Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Perks, Plans, and Preparations

In the days following his unexpected selection as Hogwarts champion, Arthur discovered that the position came with several advantages. Professors had become noticeably more lenient. Flitwick no longer required him to submit weekly Charms essays, McGonagall waived his Transfiguration assignments as long as he could perform the spells in class, and even Snape merely raised an eyebrow when Arthur arrived late to Potions.

Most importantly, his curfew had been extended. Dumbledore had given him written permission to be in the castle’s common areas until midnight—not that Arthur had ever strictly followed curfew, but official approval eliminated unnecessary sneaking around and he could now walk openly at night.

Despite these privileges, Arthur’s social standing in the school remained unchanged. The Slytherins still kept their distance. The other houses continued to avoid him entirely. Becoming the Hogwarts champion hadn’t changed anything. His display of strength against the twenty bullies on the morning of the champion selection and his behavior afterward only created more fear and awe, which did nothing to improve his social situation. This suited Arthur perfectly—fewer social distractions meant more time for his research.

The three books he’d obtained through his negotiation proved invaluable. While Karkaroff’s volume on curses didn’t provide him with much new information, Dumbledore’s Principia Alchemica and Madame Maxime’s L’Art de l’Enchantement were true treasures.

Arthur established two main research projects based on these texts. With the enchantment volume, he began studying methods to reshape magical objects. His goal was to modify Ravenclaw’s diadem, the valuable resource which had helped speed up his studies over the past six years, into something less noticeable.

The diadem significantly enhanced his mental abilities when worn, making his thoughts clearer and his magical understanding deeper, but it had a problem. Its form—a tiara—made it impractical to wear openly around others.

Arthur wanted to transfer its properties to a ring or pendant that wouldn’t draw attention, allowing him to benefit from its power constantly rather than only in private. The clear thoughts and understanding would give him major advantages when dueling too.

His second project involved Flamel’s alchemy text. Since this world was a crossover between the Harry Potter and Marvel universes, vibranium and adamantium, two powerful and incredibly valuable materials, actually existed. If he could master the alchemical principles needed to analyze and eventually replicate these substances, it would provide enormous advantages for his future.

While these magical pursuits occupied much of his waking thoughts, Arthur had another very important side project. Something crucial for his future plans.

A major event in the Marvel universe was going to happen in a few months, and Arthur wanted to make sure he was there to witness it. The event: the arrival of Carol Danvers, the future Captain Marvel, on Earth. According to his memories, Captain Marvel would crash-land at a Blockbuster video store in California sometime in 1995—just months away. Being present for this event would provide vital information about power levels in this universe.

The Marvel movies Arthur remembered had shown frustrating inconsistencies—characters with vastly different abilities somehow fighting as equals. Captain America briefly holding back Thanos. Iron Man trading blows with Thor but the same Iron Man struggling against Captain America and Winter Soldier together. This made for exciting movies but seemed unrealistic in real life.

To properly understand where he might eventually fit in this world’s power hierarchy, Arthur needed accurate reference points.

Captain Marvel was perfect for this purpose. With her Kree inhibitor in place, she operated at roughly the level of enhanced humans like Captain America. Without it, her powers approached cosmic levels. Observing her strengths and transformation firsthand would establish a practical power scale Arthur could use to guide his own development.

The challenge was figuring out exactly where and when she would appear. Arthur only knew it would be at a Blockbuster in California sometime in 1995. There were dozens of such stores throughout the state, and “sometime next year” wasn’t precise enough for effective planning. He would need to develop a strategy to narrow down the possibilities.

—

While working through these problems one evening, a scared first-year came up to him with a message, informing Arthur that his presence was required the following afternoon for the Weighing of the Wands ceremony. The junior somehow managed to deliver the message and then ran away, as if Arthur were a monster who might eat him.

When Arthur arrived at the designated classroom, he found it had been rearranged for the occasion. Fleur Delacour was examining her reflection in a compact mirror, Viktor Krum slouched against a wall with his usual scowl, and Harry Potter had not yet arrived.

An unwelcome presence was Rita Skeeter, the Daily Prophet’s most notorious reporter, accompanied by a photographer whose camera emitted occasional puffs of purple smoke.

Arthur immediately adopted his strategy: complete and utter indifference. He found a quiet corner and stood facing the wall, appearing deeply interested in the stone pattern, effectively turning his back on the entire proceeding.

Skeeter, naturally, approached him first. “Mr. Hayes!” she called out in her syrupy voice. “Arthur! A quick word for the Daily Prophet? Our readers are dying to know how a Muggle-born Slytherin feels about representing Hogwarts after… coercing the judges?”

Arthur gave no reaction. He didn’t turn, didn’t blink, didn’t acknowledge her presence in any way. It was as if she were speaking to the stone wall itself.

“Playing hard to get, are we?” Skeeter purred, moving closer. Bozo raised his camera, the flashbulb popping momentarily. “Come now, Arthur, don’t be shy. Tell us about your unique journey. How does it feel to achieve such prominence despite your… humble origins? Any tips for other ambitious youngsters?”

Silence. Arthur remained perfectly still, his focus seemingly unwavering from the intricate patterns of the castle’s stonework.

Fleur Delacour watched with wide eyes, whispering something in French to Krum, who merely grunted, though his gaze lingered on Arthur with grudging curiosity. Even they seemed impressed by Arthur’s apparent immunity to Skeeter’s famously persistent questioning. They didn’t know the secret, of course – they just saw incredible patience or perhaps deep arrogance.

Frustrated, Rita circled Arthur, trying different angles, her voice growing slightly sharper. “Is it true you physically assaulted twenty fellow students a few weeks ago? Using Muggle fighting techniques? Quite scandalous for a Hogwarts champion, wouldn’t you say? Any comment on those accusations?”

Still nothing. Arthur might as well have been a statue. Rita Skeeter, a journalist who could usually provoke a reaction from even the most composed wizards, was visibly flustered. Her quill paused, hovering uselessly over her notepad.

Just as her frustration reached its peak, Harry Potter nervously entered the room. Seeing an easier target, Rita immediately abandoned Arthur and descended upon Harry with predatory glee. “Harry! Just the boy I wanted to see! What’s it like being the youngest champion in history? How about an interview?”

The poor boy was dragged into a broom closet in the room. Fleur and Krum silently prayed for his sanity.

Shortly after, Dumbledore arrived with the judges and Mr. Ollivander, rescuing Harry from Skeeter’s clutches. As the headmaster organized everyone for the ceremony, he paused near Arthur.

Then with a subtle flick and a murmured word, a faint shimmering distortion around Arthur dissolved. A nearly invisible silencing ward collapsed.

Rita Skeeter’s eyes widened as she understood. He hadn’t been ignoring her through sheer willpower; he’d simply been unable to hear her at all. Her face flushed bright red with anger, and she shot Arthur a look venomous enough to curdle milk. He finally turned from the wall, met her glare with complete indifference, and offered a faint, almost invisible smirk that only made her more furious.

—

The ceremony began with Ollivander examining each champion’s wand in turn. Fleur’s rosewood and veela-hair wand produced a bouquet of flowers under the wandmaker’s testing. Krum’s hornbeam and dragon heartstring wand created a small flock of birds that circled the room before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

When Arthur’s turn came, he presented his wand with formal politeness, watching Ollivander’s reaction carefully.

“Ah, yes,” Ollivander murmured. “Elder wood, thirteen inches, with a core of thestral tail hair. A rare combination, and quite powerful.” His long fingers traced the wand’s length. “It has been used frequently, but I detect a significant decrease in recent usage. The magical signature is less prominent than I would expect for a wand of this age.”

“I’ve been focusing more on wandless magic,” Arthur explained simply.

This statement produced visible reactions from everyone present. Wandless magic was considered extremely advanced, beyond the abilities of most fully qualified wizards, let alone students. Even Dumbledore raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Indeed?” Ollivander said, his silver eyes studying Arthur with renewed interest. “A challenging pursuit, but one I don’t approve of as a wandmaker. Don’t want my business to go away, do I?” He conjured a stream of silver smoke rings to demonstrate the wand’s function before returning it.

Harry’s holly and phoenix feather wand completed the examination, with Ollivander making no mention of its connection to Voldemort’s wand.

The ceremony concluded with a tedious photography session. Rita Skeeter attempted to position Arthur front and center, probably hoping to create a story around his “arrogance,” but he maneuvered himself to the edge of every shot, maintaining a neutral expression that would give her little to work with.

As Arthur left the ceremony and headed back toward the dungeons, his mind was already returning to his projects. The first task was drawing closer, but for Arthur Hayes, the Triwizard Tournament was merely a stepping stone on a far larger, more complex journey.

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