Ch. 29 A new year arrives

I spent the last weeks leading to my departure for Hogwarts in a melancholy mood. I really couldn't get that feeling of dominating another being out of my head and it felt disgusting. I felt disgusted with myself mostly. I had other ways of getting around the issue, but I resorted to taking care of things like freaking Voldemort. I did what he would have done, except he would have probably slaughtered all the them as a bonus.

The only thing that could take my mind off of what happened was doing research. It wasn't the healthiest option to deal with my emotional issues with the event, but at least it distracted me.

At least there had been something good that came out of it to cheer me up, and that was I'd finally remembered one unofficial way people could travel from one place to another: Vanishing Cabinets. It involves making the cabinet from conjoined trees and linking them through a complicated set of Runes and Charms, creating a method of instantaneous transport between the two. With this in mind I began to run tests on the subject, which led to the most infamous pair of cabinets in the Harry Potter series: the one in Hogwarts and at Borgin and Burkes. I simply had Scott purchase the one in Borgin and Burkes while disguised and bingo, easy cabinet to study since the one at school hasn't been damaged by Peeves yet and a way into he school whenever I want.

It took a good amount of testing to find that I could form links between pieces of the same tree or it's offshoots, not only between conjoined trees which are rare. I think the fact that I'm trying to do a much simpler version of the cabinets helped reduce the strain of the bond necessary. My goal is to create a link between a great number of mini cabinets which will act as an instantaneous delivery tool, where you basically write something on paper, put it in, close it and off it goes to the requested receiver. I'm basically inventing magical text messaging in all honesty, but without tech.

The only problem I had was that I had to make sure the wood will properly connect to the other pieces. It was difficult because of the requirements of either being from the same tree or being of child of it. And so I searched for a solution. I had some thoughts of trying to use those giant Redwood trees in California , but the supply won't be nearly enough and it's a protected reserve. A breakthrough occurred when I was researching and found a Japanese method from the 15th century still in use called daisugi. It uses a particular species of cedar tree and is essentially an oversized bonsai tree as it relies on a great amount of pruning to make trees sprout from the base 'mother tree'. It's pretty nifty and using magic, since I won't be growing anything magical, I think I can get my own operation up and going in a year and half at most. For now though, I shall make a small number of vanishing boxes, to test my work and see if it can eventually be expanded properly.

The final prototype for the vanishing box was a simple piece made of from pine, with four other boxes around it. It had a simple panel which opened and closed, a small dial to set the number you wished to send to resembling a rotary lock. Turn to the number and viola. So I wrote a simple message on a piece of parchment, put it in my #1 and closed it, set it to #3, pressed my wand gently onto the box and simply said "send". With a small Glow on the tip of my wand and a light sound from the box it activates. I turn my attention to #3, walk to it and open it as I hold my breath.

"YES!! Haha! I did it!" I shouted out in happiness as I broke out in a little dance.

Apparently my shout startled Tilly since she appeared in my room a moment later.

"Young master are you ok!?" She asked in distress.

"Oh Tilly, come here, come here." I say excitedly as I drag the house-elf to my prototypes.

She looks at the simple wooden boxes curiously but can't figure out why I'm excited about this thing, so she turns towards me with a weird look and tilted head.

"Tilly doesn't understand young master." She said.

"That's ok! These are what I've been working on during the last month! Instant messaging tools! They can send letters and messages to anyone holding one of these boxes and who knows the right number!" I explain excitedly.

Tilly's eyes widened after she understands what I just said. "So Tilly won't have to clean up after the owls anymore?" She then asked seriously, to which Artemis in my room screeches feeling challenged and insulted.

"Not for small messages and letters, but owls are still gonna be needed to deliver parcels, sorry Tilly. And you're still gonna be needed girl." I said to the house-elf only worried about cleaning, while stroking my own owl to calm her down. (I know I don't mention her a lot, but I do send her every week with a letter to my Aunt and Susan, if I didn't a howler would come for me. Did that once cause I lost track of time, and it was an embarrassing breakfast to say the least.)

With Tilly loosing her interest with the tool she quickly left since nothing was wrong with me.

'Now all that's left if to test for distance and the durability of the enchantments.' I thought to myself while caressing my new creation.

I also showed aunty my new device and she was shocked at what I created, and also questioned how no one had thought of using the idea of vanishing cabinets like this in the first place.

"I'm thinking of leaving one with you and Susan while I'm at Hogwarts. It'll let me test is it can get through the wards, the distance will test that aspect and since I won't be in contact with yours at at least six months it'll give me an idea of how the enchantments will react to the regular use." I explained to my aunt.

"That is good. If this work it will certainly be useful for many things. Might even replace all those stupid inter-departmental memos flying all over the place in the ministry." She said with a nod.

"Does that mean I get to write to you more often while you're away?" Asked Susan with great expectations.

"Well, if aunty agrees I don't see a problem with it." I answer, thinking a bit before doing so.

"Yay!" Said my cute little sister as she began jumping around.

"Susan. We are at the dinner table, at least wait until everyone is done before jumping around like that." Said Amelia with some authority in her voice as she chastised Susan.

"Haha! Happy you want to write to me that much Suz." I say while patting her head and getting a giggle in response.

"I swear you two. You pamper her too much Aedan, she will end up spoiled." Sighed aunt Amelia.

"Little sisters deserve to be pampered by their older brothers." I declared with my chest puffed out.

"Oh Merlin." Simply said aunty as she gave up on that front.

"But in all seriousness, I think if this works out properly it could become a great means of income for the family. So I'm thinking of investing into it as the heir when all the quirks are worked out." I said to Amelia.

"Yes, it could become a very good business for the family." Nodded Amelia supporting the option.

"It's not the only thing I'm working on, but it will be a good start." I then added.

"You have more things like this?" Asked aunty curiously.

"For now most of them are mostly theoretical, but very possible." I answered.

"I look forwards to seeing it then dear." Simply said aunty with a gentle smile.

"Hehe, I'll make the family proud." I say as i scratch the back of my head.

With that meal done I quickly headed back into my room a took out a trio of boxes made with ebony. These were finely crafted and made to fit into ones pockets, closer to the future smartphones than boxes, with an enchanted glass in the front which will bond to the owner, stopping anyone else from reading the piece of parchment behind it, which is also specially treated to work in a similar manner to Tom Riddles diary. The parchment is made to absorb the ink and save what was written on it, it's actually closer to how the Marauders map was made but with no sentience, mixed with the diary. Basically I made a specials parchment with a memory for what was written on it. This way I can send massages and review past ones as well. These advanced versions of the boxes will be for me and my aides only. No one else will know of their existence or know what they are even after I unveil the vanishing boxes. And so I sent one to each of them using Artemis.

A few hours later she had returned and I sent the instructions on how to use the messengers, as I will call this model, and the memory parchment. A few minutes later they had both responded that they understood the tool and it's purpose.

With everything solved, it was time to go to bed because m tomorrow was the day I return to Hogwarts. The last year before Potter and his friends join Hogwarts and everything starts going to shit.

Sigh

Looking forward to a productive year.