Dumbledore smiled kindly, his eyes twinkling. “They prefer to remain anonymous. But rest assured, they think highly of you. This gift was given with sincere goodwill.”

  Alex stayed silent, taking in the kindness and meaning behind the gift. Holding both the silver medal and the potion, he felt a mix of pride and growing curiosity. He sehat the mystery of this friend might never be solved, yet the thought of it warmed his mind.

  “Thank you, Professor, and please thank this mysterious friend for me,” he said, nodding with gratitude.

  Dumbledore smiled, pleased that Alex accepted the gift without hesitation. “I’ll pass on your thanks. By the way, the Potters and Sirius were asking about you retly. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to stay in my office as much as I’d like, with all the letters, meetings, and wainst the Dark Lord. Is there anything you’d like me to tell them?”

  Alex thought for a moment, realizing it had been a while since he’d spoken with his friends. “Could you remind Sirius to keep that room I anized and tidy? Ahe Potters I’m doing well and grateful for the gifts they sent. And… if you could, remind them to stay careful. I worry the Death Eaters may still target them.”

  In the back of his mind, Alex wondered if his presence had ged the timeline. He khat, inally, the Potters had met a tragic fate, but he hoped Dumbledore’s help would protect them this time.

  Dumbledore raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. “What makes you think the Potters might be a target?”

  Alex replied, “During the Christmas attack, some Death Eaters ighe main battle to focus on Lily and Alice. One even took a Madness Potion to increase their aggression. If their only goal was to win the fight, they’d have used the potion on the main battlefield. I think they were specifically after Lily or Alice.”

  Dumbledore nodded, impressed by Alex’s insight. “You’ve thought this through well. Rest assured, I’ll do everything I to keep them safe.”

  Hearing Dumbledore’s promise, Alex felt his worry ease a bit. He said goodbye ahe office, heading back to the cozy hut by the Forbidden Forest.

  After he left, a portrait on the wall spoke up. “Quite a clever young wizard, Albus. And a Slytherin, no less.”

  Dumbledore houghtfully. “Indeed, Phineas. But, iingly, this Slytherin is Muggle-born.”

  Phineas scowled from his frame. "Impossible! Slytherin would never accept a Muggle-born. There must be noble blood somewhere in his family line."

  Another portrait joined in, chug with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Oh, Phineas, I remember a Muggle-born Slytherin from my own time. Rare, yes, but irely unheard of."

  "Silence, Dexter! Don’t tarnish Slytherin’s reputation," Phineas snapped, gring sharply at his neighbor. He seemed genuinely ruffled, his painted features pulling into a frown as he crossed his arms.

  Dumbledore, watg the lively exge, leaned ba his chair with a quiet smile. He reached into a nearby bowl, popping a dy into his mouth, sav the moment. The sounds of the portraits’ pyful bickering filled the room—a refreshing, rare burst of humor amid the usual stress and seriousness of his office. The other portraits leaned in to listen, adding their own murmurs and nods, as the office buzzed with a familiar, f energy that softehe troubles lurking outside its walls.

  As wiur, Hogwarts was buzzing with excitement. Alex’s days were filled not only with studies and spells but also with helping Hagrid in the vegetable garden by their hut. Alex had enced Hagrid to get a variety of seedlings, and together, they turhe small plot into a thriving garden.

  With Easter break ing up, Alex wrote to Sirius and Lily, hoping to spend time with them during the holiday. However, ers came back from the Potters. It seemed the owls couldn’t find their address, and Alex himself couldn’t clearly remember where they lived—a straail that made him suspicious.

  Luckily, Sirius replied, although he mentioned he’d be busy over Easter. He warned Alex that his old home was no longer safe, suggesting Alex stay at Hogwarts instead.

  When Alex asked about Lily, Sirius assured him the Potters were safely hidden somewhere no one could find. It dawned ohat Dumbledore may have used strong protective magic, maybe even the Fidelius Charm, to hide the Potters, causing both their address and his own memory of it to blur.

  Deg to stay at Hogwarts for the break, Alex began pnning his time. “I’ll have a good stretch of uninterrupted days,” he thought. “I’m getting close to mastering Occlumency. With more time, I fiuhe spells I’ve been w on and maybe even make progress on the Spell Club research topics.”

  I club meetings, he’d been watg Senior Quirrell’s work on the Amplifying Spell. Quirrell had made big strides, creating a spell that increased sound proje. The spell could even direct sound to a specific spot—a remarkable feat.

  But, as Alex expected, the intation was so long that it was nearly impossible to say in one breath, making it hard to use practically.

  With so much to work on, Alex felt his time at Hogwarts would be well spent. As he prepared for the break, he felt that each day brought him closer to unlog his hidden potential and to unc the mysteries of the wizarding world around him.

  As new spells are developed, simplifying them for everyday use take years, sometimes even geions. For a spell to bee widely used, it ofteo gh adjustments to make it accessible to more wizards.

  Vanessa, a skilled student, made progress on ara spell. She created a teique that improves spell accuracy, which Alex calls “precision trol.” This skill requires a strong sense of magid is usually only achievable by senior students in the spell club.

  Alex saw its value, thinking it could improve other spells. His mastery of this skill helped him level up his floating spell, allowing him to reach the Transdent Domain. He chose this research topiagic spells: “Development ideas and uses for sound-based magic spells.”