Harry Potter Enshrouded

The biting cold of winter blanketed the Blackthorn estate, its vast grounds covered in a thick layer of snow. Christmas had passed, and Adrian received all the customary gifts from his friends. So far, Christmas had been uneventful, save for the frequent letters Adrian exchanged with Luciano and Daphne. Nott and Malfoy also wrote some letters; however, they were not very frequent. In the frequent letters Adrian exchanged, Daphne often wrote about the dull parties her parents forced her to attend, while Luciano ranted about the suffocating expectations of his Brazilian family. The three of them had found a strange comfort in venting to each other.

But Adrian had other matters to attend to.

His visit to Randolph's broomstick company was set for today, and as he prepared, he found himself alone with his father. Helene Blackthorn had left for Sweden before Adrian even arrived, making Adrian's vacation something closer to a nightmare. His sister was the only normal person at home while his dad kept on ranting about politics. To combat his dad's rambling, Adrian had no entertainment due to outdated entertainment in the wizarding world.

At breakfast, he finally decided to bring up his visit to Randolph. "Father, I've made an investment."

Damien Blackthorn raised an eyebrow. "An investment?"

"Yes," Adrian confirmed. "I have decided to invest in Randolph's company. He formerly developed brooms for Nimbus, and now he's been developing a new line of broomsticks, and I've provided financial support."

His father's gaze studied him before smirking. "Good. It's about time you started thinking of ways to expand our influence."

Hmph, he is only a child. I will teach him further when his first investment fails, thought Damien.

Evanna acted surprised. "I didn't think you'd be interested in business, Adrian."

Adrian shrugged. "No, I just see potential in the project. It will become the biggest broom company by next year."

His father didn't question him further, as he sat on the rather monotonous table calmly sipping his morning tea.

As Adrian skimmed through the morning's newspapers, he noticed a few articles mocking Randolph's company, dismissing it as an unknown and questioning whether it could truly compete with established names. Newspapers mocked the company, stating that it was nothing more than a passing venture destined to fail. He knew very soon that these journalists would praise the company very soon. Forgetting about the useless newspaper, he pondered about what mattered—the broom's quality—and he was confident in Randolph's designs.

His focus soon shifted to training.

The Blackthorn family had a vast collection of spellbooks—many of them containing advanced combat magic. Adrian had spent the past few days in the training grounds, never forgetting to practice his daily training.

One spell, in particular, had caught his interest—a family spell known as "Fulminis Vortex." It was an advanced attack spell that harnessed raw magical energy to form a concentrated spiral of lightning. He had spent the last few days attempting to master this spell.

As he stood in the training grounds, wand in hand, he took a deep breath and visualized the spell's mechanics. He channeled his magic, feeling it surge from within, a current through his veins. It gathered at the core of his being, pulsing with raw energy as he guided it toward his wand before releasing it without any restraint.

A crackling vortex of electric energy formed for a brief moment before dissipating.

Not enough control.

He adjusted his stance, remembering what he had read about stabilizing the energy flow. Attempt after attempt, he paid attention to the way the magic moved within him, directing it more smoothly. The spell lasted longer, and he knew he was improving.

Learning new spells was something that had been frustrating; however, magic was a craft that required refinement, and Adrian wanted to practice until he perfected it.

A few hours smoothly went by as Adrian headed out to Lacock, a small, quaint, and hidden village located amidst the grasslands of Wiltshire. 

He walked amidst the sequestered streets of Lacock, the cold air biting against his skin as he looked for the workshop. Looking outside, he glanced at Slughorn's little ordinary house that was adorned with all the exorbitant household items.

It would be better if he replaced Snape today. Thought Adrian.

He glanced at the board of the little hut located next to Slughorn's, proudly showcasing the Spudmores. It was astonishing that such a broom was developed using the miniature of resources. Imagine if Randolph had the infrastructure to work in a better environment. Just how good would the already amazing Firebolt be? He wondered.

He approached the front door, knocking on it as Randolph opened the door.

"Welcome, welcome, Adrian. I have been expecting you."