The school was in a mixture of excitement, stress and fear at this point.
The duel club and Harry became the only talked about topics for students. I did announce during the Exchange that I didn't believe Harry was the heir, with a few facts to prove my opinion, which did convince a fair amount, but the rest of the castle chose to stay their course.
Another bomb was dropped during the first Ravenclaw Quidditch game of the season. Christian ridding on an unknown broom, completely crushed any defensive effort against him and constantly stole the quaffle from the opposing chasers. He was single handedly breaking their spirits by effortlessly dancing through the sky and ripping apart any resistance. The sight brought smiles to mine and James' faces, even if his house was getting demolished. After the game ended with an overwhelming victory as the new seeker Cho Chang caught the snitch, everyone wanted to know where he'd gotten such a broom.
"Of course you've never seen this broom before! Our very own Raven and Saint made it to show their support for me! They said that next year public sales would begin with another broom called the Firebolt. Until then, watch out for me and Blackbolt!" He declared proudly.
The answer set a wave of responses towards me and James. His house was as peeved as they could manage against the gentle guy, but he explained that it was mostly my project and that I wanted him to help cause he really loved enchanting. Plus he's their houses best student, and he's too nice to be mad against.
It was also decided that we would only accept 6 students from every year for the duel club. It would make things even and it would become increasingly difficult to manage anything more than that honestly. Ronald wanted to join, but after my warning that without a proper wand he couldn't participate, he finally decided against it. Harry wanted to, but he didn't want to face the constant judgment people showed when he was around. It wasn't Hermione's thing, even more so when the two boys weren't into it. James decided to keep to his plan about teaching stuff during the Charm club. Victoria would actually be an on-site healer for practice, and sometimes join in on the fun. Christian joined because he wanted to push himself further and thought it was a good chance to face different people.
Unfortunately for everybody who did join, the club wouldn't begin official activities until after the winter break. It would let us make proper training and dueling areas. We decided to expand two separate abandoned classrooms in the basement and remodel them into proper club space. I decided to fund the project as Heir Bones. Using it as an investment to improve the future quality of Hit Wizards and Aurors for the DMLE. That move got me a little mention in the paper actually.
So without anything eventful happening aside for that, the break arrived for everyone.
What I found great was that Victoria was going to be staying at my place for the holidays again. It'll be nice to be able to relax with her a bit.
Well, I thought we were going to be relaxing a few days ago, but Christmas morning itself, a few days after we got to my home, well I ended up having my tongue almost down her throat.
We were on my bed, as the two of us were embracing each other. I could feel her soft lips against mine, out tongues intertwined as if they didn't want to separate from each other, twisting and snaking around each other as we enjoyed the sensation. My hands were roving over her beautifully developing body. Her soft skin was trance inducing to the touch, her shapely and perky breast molded themselves to my hand when I massaged them, getting moans of pleasure as I did. And when I groped her nice, round ass, it felt like I just couldn't let go. She was doing the same to me. She felt the contours of my face, moving down to my perfectly sculpted chest as her fingers lightly caressed my pecs and slowly feeling every one of my abs. When she waves of pleasures as my own hands wandered, she gripped my back and felt around it too. We shared our hunger for each other as we made out more and more, taking off almost all of our cloths as we did, ending with me in my boxer, barely hiding my impressive erection, and her moaning in only her black laced panties as I kissed every part available to me.
We separated for a moment and stared at each other's bodies. Her body was still growing, but it was more beautiful than any models I had seen in my past life to me. The curves which showed of her hip and lightly muscles stomach, her smooth but strong legs, and her chest proving her own arousal as her light pink nipples stood up on their own. She looked at my body made for combat with yearning. My tightly packed muscles in full view and her fingers feeling my scars, adding to feeling of being a man who had been tested and triumphed, with my loose hair flowing down my back and over my shoulder almost making me look wild and untamed.
We could see the desire in each other's eyes, and as we were about to touch our last pieces their was a sudden knock on the door and we both bolted upright in surprise and hurry. We both quickly looked for our clothes and were trying to put them on at record speed as the steamy atmosphere disappeared.
"Who is it?" I called out.
"Young Master Aedan, it's Tilly. I am so sorry that Tilly is such a useless house-elf, but she can't come into the young masters room and had to knock. Tilly is so ashamed, but the mistress won't let me be punished." Cried out a very depressed Tilly. But that is my fault, cause when our session was starting, I kinda threw down one of my elf blocker Runes to not get a sudden interruption.
"It's not your fault Tilly. I was testing my original rune and it's made to stop elf magic. I didn't know you would need to talk to me so urgently. It's not your fault ok." I said to the house-elf through the door.
"It's not Tilly's fault?" I could here her perk up in hope.
"No. It's not Tilly's fault at all. My rune just did a very good job." I said and as I noticed Victoria was dressed but with her hiding her bra quickly, I cracked the door to see a now very relived Tilly.
"Ooh, the young master is just so naughty! Making poor Tilly think she was a bad house-elf with his new rock!" She then said in a scolding manner.
"I'm sorry Tilly. I'll tell you next time I'm testing them alright?" I said with a small smile and an apologetic tone. "So how come you wanted to come in?"
"The mistress said it's almost time for breakfast and then to open the presents." She informed after remembering why she had came and quickly left to continue with her duties.
I looked at Victoria with a wry smile which she matched and we then dressed ourselves properly. But before we left i approached her.
"Too bad. I already had my favorite present right here." I said as I gave her a deep kiss, leaving her face flushed and a little breathless.
"Mmm. It is too bad. I was just about to unwrap a large present myself." She responded with as she gave me a very seductive look and walked away, tempting me with her swaying hips.
I shook my head with a smile and followed after her.
The breakfast was a warm affair as usual, with Susan excitedly talking about how cool it was that the dueling club was happening and that my new broom was awesome. She somehow managed to not mention the whole petrification thing which was odd, but I myself didn't want to worry aunt Amelia so I kept quiet. Aunty did keep giving some sort of smile to me and Victoria though, causing her to blush and me to smile wryly at the woman's ability to tell what we were doing. Susan stayed oblivious though, as far as I knew anyway.
The gift giving was pleasant as we made each other happy. Victoria got me a beautiful leather notebook, made from dragon leather and enchanted to be water proof and fire proof. I got her an old copy of an Ancient healing spells and remedies book I successfully tracked down, getting a nice reward a bit later.
'Wonder how The trio is going to feel about the gifts I sent them?' I thought to myself as we finished opening all the gifts.
-in the Gryffindor common room.
Three excited kids were sitting around a Christmas tree as they were opening presents. Obviously being the golden trio.
They opened their gifts from family and friends, when they noticed three more presents under the tree. Ron curiously grabbed them and was surprised.
"It's for us!" He said aloud.
"But who'd send us presents? Especially now?" Asked Harry with some confusion.
"Maybe it's someone trying to pull something. Be careful." Said Hermione, thinking it might be a prank.
"It says it's from Aedan Bones. All three of them!" The added Ron as he found the sender and intended receivers.
"Aedan sent a present for us? Really?" Asked Harry as a happy smile spread on his face.
"Yeah mate. This ones for Hermione." He said as he handed the bushy haired girl a medium sized box.
She opened it with curiosity and saw a note and a notebook.
'Dear Hermione,
Knowledge is the key to many solutions, but creativity can let you solve them all. This is a copy of a book I will be publishing during the summer. It's a bit advanced for you since you haven't taken Arithmancy yet, but I think you'll enjoy it.
Your friendly senior and fellow know-it-all,
Aedan Bones.'
She read the message out loud and opened the book as quick as she could. Flipping through page after page. What she saw confused her, but she read some descriptions and realized what this was.
"This is a book filled with modified spells! He improved every spell in this book and I think there's at least every spell we'd learn in first and second year in it!" She shouted in great shock, to the two boys who became slack-jawed. They then looked at their own presents.
Ron went first, he knew that he and Aedan had a more distant relationship than what Harry and Hermione had with him, but he was still excited.
He opened it and saw a note, an envelope and and book. Although he was curious, he decided to read out his note as well.
'Dear Ronald,
I know we've had bumps, but we can always improve. I know you wish to be able to do great things. I also know your family has many difficulties. But I hope these small gifts of mine can help you take a step forward. If not only for yourself, then for those who wish for you to succeed as well. A bit of effort put in the right place can change a great many things in this world, and in yourself.
Yours, a senior who hopes you can duel next year,
Aedan Bones.'
He put the note away and opened the envelop first. Inside he found a voucher for one custom wand made by Ollivander, available starting July.
"He got me a meeting to get a custom wand." He whispered to himself in a stunned manner.
"That's great Ron! You'll finely get a new wand! Now open the other part!" Exclaimed Harry as he was happy for his friend.
"Oh right!" Snapped out a dazed Ron as he took the wrapped book.
It looked less like a formal book like Hermione's and more like a personal notebook. So he opened it to see what it was about and on the first page he saw a title.
'Beginner to advanced dueling: how to fight like a true badass by Aedan Bones.'
He flipped through it and found easy to understand instructions and training for how to become a true dueler, capable of standing proudly amongst them all. And at the end was a message.
'This is to inspire you Ronald. I made this to give you a chance to achieve dreams one sometimes believe they can't achieve. But if you can follow this training guide, I can at least guarantee that you'll make everybody proud of who you become, even yourself.'
Ron actually felt very touched that someone would take their time and put in effort just for him. He rarely experienced this kind of focused attention because of how large his family his. His older brothers all got proper support and showed splendid results. Bill and Charlie were stars in Gryffindor when they went to school. Percy is on track to become the perfect ministry employee. Fred and George are always doing they're own thing and getting into trouble or pranking him. And Ginny got all the attention because she's the youngest and the only girl. But then he was there. Almost always overlooked and always an afterthought. It felt nice to have someone look at him and say you can be great too, here's how to do it and the proper tool to do it with.
So he hugged the gifts feeling extremely happy.
Seeing his two friends get such perfect gifts from the senior who always seems to be helping Harry, he had high hopes for his own.
Like the other two, it came with a book and a note.
'Dear Harry,
You've been through a lot in life like I have, making me want to help you. You are a bright and kind boy, but you are lost and the turmoils of your life often leave you scrambling. I hope my gift can help you a bit. It is meant to show you that some curses are actually gifts that you just didn't know how to use yet. So don't give up, because better days will come. Take it from someone who knows.
Yours, a senior who guides those who are lost,
Aedan Bones.'
Harry felt a strange connection when he saw that even someone as gifted and bright as Aedan suffered in his life as well. He already knew that they'd lost their parents in very similar manners and suffered at the hands of others. He's never went into any details, but he'd seen some of his scars and it was enough to give him a hint.
Harry then opened the gift and saw an old book, written in a weird lettering. He tried to read it out loud and found that its title was 'Healing for the gifted ones'.
"Why did you suddenly speak in parseltongue Harry!" Then exclaimed Ron from behind me.
"But I just read the books title. I didn't even see a snake! How could I be talking to one!" He exclaimed in his defense.
"Harry! Open the book to see if there's anything to explain it." Suddenly interrupted Hermione.
Agreeing, he quickly opened the book and saw a second note, which he opened in a hurry.
'Hiya Harry.
I realized I never told you why I'd be jealous of your ability to speak parseltongue, well this is why. This book is one of the only translated copies of spells written in the language. All the way from India these are. These are all healing and protection spells said in the snakes tongue. It is more powerful and more effective. This is what I meant when I said a curse is sometimes actually a gift. In India people with your gift are the most respected and powerful healers. I hope this helps.
Aedan.'
"Harry, this book is impossibly rare. I can't even guess how he got it or even how much such a thing would cost." Said a blown away Hermione.
"There are loads of parselmouths in India! How come we get all the nutters and they get the healers?" Exclaimed Ron.
"He got this... for me?" Harry asked aloud, not really believing it.
"I think he wanted you not to just believe you were a freak Harry. He does that doesn't he? Always tries to give people the best path they can take." Said Hermione to the boy with a gentle smile.
"Yeah. He really is great isn't he?" He then said to the others as they nod in agreement.