Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction based on the Harry Potter Universe. All recognisable characters, plots, and settings are the exclusive property of Joanne Kathleen Rowling.

I make no claims to ownership, nor am I making any profit.

Some lines have been taken from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone. I'm not the owner of Harry Potter else, Harry would've been way more competent, and Sirius would've never died.

Type:-Self-Insert OC Fanfic.

Pairings-Not decided yet.

Author's Notes: I'll be taking a lot of liberty with some canon knowledge of events, and specific facts have been liberally changed to better facilitate the story's plot.

Special thanks to AJAvenger01 and Madness Immortality & Magic for being the betas for the chapter.

My other fic, Dulce Periculum, is also something I've been working on. I hope you check it out. I also have a Discord Server where I talk more about the story and updates, the link for the server is in my profile as well as at the end of the chapter.

A MEGA CHAPTER for such a long delay.

Sortes Qui Facit

by

Ares Alexander Peverell

Year1: Rising Powers and Sorcerer Stones

Chapter7: The First Fall

[Room of Requirement]

Ares dodged several blue stinging hexes as he tried to defend against the onslaught of spells being fired his way.

"Diffindo, Incendio, Flipendo, Expelliarmus," he replied. His simple yet efficient spell chain managed to slice the neck of the first dummy, burn the second, blast a third into a fourth and disarm a fifth.

Five dummies down. Ten more to go.

The fight was tough. At least five minutes had passed, and while the spells didn't physically harm him, those stinging hexes weren't something he wanted to take. They felt more like giant needles digging in his flesh. He much preferred not being black and blue all over, thank you very much.

"Avifors, Serpensortia," Ares conjured several birds to use as a shield while instructing the snakes to attack the dummies.

He was constantly on the move as he ducked, swerved and rolled from the brutal assault. With birds as his defence and snakes as his offence, he tried to create a strategy of his own.

"Aguamenti, Glacius," The neat little trick succeeded as the bipedal dummies slipped on the newly made ice.

"Soporo," The dark blasting curse left his yew wand before striking the group in the middle. Ares usually tried to avoid the Dark Arts, as his foundation of the subject was rather shaky, but the lower-level spells had proved to be fairly normal, albeit a tad more destructive. He had no lack of negative emotions after all, and it only served as an outlet to make him even more powerful.

The blasting curse managed to completely blast apart all the remaining dummies. He had only set the dummies to fire stinging hexes and dodging. It was his goal to learn the Protego before the end of the term since it could help him in a lot of scenarios. Learning the spell would also mean that he could skip all the intermediate shields to spend more time learning offensive spells.

Most wizards couldn't conjure shields of a respective strength. Even the basic Protego spell was only taught in the fifth year. The remaining shields were either useless or highly taxing to maintain. Ares had only managed to find one dark shielding spell that he could use without exhausting himself.

The past month and a half had been pretty good for Ares. The Room of Requirement had proved itself to be a great place for him. It gave him access to advanced training dummies, books and other facilities, and he was steadily growing in power and knowledge.

Ares gulped down the glass of water that had appeared in front of him.

Unfortunately, he hadn't managed to enlist any new people. Ron Weasley didn't trust him at all, while Neville Longbottom was so fearful that he hardly attended their daily sessions. Tracey and Daphne were more open though. Being fellow Slytherins, they had to stick together after all, as they understood each other's situation. With Tracey and him facing some not so hidden hostility among the house, Ares wanted to keep an eye on things. Susan and Hannah had all but abandoned the sessions. Probably because of social pressure from their housemates.

He was pretty sure that the only reason the other houses hadn't cursed him for being a Slytherin and talking to their 'saviour' was the fact that they were family.

Speaking of, the person that intrigued him the most was Harry. His twin seemed more confident and sure of himself with the passing days. Ares had tried to undo the psychological effects that Dursleys had done. He still remembered the talk they had beside the Great Lake.

[Flashback]

Ares had been trying to talk to his brother alone for almost a month. However, the Gryffindors had been acting like his shadows, no matter wherever he went.

Weasley sometimes acted so bad that he had almost cursed him several times. But Ares had kept his patience. He didn't want to alienate his brother or prove the Gryffindors right by cursing that fool. Granger didn't do any favours to his temper, either.

"Ares. What are you doing here?" a voice spoke from behind. Ares turned in surprise, wand in hand, only to see his brother standing behind him.

He lowered his wand almost apologetically.

"My apologies. You startled me." Ares explained to his brother.

They kept walking near the lake for a few minutes before Harry suddenly asked him.

"Does your family treat you well?" Harry enquired, almost hopeful.

Remembering the orphanage made Ares' blood boil. It was a cruel place to live. No doubt it had played a large in turning Riddle into Voldemort. Hell, he only had second-hand memories and a few days of experience, and the first thing he wanted to do was burn it down to ashes.

"What family, Harry? I live in an orphanage," he replied, bitterness seeping in his voice.

His brother's eyes widened in surprise.

"I didn't know that," he spoke. "I assumed you'd been adopted, and I'd been left behind," Harry told me, eyes down and staring at the ground.

"I don't know much. The old hag of a matron told me that a fat couple had left me in the orphanage, stating that they had no use for their freakish nephew."

Harry had flinched at the word.

Ares recalled the incident from memory. Sister Catherine had loved to inform him of how he had been abandoned. She told him they'd left a devil in their hands.

"The Dursleys always said that they wanted to leave me at an orphanage," Harry admitted.

Ares' fingers twitched. If he had the Dursleys before him, he could execute a flawless Cruciatus curse on those pathetic people. He'd love to see them writhing with pain as the curse fried their nervous system. The Longbottoms may not have been deserving of such treatment, but the Dursleys certainly were.

"You don't have to listen to what they say. They are simply afraid of what a wizard can do. Whatever they have told you, it's all lies. You are a strong and wonderful person, do not let anyone say otherwise. If you have any problem, no matter how small or large, tell me. I will try my best to help you." Ares reassured his brother.

Deep down, he knew that he couldn't help him further. Dumbledore would never allow Harry to leave Privet Drive, away from the protection of the blood wards. He couldn't perform magic in a muggle area, and he had very few other ways to threaten them. He had tried his best to undo the psychological effects and would make sure to do as much as he could, but some things were not so easy to change.

"I-I… thank you," Harry said suddenly, voice wavering as he enveloped Ares in a crushing hug, leaving him stunned.

He awkwardly returned the embrace as he patted his brother's back. Ares usually despised physical contact, but for once, he didn't mind it that much.

After that day, something had changed between them. There was a measure of trust and brotherly bond that had been missing before.

The meetings of the group had also been better since then. Despite being a senior student, Penelope often used to join them in the library. Their discussions were always informative, and he enjoyed the company of the brilliant Ravenclaw Prefect.

She seemed to suspect that things weren't going well for him in Slytherin. Smart girl! People had greatly underestimated the prefect for being an anti-social Mudblood. It's rather shocking how giving strength to someone inspires such loyalty and respect. And although Percy Weasley had been a minor annoyance with his rant of 'courting' her and all, it was worth it.

He knew that Percy's opinion would make her a beautiful housewife who popped several babies while he worked at the ministry in a respectable position. That would be a waste of talent in Ares' opinion. He was sure that had Penelope not met him, she would've been ensnared by the Gryffindor Prefect, who frequently lavished attention on her.

"What do you want to do after Hogwarts, Penny." Ares had enquired one day.

"Dunno," she shrugged. "I am pretty good at Charms and Arithmancy though, so I believe that Enchanting would be a great option for me."

Ares internally winced. Enchanters were rare and few. And most masters didn't even accept half-bloods, let alone a muggleborn. And he wasn't even discussing the particular branch of magic. Enchanting was entirely dominated by purebloods. He knew that she was trying to shrug off the prejudice like it was no big deal, but it affected her. He had looked through all the magical professions, after all. It had been in a book he had found in the library.

He placed his hand on her soft hands and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Do you remember what I said on the train?" he asked her gently.

"That blood matters, but my ability matters more," she replied, her face matching her red hair.

"Exactly. Don't let their prejudice define you," he told her.

"You know, you're too perceptive for your own good. I sometimes feel that I'm talking to someone older than me. Are you sure you are eleven?" she asked cheekily, before clamping her mouth in a mortified manner.

"I am an old soul," he joked, touching his non-existent beard in a manner that would've made Dumbledore proud.

She burst into laughter, forcing Madam Pince into action. The irate librarian spent no time kicking both of them out for breaking the silence of her sanctum.

[Present Time]

Ares was currently returning from the ROR. His stealth ring provided him with enough protection to pass the seventh floor unnoticed, but it had its limited duration. Taking a shortcut, he was almost at the entrance of the dungeons when the hairs on the back of his neck prickled all of a sudden. His senses immediately went on high alert.

With a sharp turn, he waved his wand and screamed, "Clypeus."

He was proven right when four spells soon collided with his bright yellow shield, shattering it instantly. Ares dashed and entered the next classroom before locking it with two runes (which were the only runes he had managed to apply). It would hold them off momentarily. He could then funnel them through the entrance and pick them off one by one. The corridor had been too open for him to win a fight, and they were under some kind of hiding spell as well.

Ares could hear several footsteps on the door as they tried to kick it down. He transfigured several chairs into birds, trying his best to create as many as he could. He doubted that the shield would work again. Already not in the best condition to fight, Ares desperately needed a strategy to get out of this mess.

BANG. The door burst open as a Reducto hit it, making him pale in sudden realization. It was a fourth-year spell. Whoever was with them was a senior student at the very least. He could not go against a single fourth year, let alone an entire group. They all had a face-masking charm on their faces. But the robes indicated his own house.

"Fuck!" He hissed, gesturing the birds to attack as he tried to weave and dodge the upcoming barrage. Belleza was not with him either, making things even more difficult.

He fired an Aquamenti followed by a Glacius. The combination managed to slip two of the attackers. They went down on the floor with a sharp crack as they slipped. He had no doubt that would be concussed. However, the other simply melted the ice on the floor with a single fire spell.

"Diffindo, Incendio, Flipendo," he snarled, his wand vibrating with power as it was used to its true potential.

The cutting curse missed the mark. However, the second spell captured two of his opponents, burning off their clothes as the knockback jinx hit another one, flipping him into a nearby desk, breaking it into pieces. All three of them were nearly out of the fight in his opinion.

Ares, however, was still losing as the remaining attackers started using cutters and even bone breakers. All his birds were on the floor, writhing or dead, having taken many spells that could've easily hit him. Most of them had kept the wizards distracted. With no cover, he was forced to continuously dodge amongst the plethora of desks and chairs.

Ares hissed in pain as a nasty Diffindo grazed his shoulder, almost forcing him in a path of a sickly yellow spell he thought that he recognized.

"Bastards. You asked for it," he yelled at them. The words cost him as several stingers and cutters hit him, almost making him shriek in pain. His entire body had small cuts on them. Unlike the others, however, he was no stranger to pain.

"Defodio," he yelled at the wizard, whose shield couldn't hold against the overpowered dark spell as it hit his right hand, creating a gaping hole. The boy shrieked as he clutched his bloodied hand, dropping his wand in pain.

The other three attacked him with even more ferocity as they tried to surround him. A bone-breaker struck his leg before he could dodge back.

With a final cry, he hobbled to his feet in a rush of adrenaline.

"Secare" Ares had just enough energy to fire the darkest spell in his arsenal before falling to the floor, completely exhausted and moaning in pain from the broken bone in his left leg. The adrenaline rush had chosen that opportune moment to fade away.

The following knockback jinx knocked the air out of him as he fell to the floor in a broken heap.

"Salazar! Alex. We were supposed to beat up the ickle firstie, not to almost get our ass handed to him. Come on, let's take him to Arianna. Lord Fawley would be after our head if something happened to his heir. "

Ares could hear someone moaning in pain. He vaguely remembered firing a bone-cutting curse. A jet of red light hit him in the chest, and he knew no more.

[In a secret room in the Slytherin Common Room]

"So let me get this straight, You and your band of idiotic cohorts were attacked by Ares Potter. Am I right?" asked William Travers with a guarded look on his face.

"Yes. I want-" admitted Alex Rosier.

"- And how did Fawley get hurt?" interrupted Hydrus Yaxley.

He hesitated.

"Speak NOW." snarled Travers

"Potter did. He shot some spell at him after Daniel shot a bone-breaker at him," mumbled Alex.

(A/N- Guess who, readers? A small tribute from my side to Antithesis, one of Harry Potter's best fanfiction in my opinion.)

"Silence," spoke Adrian Selwyn. The voice barely whispered, but it was audible to everyone in the room.

"What's the first rule of Slytherin politics?" Selwyn questioned. The seventh year's voice made the fourth year pale even further.

"We don't involve firsties in our schemes. And seniors usually don't interfere in the matter of Slytherins below the third year."

"Four third-year students and two fourth-year students along with a member of Slytherin hierarchy were attacked by a first-year student with hardly a month and a half worth of magical knowledge? Even I find that quite far-fetched to believe, Mr Rosier." entered Severus Snape, levitating a body behind his back.

"Sir- We"

"Quiet, you plebeian simpleton. If it had been up to me, you would've been expelled. Rest assured, three months of scrubbing cauldrons and preparing ingredients would be enough to make you see sense." Snape barked in fury.

Everyone became silent at the statement

"Sir, I'll need your help to heal Fawley," asked a frustrated Arianna Rosier. The fifth-year looked visibly tired in her attempts to heal everyone. Thankfully, most of them had minor injuries, but Fawley and Charlus Burke were far beyond her limits as an intermediate healer.

The Potions master just nodded. He cast several medical-detection spells, taking several vials out of his pocket and pouring them into the mouth of the injured wizards around him.

Turning to the Potter twin, he did the same, although he made sure to cast some extra detection spells before administering another set of potions.

"What is the condition of the rest of the dunderheads?" Snape queried the tired-looking witch, eyes never leaving the culprit in front of him.

"The rest would be fine for tomorrow. They'll wake up with terrible headaches, though. Each one of them is concussed quite badly. So they'll be asleep for some time. Potter is hurt the most, though." she told her Head of House, gauging his reaction.

Snape nodded before getting a dangerous look in his eyes. "You all would join me tomorrow at six in the evening. I don't care what condition you are in. Unless you have decided to join the afterlife, you will be present," he emphasized the last words slowly, venom dripping from his tongue.

"Professor, I would deal with the matter personally," spoke Selwyn, glancing around him in a calculating manner. "I can assure you of that."

"See that you do, Mr Selwyn. Slytherin matters should be dealt with within the house itself. While I prefer not to infringe upon the authority of the Slytherin Seven, It would not bode well for anyone if the headmaster decides to intervene on the matter. Deal with this matter by tomorrow. After which I can offer you NO assistance of mine."

The Potions Master gave a final warning before leaving the room, his signature cloak fluttering behind him.

It took fifteen hours for Ares' bruised and battered body to recover. Waking up after being attacked was not the best way to go. He realized that he was in his dorm room as he surveyed the place. The clock indicated that it was around one p.m currently.

Checking his body and moving his limbs, he concluded that all of his injuries were almost non-existent, although he was nursing a rather irritating headache. He mentally repeated his occlumency exercises before shakily standing up and crossing the door to reach the bathroom before splashing copious amounts of water on his face.

"Massster, you're awake. Did sssomeone harm you? Do I need to bite anyone?" Belleza fussed as she hastily slithered up his body, tongue flickering and an angry note in her voice.

"I'm okay. Jussst had a minor fight with sssome other Ssslytherins," he reassured her familiar. He certainly did not want someone dead.

He searched around for his wand. It was kept on the side table along with a note and two crystal vials full of potions. Ares didn't recognize them.

Take the blue one as soon as you wake up, Potter. The yellow one is a headache relief potion — only to be used after fifteen minutes of the first one. - Professor Snape.

Merlin! Snape had a special talent for making people feel insulted without actually doing it.

"You were pretty injured when the greasssy bat brought you here. I kept an eye to ensssure that he didn't do anything funny," she explained to her master. "And I won't be leaving your ssside EVER. No one would dare hurt you again." Belleza all but declared. Ares snorted at the description of Snape. It was surprisingly accurate.

Ares felt a sudden rush of affection for his familiar for being smart enough to not get caught by Snape.

"Good work. From now on, I'll have to watch my back. I expect retribution from thossse that attacked me." he hissed back at Belleza, simultaneously stroking her beautiful scales.

After having a bath and changing his robes, Ares entered his apartment in the trunk before taking out one of the numerous 'less-questionable books' as he searched for the spell that Fawley used on him. It was a bone-splintering curse. He knew the incantation very well since they had been quite vocal in their spells. After all, silent casting was N.E.W.T. level material.

Ares took stock of the dilemma he had landed himself into. If Snape had caught him, there was no way he was getting out of this.

Salazar! HE WAS STUPID. Why didn't he run away from the situation? He never had any chance against that many opponents. His magical abilities were still rather limited.

However, that begged the question regarding how should he proceed. Ares had heard the name of Daniel Fawley and Alex Rosier. The rest were still unknown to him, and he had no proof at all. It was the first attack on him. While he expected that he'd be roughened up or something like that very soon. This was unacceptable as it could've seriously injured him. They were either brave or foolish. Ares didn't discount the possibility that someone else was trying to gain revenge against the Potter family. It would be ideal to not attack the BWL directly. But he was relatively less popular due to his sorting.

He exited his trunk to try and focus on his reading material for the week, in no mood to deal with all these machinations right now.

He lost himself to Secrets of the Mind.

The Mind Arts are divided into three categories:- Occlumency, Legilimency and Augeomency.

Occlumency is the art of defending the mind against mental intrusions and increasing our minds' capabilities to a level that can be considered extraordinary, even by magical standards. A master Occlumens can enjoy the benefit of slowing down the perception of time, having flawless retention capabilities and very less need for sleep, along with the obvious benefit of repelling and twisting intrusions and having supremely greater control over their emotions.

Legilimency is the art of intruding another mind and/or consciousness to access their thoughts. However, this is just the surface of its capabilities. A master Legilimencer can twist their victim's emotions, plant suggestions and manipulate them so effectively that the person would never even realize that they are being deceived. It can also be used to remove and modify memories along with recreating an individual's entire psyche, effectively making a new person out of them.

However, the pinnacle of this art can be considered duplicating the killing gaze of a Basilisk, the king of serpents. No person has ever achieved this level of control in more than a millennium. Although Herpo the Foul did extensive experiments to create the perfect mind mage, he was only met with disappointment. It's often rumoured that Salazar Slytherin himself was the progenitor of the entire Mind Arts and the only wizard to become a Class Seven master of all branches of the Mind Arts.

Augeomency is the art of recognizing Magic. This art has very few practitioners since only the most powerful or skilled wizards can even dream of utilizing the skill. Nonetheless, Augeomencist can recognize magic around them as well as read its purpose. It's often used by duellists on a small scale to recognize spells used around them.

A master can even know the spell as soon as it exits the wand of his opponent, break the most dangerous of curses and recognize and annihilate wards with significant ease as compared to normal magic users. It's been noted that older individuals are generally more skilled than the younger ones in this art. Age plays a significant role in Augeomency.

HOOT! Ares was snapped out of his reading as a snowy owl landed on his desk, neatly depositing several letters on his desk.

"You're such a smart owl, Hedwig." he praised. She was indeed very regal and intelligent-looking as she pierced him with her black eyes, urging him to untie the letters from her legs.

He gently removed the letter from the bird.

"Bloody feathered menace. How dare you get here? You would make a good-"

"Hedwig is Harry's owl, Belleza. Be nice." Ares interrupted, seeing his familiar advancing towards the snowy owl. Belleza just huffed in disdain before going back towards her nest, hissing about flying menaces.

Ares turned towards the snowy owl, who was glaring at him as she attempted to peck his fingers.

"Calm down girl. She was just being protective." Ares told her, feeling ridiculous for explaining Belleza's actions.

She rolled, rolled, her eyes.

You didn't come to our study session. Even Daphne and Tracey weren't able to find you. Are you okay?

Harry.

Just got down with a small fever. Don't worry, I'm fine. See you soon. -Ares

Ares jotted the note before giving it to the snowy owl, who gave an affectionate peck before flying away from his room.

He knew that his momentary disappearance should not be noticed. Not even a single day had passed. Snape generally didn't involve himself in the house matters unless they were very serious.

Just last month, two fifth years had duelled in the common room, injuring each other. The master had simply arrived, healed them, gave them detention and then left.

He had a suspicion that there was some kind of hierarchy that was responsible for these matters. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to identify the members or their numbers.

Nonetheless, he had his doubts and if either Daniel Fawley or Alex Rosier were the members, it would not bode well for him. He needed spies. And he needed it now.

"Belleza. Can we extend our network to the Ssslytherin house?"

"Massster, there are not many hiding ssspots, and we would be easssily ssseen. Why don't you try the ssshiny ssserpentsss that are around here? They would help usss," she answered.

Shiny Snake? He repeated to himself. Was she talking about the metallic ones that adorned the common room?

"But how would they help me? Aren't they non-living?" he questioned his familiar., a frown appearing on his face.

"Sssilly Massster. You are a ssspeaker," she informed him as if it solved everything.

Realization dawned on Ares as he processed Belleza's words. Salazar was a parselmouth. What was stopping him from creating the snakes to know everything going around his domain?

"Can you alssso communicate with them, or would you need me to do that?"

"Massster hasss to make them alive, or it would not work. After that, they would follow a ssspeaker's ordersss."

Ares only hummed in approval.

Ares and Harry were currently walking near the lake, discussing the general stuff like the classes and what was his favourite.

"-And then BOOM, all that was left of the snuffbox was a burnt husk. Even McGonagall was surprised that Finnigan was able to burn a transfigured box made of metal. It was pretty hilarious." Harry recalled, mirth clear in his green eyes.

Ares snorted at that. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan were an explosion in the making. Their ability to blast, burn or destroy things with even the simplest of spells was becoming quite famous.

What if the Slytherins went after Harry? A thought betrayed the mind of Ares' as he saw his brother laughing and happy.

"Come on. I want to show you something." he gestured to his brother, urging him to follow his lead.

The duo soon arrived at the seventh-floor compartment. Thinking of his trunk apartment, he walked three times in front of the wall.

"Wow," Harry spoke, looking around the room in wonder. "What is this place."

"This" Ares bowed dramatically, "Is the Room of Requirement. It becomes whatever you want it to become."

"Really?" Harry looked at him sceptically, "You're having me on, aren't you?"

"Nah." he wished for a giant swimming pool.

Harry screamed as the pool appeared right beneath him, plunging him into the shallow but freezing waters.

The next hour was spent throwing water and having fun, all worries of homework and Slytherin troubles vanishing in thin air. Just brotherly fun and bonding time. They also tried all the slides that Ares had seen in the water parks, knowing that Harry was hardly allowed to go with the Dursleys. It was becoming a fun evening.

"Okay, okay. I forfeit," announced Ares breathlessly, after being splashed and dunked three times in a row.

Harry just grinned at him happily before slowly moving towards the edge of the pool, slightly shivering despite the water not being very cold.

Ares grinned mischievously before firing a quick Aguamenti towards his brother, soaking him from head to toe in cold water. Harry screamed in mock rage before firing a colour-changing spell, changing his black hair to an ugly shade of purple.

"You said that you forfeited. That's cheating." Harry spoke after a moment, a pout on his face.

"I am a Slytherin, oh brother of mine. You shouldn't have trusted me that easily." Ares said in a teasing way.

"I will get you the next time. Just you see." fired back Harry in a challenging note.

"Suuuure." Ares fired back.

"Can this place become everything?" his brother asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Not everything, I'm afraid. There are certain magical laws that it has to follow." Ares informed him.

His brother hesitated a bit before looking at his encouraging posture and asked, "Like what? What are the limits of magic?" he asked, almost hungrily.

This almost reminded Ares that Voldemort would offer Harry to bring their parents back. While certain things had changed and this world was more than what was written in seven books(or eight movies), Quirrel was still hosting Voldemort's wraith. Dumbledore had the philosopher's stone hidden in the school and Snape was still a git, albeit less hostile towards his Slytherins. There was a certain sense of pattern here.

Ares had tried to see Quirrel's reactions towards Harry in the class. While he had turned out to be a capable teacher due to Ares diverting the class to more interesting topics, he knew that their first-year Gryffindor-Slytherin class could very well be the best-taught class in almost fifty years. Penelope had answered his inquiry that Quirrel only taught the coursework in their classes, albeit with his stutter less pronounced. But it was still present.

He was thankful that Dumbledore was not directly involved in these matters, with no doubt keeping regular updates on them through the teachers. That man's mind was not to be underestimated.

Ares shook his head to see a concerned-looking Harry snapping fingers in front of his face.

"Nothin'. Just thinking about the answer," he reassured Harry, who gave a look of disbelief but remained quiet.

"There's Gamp's Law that states that you cannot conjure money, food, wands, potion ingredients and permanent transfigurations. Then there's the Alchemical Law of Equivalence exchange along with the fact that you cannot achieve immortality, although you can extend life." Ares spoke in what Tracey had dubbed 'the lecture mode'." On a sadder note, he added, "No magic can completely bring dead people back to life."

He knew that immortality was possible and that the Resurrection Stone could somehow bring people back. But he was not going to explain that to anyone, let alone an eleven-year-old.

His brother nodded, apparently understanding what he wanted to say.

The tension in the air could be sliced with a knife.

"It's almost curfew time, I have to go," Ares spoke, glancing at the watch that suddenly appeared.

"Sure. I don't want to be late, either. Snape is not a pleasant person if you get caught."

Both of them grimaced at that.

"Should I bring the others here the next time?" Harry asked him.

"Nah! Let's keep it a secret among us. We already meet the others regularly. And make sure that no one finds you when you come here." he winked conspiratorially at his brother.

"Okay. But you will have to teach me the Aquamenti charm in exchange. It is a second-year spell, after all." Harry spoke.

Ares smirked at his brother's antics. "Looks like I can make a Slytherin out of you."

Then in a sniffing voice, he added "What would the Gryffindors say, the boy-who-lived being corrupted by his evil Slytherin twin."

Harry snorted, lightly punching him in the shoulder as they reached the point where they had to go separately to reach their common room.

"See you tomorrow, brother. "Ares spoke, turning towards the entrance to the dungeons before deactivating the stealth ring and walking the path towards his common room, whistling merrily.

All in all, it had been a fun evening for him. Arriving at his dorm room, Ares was sure that nothing could spoil his good mood.

Oh, how wrong he was in his assumption. He should've given up that in his last life already.

Another update guys. Sorry for such a late update. I have been busy with the travelling and construction work of my new home. It's possible that the updates may be a bit shaky and/or late for the next month or so, but rest assured, I will try my absolute best to post the updates on time.

Do make sure to like, follow and review. Salazar! Your reviews fill me with so much confidence and happiness, even the negative or constructive ones.

Again, thanks a lot for such overwhelming support. Never believed that it would get so many followers. 150+ favourites and 200+ followers are a tremendous achievement for a newbie writer like me.

I have a request for my readers. I have a Discord server where I post contents that are relevant to the SQFverse, and I'd appreciate you there. The community also has several fellow writers and if you're interested in writing, that's the place you can get all the guidance and the start you need.

Discord Link- /6ngeKHXktN

You're all welcome to Thestral Manor. Our server is a lot more open-minded than most others, along with having several other writers. I also post a lot of spell and story aspects that are not feasible here. I'd love to see you there. :)

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

Ares Alexander Peverell.

Comment Replies

Kyle- Inheritance test is not needed because Ares already knows about the Black and Peverell connection. As for the abilities test, I find it stupid that you can gauge someone's abilities with a drop of blood. If this was the case, they could also find and cure inbreeding and genetic disorders. Remember, Genetics only play a part in your ability. Rest is all you.

RandomCoolGuy- Lmao. It is a funny cliché tbh. Thanks for the review. You're a cool guy and I appreciate it.

Adrian King1- The shop was not Eyelops Owl Emporium. It was a proper shop selling magical beasts. Baron's Beasthouse was the name I believe. And it was class four due to its ability rather than danger level. For example, Phoenixes are also class XXXX rated magical animals.

As for keeping the animals and his ability secret, snakes can also be used for a variety of things.

Ares may just be a spoilt rich child who likes snakes and can afford to keep them to boast that he would go into Slytherin or something like that. As for the cost, I also stated that the trunk was quite expensive, while not specifying the price for anything at all.

Also, most animals in Class XXXX are placed due to rarity rather than their danger to humans.

TupanHD- Thanks a lot. Have seen several of your comments, and they encourage me so much.

Guest- Thanks a lot. I am glad you liked it.