Two Weeks Later...
The golden glow of the portal had long faded.
One by one, they had returned—
Nurarihyon and the yokai back to their world, vanishing into mist with parting nods and quiet farewells.
Only Rikuo and Tsurara remained, curious to explore this new magical world and perhaps experience the simpler things—
Classes, books, Quidditch matches—
Before returning home.
Dracula and his friends had left in grand fashion,
Promising to begin renovations on their own Hotel Continental branch, their enthusiasm echoed long after they departed.
Martha and Darcy remained behind.
Darcy's belly was beginning to show, and she wanted to be near Jonny—
Newly a wizard, endlessly excited, and now nervously flipping through spellbooks with childish delight.
Martha, ever the protective mother, had decided to stay close as well, arms always crossed but eyes soft when they landed on her daughter.
Now...
France...
A crisp wind swept through the thick forest in southern France, stirring dead leaves as Leo stood before the timeworn gates of an abandoned castle.
Its stone walls were cracked by age, ivy creeping like veins across its towers, and massive iron doors hung crooked on rusted hinges.
The place looked forgotten by both time and period—
Exactly what Leo wanted.
A secret place. Remote.
Powerful. Untouched.
"____"
He stood in silence, eyes scanning the structure as the sun began to dip behind the trees.
Valac's voice echoed in his memory.
"I found it… buried under old woods, long lost. It matches every parameter, Master."
Leo stepped forward, hand brushing the aged iron.
With a pulse of magic from his palm.
A clang resounded, and the gates slowly creaked open.
Inside, the castle was shrouded in dust and shadows.
Faint echoes of its former grandeur lingered—
Broken chandeliers, tapestries faded by time, a long-forgotten portrait of a knight eyes seemed to follow Leo as he walked past.
Valac emerged from the shadows like smoke from the portrait.
She knelt with a sly grin.
Grin~
"Just as you asked. A fortress without eyes, ears… or ghosts."
Leo raised an eyebrow.
"No ghosts?"
Valac smirked wider.
Smirk~
"Well… I might have eaten one. She was annoying."
"____"
Leo chuckled under his breath.
Chuckle~
"I'm not judging."
He looked around slowly, then nodded with quiet satisfaction.
Nod~
"This will be a perfect place."
Valac's smile sharpened, twisting with mischief and delight as her body shimmered and shrank back into her human form—
Tall, raven-haired, eyes glowing with violet amusement.
The black smoke of her shadow melted into her high-heeled boots as she gracefully stepped beside Leo.
Her voice, smooth like silk drawn over a blade, echoed in the dusty corridor.
"This castle,"
She began, lightly trailing her finger along a crumbling wall,
"Once belonged to Sir Edmond Vaillancourt—a knight and a fanatical witch hunter. He slaughtered hundreds in the name of 'cleansing,' blessed by the church, feared by women during his age."
She turned, her smile never fading.
"Until a curse devoured him. Slowly. Painfully. Took his mind first. Then his body. The rest of the family followed, screaming into madness… One by one."
Leo whistled low.
Whistle~
"No wonder the villagers ran. Place reeks of bad history."
Valac chuckled darkly.
Chuckle~
"Bad history makes the best hiding places."
Leo gave a slow nod, surveying the hall once more.
Nod~
"You've done good, Valac,"
He said, sincere and calm.
"Very good."
He turned to her fully, eyes steady.
"Want a reward?"
Her eyes lit up with dangerous playfulness, and her lips parted into a grin as she leaned closer, too close.
"Oh, I do…"
She whispered, licking her lips slowly.
"But not now. I want to savor it."
Leo coughed, awkwardly stepping back and rubbing his neck.
Cough~
"Right… well then,"
He said, quickly steering the conversation,
"I've decided something."
Valac tilted her head in amusement.
"I want to open a Continental branch here,"
Leo said.
"France will hold our first branch in our world. Somewhere neutral… somewhere dangerous… somewhere forgotten."
He turned toward her, his tone turning businesslike, but with that same undertone of trust.
"And I want you to run it."
Valac blinked once.
"____"
The amusement dropped—
Replaced by something colder.
Focused. Honored.
A pause stretched, heavy and electric.
Then, with an elegant bow, she smiled.
"It will be done, Master. I'll make this place a haven for the damned… and a hell for those who deserve it."
Leo chuckled, walking past her, boots echoing against the stone.
Chuckle~
"I'd expect nothing less."
The wind in the cursed forest shifted as Leo suddenly paused mid-step.
"Shit,"
He muttered under his breath, glancing at his enchanted pocket watch.
The silver hands pointed sharply at 3:00 PM.
His eyes widened slightly.
"I forgot."
Valac raised a brow, one hand resting on her hip.
"Forgot what, Master?"
Leo didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he spun on his heel, the hem of his coat flaring with the motion.
"I'll be back,"
He said, flashing her a grin.
"Need to fetch someone."
Before she could say another word, he vanished with a soft crack, disappearing from the castle grounds.
A moment later,
Leo appeared in a narrow alleyway tucked between two shuttered buildings in wizarding France, the stones underfoot damp with the afternoon mist.
The alley was empty… for all of three seconds.
With a sudden shimmer of blue and silver, a Portkey activated, and from the swirl of light stepped Minister Jenkins, looking both alert and irritable—
Her robes slightly disheveled, her expression sharp.
She saw Leo instantly.
"You better have a good reason,"
She said, brushing imaginary dust off her shoulder.
"I just had to fast-track my clearance, dodge two meetings, and now I'm here. I've got a mountain of paperwork thanks to you and your miracle potion."
Leo let out a low chuckle, stepping forward.
Chuckle~
"And yet… here you are."
Without warning, he slipped an arm around her waist, and crack—they vanished once more.
They reappeared just outside the eerie castle.
The air was crisp, the skies overcast. The towering structure loomed before them like a fossil of the past—ornate stone gargoyles lined the ledges, and the massive iron gates creaked slightly in the breeze.
Jenkins looked around, her earlier irritation turning into curiosity.
"What is this place…?"
Her eyes roamed over the twisted ivy climbing up the cracked stone walls, the lingering magic in the air, and the ominous quiet of the surrounding woods.
Leo grinned.
Grin~
"Welcome to France's cursed pride. Former estate of a witch-hunting knight. Now… your future meeting ground."
Jenkins arched a brow.
"You're opening Continental here?"
"Exactly,"
Leo said, gesturing toward the massive doors.
"And I want you to be among the first to see it. After all, it's going to be very useful for our little integration plans, don't you think?"
She crossed her arms, eyeing the structure one more time.
"You're dangerous when you start thinking ahead, Morningstar."
Leo only smiled, eyes glittering.
"Then you'll love what I've got planned next."
Diagon Alley...
Diagon Alley buzzed with life as usual—
Students, shoppers, vendors, and magical creatures mingled under the soft golden afternoon light.
In the middle of the cobbled street,
Dumbledore walked calmly, accompanied by a jittery and overexcited Jonny.
"Whoa! Is that a self-inking quill? And those cauldrons! And that broom—wait, does it fly?!"
"Yes, yes, and quite magnificently,"
Dumbledore replied with a faint chuckle.
Chuckle~
"But patience, Jonny. There's one place we must visit first."
Ollivanders – Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C...
They stopped before the weathered, slightly crooked shop of Ollivanders – Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.
The windows were dusty but filled with elegant wand boxes stacked in mesmerizing, chaotic order.
A soft, golden bell rang as Dumbledore opened the door.
Inside was dimly lit, silent, and smelled of cedar, ash, and something older—
Time itself, perhaps.
A moment passed.
And then, like a ghost drifting down from the shadows, Garrick Ollivander emerged.
His pale eyes flickered between Dumbledore and Jonny, taking in the boy's wide eyes and boundless curiosity with an expression of faint amusement.
Then, his gaze locked onto Dumbledore.
"Ah… Albus."
"Still using the elderwood wand with the Thestral hair core, yes?"
"Yes, indeed,"
Dumbledore replied politely.
"Still as loyal as ever."
Ollivander's eyes narrowed slightly as they turned to Jonny.
"____"
"But… you, boy—I don't remember selling you a wand."
Jonny laughed nervously.
"Haha, well, uh, that's because I don't have one yet?"
Dumbledore nodded.
Nod~
"That's why we're here, Garrick. He'll need a wand."
Ollivander blinked, intrigued.
"He's not on any list. Not from Beauxbatons, not from Hogwarts—ah, but… this one is strange."
"He's a new kind of student,"
Dumbledore said cryptically.
"A special case."
That was all the explanation Ollivander needed.
"Then let us begin."
The measuring tape flew out of the drawer with a snap and began taking Jonny's measurements on its own—
Arm length, shoulder width, even the distance between nostrils and fingers—
While Ollivander began rummaging through boxes.
"Try this—hawthorn, 11 inches, phoenix feather."
Jonny took it—
And a shelf exploded behind him in a burst of wand boxes.
"No? Hm… perhaps vinewood, unicorn hair—no… no…"
A dozen attempts followed, each more chaotic than the last.
Papers flew, a vase shattered, and one wand sent a stream of soap bubbles from Jonny's ears.
Finally, Ollivander paused.
He looked at Jonny carefully.
Then turned and pulled a small, almost hidden box from a corner shelf.
"Curious,"
He whispered.
"Dragon heartstring. Oak. Twelve and a quarter inches. Not very common. But this… this wand chose to be made."
He handed it to Jonny.
The moment Jonny's fingers wrapped around the wand, the air in the shop changed.
A warm breeze circled him, rustling parchment and cloaks gently.
The lights flickered once.
A spark of gold shimmered from the wand's tip.
Ollivander leaned in, eyes shining.
"Oh yes… oh yes. I dare say we've found your wand."
Jonny blinked.
"I didn't explode anything this time!"
Dumbledore smiled.
"That's usually a good sign."
As they stepped outside Ollivanders.
Jonny clutched his wand like it was made of crystal, too precious to risk dropping.
His eyes still sparkled with disbelief and awe.
"Did you see that? It glowed! It liked me, Professor!"
Dumbledore simply smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
"Wands are curious things. But it seems this one found you quite agreeable."
With a swish of his cloak, Dumbledore pulled Jonny gently into a side alley.
He turned on the spot, pulling Jonny along with him,
And both of them disappeared in a soft pop of Apparition.
Morningstar Mansion...
The Woods...
The familiar scent of pine and damp earth greeted them as they reappeared beneath the towering trees behind the mansion.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves in golden shafts, dancing over patches of moss and fallen leaves.
Jonny stumbled slightly, still unused to Apparition, and muttered,
"One day I'll do that without feeling like I left my stomach behind."
Dumbledore chuckled lightly and conjured a small log bench for them both.
Chuckle~
With a flick of his wand, glowing symbols appeared in midair.
"Now then, Jonny,"
Dumbledore began, adopting the soft but firm tone he used in classrooms.
"Let's start from the beginning."
He waved his wand, and floating icons materialized—
Books, wands, potion vials, and magical creatures.
"Hogwarts teaches several key disciplines:
Charms
Transfiguration
Potions
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Herbology
Astronomy
History of Magic
Care of Magical Creatures and a few electives."
Jonny's eyes went wide.
"All of that? I thought magic was just, y'know, zapping!"
"Magic is study, intention, and control. Zapping comes later,"
Dumbledore said with a wink.
Wink~
"As for jobs—curse breakers, Aurors, magical researchers, beast tamers, even interdimensional consultants like our friend Leo. The world is much larger than it seems."
Jonny was almost vibrating with excitement.
"So, where do we start, Professor?"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.
"With the most famous charm of all: Wingardium Leviosa."
He conjured a feather mid-air and handed Jonny his wand.
"It's pronounced 'Wingardium Levi-o-sa,' not 'Levio-saahh,' mind you."
Jonny nodded and raised his wand.
Nod~
"Win-guardian Lem-vi–what?"
"Let's go slowly. Wingardium Leviosa."
Jonny took a deep breath, focused hard on the feather, and repeated,
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
Nothing happened.
"____"
Jonny frowned.
Frown~
"Maybe I need to shake the wand like this—"
BOOM!
The feather caught fire and exploded in a puff of white fluff.
Dumbledore sighed with the calm patience of someone who had once taught Hagrid to tie his own tie.
"Let's try again. Magic, Jonny, is not just shouting words—it's will, focus… and sometimes, a bit of finesse."
Jonny nodded, determined.
Nod~
He was ready to try again.
France...
Deep Within the Forest...
The Abandoned Castle...
The sky was dimming over the shadowed French woods, golden sunlight filtering weakly through twisted branches.
A slow wind carried the scent of moss and dust as Jenkins stepped through the arching entryway of the old castle, her sharp boots echoing in the empty stone halls.
Cracks spread like veins across the high, vaulted ceiling, and ancient, rotting tapestries hung in tatters along the walls.
She stopped in the center of the ruined great hall and turned to Leo,
Blinking once, twice—
Then stared at him like he had suddenly sprouted a second head.
"You brought me to a witch hunter's castle?"
She said, tone halfway between disbelief and a slow-forming migraine.
Leo, unfazed, grinned slightly and gestured grandly to the space around them.
Grin~
"A cursed castle no one dares step near, sitting on unclaimed land, steeped in historical dread. No one wants it, no one dares want it. In other words—perfect."
Jenkins massaged her temple, muttering something unprintable under her breath before letting out a long sigh.
Sigh~
"You know, most people would just buy property in wizarding Paris or something. Not set up shop in a death trap."
"That's why I'm not like most people,"
Leo replied, smirking.
Smirk~
Valac, standing beside him with arms folded, chimed in dryly,
"Technically, the curse is broken. Mostly."
That mostly wasn't very comforting.
Jenkins exhaled again, eyes sweeping the grand old hall with a mixture of suspicion and reluctant awe.
"Alright, Morningstar. Explain to me exactly how you intend to turn this graveyard of a castle into your latest Continental hotel. I assume this isn't just for lodging?"
Leo's smile sharpened.
"Exactly. This is more than a hotel—it's a guild hub. A nexus. A place where yokai, magical creatures, and witches from different cultures can register as mercenaries, bounty hunters, curse breakers, or magical consultants."
He walked forward, running a hand over the dusty stone table.
"The Continental here will function as:
A secure sanctuary for all 'monstrous' races and magical outsiders.
A guild registry system—contracts, missions, magical bounties.
A neutral ground for negotiations between groups normally at odds.
And most importantly… It's going to change how Europe sees magical integration."
Jenkins tilted her head, intrigued now despite herself.
"Ambitious. Dangerous. But very Leo."
"Thank you,"
He replied with mock humility.
Then Jenkins narrowed her eyes.
"And you want Gringotts to back this?"
Leo nodded.
Nod~
"They control the vaults, the international ledgers, and more importantly, they respect me. I plan to offer them a binding partnership—complete with trade rights and exclusive vault-level protections for all guild missions and magical items stored here."
Jenkins crossed her arms, weighing it.
"And how do you plan to convince the goblins?"
"Simple..."
Valac chuckled, and even Jenkins cracked a grin.
Chuckle~
"Alright, Morningstar,"
She said.
"You've got a damned haunted castle, a mad plan, and goblins to sweet-talk. But if you can pull this off... I'll support it. Officially. Quietly. No Ministry stamp—yet."
Leo gave a formal bow, eyes gleaming with the fire of yet another grand move on his personal chessboard.
"Good. Then let's build something the world has never seen."
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)I hope you guys are enjoying the story.
Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give a review and power stone!!! It will Motivate Me.