The weekend arrived at Hogwarts, bringing a sense of relief from the arduous classes. Adrian Blackthorn found himself seated in a quiet corner of the Slytherin common room alongside Luciano and Nott.
Luciano leaned forward with a conspiratorial smile. "Have you ever heard of Castelobruxo politics? It's fascinating how alliances are built and broken over there."
Adrian raised an eyebrow before saying, "Go on."
"It's all about trade and influence," Luciano explained. He kept his voice low enough to avoid being overheard. "My family's cacao plantations hold significant sway in Brazil. The school's council frequently tries to pressure students like me into alliances. They want to gain power before graduation.
Adrian smirked. "Sounds like they're grooming the next generation of politicians."
Luciano's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Exactly, they focus less on building up strength in Castelobruxo. This was one of the reasons I came to Hogwarts. Yet it turns out, you have a similar system which is less formal and more insidious. Take our dear Draco Malfoy for example. He's trying to position himself as the leader of Slytherin's first years yet, he is too loud about it and has no idea on how to achieve it.
Adrian nodded. "Loud leaders make easy targets."
Before Luciano could reply, Anna Petrov, the strikingly beautiful Russian witch entered the common room. Her platinum-blonde hair was tied into an elegant braid as her piercing blue eyes scanned the room before landing on Adrian. A calculated smirk appeared on her lips before she approached Adrian.
"Adrian," she said smoothly as her accent added a musical quality to his name. "I've been meaning to speak with you."
Adrian tilted his head slightly, not showing his visible disinterest. "Anna. What can I do for you?"
She sat down beside him, way closer than necessary as she placed her delicate hand on his forearm. "It's about the future. You're part of the Sacred Twenty Eight, are you not? Your family's influence… It's quite impressive."
Luciano raised an eyebrow feeling clearly unimpressed by the blatant flattery, but he said nothing. He wanted to see how Adrian handled the situation.
"My family values its legacy," Adrian replied carefully. "And yours?"
Anna's smile widened. "The Petrovs are powerful in Russia. Perhaps, we could work together to strengthen both our positions?"
Adrian leaned back, his expression unreadable. He remembered what his father told him about, building connections. He did not care about it but he did not want to openly show his lack of consideration.
"An intriguing proposal. But partnerships require trust and trust takes time." Adrian replied
Her smile faltered for a moment before she quickly recovered. "Of course. Things should not be taken forward immediately.
As Anna retreated, Adrian exchanged a glance with Luciano. "She wants to play the long game. Be careful Adrian, she is not just after your friendship."
Adrian smirked. "I'm well aware."
Later that evening, Adrian decided that he needed a place to practice his magic. He needed to be powerful, powerful enough to shape his own destiny. He wandered the castle aimlessly until he suddenly remembered that the Room of Requirement existed on the seventh floor. It had been used by Harry and his friends during the fifth year.
He paced back and forth three times, concentrating on his desire for a place to train. To his amazement, a door appeared in the wall. Pushing it open, he stepped inside and found a dueling arena with targets, dummies, and a large mirror enchanted to display his magical output.
Adrian's first few spells were basic, testing the room's responsiveness. As he gained confidence, he pushed himself harder, casting basic spells increasing power and precision. Right now, the best spell he knew was confringo however, he wanted to start creating his own magic. He used his family's mirror to gauge his strength. This was an ancient mirror that he had taken from the treasury.
Within seconds, his strength was displayed," fifteen percent of Snape's strength." Adrian was disappointed. He expected to be stronger and more powerful yet, his magical core was far from strong enough. For now though, he needed to improve his reflexes.
Adrian had long wanted to develop a spell, his own spell. He had thought about combining silencio and confundo so today, he was going to ask professor Flitwick a few research based questions. Yet for now, he needed to continue his practice.
The room shifted slightly, presenting him with a new challenge: a dueling dummy that moves unpredictably. Adrian squared his shoulders and began to duel the target, practicing shields, counters, and offensive spells. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he pushed himself to his limits.
By the time he finished, exhaustion tugged at his limbs, but he felt a sense of accomplishment. He'd learned not only his current capabilities but also his limitations. There was still half a day left as he headed to the professor's office.
Professor Flitwick's office was just on the seventh floor as within minutes, he found himself knocking on the professor's door.
"Adrian come in, please come in. What brings you here today?" asked the professor in a curious tone.
"I have a few questions for you professor" said Adrian
Flitwick was expecting this. Most top students only came to his office to ask questions. He knew Adrian was a genius beyond comprehension yet today, his perception of him was again going to change drastically.
"Go on," Flitwick said as he waited for Adrian's question.
"If two spells were cast simultaneously, one targeting the body and the other targeting the mind.How would their magical energies interact? Could they combine into a single effect?"
Adrians question was perplexing. Even Flitwick, a master of charms, needed a few seconds to think before answering.
"Ah, a fascinating question, Mr. Blackthorn!" Flitwick exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "The interaction of magical energies is a delicate art and a science all at once. Spells targeting different aspects such as the body and the mind, operate on distinct frequencies of magical resonance, if you will. A body targeting spell, like Stupefy, focuses on disrupting the nervous system or physical coordination while a mind affecting spell, like Confundo, manipulates the cognitive pathways and thought processes."
Flitwick leaned forward, as he continued."Now, casting two spells simultaneously is no small feat. If done correctly, the magical energies can indeed intertwine, creating a hybrid effect. However, this requires the caster to harmonize their intent perfectly across both aspects. Any imbalance favoring the physical over the mental, or vice versa will result in one aspect overpowering each other which will result in a failure.
He paused, further emphasizing. "To truly combine them into a single effect, you would need a deep understanding of both the mechanics of each spell and the underlying magical principles. This involves layering the spells rather than merely casting them in a quick succession.
Flitwick's tone grew serious. "But be warned, Adrian. Attempting such a feat without proper control can be dangerous. Magical energies, when misaligned do tend to repel each other causing violent explosions. If somebody is not careful, he or she could seriously injure themselves."
"Any specific reasons you asked me this question Mr Blackthorn?"
"Uhh.. no professor: just curious that's it," Adrian tried his best to hide his true intentions from the professor.
Flitwick gave a nod before letting Adrian go. He knew Adrian was going to do something yet, he was not sure what. After all, his love for magic meant that he could not let himself stop a child's thirst for knowlege either.
Back in the common room, Adrian decided that he needed to put in more effort. From tomorrow onwards, he was going to get up early before classes to practice.