63 A Christmas at Hogwarts

// THIS IS AN OLD CHAPTER. THE NEW CHAPTERS ARE IN VOLUME 2. YOU CAN READ THESE CHAPTERS IF YOU WANT SOME INSIGHT ON WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN LATER BUT SOME EVENTS CAN BE DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW CHAPTERS.

When I wake up, I am in a bed in the infirmary, I can see Newt in front of a table full of flask, test tube and a bunch of other materials needed to make potions. Beside him, Dumbledore has his head in ancient grimoires. The bed creaks as I try to move my arm, which I find bound by steel chains.

"What the hell is this?" Dumbledore rushes to my side.

"Sean, calm down, everything is fine. These chains are there for the safety of us all."

"I wake up and I'm chained like an animal, and you ask me to calm down ?!"

"Your body has undergone changes after our experiment with the Dementors and we are still trying to determine the extent of those changes, don't worry, no one knows about your condition."

"What condition? What changes?" I don't understand what Dumbledore means, I don't feel like I have new arms or hair.

"Maybe it would be for the best if you take a look at yourself," he holds up a mirror that reflects my face.

My hair turned black as did the white of my eyes while my irises turned dark blue. A sort of black aura escapes from my skin before disappearing like smoke.

"If it's just physical changes, I can make them go away."

"NOOOOO" Newt runs, well, limps in my direction. "If you ever use your metamorphmagus powers, we'll never know the full extent that this encounter with the dementors had on you!

"And wouldn't that be better? A lot of people in the school talk about me like I'm a monster, what's the use of trying to find out what kind of monster I've become if I can make it go away?"

"Let me do a few more tests, imagine that your condition is hereditary, that your children can have the same symptoms." I really don't want Norbert to start experimenting on me.

"Let's put that away for now. What exactly did the Dementors told you and do not forget every detail." Now that I think about it, what am I going to say? Ha, I know!

"They talked about the blood of the Peverells and the gift of Death"

"Peverell! Are you sure they used that name?" Ha, it looks like the old mage has taken the hook. Fortunately for me that among the ancestors of the Gaun family, there is one of the wizards of the legend. And luckily, I remembered that the family ring is the resurrection stone.

"I'm sure, can I go now?" Dumbledore looks thoughtful while looking at me.

"Good but don't tell anyone what we just discussed. Now go, you have a week of your time to make up for." He gives a small wave of his hand and the chains crash heavily to the ground as I stand up, leaving Dumbledore and Newt alone in the room. "

I make my dementor aura disappear and restore the whites of my eyes to a normal color. I like the new color of my hair and eyes, so I decide to not change it. I head to the dorm for a shower, Dumbledore said the truth, I stink like I haven't showered for a week. The warm water against my skin allows me to clear my mind. I take this opportunity to take a look at the Beast. It seems that devouring the Dementors has made him calmer than ever, he is patiently awaiting my orders for now. His coat has turned dark as night, and dark blue eyes are the only hint of color in his whole being.

Today is December 25th and I should be home partying with my family. I wonder what Dumbledore told them to let me stay here? I am bored to death; all my friends have gone home and the only Slytherins still around are the ones who are studying for their NEWTs.

I go to the great hall to have my breakfast. It has been decorated with several large Christmas trees which are arranged like pillars along the walls. Candles decorated with mistletoe float in the air delivering a sweet smell of cinnamon. I help myself to scrambled eggs when the morning mail arrives.

Unlike the usual newspapers, most of them carried colorful packages. Five of them landed in front of me, one bearing the MACUSA symbol and another, the one of Ilvermorny.

I begin to open the gifts that seem to come from my family. My mother sent me a new inkwell with a griffin feather, it would have been better if she sent me a pen with ink cartridges but hey, on a horse given, we do not look at the teeth. My father gave me two new games for my console, Pokémon Green-leaf and the new Mario, I hasten to hide them under my sweater as to not be spotted by the teachers, I really do not want Filch to confiscates them. I've waited far too long to be able to choose Bulbasaur again! The last of my family's gifts comes from my grandmother who gave me a book: Healing Spells for Apprentice Healers. It's true that healing spells are a part of magic that I haven't really explored yet, I did make a regeneration spell and add it to my ritual, but it was a bit of a things a put together without fully understanding them. It makes sense to study magic medicine, maybe I could improve my ritual.

The gift from MACUSA is wrapped in shiny black paper closed by a gold-colored knots with a single word attached to it: Hope to see you soon among us. S.G.Q. Inside the package was a gold pocket watch, for safety I cast some detection spell and open the back of the watch to examine what's inside. I can't find any spell but on the other hand there is a small GPS beacon which was hidden inside. They must have told themselves that I wouldn't be looking for Muggle technology if I looked at their gift. I put the beacon back inside the watch, I have no reason to destroy it when I can make them believe that I am in a place when I am not there.

The last package is the one that intrigues me the most. When I open it, I find inside it an explanatory pamphlet on the infrastructure of Ilvermorny. I see Dumbledore choke on a piece of bread as I take it out of the box.

Besides the brochure, there were also scarves, badges and stickers in the colors of the four houses of Ilvermorny as well as a letter.

Dear Mr. Bones,

As agreed with President Quahog, a place has been reserved for you in our school, we are only waiting for a letter from you to validate your registration with immediate effect when you wish for it.

Always yours,

Ephthalius Marrow,

Headmaster of Ilvermorny.