Chapter 3: The Ravenclaw Way Forward
5 days had passed since my grandmother's burial, a ceremony that felt more like a bittersweet celebration of her extraordinary life than a simple farewell.
Aberforth Dumbledore had taken me into his care, though his gruffness seemed only to hide a deeper sorrow. He'd always been a man of few words, but I could see the grief in the small things. The way his hand lingered on the back of his chair when he sat down, or the brief silence that filled the space between his sentences when he spoke of Melina. She had been his closest friend for decades, and his loss mirrored mine in ways I hadn't expected.
Still, I knew my path lay elsewhere. I needed time and solitude to fully process everything, the memories of my past life, the truths of this world, and the sudden, gaping absence of my grandmother. Above all, I needed to prepare.
"I'll be fine, Aberforth," I assured him, trying to meet his stern gaze. "Witty's with me, and the manor is well-protected. I promise I'll write to you."
He grumbled something about reckless young lads and the importance of keeping one's feet on the ground, but he finally relented. "You take care of yourself, boy. And don't go messing with any of those bloody books that bite back, you hear?"
With that, Witty, our family house-elf, apparated us back to the Ravenclaw ancestral manor.
The manor loomed ahead, silent and imposing, its ivy-covered towers disappearing into the fog that clung to the ground. It was a place of quiet power, steeped in centuries of magic, and for all its beauty, it always felt like a fortress. A home, yes, but a fortress nonetheless.
Witty's voice broke through my thoughts. "Master Nero, the mistress ensured the manor is safer than any wizarding place, comparable to Hogwarts. Many of the protections are the works of Mistress Rowena herself, but there are newer ones too. Witty will guide you through the documented ones."
I smirked, though it was tinged with bitterness. "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure... but a bit of paranoia and a bunch of runes sure work too."