Harry Potter: Bloodraven

"Little Rick! You've grown taller." Before Maverick could fully process what had just happened, Edward pulled him into a hearty embrace.

"Uh... Uncle Ed... It's good to see you..." Maverick returned the hug, though with a bit of hesitation, still unsettled by the surreal experience.

As Edward released him, he placed his hands firmly on Maverick's shoulders and gave him a good look. Maverick, trying to conceal his nervousness, met his uncle's gaze.

By now, Maverick was absolutely certain that his seemingly ordinary uncle was far more extraordinary than he had ever imagined.

"So... I hear you've been giving your old man a bit of a headache," Edward said, grinning widely as he locked eyes with Maverick.

"Edward!"

Before Maverick could respond, his mother stepped in, her protective instincts kicking in as she noticed his nervousness. Ever the loyal guardian, she acted without hesitation.

"Ha-ha!" Edward chuckled at the sound of her stern voice. He let go of Maverick's shoulders and turned around. "Relax, Ary. I was just getting a measure of your son..."

She eased her stance, crossing her arms firmly under her chest. "I'm more upset that after all these years, I had no idea your family was magical," she said, her tone sharp as she turned her gaze to Michael. "And you've been keeping all of this from me..."

Michael flinched, preparing to play the 'classified' card, but Edward intervened.

"Hahaha! In my defense, Silvia's no witch. She's as much a Muggle as you are. Only Bella and I are special."

"Really?" Ariel asked, her surprise evident.

"Really! We met as two normal humans, fell in love like normal people. Magic is just a part of me. I'm human first, Ary..." Edward's tone softened, a touch of melancholy creeping in, contrasting with his burly frame.

"Aww... That's so sweet and romantic..." Ariel's stern demeanor melted instantly.

Michael shook his head at the sudden shift in his wife's mood, while Maverick simply watched the scene unfold.

"Haha... Enough about me. We're here to talk about your son," Edward said, redirecting the conversation. Laughter seemed to be a natural part of his speech.

"Right..." Ariel responded, waving a hand dismissively. "I'll go prepare lunch while you boys talk."

Michael sighed, looking first at Maverick, then at Edward. "Come on, let's sit and talk," he said, patting Edward's shoulder.

Maverick sat across from his father and Uncle Ed.

"So... kid, your father told me quite an interesting story. If I didn't know you, I'd have trouble believing what he said," Edward began, looking directly at Maverick. Maverick scratched his head in surrender, unsure how to respond.

He had nothing more to add to the story and certainly didn't want to fabricate anything in front of this man, who seemed unfathomable to him. He decided to stick to what he had already said and answer only what was necessary.

"Before we get started..." Edward raised his hand, and an exquisite, metallic-looking wand appeared in his grip.

"Mekedas Raviel!"

A blue circle of light formed at the tip of the wand, expanding to envelop Maverick before either Michael or Maverick could react.

"ED!"

"Calm down, Mike. I'm just running a test on your son..."

Maverick wanted to resist, but he felt utterly powerless. His advanced proficiency in magical energy manipulation had no effect. He was certain Edward had done something to immobilize him effortlessly while casting a spell Maverick had never heard of.

Even though he was frozen, Maverick's face remained calm, masking the helplessness he felt. His father, seeing no visible distress, stayed silent.

The blue energy circled around Maverick several times before it dissipated. As it faded, Maverick finally regained control of his body and magic, but he forced himself to stay composed.

"Hmm..." Edward hummed thoughtfully.

"Is everything alright, Ed?" Michael asked nervously.

Maverick was even more anxious. He had too many secrets, and Edward's mysterious scan worried him. What if he discovered something?

"Ah... No, everything's fine. Your boy is in perfect condition," Edward said, though his tone seemed slightly questioning.

Michael sighed in relief. He hadn't asked Edward to scan his son, but hearing that nothing was wrong was a relief.

"The spell I used is a highly advanced, Ex-Grade detection spell. It checks for black magic, magical artifacts, rituals, and even the soul."

Maverick's eyes widened. He had never heard of such a spell, and the mention of the soul made him extremely uneasy. After all, he wasn't originally from this world, and he didn't know what that meant for a reincarnator like himself. Had he taken over the original Maverick's soul, or was he Maverick from the start?

Fortunately, Edward's next words gave him the biggest sigh of relief he'd ever felt.

"I'm certain he hasn't performed any rituals, carries no magical items other than his wand and some bags, hasn't dabbled in black magic, and his soul is perfectly normal."

"So...?" Michael turned to Edward, impatient for more answers.

"So...?" Edward repeated, stroking his chin thoughtfully before continuing. "Well, that means your son is an anomaly—a good anomaly. To put it simply, either young Rick here is something that's happened before but was never recorded, or this is the first time in history someone like him has appeared."

"Someone like me?" Maverick couldn't help but ask, and his father mirrored the question with a curious expression.

"Yes, kid. Your father already told me your story about awakening your magic last year. I know this for a fact because when we met two years ago in the U.S., you had no magic in you at all.

Referencing the recorded history of magic and from my personal experience, I've never come across a witch or wizard experiencing their first magical outburst after the age of eleven. That's the first point.

The second point may not sound as remarkable, but at 18, you're already a Magus. Sure, there are geniuses who reach this rank before 20, but no one does it as quickly as you have. Six months from Novice to Magus is unheard of.

Third is your control over mana—or, as you English call it, magical energy."

Maverick looked surprised, and Edward noticed keenly.

"Hah... You didn't think that little trick went unnoticed, did you, boy?" Edward chuckled condescendingly.

"I sensed your probe the moment you released it, but that's not what really surprised me. It was your control over it. Even for me, back when I was at the Marquis level—ah, sorry, you Brits call it Great Magus—it took over a decade to reach that level of mastery over my mana."

"Wait, Uncle. You spoke in past tense. Does that mean...?" Maverick asked, his heart racing, surprise clear on his face.

"Hmm...?" Edward tilted his head thoughtfully before realizing.

"Hahahaha... That's right, I haven't formally introduced myself, have I? Well, I—"

"Son, your Uncle Ed is actually the—" his father interjected, realizing he hadn't revealed who Edward really was, only to be cut off by Edward himself.

"Mike! Why do I need you to introduce me when I'm right here?" Edward groaned, complaining before refocusing on Maverick, who was now looking at him with wide eyes, as if he'd just gotten his favorite toy. Edward's boastful grin grew even more.

"As I was saying... Ahem... Uncle Ed here is..." Edward puffed out his chest, pointing his thumb at himself. "America's only King-level wizard, and the only one in the entire West. The strongest of the sev—"

"Third... Arguably..." Michael interrupted with a blank, disapproving stare.

Edward's jaw dropped, a vein bulging on his forehead.

"He's considered the third strongest Arch-Magus. That's what he's trying to say," Michael once again spoiled his friend's introduction.

"Who says I'm the third? That blasted woman Bagshot has no idea what she's talking about!" Edward shot up from the sofa, rolling up his sleeves, ranting about the historian.

"Uh... Dad, Uncle, I don't understand what you're talking about," Maverick lied, playing dumb. But now he had a general idea and knew exactly who his uncle was.

Moreover, his uncle had always been like this, so his current behavior didn't surprise him at all—carefree, extremely extroverted, kind, and outgoing. It's just that now Maverick had to add a few more adjectives, like outrageously strong, when describing Edward Garling.

"Ahem... Anyway, don't believe the silly books, Rick... Now, where were we...?

Ah, yes, Mana... Your control over mana is very, very advanced. When you probed me as I first arrived, I noticed that, although you spread your mana, it was extremely precise, directed only at the door, exactly on point. That is something only a peak Marquis or a King can achieve.

Hmm... Sorry... Like I said before, a Marquis is what you'd call a Great Magus, and a King level means Arch-Magus. We in the West like to complicate things, as you see."

"This is so cool, Uncle Ed. You're Edward Garling. I mean, I knew your name before, but now this feels kind of... different. Cool," Maverick commented, expressing genuine surprise. When he had read the books and come across that name, he had never once considered it might be the same person.

"Ahaha... Yes... Ahem... Well, let's continue...

Now, I've mentioned three things that make you different from other wizards. But there's one last thing I can't confirm without running a test myself." Edward glanced from Maverick to Michael, then back at Maverick.

"But before that, lets talk about your situation..." At Edward's words, both Maverick and his father noded solemnly, giving their full attention.

"Getting you a wizarding identity is simple for me. But obviously, that's not exactly what you want right?" He asked the father and son to which they both nodded.

"Here's what I have in mind. I'll take your son with me to America, where he'll study with me for a while. He'll then take the OWL and NEWT exams at Ilvermorny School.

It's nothing new to them, unlike the old bastard's school at Scotland, Ilvermorny allow witches and wizards to take exams at their school even if they've been homeschooled.

The problem might arise if someone decides to dig into your past. The seven identical 'Books of Acceptance' held by the seven major schools worldwide keep records of every witch and wizard's magical awakening." Edward paused after a brief summary of Maverick's situation.

Michael nodded, already familiar with the information, while Maverick looked puzzled. He was surprised yet again, as this was something different from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter universe.

"The Book of Acceptance is an ingenious piece of alchemical equipment. Only seven were ever created.

After World War II, the International Confederation of Wizards made agreements with the Muggle governments, which required certain changes.

One such agreement was to provide records of witches and wizards born outside of noble wizarding families to Muggle authorities.

It sounds simple but isn't easy to execute. A few years later, Nicolas Flamel came up with a solution. He studied the original Book of Acceptance at Hogwarts, as its principles aligned with what they wanted to achieve.

So, after lengthy negotiations, the old fool Dumbledore allowed Flamel to study and make changes to the book.

It has very straightforward principles. The Book of Acceptance, or Book of Admittance as it's also known, is a magical book used at Hogwarts to record the names of magical children. It was created by the school's founders with precise functions – nothing more, nothing less.

It records the names and ages of children under eleven in Europe and nearby regions who experience their first magical outburst.

It served a purpose during the founders' time, helping them find magical children who needed guidance during that dark period in history when our kind were being hunted.

Flamel analyzed and then modified it. He created six other books with the same functions, each covering a different region of the world.

These seven identical books are now spread worldwide, their range nearly covering the entire planet. Each book records the names of magical children who experience their awakening in its designated area.

The names are then sent to the magical authorities within each region to filter out children born into ancient wizarding families. The final list is then shared with the Muggle governments." Edward paused briefly before leaning back on the sofa.

"Now, the advantage you have is that none of the books will have a record of your name. Flamel never altered the function that records only children under eleven," Edward explained.

"And the bad news?" Michael asked.

"Bad news? Oh... there's no bad news. I'll simply add Rick's name manually to Ilvermorny's book, which covers North and South America.

Even though these are powerful alchemical creations, they can't cover the entire Earth 100%.

Sometimes, if a magical outburst isn't powerful enough, the books miss it. One of Flamel's modifications allows witches and wizards to be manually registered regardless of age, for cases where a magical awakening might have been overlooked.

Principle Fontaine is a good friend of mine, and I'll slip your name in, backdated to a time when you were in America with us as a child.

"To get you to sit for the OWLs and NEWTs, I'll say you're my personal student and have been attending Muggle schools while studying under me. That should clear up most doubts."

Maverick and his father sat quietly, contemplating the plan. They both agreed it was well thought out.

"Ed, you know, if word gets out that you've taken on a student, it'll draw a lot of attention to Maverick," Michael said, his voice laced with concern.

"Attention? Ha! Let them try!" Edward responded fearlessly.

But after giving it some thought, he calmed down. "Hmm... I won't make it public. And I'll ask Fontaine to keep it quiet as well."

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea," Michael agreed, and Maverick nodded too.

"Well, little Rick, as I mentioned before, I'd like to run a little test..." Edward addressed Maverick.

"Uh... Is it a detection spell test, like the one you did before?" Maverick asked nervously.

"No. And what's with that look?" Edward asked, squinting.

Maverick scratched his head to hide his nerves under a mask of embarrassment. He was indeed uneasy, remembering how helpless he had felt when Edward had cast the spell on him.

Fortunately, Edward didn't linger on the memory. "Your dad tells me you covered almost all the spells taught at Hogwarts in just six months. That's a big claim."

Maverick relaxed. As long as it didn't involve strange spells being cast on him, he felt more at ease.

"Not to brag, but it's true, Uncle," Maverick replied, a hint of pride in his voice.

Edward stood up from the couch and addressed Michael first. "I'll take him somewhere and be back in an hour. I just want to see your son's genius firsthand." Then he looked at Maverick.

"Uh..." Michael hesitated, but after a moment, he nodded. "Alright, just make sure to return soon. Ariel would be upset if you both missed lunch."

Edward nodded, then turned to Maverick. "Come on, kid. Take my hand."

Maverick had a good idea of what his uncle intended to do. In fact, he was a bit excited.

"Relax. I'm about to Apparate us. You know about it?" Edward explained briefly.

"Uh... I read about it but have never seen it done. The actual magic wasn't in the books."

"Of course it's not," Edward scoffed. "Alright, brace yourself."