Aurelian Gaunt walked through the long corridors of Hogwarts, lost in an unusual state of contemplation.
For the first time in a very long time, he was walking in complete solitude. That morning, he had gently asked Hestia and Flora to let him take a walk alone so he could gather his thoughts. The twins, though reluctantly and with pouts that betrayed how much they hated to be apart from him, had agreed to let him go, understanding that their beloved needed space to gather his thoughts after the revealing conversation they'd had the previous week in the Room of Requirement.
As he watched the students hurry past on their way to class, laughing and chatting without paying him much attention, Aurelian took a deep breath. The castle's fresh air filled his lungs, and for a moment, he allowed himself to fully enjoy the peace that this rare solitude offered him.
His routine had been so frenetic and calculated over the past few years that now everything felt strangely… different. He found himself at an existential crossroads, desperately searching for the answer to the question Flora had planted in his mind: What did he want to achieve in the future?
He stepped out into the gardens and walked until he found a solitary bench very close to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He sat down in silence. In the distance, he could see Hagrid teaching his Care of Magical Creatures class to a boisterous group of third-year students, showing them what appeared to be Nifflers.
Aurelian rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together. His mind wandered to the women who held his heart.
Thinking of Hestia and Flora, a warmth settled in the center of his chest. He caught himself smiling foolishly. He loved them. He loved them with every fiber of his being. He was so immensely happy to have them in his life; they were his anchor, his refuge, the only people in the whole world in front of whom he could stop wearing a mask and simply be himself.
He closed his eyes and his mind filled with visions of their future together. He imagined the Gaunt mansion full of life, with Hestia's beautiful laughter and Flora's arrogant smile lighting up the hallways every day. He imagined their future children. The mere thought made his heart skip a beat. He would be the happiest man alive when they finally had their children. Unlike the cold, distant childhoods typical of pure-blood families, or the neglect that marked his own father, Aurelian swore to himself that he would be different. He would give them his unconditional love. He would patiently teach them magic, hug them, play with them, and make sure that every night they went to sleep knowing their father would give his life for them. Always, no matter what, he would care for them and never let them endure the hunger or fear he had to endure in his early years in this world.
But it was precisely that thought that shattered his warm fantasy. Aurelian clenched his hands tightly as he thought of the precarious state of the wizarding world.
If he was completely honest with himself and set morality aside, Aurelian could come to sympathize greatly with the worldview that Gellert Grindelwald defended. Human history was cruel and always repeated itself; since the dawn of humanity, it had demonstrated ad nauseam a fundamental rule: humans were inherently selfish creatures. If there was something humans could not understand or control, they invariably sought to extinguish it. And no emotion drove the masses to commit atrocities more than fear.
Aurelian clicked his tongue. When Muggles realized there were people capable of bending wills, erasing memories, and controlling world leaders with a few simple words or a flick of the wrist, the panic would be absolute.
He sighed, leaning back against the cold backrest of the bench. It was best not to think too much about the massacres that would ensue. Perhaps, and only perhaps, Grindelwald might have emerged victorious the first time in the 1940s if absolutely every wizard and witch had united under a single banner with flawless planning. But now, attempting to subjugate the Muggle world by force was an almost impossible fantasy—it would be suicide.
He, thanks to his knowledge, knew that time was against him. In a few decades, the magical community would no longer be able to maintain the Statute of Secrecy under any circumstances. The imminent arrival of the internet, cameras everywhere, and the global hyper-interconnection of the Muggle world would make hiding magic an impossible task. They would be discovered. It was only a matter of time.
And when that happened, they would come for them.
The thought of frightened, heavily armed Muggles marching on his home turned his stomach. He was terrified to think of the dangers that such a future would pose to his family. He couldn't bear the idea that Hestia or Flora would have to live looking over their shoulders, or worse yet, that his children would be hunted or hurt by people who feared them simply for being who they were.
"I won't let that happen," Aurelian whispered in the solitude of the gardens, his voice firm. "I'll protect them all. Hestia, Flora, my children… no matter the cost."
But how? How could he protect them if the entire Earth became a battlefield where wizards were outnumbered a hundred thousand to one?
He looked up at the blue sky, which was completely clear that day. Squinting a little more against the glare of the sun, he managed to spot a small, bright point suspended in the firmament—it was Venus.
That tiny glimmer brought a memory back to his mind. He recalled a fascinating conversation he'd had some time ago with the portrait of Salazar Slytherin, where they'd discussed something very similar to what now worried him about the future of the wizarding world.
Suddenly, Aurelian's eyes widened. The anguish on his face vanished, and he smiled. His heart was beating so hard it almost hurt his chest.
There it was. That was the answer to Flora's question. That was the spark he needed to break through the barrier and finally reach the level of Archmage.
He wouldn't try to conquer Earth or subjugate the Muggles. That was foolish—it was fighting a losing battle and putting his family at senseless risk. If Earth was no longer a safe place for his people… then he would build a new world.
He would make Mars a planet exclusively for wizards, witches, and all the magical creatures of the world. A sanctuary beyond humanity's reach. A new Eden where his family could live without hiding.
Aurelian Gaunt wanted history to remember him for eternity. And what better, grander, and more unparalleled way to be known than as the wizard who managed to terraform an entire planet and claim the stars for the survival and supremacy of the magical race.
Feeling the adrenaline, his love for his family, and that new purpose flood his mind, revitalizing every cell in his body, Aurelian rose from the bench. He adjusted his robe and, with a firm stride and his head held high, reentered the castle. The universe was not prepared for the idea that had just been born in his mind.
The creak of the door barely broke the silence that reigned in the room.
Hestia and Flora were lying face down on the enormous bed, surrounded by a single parchment, inkwells, and quills floating above them. They were putting the finishing touches on a lengthy and tedious report on curses that Professor Snape had demanded for the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Upon hearing him enter, both girls lifted their heads in unison, happy to see him, but froze when they saw his face.
Aurelian entered with a radiant smile. His eyes shone intensely, as if he had just discovered the greatest secret in the universe.
Before the twins could ask a single question, Aurelian quickly closed the distance and threw himself directly onto the bed on top of them.
He enveloped them in a fierce, protective embrace, taking them by surprise. Hestia let out a little squeal and Flora dropped her quill; Aurelian began showering them both with passionate, sweet kisses all over their faces. He kissed their cheeks, their foreheads, their noses, repeating the gesture over and over with great effusiveness and affection; these gestures completely disarmed any hint of protest in the sisters.
Hestia and Flora could only laugh at the situation they found themselves in, letting themselves go completely and enjoying their fiancé's sudden, warm, and charming attitude. They clung to his neck, returning his hugs and kisses with the same affection and passion, letting Aurelian envelop them.
When Aurelian finally stopped, due to the laughter and the intensity of the moment, he leaned on his elbows, hovering just above them. He looked deeply into their eyes.
"I've made up my mind, my treasures," he told them with conviction. "I've finally understood. I have a new purpose for this life."
Hestia's smile widened, and she traced her fingers along his jawline; her cheeks were slightly flushed from the kisses.
"And might I ask what great purpose has put you in such a good mood, my love?" Hestia asked curiously.
Aurelian gave them the most tender and devoted smile he was capable of. He took one of Hestia's hands and one of Flora's in his own, gently intertwining their fingers, and placed a tender kiss on the back of each one.
"You two," Aurelian replied, looking at them as if nothing else in the world existed but the two of them. "Our family. "That is my one and only true purpose."
The impact of his words was immediate. Hestia and Flora, who to the rest of the world were sadistic, ruthless, and highly territorial witches, suddenly turned as red as tomatoes. An intense blush stained their cheeks, spreading to their necks and ears. Their hearts were racing. They were so overwhelmed by that declaration so full of love that their minds went blank, and they could only stammer, unable to form a coherent sentence.
Aurelian let out a small laugh at seeing them act so shy. With a gentle movement, he pulled them toward him, hugging them tightly against his chest. Hestia and Flora hid their flushed faces in his neck, listening to the rapid beating of his heart.
"Later, I'll explain every detail of what I have in mind," Aurelian whispered in their ears, caressing their backs as he inhaled the scent of their hair. "But I want you to know this right now. Everything I do from this point on, every Arcane Pattern I draw, every alliance I forge, and every enemy I destroy... will be solely, purely, and exclusively for our family. To secure our future. So that no one, ever, can touch us."
Hestia and Flora nodded shyly against his chest, clinging to him tightly.
They didn't care what madness, what plan, or what declaration of war their beloved Aurelian had in mind. They didn't need to know the details at that moment. They would support him blindly without question, until their last breath, without hesitating for even a fraction of a second. Because, just as he had said, they were a family. His family.
And if there was one thing the Carrow sisters were certain of, it was that the entire world could burn to ashes; they themselves would be capable of sacrificing all of humanity without the slightest remorse, just to ensure that their beautiful, perfect family with Aurelian would be eternally happy.
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