Harry Potter : Bloodraven

"Take it, place this side against your ear, and the other end toward your mouth..."

Ali accepted the familiar yet alien gadget - a muggle cell phone. Everyone knew what it was, but as a wizard, he also knew that magic made electronics useless, which meant it was practically useless for him. Still, he followed the instructions anyway.

But before he could even lift the gadget to his ear, he noticed something wrong. No, it wasn't wrong; it was right. The lights didn't go out, and he could hear noise from the speaker.

His eyes widened in shock. He quickly pressed the phone to his ear, worried it might turn off before he could use it. After all, this was something entirely new to him, something Mother Magic had always denied him.

"Can you hear me?"

The calm, composed man he usually was had disappeared in that moment. Instead, he was like an excited child who had just found the best toy in the world.

"Can you hear me?" he repeated, holding the phone awkwardly to his face. His voice grew louder with each word. "Can you hear me?"

"Can you hea—"

"I am right here, moron!" Edward cut in, giving the wizard an annoyed look.

The sharp interruption from the Arch-Magus snapped him out of his uncharacteristic enthusiasm. Turning his head, he saw the burly man glaring at him like he was some kind of idiot.

Luckily, Aisha stepped in before things could get any more awkward.

"Give it to me!" she said, rushing over and snatching the phone from his hand.

"It's... not dying..." she exclaimed, then looked at Maverick and repeated, "Boss, it's not dying!"

"Another one..." Edward mumbled, watching the witch's expression change in a similar way.

She pressed the phone to her face, pulled it away, and repeated, looking as ridiculous as Ali before her.

He then glanced at his pupil, who was wearing an amused expression, like watching two children. And to be fair, Maverick wasn't far off.

Their reactions, though childish, were normal. Using an electronic device was completely foreign to them, much like how a Muggle would react if suddenly given the ability to use magic, regardless of age.

"Boss... how did you do this? This is... this is something for the history books!" Aisha exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement.

Maverick chuckled. "Okay, okay, you can give it back now." He held out his hand.

Aisha pouted. "Do I have to?"

"You'll get one later," Maverick replied, a hint of amusement in his smile as he took the phone from her.

Turning to Edward, he held out the device. "Take a look, Teacher. Tell me what you think."

Edward took the phone, turning it over in his hands. He rubbed the smooth crystal on the back with his thumb, then looked up at his pupil.

"How good is your alchemy right now?"

Maverick didn't hesitate. "As good as Teacher Simon... maybe a bit better... I'm not sure."

"You're... not sure?" Edward asked, sounding a bit unsure himself. "Do you know who Simon Walker is, as an alchemist?"

"Of course I do, Teacher. He's a master alchemist."

"And do you know how many master alchemists are currently in the world?"

Maverick thought for a moment. "Umm... I think... eleven?"

"Nine, to be exact! Out of eleven, Nicolas Flamel and Liu Yiming are considered grandmasters in the field—the very best in the world. But the remaining nine are still incredibly important figures."

"Master alchemists, like your teacher Simon, are the kind of people every wizarding country or organization wants to befriend. They're treated like royalty wherever they go," Edward explained.

This wasn't new information for Maverick, but hearing it from his teacher and taking a moment to really think about it made him realize just how significant his alchemy talent truly was.

"Okay, forget about that. Will this work with any electronics? And will it work for all magicals?"

Maverick thought for a moment. "It should, yes. But there might be problems in places where space is messed up, or places with strong wards. Otherwise, it should work fine. And yes, any witch, wizard, or even magical creature should be able to use it."

Edward eyed his student for a long, thoughtful moment. Since Maverick had become his apprentice, his view of his student's genius had been constantly evolving, as if there were no limit to it. He had watched Maverick's potential grow, transforming and expanding in ways that continually surprised him.

"Tell me, little Rick. What's your ultimate goal with this?" he asked, his tone serious.

Maverick took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before speaking.

"Build a brand, a name so famous that every witch or wizard thinks of it first whenever they need to buy something..." He looked at Edward with confidence. "Teacher, I have the skills, and I have the ideas. I just need to get started."

Edward watched as his student made the bold statement, his expression showing no outward reaction. But the idea of ridiculing him never crossed his mind. After all, Maverick had a way of making the impossible seem ordinary.

"What can I do to help?" he asked, not even bothering to ask for the details.

Edward's sudden question caught Maverick off guard. He had expected to be asked for more details, but it seemed that wouldn't be necessary, so he pushed the thought aside.

"I need a loan, teacher... One million Galleons. In exchange, I'll give 20% of the business to the Garling family," he said, getting straight to the point.

Ali and Aisha's eyes went wide at the number, but they somehow managed to stay calm.

Edward was a little surprised, but not because of the large sum. For him, one million galleons was a small amount.

What caught him off guard was that this was the first time his student had ever asked him for anything monetary.

The thought crossed his mind for only a brief moment before he quickly dismissed it. Since his student was confident in the success of his business plan, Edward decided to take the bet.

"30%. Make it 30, and I'll double it. You can think of it as an investment."

Maverick thought about it for a moment and decided it wasn't a bad deal. Besides, sooner or later, he would be part of the Garling family anyway.

Seeing that his teacher had already made up his mind, Maverick agreed, but his curiosity got the better of him. "Can I ask why you agreed so quickly and didn't ask for the details? Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful, teacher... I'm just curious."

Edward chuckled. "Little Rick, if it were anyone else, I'd ask. But you, I trust you'll make it happen with that sharp mind of yours. Call it a bet." He paused, giving his student a thoughtful look, then added, "Are you planning to introduce Muggle cellphones to the public right from the start?"

Maverick shook his head. "Not yet. First, it'll be things for convenience—like heaters, air conditioning, refrigerators, lights, all of them. Whatever the No-Majs use to make their life easier."

"Are those the things you plan to create?" Edward raised an eyebrow. "But we have magic and house-elves for that," he reasoned, a little unsure.

"Teacher, only a few families have house-elves—the elite and the nobles. The rest, like over 90% of magical families, can't afford one and rely on magic for everyday chores," Maverick explained.

He continued, "Magicals, like the No-Majs, would want convenience instead of doing everything themselves. That's human nature. Even if it's casting a spell, if there's an alchemy gadget that does the same thing, they'll want it. No doubt."

"Think of it like giving everyday magical families their own house-elf. One that's cheap and easily available."

Edward listened thoughtfully. What his student said made sense. "Then when will the real stuff be introduced? Like communication devices or televisions?"

"Later..." Maverick answered. "Much later, after I fine-tune the magic-suppressing rune crystal. I want to make sure its function remains uncrackable for as long as possible. And by the time someone even cracks the principles and tries to replicate it, I want my brand name to be everyone's preferred choice."

After listening to his student's reasoning, Edward dismissed the only concern he had and gave a reassured nod. "Will that be all then?" he asked.

Maverick hummed, taking a moment to think. Realizing something, he added one final request. "I may also need to borrow your name at the start when I introduce my inventions to the world. I plan to begin in the States, where your endorsement would be most effective in marketing."

Edward waved his hand, as if Maverick's request was nothing. "Just let me know when and where to show up..."

Maverick sighed at how easily the negotiations—if it could even be called that—had gone. It felt more like a casual talk, he thought to himself.

"Thank you, teacher. This may be a small thing for you, but for me, it will save a lot of time and trouble. I really appreciate it..." Maverick said, his expression filled with gratitude, and he meant every word.

Edward chuckled at his apprentice's shy and thankful expression. In all honesty, he would have agreed even if Maverick had requested ten times the amount he had stated. Most importantly, Maverick wasn't just his apprentice—he was soon to become a real part of the family, his son-in-law.

It was time for Edward to leave, as he had kept some very important people waiting. But before he left, he decided to add one last detail as a new thought crossed his mind.

"Once you've healed up and gotten a decent break, let me know. I'll take you somewhere," he told his student.

Maverick raised an eyebrow, curious. He nodded in agreement but couldn't help asking, "Can you tell me where?"

"Alchemist Guild," Edward answered. "It's where the world's most influential and famous alchemists are centered. It's also where they grade the level of an individual, from apprentice to star alchemist, all the way to three stars and then master alchemist, which is the highest."

"The two grandmasters are people that are very far from the reach of everyday folks... well, I guess you're the exception," he explained, a little smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.

He continued, "I want you to take the Master Alchemist exam and get certified. It'll help you when you start your business and introduce whatever it is that you want to the world."

Maverick thought about it for a moment before nodding. It seemed like a good idea and would help him build a stronger reputation as a wizard. He wasn't ready to reveal his status as a Great-Magus yet, but earning recognition as a certified Master Alchemist would create a fitting and strategic image.

"Just give me a couple of days, and I'll be all healed up and rested," Maverick told his teacher.

Edward nodded and gave a quick glance around the room. "Keep an eye out for tomorrow's news, by the way. We managed to get some decent shots of your duel," he said with a smile before disappearing with a pop.

The mention of the newspapers didn't surprise him—it had been his idea in the first place. He had asked his teacher to ensure their duel was captured and anonymously sent to the media. It was all part of a larger plan to give more exposure to his alias.

He let out a soft, tired sigh, filled with both exhaustion and relief.

Tonight, a significant part of his ambition and its groundwork had fallen into place—much earlier than he had originally planned.

He turned to Ali and Aisha, who were watching him expectantly. Maverick could see the questions in their eyes, but tonight, he had no energy left for more discussions.

"Get some rest, both of you. Tomorrow, I'll explain everything," he said.

The two magus exchanged a glance before nodding in agreement. They could see the exhaustion clear on his face.

Maverick turned and walked toward one of the doors, his mind already on the next few days.

First, he needed to heal completely—at least to the point where there were no scars or bruises. The last thing he wanted was to make his parents worry.

Next, he planned to spend a week at home with his parents and his new sister, savoring a bit of normalcy. Because once this brief break ended, the months ahead would be anything but easy. The plot was drawing closer, and there was still so much he needed to accomplish.

—————

Author's note:

And that's the end of this short arc!

The next chapter will include a time skip, as we move toward the main plot. There will be several jumps in time, but don't worry—it's all building up to something exciting!

I'm really excited to share the big plan I have. I promise you, this won't just be a simple story about babysitting the trio. This is an MC-centered story, and I won't be dedicating chapters upon chapters to their everyday school life. There's so much more to come!

Thank you so much for reading, and your support means the world to me!

Please leave a review on Webnovel. I would truly appreciate it!

Just a quick update — up to Chapter 93 is already available on P AT r30n!

PAT r30n [.] com / RyanFic

Thank you again!