Ch 25: The Blocked Passageway

Mrs. Carter, our kind orphanage manager, dropped me off at King's Cross Station again this year. Unfortunately, we were running late because one of the younger children had been adopted earlier that morning. It was bittersweet. While I was happy for the kid, it also meant saying goodbye to someone I'd grown fond of.

I navigated through the bustling station. The muggle world had its charm, but nothing beat the magical experience of Hogwarts. My trunk was a bit heavier this year, filled with books, supplies, and a few extra items I'd managed to pick up during the summer.

Approaching the passageway, I paused. Standing in front of the brick wall leading to the platform were Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, both rubbing their heads with a mixture of pain and confusion. Their expressions immediately gave away what had happened.

"Let me guess," I said as I walked closer, smirking slightly. "You tried to run through and hit the wall instead."

Harry turned to me, startled, before realizing who it was. "Arthur!"

Ron groaned. "Yeah, it's blocked or something. We tried twice already, and it's like hitting solid brick."

Ah, so it begins. Dobby's handiwork, I thought. The pesky house-elf's meddling was already in full swing.

"What are you going to do now?" I asked casually, leaning on my trunk.

Ron, with all the confidence of a budding Gryffindor, said, "We'll have to take Dad's car and fly it to Hogwarts!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Fly a car? Are you serious?"

"Why not?" Ron shrugged. "It's enchanted and everything. Besides, we'll be late otherwise."

"Yeah, and get yourselves expelled in the process," I replied dryly. "Brilliant idea, Weasley."

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, clearly unsure of what else to do.

---

I stepped forward, placing a hand on the seemingly solid wall. The muggle-repelling charms and illusion enchantments were intact, but there was definitely something extra at play. A barrier had been erected to block the passage—Dobby's doing. It wasn't overly powerful, but it was cleverly layered to ensure no one without substantial magical control could bypass it.

I sighed, placing my trunk to the side.

"Step back," I told them.

They both looked at me in confusion but complied. I extended my wand toward the wall and closed my eyes, focusing my mana. Garuda, perched on my shoulder, whispered, "Are you sure about this? A public display of magic could attract attention."

"Relax," I muttered under my breath. "I'm not tampering with the muggle protections, just the barrier."

I carefully flared my mana, sending a controlled pulse of energy into the wall. The key was precision—too much, and I'd risk dismantling the entire enchantment. Too little, and I'd be wasting my time. The barrier resisted at first, shimmering faintly, but after a few moments, it gave way with a faint ripple.

Harry and Ron stared, wide-eyed.

"How did you...?" Harry began.

"Magic is all about control," I said, brushing my hands off. "A bit of pressure in the right spot, and barriers like these can't hold. It's not about power; it's about finesse."

"Blimey," Ron muttered. "You make it sound so easy."

"That's because it is—if you know what you're doing," I said with a smirk.

---

With the barrier gone, the three of us passed through the wall and onto the platform. It was the same as always—full of bustling students, excited parents, and the iconic scarlet Hogwarts Express waiting to whisk us away.

We quickly loaded our trunks onto the train. Ron and Harry looked relieved to be back on track, though they still seemed a bit shaken by the earlier ordeal.

"You two go find a compartment," I said, waving them off. "I need to take care of something."

"See you on the train, then," Harry said, and the two of them headed off.

---

Once they were out of sight, I leaned against a pillar, catching my breath. Breaking the barrier hadn't been difficult, but it had required more mana than I'd expected. Keeping a constant flow of mana while slowly increasing the output with a wand was harder than simply doing it with the circuits. Garuda on my shoulder looked at me with a curious expression.

"You're pushing yourself too hard," he said, his tone more concerned than usual.

"I'm fine," I replied, though my voice betrayed a hint of fatigue.

"You handled that well," he admitted.

"I know, I know," I said, brushing him off. "Let's just get on the train."

I keep forgetting that despite me having the template I still have the circuits of a normal magus.

---Note

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