Kachak!

Sol opened the front door and entered. His parents knew he was coming home today so they kept the door open. With a smile, he said, "I'm home!"

Thump! Thump!

Sounds of rushed footsteps came from the kitchen. His mother's figure appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. She rushed towards Sol and hugged him. With a peck to the cheek, she smiled, "Welcome home!"

"Where's Faye?" Sol looked around but didn't see his sister who should be approaching her third birthday.

"She's sleeping in her room. Don't wake her up," his mother warned.

"I know, I know. So, how have you been?" Sol took a seat on the sofa.

His mother raised an eyebrow, "We should be asking you that! Well, nothing happened."

"That's good! A peaceful life is the best!" Sol nodded.

"Haha!" His mother chuckled, "Is that so? Quite the peaceful life you're living!"

Black lines streaked across Sol's face, "It's not my fault! I want to be low profile but the school just doesn't let me."

"So, what calamity did you cause this time? I've heard tidbits but it'll be better to hear it straight from the horse's mouth?"

Sol massaged his temples before recounting the events from the opening of the Chamber of Secrets till now. As he told his story, his mother's face revealed various expressions. Intrigue, sorrow, rage, shock, etc. could be seen surfacing on her face.

After Sol was done, he snuck a peek at his mother's face only to see her looking at him with a scary smile on her face.

"Sol Balor!" Sol's face paled, Oh Christ, she used my full name!. He hurriedly jumped from the sofa and took cover behind it as he tried to pacify her, "M-Mom, I don't think I've done a-anything wrong. No need to get angry."

However, his attempts only added oil to a raging fire. His mother spoke with suppressed fury in her tone, " Haven't done anything wrong? Good! Very good! It seems your guts have grown big enough that you even dare to rush into a Basilisk nest!"

"N-No, I didn't rush in. I had to save the boy. I had no-"

"Shut it!" His mother cut him off, "Think of yourself first! You're only 13 years old. Just where did you find the confidence in battling something even the Headmaster would need to think twice about battling?"

"I..." Sol shifted his gaze towards the floor with a guilty look on his face.

Seeing her son's attitude, her heart softened, "You need to think things through first. What if you had lost your life?" There was no use berating him over things that happened. She would only ask him to be careful in the future. And she wouldn't start crying just to get her point through. "Well, at least now I know you are a Gryffindor."

"What do you mean by that? I've always been one."

"Well, you didn't act like one. But now I see you like to rush headfirst into death just like them."

"I...uh..." Sol didn't have a retort to that. "I don't think I'll be leaving after Easter ends," Sol swiftly changed the subject and sat back on the sofa.

"Yeah, I got that," his mother nodded, "With all that's happened, it'd be a miracle if they did ask you to come in."

"The Ministry seems to be really incompetent, doesn't it? I mean just how hard is it to find a 60-foot long snake?" Sol shook his head.

"If they don't catch it within Easter, it seems they'll close the school down for the year. It's been almost 50 years since the school last closed like this."

"Huh?" Sol looked at his mother with a questioning gaze, "Why haven't I- wait!" Sol suddenly connected the dots. "Was that related to Moaning Myrtle?"

"Oh?" His mother looked surprised, "You know her?"

"I do. She died 50 years ago, didn't she?"

"Yeah," she nodded her head. "Did Myrtle tell you?"

"She did."

His mother raised an eyebrow, "It seems my son's charms have extended to ghosts as well!"

"Please, keep me out of relationships like these. I'll have someone when I graduate."

"Are you celibate?"

"Wha-" Sol choked on his saliva, "Just because I don't want to get a girlfriend now, you label me as a celibate?"

"There are so many pretty girls in your year like that Cho Chang or your friend Katie."

"No, I-"

His mother didn't let him finish, "If you don't like them, you can set your eyes on your juniors or seniors."

"Please, stop!" Sol folded his hands in resignation, "Why do you feel the need to play matchmaker for your thirteen-year-old kid?"

"Oh, right!" His mother rapped her own head.

"You-" looking at his mother's expression which seemed to say 'teehee', Sol felt incredibly stifled.

"Enough! I'm going to my room now," saying so, he got up and went upstairs. Opening the door to his room, he took out the luggage he had shrunk out of his pockets. They looked like miniature models of the real thing. He threw them on the ground and they instantly grew back to their original size after Sol retracted his magic from them. After taking out his luggage, he fell onto his bed with a pomph!

Looking at the ceiling, he raised his right arm and pulled his sleeves back. Around his smooth, white skin, Iris was wrapped. Feeling the sleeve above her disappear, she opened her yellow eyes and looked around. Seeing the new environment, she seemed confused before looking at Sol.

Sol smiled faintly, "This is my home and by extension, yours. For now, you don't have a place of your own, so keep yourself wrapped around my arm. I'll get an aquarium as soon as I can. You can roam around my room now but don't let the others see you."

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Iris digested the information before nodding gleefully. She unwrapped herself and slithered down Sol's arm and the bed. After relaying instructions to Iris, he closed his eyes wanting to take a quick nap.

Knock! Knock!

After a few minutes, he heard a weak knock on his door. Sighing, he got up and walked up to his door. Opening it, he saw a figure at knee height looking at him. She had a plush bunny in her embrace as she looked at him with her big, watery eyes. Looking at her groggy state, it seemed that she woke up just now.

Her eyes curved into crescent moons as she looked at Sol and hugged his legs, "(Brother!)Bwuder!"[1]

-10000 Cuteness Damage!

"Faye!" Sol laughed and picked his sister up. "Did you miss me?"

She nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.

"Don't worry," he pinched her cheeks, "I'll stay for longer this time."

"(Stay for longer?)Stway fow longa?" Faye blinked.

"That means I get to play more with you!"

"Yay!" with that exclamation of joy, she thrust the plush bunny at Sol's face, "Make Mr. Hopps (dance)dwance!"

"Okay, let's go!" closing the door behind him, Sol went downstairs with Faye in his arms. In the living room, he saw his mother watching TV on the sofa. Looking at the siblings, his mother chuckled, "It seems Faye likes you better, seeing as how she rushed to you right after waking up."

"Well, what can I say? Absence makes the heart grow fonder," Sol shrugged. He put Faye down on the carpet and sat down as well.

He waved his hands at the plush toy and released a bit of magic. The toy jerked before seemingly coming back to life. The plush bunny perked its head and sniffed the air. It then started hopping around. Seeing her bunny hopping around. Faye giggled and crawled after it. As Faye kept playing, Sol peaked at the clock. It was well after 7 p.m.

"Father will come any moment, won't he?" Sol looked at his mother, "Need me to set the table?"

"Yes, please!"

"Okay!" Sol got up and walked past Faye and the bunny which struggled in her embrace.

He took out the tableware and swiftly put them on the table whilst keeping an eye on Faye. After setting down the placemats, he went into the kitchen to get the plates and cutlery. After coming back, he set them down one by one when he felt something from his magic. Without looking up, he spoke in a harsh tone, "Faye, let him go! Mr. Hopps is feeling bad!"

"Ah!" Faye became startled and let go of the plush toy. The plush toy hopped away at a faster pace. "I'm (sorry)sowwy," she apologized in a guilty tone.

Having finished setting the table, Sol walked up to his sister and crouched down. He patted her head and smiled, "Well, as long as you know that you're wrong. Every life is precious. So, you should-" Sol abruptly stopped and a strange expression surfaced on his face.

Should I really be the one to be saying this? Sol looked at Faye who seemed to have hung her head in guilt. Of course! I'm her brother! If I don't, who will?

After soothing his sister, Sol went upstairs and laid down on his bed. His eyes slowly closed as he waited for his father to come.

----------------------------------------

A Week Later

Sol ate the toast on his plate as he talked to his father about his days in Hogwarts. They were in the dining room eating breakfast. His father looked at him with sparkling eyes as Sol kept talking.

"And then he released them in our class and we had to stop them from biting the students!" As he told his father about Lockhart's deed, his father silently laughed.

Hoot!

Sol turned around and saw an owl sitting on the windowsill. It had two envelopes tied to its feet. Sol got up and took the envelopes from the owl. The owl let out another hoot and flew off. Envelopes in hand, Sol sat down at the table again. One of them was addressed to him and had the Hogwarts seal. The other was addressed to his mother and had the Ministry's seal. He handed his mother her letter and opened his envelope and took out the letter inside. It read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorceror, Chief Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Sol Balor,

We are regretful to inform you, due to unforeseen circumstances, the Easter Holiday will be extended indefinitely until further instructions are relayed. Furthermore, you are instructed to stay within the confines of your home. It is an order from the Ministry Of Magic and Minister Cornelius Fudge. It is implemented to secure your and the young witches' and wizards' safety. You are to stay at home until said otherwise. Please abide by the aforementioned rules.

Sincerely,

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

"Shit's really hitting the fan," Sol muttered under his breath as he massaged his glabella.

"The Ministry is really taking drastic measures," his mother remarked.

"What does your letter say, Mom?"

"Same thing as yours."

His father looked at them with an intrigued look. Seeing his father's expression, Sol began to explain, "It seems my holiday's been extended."

His father looked at him with sparkling eyes and an expression that seemed to ask 'Really?'

"Yes. And even better, I have to stay-" Sol abruptly stopped and looked at his mother. "Wait, I can understand wizards and witches listening to the Ministry. What the hell are they going to do about muggles?"

"Yeah, they'll keep Aurors posted around the streets and set up some magic to alarm them of the Basilisk," his mother answered.

"Then are you going to let father out of the house?"

"Absolutely not!" She looked at his father with a stern look, "Tell your office that you're using your vacation days."

Sol's father looked at his mother with a surprised look and then at Sol. He wanted to refuse but heard Sol's voice, "I advise you listen to her. Aside from it being a dire situation, look at mom."

His father looked at Sol's mother who seemed to have a fire in her eyes. "If you don't want to end up in another coma, you should do as she says," Sol advised.

Under their combined persuasion, his father finally agreed upon understanding why. Though even if he didn't understand, Sol's mother would have tied him up just to keep him in.

After dealing with his father, Sol looked at his mother, "I don't think anything will happen."

"Oh?" his mother raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"I mean Hogwarts is quite a distance away. There's no reason to believe that the Basilisk will come to London. And even they wanted to search for it, they should do it in the sewers."

"You're right!" his mother nodded in understanding, "If it traveled aboveground, it would've been caught long ago."

"Haah~" Sol sighed, "It seems my plans have gone up in smoke!"

"The one you made with your friends?"

Sol nodded.

"Are you upset?"

"Not at all. It would've been great to hang out. But since there's nothing I can do, no use crying over spilled milk."

"You know, boys your age would throw tantrums and sneak out just to meet their friends," his mother sighed.

"No, I won't throw tantrums, and even more, would I be alive if I sneaked out?"

"Of course not!" his mother said resolutely, "If you dared to sneak out, I'd break your legs."

"Then what's the use of comparing me with others my age?"

"No, even if they'd get their legs broken, they'd still sneak out."

"Other moms don't actually break their sons' legs. You, however..." Sol hesitated.

"Oh?" his mother smiled, "However, what?"

"Haha! Would you look at the time?" Sol laughed uneasily, "Time to go!" He got up and ran into his room.

Closing the door behind him, he looked at the new aquarium sitting on top of his drawers. It had sand substituting as the ground, some rocks, and shrubbery as decorations inside. A grey-greenish snake was coiled together in a corner of the aquarium. Hearing the door, the snake raised her head and looked at Sol with her yellow eyes.

"It seems the school is closing down because of you, Iris." Sol sighed. Iris tilted her head in incomprehension. Sol walked towards Elaine's cage and stroked her feathers. He filled her bowls with bird feed and water. Elaine hooted at him.

"Nothing," Sol shook his head and walked up to his bed. He started making his bed as he thought.

So I actually made the school close down, just like Voldemort 50 years ago. The only difference is that I killed two people in the process without it ever coming to bite me in the ass. No one will know what really happened. And I even made myself to be a valiant hero.

Sol lifted his head as he realized something.

Aren't I a better dark lord than him? Hmm? Should I go down that route? I mean, some things will become much easier. And I don't have to stick to rules that much. That does sound appealing. But...

Sol looked at the door and after a while, shook his head.

Can't do that. Right now, I'm living the peaceful life I wanted. Even if I succeeded at that route, I'd have to lead people which doesn't really align with my peace. Starting another Wizarding War would be a chore. Haah~ guess I have to do this the hard way. As much as I'd like to speedrun this world, the top doesn't sound all that appealing. Low profile is the way to go it seems.

Sol finished making the bed and left the room. He smiled, hoping this peaceful life of his would last forever.