Chapter - 2.3

"That weird thing is called magic. And yes, you will need to learn it. I followed you all day today, and from what I can see, you have the aptitude to use magic." The man said as he waved the stick in his hand, and a chair popped up out of nowhere. The man sat, ready to explain.

"Me? I haven't learnt anything of that sort. Never, ever." Alexander smiled as he shook his head.

"When you were at the bakery this morning, did something unexpected happen?" The man, counter-questioned Alexander.

"Not that I know of," Alexander denied having remembered anything.

"Don't you remember the furnace burst on your face, and the coal flew towards you?" The man told Alexander, "But you were not hurt in the slightest. How is that possible? Did you not think about it?" The man asked.

"Wasn't I just lucky?" Alex frowned as he made his point, "Do missing a few coal pieces grant someone magical powers?"

"Then what about when you were on your way to where your sister was. At that bar, weren't you angry when you saw those boys tease that girl? How did all the bottles in their hands burst together?" The man pointed out another incident.

"Wasn't it just another..." Alex was confused and at a loss of words.

"Nothing that happened was a coincidence. The only coincidence was you being there. Both of these incidents were unintentionally caused by you," the man interrupted, "When a wizard grows, many unexpected events occur around him. It's all because of the unconscious use of magic which they cannot control. Then some wizards keep tabs on such kids and try to keep the damage caused by them, if any, to a bare minimum. It is to make sure that the existence of wizards is not exposed to muggles... Those who cannot use magic."

"Does this mean you are going to monitor me?"

"No," the man shook his head, "There is a separate ministry for that. But even they can't keep track of everyone. So, usually, after someone has used magic a good number of times, is he identified and monitored by the ministry. It's a complicated thing, something you don't need to think about."

"So that's how it is," Alexander finally had a bit of clarity.

"We are not supposed to meddle with those kids until they turn fourteen. But due to your situation, I made a decision. I don't know if I am going to regret it later or not. But since I can use you, I don't need to think much about it. But let me warn you... You should not tell anyone about me or the arrangement between us," the man warned Alexander.

"Yes, master," Alexander said as he slowly got up.

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"From now on, until you turn fourteen, all you need to do is hone your skills." The man told Alexander.

Alexander nodded, hearing the man.

"Here, take these books. Before I start teaching you, you need to understand and know more about the wizarding world," the man said, and a few books dropped on the ground from thin air.

"I don't know when I will come back to see you. So just try going through these books," the man said and got up from the chair. And as soon as he did, the chair was gone. But this time, Alexander was able to see what happened. Instead of the chair, there was a large piece of rock on the ground.

But as he turned back to leave, the man stopped and looked back.

"What is that you want? With all the power that I can give you, is there something you want to achieve?" The man asked.

On hearing the man, Alexander's carefree attitude slowly left his face, and rage filled his eyes. Slowly, Alexander looked up, straight into the man's eyes and spoke with a dead serious face, "This world... I want this whole damn world before I crush it... With my own two hands."

This took the man by surprise, but he quickly overcame it. Nodding towards Alexander, the man warped within a cloud of black smoke, leaving Alexander behind.

Alexander stood there for a while, before carrying those heavy books with him back to the orphanage. When he reached the orphanage, a nun was waiting for him outside. She guided him towards the room his sister was resting in. Inside the room, his sister was sleeping soundly with a wet towel over her head.

"You haven't eaten anything, right? There is some food on the table. Have it before you sleep. And if there is anything you need, I am in the next room," the nurse told Alexander as she pointed at the wall.

"Hmmm..." Acknowledging what the nun said, Alexander nodded as he put the books in his hands on the bedside table and proceeded to check his sister's temperature.

When the nun saw Alexander busy himself, she left the room. Alexander, after the nun left, grabbed the food and, pulling the chair, sat beside his sister. Being famished for so long, Alexander quickly finished his food and then turned toward the books he got from the man.

The first book was 'A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot'. The second was 'Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century,' and the others were 'Hogwarts: A History' and 'Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century'.

To cover his basics, Alexander started with the first book 'A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot.' As he engrossed himself in reading the book, he did not forget about taking care of his sister. He would regularly change the towel, and in this process, soon it was dawn.

The nun from the previous night came in the early morning to check on them only to find the boy sitting on the chair with a book in one hand while he changed the wet towel on his sister's forehead. The nun left some change of clothes for them and later also brought some food.

When his sister finally opened her eyes, she was surprised to find herself on a bed. The roof was unfamiliar, and at that moment, terrible thoughts erupted in his head. Scared for her brother, she suddenly sat straight only to find her brother sitting beside her, reading a book that looked rather old. Also, at that moment, the wet towel on her forehead slipped and covered her eyes.

When Alexander found his sister looking at him in panic, he put the book he had in his hand on the side and held his sister by her shoulder as he pushed her back to the bed, "It's alright. We are safe. From today, we are going to stay here, in this orphanage."

"Really, brother," Alexander's sister looked at her brother with hopeful eyes.

"Hmm..." Alexander nodded, "Everything is going to be okay now."

"Why don't you lie down and rest. You had a very high fever last night," Alexander told his sister and tucked her back in bed.

But as they were talking, a commotion erupted outside. Alexander leaving his sister to rest went out of the room. Outside, a few trucks were parked outside, and some people were busy unloading them. Seeing this, Alexander remembered how the man promised to take care of the orphanage for them.

This was the first meeting Alexander had with the man. From then, the man would visit him once every month or two. And every time he visited, the man would bring with him a couple of other books for Alexander to read. And every time Alexander thought it could not be any weirder, there was some book that would spin his head.

There would be books on Charms, plants, some shady cocktails of chemicals and animals, and even the shady fortune-telling. Alexander did not know how this was useful in guiding him in the ways of wizardry, but he read it all.

This lasted for about four years. Until Alexander had everything memorized in the back of his head. And after that came the real deal. For the next three years, the man would send him to different places with only a map to go with, to hunt beasts and gather herbs. In return, the man continued to provide for the orphanage, and Alexander got the royal treatment.

But now, it was all coming to an end. There was this one last thing Alex had to do, and after that, he could lead his life in peace, taking care of his sister. It has already been seven years. Another few years were nothing to him.

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