💎WEEKLY POWER GOALS 💎
🔥 30→2ch | 60→5ch | 100→8ch | 200→15ch | 400→25ch
⏰ Resets Monday!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
Hofa should've been able to live lazy and comfortable at Hogwarts. Sleep, classes, meals, games with friends.
But he couldn't. Maybe other students could. Not him.
He was different. Europe was about connections. Bloodlines. Families. Especially Britain.
Other students could relax. If trouble came, families backed them up. Every Hogwarts student had relatives. Muggle-born or wizard-born. Even Tom Riddle from his orphanage had relatives. Whether he liked them or not.
Hofa only had himself.
Facing an uncertain future, he couldn't rely on anyone.
War's countdown: about ten months.
That tension pressed constantly. Like Damocles' sword overhead.
Made him feel unsafe. Even with basic spells and a Transfiguration manual, he wasn't optimistic.
Hofa often asked himself: Could his body block bullets? Could he cross a battlefield unharmed?
If no, he had to keep working.
Keep getting stronger.
Learn everything useful.
So when weekend came, dawn barely breaking, while roommates slept, Hofa left with his thick book.
Borrowing it didn't mean he could become an Animagus. Too many intricacies. But compared to no guidance, huge progress.
Now he had time. He'd properly study the mysterious Transfiguration in this book.
After quick breakfast, Hofa saw Professor Merrythought at the clock tower base. Checking attendance for Hogsmeade.
Hogsmeade—pure wizarding village near Hogwarts. Headquarters of the 1612 Goblin Rebellion. School rules: only third-years and above on specific Saturdays. With guardian permission.
Third-years stood on the lawn in casual clothes. Every face beaming.
Hofa dismissed their behavior. Living in a treasure mountain without appreciating it. Hogwarts was one of Europe's top magical sanctuaries.
Why not spend that time learning spells?
Wizards. Actual wizards. If they didn't study magic, what kind of wizards were they? In Hofa's view, a wizard—good or evil—needed powerful solitary spirit. Endure loneliness. Resist temptation. Devote energy to exploring universal truth and philosophy.
Of course, he didn't need the library now. What he wanted was in his arms.
He stretched. Hugging the book, jogged toward the Black Lake.
Calm lake reflected rolling hills and the mysterious castle. Waves sparkled silver. White clouds in the water like snow lotuses. Stone drainage channels from King Arthur's era visible in the distance.
Finding a hidden spot with decent light, Hofa opened his book with excitement.
After flipping through, his smile faded. Face turned calm and serious. Too optimistic.
This was a comprehensive Transfiguration guide. Animagus transformation analyzed clearly. Every step. Every magic flow. But the clearer it was, the more Hofa felt its profound depth.
Becoming an Animagus wasn't simple. Extremely difficult Transfiguration magic. Over a dozen steps. Hundreds of magic conversions. Completed quickly. Even gifted people needed at least a year of hard practice.
At least a year... School exploration still couldn't be completed.
Hofa looked up. Brow furrowed.
He wasn't that interested in Hogwarts' secrets. He wasn't Voldemort. No collecting obsession or grand ambitions.
But with WWII approaching, facing a treacherous future, Hofa felt time was tight. He only had one Knowledge of the Great God. And those spell fragments—only two-thirds. Best to collect them all quickly.
Otherwise facing war, he'd have no trump cards.
Do I have to find the Disillusionment Charm? Hofa felt irritated.
Animagus needed time. Disillusionment Charm nowhere to be found. School exploration couldn't proceed. Troublesome.
"Headache." Hofa muttered.
He ran through meditation. Calmed his restless emotions. Studied honestly. Doing something beat doing nothing.
By the lake, Hofa immersed himself in study. Occasionally pulled out parchment and quill, taking notes. Sometimes tested wand movements and magic flow...
Understanding Animagus transformation was hard. But learning made him happy.
Sun rose. Morning light faded. Clouds changed shape.
A morning passed in studies. Noon, Hofa got hungry. But afraid of wasting time, didn't return to school. Picked berries by the lake. Ate while watching the castle's reflection, relaxing his eyes. He'd continue this afternoon.
But then, suddenly, a shout.
"Hofa!"
Hofa jolted. Straightened up. Looked around.
Nothing. Just branches swaying. He checked the lake. Only waves hitting pebbles.
"Hell. Hallucinating?"
Hofa muttered and turned a page.
But just as he continued reading, the shout came again. "Hey, Hofa. You deaf?"
Hofa stood abruptly. Closed the book. Drew his wand. Surveyed surroundings warily.
"Who's there? Who's talking?"
"Silly boy. Stop looking. It's me!"
Only then did Hofa realize. The voice was right beside him. Like a whisper.
He touched his ear. Felt his silver earring.
He recognized the voice.
Hofa was shocked. "You. Indor!?"
Who else? Indor said lazily. "What, made so many friends you forgot your partner's voice?"
Whew! Putting away his wand, Hofa felt happy and annoyed. This con artist goblin installed a Bluetooth earpiece. No wonder he didn't leave contact info. Come to think of it, Indor was probably his first friend in this world.
Indor's curious voice came through:
"If I remember right, you're off today. How's Hogwarts?"
"Ha~" Hofa tossed a berry in his mouth. "Why so concerned? Did your scam get exposed?"
"Not really." Indor sighed. "But I need your help with something urgent. Very urgent. Can you meet me?"
"Meet?" Hofa froze. Looked around.
"How? I'm at Hogwarts."
Indor asked, "Know Hogsmeade? I'm at the Three Broomsticks. Can you come before dark?"
Hofa was shocked. "Are you crazy? How do I get out? I'm first year. Going to Hogsmeade—if the school finds out, I'd be expelled."
"Oh." The goblin laughed. "Rules are meant to be broken. Every Hogwarts graduate I know broke at least ten expulsion-worthy rules. They all graduated fine. There are lots of secret passages..."
"Come on!" Hofa interrupted. "I'm eleven. Same height as you. I'd be spotted the moment I left. What meeting?"
Indor sounded surprised. "Huh. Nearly a month at Hogwarts and you don't know concealment spells? Like Disillusionment Charms, Blurring Charms, Disguise Charms..."
Not mentioning it was fine. Mentioning it made Hofa's frustration spike. "Hey. Can you? If you can, teach me. Teach me and I'll go wherever."
"Teach you?" Indor said, surprised. "Goblin magic—human wizards can't learn it. You have your own system."
"Then shut up." Hofa said irritably. "Can you or not? If not, I'm hanging up."
"Hey hey hey." The goblin quickly said, "Don't rush. I can't teach you, but someone at your school can."
The turn made Hofa freeze. Then excitedly, "Who?"
"Well, I don't know exactly. But my previous partner told me he joined a club at school.
A Charms club. When you first join, the president rewards members with any spell. As long as you pass the test."
Hofa's eyes widened.
"There's a club like that?"
"Of course. Hogwarts has lots of clubs."
"Where?" Hofa asked impatiently.
"Not sure. I'm not from your school." The goblin said irritably. "But I gave you an earring. My last partner wore one too. His name was Nimon. Go to your school's club registry. You should find something."
Hofa closed the book. Stood up. Headed straight back toward school.
Indor was still rambling: "If you learn some invisibility or concealment spell, remember to find me in Hogsmeade. I'll be at the Three Broomsticks..."
Hofa wasn't listening. His mind was full of the Disillusionment Charm.
No doubt, Animagus training needed time. But spells were different. Could be learned fast. If he learned the Disillusionment Charm, many school rules blocking him would instantly break.
Indor said a few more things about urgency... must come... but Hofa didn't reply.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
🔥 Want to read the next 15chapters RIGHT NOW?
💎 Patreon members get instant access!
⚡ Limited-time offer currently running...
👉 [Join on Patreon - patreon.com/DarkGolds]