[Preparations! Part-2]

'uhh'

I groaned and flopped down on the chair, I closed the charms textbook and thumped my head on it.

"You don't need to work so hard Alex, relax you still have 4 years, you are going at a very fast pace considering that-" Grandma consoled me as I looked at the skills screen in front of me.

[Skills:]

[Defense against the Dark Arts: 9/100]

[Dark Arts: 0/100]

[Charms: 7/100]

[Herbology: 4/100]

[Potions: 8/100]

[Transfiguration: 11/100]

[Flying: 46/100]

[Wand Magic: 25*/100]

[Occlumency: 17*/100]

'Yeah I guess, if the skill-cap is 100 then it is good progress.'

For the last two weeks, I have spent most of my time reading up on the basics of all the subjects along with practising Occlumency, the measly 2 in that area does worry me if it goes at this rate it would be forever before I could master it. I got up and placed the book on potions back into its bookshelf.

"Have you finished packing?" Grandpa asked.

"Yeah I don't have a lot to pack anyway, I got my clothes and uniform in the trunk, plus the schoolbooks, anything else I have got right here." I indicated to the vast area around me.

"And what about little Tori?" Grandma asked as I grimaced, Tori has been notoriously clingy the past few days and getting a minute of reprieve is a luxury.

"Now that you are done with your studies, tell me what did you find out about the Blacks?" Grandma has been eager to know what happened to her family so I asked Daniel today about the Blacks.

"Well, Black family has seen some tough times in the last decade but things look up to them now, there is just one branch of the family left, who still use the family name, that would be Sirius Black, his wife, Marlene Black nee Mckinnon, and their daughter Celeste Black, also your house alignments have done a 180 and now you are aligned with the Light side."

She went into her thoughts so I said, "Also of your three cousins, one is now a Malfoy, one is in Azkaban and one married a muggle."

"That should shut her up for some time-" Grandpa said as we both chuckled, "So you excited? Which house do you think you'll be?"

"I don't know, the thought had been popping into my head again and again and I just don't want to think about it for a moment, I am nervous though, tomorrow I will probably meet a lot of people who I have to spend the rest of the years with, which house I would end up-"

*groan*

'and I'm back to thinking about it-'

"Well our family have been inherently Hupplepuff, although your grandma corrupted my son who ended up in Slytherin-" Grandpa said as grandma gave him a long look saying 'get-over-it'

I snickered and said, "Yeah Dad and mom both were in Slytherin, so maybe I'll go there, continue the legacy?"

Whatever Grandpa was about to say was cut off by Grandma, "And that's okay Alex, we'll always support you."

'how come they ended up together, they are so different, almost contradictory...'

I kept my mouth shut as Grandma again asked, "anyway back to the topic, Sirius has a kid right? how old is she?"

"Umm she's small, like 7 years old I think, Sirius, married after the dark lord died, apparently there was a huge scandal and he got Lady Black pregnant during a celebration." I chuckled awkwardly as I remembered Daniel and Evelyn talking about it a few years back.

'This Occlumency thing is quite handy, I feel like I'm almost finished going through my memories-'

While I was busy studying the whole day, at night before sleeping I went through the trouble of going through all my memories and categorising them. From lucid memories when I was just a year old to all the mischief I went with Tori over the years, when I looked back to all that time wasted while Daph studied I wanted to curse at my older self.

'I should have listened to Evelyn and Daniel. Although their behaviour is suspicious over the years-'

Grandma pointed out that I have some glaring errors in my knowledge that every heir should know about. Occlumency, Pureblood rites, some introduction to magic, Pureblood society structure and a lot of other minor things. I know I was a little too hyperactive but they should have forced me to learn these things.

'-and there are also those shares, all the businesses that Fawley family-owned, now partially are owned by the Greengrass, they should know that I know about them but they still have given no indication to talk to me about it. Were they trying to keep me ignorant?'

"Alex-" Grandma said, "stop thinking about those shares, I told you even if they return them to you they will just be taken from you."

"I know grandma, I know, it's just-" I hesitated before saying, "I have lived with them my whole life, I care about them, I sometimes even called Evelyn Mom in my head for Merlin's sake when I was little-" I grumbled and punched the desk before throwing my head back in frustration.

"Remember what I told you, Alex, channel your anger, your disappointment, into something productive, emotions and intent are what drives magic, now you know what to do right?"

I nodded and flicked my wrist, and my wand jumped into my arm from my holster, it has been really easy to carry my wand like this and I kind of like how cool it is.

"Wingardium Leviosa" I intoned carefully casting the charm on the table in front of me. It trembled as I felt extreme pressure on my mind as if I was trying to lift it myself, slowly it trembled and rose an inch off the ground as I notice the blue bar at the corner of my vision depleting at an alarming rate.

I let go of the charm just as the bar was a third left and panted from exertion. I remember reading articles about the fight between Dumbledore and Grindelwald changed the landscape of the place.

'Damnit, I need to grow stronger.'

I focused once again and said, "Wingardium Leviosa"