June 1988

Aaric had been diligently sticking to his exercise routine, and the results were showing—he was noticeably leaner now, and the baby fat on his face was beginning to fade. His features were sharpening, and there was a quiet pride in the way he carried himself.

Something unusual had occurred last month. Aaric had accidentally performed a bit of magic—he pulled an object toward himself without a wand. What made it different wasn’t just the act itself; it was Aaric’s extraordinary awareness during the event. Unlike most magical children who would forget such an experience or barely notice it, Aaric remembered it clearly. He recalled the distinct sensation of the magic as it flowed through him—he felt it, understood it, and even analyzed it. His maturity far surpassed that of other children his age.

Inspired by that moment, Aaric had added a new routine to his day. Every night before sleep, he practiced pushing and pulling objects, trying to recapture that feeling. Over the past month, he had made remarkable progress. He proudly demonstrated his ability to his parents, who were more than a little surprised. His mother had smothered him with kisses that evening, and his father had been so proud he walked with his chin held high all day—so high, in fact, that he stepped in dog poop because he wasn’t watching where he was going.

Aaric’s parents took his efforts seriously. They knew he wasn’t an ordinary child, and they were proud of his discipline and talent. Intrigued by their son’s progress, they too began experimenting with wandless magic. Simon, who already had considerable experience in that area, found it easier to adapt and even began coaching Edwina and Aaric through more advanced techniques.

Meanwhile, Harry Potter’s life had taken an unexpected turn. Though still marked by fate, he was no longer abused. The Dursleys, driven more by fear than affection, had begun feeding him properly and even bought him some basic clothes. To everyone’s surprise—including Harry’s—he spent a weekend at the Hawthorne estate. It had been the best weekend of his young life. Edwina had treated him with warmth and kindness, and for the first time, Harry had experienced what it felt like to be safe and wanted.

“Let’s go, son!” Simon called as Aaric emerged dressed in black pants and shirt, with well-worn boots and a brown robe layered on top.

Edwina and Simon were also dressed in elegant robes, and together the family looked both refined and formidable. It was July 5th—Draco Malfoy’s birthday. The Malfoys had invited them to the celebration in thanks to Edwina, who had once saved Narcissa from a rare magical plant-borne illness. Though the Malfoys were bigots, they weren’t fools. They recognized that Edwina was one of the finest healers in the wizarding world, and Simon Hawthorne, head of an ancient and powerful family, commanded immense influence. Many owed the Hawthornes their lives—or their positions. Their affairs were draped in secrecy, but none dared cross them.

At the fireplace, Edwina gently reminded Aaric how to use the Floo Network, though he had done so before. With a flash of green flame, the family vanished.

Malfoy Manor

Three figures appeared in the grand entry hall of Malfoy Manor, stepping gracefully from the emerald flame. Heads turned immediately. Lucius and Narcissa approached with dignified poise.

“Thank you for coming, Lord and Lady Hawthorne,” Lucius greeted smoothly.

Simon smiled in return. “Thank you for the invitation. You have a magnificent home. And happy birthday to you, Draco,” he added as the young Malfoy approached, receiving the well-wishes with a polite nod.

Although the Hawthornes were known to support Muggle rights, they were regarded as neutral by the pureblood elite. No one dared label them blood traitors—doing so would be political suicide. Simon commanded an extensive trade network spanning France, India, and the United States. Angering him would mean cutting off access to rare magical commodities and invaluable contacts.

After the women exchanged greetings, Narcissa turned to Aaric and pinched his cheek lightly. “What a handsome young man. Take care of my little Draco, won’t you?”

Draco, clearly embarrassed, just shook Aaric’s hand. The two boys wandered off together toward the other children, and to Aaric’s surprise, Draco wasn’t unbearable. At eight, he hadn’t yet fully absorbed the supremacist ideals he would one day spout. For now, they had a relatively amicable time and even enjoyed parts of the party.

Lucius watched them with cool satisfaction. He knew his son was arrogant, much like himself, but had instructed Draco not to treat Aaric as a subordinate. So far, it seemed Draco had listened.

In another room, the adults gathered—men and women mingling separately with drinks in hand.

“You have a fine child, Lord Hawthorne,” Lucius said smoothly. “And he seems to be getting along well with Draco.”

Simon inclined his head modestly. “He has always been a sensible boy.”

Ignatius Greengrass, patriarch of the Greengrass family and a long-time friend of Simon’s, joined the conversation. “Indeed. Aaric is a polite boy and gets along well with my daughters too. And I would like to thank Lady Hawthorne again for the help in previous matters.”

Simon waved his hand modestly and simply accepted the thanks. The women of the Greengrass and Hawthorne families—both known for their healing expertise—shared a close bond. Edwina had once helped Selene when she fell ill, and since then they had become good friends. Serene often visited to speak with Estoria and discuss healing-related topics.

Serene Greengrass, the mother of Astoria Greengrass and a healer, had dedicated her life to finding a cure for the Greengrass blood disease. To that end, she had once experimented on herself, resulting in her being afflicted with a different curse. Edwina had helped Serene at that time. Although Serene had been unconscious during the treatment and did not see the method Edwina used, she now held deep respect for her and often sought her guidance when facing problems in her own research.

The Hawthorne family actually enjoyed the party, as there was no bigotry in their presence and only amiable conversation. Aaric and Draco had been talking and playing as well. Aaric had become more social after meeting Harry, and he spoke to Draco about many topics, even slightly influencing his views on Muggles during their conversations.

Draco liked Aaric too—he was the heir of a family on par with the Malfoys, engaging to talk to, and confident. He didn’t argue with Aaric about pureblood ideals, as he found Aaric to be cool—especially after Aaric showed him a bit of his push and pull magic, which left Draco with stars in his eyes.

A/n : stones and feedback please. I wrote a bigger chapter today give me you’r thoughts on it as Aaric will be helping the golden trio a little bit but will not be a part of them and i am planting seeds for his future friends.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep