Harry Potter: Bloodraven

Author's Note:

Two bonus chapters to celebrate reaching 200 power stones! Well, almost—190 is close enough. But hey, close enough counts!

If we reach 400 power stones in the next three days, I'll post even more.

I also want to take a moment to sincerely thank all my Patreon subscribers. The support and feedback I've received have been far better than I ever imagined. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Now, enjoy the two bonus chapters!

—————————

On top of a towering cliff on the southwest coast of St. Matthew Island, two figures stood in a tense standoff—a middle-aged man and a young man, just a few meters apart.

Above, the sky churned with dark clouds and below, waves slammed into jagged rocks, sending icy sprays of seawater shooting high into the air. The wind, sharp and bitter with salt, whipped at their cloaks, carrying the raw, wild scent of the sea.

The younger one gripped his wand tightly, eyes locked on the older figure before him.

"Go ahead—cast whatever spell you want," Edward said, barely finishing before Maverick's magic lashed out at him.

Edward raised an eyebrow, unfazed, as the bolt of magic shot straight at him. He didn't even lift his wand. With just a thought, a shimmering shield appeared in front of him, absorbing the hit with barely a ripple. The impact sent rocks scattering across the cliffside in the opposite direction as the shield held steady.

Edward send a calm, almost amused glance at his student. "Impatient, aren't we?"

"You told me to treat this as a real duel, teacher..." Without another word, he launched a silent Bombarda and vanished, reappearing above Edward, wand aimed and focused.

Edward lazily swung his hand, deflecting the incoming spell as if swatting away a fly.

"Bombarda!" Maverick shouted from above, the spell exploding with force as he shot another one and vanished.

Maverick kept circling, lunging spell after spell flying from every direction—some loud, and others silent.

Edward responded effortlessly, raising a casual shield or simply brushing them aside with his bare hands.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Rocks and debris flew in every direction with a loud bangs. Though the Arch-Magus deflected them, the raw power of Maverick's magic was undeniable, shaking the very ground beneath them.

Edward observed his students every move intently.

Just as Maverick apparated, Edward vanished from sight, reappearing directly behind him, a fist swung to the right of his face.

Maverick's Magical Sense screamed. He saw the fist coming at him like a train, but there was no time to Apparate again.

"Prote—!" he tried, but the shield barely formed before it shattered under the force. The impact sent him crashing to the ground, dragging the rocky surface as dust and debris flew around him.

"You're too hasty!" Edward instructed, his voice calm and steady amid the chaos. "Rushing in leaves you open."

Maverick scrambled to his feet, wiping the blood from the side of his face, his wand gripped tightly in his hand.

The cliff was now pockmarked with craters, the grass disappeared, leaving only scattered rocks in its place.

"Go on…" Edward said, brow raised, urging his student to continue.

Maverick didn't bother to reply. Instead, he raised his wand and pointed it straight ahead with a forceful jerk. The stone floor trembled beneath him, shifting and reshaping itself into something massive.

His magical energy poured as the ground trembled and shifted, slowly forming the head of a massive crow.

He stood behind it, wand raised, watching his will come being.

More rocks and earth lifted until a colossal raven stood ten feet tall. Its stone beak stretched over three feet, ominously opening wide.

Maverick commanded his creation like a conductor, and it unleashed a powerful flap of its wings. The air surged as it lunged at Edward with fierce intensity.

The whole thing happened in just a few seconds, but was more than enough time for an Arch-Magus to counter a hundred spells. But Edward stood there, eyebrow raised, clearly amused.

"Impressive…" he commented, then dramatically raised his hands to summon his own creation.

With a fierce roar, a lion's head burst from the ground, its stone mane thick, majestic, radiating the raw power of the king of the jungle. The body formed next, growing to match the massive bird barreling toward it.

The two colossal heads crashed together, smashing apart in a cascade of shattered rock, each piece scattering across the cliff as their fierce clash ended in rubble.

The clash sent a shockwave rippling outward, hurling stone and dust in all directions. The cliff, the size of a football field, trembled ominously as chaos reigned, threatened to collapse at any moment, like it had just about had enough of the madness going on above.

The two ignored the chaos as Maverick quickly conjured a shield, bracing against the shockwave and flying debris.

But Edward didn't give him a moment to breathe. With a casual lift of his finger, he silently cast Incarcerous, thick ropes shooting toward Maverick. Instantly, Maverick countered with Incendio, flames roaring to life and burning away the ropes just before they could ensnare him.

"Think! Use your movement skills!" Edward urged, launching a series of magic. Taking the advice, Maverick weaved between attacks, shielding himself when needed, and launching his own spells in return.

He quickly found his rhythm, dodging, casting, and countering Edward's assault. His blood raced with excitement as he unleashed spells faster, each incantation flowing instinctively.

Before long, he was driven by the need to land a single hit, his magic radiating off him in waves as he dodged and countered, his wand a blur of motion.

Edward remained rooted to his spot, effortlessly deflecting or dodging Maverick's attacks. When Maverick unleashed a blasting curse at his feet, Edward simply raised the ground with a transfiguration. Cutting curses and piercing hexes followed, but Edward deflected each one with calm precision, using subtle movements and minimal spells.

The tremors from below intensified, but they remained oblivious. Rocks and boulders began to break away from the cliff, tumbling down into the rocky sea below.

Time dragged on as the duel between Edward and Maverick raged on. Farther away, atop another cliff, three figures stood watching, unable to pull their eyes from the chaos.

Simon, Sarah, and Isabella stood close, their gaze fixed on the battle below. Though they were a safe distance away, the sheer power of the fight sent waves of energy rippling through the air. The southernmost cliff—a thousand feet tall and as big as a football field—was crumbling, chunks of rock falling away bit by bit.

"It's wild to think he's only three years older than me," Isabella murmured, awe and disbelief mixing in her gaze.

"Yeah, well, the kid's a straight-up prodigy," Sarah replied, shaking her head. "Charms, potions, alchemy, dueling… and that transfiguration? Unbelievable." She trailed off, still stunned by Maverick's skill.

"Speaking of…" Isabella turned to Simon, curiosity glinting in her eyes. "How's your transfiguration compared to Maverick's?"

Simon cleared his throat, his expression twitching. "Uh… why ask me? Why not her?" He motioned to his twin, Sarah, hoping to dodge the question.

"Because you're always bragging that you're better than her," Isabella teased, grinning.

"Cough. Well, we all have our own… strengths," he muttered, looking away.

Sarah just shook her head. She knew Simon well enough to see he was trying to play it cool, even though he was clearly embarrassed.

"Ha! Can't admit it, can you?" Isabella laughed, seeing his embarrassment.

"By the way, did he ever mention how he did on his OWLs and NEWTs yesterday? The kid never gave us a straight answer," Simon asked, glancing over at Isabella.

"Uh… he just said it... should be fine," Isabella replied, clearly as in the dark as Simon.

"Hmph. He better score high in Potions," Sarah scoffed, crossing her arms.

"His alchemy's improved too. I mean, it wasn't bad before, but the way he's improved in the last five months? It should be enough for a high score on his NEWTs," Simon added his tone mixed with certainty.

The three of them sighed in unison, sharing a mix of awe and disbelief.

"Can't believe he's come this far in everything," Sarah murmured. "Five months… and he's already a different person."

The three stood in silence for a moment, watching the duel until Isabella spoke again, a little quieter this time. "You know… I actually managed to give him a hard time, when he first started his training."

"Pfft," Simon scoffed, barely holding back a laugh. "You? He was a Magus even then. And you're just a Mage Apprentice."

"Hey, he was a total noob at dueling back then!" Isabella huffed, crossing her arms. "And I'll have you know I'm about to rank up soon!"

Sarah chuckled and ruffled Isabella's hair. "Don't let him get to you, Bella. Even we're not sure we could beat him."

Isabella frowned. "Didn't teacher Simon just say I couldn't fight him because of rank? So shouldn't you two be able to take him down?"

Sarah chuckled. "Not that simple with Maverick."

Simon sighed. "His mana control gives him the edge, even over us."

Isabella blinked. "How? I mean, why?… so he's better than you?"

Sarah nodded. "If we don't know what to expect, and he takes us one-on-one, then yeah… probably."

"But how?" Isabella pressed, her brow furrowed.

Sarah sighed, resting her hand on her chin. "It's all about his mana control. You'll get it more once you're a Magus. Think of it like this: he's got a machete, and we're just holding kitchen knives."

"Huh?" Isabella blinked, more confused.

"Okay, picture this: If Maverick and we were non-magical and he had a machete, he'd have a way better shot at taking us out than we would with our little kitchen knives.. See?"

Isabella nodded slowly, catching the gist even if it didn't all click. She figured it would make more sense once she leveled up.

As they chatted, gusts of wind and shockwaves from the battle rolled toward them, but their shield spells held steady. At this distance, they felt safe enough… even as the fight ahead raged with growing intensity.