Chapter 39: A Year of Growth
Nero's first year at Hogwarts was drawing to a close, and what a year it had been. Each day brimmed with rigorous study and relentless magical training. His Occlumency lessons with the Sorting Hat had sharpened his focus and fortified his mind against intrusion. Though he couldn't yet fully block invasive probes with traditional mind arts, he had made impressive strides. When he asked Dumbledore to test his defenses, he could sense every probe the headmaster sent his way, though he had only managed to block him for five seconds, at most.
This challenge sparked an idea in Nero's ever-active mind: if his mental defenses weren't yet strong enough, why not incorporate barrier magic as a substitute? He began developing a wandless application of barriers to shield his thoughts, experimenting late into the night with varying results.
Outside Occlumency, Nero immersed himself in his studies. He worked tirelessly to perfect charms, refine transfiguration, and master his newfound passion: barrier magic. His obsession with control extended to elemental magic as well. He set himself the peculiar goal of maintaining water magic even in an unconscious state, a challenge that led to unintended consequences.
For several bewildering weeks, Nero's roommates awoke to find their beds mysteriously damp. Mortified, each boy assumed the worst, their red-faced dashes to the showers becoming a daily spectacle. Heated whispers filled the dorm, theories ranging from a strange curse to an elaborate prank by Peeves.
The mystery unraveled one morning when Nero overslept. An orb of water floated serenely above his head, glinting in the morning light. His three roommates stood at the foot of his bed, gaping at the culprit behind their collective humiliation.
"Seriously, Nero?" one of them groaned, throwing his pillow at him.
"Do you know how many showers I've taken this week?" another exclaimed, flailing his arms. "I thought I was cursed!"
"I wrote to my mum, Nero!" the third wailed, clutching his head. "I told her I needed medical help!"
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Nero blinked at them. "Oh," he said sheepishly, glancing at the water orb floating lazily above his head. "I guess I got carried away."
"You think?!" they chorused, pelting him with pillows.
"Calm down, gentlemen," Nero said, deflecting a flying pillow with his hand. "Don't you see? We've just made history."