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On Christmas Eve, Augustus and Malfoy took the scarlet train back home. At Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, Aurora and Clovis were waiting patiently.
The moment Augustus stepped out of the station, Clovis quickly went up to give him a warm hug.
"This must be the Malfoys' only son," Aurora said with interest, eyeing Draco's platinum blonde hair and cool gray-blue eyes as he stood beside Augustus.
"Yes, Aunt, Uncle. It's an honor to meet you both. I'm Draco Malfoy, Augustus's most loyal friend," Draco replied, his usual long-winded aristocratic drawl replaced with a refined and polite tone.
Just then, another man with platinum hair approached. He had cold, pale gray eyes and a sharp, pointed face. He walked straight over to Malfoy.
"Well, what a coincidence, Clovis. It's been a long time," the man said with a smile as he greeted Clovis.
"Yes, Lucius, it's been many years," Clovis responded with a textbook noble smile.
"I suppose this must be the heir of the Julius family. Quite the remarkable young man. I read in Malfoy's letter about his stunning performance in this year's Prefect selection.
The Julius family is lucky to have such a gifted heir," Lucius said, clearly a little envious as he looked at the calm and poised Augustus.
"Of course. Augustus has always been the pride of our family," Clovis said, with no hint of modesty.
"Well then, it's getting late. Draco and I should be heading back. See you at the gala, Clovis," Lucius said after chatting a bit longer, then left with Draco.
They boarded a grand carriage waiting outside the station and flew home under the dazzling afternoon sun.
When Augustus got back to his room at the estate, he was surprised to find all the gifts from his Hogwarts classmates already laid out on his bed. He sorted them into piles and began checking them out one by one.
Harry had given him a set of wizard's chess. As soon as he set up the pieces, they started shouting and demanding to duel him.
Malfoy's gift was a long gun that could shoot out massive flames from its barrel. Augustus wasn't careful the first time he tried it and nearly burned a hole in the ceiling.Hermione gave him a book titled Goblin Rights and Protection, all about goblins.
Ron had sent a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans—but these ones screamed to be put in a bowl before eating.Lilian's present was a golden, heart-shaped pendant.
When opened, it played a beautiful melody—sounded like a mermaid's song.
There were all sorts of other gifts too, and Augustus was still sorting through them when Aurora walked into the room.
"Wow, that's a lot of presents. Looks like you've made a lot of friends at Hogwarts. But listen, kiddo, you should get ready. Tonight is Fudge's annual gala. Pretty much all the noble families will be there, and we need to leave soon."
Augustus nodded, and Aurora left the room. Honestly, he'd already gotten used to high-society events like this in the other world. Back then, he was a legendary mage and the empire's spiritual pillar.
Even at big events, people rarely dared to approach him. So in his mind, these gatherings were more peaceful than anything else.
As night fell, Augustus dressed in a white robe and headed to the banquet with Clovis and Aurora, both dressed in luxurious formalwear. At the entrance to the estate, a stocky man with curly gray hair stood waiting. He wore a pinstripe suit, a bright red tie, a long black cloak, and pointed purple boots.
"My dear friend, you've finally arrived!" the man said, taking several big steps forward to give Clovis a hug.
Clovis smiled politely at the very enthusiastic Fudge. "We're late. Thank you for waiting for us."
"Oh, don't be so formal! Come in, the banquet's about to begin," Fudge said, waving them inside.
The estate was centered around the grand palace-like Blam Palace, surrounded by gardens, meadows, and lakes.
Geese strolled lazily on the grassy slopes by the water. The white Victory Monument shone brilliantly in the moonlight, and from afar, the sheep grazing on the hills looked like cotton balls scattered across the grass.
Inside the grand hall, the ceiling soared over ten meters high. It was covered in vivid, masterfully painted murals of the great wizard wars.
A massive crystal chandelier sparkled from above, and gold-plated decorations and dark wood furniture filled the room with opulence.
On the grand fireplace sat various pieces of Chinese porcelain and antiques.
The room was packed with people. Wizards milled around, glasses in hand, chatting and laughing. As soon as Clovis and Fudge walked in, a crowd swarmed them. With their practiced smiles, Clovis and Aurora started mingling. Augustus, not interested in the socializing, slipped away to the other side of the room.
He was admiring a moving mural of a wizard battle when a soft, melodic voice spoke beside his ear.
"Didn't expect to see you at a party like this," the voice said.
He turned around to see Lilian walking toward him. Her long light-blue hair flowed over her shoulders, and she had the striking features of a Western beauty—wine-red eyes, an elegant nose, and a slightly tall frame.
"I thought this kind of party wasn't really your thing," Lilian added when Augustus didn't reply.
"I'm just here to check out what parties are like in this world," Augustus replied calmly, with a hint of amusement in his voice.
"This world? You mean the wizarding world? What, have you been to Muggle parties before?" Lilian asked, confused.
Just then, a cocky voice cut through the room.
"I heard the heir of the Julius family is here tonight. They're supposed to be the top bloodline in our world. I wonder how strong this heir really is. I bet he wouldn't last more than a few seconds against me."
Augustus turned toward the voice and saw a boy with light brown hair and a hooked nose walking over with a group of kids around his age.
"So you're Augustus Julius? You don't look like much. I'll bet you ten seconds. That's all I need to show you just how magical magic can really be," the boy sneered. His amber eyes glinted with danger, and his smirk was matched by the mocking laughter of his entourage.
Augustus noticed the boy had a slight limp—one leg didn't seem to work properly, and he swayed slightly as he walked.
"That's Loki Adams, the only son of the Adams family," Lilian whispered, clearly worried. "He's starting school next year, a real prodigy.
He had a major magical outburst at just three years old. By seven, his magic reserves were already a quarter of an adult's.
When he was ten, he ventured alone into the Drow Forest in England and took down a full-grown centaur by himself. The only issue is his right leg—he has a congenital bone disorder, so he walks with a limp."
"Lilian, you're here too? Perfect. You can be the witness when I crush this so-called once-in-a-century genius heir of the Julius family. I've always enjoyed snuffing out geniuses," Loki said slowly, eyes narrowing, voice low and cold.
Meanwhile, the gala was still in full swing. The music had picked up, nobles had started dancing, and the whole room buzzed with energy.
No one noticed that in one quiet corner of the hall, a storm—neither small nor large—was beginning to brew.
"....."