Hogwarts: The Blood Mage

The pages turned themselves. Not literally, but it felt that way. Aidan had read enough magical theory to know when a book was guiding him somewhere. His fingers landed on a page inked in a deep, metallic red. The heading shimmered, as if drawn freshly from a wound.

"Sanguis Fluxus, Flow of Blood." Aidan read the incantation aloud under his breath. "SANG-gwis FLOX-oos."

The moment he said it, a quiet thrumming started in his fingers —a pulse that didn't come from the book, but from himself. The grimoire seemed to acknowledge the response, as if impressed. Intentional or not, it was a hint of wandless magic.

He leaned closer.

"To control the flow is to cradle life or suspend it. Blood is not merely the fuel of life; it is part of its will. Heed this truth, or do not speak these words at all." It wasn't a threat. It was a reminder. Blood answered intent, not just command.

The spell was deceptively simple. With focus and the proper wand motion —a slow, counterclockwise swirl followed by a thrust toward the target— it could stop someone's bleeding with precision, sealing wounds beneath the skin before a drop could fall. But reversed, twisted ever so slightly... 

Aidan's brow furrowed.

"You could freeze someone in place." He whispered. "Literally. No change in incantation or anything, just a switch on intent and... you'd freeze them in place, with the same spell."

It was fascinating. Never before had he seen a spell that changed so much based on intent. The spell was basically the same and had the same function —stopping the blood-flow in a specific area.

The book continued, more clinical now.

"Prolonged use on the same target can cause permanent damage. Effects vary depending on subject's magical resistance and health." Aidan read out loud to himself. Morgott was too busy taking a nap on his lap to pay attention.

"Brilliant..." Aidan muttered. "And terrifying."

But more than that, it was elegant —a spell that didn't blast or tear, but a subtle choice.

He sat back.

Sanguis Fluxus wasn't about domination. It was about precision. Mercy and menace, both held in balance. He would need to practise. Carefully. 

"Bloody hell!" Aidan exclaimed, noticing a small issue. "My wand!" 

Since he could not practice the spells, Aidan decided to leave the grimoires back in Crimsonveil Manor, where he knew they would remain safe. His parents' house was no place for such books, and Gringotts —for all its safety— was not infallible. He did decide though, to spend the next week studying the spells in the grimoires in-depth.

*

The following day, Aidan went back to Crimsonveil Manor —Apparating there was becoming second nature to him.

"Ok." Aidan said while treading the path towards the secret study. "I brought a notebook, a pen, and lots of time."

As he reached the room, the same warmth from the previous day welcomed him, the grimoires in the same position he had left them.

"I'm not going home..." He cracked his knuckles. "Until I have every detail of at least two spells studied." 

Thus, Aidan's unending homework continued to grow. 

"I already know about Sanguis Fluxus." Aidan said as he opened the grimoire. "So let's check the second spell first." 

As he opened the book and skipped the pages dedicated to Sanguis Fluxus, Aidan found the second spell he would be studying. 

"Rubor Ardens is a spell that ignites tainted blood into magical bloodfire." Aidan read aloud, eyebrows lifting slightly. "Well... that sounds a bit grim."

But the next line softened his reaction.

"It does not work on living, flowing blood, as it is not designed to bypass the natural barrier that is the human body —thus the mention of tainted blood." Aidan tapped the edge of the page thoughtfully. "So I can't use it to set someone on fire from the inside. That's... mildly reassuring."

"It only requires an upwards flick of the wand and proper pronunciation. ROO-bor AR-denz." He tried saying it once under his breath —to no response, of course. The spell needed fuel. It needed tainted blood.

But what was tainted blood, exactly?

"I still don't know what you mean by 'tainted'." He murmured, frowning at the page. The term was frustratingly vague. Blood could be tainted in a dozen ways —diseased, poisoned, spoiled, cursed, even shed with ill intent. Was it literal? Metaphorical? Alchemical?

"One thing's clear." Aidan said, flipping his notebook open and jotting down the term 'tainted'. "I'll have to hit up other books to understand this."

Without putting further thought into it, Aidan stepped out of the study. Climbing the steps to the library, a thought struck him —an idea that, while not particularly logical, felt worth trying.

"Morgott... you knew I'd need that book." Aidan said, glancing at the Hemeris, who shadowed his every step like a black-feathered echo. "Can you get me a book that explains what 'tainted blood' is?"

Morgott looked at him sharply, then placed a paw firmly against Aidan's leg.

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm tainted blood?" Aidan asked, mock-offended. "I should let you know that's a very rud—"

Before he could finish the sentence, Morgott leapt up and batted him across the head. Aidan opened his mouth to protest, but something made him stop. A sudden surge of emotion radiating from Morgott. Not frustration. Not smugness.

Confidence. But not in itself. In him.

Aidan blinked. Morgott was doing something startlingly human. It pointed at itself, emitting a hiss-grunt hybrid that clearly meant no. Then it pointed at Aidan and meowed.

"Yes to me... no to you?" Aidan roughly translated. "Wait... you're saying I asked for the book?"

Another wave pulsed through him —this time, unmistakable. Anxiety. Tightly wound. Focused. Directed at a wand.

"My emotions at the time." Aidan realised slowly. "That's how you knew what to fetch. You felt what I needed before I even knew it consciously."

It made sense. More and more, Crimsonveil Manor didn't just respond to Aidan — it reflected him. It moved with his intent. It pulled things forward when he reached out, even unknowingly. He had always felt the manor speak to him.

But until now, he hadn't tried speaking back.

He closed his eyes and focused clearly on what he wanted. 'A book that explains what tainted blood is.'

Crimsonveil answered.

Magic stirred —not just vaguely, not in chaotic murmurs. There was direction this time. Guided intent. Aidan followed the tug through the library's maze of parchment and wood, until he found himself standing before a shelf lined with volumes so worn, even the grimoires in the study seemed modern by comparison.

Aidan reached for the title that shimmered with recognition. He didn't need to open it to know —he had found what he was looking for.

"Blood, the Essence of Life." Aidan read the title out loud. "Man, I love magic."

*

Fours days had passed since Aidan first discovered the secret study room under Crimsonveil Manor. In those four days, he had categorised a grand total of five spells.

The first one he found, Sanguis Fluxus, could be either a curse or a healing charm —so he put it under both categories.

Rubor Ardens, was easier to classify, since it was a charm through and through. It had taken Aidan a whole afternoon of reading —he got so engrossed in the book he ended up reading it in its entirety—, but he had discovered that tainted blood was a synonym of dead blood. Reading further into the spell, he discovered that it was often used as a cleansing spell in places where a lot of blood had been spilt. 

The third spell he found was called Sanguinem Umbra —or Shadow of Blood. It was a charm-type spell that engulfed its caster in a blood-tinted shadow, hiding them from sight and scrying spells. Apparently it was based on the Hemeris' capabilities to hide. 

In fourth was a peculiar spell called Cruor Vincula, a genius application of conjuration that created chains of blood around the target. It was similar to the Incarcerous spell, but the chains were supposed to be stronger, more durable.

Finally, the fifth spell —but in no way less important than the rest— was Sanguis Exanimus. The spell functioned under the same principles of Sanguis Fluxus and Rubor Ardens combine. It targeted the blood of a person, rendering it lifeless for just enough time for them to fall unconscious. 

It had come with a clear warning to not use it repeatedly on the same target, as it would effectively kill them. Aidan still remembered the chills he felt when he realised that the magic he was studying was mostly benign, but carried heavy consequences if misused. 

He was beginning to understand why his ancestors had guarded their secrets so fiercely.