Harry Potter : Bloodraven-Chapter 81: The Weight of Secrets (CH - 101)

The air inside the VIP box of the Hogwarts Quidditch stadium was heavy with tension.

Olympe Maxime rested her elbows on the armrests, studying the young man before her with sharp, measuring eyes. And the young man sat perfectly still while returning her gaze with an expression that was equally sharp, unfazed without a hint of nerves across his face.

The older witch's intrigue grew more and more. Most would fidget under her piercing stare, shrinking beneath the weight of her presence. But not this boy. However that still wasn't the reason she wanted to speak with him today.

It was his magic, or rather, his magical signature.

During the match today, her sharp senses finally caught a trace of it.

It happened when the Hogwarts Seeker's broom was cursed, that his magic flared for the briefest heartbeat. But for someone like her, that was enough to tell whether a wizard was familiar or a stranger.

Every witch and wizard had a distinct magical signature, though only those at the Arch-Magus level could truly perceive these differences. And the moment she felt Maverick's magic, she immediately remembered the mysterious figure from half a year ago who had left a lasting impression on her.

It was hard to believe, but her senses had never failed her before. Setting aside her doubts, she grew genuinely curious. How could there be a Great-Magus so young, with such fine control over magic, in some aspects even comparable to her, an Arch-Magus?

How was that possible?

But then a thought struck her. Could it be a secret method of magical practice? It had to be. Or perhaps...

Many thoughts ran through her head in the short span of time between Harry's broom getting cursed, him catching the Snitch, and the game finally ending with the audience vacating.

Finally, she considered that maybe she could use the information she had to ask for his practice methods in exchange for keeping his secret.

Was it blackmail? Of course not. But this kid and his teacher had played her like a fool that day. So, she sought to regain her dignity—or at the very least, some measure of interest in return.

"How did you find out?" the boy's voice interrupted her thoughts. He sounded calm and curious, rather than surprised, even after she hinted that she knew his secret.

Before she could answer though, a third voice joined in, laced with amusement. "Might I ask, Olympe, who this 'bird' you're referring to is?"

Olympe's lips twitched. She had almost forgotten this old man was there with them as well.

She glanced at the boy before answering Dumbledore, watching for any sign that he cared if the old man found out about this secret. And sure enough, judging by his expression, it seemed he didn't mind her revealing it while Dumbledore was present. Or perhaps he had already revealed it to him.

"The raven figure," she said finally, looking at Maverick. "Last year... The one who brought down Morvain. That was you, wasn't it?"

"Oh..." Dumbledore raised his eyebrows slightly, then turned his head toward Maverick, smirking with amusement rather than shock.

Maverick exhaled slowly. He had a feeling this old man had known for some time now. So before answering Maxime, he glanced sideways at the wise wizard and asked, "I suppose you've known for a while, haven't you?"

Dumbledore chuckled softly. "Oh, I've had my suspicions for a while now... You were careful... but I could still sense the rank from your magic every now and then..." He paused, smiling knowingly. "But what truly connected the dots was you being Edward Garling's apprentice."

He leaned back slightly. "After the news of Morvain's death, I did a little digging of my own... And, unsurprisingly, Edward Garling's name came up more than once."

Maverick nodded thoughtfully. What Headmaster Dumbledore said indeed made sense. He was Edward's apprentice, a Great-Magus, and it had been reported in the news that Bloodraven was also a Great-Magus. Connecting the dots wouldn't have been difficult for Dumbledore. Not to mention, his Patronus was a raven as well.

Maverick sighed inwardly. Worthy of being called the wise wizard. Fortunately, not everyone knew him as well as Dumbledore did, so not just anybody could connect the dots. Even if they did, it didn't matter much now.

That said, he still preferred to keep his alias a secret for as long as possible. His real identity, however, was a different story. He didn't mind people knowing Maverick Caesar's rank anymore.

After that brief exchange with Dumbledore, he once again turned back to the tall woman across from him. His brows narrowed slightly as he considered her. How had she figured it out?

He had been careful during the match, making sure not to alert her while using his magical sense. It wasn't that he was afraid—he simply didn't want to cause a commotion.

His Magical-Sense talent had now reached a master level proficiency, allowing him to use it with even greater precision and subtlety.

He was confident that no one below his rank would notice a thing, and even an Arch-Magus wouldn't detect it as long as he was careful.

Unless, of course, he was wrong in his assumption.

Was he? He wondered.

"How did you figure it out?" He asked directly.

"It was indeed impressive," Olympe answered with a knowing smile. "Hiding your magic... well, until a little while ago today. You slipped up for just a brief moment, but because your magic felt familiar... like someone I've met whose signature was the same..."

Maverick raised a brow. It seemed her senses were more refined than he had thought. To detect his magic while he was being careful would take at least master-level proficiency, which he believed she had as well.

"Is... that it?" he asked again.

"Of course. My senses are quite sharp," Maxime said smoothly. "And we Arch-Magi can perceive unique magical signatures. If we've met once, it would be hard to fool me, even with a near-perfect disguise."

That was news to him—something to look into later. And now was not the time to get distracted about it.

Setting those thoughts aside, he finally asked the question that truly mattered.

"So you know I'm Bloodraven... Now what?"

He watched as the woman's expression change. Amusement flickered in her eyes as she leaned back in her seat, as if she held the upper hand.

"I can keep the secret. If you join Beauxbato-."

"Pass." He interjected before she could finish. "You can tell the world I'm Bloodraven. I don't have a problem." He shrugged without saying more.

The tall witch raised a brow, surprised, while Dumbledore also... mirrored the same reaction.

They had both assumed he treated that identity as a closely guarded secret and were momentarily taken aback by his straightforward response. Well infact, if it was week ago, their expectations might have been correct—but that was no longer the case.

"What a rude fellow," she said after a moment, furrowing her brows "Just like your teacher."

Maverick smirked but didn't retort to her remark. There was no way he would let this woman blackmail him.

"Aren't you afraid of the attention you'll get?" she asked him, her voice laced with amusement. "I mean... you're barely what? 20? And already a Great-Magus. People are going to be curious. They would think you have some secret ways of practice..."

Maverick chuckled. "Aren't you thinking the same?"

She leaned forward slightly, her eyes glinting as she continued. "Of course I am." Then, after a brief pause, she leaned back again. "But unlike me, some wouldn't care whether you're a student of Garling or a master alchemist. Just because you're a Great-Magus and took down Morvain doesn't mean you're invincible. Who knows? Maybe one of us, a King, someone less concerned about the consequences might take action directly."

"Then so be it," Maverick said without hesitation. "Even if both of you come at me, I won't care."

Maxime scrutinized him for a long moment, her sharp gaze locked onto his.

Then—

Puff.

She let out an uncontrollable chuckle.

"Dear Merlin... you're just like that bastard Garling. I remember him charging straight at Grindelwald when he was merely a Great-Magus... but." She paused, narrowing her eyes. "Do you really think that just because you took down Morvain, a peak Great-Magus, you could stand against a King?"

The temperature in the room began to drop along with her voice. Maverick felt her magic fill the space around them—not Dominant Spirit, but the pure, raw power of an Arch-Magus.

A week ago, this might have made him flinch. No, even then, it would have only unsettled him because of the pressure.

But now, her attempt to assert power over him meant nothing.

He remained perfectly still, showing no outward reaction, and simply listened.

She was trying to intimidate him with words. But at the same time, he knew she wasn't entirely wrong. In fact, what she said was very likely to happen.

"Remember little boy. Every rank up gives you more longevity. There are many Magus who are children of Great-Maguses that look older than them."

"What do you think they'd do if they realized there was a way for their children to regain their youth? What do you think they'd do if they realized there's this one person who has a miracle method to breakthrough the ranks..."

She leaned in even closer, her tone lowering. "They'd flock in groups to steal whatever miracle you have... even resorting to taking your family hostage-"

Rumble!

Maxime's words suddenly stopped. Her eyes widened, as if she had seen something unthinkable. Even Dumbledore, the ever-calm old wizard, looked shocked.

Rumble!

The room began to ripple. The air grew dense—dense with something unseen.

"Impossible!"

Maxime jolted to her feet.

"Well... I must say I wasn't expecting this..." Dumbledore added.

In that moment, within the four walls of the room, Maverick allowed them to feel his magic fully for the first time. And just like Maxime, he didn't unleash his Dominant Spirit. Instead, he also let his raw magic surge. And both of them, being Arch-Magi themselves, could instantly recognize the presence of another Arch-Magus from the sensation of the magic.

"How about it..." he spoke, looking right into her eyes. "Do you think I have the capital to protect my self and my family?"

The room fell silent for a long while, until finally, they both eased off the surge of their magic, and Maxime slumped back down into her chair.

She leaned back, letting out a sigh, her eyes narrowing as she studied Maverick. Her expression showed she was clearly frustrated.

"Do you have a secret practice method or not?" she asked again, but more sincerely this time. She wanted only a simple yes or no.

Maverick's lips curled into a smirk, but didn't respond right away.

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The half giant witch's patience began to wear thin. "Well?" she pressed, her voice tinged with impatience. "Are you willing to share it? If you do, I'll swear an oath to owe you an an unconditional favor."

Her words this time caught him off guard. A favor backed by a magical oath from an Arch-Magus wasn't something trivial—it was a debt imbued with significant power.

Maverick remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "I don't have a secret practice method," he said steadily. "I'm just... extremely talented."

Maxime blinked, momentarily taken aback. Then she blurted out without thinking, "What kind of ridiculous answer is that?"

"Professor here can attest to it." He turned to Dumbledore, who looked at him with a puzzled expression. "You know the extent of my capabilities. I've been able to tap into the talents of a Great-Magus when I was only a Magus. And when I became a Great-Magus, I could access the talents of an Arch-Magus." He then turned to Maxime.

"You saw it for yourself. During my duel with Morvain. Back then, I was definitely not an Arch-Magus."

The two older witch and wizard wore thoughtful expressions at that. It seemed... what he said was true.

Maxime had witnessed his Dominant Spirit being unleashed that day, something only an Arch-Magus could do. And Dumbledore had heard from McGonagall that Maverick had been able to suppress his magic even two years ago. According to McGonagall, Maverick's magic had only been at the Magus level back then.

"I suggest you still keep your rank a secret, Professor Caesar," Dumbledore finally said. "For the sake of your family's safety, it's better to keep it a secret for now."

He then turned to Maxime. "Apologies, perhaps, Madam. You were not able to... get what you wanted. But for the sake of this old man and our friendship, please keep it to yourself as well. Besides, it's better to have Professor Caesar here as a friend than a foe, right?"

Maxime sighed. "Fine. I won't ask about it again. But I do have a favor to ask of you..."

Maverick gestured for her to continue.

"Once a month, or even once per semester if that's easier, could you come be a guest lecturer at Beauxbaton's Alchemy classes? I'm sure that won't be too much of a hassle. I'll dedicate a direct Floo point for you, pay you, and you may ask something reasonable in return from me."

"Guest lectures?" Maverick thought about it. It didn't seem like a troublesome thing if it was only once per semester.

"I want access to your school's complete library—and your private collection," he added, laying down his condition.

Maxime's eyes narrowed. "Quite the appetite." She paused, then nodded at the end. "I agree."

Maverick smiled and stood from the chair. They had been talking for over an hour now. "Let's shake to a cooperation, Speaker."

"Speaker?" Maxime raised an eyebrow. "Kid, now that you mention it, it feels like you're mocking me. We Arch-Magi don't call each other by our titles."

"Really?" Maverick smirked. "Then Olympe?"

The taller woman's mouth twitched. That sounded even weirder coming from a kid. To her, he was just a kid.

"Just call me Dean. Or Madam," she said finally.

—————

Author's note:

This was a tough Chapter to write. I had to change so many things from my drafts to make the MC not seem like an edgelord, while at the same time not making him feel like a wimp.

Hope you liked it!

There will be a time skip next.

Just a quick update — up to Chapter 134 is already available on P AT r30n!

PAT r30n [.] com / RyanFic