It had been a weeks since Thomas had come to Hogwarts, and Lily was looking around with the help of Sybill.
Lily looked at Sybill as she spoke. "And you sure you saw him nearby".
Sybill nodded as she spoke. "Yup, but may I ask, why are you looking for him".
Lily sighed. "Will Gryffindor and Slytherin were told to do a history project, catch you need to pick someone from a different house, doesn't matter which one, I was gonna go with Snape but else close him, so I meet up with Thomas and Sesne was diving into History book recently, I thought be could help".
Sybill then spoke as she stopped. "There he is".
They looked out the window, and they saw Seen, Thomas swing his Sworto and hit a Gryffindor student, his Uniform got cut as was went flying, around him were a few other students, be walked away as a Female Student from the set house followed him
Lily just blinked. "The Bloody hell did we miss".
Lily and Sybill stood frozen for a moment, still staring out the window where Thomas had just casually walked away from what looked suspiciously like a duel. The Gryffindor boy was still on the ground, groaning as a couple of other students rushed to check on him.
Sybill adjusted her glasses and muttered, "Was… was that a swordfight? At Hogwarts?"
Lily shook her head slowly. "I don't even know anymore. Why does this keep happening around him?"
"Should we… ask him about it?" Sybill asked, unsure.
Lily groaned, rubbing her forehead. "Yes. And then I'm going to ask him why in Merlin's name he's swinging a sword at people two weeks into the term."
They made their way down to the courtyard, where they caught sight of Thomas walking toward the library, the mysterious female student still trailing behind him. Lily quickened her pace, calling out, "Thomas!"
He turned, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, hey Lily, Sybill. What's up?"
Lily crossed her arms. "What was that? That Gryffindor looked like he just got knocked out of his robes!"
Thomas looked at Lily as he spoke. "Just saving this girl from getting Bullied by older students".
Lily just blinked. "What?"
"Let me explain"
Flashback — Earlier That Afternoon
The courtyard was relatively quiet. A few students lingered near the edges, enjoying the sun before the next class. Thomas had been on his way to the training courtyard — one of the more forgotten corners of Hogwarts — when he heard a shout.
"Oi! You think you're better than us just 'cause you're a Prefect's sister?"
Thomas paused and turned his head. Three older Gryffindor boys were cornering a younger girl, who looked like she had only just started at Hogwarts. Her robes were neat but oversized, her hair dark and in a tidy braid, and she clutched a small book tightly to her chest.
She tried to step back, but one of them blocked her path. "What's in the book, huh? You writing about us?"
"Leave me alone," she muttered.
Thomas didn't hesitate.
In one fluid motion, his hand slid to the hilt of the sword at his side — not his full weapon, but a short practice blade made of steel-reinforced wood, dull-edged but heavy. He walked straight toward them.
"Oi," Thomas said, voice calm but hard as stone. "Back off."
The tallest boy turned. "Oh look, it's the Ravenclaw sword boy. What're you gonna do, poke me with your stick?"
The others laughed.
Thomas didn't answer. Instead, he took one step forward, drawing the blade free with a shhk. The air around him shifted slightly, Qi resonating in faint ripples around his form.
The lead Gryffindor smirked, clearly still not taking him seriously — until Thomas moved.
One swing. Fast. Clean.
The boy's robe was sliced open from shoulder to waist — not his body, but the fabric, neatly parted. The force of the blow knocked him back, where he stumbled and fell flat on his back with a yelp. The other two jumped back in alarm.
The girl behind them gasped, eyes wide.
Thomas levelled the practice sword at the two remaining boys. "Next?"
They scrambled to help their friend up and backed away quickly, muttering under their breath.
The girl stared up at Thomas. "Th-thank you…"
He gave her a small nod and offered a hand. "Anytime. You shouldn't have to deal with that nonsense. What's your name?"
"Aurelia," she replied softly. "Aurelia Bones."
Thomas blinked. "Bones? As in—"
She nodded. "My older brother's Edgar."
That name he remembered — the Bones family was known for its integrity. Still, Aurelia didn't seem to want to linger on it. She looked up at him curiously. "Do you always carry a sword?"
Thomas smiled faintly. "Only when I feel like someone's going to need protecting."
End Flashback (Ps: Thomas didn't tell the full story, just a clip node version, so no Sword Qi was still explained)
Back in the present, Thomas finished recounting the scene, arms crossed, as he leaned casually against the library wall.
Lily's expression shifted from shock to a reluctant nod of approval. "Well… I still think you're insane, but at least you're insane for good reasons."
Sybill blinked. "And the sword?"
Thomas smirked. "You never know when it'll come in handy."
Lily exhaled. "Alright. Sword-wielding mystery boy, let's go dig through some history."
Sybill looked at Thomas as she spoke. "So, why didn't you use your Red Blade?".
Thomas looked at her as he spoke with a smirk. "My Actual Sword, I wanted to show a lesson, not cut off an arm".
Lily didn't know if she was joking or not, and being born in a Muggle family, she was not sure if this was how Wizard acted normally; she spoke in her head. "God helps, my friends are a sword-using Bookworm and a Guy whose house is called Magic Nazi".
Sybill blinked slowly, clearly trying to process that response. "Right… so just light maiming instead of full dismemberment. Got it."
Thomas gave a casual shrug, his smirk never fading. "Pretty much."
Lily stared at him for a long moment, then looked at Sybill, who was still holding her crystal ball like it might shield her from any further absurdity. Finally, Lily sighed heavily and muttered under her breath, "Why couldn't I have just partnered with Alice…"
Out loud, she said, "Fine, let's just get to the library before you two start talking about battle formations or whatever it is sword-wielders do for fun."
As they walked toward the library together, Sybill tilted her head. "You know, you do give off very strong 'wandering swordsman from a tragic past' energy."
Thomas chuckled at that. "Well, I did wander... just not from this world."
Lily nearly tripped on her own feet.
They reached the library doors in silence, each carrying very different thoughts—Sybill amused, Lily mildly horrified, and Thomas already flipping through historical events in his mind.
Sybill looked at them two then as she spoke. "So, what are the two topics that you picked".
Lily looked as she spoke. "The Elf war of 876"
Thomas raised an eyebrow. "The Elf War of 876? That's a deep cut. Most people avoid that one because half the records were destroyed."
Sybill blinked. "Wait, elves had a war?"
Lily nodded. "Yeah. Most people think of house-elves, but there are other kinds. This one was mostly between high elves and dark elves—wizards got caught in the crossfire."
Thomas hummed thoughtfully. "I remember that war. Well—not personally—but I read that it's linked to the ban on Elvish runes being taught in Hogwarts."
Sybill tilted her head. "So… lots of violence, ancient magic, and political drama?"
Lily gave a sly smile. "Exactly."
Thomas nodded. "Alright, that's a solid pick. I chose the Salem Witch Trials—or rather, what the magical world isn't saying about them."
Sybill's eyes widened. "Ooh, conspiracy history. I love it."
Lily groaned. "Of course, you'd pick something mysterious."
Thomas smirked. "Let's just say… the missing years from magical history books aren't a printing error."
The three of them pushed open the library doors and headed inside. Somewhere between ancient Elvish rebellions and shadowy gaps in magical records, they were about to stumble into far more than just a school project.
Sybill then looked at them, as books were being flown to them. "So what exactly is the rule for this project Lily?".
Lily glanced up as a thick, dusty tome hovered down in front of her and landed with a soft thud. She adjusted her sleeves and answered, "We have to pick a major historical event—magical, of course—and explain its causes, effects, and long-term consequences. Preferably with sources from at least two different perspectives."
Thomas groaned slightly. "So we can't just copy from one book?"
"Nope," Lily replied, flipping open a leather-bound volume titled Conflicts of the Wand and Will. "Professor Snyder said we're supposed to 'think critically' and 'challenge commonly held narratives.'"
Sybill raised a brow. "So basically... dig up stuff they'd rather we didn't?"
Thomas smirked. "Now that sounds like my kind of assignment."
As more books gently floated toward their table, Sybill squinted at the runes on a passing one. "Do they give extra credit if the research leads to uncovering a secret society or a forbidden artefact?"
Lily gave her a look. "Let's try not to get expelled."
Thomas casually cracked open a book marked with the seal of the Department of Mysteries. "We'll see."
Sybill looked at them both as she spoke. "So, why is Lily doing resources on the Elf war and Thomas doing on the Salem Witch Trials, even do you both are parents"
Lily looked at her as she spoke. "Professor was very vague when he said two different perspectives, so I think it means we each do different resources in two different events, and after finishing ours, we check the other's so we can give answers?".
Sybill just blinked. "Ghost are Weird".
Thomas chuckled under his breath, flipping through a page filled with half-burned sketches of wands and ancient seals. "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Professor Snyder gave us this vague on purpose. Probably wants to see how well we interpret the instructions."
Lily nodded. "Exactly. He did say we're being graded on our reasoning as much as our content."
Sybill just sighed and stared at the ceiling. "So basically… 'confuse the kids and watch what they do.' Sounds like a ghost-teacher thing."
Thomas tapped the side of his book. "Still, it works in our favour. The Elf War and Salem Trials are completely different events, but if we find something that connects them—like policies from the Ministry or early wand laws—we might even get extra credit."
Sybill tilted her head. "Do you think there is a connection?"
Lily glanced at Thomas, who narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at his page. "If there is," he said quietly, "we'll find it."
"Lily"
They heard a voice as they saw a short, red-haired girl with Brown eyes; she was wearing the Gryffindor robe, and next to her was Snape.
Lily blinked as she spoke. "Alice, I didn't expect you to be here".
Sybill looked at Snape. "Oh, so she picked Snape".
Alice gave a small smile as she stepped closer, her arms crossed but relaxed. "Well, I figured I'd rather work with someone who actually reads, and Severus is probably the only Slytherin who won't hex me the moment I turn around."
Snape gave a short nod, though his eyes lingered on Thomas's books for a moment longer than necessary. "We were headed to check out the Potions section, but we saw you all here."
Lily smiled warmly. "Good to see you, Alice. Didn't expect you to dive into library research so quickly."
Alice rolled her eyes playfully. "Yeah, well, not everyone wants to start flying around the castle or accidentally turning a feather into a missile on the first week."
Thomas smirked. "Hey, that was one time."
Sybill leaned closer to Lily and whispered, "She's cool. I like her."
Thomas looked up. "Since you're here—Alice, Snape—what topic did your group pick?"
Alice glanced at Snape before answering. "We're doing the early Magical Rebellions. The Goblin Uprising of 1612 and the Werewolf Rights Protests of 1783. Two different events, same theme—magical creatures vs wizards."
Lily blinked. "Wow, that's... surprisingly thoughtful."
Snape smirked slightly. "Just because I'm in Slytherin doesn't mean I don't understand history."
Thomas raised an eyebrow. "Looks like this is shaping up to be a much more interesting project than I thought."
The group settled around one of the large oak study tables, books already hovering over and flipping open as if anticipating the students' needs. A faint breeze of magic hummed around them, the quiet rhythm of the library wrapping them in a cocoon of pages and parchment.
Sybill blinked as two tomes gently landed in front of her. "Okay, now that's just spooky."
"That's the enchantment Madam Pince uses," Lily said. "The library sorts itself when students have clear research topics—makes things easier."
Thomas nodded, already scribbling in a notebook. "I wish more magical systems were that efficient."
Just as everyone was settling into their respective readings, a strange sound echoed across the shelves—clink thud—followed by a quiet flash of golden light. One of the older shelves near the back shuddered slightly, and a single leather-bound book slid free and fell onto the floor.
The group paused.
Alice looked up. "Did… anyone else see that?"
Snape frowned. "That shelf hasn't moved the entire week. What kind of book was that?"
Sybill got up first, cautiously walking over and picking up the fallen volume. "It's not labelled… no title."
Thomas stood and walked over. "Let me see."
The cover was rough and worn with time and age. A sigil none of them recognized shimmered faintly like something ancient was etched just beneath the surface.
Lily leaned in. "Should we… open it?"
Thomas's fingers hovered just above the edge. "If it fell by itself in a library that's enchanted to guide students to books relevant to their topics… this might mean something."
He opened the book.
Inside were handwritten entries, dates scribbled across in both magical and mundane formats. They flipped to a middle section—and froze.
There, under the year 1692, the text began:
"The True Salem Account — As recorded by Watcher Elden of the Wandless Order."
Everyone exchanged wide-eyed glances.
Snape broke the silence. "I don't think that was supposed to be found."
Thomas smirked, heart beating faster. "Which is exactly why we're going to read all of it."
Lily picked up the Book, closed the end, and put it back on the shelf. "Nope, I have seen enough Horror Movies to know where this is going".
Alice blinked. "What is a Horror Movie?".
Thomas let out a short laugh. "It's a Muggle thing. Stories where people exactly like us find creepy books or cursed objects… and then die horribly because they don't put them back."
Sybill frowned thoughtfully. "So... by that logic, Lily just saved us all?"
Lily nodded firmly. "Yes. Yes, I did."
Snape looked annoyed. "Or you just threw away a potentially rare historical document that could help with our project."
Alice poked at the now still shelf. "Do they always kill the characters in these 'horror movies'? That sounds awful."
Thomas nodded. "Usually. Or they go mad. Or both."
Lily folded her arms. "And I'd rather keep all my limbs, sanity, and soul, thank you."
Sybill whispered under her breath. "I kind of wanted to see what would happen…"
Thomas gave her a sideways glance. "I know you did. That's what worries me."
Lily cleared her throat and changed the subject quickly. "Okay! Back to the Elf War of 876 and the Salem Witch Trials—the safe parts."
The group returned to their notes and books, though Thomas couldn't help casting one last look at the mysterious tome. It hadn't moved, but somehow… it felt like it was waiting.
The group went back to their resources, with Lily, Snape and Alice sharing notes and Thomas was trying to place a puzzle together with more than half of the piece missing.
Sybil looked back at the Bookshelf with the Mysterious tome. "Maybe we should move to a different place before the books grow.... Leg's".
The Four of them spoke in their heads. "Good idea"
They quickly gathered their things — parchment, ink, books, and snacks Lily had snuck in from the Great Hall — and made a quiet but swift exit from the corner of the library. As they walked, they each subtly glanced over their shoulders.
The mysterious tome remained still on the shelf… but Thomas swore he saw a single page flip despite there being no breeze.
They found a quieter, safer-looking study nook near a large arched window. Morning sunlight spilt in, warming the stone walls and casting dancing lights on the floor. It felt normal — which, at Hogwarts, was a precious feeling.
Thomas spread out his notes again. "Alright… so the Salem Witch Trials. There's a gap in wizarding records between 1691 and 1694. That's not normal. Especially not with something as public as the Trials."
Snape added, "It's like someone intentionally removed that history. Magical tampering?"
"Or maybe a cover-up," Thomas muttered, piecing through faded timelines and conflicting statements in footnotes.
Lily, overhearing, offered, "Could be the Ministry of Magic. Maybe they didn't want to admit how close Muggles came to exposing real magic."
Sybill glanced out the window and whispered, "Or maybe something darker happened… and they had to erase it."
The group grew quiet, that single sentence hanging in the air like a shadow.
Then Alice broke it with a smile. "Well, if we go missing, let's agree to haunt Professor Binns. Fair?"
Everyone nodded.
"Fair."
To be continued
Hope people like this ch and see you all in Monday