The Great Hall welcomed its students with warmth and grandeur, casting a golden glow over the arriving crowd beneath a ceiling that mirrored the winter twilight. The floating candles hovered overhead, lighting the long tables now filling with laughter and the familiar hum of conversation.
Elias Blackthorn stepped into the hall alongside Daphne Greengrass and Draco Malfoy. His stride was calm, measured, and deliberate—his eyes, however, flickered toward the dais where the staff table loomed.
Albus Dumbledore sat in the center, surrounded by the usual coterie of professors. Though the old wizard's expression was as genial as ever, a thoughtful shadow rested behind his twinkling eyes as he watched the returning students pour in. His gaze eventually settled on one in particular.
Strange, Dumbledore thought, tapping a long finger idly against the armrest of his chair. Young Elias had felt... different, earlier in the year. Now... he feels nearly ordinary. Suppressed. Balanced.
The Headmaster studied the boy with quiet intensity.
He's shielding something.
Across the room, Elias's magical core was tucked beneath the enchantments of the obsidian-black ring his father had gifted him—a powerful heirloom designed to suppress his outward magical signature. Though his strength had grown immensely over the holiday—after a ritual that had strengthened his core to a level equal to Hogwarts graduates—none could sense it now.
To Dumbledore, the boy's aura appeared calm and unremarkable. He was like any other first-year. Perhaps a bit too calm, but then, some children were simply quiet.
Or taught to be quiet, Dumbledore mused. But why the change?
At the Slytherin table, Elias took his seat with quiet dignity. Daphne settled beside him, brushing a stray curl back from her cheek before reaching for a pitcher of pumpkin juice.
"Feels good to be back," she said, her tone light. "Strangely enough, I missed the castle."
Elias offered a nod. "There's a rhythm to this place. It's hard to ignore once you've felt it."
Daphne gave him a sidelong glance, her pale eyes thoughtful. "You're the same as ever. Calm. Unshaken. Even after the break."
Elias arched a brow, careful to maintain his façade. "Should I have returned in pieces?"
"No," she said with a chuckle. "Just… many students come back from Christmas flushed with stories, drama, and something they're dying to share. You look like you've done nothing but read and sleep."
He smiled faintly. "Close enough."
And train in secret rituals that cost more than a Gringotts vault, he thought to himself.
The Great Hall echoed with chatter. Gryffindors were louder than ever, Ravenclaws compared books, and Hufflepuffs seemed delighted just to see one another again.
Draco, seated across the table, was deep in conversation with Blaise Zabini about Christmas gifts. Crabbe and Goyle were already eyeing the food. Nothing had changed on the surface.
And that was just how Elias preferred it.
The feast began as Dumbledore stood to welcome everyone back.
"May the new term bring you knowledge, kindness, and—hopefully—a little less hallway dueling," the Headmaster said, earning a chuckle from the older years.
As the food appeared, plates piled high with roasted meats, vegetables, and puddings, Elias kept his movements smooth and unhurried. Despite his increased strength, he moved with the grace of someone who held back, who had no desire to stand out.
He had learned quickly that power hidden was power protected.
Daphne leaned in a little as she cut into a slice of roast chicken. "Draco's bragging about a display case for his broom. Very him. You?"
"Books," Elias replied. "And other things."
She paused, studying him.
"Your magic… feels a little different," she said slowly. "Not stronger or weaker. Just… smoother."
Elias sipped his water. "Maybe I've grown into it."
Daphne nodded, apparently satisfied. "Growth suits you. But keep your pace. No one likes a first-year who acts like a seventh-year."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Besides," she added, "power without direction is just noise. Focus matters more."
It was a simple observation—but not a naive one.
Elias glanced at her. "You sound like someone's grandmother."
"I read a lot," she said with a teasing smirk. "And I've watched people."
So have I, Elias thought, his mind drifting back to the silent nights during the break where magic swirled around him like a living entity. When he had been still, sitting in the ritual circle his father helped him build, feeling his core stretch and grow under pressure.
The concealment ring now hid the storm beneath.
Even Dumbledore, powerful as he was, hadn't seen through it.
But Elias knew… the old wizard suspected.
Dumbledore's eyes flicked again to Elias during dessert—a soft gaze, almost absentminded, but too perfectly timed to be a coincidence.
Across the table, Draco was telling Pansy Parkinson about his holiday in Wiltshire. Daphne leaned back, finishing her dessert with a content sigh. No one else noticed anything out of the ordinary.
The feast came to an end slowly, and Dumbledore stood once again. "To bed, dear students. Let the castle cradle you as winter lingers."
The candles dimmed slightly, and the prefects rose to lead their houses out. Elias stood as well, folding his napkin with precision and following alongside Daphne.
"Tell me," she said in a low voice as they exited the hall, "do you ever just… relax?"
Elias smiled. "You've mistaken me for someone more restless."
They turned into a side corridor, heading toward the dungeons.
"Just be careful," she said, her tone more serious now. "Hogwarts has a way of noticing those who try too hard to stay hidden. And I don't mean the professors."
"I'm not hiding," Elias said calmly. "Only walking at my pace."
Daphne didn't press further. She only nodded, her long hair brushing her shoulders as they moved past a suit of armor that gave a lazy salute.
Below, the dungeons were cool and quiet. The torches flickered gently as the Slytherins descended into their common room. Elias took a breath as he stepped through the stone archway and into the warmth of the emerald-lit chamber.
He had returned.
Stronger. Wiser. Shielded.