Chapter 31

The Gift Exchange was a larger affair at the Ball than it would have been elsewhere. There were, apparently, two separate gift exchanges. With the Adults exchanging second while the kids went first. This seemed to be meant for the adults to congregate over drinks while the Kids exchanged gifts. something I could agree wholeheartedly with for how it meant that Lord Greengrass would be too preoccupied with the adults to notice that I was gifting multiple female friends rings. I couldn't imagine that would go over very well with him, especially after he'd already had reservations about letting Daphne hang around with me.

Daphne, of course, insisted I open her gift first. It was wrapped in green and silver wrapping paper and was entirely book-shaped. Unwrapping it revealed a leather-bound book, La Strada dei Re Volume Three, part of a six-book series on the History of the Kingdom of Magical Italy, written by one of my Ancestors, Federico Zabini, in six years from nineteen-nineteen to nineteen-twenty-five. There was a companion book written in nineteen forty-seven by the magical historian Honorious B. Black picking up where my ancestor left off and effectively forming a seventh volume detailing the Kingdom of Magical Italy during the lead-up to and through the end of, Grindelwald's War. Sadly, Honorius Black was killed during Voldemort's rise to power, so we never got any other volumes.

"I saw you had been reading the first two volumes of that and thought you might enjoy the third. This is a first edition, with a foreword by Your Ancestor. Supposedly it was the one that Honorius Black owned and used for his translation. Happy Christmas, Blaise." Offered Daphne, breaking me out of my thoughts.

Flipping open the front cover, I saw that there was indeed a forward by Federico Zabini, one that was apparently even autographed, judging by the flourishing strokes of a quill that were used to write my ancestor's name. This was amazing. Given how my aunt had effectively exiled me from the family out of petty jealousy, this was a connection to my family that I could actually hold in my hand. True it was just an autographed copy of a book one of my ancestors wrote, but that was something, at least.

"Thank you, Daphne. I will treasure this forever." I responded sincerely.

"Now, I wonder what you got me?" Mused Daphne with a catlike grin.

She began unwrapping the box I'd handed off to her earlier, cutting the plain brown paper with a muttered cutting charm and opening the box. As she spied the ring of polished, white, Tebo Bone, engraved with anchoring runes for the enchantment, however, her grin faded in a bout of sputtering, beet red, denials.

"What. . .no. . .I can't. We're too young!" She sputtered, face glowing red like a tomato.

"What? No, Daphne, it's not that kind of ring!" I insisted.

"What exactly kind of ring is it, then?" Demanded Daphne, blushing.

"It's a disillusionment ring! It's meant to help you in case something like what happened on Halloween happens again, look at the runes!" I responded quickly.

Daphne took a deep breath to steady herself before looking more closely at the ring. The Anchoring Runes I'd chosen for anchoring the effect was an array based on the Algiz Rune. Honestly, any runic array that embodied protection or secrets would have worked for the anchoring rune, according to the Craftsman's Tradition, but I'd given the rings out with an intention to protect my friends, so the sympathetic magic was stronger there and would help bring out a stronger disillusionment effect out of the natural properties of the Tebo bone. Algiz was also a Futhark Rune, and as such was a lot more easily recognized by British Wizards.

That second bit came in handy now, since it was quite clearly not the traditional rune for an engagement ring. That would have been Inguz, which had strong magic associated with love and fertility. Seeing that must have calmed Daphne somewhat because she nodded once after looking at it and took another deep breath. When she turned back toward me, her blush had faded and she was looking more like her normal, highly-composed, self.

"I see. Good. I didn't want to have to tell Daddy about this." Huffed Daphne.

"Yeah, I gave one to most of you guys." I nodded.

"Define most of us." Intoned Daphne.

"Susan, Millie, Tracey, Hannah, and Hermione all got one too." I explained.

"Of course they did. You know, you're not helping the rumors that have started to spring up about you by giving us all Rings, yes?" Questioned Daphne.

"Rumors? What rumors?" I queried.

"Why am I not surprised you don't know about those? For a seer, you can be pretty obtuse sometimes." Grumbled Daphne.

"Daphne, tell me. What are people saying?" I asked.

"I have heard some of the upper years claim you to be a Little Casanova. Apparently, there's a rumor going around that you, Hermione, Millie, Susan, and I are more than just friends." Answered Daphne.

"That's ridiculous, we're all eleven or twelve. I don't think any of us are even ready for that sort of thing, especially like that!" I blurted out.

"I know. The rumor mill is the rumor mill, though." Shrugged Daphne.

"Stupid. I mean, this time last year, I'm pretty sure I was still in the Girls Have Cooties phase of my life!" I groused.

"Next year, get us something less gossip-worthy, then." Insisted Daphne.

"Right. You're all getting books next year." I griped.

Thankfully, Millie and Susan both got the significance of the Algiz rune right away and while Tracey and Hannah weren't as tuned into the sort of pureblood traditions that we were, they had Daphne and Susan to help them figure it out respectively. Meanwhile, Terry and Neville both got a pair of boots with Trollhide Soles, the anchoring enchantments of which allowed a certain level of healing to occur when the wearer was injured. Neville especially appreciated that, since he was always getting hurt doing something or other, while Terry wasn't as accident prone, he was fond of anything that could help him be a better duelist. It was part of why he'd started hanging out with Anthony Goldstein, to begin with.

Speaking of, Anthony was also a pureblood, and though he wasn't exactly part of our main group of friends, I did ask about why he hadn't shown up to the Greengrass Yule Ball. Terry had an answer, of course.

"Tony's Jewish why would he come if he doesn't celebrate Christmas?" Questioned Terry.

"Terry, I don't celebrate Christmas. Neither does Susan or Millie. I'm also pretty sure that the Patils are Hindu. We're all still here, though." I pointed out.

"No, you don't get it. Apparently, his folks are really Jewish. As in his Grandad's a Rabbi and everything." Repeated Terry.

"I guess that's why his Brother is at the Kabbalah Institute in Jerusalem and not a Seventh Year at Hogwarts with us, huh?" I queried.

"Yeah, apparently, his Grandad would've gone absolutely mental if Tony's Old Man had let him show to this." Agreed Terry.

"Well, if there's one thing I know about, it's that you can't pick your family." I shrugged.

"Yeah." Nodded Terry.

I hadn't expected the Patil Twins to be here, but that didn't mean I'd left them out. I had gotten Padma a book on Ancient Studies. Parvati had mentioned an interest in becoming a Curse Breaker on Graduation during some of our Cross-House Study Group meetings, and Ancient Studies was a pre-requisite Elective for Curse-Breakers. It was all about how the World's Oldest Cultures functioned, the common spells they used, and the common Magical Creatures they domesticated. Insights that were all fairly valuable if you were going to be poking around their tombs in search of artifacts or spell lore forgotten by time.

At the same time, while I didn't know Padma as well, I knew she had an interest in Divination, even if she didn't have the Sight. I had gotten her a book on traditional Chinese I Ching Divination using Yarrow Stalks. Apparently, the way that Chinese Wizards practiced that could even work for those without the Sight if they were powerful enough. It apparently had something to do with the I Ching itself. I wasn't sure if I believed that, but it couldn't hurt, at least. Even if it didn't work, it would make for a decent gift.

In return, I received a few different things. Tracey got me a guitar and Hannah got me a book of lessons. Apparently, the two Half-blood Friends of Mine had decided to go in on the present together. Apparently, they'd overheard Morag MacDougal talking about Celtic Bardic Magic at some point and gotten the idea from that. I wasn't sure if I could replicate that myself, though. Generally, Bards had to have a specific bloodline power in order to really get the most use out of bardic magic. The Irish and Highland Bards worked several bits of magic you needed the power of Dindsenchas to get the most use out of it, for instance. While I could fake some of that with Psychometry, it wasn't exactly the same thing. It was still a thoughtful gift.

Susan, meanwhile, got me a bronze ritual knife that I could use for rituals so I wouldn't have to use the ones provided by the school the next time I wound up going to perform one of the rituals we learned in Astronomy Class. The Book shape of the package she'd pressed into my hands earlier was just the box, which was a neat little prank. Not that I wasn't happy about the gift. While bronze wasn't as good for rituals as obsidian, as the metal would still rob the ritual components of some power, as compared to the completely natural stone, but it had the benefit of not wearing out as quickly as an Obsidian Ritual blade would. Of course, Obsidian Blades weren't as expensive as Bronze Ones, just from the materials involved, but it would still be a pain to have to replace a ritual blade every couple of years, even with the sort of money I had to my name.

Millie, meanwhile, got me a Book of Dueling Spells that her Grandad recommended. Apparently, it had instructions for a number of spells that had won him the British Imperial Dueling Circuit Cup back in Nineteen-Thirty-Five and allowed him a successful victory of the ICW European Dueling Cup in Nineteen-Thirty-Six. As I recall, that had been the last ICW European Dueling Cup that Britain had partaken in until after Grindelwald's War, as the Thirty-Seven Tournament had been held in Berlin, which was one of four Wizarding States controlled by Grindelwald and his Allies. The Thirty-Eight Cup had been postponed thanks to Grindelwald's occupation of Magical Austria kicking off Grindelwald's War, which started a year earlier than the Muggle War did. Regardless, the Book of Dueling Spells was much appreciated.

At the same time, Terry got me a book on Portkey Manufacturing, the Portkey and You by Adrian Runcorn. His dad had told him that this was the volume used by the inspectors of the Portkey Office. Apparently, the book had instructions that made remarkably stable Portkeys, though they couldn't be used internationally. It also contained the theory behind making Portkeys, which was just as valuable as the instructions themselves. Supposedly, the creation of a Portkey was easy enough that a Hogwarts Student could do it, but most Hogwarts Students didn't have the proper steps or mindset to create stable Portkeys, something this book was supposed to fix.

Finally, the Patil Twins went halfsies on a book of Rasayana Alchemy. The Formulae inside could, if properly performed, rubberize the body, render the body immune to heat and flame, and even bestow temporary powers upon the imbiber that were similar to Bloodline Abilities. There were formulae to put one in a deathlike trance sufficient to fool even Dementors, something that even the Draught of Living Death was unable to do, render one proof against all poisons for a day upon drinking, and transform the drinker's body into a form most pleasing to a particular object of affection. All these and more were contained within the pages of the Book.

"Uncle Arivu swears by the formulae in here. Apparently, he met Auntie Hitha using the Formula to Find a Soul Mate." Offered Parvati.

"Well, if it's good enough for the Vizier of Magical Hyderabad, I daresay it's good enough for me." I grinned.

"Uncle Salar doesn't use it, but then apparently the Nizam can't be seen to be using Alchemy to help him in the day-to-day running of the state. He says it's not good for morale or something." Shrugged Padma.

"Well, thank you. I appreciate it." I nodded.

Once the gifts were all exchanged, we had a few hours to simply hang out while the adults continued talking over drinks. The idea was floated to play a pick-up game of Quidditch out in the gardens, but we didn't have enough people for that. You needed seven for a full team, after all, which meant fourteen people in total. Even if I were inclined to play that most ridiculous of wizarding games, we would still be four people short, and I definitely wouldn't be getting on a broom to play Quidditch any time soon. Most of the game was completely pointless unless neither side had a seeker that was worth anything, after all.

Since none of the adults were willing to humor us and make up the numbers, we settled in to play a few less-player-intensive games. Terry had a packet of exploding snap Cards that he pulled out and quickly drew Tracey, Neville, and Hannah into, while Daphne grabbed a Wizarding Chess Board from upstairs and settled down to play Padma, who apparently enjoyed Wizarding Chess, with Susan in the wings waiting to play the winner. That left Millie, Parvati, and I at loose ends.

Fortunately, I'd brought my Tarocco Cards, and I soon had Millie and Parvati drawn into a game of Tarocco Siciliano. We played for around ninety minutes before the game ended. Millie surprised me this time, managing to lay down the last trick of the game with all trumps, Twenty, One, and the Fool for a total of Thirty-Five Points, minus two due to the rules. It was enough to put her ahead of me and grant Millie the victory. This was the first time one of my friends had beaten me at Tarocco and I couldn't help but laugh at the hilariousness of it all.

"What? Did I do something wrong?" Asked Millie.

"No, you won." I chuckled.

"Then why are you laughing?" Questioned Parvati.

"Yeah, what gives?" Queried Millie.

"No, it's just. This is the first time one of you guys beat me at Tarocco and what a defeat! The last trick bonus, plus the three highest-scoring cards in the trick!" I laughed.

"I think you broke him." Grinned Parvati, mischievously.

"How do I fix him?" Asked Millie, a teasing lilt to her voice.

"No, you're good. I just didn't expect to get beat like that. Well done!" I praised.

Millie blushed at the praise as I picked up the cards and shuffled them back into the deck. Looking over to the others, it seemed that Padma had lost to Daphne in Wizarding Chess and had wandered over to start up a game of Wizard's Skittles with Tracey while Terry and Neville had started up a game of Gobstones and Hannah had decided to join us in playing Tarocco, switching over to the Four-Player Version. This game was one that I won, thankfully, allowing me to reclaim my crown even after announcing Vado Solo, that is, my intent to play alone against the other three who would default to a team. That had been a difficult game, but worth it.

"Merlin's Beard! I can't believe you won against all three of us!" Exclaimed Hannah.

"I had to. Can't have Millie going around thinking she's the queen of Tarocco, now can I?" I questioned, teasingly.

"Best two out of three?" Queried Millie.

"Actually, I think I fancied a bit of Wizard's Chess. Maybe when we're back at Hogwarts." I offered.

"I'll hold you to that." Nodded Millie.

"I think she means it, too, Blaise. Be careful." Snickered Parvati.

With that, I picked up the cards, shuffling them all back into the deck before putting them away and making my way over toward the Wizarding Chess Board. Susan was losing badly. If I had to guess, she was only a few moves away from Checkmate, more than four, but less than ten, depending on what she did. Behind me, Hannah, Parvati, and Millie had started up a game of Exploding Snap while Terry and Neville had joined Tracey and Padma for Wizard's Skittles, playing in teams of two.

"I call winner." I announced.

"Sure, I'll be with you in a moment." Nodded Daphne.

"Awful confident there." Muttered Susan.

"Do you not think you'll lose?" Asked Daphne.

"There's always a chance to stalemate, aye?" Insisted Susan, moving her rook.

"Not when you play like that. Check by the way." Retorted Daphne, moving a Bishop along a path that not only took Susan's Remaining Knight but put her King in Check.

"Canny move." Frowned Susan, moving her King away behind a screen of pawns.

"I thought so. Check." Informed Daphne, taking one of the screening pawns with her remaining Knight.

"Aye, I think you might've got me." Huffed Susan, taking Daphne's Knight with another of the screening pawns.

"So you do see it. I'd wondered about that. Check." Intoned Daphne, taking out one of Susan's Pawns with another bishop and chipping away at her Opponent's King's Screen further.

"Aye, I do, but that doesn't mean I'm radge. You've got to play it out, or you'll never get any better." Sighed Susan, moving her King back.

Unfortunately, that was just what Daphne Wanted, moving her Rook forward to take the Pawn in front of Susan's King, placing Susan in Check again. Susan only had one move she could make that wouldn't put her in check. She did so, allowing Daphne to move a pawn up to checkmate Susan. As she declared checkmate, the animated white pawn on the chessboard thrusting its spear into the Black King's Gut, Susan blew a puff of air out of her nose.

"Aye, Canny game." Nodded Susan.

"You weren't so bad yourself." Remarked Daphne with a nod back.

At that, the pieces jumped up and reassembled themselves on the board into their ranks. Susan stood up, making her way over toward where Parvati, Hannah, and Millie were playing a round of Exploding Snap by Bavarian Rules and I sat down to take her place. Daphne grinned at me as I sat down, looking like a cat who caught the canary.

"So, Blaise. have you ever played Wizard's Chess before?" She questioned.

"I'm familiar with the game, Daphne." I agreed.

"Good. I only ask 'cause I've never seen you at the Wizarding Chess Club." Mused Daphne.

"I wasn't aware there was a Wizarding Chess Club. Is that an Official Club?" I queried.

"Ron Weasley put it together back toward the middle of October. It wasn't official at the start of the year." Answered Daphne.

"All right, I suppose that explains that. I take it you're playing white?" I asked.

"Until someone beats me." Shrugged Daphne, starting the game off with a standard pawn to E-Four. I countered with my own Pawn to C-Four, the Sicilian Defense, though I planned on using a different variation from the standard. Daphne giggled at that.

"The Sicilian Defense? I should have figured." She grinned, moving a Knight up to F-Three.

"You know me. Gotta represent home." I chuckled, moving one of my own knights up to C-Six.

"Predictability is bad in Chess, you know." Intoned Daphne.

Then she moved her Bishop to C-Four. I countered with Pawn to G-Six, which she moved up her other knight to C-Three. In response, I moved my Bishop to G-Seven, into the spot vacated by my pawn. Daphne responded by Castling, doing so as swiftly as she could find the opening. Here, however, instead of moving my Knight to F-Six like Daphne had probably been expecting, I instead moved my Pawn to E-Six. Daphne frowned at that and moved a pawn to D-Three. Then I moved my other Knight to E-Seven. Frowning, Daphne moved her Bishop to E-Three, thinking that she would force me to defend a pawn if she attacked it. I didn't, though, moving a Pawn up to D-Five instead.

Frowning, Daphne took my pawn at D-Five with hers from E-Four, which I counterattacked using my Pawn from E-Six. Daphne grumbled at that, moving her Bishop from C-Four back to B-Three, allowing me to move up my pawn to D-Four to press my attack. It was a variation on the Accelerated Dragon version of the Sicilian Defense, something Daphne seemingly hadn't come up against before. I'd used her unfamiliarity with it to gain control of the center of the board and now I pressed that advantage ruthlessly.

Over the next few exchanges, Daphne Lost a Knight and a Bishop in exchange for one of my knights then lost the second bishop as I moved my queen forward. That opened a hole in her defenses wide enough to park a truck through and over the next twenty minutes, I effectively took her side of the board apart at the joints, losing a few pieces in exchange for the majority of hers. She was forced to move her queen up to try and bolster her line and stem the tide, only for me to sneak it away from her using a bishop that had been cunningly concealed back on G-Seven and hadn't been moved since. It had only taken me thirty minutes to pull out a win against Daphne, where she'd taken ninety to win her other two games.

As my queen smashed her scepter into Daphne's King's Head, I looked over at her to see her frowning. I suspected she was about to claim that I'd used Leglimency or something to get an advantage here, but I really hadn't. That didn't mean that having the memories of a sixteen-year-old who played chess a lot wasn't a form of cheating, mind you. However, it wasn't one I could actively do anything about. Fortunately, Daphne seemed to realize how absurd using those powers to win at Chess was and simply scoffed at the notion. My Friend knew me better than to accuse me of that seriously. Accusing me of that unseriously, however, was another kettle of fish.

"You must have used Leglimency or the Sight somehow!" Accused Daphne in mock-indignation.

"Daphne, for shame! Would I do something so base as to cheat?" I questioned, grinning.

"If you needed to win? Absolutely." Huffed Daphne, a small grin on her face.

"Well, you know what they say, if you're not cheating, you're not trying." I chuckled.

With that, we both blew up into a fit of giggles at the absurdity of it all, but also at how we were running with the joke. I recovered first, grinning at Daphne and holding out my hand to shake.

"Good game." I offered.

"Not good enough." grinned Daphne, shaking my hand.

"Ah, you'll get there. You just need to play more often." I shrugged.

"That's hard to do, with Daddy always so wrapped up in work." Sighed Daphne.

"What about your sister?" I queried.

"Astoria is constantly away on trips to visit healers. Besides, she's nine, she doesn't exactly have the patience for Chess." Admitted Daphne.

"We could always play by Owl over the Summer Holidays?" I suggested.

"You know, that might not be a bad idea. Plus you could come visit." Mused Daphne.

"Would your father allow that?" I asked.

"Daddy will get over it." Insisted Daphne, a glint in her eyes.

"I believe you. I know that tone of voice. If he doesn't, you'll make him." I remarked.

"Of course." Sniffed Daphne.

We made our way over toward where the others were. Tracey and Hannah seemed to be dominating Millie and Parvati at Wizard Skittles, while Neville and Terry played Gobstones. For a moment, Neville had this look of intense concentration on his face as he lined up a shot. I was no Gobstones expert, but I was pretty sure that if Neville made the shot he was trying, he'd win this round. Unfortunately, Hannah took that opportunity to bowl a strike on the Wizard's Skittles Board, causing Tracey to cry out in triumph, ruining Neville's shot and allowing Terry to pick up the win. Then, the signature move of Gobstones happened, and the thirty, small, balls spewed a green, foul-smelling liquid all over Neville's robes.

"Oh, Merlin! Sorry, Neville!" Apologized Tracey as she saw the result of her cry of victory.

"It's all right. It happens." Muttered Neville, grabbing his wand and casting Scourgify on himself. It took him two tries to get the spell off, and I noticed his Ash wand was of an older style and clearly well-used. That would certainly explain why Neville kept having problems with learning and casting spells. If he was using an heirloom wand of Ash, well that was a problem. Ash wands were only ever loyal to one master.

"Neville, is that wand a hand-me-down?" I questioned.

"Blaise! Don't ask something like that, it's not polite!" Hissed Daphne, Scandalized.

"Besides, Neville's the heir to an Ancient and Noble House of Pureblood Nobility. I seriously doubt the future Magical Earl of Moray needs a hand-me-down wand." Scoffed Millie.

"No, it's all right. This wand was my Dad's, Gran insisted I use it to remember him by." Admitted Neville.

"I thought that might be the case. You need to get a wand of your own because that wand is no good for you." I sighed.

"Blaise!" Exclaimed Parvati, scandalized.

"What?" I queried.

"Don't you know what happened to the Longbottoms? I thought you'd have been more sympathetic?" Asked Terry.

"Aye, I'd be right Radge if someone spoke about my Dad like that." Confirmed Susan.

"It's not like that. That's an Ash wand, they only ever acknowledge one master. Neville using it is probably part of why he needs a couple of tries to learn anything involving wandwork, that's all I meant!" I defended.

"Really?" Questioned Padma.

"Yeah. I mean, I'm not the best at Wand Lore, but I'm pretty sure I read that in one of the books on Wand Lore I have at home." I nodded.

"Don't you have something in the Library you can confirm with?" Questioned Hannah.

"I suppose it's worth a look, if Neville's all right with us deciding to change his wand for him?" Queried Daphne.

"Please. I love my Dad, but if it's true using his wand is holding me back, then I think I ought to get a proper wand." Nodded Neville.

"Aye, you never know when something like Halloween might happen again." Agreed Susan.

"Trust me, Neville. You don't want to go through something like that with a faulty wand. I almost died and my wand worked fine." Insisted Millie.

"All right, if you're sure your Dad won't mind us checking the Library?" Asked Neville.

"He won't. Come on, this way." Intoned Daphne.

The next hour or so was spent looking through the Greengrass Library for books on Wand Lore. Their Library was actually fairly expansive, moreso than the one my Mother had pieced together back home, but not quite as much as the one back in Castello Zabini back in the Villaggio del Mistero, yet another reason to curse my Aunt for cutting me out of the Succession and effectively exiling me from my family. Regardless, it took us the full hour just to find the right book there was so much in here, and we eventually had to resort to asking one of the Greengrass Family House Elves, an Elf named Willy who seemed to have a drooping mustache under his hooked nose.

When we finally did manage it, it took us twenty-five minutes to find the entry for Ash Wood, and that confirmed my statement. Ash wands never took a second user after bonding with their first. Neville using his father's wand was actively hampering his growth as a Wizard.

"I suppose that settles that, then." Mused Terry.

"Sorry, Neville." I apologized.

"It's not your fault." Brushed off Neville.

"Yeah, it's Madame Longbottom's for making him use that wand." Pointed out Tracey.

"I don't know if Madame Longbottom knew about the problems with Ash." Hummed Padma.

"You think?" Questioned Hannah.

"Think about it, would your Grandmother actively try to sabotage your magical growth?" Queried Parvati.

"I suppose not." Shrugged Susan.

"The only problem is my Gran." Mused Neville.

"How so?" I asked.

"Gran's not the most flexible of Witches. She might go spare at the thought of me buying another wand." Explained Neville.

"Even if you told her that using your Dad's wand was stunting your growth?" Questioned Terry.

"I think she might be offended at the suggestion." Admitted Neville.

"You've got to tell her, Neville." Pressed Millie.

"I know, it's just that I'm a bit scared. Gran, when she gets angry, you'd think she was some sort of Banshee or something." Muttered Neville, sheepishly.

"Still, Mate." I tried.

"What if we offered to come with you to tell her?" Queried Daphne.

"Would you?" Asked Neville.

"Of course, Mate. We've got your back, don't worry." I confirmed.

A round of murmurs of assent ran through the crowd and Neville's face brightened at that. The poor bloke hadn't had many friends before us and it showed in his reactions.

"Thanks, guys. I think if I had you all with me to tell her, I'd be ok." Beamed Neville.

Shortly after that, one of the House Elves grabbed us from the library for Dinner. We were seated at a large table, with steaming plates of Turkey, Roast Potatoes, Mixed Vegetables, Parsnips, Brussels Sprouts, Mushy Peas, and more. Our cups were filled with Lemonade, but the adults all had Butterbeer, Wine, or Firewhiskey, depending on Preference. It was a major spread and I had a bit of everything. By the time the Pudding arrived, I was so stuffed that I literally couldn't eat another bite. Thankfully, I was able to take some home with me.

Speaking of which, the Ball ended shortly after dinner. Honestly, it was less of a ball and more of a party, if I had to put a name on it. There hadn't been any dancing. By the time I returned back to Palazzo Zabini, it was almost nine o'clock at night. I basically gave up on any training and went to sleep after another hour of just reading. Thankfully, my dreams were all pleasant that night and without any portents of doom. When I woke up, I would have a week or so before I would return to Hogwarts for the rest of the School Year.

I would spend it largely training. . .

XXXX

Over the next week or so before I had to return to Hogwarts, I settled into a routine. Mostly, I was training my Occlumency, Leglimency, Dead Moment, Remote Viewing, and Psychometry. I really hammered in on the Mind Arts while I was at home, as they were one of the things that I had access to that most others didn't. I also added Oneiromancy to the list of skills I trained using the instructions from Zorian's Notes.

Apparently, if you were proficient in Occlumency, you could place yourself into a state of Lucid Dreaming with a meditative exercise that was to be performed before bed. That was the first and most crucial step to Oneiromancy, one that you couldn't do anything else if you hadn't completed it. Thankfully, I was proficient with Occlumency, and so at the end of the first day, I performed those exercises, drank my Bluemoon Elixir, and went to sleep. When I did, I found myself able to direct myself as I went through my dreams. When I woke, I found myself able to completely recall everything I did in my dreams.

As I continued to train, I found that not only could I direct myself in my dreams instead of being forced to go with whatever the dream wanted, but I could also start to affect my dreams in small ways. It wasn't anything major yet, changing one object into another or slightly heightening and decreasing forces like the level of light and sound, or adding a small boost to momentum. Not much, it was nothing that would allow me to pull a Neo in The Matrix or anything, but it was interesting.

By the sixth day of the week, however, I found myself able to bring a single, handheld, item into my dreams with me. That was huge, as it meant I could bring my Wand into my dreams with me. That in turn meant that I could effectively increase the time I spent training by training in my dreams. On the seventh day, before I went back to Hogwarts for the rest of the School Year, I tried doing what Zorian's Notes called the Discipline of The Avversario da Sogno, or Dream Opponent. It was something that could summon an opponent to spar with in your dreams.

As I did so, however, I was dismayed to find that instead of anything that would truly challenge me, I wound up creating a Dream Facsimile of a Redcap, an adversary that I had managed to kill without even using magic back before the School Year started. I would probably need to keep practicing to be able to summon something actively challenging. As it happened, I cleaved the Redcap in twain with a Severing Charm from my wand. I spent the rest of that night's dream summoning Redcaps and killing them in various ways to try and get good enough at summoning Dream Opponents to get a challenge. It wasn't to be, however, unfortunately.

The next day, I found myself heading back to Hogwarts after the Christmas Holidays, bidding farewell to Lucia before heading out. Taking the Floo to King's Cross and going through the barrier to Platform Nine and Three Quarters, ready to take the Hogwarts Express back to School for the rest of the year.

It would be an eventful second half of the School Year. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, here we finally have the end of the Christmas Holidays. Not only does Blaise get to hang out with friends, but he now has several things he can work on, including but not limited to, Oneiromancy, Dueling Spells, and Rasayana Alchemy. He also managed to suss out Neville's hand-me-down Ash Wand as part of the reason he's not good at anything involving wandwork. Ash wands only ever acknowledge a single master, after all.

At any rate, the next chapter will be the start of the rest of the School Year. A lot of things are going to happen in the next few months.

Stay tuned. . .