The room settles into a calm stillness after my duel with Gryffindor. There's no sign of the previous chaos—no lingering energy, no debris scattered about—as if the fight never even happened.
'Damn, they really built themselves one hell of a hangout spot,' I think to myself, a twinge of envy creeping in.
"You've managed to impress Gryffindor with your strength," Ravenclaw's melodious voice pulls me from my musings. Her tone is soft, yet carries a subtle, flirtatious lilt that makes me meet her gaze. Her eyes sparkle with interest and a hint of mischief. "But now, it's time to see if your mind is as sharp as your battle prowess."
I smirk, feeling a surge of hornyness. "Ready when you are," I reply, my voice dripping with excitement. Little did she know, what I had in store for her would blow her mind—quite literally. She extended her hand, and with a graceful flick of her wrist, the room around us dissolved. The walls melted away, replaced by a vast, starry sky stretching infinitely in all directions. We were now standing on nothing, floating in the middle of a cosmic expanse.
'Well, this is underwhelming.' I think to myself, but I see her smug look, and cannot help myself but be amused.
"Welcome to the Astral Plane," Ravenclaw said, amused, her voice echoing in the void. "This is where the mind manifests its true potential, free from the limitations of the physical world. Here, your imagination and knowledge are your greatest weapons—and perhaps, your greatest vulnerabilities."
I shrugged, letting a little smirk creep onto my lips. "Been here a few times already," I replied nonchalantly. "Please don't make it sound like some great mystery."
Her perfectly arched eyebrow rise in intrigue, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Oh? Full of surprises, aren't you?"
The Astral Plane wasn't some secret realm reserved for ancient minds as she wants to sell it to me. It is a mental construct, to explain it in simple words. It is this place that gets hijacked when someone uses Imerius on you, or when a Ligilimens decides to mind fuck you, and it is this space you train when you practice occlumency, a space where your knowledge and imagination collide.
But here's the thing: despite it being real, everything you accomplish here? It's all just that—imagination. Sure, it could provide insight or inspiration, but it doesn't follow the laws of the physical world. What you learn in the Astral Plane isn't always something you could recreate, or use back in reality, well, unless you find the right method to achieve it.
It is tricky to explain, but this is the way it is, this the realm of idea's, ones that are not born yet.
In fact, her famous diadem is just a more sophisticated application of the same principle—boosting the wearer's mental acuity without transferring them to the Astral Plane. Kind of ingenious, but also pathetic once you crack the code behind it.
"You have no idea, darling," I murmur, allowing my gaze to drift momentarily over her sexy body. Sure, I am not single currently, but that does not mean I cannot eyefuck this hot piece of ass. Even in this astral projection, she exudes the aura of a timeless beauty that's hard to ignore, and makes you consider breaking the law.
"Show me something new, then. Darling," she challenges, leaning forward slightly, her interest clearly piqued. But I can see the flicker of irritation in her eyes—she wasn't used to not get her achievements respected and simply downplayed so casually.
Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes and reach deep within myself, imagening that raw magic, eager to be shaped is pulsing through my veins. I open my palm, allowing threads of shimmering energy to weave together into a small, luminous orb.
"Tell me, Miss Ravenclaw," I asked, a playful edge to my voice as I channeled magic into the palm of my hand, "do you know what truly separates a god from a wizard?"
Her eyes glint with curiosity as she watches the orb pulse and expand. "Enlighten me," she replies, her voice soft but edged with excitement.
Her eyes widened, intrigued. She didn't answer, so I continued. "You see, we're both capable of shaping reality.Just on different scales, while we can create magical items of unimaginable power and creativity at most. Gods… well, gods create entire realities."
As I spoke, the magic in my hand kept pushing into the coalesced shimmering orb, further powering it up, glowing with raw energy. The stars around us begin shifting, the cosmic expanse she has envisioned is morphing, bending to my will. The world around us began to twist. I envision hundreds of TV's displaying all the magic that I have discovered, reinvented, or simply created during my years of wandering.
She gasps softly, her eyes widening in genuine awe. "This... this is incredible."
I glanced at Ravenclaw and caught the way her breath hitched—a gasp, barely audible, but full of excitement. Her eyes shone with fascination, like a woman who had just been shown a forbidden pleasure. Yeah, she was impressed. I could feel the hunger in her gaze as she took in the display of raw power and creativity.
"The difference," I start explaining, "is application. While we apply magic in a linear, focused way, gods create their own domains. They're able to pull unto magic itself rather than borrow it for a mere moment."
I tossed the ball of energy into the air. It expanded rapidly, covering kilometers in all directions, creating a new world before her eyes. A virgin land, untouched by human hands, stretched out before us.
"What… what is this?" she asked, her voice breathless with curiosity.
"This is only possible here, in the Astral Plane. We're not using real energy. But what you see is a god's domain—a pocket reality sustained by their own 'power'," I explained, watching her eyes widen with wonder as she drank in the sight.
What I didn't tell her was that I was working on something similar—a domain of my own, in the real world. But that was a secret I wasn't about to share with her just yet, or ever. See, I had placed seals on myself, hiding the true extent of my power for several reasons. One of them was that the magic we wizards normally release into the world just dissipates—Wizards are simply unable to understand Magic, or gather it. And the other more important reason? To keep myself under the radar, away from the eyes of the gods.
'They're all a bunch of assholes, really.' I think annoyed for the probably millionth time.
Over the course of my adventures, I'd grown stronger. That was great, sure. But it also made me more noticeable. And these mother fuckers sent one obsatcle after the other my way, until I found the means to hide awayy from them. Should one of those gods decide I was becoming too much of a threat? Well, I wouldn't stand a chance against them… not yet.
Ravenclaw's brow furrowed, her intrigue deepening. "You've certainly uncovered quite a few fascinating secrets. But what does this mean for us?"
"As you've likely noticed, or assumed, wizards carry diluted godly blood. It's the reason we can cast magic. And it's why the pure-bloods are so obsessed with keeping their bloodlines 'clean.' They think it will make them more powerful, but it's a dead-end."
She nodded, clearly already aware of that particular bit of history. "So… what's your discovery?" she pressed, her voice a mix of eagerness and a flirtatious undertone.
"I've found the means to create a seed, a theoretical way to grow my own domain. But whether it will work remains to be seen," I replied cryptically, and with that, I exited the Astral Plane, leaving her standing there, shocked and wanting more.
I wasn't about to explain the method to ascend to godhood to someone who wasn't yet relevant to my plans, or may even be a problem down the line.
Her gaze lingers on mine, and for a moment, the universe seems to hold its breath. "You speak as though you aspire to such divinity," she muses, her voice layered with intrigue and something else... admiration perhaps, or maybe the horny?
I offer a sly grin. "Aim for the stars, land among the gods, isn't that how the saying goes?"
She starts laughing softly, the sound like tinkling chimes echoing through the celestial expanse. "Ambitious and clever. A very dangerous combination."
"Only to those dumb enough to stand in my way," I tease, my eyes never leaving hers.
She tilts her head, studying me with renewed interest. "Tell me, have you discovered the means to create such a domain outside of this plane?"
"Perhaps," I answer evasively, enjoying the dance of words between us. "But some secrets are worth keeping close to the chest."
Her lips curve into a smirk, clearly appreciating the challenge. "A man of mystery. You're making it hard not to be intrigued."
"That's the idea," I reply, taking a step closer, closing the distance between us. The air between us crackles with unspoken possibilities.
Before the moment can escalate further, I decide to pull back—both metaphorically and literally. With a thought, I retract the vast domain, and the astral scenery dissolves back into the familiar room where the other founders await.
When I looked around I met Ravenclaw's gaze. She was looking down at me from her portrait, her smile one of genuine admiration—and a touch of greed. Her eyes sparkled with the hunger of someone who had just glimpsed something forbidden, something powerful, something she wants to own.
"Incredible," she murmured, her voice practically dripping with desire. "You've shown me something I haven't seen in my centuries of existence. Your mind is a treasure trove of knowledge." She paused, her gaze lingering on me, and I could almost feel the hear the juices flowing out of her. Just looking at her I know she is wet as fuck.
I felt a surge of pride—and, if I'm being honest, a bit turned on. But I also felt the gnawing annoyance of knowing that I was still hiding like a rat from beings far more powerful than me. The Astral Plane had reminded me of what I was really striving for.
"You've passed my challenge," she said, her voice warm and teasing, with a hint of flirtation. "But remember—true magic is not just about what you can create, but also about what you choose to do with that power."
I smiled, but inside, I knew the truth. That was the kind of thing people in positions of power say to those they want to control. "Oh, be careful with your strength. Don't abuse it." It was bullshit. If Ravenclaw had the kind of power I was working toward, she wouldn't hold back for a second.
Rich people say money doesn't bring happiness. Politicians say they can't fix the world's problems because they lack the resources. The strong tell you it's all about willpower. Only a fool believes what the powerful and rich tell them. You want the truth? Never trust those who benefit from keeping you down.
I gave Ravenclaw a respectful nod, but the wisdom in her words didn't matter. She was right about one thing, though—what I did with my power would change everything. And she wasn't ready for what was coming.
Two down. Only one more of these shitty test's to go.