"The Seven Gods of Magic"
When that day's tournament ended, Stephen and Fleur decided to go for a quiet walk.
However, their date was interrupted by an urgent call from Stephen's siblings, forcing him to postpone it"clearly annoyed.
Both returned together to Flamel Manor, where in the living room, Wanda and Daphne, Tony and Loki, as well as Harry and Hermione, were waiting for them.
"What ancient and ridiculous thing did you find this time just to annoy me?" Stephen asked as soon as he walked in, throwing a quick glance at his siblings and their respective partners.
Except, of course, for Tony and Loki"he didn't count them as part of that category.
"Just some ugly drawings," Wanda replied with disinterest.
"Those 'ugly drawings' have existed long before you were born, so show a little respect," Tony interjected with a mocking tone.
"Old drawings? You interrupted my date over old drawings?" Stephen said, clearly irritated, as he approached the large book with stone pages resting on the table, looking at it with contempt.
"Just look at what's drawn in it," Loki said impatiently.
Stephen began flipping through the pages with little interest. However, as he went on, his expression gradually changed. His face became more serious when he reached an illustration showing seven golden figures giving something to humanity.
"Well, they don't look like just old drawings anymore, do they?" Tony commented sarcastically, looking at Stephen with a smug grin.
"Tsk…" Stephen shot him an annoyed look but decided to let it slide… for now.
At that moment, Natasha and Sirius entered the manor. She looked visibly irritated, while he wore a smug and triumphant smile.
"What happened to you two?" Wanda asked, curious.
"Nothing," Natasha replied quickly.
"Apparently, Natasha's mom likes me," Sirius said teasingly. "She asked me to look after her daughter. And, if she doesn't find a proper boyfriend, I'd have permission to approach her with marriage intentions."
"That's not what she said," Natasha retorted, clearly annoyed.
"Oh right, what she actually said was: 'My daughter will scare off any potential partner. Please don't let her push you away too. In fact, just marry her as soon as possible so she doesn't have time to escape.'"
Sirius mimicked her mother's voice with a cheeky grin.
Natasha raised her hand, visibly irritated, and Sirius wisely stopped just in time… though the smile never left his face.
"What information did you find?" Natasha asked, trying to change the subject.
"Something interesting. You?" Stephen replied, still focused on the book's pages.
"I found something that might be important as well," Natasha answered.
"Alright then. Who wants to go first?" Tony asked, folding his arms.
"I'll go. It's a short story," Natasha said before beginning her tale.
...…
A couple of hours earlier…
Sirius and Natasha had arrived at the old house where her mother lived.
"So, why are you here, my daughter? I know it's not just because you missed me," the woman said bluntly.
"I'll get straight to the point, Mother. What did the family patriarch know? And why did we have to run from him?" Natasha asked, not holding back.
Sirius remained silent, allowing mother and daughter to speak.
The woman observed her for a few seconds before sighing.
"Sit down," she said, grabbing a bottle of liquor from the nearby table.
"Twenty-si"
"Ahem…" Natasha interrupted, sensing the story was starting to drift. Her mother gave a small smile at Sirius and continued.
"When I found you as just a baby, I knew you were special. Your eyes, full of magic… that red hair, like fire or blood. I could feel an ancient energy protecting you. You were unique," she said with nostalgia.
"I tried to hide it with runes and by dressing you plainly, but I wasn't the only one who noticed your power. The patriarch always had his eyes on you," she added, with restrained anger.
"The previous patriarch was my grandfather, Catlan Vallois. But he stepped down just a week after taking the position, after discovering something in our family's history. He never told me what it was. I eventually discovered something too…"
She grew more serious.
"The Vallois family is ancient, but before adopting that name, they were connected to one of the Seven most powerful Families of ancient times. I never discovered their real surname, but it was said they were descendants of one of the Seven Gods of Magic."
"Gods of Magic?" Sirius asked, surprised.
"Yes. It's a legend meant to explain the origin of wizards. According to it, seven humans were born with special powers, chosen by the world itself. They were known as the Gods of Magic. Many believe that modern-day wizards descend from them."
"It was said the eyes of these gods were blue"but not ordinary blue eyes. They were imbued with magic itself… like mana-filled gemstones."
"The patriarch knew this. He believed you were a direct descendant, with pure blood, and that your lineage could grant him eternal youth. But that blood had to be given willingly… without rejection."
"And if he couldn't obtain it willingly…?" Natasha asked, frowning.
"Then he would ensure his descendants could claim it. By making you his wife," her mother answered tensely.
"Of course, I refused immediately. I took you and ran. But the Vallois family has a curse… they need blood transfusions to survive, and if they take human blood without consent, they're consumed by madness."
"But you cured me, Natasha. Just with your blood. Maybe others in the family knew it too. I'm convinced they were all aware of the patriarch's plans."
"I see…" Natasha nodded slowly. "Do you know why Alec Vallois stopped being a squib?"
"Alec? He's still alive?" her mother asked, surprised.
"Yes. We faced him. He's a wizard now," Natasha replied, her brow furrowing.
"That's impossible. He… he took his own life the very day we fled the Vallois," her mother said in astonishment.
"What?" Sirius exclaimed.
"Then who are we fighting…?" Natasha said thoughtfully. "Or did he… come back from the dead?"
"Well, that's all I know," Natasha's mother concluded. Then, with a curious smile, she added:
"Now tell me"what's going on between the two of you? Why has my beautiful daughter brought a man to meet her mother?"
"He's just a friend, Mother," Natasha replied quickly, visibly uncomfortable.
"Really? A man that handsome and rich is just a friend?" her mother said with a playful laugh, then began bombarding Sirius with questions about Natasha's work.
"Mother, we have to go," interrupted Natasha with frustration, trying to put an end to the conversation.
And that was how the scene happened"the one Sirius later recounted to Natasha's brothers, with a triumphant smile on his lips.
…
Everyone listened attentively. The revelation about the seven magical families and the seven gods of magic had left the atmosphere in thoughtful silence.
"Seven gods of magic...? Are we something like that?" Harry asked, still processing the information.
"Well, we have bright blue eyes," Wanda commented, smiling as she looked at herself in the mirror.
"And our father is, possibly, the planet we're standing on," added Loki casually.
"Wait... you're children of the Earth?" Hermione asked, completely baffled. Fleur and Daphne looked at their respective partners with identical confusion.
"Oh, right... didn't I tell you?" said Stephen, glancing at Fleur with a slight smile.
"No, you definitely did not tell me," Fleur replied quickly, not hiding her annoyance.
"Well, now you know," said Stephen, as if it were nothing.
Fleur brought a hand to her forehead, looking exhausted.
"Could you drop the joking tone for a moment and actually explain it?" she asked seriously.
Stephen shot an irritated look at Loki, who just responded with a mocking grin.
He sighed.
"Alright… All of us"Wanda, Loki, Tony, and I"we don't have a mother or father. We simply appeared one day, in front of our respective grandparents, adoptive parents, or guardians.
Harry is something like a homunculus from a ritual Wanda performed.
We're a creation of the world and magic itself. Grandpa Nicolas always said that makes us children of the world… and that we're special because of it.
So yes. It's possible we're something like demigods among humans," Stephen said, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
"Demigods?" Hermione repeated, surprised.
"Technically, we're gods," Loki cut in. "Incomplete, of course, lacking real divinity. But if we had believers, we could complete that over time. In fact, we've got centuries ahead… maybe even millennia. No one knows how long we'll live."
"Thanks, Loki," Stephen said sarcastically with a bitter grimace.
"Wait… you don't know how long you'll live? Thousands of years?" Fleur asked, a lump forming in her throat.
Stephen looked at her seriously.
"The truth is… we don't know. We only know that our magic keeps growing, and our cells haven't shown any signs of aging.
Maybe we're like the Asgardians… who can live for over fifteen hundred years."
"Asgardians are real?" asked Hermione, earning everyone's stares.
"That's a valid question at this point"we're literally talking about gods," she added quickly.
Fleur's expression darkened.
"Then… I'll grow old, become wrinkled while you stay just as young… and then I'll die," she murmured, tears forming in her eyes.
Daphne and Hermione also fell silent, sharing the same fear.
Tony cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Uh… Well. Stephen, uh… was worried that his saliva"you know"might have some effect on Fleur.
After all, we're basically living potions, so we ran a secret DNA test.
Sorry… but it was necessary to know if you were in danger."
Fleur and Daphne looked at him, confused.
"And, well… turns out you both have slowed cells too," Tony added.
"Are you saying…?" Daphne began, not finishing the sentence.
"Yes. But it doesn't seem to be related to fluids, don't be perverts," Tony answered with a mocking grin.
"It's more like an energetic connection… or maybe just from being around each other so much.
Though, if you want to test the fluid theory, I think Grandma Perenelle is still waiting on some cute grandkids."
"Stop being disgusting," Loki said quickly, frowning in disdain.
"So… as long as we stay together, we'll also stay young for as long as they do?" Daphne asked, eyes wide.
"It's possible," Tony admitted with a shrug.
"Anyway, we also have a brilliant immortal stone on the fireplace that can extend someone's life… I don't get why everyone's so dramatic about aging."
Everyone turned their heads at once, looking at the Philosopher's Stone that had long been forgotten, since it had been used as nothing more than a decorative ornament for years.
"Can we leave the couple dilemmas for later and focus on the book?" Loki interjected with annoyance.
"Fine, but later I want a serious conversation about everything you're hiding from me," said Fleur, looking firmly at Stephen.
"And about why I apparently became semi-immortal just for being your girlfriend."
"That's fair," Stephen nodded quickly as he took the book in his hands.
"We better look at it properly."
"What are you talking about?" Tony asked, frowning.
He had already analyzed the book before, and it was nothing more than a set of stone pages enchanted not to be destroyed.
"The reason the seven 'gods' are golden is a spell called Appare Vestigium.
Though it seems like a very primitive variant… cave-like even.
Still, whoever wrote this book was clearly a wizard," Stephen said, as he observed the fine golden dust outlining human figures on the pages.
Then he shut the book abruptly and blew hard between the pages.
A cloud of golden dust rose, and instantly recreated the drawings in the air before everyone, floating like a living projection.