NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: Whispers of the Wand
The Scottish Highlands were a jagged, mist-shrouded mess—rugged cliffs, whispering winds, and a damp cave that smelled faintly of moss and forgotten magic. I lay in a makeshift nest of blankets Marigold had cobbled together, my baby body still a frustrating cage for my overactive mind. Two months had passed since our chaotic escape from Knockturn Alley, and I was starting to get the hang of this wizarding world—or at least, its knack for trying to kill me.
My Shadow System, that quirky magical HUD in my head, had become my lifeline. After unlocking Basic Magic Aptitude and Shadow Surge, I'd spent sleepless nights (or drooling naps) experimenting with wandless sparks and shadowy tendrils. The system's latest task—Uncover the Source of Shadow Surge—still loomed, its 7-day deadline long expired, but it hadn't punished me yet. Instead, it pinged softly:
New Task: Explore the Highlands' Magical Leylines. Reward: Intermediate Magic Aptitude (Shadow Step). Failure: Leyline Backlash (Disorientation Risk). Time Limit: 3 Days.
"Great," I thought, gurgling as I batted at a pebble. "More cryptic quests. At least I'm not changing my own diapers yet."
Marigold paced outside the cave, her wand tracing wards against Auror trackers. She looked exhausted—dark circles under her eyes, her auburn hair tangled—but her Slytherin edge was sharper than ever. "Zephyr, you better not be summoning shadows again," she muttered, glancing back. "Last time, you nearly tripped me into a bog."
"Goo!" I babbled, internally rolling my eyes. "It was one shadow tendril, and it saved us from that troll!" The system chimed:
Skill Progress: Baby Charm (Passive) – Effectiveness: 20% (Annoyance Resistance Boost).
The Highlands weren't just a hideout—they were a living tapestry of magic. I could feel it in the air, a hum that made my wandless sparks jitter. Marigold had explained (grumblingly) that this land was riddled with ley lines—ancient magical currents tying the wizarding world together. Hogwarts sat atop one, she said, its power channeling through the castle's stones. Diagon Alley thrummed with another, fueling its shops. But here, in the wilds, the ley lines were raw, untamed, and dangerous.
One evening, as the mist thickened, Marigold dragged me out to scout a nearby glen. "We need to tap into these ley lines for a boost," she said, her voice low. "If we can harness even a fraction, we might cloak ourselves from the Ministry's scrying spells. But step wrong, and we're toast."
I gurgled, thinking, "Cloaking sounds great, but I'm still a drooling liability!" The glen was eerie—glowing moss on stones, faint whispers in the wind, and a pool shimmering like liquid starlight. My system pinged:
Leyline Detected: Shadow Nexus. Interact to activate task progress.
I squirmed in Marigold's arms, pointing a chubby finger. "Gah!" She frowned. "What's with you now?" I flailed, and she sighed, setting me down near the pool. The moment my hand touched the water, a jolt shot through me—cold, sharp, and electric. The system exploded in my mind:
Shadow Nexus Activated! Unlocking Leyline Connection…
Shadows swirled around the glen, coalescing into a mirror-like surface above the pool. In it, I saw flashes: Hogwarts' towering spires, Diagon Alley's bustling streets, and… a boy with messy black hair, green eyes, and a lightning scar. Harry Potter. He looked about my age—maybe or maybe not a year or two older, but close. My heart (or baby equivalent) raced. "Hmm? I'm… the same age as Harry?"
The system chimed:
Analysis Complete: Host Age – 1 Year, 3 Months. Target Age (Harry Potter) – 1 Year, 5 Months. Temporal Alignment Confirmed.
"Holy crap," I thought, flopping back. "I'm a toddler Dark Lord-in-training, same age as the Chosen One? Truck-kun, you've got a twisted sense of humor!" Marigold yanked me up, oblivious to my revelation. "Stop splashing, Zephyr! This isn't bath time."
The ley lines pulsed, and the mirror showed more—grim shadows over Hogwarts, Marigold fleeing Aurors, and Voldemort's cold, snakelike grin. Then, a deeper darkness flickered, something ancient and wrong, but it vanished before I could focus. The system dinged:
Warning: Unknown Entity Detected in Leyline Network. Investigate for Advanced Shadow Aptitude. Risk: Mental Strain.
Marigold muttered a spell, and the shadows dispersed. "That's enough for tonight," she said, her voice tight. "These ley lines are unstable—too much magic, and we'll attract every wizard within fifty miles."
I gurgled, thinking, "Unstable? Try terrifying. What was that shadow?" But I couldn't voice it, only whimper as she carried me back to the cave. The Highlands weren't just wild—they were a battleground of magic, layered with history. I'd glimpsed ley lines connecting places like Hogsmeade, where butterbeer flowed and secrets brewed, and the Forbidden Forest, where centaurs watched the stars and acromantulas lurked. Gringotts, too, sat on a ley line, its goblin wards fueled by ancient power. Even Muggle London had faint traces, hidden under platforms like 9¾, where magic seeped through cracks.
Over the next day, I obsessed over the mirror's image of Harry. If I was his age—barely over a year old—then the timeline was 1981, right after Voldemort's first fall. That meant Harry's parents were dead, the war was raw, and I was… what, a backup Dark Lord? A rival? A wildcard? The system offered no answers, only:
Task Progress: 50% Complete. Explore Leyline Nexus for Full Connection.
Marigold noticed my squirming. "What's got you so antsy?" she asked, more to herself than me. "You're not summoning shadows again, are you?" I babbled, pointing toward the glen. She sighed. "Fine, but if we get caught, I'm blaming your drool."
We returned at dusk, the glen glowing brighter. This time, I focused harder, channeling my wandless spark into the pool. Shadows surged, forming the mirror again. Harry appeared, now a toddler playing in a safehouse, watched by Order members. I saw myself—same age, same chubby cheeks—in a vision of Marigold fleeing, Aurors hot on our heels. The timelines aligned perfectly. "I'm Harry's peer," I thought, stunned. "A baby Dark Lord facing a baby Chosen One."
The system chimed:
Leyline Connection Established! Reward Unlocked: Shadow Step (Teleport via Shadows, 10-meter Range). New Task: Identify Unknown Entity in Leyline Network. Reward: Advanced Magic Aptitude (Shadow Bind). Failure: Leyline Severance (Magic Suppression). Time Limit: 14 Days.
The mirror flickered, showing a dark shape—vague, ominous, but not Voldemort. It felt older, colder, like a force beyond the wizarding world. Marigold gasped, pulling me back. "Zephyr, stop! That's too much power!" The shadows dissipated, but the chill lingered.
As we trudged back, I realized the Highlands weren't just a hideout—they were a nexus of magic, a map of the wizarding world's secrets. Ley lines linked Hogwarts' ancient stones to Gringotts' goblin gold, Diagon Alley's charm to the Forbidden Forest's wildness. But that shadow… it hinted at something bigger, something Marigold feared but wouldn't name.
That night, I lay awake (or as awake as a baby could), the system's glow pulsing softly. I was Zephyr Riddle, Voldemort's son, same age as Harry Potter, armed with a system and shadowy powers. The wizarding world was vast, dangerous, and layered with mysteries—but I was in it, ready to fight, even if I couldn't walk yet. The ley lines whispered, and I knew: my destiny was tangled with Harry's, Voldemort's, and that unseen darkness. What the heck had I signed up for?