It had been nearly a month since Christmas.Hogwarts had returned to its usual rhythm — cold mornings filled with steaming porridge, classes echoing with spells and laughter, and the gentle hum of castle life carrying through the corridors.
Roy Valvas, for all his hidden power, blended seamlessly among the students.
He attended classes with practiced diligence — sitting beside Hermione, occasionally whispering corrections or offering alternate theories that left even professors pausing thoughtfully.He sparred in Defence Against the Dark Arts with Cho and Cassandra Vole, discussed runic alchemy with Penelope Clearwater, and shared teasing banter with Daphne and Astoria Greengrass in the library.
Even Ginny joined their group more often now, no longer the shy girl from before but a fiery, confident presence — especially when Roy challenged her in small, friendly duels.
When he wasn't in class, Roy often slipped away to the Forbidden Forest with Rolf Scamander, charting the habits of rare magical beasts. Sometimes they caught glimpses of ethereal creatures — a Mooncalf herd, or once, the fleeting shimmer of a Thestral pair gliding through fog.
And every evening, when the castle quieted and the fire in the Hufflepuff common room dimmed, Roy would review reports from the outside world — quietly delivered through enchanted letters.
The Letter from Narcissa
Tonight, as snow fell outside the tall windows, an owl tapped softly at his dorm window — elegant, silver-plumed, bearing the crest of the House of Black.
Roy untied the ribbon and opened the envelope. The parchment smelled faintly of lavender and smoke.
"To my Lord,
The war between the Flint and Rosetti families has ended.
The Flints are broken — Lord Flint is dead, Marcus Flint has lost his leg, and the family's holdings have fallen by three-quarters. Their name carries no political weight anymore.
The Rosetti family… is gone. Every blood heir perished in the fighting. Their remaining estates and trade licenses were auctioned and snapped up by the Malfoys, Notts, and Parkinsons.
But their 'victory' is hollow. Each of those houses lost thirty-five percent of their fortune and credibility. They retain their Wizengamot seats — yet no one listens to them now.
Their power is gone. Their shame remains.
— Narcissa"*
Roy's fingers rested on the parchment for a moment.The fire crackled quietly beside him, throwing warm gold across his thoughtful expression.
Reflections by the Fire
He leaned back in his chair, eyes half-closed.
All the pieces had fallen as he predicted — no house had truly won.The Flint and Rosetti lines were effectively erased; the Malfoys and their allies crippled by scandal.Only the neutral markets — his markets — had flourished, absorbing fragments of their wealth through black-market transitions disguised as public auctions.
The Liyue Store had quietly taken over the Rosetti potion trade.Valvas Group's subsidiary in Eastern Europe now controlled dragon-related exports from the Romania farm.Even the Berserker Potion network, once chaotic, was now fully under his hidden control — profits tripling through underground channels.
And yet, as he stared into the flames, Roy's expression wasn't smug.It was calm — analytical.
"So this is what a clean victory looks like," he murmured to himself. "Nothing left standing but ashes."
He folded the letter neatly and burned it between his fingers — the parchment turning to harmless blue sparks.
The Quiet Hours of a King in Disguise
Later that night, he walked down to the Black Lake, the surface frozen and silver under the moonlight. The reflection of Hogwarts shimmered faintly upon the ice.
He stood there for a while — the same place he often came to think, to plan, to remember the weight of every move he made in this world that now revolved unknowingly around him.
Behind him, a familiar voice broke the silence.
"You're out late again," Hermione said softly, wrapped in a thick scarf.
Roy turned, smiling slightly.
"Couldn't sleep. Thought I'd enjoy the quiet."
She joined him, standing shoulder to shoulder, their breaths fogging the air.
"You always look like you're thinking about something far away," she said after a pause.
"Maybe I am," Roy replied with a faint smile. "But right now… I'm here."
Hermione smiled back — shy, genuine, unknowing of the empire that moved behind his calm eyes.
And for that night, Roy let the world's noise fade away.He was, for a fleeting moment, simply a student — surrounded by friends, laughter, and the silent comfort of the moonlit castle.