Chapter 74 – Birthday
It had been a few days since Alexander Smith's new book was released to the public.
Today was July 31st, 1991—his birthday. Coincidentally, it was also the birthday of Harry Potter, the so-called Boy-Who-Lived.
By now, Harry should have already discovered his identity as a wizard and met Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper and half-giant, who would have delivered his acceptance letter and perhaps a cake. Though the original books never explained it, Alexander often wondered about Hagrid's future. Had he and Madame Maxime, the Beauxbatons headmistress, ever stayed together? Were there half-giant children of their own?
Seventeen years after Voldemort's death, when Harry's children began attending Hogwarts, there was only a brief mention of Hagrid still being at the school, inviting the next generation for tea. Presumably, he continued teaching Care of Magical Creatures well into his old age.
It was now noon, and Alexander's birthday celebration had begun within the hidden heart of Smith Castle. Over the past three years, with the help of the Lord God of the Hearth—an intelligent magical entity bound to the castle—Alexander had completed the most sophisticated alchemical undertaking in his family's history.
This massive new creation was a perfect replica of the original castle. However, it was far more than just a structure. It functioned as both a physical stand-in and a metaphysical projection, with the real castle concealed within a new dimension—accessible only through magical means.
This dimension used a variation of the Fidelius Charm. Much like the original charm, the spell bound a location's secret to a chosen keeper, concealing the place from all others. However, Alexander had pushed the magic even further. Instead of choosing a wizard as the Secret Keeper, he entrusted the secret to the Lord God itself—an immortal consciousness immune to detection or betrayal.
As long as the Lord God remained silent, Smith Castle was completely untouchable. As Professor Flitwick once said when explaining the original charm, "As long as the Secret Keeper refuses to speak, not even the Dark Lord himself could find the place—even if he flattened his nose against the glass outside their living room!"
In this way, Alexander had achieved true independence from the outside world. Smith Castle had become a sanctuary, and he himself, untouchable.
The teleportation array in front of the castle began to glow, its runes lighting up one by one in a slow rhythm. Moments later, Penelope Clearwater and Kate emerged, both wearing magical bracelets that acted as keys to the portal.
The castle's front lawn had been transformed into a fairy-lit glade, with hundreds of living fairies flitting about. Some perched on enchanted rose bushes, while others fluttered atop stone statues carved to resemble majestic magical beasts—phoenixes, thunderbirds, and more.
Still, for all its splendor, the scenery paled in comparison to the two girls standing at its center.
Penelope, elegant and confident, wore a flowing blue robe that couldn't quite hide her tall and striking figure. Her golden hair shimmered in the sunlight, and her eyes sparkled with intelligence.
Beside her stood Kate, cheerful and small, with a short bob of black hair and a white robe typically worn at wizarding galas. She was petite, full of energy, and impossibly cute.
"Welcome to Castle Smith!" Alexander said warmly.
"Happy birthday, Alexander!" Penelope smiled, handing him a wrapped gift.
"Happy birthday, Alex!" Kate grinned, practically bouncing over to him. She pulled out a necklace and slipped it around his neck.
"You didn't even wrap it?" Alexander teased as he examined it. The necklace was enchanted to repel grime and rust—perfect for long-term wear by a wizard.
"It's practical!" Kate said proudly.
Penelope looked around in wonder. "Who are all these fairies?"
"I found them in the nearby forest," Alexander explained. "You know how vain they are. They're more than happy to be seen as decorations—though I asked them to help decorate, not be decorations."
"Fairies decorating?" Kate blinked. "Don't they have, like, the intelligence of hummingbirds?"
"Normally, yes," Penelope added. "They can't even speak—just hum and buzz."
Alexander smirked. "Who says you have to speak to communicate? With a little effort and some empathy, you can reach anyone."
The girls followed him into the main hall, where the decorations shifted magically as they walked. Music filled the air, icicles of shimmering frost began to form on the banisters, and magical ornaments appeared on conjured trees—everything from polished holly berries to golden phoenix figurines that chirped in rhythm with the music.
The floating lights, enchanted with Gubraithian Fire, transformed into luminous forest spirits, who joined in singing "Happy Birthday" with ethereal voices.
The entire castle now resembled a frosted gingerbread house covered in glittering white sugar and icing.
As they entered the dining hall, food materialized across the tables. Roasted meats, delicate desserts, sizzling stews, and buttery pastries—all of them were favorites of Alexander, Kate, and Penelope.
Laughter echoed through the castle for the rest of the day. When evening came, Penelope and Kate embraced Alexander one by one before stepping through the teleportation portal.
Soon, Alexander was alone again in the once-bustling castle.
He stood quietly by the window, gazing at the deepening twilight.
"By now," he murmured, "Harry Potter must be on his way back from Diagon Alley… shopping for his school things with Hagrid and returning to a Muggle world he never belonged in."
Feeling restless, Alexander decided to visit the Muggle world for a while. With a thought, he teleported to Paddington Station and quietly made his way to Number Four, Privet Drive.
As expected, no one noticed him.
From a distance, he saw a boy with round glasses kneeling at a train window, watching as a towering figure waved goodbye. Harry Potter. His face was pressed to the glass, staring longingly as Hagrid disappeared into the crowd.
Curious, Alexander summoned the Lord God's viewing interface.
Race: Wizard
Strength: 4 (10 is average human maximum)
Constitution: 17 (10 is human max)
Magic Power: 30 (10 is standard wizard adult average)
Skills: Parseltongue Lv.5 (34%), Mathematics Lv.3 (12%)...
Harry Potter's magic potential was staggering. Compared to even elite Aurors, he had nearly triple the natural magical energy. The only downside was that wizard magic power developed slowly over time. Without training methods, most wizards simply matured with age.
Even Rubeus—Hagrid's descendant and namesake—had only reached a magic power level of 26 after years of training.
Alexander closed the interface and looked at Harry one last time.
The chessboard was finally being set.
And the game was about to begin.
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