On July 27, 1991, Orion woke up with a familiar sensation of controlled calm. It was a different day, he knew that. But even the excitement of leaving the manor for the first time didn't shake his mask of neutrality. He had learned, over time and with the constant use of Occlumency, not to let anything show. His emotions were carefully compartmentalized behind mental barriers, the result of his rigorous training under the relentless guidance of Lyra.
He got up slowly, each movement measured. His white hair fell messily over his pale forehead, contrasting with his heterochromatic eyes—one deep blue, the other bright green, both veiled with calculated coldness. He took his time dressing, appreciating the morning routine. Isolation had been long, exhausting at times, but he never complained. He had learned to suffer in silence, just as Lyra had shown him, never letting any weakness show.
As he descended the stairs, he took a deep breath. The air inside the manor felt lighter, but it was nothing compared to the freedom that awaited him outside. Yet, his face remained impassive. He no longer showed emotion.
Upon reaching the great hall, Lyra was already waiting for him. Her warm smile, though rare, contrasted with his closed-off expression. She had been slightly more relaxed lately, perhaps because of his birthday. But Orion remained vigilant. Any weakness could turn against him, even in these more intimate moments.
"Happy birthday, Orion," she said with a kind look. "Are you ready for your big day?"
"I'm ready," he replied calmly, his voice as composed as his mind. He was excited, of course, but that excitement was carefully locked away, far from the world's reach.
They shared a simple breakfast in silence. Words weren't necessary. Orion simply followed the flow of events, accepting each moment as it came without being overwhelmed by his emotions. Occlumency had hardened him. Even happy memories or light-hearted jokes no longer broke through his mental defenses.
After the meal, they headed to the grand door of the manor. Ever methodical, Lyra drew her wand and turned to him. "Ready?" she asked once more.
"Yes." This time, he didn't nod. A single word sufficed.
Lyra made a complex motion, and a series of runes appeared around the door before slowly fading away. The manor, once his sanctuary and prison, was now open. Orion felt a wave of inner relief, but his face remained unshaken. Each step towards freedom was a conquest, but he wouldn't show this weakness, not even to himself.
Fresh air greeted him as he stepped outside. After so many years in isolation, the sunlight burned his eyes. He briefly closed them before adjusting to the bright light. His pale skin seemed almost luminescent under the rays, a reminder of how long he had been secluded from the outside world. Yet, even this physical discomfort evoked only a cold observation within him. Everything remained controlled.
A light breeze brushed his face, and for a moment, he allowed himself to feel nature touching him. The smell of fresh grass, the song of birds, the rustling of leaves... All of this was foreign to him, almost unreal. But instead of smiling or marveling, he remained calm, savoring this new freedom in a more inward, deeper way. His impatience of the past had been replaced by quiet, restrained curiosity.
Lyra placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ready for our next adventure?"
Orion nodded without a word. He felt grateful to Lyra, but even that gratitude was carefully hidden behind his mental defenses. "What is this next adventure?" he asked, more out of necessity than true curiosity.
Lyra smiled slightly, pointing to the ground. "Look, there's a letter for you."
Orion looked down, seeing a thick envelope sealed with an emblem he did not yet recognize. He bent to pick it up, his movements slow and calculated, like everything he did these days. Opening the envelope, he read silently, his eyes scanning the words while his face remained unchanged.
"I'm going to Hogwarts," he said simply, his emotions locked behind a wall of ice. He knew that this news would have once made his heart leap, but now it was just another step forward.
Lyra, ever observant, nodded. "This is the beginning of a new adventure for you. We need to go to Diagon Alley to prepare."
Orion carefully tucked the letter away. "Okay."
As they Apparated to Diagon Alley, Orion was struck by the hustle and bustle of the place, but as usual, he remained impassive. His eyes took in the cobbled streets, the bustling shops, and the witches and wizards hurrying around him, but he allowed no sign of his inner wonder to show.
Every purchase, every discovery was made with the same calm. Whether at Gringotts or Ollivanders, Orion remained detached. He felt the vibrant energy of Diagon Alley, but his face remained a mask of neutrality. Even when he finally found his wand, a magical connection was made, but he showed no outward sign of the excitement he should have felt.
Orion, despite the excitement around him, continued to observe Diagon Alley with calm. His heterochromatic eyes took in every detail without a single emotion disturbing his impassive demeanor. The discoveries of the outside world, once a dream, now felt like mere formalities to complete. He knew what he needed to do, step by step.
They eventually entered Ollivander's shop, a place filled with mystery. The dim light revealed hundreds of wand boxes stacked up to the ceiling. Orion immediately felt the ancient magic saturating the place, but it didn't change his attitude. His outward calm didn't reflect the excitement or anticipation a young wizard his age should have felt at that moment.
Ollivander, the wandmaker, greeted him with a piercing, curious look. He seemed instantly intrigued by the young boy standing before him, so calm, almost detached. "Well, young man," he said softly, "ready to find your wand?"
Orion only responded with a slight nod. He watched silently as Ollivander searched through boxes, pulling out a first wand, then a second, then a third. Each one, when he tried them, had no significant effect. The wands felt inert in his hands, and holding them left him indifferent, almost disappointed.
He tried several wands with detached curiosity, but no magical connection formed. Each wand felt more foreign than the last, as if something within him rejected these objects with a silent coldness. He recalled the wands at the manor he had tried, but even they had sparked nothing in him. With every attempt, he felt more and more distant from the idea of owning a wand.
Perplexed, Ollivander observed in silence. He finally placed a wand on the counter, frowning slightly. "This is... rather unusual," he said, approaching Orion, a hint of doubt in his voice. "Young wizards, even the most reluctant ones, always find their wand here. Maybe... maybe there's something else at play."
Orion, true to himself, remained stoic. He was neither frustrated nor concerned. He simply observed what was happening, noting the strangeness of the situation without letting anything show.
Ollivander finally turned to Lyra, his gaze darkening slightly. "Is it possible that... this boy is not... a wizard?" he asked softly, his voice tinged with incredulity and caution.
Lyra responded with a simple cold look. No words were needed to make it clear the question was ill-perceived. A heavy silence settled over the shop, only broken by the rustle of unused wands that Ollivander hastily put away.
"No, that's impossible," Ollivander murmured, more to himself than anyone else. He knew full well that Lyra wouldn't tolerate such doubts about her pupil.
Without saying anything else, Orion left the shop, Lyra following close behind. The coldness of their attitude marked the end of this strange experience. Still intrigued, Ollivander watched them leave, unable to comprehend why this young boy was incapable of finding a wand.
Outside, the bustle of the street seemed worlds away from the icy atmosphere emanating from Orion and Lyra. Neither made any comment. They continued on their way without a word, following their agenda to the letter.
After their exit from Ollivander's shop, the silence between Orion and Lyra persisted. Neither felt the need to comment on what had just happened. The lack of a wand didn't disturb Orion, though he was aware it would raise questions at Hogwarts. It would be annoying, of course, but he decided not to care. He had never needed a wand to wield his magic. The object, while valuable to others, was not essential to him. Orion had learned to master his magic without this simple tool, and he felt confident in his ability to continue doing so.
As they walked down the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley, Orion couldn't help but notice the way the crowd reacted to Lyra's presence. Witches and wizards instinctively stepped aside, as if her mere presence commanded respect. Some murmured, casting furtive glances, the name Lyra Selwyn resonating through the air like a living legend. Everyone seemed to know she had been the apprentice of Isolde Maga and was now the guardian of Orion, heir to the powerful Maga lineage.
Orion, though unaccustomed to such treatment, let his Occlumency take over. The admiring and fearful looks, the discreet murmurs and whispers in his wake, slid over his mind without ever touching him. He simply walked beside Lyra with the same neutrality as always, ignoring everything around him with perfect control.
Lyra, for her part, walked with confident strides, accustomed to such reactions. She didn't slow down and paid no attention to the people around her, focused on their next steps. Orion could almost feel the tension in the air, the way respect and fear intertwined when the passersby whispered their names. To him, all of this was just another distraction.
As they approached their next destination, a man discreetly bowed before them, whispering to his companion, "Look, it's Lyra Selwyn, the apprentice of the one who defeated You-Know-Who and trained one of the Maga heirs..."
Once their shopping was done, they returned to the manor to finalize their preparations and enjoy the calm once again. The tranquility of the place contrasted with Orion's growing excitement. He knew that soon the time would come to leave the safety of the manor and embark on a new adventure at Hogwarts.
The big day finally arrived, and they made their way to King's Cross Station to board the Hogwarts Express
When Orion passed through the enchanted barrier leading to Platform 9¾, he was immediately enveloped by the excitement of the wizarding world. The scarlet Hogwarts Express stood waiting, ready to take the young witches and wizards to their new year at Hogwarts. Families crowded around the locomotive, some in tears, others laughing and saying goodbye to their children.
Orion, however, was not moved. He watched the scene with absolute calm, his heterochromatic eyes scanning the crowd but never lingering on anything for too long. Nothing seemed to disturb his cold façade, his mind always protected by the mental barriers he had so carefully erected over the years.
As Orion stood on the platform, observing the crowd with his usual calm, a voice broke through the murmurs.
"Lyra!"
An elegant, imposing couple approached through the crowd. The man, tall and blond with a few silver streaks, wore luxurious clothing, revealing his noble lineage. Beside him, a well-groomed, graceful woman with blond hair walked with equal confidence. Her eyes reflected both the softness and authority of a matriarch from a pure-blood family.
Behind them walked their two daughters, each with a distinct presence.
The first, tall and slender, was of a cold beauty. Her perfectly coiffed blond hair cascaded in elegant waves over her shoulders. Her blue eyes, like those of her parents, were piercing but strangely devoid of emotion, reminding Orion of a female version of himself. She didn't seem like the type to be burdened with unnecessary emotions or gestures, just like him. Her face remained impassive, exuding perfect self-control.
Next to her stood a much shorter girl, equally captivating by contrast. Unlike her elder sister, her hair was a deep, almost black brown, a rarity in this family dominated by blond hair. Her features were softer, and her smile was jovial, bringing a lively energy that contrasted with the coldness of her sister and parents. She observed the surroundings with curiosity, her eyes sparkling with a joy that nothing seemed to extinguish, despite a certain fragility in her movements.
However, it was the third figure who truly captured Orion's attention. A graceful silhouette, walking slightly behind, whose beauty was striking, though different from those around her. Arcana.
Arcana's snow-white hair cascaded down her back to her mid-back, its shine reminiscent of Orion's own hair. But what made her appearance so captivating were her eyes. Like her brother's, they were heterochromatic, but more vibrant, more piercing. One electric blue and the other green, they were almost unsettling in their intensity. Unlike Orion's coldness, Arcana's gaze was vibrant, exuding a rare intensity that unsettled anyone who looked too long.
Her delicate features exuded a certain confidence, but her beauty was surprising in its naturalness. There was a harmony in her appearance that could not be ignored.
Her body was flawless, with elegant proportions for her age. Her movements were graceful, and her elegance inevitably attracted attention, her elegance inevitably drew attention. Her beauty, though adolescent, already possessed a charm that turned heads.
Arcana had none of the distant coldness that characterized Orion. Her features were relaxed and expressive. She exuded a subtle warmth that complemented her natural grace.