a number of spells which I’m fairly certain are MLE agent specific spells, as I’ve never heard of them. A more potent type of stunner which a revivify won’t wake people up from, for example. It puts people into true, deep, sleep. The kind you need a specific counter-charm to get them out of.

So I learn all of this with rapt attention, picking up Auror language, laws and so forth as I go.

Then it’s August the 10th, and I’m heading out to Greece for the yearly Dueling tourney. Dumbledore tells the order that I’m going out of the nation for a few weeks for a special warding job, but will be back on the 22nd to help until September 1st, whereupon I’ll be busy making boltholes for the Order and working with him directly, to make sure the school is safe from intrusion from Voldemort until Harry needs guarding again.

Moody goes on about how good of an idea this is, and notes how you always need a plan within a plan. The few dissenters quickly quiet themselves, seeing the paranoid Auror and the grandfatherly headmaster agree on a measure, where usually they disagree.

Of course, I plan to spend my time away at the two tournaments setting up wartime alliances with those on the continent I have contact with. The French and Italian families I feel I’ll do well getting support from, whereas Albain has no real power in Germany, aside from his name as a powerful duelist. Still, I may get some support from central Europe - a general resistance to Voldemort - failing actual support from a major element of the nation.

The idea doesn’t strike me as something I need to worry about, though. I feel like people generally trying to resist him is better than him getting to move freely. I’ll need to draft general letters to all of the people I know whom I may be able to call support from.

The list, when added to Flitwicks friends in the old-guard of the dueling circuit, will make for a formidable front, if nothing else.

So I settle into my desk in the manor, carefully drafting a letter. I start with an example, using Albain as my general template, but decide to edit each iteration a bit to suit the level of political need. Generally, they all sound the same, though.

Dear Albain,

This is Aubrey, I hope you are doing well this summer. I know we’ve not seen each other in awhile - and I was sad to get the letter saying you couldn’t make it to my birthday. The summer here in England has been wonderful so far. Never too hot, yet. I hope it is similarly pleasant in Germany.

Alas, as you may have heard, not all is so beautiful and peaceful as it may seem on the surface. Dumbledore and Harry Potter are attesting to the return of Voldemort, and every test I have conducted with any magics I can find, or personal spies who may detect it, have agreed this is, indeed, the case. In spite of what the Ministry is saying, here. I suppose you would likely know how much they would like it to not be true - and how close minded the people in power would be to admit it so. Governments across Europe, the Near East and even in the northernmost parts of Africa felt his last reign, and with his return, the darkness of those days may well be upon us once more.

In telling you this, I am confiding a good deal of trust. The Dark Lord is moving in the shadows to grow his power. Already I can tell he is moving to swell his ranks with those outcasts and remnants who escaped prison from his first reign. I know a great deal of his support, indeed, will come from the continent.

I am not telling you to go and crusade against him, but to find those whom you could trust to resist him subtly from the shadows, as Dumbledore and his allies are doing here in the Isles. More people watching, resisting even slightly, as he extends his influence steadily, is what we need. I suspect this will be easier where he has less immediate control, such as in Germany, which has become infinitely more progressive and light in the leaning since the reign of Grindelwald.

Of course, if you need any aid - I am reaching out to other people who I have been instructed are trustworthy within the magical communities. However, I am personally endorsing you, as a good friend and generally smart young man, who can help us prevent the worst of the damage to the magical communities.

To further offer support - my family has a few properties which are very well hidden in the hills of the country in Germany. If you need a base of operations, should you wish to help with this, I can offer one. I am not so shortsighted to think that this will be easy, however.

Should you wish not to help, I merely ask you destroy this letter and keep safe. The safety of my friends is important to me above all else.

I do plan to be in Greece for the upcoming tournaments, though, so if you wish to discuss details, I will be happy to speak about them during my weeks there. If not, then I hope to see you regardless. My final tournament in the U-17 circuit is this year, and having everyone there to see my improvement and cheer me on will be appreciated.

Of course, I will likely be busy, so feel free to write back to me if you want to spend time together. My governmental obligations take up much of my time, and I cannot stop, even for the tournaments. Thankfully, as First seed and reigning champion, I have the ability to schedule my matches for later afternoon, when I should be free.

Hoping to see you there!

Aubrey.

After I write the twelve or so letters to all of the people I can think of - a few very formal versions of the above to Lord Delacour, Lord De Niro and the others whom I’ve gotten on with well who hold formal titles, I sigh, seal them, and then spell them to appear as innocuous to anyone but the intended reader as any casual reader may like. Then I summon a House Elf, and send them off with the letters.

Having a property in most every country in Europe is a wonderful thing. It makes sending House-Elves with mail very easy. They can get to my properties and delegate the sending to the Elf or Elves who oversee the property. My family has about 38 elves in our Employ, six of those are in England proper, the rest are spread to our international holdings.

I can feel the family bond to them through the Head of House ring I wear. None of the other houses have any tied to them, though I do intend to change that.

Having two or three elves which aren’t notably or obviously mine, which can seem to belong to the Lord or Lady of the Founders houses is wise, due in no small part to the fact that this will be expected.

I slide from the desk - an hour having passed from when I began my writing, and begin my training for the night.

Shadow Magic practice, for four hours. Then a midnight snack and sleep are in order.

I have a tournament to check in for tomorrow. Greece has a 256 double elimination bracket running, and the preliminary round ends shortly. For this reason, I’ll be needed.

August first, and the last U17 tournament, followed by a 126 double elimination bracket Adult Tournament will not wait for anyone.

No matter how busy.