Harry Potter: Bloodraven

"My dear Maverick Caeser, do you need me to make some space for the magic trick you're about to show?" Ariel blinked before looking at her son, then her eyes showed amusement looking at his wand.

Maverick ignored his mother's teasing and kept his Magical Sense focused on his father's expression.

From the look on his face, it was clear his father knew about magic, and Maverick felt even more certain about what he had read regarding the relationship between magical and non-magical people in this strange, alternative universe of Harry Potter.

After taking a moment to observe his father, he replied to his mother, "No need, Mom! Just sit there!" He gave a helpless smile before starting the show.

He had now mastered some of the most useful spells to an advanced level. Although he lacked actual combat experience, he believed that his current abilities were above those of a typical Hogwarts graduate.

Clearing his throat, he tapped on the glass water jug on the table and performed a Transfiguration spell. The jug instantly transformed into what he had envisioned: a white pigeon.

"How was it?" Maverick asked, looking at his mother, who was now in a daze. He leaned back in his chair, though his main focus remained on his father. As expected, there was only a momentary shock on his father's face before his expression returned to normal.

"Huh?" Ariel seemed to have just woken from a dream. Her gaze shifted between the very real-looking pigeon, which was bobbing its head, and Maverick, going back and forth several times with a face full of disbelief. "Was that... Was that a magic trick?"

"Michael!" his mother called out, shaking his father's shoulder with one hand and pointing at the transfigured pigeon with the other.

Ignoring his mother's ranting, Maverick sat quietly, leaning back in his chair, waiting for a response from his father.

The calm exterior his father usually maintained was still present, but the flicker of genuine surprise in his eyes couldn't be hidden. The Prime Minister of Britain was not easily shaken, but this had clearly turned out to be unexpected.

"Ariel, dear, I saw it," his father said to the visibly shaken woman beside him. His tone was calm, though it seemed to have the opposite effect of what he intended.

"Saw it? Of course, you saw it. I saw it! Why aren't you showing any surprise?" Her expression was a mixture of confusion and expectation.

"Ariel!" His father called out a little louder, and his mother immediately calmed down.

"Dear, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout, but could you please listen until I finish speaking to our son?" Michael gently caressed his wife's cheek. "I promise you'll have answers after that."

Ariel was stunned for a moment. Witnessing the unbelievable display of magic from her son and hearing her husband raise his voice at her—it took her a while to regain her composure. Only then did she realize she had been acting somewhat wildly.

Maverick sat calmly, observing the interaction between his parents. He believed his mother's reaction was perfectly normal. Anyone, especially someone like his mother—a very logical person who had never encountered anything supernatural—would be extremely surprised after witnessing real magic.

The transfiguration he had performed transformed a non-living object into a living one, which would appear quite supernatural to any ordinary person.

His mother calmed down after a while, nodding to her husband before focusing her gaze back on Maverick.

Maverick remained silent, now meeting the steady, measured gaze of his father.

"So… you're a wizard?" his father finally spoke, his voice laced with confusion. "When did this happen? How did we not know?"

His mother was the first to react, quickly turning her head toward Michael, demanding to know the meaning behind his question. She finally realized why her husband had seemed so calm; both her son and husband had been keeping incredible secrets from her.

Michael raised his hand, urging her to stay calm. He met her eyes, silently asking her to remain calm while he explained later. Then, he turned his attention to Maverick, ready to hear his son's explanation.

Maverick took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his father's gaze and began his somewhat fabricated explanation.

"I discovered magic about six months ago. It started with a small headache. Then I began experiencing strange sensations," Maverick said, resting his hand on his chin as if he were deep in thought.

"At first, I started to see more clearly and hear better. This might sound odd because I never had any problems with my vision or hearing to begin with. But that's how it felt.

Then even stranger things started happening. One day, I woke up to find myself levitating about a foot above my bed. I was shocked before my body fell back onto the bed. If I hadn't discovered magic by now, I might still believe it was all in my imagination." Maverick paused, glancing at his parents, who were giving him their full attention.

"I was worried. I wanted to talk to you both about all of this, but I didn't know how. I was scared you'd think I was some kind of freak."

"Son..." his mother's soft, concerned voice broke the silence.

Maverick continued, "Remember the day you told me about my internship with Mr. John and his company? Well, at first, I was really happy and thought once I started working and got busy, I'd forget about all of this. So that very same day, I decided to visit the company, just to clear my head and take a walk, maybe.

I took a taxi to their office building, spent some time observing the place, and felt genuinely excited. I loved the atmosphere there and couldn't wait to get started the next day.

After a while, I decided to head home. I didn't take a taxi back; I thought a walk would help clear my mind. That's when it happened. While walking down Charing Cross Road, that strange feeling returned. I looked around, checking for anything out of the ordinary—I didn't want anything bizarre happening while I was out in public.

And then, out of nowhere, this small, shabby-looking inn appeared between a record store and a large bookshop.

It was surreal. One moment, it wasn't there, and the next, it was as if it had just materialized. I felt a powerful pull toward it... I can't quite explain it, but I knew I had to go inside.

Of course, I didn't enter immediately. I stood there, observing. What struck me was how people on the street seemed to completely ignore the inn. It was as though they couldn't even see it. To confirm my suspicion, I went into the bookshop next door and asked someone inside. I was right—they weren't aware of the inn. That's when I knew this place might hold answers to the strange things happening to me.

So, I went in. It was like stepping into another time. The place was dimly lit by candles, and the people inside wore strange robes. But despite the odd atmosphere and outdated fashion, it was still just a small bar.

I found an empty table and sat down. Some people gave me strange looks—probably because I wasn't dressed like them—but they soon lost interest.

The pub owner was a peculiar-looking man, but polite. I ordered a drink and sat, quietly listening to the conversations around me.

What I heard was shocking. Magic, wizards, witches—an entirely different world. I sat there, doing my best to keep calm, just listening and absorbing everything.

After some time, I saw a group of three come in—two parents with their child, who looked about ten years old. They spoke with the pub owner, whose name was Tom, by the way.

They discussed something, and then Tom led them further inside. To someone like me, it all seemed pretty suspicious.

I eavesdropped on their conversation. They weren't trying to be discreet. The parents mentioned an alley, and Tom enthusiastically talked about something called 'Muggles' and 'freshmen.'

They disappeared to the back, and after a while, Tom returned. I stayed seated, watching as another family arrived not long after.

They, too, spoke with Tom, and I overheard a similar conversation. That's when I decided to follow. I don't know what came over me—I just knew I had to go.

I stood up, and as Tom was leading the second family inside, I called out to him.

I was nervous, of course, but the words just came to me. I asked if I could go in too. To my surprise, Tom didn't ask any questions or seem suspicious at all. He simply smiled and gestured for me to follow."

"Even more surreal things happened. Tom led us to the back, where it seemed like a dead end—just a wall and a few trash bins. My nervousness grew, and I even felt a bit scared.

Then I saw Tom take out a stick, something I had noticed many people inside the bar were carrying.

He tapped on the brick wall, and something incredible happened. The bricks began to move on their own. I can't even begin to describe it—it was as if the wall came to life. The bricks shifted and rearranged themselves until an entrance formed. Tom, with a grin, proudly said, 'Welcome to Diagon Alley.'

The kid and his parents standing next to me looked as shocked as I felt, which seemed to give the strange pub owner a sense of satisfaction.

Tom gestured for us to go ahead, and so we went inside. As soon as we entered, the entrance behind us vanished, but I was too overwhelmed—both excited and nervous—to dwell on it.

I needed information, and the best source I had at the time were three people who, like me, were new to magic. But I had no other option. I had nothing, I knew nothing, and at least they were there for a purpose.

So, I struck up a conversation with the kid's parents, starting by commenting on how incredible everything seemed. 

I learned that they were there to get books and materials for their child's school. Apparently, their kid had his first magical outburst a few months back. They didn't know about it until the next day, when a teacher from a magical school arrived and explained everything.

According to them, they were both non-magical, but their child had somehow awakened magic—a very rare occurrence, as they learned from the magical school teacher.

I followed them throughout the day and even became friends. I had to lie, of course, telling them I was an American wizard visiting Britain's magical world for the first time. I learned a lot. Since they had been told by the teacher what to do, I essentially got a free tutorial on what someone new to this world should do.

You wouldn't believe some of the things I saw, Mom," Maverick said, his tone growing more excited.

"There were these short, quite ugly creatures called goblins. They managed the magical currency. Yes, magicals have their own currency system.

Fortunately for me, I followed the family, and after they exchanged some British pounds for coins, I did the same—250 pounds for 50 Galleons. That's the name of the magical currency. Because I was with them, I had no issue with identity verification. I guess they assumed I was a wizard too. Apparently, only wizards can exchange pounds for Galleons, with a maximum exchange of 50 Galleons per month.

After that, we went to a wand shop. Yes, the magicals channel their magic through wands, which are basically sticks.

Again, no problem—I got myself a wand too, though I had to tell a harmless lie. I said my old wand broke. The shopkeeper was skeptical at first, but I flattered him, saying he was the best wand maker. That did the trick, and the old man forgot his doubts and handed me a wand.

I was nervous, though. I wasn't sure if I could even do magic or how to use a wand, but I went with it on a whim.

It was on the fifth or sixth try that a wand finally reacted," Maverick said with a melancholic smile, glancing at his wand.

Next, we went to the bookstore. While the family bought books for their kid's first year, I went on a spree, buying all sorts of books—history, theory, spell books, everything. I was excited and couldn't wait to learn more about this world.

The day ended and I exchanged some pleasantries with the family before saying goodbye. They left, and I stayed the night at the inn. The Leaky Cauldron had rooms upstairs for guests.

That evening, I could barely sleep. I skimmed through a history book before finally dozing off.

The next morning, I returned to the real world, resigned from Mr. John's company on the spot, and went back to the inn to continue my reading.

I had learned so much about them, yet it felt like I knew so little. They were like an entire group of humans, isolated or hiding in plain sight.

For the past six months, I stayed there, doing nothing but learning. I studied their history, their relationship with the non-magical world," Maverick paused, glancing at his father.

"I learned about their culture, their laws, and all the information available to the public. And I learned magic. Contrary to what the books said, it all felt… easy. Too easy for me.

The children there start school at eleven and spend about seven years studying before they graduate. I had learned nearly all the spells from their seven-year curriculum. The only things I haven't mastered are potions and some sports...

So yeah… that's what I've been up to these past six months. I didn't want to keep it from you any longer," Maverick said, leaning back in his chair. "Ask me anything, Mom, Dad. Whatever you want to know."