An Year Older.

With his 'Artisan' classes moving in full swing, Loki had an enjoyable time throughout his Summer Holidays. So much that he'd almost forgotten that he had to go to Hogwarts this year.

'Damn, what will happen this time?'

'How will our dear Dark Lord enter our school this time?'

'Through post? Or Through time travel? Or maybe even turn the entire school into himself!?'

'Haa~ How does this school even function at this point if it is so easy for a Dark Lord to break into?'

'Isn't this the wizard version of school shoo-?'

Loki opened his eyes and looked outside his window at the beautiful sunset that had painted the sky a bright shade of pink.

Looking outside for a while, Loki spotted a small black dot that suddenly appeared in the sky and seemed to get larger over time.

'An owl?' Loki guessed and he was proven right when he found the Owl take a dive through the air and land right on his window sill.

'Who sent me a letter today? Mione? It has been a while since I've spoken to her, I should send her a reply soon.'

'But since when did she have an owl? I thought she had a cat?'

Quickly untying the letter tied to the owl's feet, Loki found it taking a few edibles from the bird feed and leaving.

"Dear Loki,

First of all, I'm sorry for disturbing you on a weekend when you take time off to rest, but I needed to inform you since this matter needs your urgent attention.

Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban, thought you'd like to know since you've been adopted into the Black Household.

Stay safe and don't do anything risky and do inform me if you'd like to continue your internship with us or if you'd like to postpone it for now until the matter is settled and he's caught.

Yours Truly,

Randolph Spudmore."

Reading the letter, Loki's breathing quickened and he felt a small sense of panic as his heart beat loudly in his ears, but he quickly overcame the fear associated with the information and shouted, "Kreacher!"

*POP*

"Yes, Master Loki?"

"*sigh* Read this letter please."

Kreacher took the letter that was handed over to him and began to read through it, his eyes widening by the end.

"Has the family's disappointment finally come back to stain its name even more?" Kreacher said with a certain ferocity in his tone that surprised Loki.

'Kreacher hates Sirius?'

'For what reason though?'

"There's bad blood between you and Sirius?" Loki asked without any ceremony causing Kreacher to look at him, and he looked angry.

"He killed Master Regulus! He killed him! And he has no remorse!"

"Regulus? You mean Regulus Arcturus Black? Sirius killed him? How? I mean why!? Weren't they brothers?" Loki asked with clear confusion etched on his face. "Didn't Walburga protect him? Or stop their squabble?"

"If only Miss Walburga could've! If only she could've known what Master Regulus was doing! If only!!" Kreacher wailed, his eyes tearing up as he looked at Loki.

"What happened Kreacher? Tell me, I might be able to help."

"No! Kreacher must not! This was his last wish! Master Regulus commanded me to hide it and never reveal it! Kreacher will follow his command!"

Loki looked at Kreacher and shook his head since he knew once he got into such a catatonic state, it was basically impossible to converse normally with him anymore.

"Alright, Kreacher. I won't ask you what it was that he asked you to hide, but tell me more about Sirius, what about him?"

"Master Sirius betrayed the family! Should've known he'd do so when he didn't even go into Slytherin! He followed the Potter boy into Gryffindor and even fought Lady Black over it! He was a disaster! Horsing around at every turn as if he were a baby!"

"..." Loki looked at Kreacher who appeared to be pointedly angry and was slowly being consumed by it and felt a slight sense of disappointment in himself that he wouldn't be able to do anything for him.

"Alright, Kreacher, that will be all for now. You may go rest for a while. Thank you."

Kreacher who was still angry began to mumble things under his breath as he walked out of the room, his hunched back not doing him any favours.

Loki himself slipped into a comfortable chair as he thought about what Kreacher had said, 'He killed uncle Regulus? But why would he?? Just because he was in Slytherin and he was in Gryffindor? No, from how Kreacher was speaking about it, it seemed to be something big.'

'It feels as if Regulus did something behind Walburga's back and Sirius failed him by not helping him at the right time.'

'But if he could always leave Azkaban, why did he leave Azkaban only now?'

'Did he get a new opportunity?'

'Is he involved with the plans Aurora Order has for me?'

'Perhaps someone contacted him at Azkaban to give him a job?'

'But what was he paid with?'

'Did they help him escape? Was that his payment?'

'*sigh* I can already feel a headache coming this year.'

Stroking his chin, Loki sat in his chair and heard the occasional sobs and head banging from Kreacher echo inside the house.

With a deep look on his face, Loki continued to contemplate the various reasons and ideas about why Sirius Black might've escaped Azkaban but he always felt like he was standing in front of an insurmountable wall.

'I'm missing something.'

'What am I missing?'

With furrowed brows, Loki thought about things until a peculiar question echoed in his mind.

'Why did Sirius Black go to Azkaban in the first place?'

'And Potter? What does Harry have to do with this? Did he kill Harry's parents? But I thought You-Know-Who was responsible for their deaths?'

Loki immediately wanted to ask Kreacher about the answer to his question, but given how he was currently grieving since it appeared that Loki had touched a few fresh deep wounds, Loki found it uncouth to ask him.

So he postponed his curiosity and moved to the study where he continued to study and create Beyonder items using the knowledge he'd gained by studying under Randolph.

'Hmm…what happens if I make a Beyonder item that uses two Beyonder characteristics instead of one?'

'And I still haven't worked on making any charms myself.'

'Although I've been avoiding worshipping any True Gods for charms and such, I should really brush up on my mysticism knowledge, it might save me when something terrible happens.'

Looking at the setting sun, Loki found himself smiling softly.

'Ha~ at least I've lived longer in this life than I did in the last.'

Today was Loki's birthday in his last life when he'd unfortunately died, and although it had just been about three years in this world, if he added the age that this body had lived before he'd transmigrated into it, he'd become thirteen. 

A year older than he was in his last life.

'Feels good to grow old.'

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A/N : An extra chapter since you guys crossed two hundred powerstones last week. Thank you! Let's goo!!!

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