Aster stepped out of Ollivanders, the door clicking softly shut behind him.
Waiting just outside were Lily, Harry, Mr. and Mrs. Granger, and Hermione, standing slightly ahead of them all, eyes searching the crowd until they locked onto him.
She rushed forward." Did you get your wand?" she asked, breathless with excitement.
Aster didn't say anything. He simply opened his hand, revealing the wand resting against his palm. Ebony black, its surface sleek and dark, almost iridescent, like polished serpent scales.
Hermione's eyes widened."So cool!" she breathed, the awe in her voice unmistakable.
Lily approached slowly, her gaze briefly flicking to the wand before returning to Aster's face. Her expression was unreadable, though a trace of unease shimmered behind her smile.
"Well," she said gently, steering the moment back toward the mundane, "how about books next?"
Hermione perked up. "Yes, yes! I have the list memorized!"
Mr. Granger chuckled. "Of course you do."
Harry, meanwhile, was walking beside Aster, peeking at the wand with interest but saying nothing. His fingers were laced behind his head, clearly pleased with his own wand but just as clearly fascinated by the one Aster carried.
As Lily turned to step into Ollivanders to handle the payment, Aster gently reached out and stopped her with a word.
"I paid for the wands," he said quietly.
Lily blinked, slightly surprised. She studied his face, searching for something in his calm expression — not pride exactly, but a quiet determination, a desire to stand on his own.
She nodded once. "Alright."There was something in her eyes that softened, like she'd seen a glimpse of someone older than his years.
——————————————————————————————
At Flourish and Blotts, Hermione and Aster became a blur of motion the moment they entered. Lists forgotten, they navigated the shelves with eerie precision, instinctively splitting up and reconvening every few minutes, arms loaded with books.
The standard school set was easy: three copies each of every required text. But that was just the beginning.
Aster ran his fingers along rows of titles like they were ancient artifacts: Basic Defensive Charms, Intermediate Magical Theory, Wand Movements for the Focused Mind. Beside him, Hermione pulled out Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration and a dusty old copy of Arithmancy and the Art of Structure.
They weren't just shopping, they were preparing. One year ahead of time.
Lily watched from a distance, smiling. She exchanged a knowing look with Mr. and Mrs. Granger, or at least tried to. They were still clearly overwhelmed by the sheer scale of it all.
Meanwhile, Harry had found his own corner of paradise, the Quidditch section. He knelt on the floor, flipping through illustrated guides and old match histories. His eyes lit up at enchanted pages that showed players mid-dive, frozen in time.
Lily came up beside Aster, who was balancing two books in one hand while flipping through a third. "Harry's father was really good at Quidditch," she said, her voice soft with memory. Then she added, without looking at him:"Your father was, too."
Aster paused. For a second, he didn't say anything."Was he?" he asked, not coldly — just curious. The book closed in his hand.
Lily nodded. "Different styles. James flew like it was a game — wild and flashy. Your father..." she hesitated, the smile fading slightly."Regulus flew like it was war. Silent. Focused. He never missed."
Aster looked down at the book in his hand, its gold-embossed title now forgotten.
He didn't ask more. Not yet. But the words settled in his chest like a stone tossed into a deep lake.
Hermione came running over."They have a whole aisle on magical history!" she said breathlessly, holding up a towering stack. "There's one on the Goblin Rebellions that looks amazing, oh!" She nearly dropped everything, and Aster reached out to help balance the load.
"We might need another bag," he said calmly.
Lily chuckled. "Or a second vault."
After collecting all their required books and more than a few extras, they arranged for everything to be sent directly to their homes. Aster had quietly covered the cost for everyone, though neither Hermione nor Harry realized it yet.
Their final stop was Eeylops Owl Emporium, a softly lit shop where the air was thick with feathers and the sharp scent of straw. Owls of every size and color rested silently in cages stacked to the ceiling, golden eyes watching the newcomers with vague disinterest.
As they stood outside, Hermione nudged Aster lightly with her shoulder."Aster and I can share an owl," she said with a small, pleased smile. "Since we live in the same house." She glanced at Lily, half shy and half proud.
Lily smiled gently in return, her eyes warm with understanding. "Of course. That's very thoughtful of you, Hermione."
Aster and Harry stepped inside. The room dimmed further, the only light streaming in from high windows streaked with dust. Owls blinked lazily as they passed, none seeming especially interested in the boy with silver eyes.
Harry, on the other hand, made a beeline for a snow-white owl perched near the front. The creature hooted softly and tilted her head, clearly taken with him. Harry beamed.
Aster simply watched, not envious, just distant. The locket at his chest warmed slightly against his skin.
A hiss echoed faintly in his mind: "Pathetic creatures. All fluff and no power."
Aster frowned and adjusted the chain, pushing the locket further beneath his shirt.
From behind the counter, a stout, middle-aged witch with a faded green scarf and spectacles peered at him curiously. She'd been watching the red-haired boy since he entered.
"Oi," she called out, tapping the counter to get his attention. "Red-haired lad. You're not going to find what you're looking for here."
Aster turned to face her.
She smiled, not unkindly. "Try the Magical Menagerie, just down the way. Bit noisier than this place, cats, toads, kneazles, the works, but something tells me you'll find exactly what you need there."
Aster hesitated. He looked back at the owls, then at Harry, who was already bonding with the snowy owl like they were meant for each other.
Then he nodded once.
"Thank you," he said, voice quiet but firm, and stepped back out into the street, the sun flashing against the dark metal of the hidden locket under his collar.
Hermione saw him exit and tilted her head. "No owl?"
"Not here," he replied. "But… somewhere else."
Lily raised an eyebrow as he passed, but said nothing. Her expression suggested she knew exactly where he was going.
And what, perhaps who, might be waiting for him.
Aster, followed closely by Hermione, stepped into the Magical Menagerie. The shop was a riot of sounds and colors, chirps, meows, croaks, and the occasional flutter of wings echoed off the worn wooden walls. Creatures of all shapes and sizes peered curiously from cages or padded freely about the room.
Hermione's voice floated toward him, warm and eager as she chatted about what kind of pet she might want, a loyal owl, perhaps, or something clever and quiet. But Aster's attention was only half on her words.
The locket nestled against his chest murmured in its ever-snide tone, "Still hunting for a pet? You've already got one, right by your side."
Aster clenched his jaw, irritation flickering across his face.Not now, he thought, not in front of Hermione. He considered slipping the locket off and stashing it in the Black family vault before heading home, but for now, it stayed hidden beneath his shirt.
His eyes scanned the room until something caught his gaze, a sleek black cat crouched low, muscles taut, eyes locked onto a glossy raven perched nearby. The cat inched closer, claws flexing.
Just as the cat prepared to pounce, the raven vanished like a shadow dissolving into thin air.
Seconds later, the raven reappeared, this time landing squarely on Aster's shoulder. It felt almost warm against his skin, but the bird's sharp, intelligent eyes held a wild gleam.
Aster watched as the raven's gaze flickered between him and the cat. It was clear the bird was too clever to be truly threatened, toying with the cat with casual ease. But when it settled on Aster, the playful glint faded, replaced by something far more serious.
The raven was deciding, and it had chosen Aster as its master.
The raven tilted its head slightly, feathers shimmering with an iridescent sheen as it settled on Aster's shoulder.
Then, clear as a whisper in his mind, he heard it: "It's trying to show who's the boss here."
Aster's eyes shifted to the cat, which had frozen mid-step, its narrowed gaze still locked on the raven. After a moment of quiet tension, the cat blinked first and backed away, tail flicking in silent defeat.
Hermione gasped softly, impressed. She stepped forward and scooped the cat into her arms, cradling it like a precious bundle.
"I want this one!" she beamed, stroking the cat as it purred softly against her chest.
Aster smiled faintly. "Sure, Mione. I'll get the raven. How about… Nyx?"
The raven blinked slowly at him. Then, with a quiet rustle of feathers, it nodded once, sharply.
Hermione tilted her head. "You just named it and it… agreed?"
"She," Aster corrected gently, brushing a finger against the glossy feathers.
Hermione grinned, glancing between the sly-eyed cat and the regal raven. "Well, I guess we both found our familiars."
Aster didn't answer right away. But for the first time in a long while, he felt something settle inside him, not peace exactly, but purpose.
And on his shoulder, Nyx watched everything in silence, her sharp eyes glinting with a strange, knowing light.