Asterion and Rose, who had calmed down, were now engaged in separate activities.
Asterion was absorbed in his reading, accompanied by a glass of wine beside him, ignoring the reproachful glances he received from both girls.
Meanwhile, Rose and Hermione were deepening their friendship without any barriers, as if they had been friends for a long time, despite having only known each other for a few hours.
"Rose, about my innate technique..." Before Hermione could finish her sentence, Asterion interrupted her.
"Miss Granger, I must warn you that discussing your innate technique is a rather intimate matter. I'm not saying not to share it with the snowflake, but avoid discussing it in the presence of others, like me," he said, looking seriously into her eyes.
"Is something wrong?" Hermione was taken aback.
"The innate technique is a rare treasure for wizards. It is the foundation of a noble lineage. Having an innate technique means that your descendants can inherit this ability, solidifying the status of a noble house," Asterion patiently explained.
"Not everyone possesses an innate technique. Having an innate technique implies having a much higher potential than those who have only awakened their magical energy."
"Hiding your innate technique can bring benefits in the future, especially against your enemies, as they would not know what your trump cards are."
"For example, the Potter Family is famous for the Six Eyes and the Limitless; one could say that in every Noble House, there is a book explaining all the strengths and weaknesses of the Potter Family's Innate Technique. The Black Family is the same; practically everyone knows the strengths and weaknesses."
Hermione nodded and looked gratefully at Asterion, while at the same time, she clenched her fists happily, knowing she had more potential than most. She had always been the best in school and intended to continue that way at Hogwarts.
Listening to his explanation, Rose scoffed.
"It doesn't matter if they know or not, in the face of true strength, strategies, conspiracies, and lies are nothing but paper tigers."
Asterion rolled his eyes at the girl's arrogant words, if he thought he was arrogant, Rose was even more so than him. Which was no small feat, Asterion was really arrogant, but not on Rose's level.
Rose looked at Asterion leaning against the seat by the window and asked curiously, "Star, you're really a noble, right?"
"I am," Asterion replied, looking at her with a puzzled expression at the question.
"Is it like in the books? I mean the noble society, full of conspiracies, murders, and political intrigues."
"It's similar, but reality often surpasses fiction," Asterion responded, with a cold look. "There are indeed political intrigues, alliances, and rivalries among noble families. But most of the time, the real battles are fought behind the scenes between factions, away from the public eye. It's a complex game, where cunning and power are the main currencies."
Rose seemed intrigued by Asterion's response. She tilted her head, absorbing the information.
"Then, have you been involved in any of these games?" she asked, with a curious sparkle in her eyes.
"More than I'd like," Asterion replied, still maintaining an indifferent expression.
Asterion explained the factions clearly, revealing not only the structure of the British wizarding society, but also the complexities of power relations between them. Rose listened attentively, absorbing every word with evident interest.
"So, the Sacred Twenty-Eight are the oldest and most influential noble houses," Rose summarized, processing the information. "And the Light Faction is led by Albus Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard in the world."
"That's right," confirmed Asterion, watching her reaction closely. He could see the intelligence and cunning in Rose's eyes, characteristics he considered crucial in a plan; he hoped to disrupt Albus Dumbledore's plans somewhat.
It was obvious that the man wanted Rose to take his place as Leader of the Light Faction, something that was not in Asterion's interest. A weak Light Faction was essential for him to seize power without much difficulty.
"And the Neutral Faction, led by the Greengrass family, is sort of a balance between the other two?" Rose inquired, connecting the dots.
"Exactly," Asterion nodded, impressed by how quickly she grasped it. "The Greengrass family acts as a mediator and maintains a certain balance of power between the factions."
Hermione, who listened to the conversation with interest, seemed fascinated by the details revealed by Asterion. She absorbed every piece of information eagerly, her intellect eager to understand the nuances of this hidden and shadowy world of politics.
"But the balance has long been broken," Asterion spoke, causing the two young women to look at him curiously, eagerly awaiting his words.
"I have officially become a Special Grade Wizard, shattering the fragile balance of power, especially with my engagement to the Heiress of the Greengrass family. One could say we control almost this entire country."
Rose could understand what Asterion was saying; she was a Special Grade Wizard according to Hagrid and could grasp the weight of what that meant. She could literally destroy entire cities with just one Red. And her cousin was one too.
But Hermione didn't know; to her, the personal power of an individual being able to influence an entire nation was somewhat unreal. But it wasn't her fault; she could never have imagined she was standing next to people capable of destroying entire cities.
"So, your marriage to Daphne further strengthens your position in wizarding society," Hermione commented, with a gleam of understanding in her brown eyes.
"Yes, it's part of a larger strategy to consolidate our power and influence," confirmed Asterion, without revealing all the details of his plans.
Rose, on the other hand, was more interested in the personal dynamics between Asterion and his fiancée. "Do you really like her?" she asked, curious to know more about the love life of her distant cousin.
Asterion pondered for a moment before responding. "Like is a complicated word, but I respect Daphne and recognize the importance of our alliance."
As the conversation continued, Rose and Hermione began to grasp better the complexities of the world they were about to enter. The train continued on its course toward Hogwarts, and with it, the lives of these young wizards were about to intertwine in adventures and challenges that would shape their destinies in unpredictable ways.
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Author's Thoughts: I finally finished it! My fingers are killing me, I don't even want to hear about writing at the moment! I hope you enjoyed the four chapters, although somewhat short, but together they make about 4-5k words.
Support me to write more and read chapters ahead of all regular readers!
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Next Chapter: Chapter 42 - Hogwarts (1), Chapter 43 - Hogwarts (2), Chapter 44 - Hogwarts (3), Chapter 45 - Classroom (1), Chapter 46 - Classroom (2), Chapter 47 - Classroom (3), Chapter 48 - First Class of Defense Against Cursed Spirits (1), Chapter 49 - First Class of Defense Against Cursed Spirits (2), Chapter 50 - Request (1), Chapter 51 - Request (2), Chapter 52 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (1), Chapter 53 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (2), Chapter 54 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (3), Chapter 55 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (4), Chapter 56 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (1), Chapter 57 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (2), Chapter 58 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (3), Chapter 59 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (4), Chapter 60 - School Council,Chapter 60 - Mission (1).
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