Chapter 63: The Summon (1)
Three months into his second year at Hogwarts, Nero found himself summoned to the Headmaster's office. The sudden request stirred his curiosity more than concern.
He had been making significant strides in his studies, refining his magic, battling his friends, working on this Occlumency and continuing his research into the legacy of the four founders.
Did Dumbledore discover something new related to the Horcruxes?
Or was this about something entirely different?
His journey through the castle was uneventful, save for the occasional hushed whispers from students who still found the whole "four heirs" situation fascinating.
The murmurs didn't bother him, they were an inevitable byproduct of his growing notoriety.
Instead, he focused on the reason for his summons, his mind playing through possibilities as he approached the stone gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmaster's tower.
"Fizzing Whizbee," he said without hesitation.
The gargoyle shifted aside, revealing the spiral staircase that led to the office above.
As he ascended, the familiar, rhythmic turning of the stairs provided a momentary lull, a transition from the lively chaos of the school to the quiet authority of the Headmaster's domain.
The door at the top creaked open as he reached it, as if expecting him.