Harry Potter: Beyond the Parselveil

After Aaric, it was Edwina and Simon's turn to drink the potion, and just like with Aaric, it went without a hitch. But there was one notable difference—Aaric now possessed two scales within his body, something his parents did not.

He was certain the original scale had been absorbed by him on his eighth birthday, so where had the second one come from? Could he give them to others?

Well, those were questions for his future self. Right now, it was time to begin his first true magical training.

After the ritual, Edwina handed him the wand of his grandfather. With that, Aaric could finally begin proper spellwork.

"What do you want to start with?" asked Simon. Although he posed the question, it was clear Aaric would need to begin with basic spells like the Levitation Charm or Lumos.

"How about… freezing stuff?" Aaric asked softly.

Simon considered it for a moment, then agreed. They began training with the spell Chillaria, which produced a cold breeze and could chill the air or small objects like a drink or potion vial.

To Simon's surprise, it took Aaric only about fifteen minutes to successfully cast the spell—a chilly gust of wind flowed from his wand and cooled a glass of water. Pleased, Simon introduced him to the intermediate version: Chillaria Glacius, a spell that could freeze small surfaces and create slippery ice traps.

This spell was considered quite advanced—too difficult for most third-year Hogwarts students, let alone an eight-year-old—but Simon himself had created the Chillaria spell series up to four levels and was currently developing a fifth, which he believed might verge into the realm of ancient magic.

Though talented, Aaric couldn't master such a spell in just one day. Still, he tried several first-year level spells, managing to cast most of them within one or two attempts, or at most fifteen minutes.

Later came potion training with his father. The first day wasn't particularly eventful, but foundational knowledge was crucial, and Aaric was diligent in learning it.

That evening, he turned to his parents. "Mom, Dad, come with me. I want to show you something."

Despite the full day of training, he showed no signs of exhaustion. Curious, Edwina and Simon followed him as he pulled a beautiful gold and silver ring from his pocket.

"When I went to Diagon Alley yesterday, I took an inheritance test at the bank," he said quietly.

"Why?" Edwina asked.

"I had a dream, Mom. I saw a big, pretty snake, and it said 'inheritance' to me."

Simon looked confused, but Edwina's eyes flickered with a glimmer of recognition. Just as Simon was about to question further, she gently placed a hand on his, signaling him to let Aaric continue.

"I received the inheritance of a witch named Aeloria Nightshade. This ring is a portkey to her castle."

Simon took the ring and inspected it for enchantments or curses.

"I'll go there first and check if it's safe. Then the two of you can come with me," he said, and asked Aaric for the portkey password.

"Vasuki," Aaric replied.

With a soft pop, Simon disappeared. He landed smoothly in front of a village—not one inhabited by humans, but by centaurs. Surprisingly, they showed no signs of hostility and approached him calmly. If these were the centaurs from the Forbidden Forest, they'd be pointing arrows at me, he thought as their leader stepped forward.

"How did you get here?" asked the centaur, a tall figure with brown skin and long white hair.

Simon held up the ring silently.

The centaur's eyes widened, and he bowed. "Welcome to our humble village, my lord. Our tribe is at your service."

Taken aback, Simon responded quickly, "I'm the father of the inheritor. I came here first to scout the area. Please show me the important places—I'll return shortly. My family must be worried."

An hour later, Simon reappeared at the manor with a pop. Before departing, he had created a temporary portkey linked to the manor's wards to ensure his return.

Edwina and Aaric rushed to meet him, bombarding him with questions. He raised his hands to quiet them, then sat down and explained what had happened.

"We'll go together tomorrow and explore," he said. "It seems safe."

He ruffled Aaric's hair and kissed Edwina before heading to his study to finish some work before bedtime.

A/N: Short chapter today. Thank you all for the amazing response!