Hogwarts: The Blood Mage

Since they had finished with their business at Diagon Alley, Jack and Aidan returned home. They were right on time for dinner, since Ivy was setting down the cutlery when they appeared in the entry hall. 

Over lunch, Aidan retold his mother everything that had transpired throughout the morning. She was bewildered by his red left eye, but that lasted for only a moment. When they were done eating, Jack called Aidan to the backyard. 

"Son, I think you will have a tight schedule starting today, so I hope you don't mind packing one more thing in it." Jack started saying, which worried Aidan for a moment. Worry was soon replaced by excitement, though. "I will start teaching you how to apparate tomorrow." 

"YES!" Aidan exclaimed, his brain set on mastering the convenient and cool skill that was apparition. 

"I think you will not have much trouble mastering it, so I'll bet you get it down in a week and master it completely in two." Jack stated, showing his unwavering confidence in his son's skills at magic. 

"Thanks dad!" Aidan gratefully and excitedly said, since he had been nagging his dad to teach him how to apparate since he was six. 

"Now go and start studying those books I got you, you'll need them." Jack told Aidan, more seriously. "Trust me, any help at sailing through the political world will be good for you." 

*

Two days had passed, and Aidan was sitting in his room, holding his nose bridge in exasperation. An entire afternoon is how much Aidan had dedicated to reading a book he already loathed. It was titled 'The Laws of Magical Nobility' and the teenager could only call the things he was reading archaic. And that was him trying to be nice about it. Some of the laws were as outdated as could be, which was weird considering how much the English Wizarding World had evolved in the last two decades. The worst part was that it was a new edition, 2020. 

One of the laws he read, the so called 'Right of Lordly Judgement', stated that a Lord may preside over disputes involving members of their House or vassals, acting with limited judicial authority. Did that mean that, within places owned by House Haimadros, Aidan could act as judge? That law seemed to come straight out of feudalism, which had disappeared completely by the end of the eighteenth century! 

Then there was the fact that since his was one of the Most Ancient and Noble houses, he now held a seat in the Wizengamot, the ruling body of the English magical community. It was the body in charge of presiding new laws, revising old laws, and even acting as jury when a crime was big enough to be brought to the Wizengamot. All of this because of the stupid 'Seat Obligation', which made it so that Lords of Most Ancient and Noble Houses were required to maintain a seat in the Wizengamot unless declared magically unfit.

The laws were terrifying, but they weren't even the worst part. The worst was the etiquette. Since in reality there weren't many laws pertaining to Magical Nobility, Aidan only took a day to read the book. Then he moved on to... that thing. 'Proper Etiquette for Young Wizarding Lords'. The book itself looked ancient in spite of also being a new edition.

According to the book, there was a proper robe conduct, greeting rituals, an entire dinner seating protocol, a proper way of wearing his Ring of Lordship. It all felt too much. Aidan knew that becoming Lord of House Haimadros was not going to be easy, but he had not expected the amount of responsibilities he would have to shoulder and the expectations that magical society would have of him just because of his new title. 

To Aidan, it all felt like ramblings of an old man, as if his great-great-great-grandfather was trying to teach him manners. That was the moment Aidan realised that, while bigotry was no longer a problem, and society had advanced in many forms, its ruling body remained in the medieval ages. And now he was part of that ruling body. 

"Maybe, just maybe... I could make a difference." Aidan muttered to himself, thinking of possible things he could do. "But I'm too green, they would never listen to me." 

One thing was certain. Aidan would not become a Lord as described in the books. He would not hide behind a mask of calculated perfection. He would not become a tyrant bathed in given power. He would remain Aidan, a boy who thought for himself, who had core values he would not betray, and who had things much more important to do than play politics with self-important fools. 

Like learning how to apparate, for example.

*

To Aidan, apparating came as naturally as breathing. It was a wandless, incantation-less piece of magic, guided purely through intent. That he was grateful for, since Ollivander still had not gotten back to him about the core he needed for his wand.

For an entire week, Aidan balanced his studying, apparition practice, and reading "Memories of the Haimadros, 1507 Edition". He had learned many things in that week. He had memorised half the laws that existed pertaining to Most Ancient and Noble Houses, had managed to shock Ivy by his sudden show of 'proper noble etiquette' —which he loathed doing—, and had learned of how the Haimadros had lived a nomadic life until they reached England. 

Apparently, his ancestors had learned in Uagadou, becoming proficient in the rituals of the Animagi; in Mahoutokoro, where they learned of magic dueling were it was taken most seriously. They had even been at Durmstrang for a short while, where they kept to themselves due to the northerners' fascination for the Dark Arts —the Haimadros would never allow their magic to be corrupted. 

"Son, you should focus." Jack told Aidan when he noticed his son was lost in his own world. "Apparating requires your complete focus." 

"I know, sorry dad." Aidan apologised quickly. The fact-of-the-matter was that Aidan had pretty much mastered apparating already, but he just needed to get it down to a hundred percent accuracy. "Where to now?" 

"Borgin & Burkes, straight back here in at most five seconds." Jack gave Aidan his destination and set a timer on his phone. "Go."

With the command given, Aidan willed his magic to stretch, pulling him from where he was, in his house's backyard, to the entrance of Borgin & Burkes in Diagon Alley. Of course, Jack was going with him to make sure he got there safely, but he was leaving the apparating entirely to Aidan.

Aidan felt himself being pulled through his magic and appeared in the entrance of the store he had been focusing on. Without giving himself time to gloat, he immediately focused on his backyard and once again felt his body being pulled. Then he was back home. A breath later, Jack appeared. 

"I barely managed to see you in Diagon Alley." Jack said, his face showing a proud smile. "I can say, while slightly infuriating, that you are better at apparating than I am." 

"Thanks, dad." Aidan answered coolly, trying to not let it get to his head. "I had a good teacher." 

"The best, you rascal." His father grumbled. "How are your studies going?" 

"Ignoring the fact that the laws are archaic and the etiquette is simply pointless, they are going good." Aidan answered sardonically. "I already memorised most of the laws, I'm missing the less important ones and, as you saw last night, I'm pretty good at playing the proper young lord." 

"I know you don't like this Aidan, but it's necessary." Jack commented in resignation. "I don't like you having to do this either, but let me remind, it was your decision. And your mother and I promised to support you, which is why you are reading those books." 

Aidan looked away, guilt flickering behind his eyes. It had been his decision. But he hadn't known how hard being a Lord would be.

"I know dad... I just wish the world was simpler, more honest." Aidan said crestfallen, his gaze dropping to the floor. Suddenly, their moment was interrupted by the rustling of wings. Aidan's face brightened immediately. After a week, he was receiving news.