“Now! Don’t get disappointed by your useless talent, not everyone can be me.

While my master thinks he invented a new branch of mind arts- Ha! Imagine me beating my master at something he created.

The old man’s face was hilarious as I… – anyway not important, let’s return to the topic at hand.

I don’t agree that my master created a new branch as he just found a balance between Occlumency and Legilimency. It doesn’t matter if the balance birthed new effects that are a mix of both the prime mental magics.”

And then the narcissist who doesn’t think there are people better than him monologues on how his master didn’t invent a new branch of mind magic.

If you think of your mind as a fishbowl- the water and bowl being your mind, the fish your thoughts. Occlumency helps you in controlling the fish, while in the later stages, it gives you little power over the water and bowl, Occlumency is always about the fish.

Legilimency concerns itself with peeking at another’s bowl and shaking it to let pebbles and dust- memories- that lay at the bottom of the bowl rise.

The new branch of mind magic is about controlling one’s water, and fish in the other bowls.

“While my master luckily stumbled upon the idea to start a new branch, it is I who made it into a new branch.

Now, don’t be jealous my descendant. Not everyone can be as great as me, creating new fields of magic out of nowhere. While my master was content on letting me just blaze through the stages of Cogilumens- the art of bending Senses. I took it upon myself to create a spell to upgrade my branch from the other prime mental magics, a spell that can only be used by our branch users due to the strain it causes to one’s mind.

Yes, the spell is going to be your reward. Choose wisely.

………………

Leon’s breath hitched as he read about the new, secret, branch of mind magic. As he was about to turn the page and see the spell, the tempus spell hovering on his side caught his eye.

‘11:40! Let’s go!’ Eyeing the book for one last time, Leon grabbed a bag that contained his second e-item and ran out.

The Hufflepuffs having retired for the day, the common room was deserted and covered in dim light. Leon wore his bag on his back and stepped towards the common room exit.

“Where are you going, Leon?”

Susan’s anguished voice broke the silence in the common room as she watched her friend trying to break the curfew. The Hufflepuff was sitting in a corner near the boy’s dorm, a table hid her from the gaze of anyone who left the boy's dorm.

………

(Susan POV)

Looking at the back of the boy who had somehow wormed his way into her and Hannah’s hearts with his relentless, often self-destructive determination, and with eyes that turned to stars at the sight of anything magical, Susan felt her heart tighten with a mix of anxiety and worry.

Susan was just here to catch him in his act and maybe give him an earful before going back to her bed. But looking at the way he walked, the confidence and purpose in his steps, as he ventured into dark corridors, evoked something in her.

‘I can’t lose my friend, I just can’t.’

Flashes of painful memories she didn’t remember flashed through her mind as the scene in front of her overlapped with one from her past.

“Susie! You will spend tonight with your aunt, be a good girl, alright.” Her mother kneeled in front of her, her voice filled with love and warmth just like always.

There wasn’t any indication of the tragedy that was going to tear the young girl’s life apart.

The memories rolled in Susan’s mind, unstoppable but incoherent.

As Susan was playing hide and seek with her aunt’s house elf, her parents and aunt barged into the room she was hiding in.

“This is madness Greg, why do you want to throw your and your wife’s life away? You have a daughter for Merlin’s sake, think about her.” Her aunt pleaded with her father.

Susan was taken aback; her aunt didn’t sound like that. Her aunt was warm, protective, and strict. Susan couldn’t believe how her aunt’s voice could be so .. des..per..ate.

As the two struggled to understand them, the adults continued talking.

“We are doing this for our daughter too. I don’t want her to grow up in a world with death eaters roaming free.”

“And don’t presume I am just following your brother’s idea. I think this is right too.” Her mother chided her aunt.

“You! There are better ways! Breaking rules, and vigilantism will lead to no good. Rules are there to protect the innocent and wea-”

“Sister, I know we aren’t Sorcerers like you. But I think we can still make a difference.”

“Yes! You can make a great difference by being alive and being a parent to your daughter. It’s 100 times more impactful than whatever you can do roaming the streets bare, not even wearing a single escape artifact.”

“Amelia! You know artifacts would make us targets. If we are not welcome here, we can take our daughter somewhere else.” Her mother's voice was cold, absent of warmth Susan was familiar with.

“Then wait 2 more months, you guys can break the curfew, start battling in the streets, anything, after two months. I will get you artifacts that can’t be perceived by a Sorcerer. Just, wait for two more months.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“I am sorry, my little sister. We are late to the game already. I think your big brother can weather through any surprises they throw.” Her father ruefully smiled.

“We will collect Susan tomorrow, spend some time with your niece, and trust your big brother, he can take care of himself.”

Susan climbed out of the closet after the adults left the room, her young brain not grasping the byplay.

The next morning, somberness filled her aunt’s mansion. Her aunt’s auror friends were dropping by and hugging her aunt.

She could hear the murmurs from her aunt’s friends who huddled in the corners.

“They broke rules and weren’t powerful enough to bear the consequences.”

“They should have listened to Madam Bones.”

The adults patted her head as she passed them and walked towards her aunt.

“Auntie! When will Mom and Dad be back?”

Her aunt hugged her.

“They were bad. They broke curfew, so they are grounded for some time.”

“What’s a curfew?” Susan asked innocently.

“It’s a rule to not roam outside at night. They broke that rule.” Her aunt hiccuped.

Susan was confused, why was her aunt crying? She didn’t think her aunt could cry. It was not like her aunt.

‘Mom and Dad shouldn’t have broken the rules. They made aunt cry.’

When Susan became older and realized her parents were never coming back something in her broke. It didn’t matter to her that her parents were defending an orphanage in London.

An orphanage which they made their battleground as they brought their battle near it thinking it was abandoned- a rookie mistake.

Her parents breaking a single curfew for the first time changed her life.

Susan wasn’t dumb she noticed Rose contacting Leon and the last time they met, they visited a 7-X creature, not caring about the warnings of the headmaster.

“Where are you going, Leon?” she asked, her past emotions coursing through her mind shattering her rationality.

The memories she had forgotten resonated with the present, making her irrational.

……

‘Damn! What is she doing here?’ Leon checked the common room before turning towards her.

‘She looks worried…. I should have tried to know more about her worrying degree of aversion rule breaking and risks.’ While Leon did notice her weird fixation with rules, he just thought it had something to do with having an aunt in law enforcement.

“Just going for a late-night walk. What are you doing here?”

Susan ignored his question as her breathing picked up.

“It’s curfew outside. You can’t break a curfew.” Her voice was loud and shaky as she confronted him.

“Follow me!” Leon gestured to Susan and ran deep inside the first year’s dorm, not wanting prefects or older students to stumble across them to check on the commotion.

He led his friend away from the stairs that led to dorms of older students, bringing her near to his room.

“Susan, what were you doing in the common room? Were you waiting for me?” Leon didn’t know how to talk to her, she looked so fragile with her body shivering and tearful eyes.

“Answer me! Why are you breaking the curfew, Leon? What’s so important?”

“Susan, we can talk tomorrow. Let me escort you to your dorm. Or wait here I will get Hannah, you are not looking good.” Worry started to creep into his mind.

“Answer me! Where are you going?” Susan yelled.

“Kitchen, Kitchen! I was hungry.” Leon felt bad about lying but he didn’t think she was going to take the news that he was going to meet Fluffy well, he still remembers her nearly crying last time.

“Lies! Lies!” She took deep breaths.

“It doesn’t matter! You aren’t going anywhere.” Suddenly her demeanor changed, her body stopped shaking as she took out her wand.

“Su-”

Leon jumped away from a red bolt of magic.

‘Damn! No complex wand movements or a whisper. It seems I am not only the one practicing my butt off.’

“Susan-”

Leon ducked from another spell and rolled on the ground. She was picking up speed, getting her emotions and mind under control.

‘She doesn’t look so fragile anymore.’ Leon wrestled with his thoughts before quickly deciding.

With a twirl of his wand, two large orbs of light covered the hallway in light.

Instead of burning his friend’s retina, Leon went with a simpler method. With his spell, he essentially pointed a floodlight towards her.

She can’t see him anymore, just like how people on stage can’t see the audience due to light.

Two spells sailed towards the starting position of the orbs, missing the orbs by inches.

‘Damn! She wants to cancel my spell by clashing it with another spell. She is clever but that is still a rookie tactic.’

Whatever spells Leon practices for battles, he made sure to fully explore them and prepare for every scenario, it was fun and didn’t make his practice boring.

So, he prepared for every scenario he could think of. So, unfortunately for Susan, he pushed the orbs away from their previous position as soon as they appeared. After all, it was the spells only weakness a first-year could use against him.

“Nox! Nox!” He could hear her whisper; she changed her strategy. Or one could be a stubborn git and try to wrestle control of the spell from him.

“Susan, enough! Stop trying to control my spells.”

Sadly, his friend wasn’t in the mood to talk.

Leon ignored the external tug on the connection he had with the spell as the sound of doors opening filled the hallway.

‘Shit! I forgot about the students.’

“What’s with this light?” A voice whined before a spell followed.

“Numra!”

The light in the hallway suddenly got sucked into three floating orbs of darkness.

Leon could see Smith, Justin, and Ernie looking at the scene, dumbfounded.

“Smith, Ernie, support me, help me catch him,” Susan ordered, her earlier emotions fully absent, now she talked like a captain ordering her squad.

Smith quickly took out his wand and Ernie belatedly followed. Justin, the lone muggle-born and Ernie’s friend, too took out his after he got nudged by Ernie.

“Leon go back to your room, we will talk tomorrow. You can’t defeat us all.” Susan commanded her eyes boring holes into his face.

“Guys! Do you really want to do this?” Leon asked his year mates one last time, things were getting out of hand and he didn’t like being pushed around and ignored even by the ones he would consider his friends.

Ernie and Justin shrugged as Smith smirked at him.

“Well! It's incomplete, but I guess I can test it on a couple of first years.” Leon mumbled.

“Leon, NOW!”

“Jeez! What makes you think I can’t take all of you?” Leon asked with a smile, deciding to enjoy the situation a little. Grudgingly accepting that he couldn’t de-escalate the situation without bowing down.

Before anyone could react, Smith fired a red bolt of light.

‘Silent casting and same spell, are all purebloods required to master this spell? For safety?’

Leon didn’t even look at the bolt of red light as he incanted a spell.

Just when the bolt was going to hit him, a whip cracked before the spell fizzled out.

A thick rope emerged from his backpack and protectively snaked around Leon.

Platinum streaks darted the rope like a magical tattoo. It swirled around Leon like a dragon protecting its hoard from flies, uncaring and arrogant.

The first years snapped out of shock and peppered Leon with more spells, this time everyone participated.

Once again, the sound of whips cracking rang out before the hallway was devoid of the spells.

A total of four ropes were hovering from either side of Leon like they were his arms, surprising the first years again. They lazily swirled around him but unlike the first rope, they looked normal.

The three pure bloods incanted a spell before firing, each targeting a rope.

The area where the spells impacted sizzled, the rope melting like butter.

‘This is why it is incomplete. I only enchanted a single rope with the nobleness (inertness) of platinum. And that took the finger-sized bar Flitwick gave as an initiation gift, and this e-item is supposed to be an auxiliary item, not a defensive one.’ Leon sighed but continued waving his wand.

While students get three bars of their chosen metal, they can’t be platinum or gold. Leon exchanged the extra three large metals for a smaller piece of platinum. Professor Flitwick approved too, as he knows House Astraeus is wealthy.

……………….

(Smith’s POV)

The four rope arms blurred around the upstart, batting away spells even as they got damaged.

After a couple of seconds, all his ropes were on the floor- cut down and melted.

Smith didn’t hesitate to take advantage of it.

“You are going down, Leon,” Smith whispered as his spell impacted the boy.

Leon crumpled like a bag of potatoes making Smith let out an arrogant smirk and walk towards him.