Hogwarts: The Blood Mage

Aidan Apparated back home, half-worried that Morgott wouldn't come with him. The thought barely took hold before a wave of calm washed over him, warm and steady. The reassurance came not from logic, but from Morgott himself. The Hemeris knew there would be no trouble.

As soon as he arrived, Aidan sought out Ivy and Jack, eager to share what he had seen. He spoke of Crimsonveil Manor with something close to awe, telling them how the lands themselves were magical, how the entire place had come alive with his presence, and how Morgott had awakened.

Talking about the Hemeris, he introduced the creature with carefully chosen words, noticing Ivy's flicker of unease at his presence.

"You don't need to be afraid of him," Aidan said, gesturing calmly. "He's loyal to a fault. Unless someone hurts me —or I tell him to— he won't so much as hiss at anyone. He's basically a big house cat with wings."

Morgott, evidently offended by the comparison, gave Aidan a slow blink, then swatted at his arm with a light but pointed paw. Ivy and Jack laughed, eliciting a sound that seemed very similar to a snort from the creature. Aidan could swear he saw it smirking at him.

"I have no allies in this house..." He whispered in mock anger, loud enough for everyone to hear him. That one earned another round of laughter, this time with him joining in.

The rest of the day was spent like that. Conversing with family, playing with Morgott, learning a bit more of what the creature was capable, and towards the evening, reading the book Morgott had graced Aidan with.

"The first entry is the only entry I need, I think." Aidan said after opening the book on the first page. He read the entry out loud, for Morgott to hear as well. "Veilwood, acquired from Crimsonveil Trees, is one of the oldest woods used by wandmakers."

"Veilwood makes for an extremely versatile wand material, renowned for its deep attunement to bloodlines and magical potential. It does not amplify a wizard's power, but instead brings out the fullest expression of their latent and active magical traits. A Veilwood wand moulds itself to its wielder over time, becoming more personalised and loyal than almost any other wand material." 

Aidan read each word with growing amazement. Two weeks before he had learned of his real name, his legacy, and his blood. And in those two weeks, he felt he'd learned as much, if not more, than in his first three years at Hogwarts.

"Veilwood does not choose its wielder easily, but once bonded, it refuses to serve another —making it rare and often irreplaceable." Aidan continued reading, fascinated at the knowledge the Haimadros possessed. "Historically, Veilwood wands were famous during the time of Ancient Greece, where they were considered relics of profound craftsmanship and spiritual connection. However, after a Veilwood wand was stolen and misused by Herpo the Foul, the Haimadros family withdrew all access to Crimsonveil wood, refusing to ever again allow wandmakers to use their trees."

Aidan thought that the measure was quite exaggerated, but he could see why his mother —the biological one— had said that their family had not been perfect in her letter. "Since then, Veilwood has fallen into obscurity, remembered only in old texts and among wand-lore scholars. No known Veilwood wand has been made in over a thousand years."

Aidan knew exactly what his wand was going to be made out of. Usually a wizard leaves the material up to the wandmaker's judgement, but Aidan could still remember how his magic resonated with the entirety of the lands of Crimsonveil Manor and everything in them. He knew it, no kind of wood would fit him as well as Veilwood would.

"Would you mind delivering a letter to Mr. Ollivander tomorrow? I'm sure he'll be absolutely gobsmacked," Aidan asked Morgott, who answered by lazily swaying his head from side to side. "Great, then I'll have you deliver the letter while I head back to Crimsonveil Manor to get a proper branch. Mr. Ollivander's going to need the best."

Morgott had been curled beside him on the bed, wings folded tight, but suddenly he rose and unfurled them in a wide, graceful stretch. Aidan hadn't seen the Hemeris's full wingspan before —and he had to admit, it was majestic.

Then, to Aidan's absolute shock, Morgott twisted his head back, plucked out one of his own feathers with a quick nip, and laid it gently in Aidan's lap. 

Once again, the creature had proven to perfectly understand what Aidan needed. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to their bond than was stated in the family records.

*

The following day, Aidan wrote the letter for Mr. Ollivander and gave it to Morgott, who quickly intertwined with the shadows and left the room. In Morgott's short absence, Aidan thought of why he had sent the Hemeris itself to Ollivander —he had given up on thinking things like how the creature even knew where Ollivander was— when he could have sent perhaps an owl, or just gone to the store himself. 

The reason was quite simple. It was a show of trust. 

Apparating to Crimsonveil Manor —this time appearing right in front of the building—, Aidan flexed his brain. He understood, from the history of House Haimadros, that they were reclusive, mysterious, and prideful. While these qualities alone were not necessarily negative, when you found yourself waging a silent war against an enemy that clearly outnumbered your own forces, not having true allies showed a lack of insight.

That was what House Haimadros —and Aidan himself in that moment— lacked. Allies. 

Though this was because of different reasons. While previous members of House Haimadros lacked allies because of their own secretive and stubborn nature, Aidan lacked them merely because he was new to the game. 

He would not be like his ancestors. He was a Haimadros, yes —but he was Aidan before. And much like Aidan would do, he did not doubt twice to let his magic flow, reaching out to every tree, seeing which one connected best with him. Amidst all trees, Aidan found his chosen one. 

The tree itself was much like every other Crimsonveil in the grove, with two slight details that made it stand out. Its leaves were a deep maroon —rather than their usual bright crimson— and its bark was so white it rivalled quartz. 

"Yeah, I think you will do buddy." Aidan said while looking at the tree. As he got closer, intent on snapping one of the tree's branches off, Aidan was once again reminded of just how magical Crimsonveil Manor really was. 

The tree, in all its magical splendour, dropped one of its branches on its own. It hadn't moved, it hadn't even vibrated. The branch seemingly just falling from the tree right in front of Aidan. It was as if anything he asked for, anything he needed, Crimsonveil Manor and its inhabitants would provide. 

With wood and feather in hand, Aidan waited a few breaths, sitting on the porch of Crimsonveil Manor. He had only needed a short moment to acquire the branch, which meant Ollivander was either too fascinated by Morgott to react —or the Hemeris was giving the old man a hard time.

Either way, as soon as Morgott returned, Aidan would head straight for Ollivander's.