[YOU RECIEVED : 1 Astral hammer , 1 Immortal blood(book)]
Julian felt distinctly unimpressed by the outcome. He could have bought both of these items outright for a quarter of what those mystery tickets had cost him.
The first reward was the same specialized hammer he had used in the astral workshop, the one that made it far easier to channel his spirit through the tool. It was certainly useful, but not something he strictly needed in order to keep forging.
The second reward was a book about vampires in the world of Tamriel. It would have been valuable if he intended to design a ring tailored specifically for vampires, but beyond that it had little purpose for him, whether he was an elf or even a human.
...
Still, he had already spent the points. Complaining would not change anything, so he might as well squeeze every bit of value out of what he had received.
He swapped out his current hammer for the new one. The difference was obvious the moment he held it. Its surface carried a bright silver sheen, and the whole thing had a faint, ethereal look that made it seem slightly unreal. Julian merely shrugged. If anyone asked, he could always say he had found it somewhere in the castle. No one could dispute that, considering Hogwarts was packed with forgotten objects and unexplained oddities even after a thousand years of exploration.
...
That only left the Immortal Blood book.
He opened it and skimmed through for a quick read. It was not bad as short stories went, giving a decent overview of the various powers Tamrielic vampires were known to possess. The problem was that it really was short. The entire thing ended after seven pages.
Julian still found it entertaining, especially the ending.
"That's a fun twist," he thought as he reached the part where Movarth was betrayed by the one instructing him, only for that teacher to reveal they had been a vampire all along.
...
Over the last couple of weeks, Julian had also finished the fundamentals book from the "ancient" section. It had not contained any shocking revelations, but it did expand and refine what he already knew from more common texts, smoothing out gaps and clarifying concepts that had previously felt rough around the edges.
He had tested his spellcasting proficiency during that time as well and concluded he sat around the end of first year level.
That did not surprise him. He had talent, sure, but most of his effort went into strengthening his base rather than chasing raw power.
...
To Julian, racing after greater strength was a waste when he had all the time in the world, assuming nobody cut his life short early. The first two years at Hogwarts were not especially deadly, aside from that sixty foot snake that eventually got loose. That made it the perfect period to move carefully and ensure he was fully prepared for what lay ahead.
"First thing's first though, I need to get to breakfast," he decided.
He locked the workshop and began heading for the Great Hall.
...
Julian did not know what happened, but the next thing he noticed was that he was already there, standing near the entrance, with no memory of actually walking the route. He dismissed it with a small shrug and stepped through the doors, telling himself it was nothing. He got lost in thought often enough that losing track of a walk was hardly unheard of.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore now carried a small vial tucked inside his robes, containing a single drop of red blood.
...
Breakfast passed simply. Julian ate with enthusiasm, stuffing himself while Ron looked like he was trying to match him bite for bite. Afterward came an hour of History of Magic, which Julian spent quietly chatting with his friends as the lecture droned on.
...
During this period, he had been slowly increasing the distance between himself and Harry and Ron. Not in any dramatic way, and not enough to end their friendship, but enough that he was no longer constantly at their side. Once he stopped being a permanent fixture, he maintained that balance.
He still spent time with Harry and hung out with him fairly often, but he made sure he was usually occupied with something else, always having work to do or an excuse to be elsewhere.
None of his friends took offense at his frequent absences. They understood that he was simply different. Tracy and Daphne in particular seemed to appreciate it, since their parents were often buried in their own affairs as well.
...
Flitwick's class, however, felt different today, and the small professor made that clear the moment he began.
"Welcome, students. This month we will be learning the levitation charm and the unlocking charm," he announced with a broad smile. "Today we will be learning the wand movements and pronunciation for the unlocking charm."
"A new set of spells every month, I assume. That must be the schedule," Julian thought as he listened.
The first half of the lesson was pure repetition and memorization, so Julian did not bother participating, and Flitwick did not seem to expect him to. The second half was where the practical portion began.
With a flick of Flitwick's wand, a locked box appeared and landed neatly in front of each student.